36C10B21Q0328.docx

36C10B21Q0328

PAGE 1 OF

1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

DUNS:

DUNS+4:

PHONE:

FAX:

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

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

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

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

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

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

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

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

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

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

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

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

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

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

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

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

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

TBD

36C10B21Q0328 08-17-2021 Kalil O'Neal 848-377-5261 08-23-2021

12PM

EDT

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

X

541720 $22M

N/A

See Delivery Schedule

23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-8971

See CONTINUATION Page Project Title: AboutFace Engagement Intervention Courseware and Platform

See Section B

Type of Contract: Firm Fixed Price (FFP)

Table of Contents

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 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 affected 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.2 SOFTWARE LICENSE, MAINTENANCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SOFTWARE LICENSE, MAINTENANCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

1. Definitions.

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

1. 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.

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

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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).

1. Software License

1. The Government may use the software in a networked environment.

1. 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).

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

1. Software Maintenance and Technical Support

1. 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.

B.3 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

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

a. CONTRACTOR: Prevail Health Solutions, LLC 1105 West Chicago Avenue #203 Chicago, IL 60642 Richard Gengler richard@prevailhealth.com

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer

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.

B.4 PRICE SCHEDULE

Inspection: Destination Acceptance: Destination Free on Board (FOB): Destination

Base Period Period of Performance (PoP): 12-months After Receipt of Order

In accordance with (IAW) PWS Section 5.1 through 5.1.3.

Electronic submission to: Project Manager (PM), Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Contract Specialist (CS).

Pricing shall include SLINS 0001AA-0001AD

Due 30 days after receipt of Award (ARO) and updated monthly thereafter.

IAW PWS Section 5.1.1.

Due the first Monday after contract award and every Monday thereafter throughout the period of performance.

IAW PWS Section 5.1.2.

Due at least five days prior to Kickoff Meeting.

IAW PWS Section 5.1.3.

Due no later than three days after Kickoff Meeting.

IAW PWS Section 5.1.3.

In accordance with (IAW) PWS Section 5.2 through 5.2.5.

Electronic submission to: PM, COR and CS.

Pricing shall include SLINS 0002AA-0002AK

Due 120 days ARO.

IAW PWS Section 5.2.1.

Due 120 days ARO.

IAW PWS Section 5.2.1.

Due 120 ARO and updated as needed to keep current.

Due 120 ARO and updated as needed to keep current.

Due 120 ARO and updated as needed to keep current.

Due five days prior to the start of UAT.

IAW PWS Section 5.2.3.

Due at the completion of UAT. 5.2.3

Due the fifth day of each month throughout the period of performance, beginning one month after the software solution is deployed to the production environment.

IAW PWS Section 5.2.4.

Due 120 ARO and updated as needed to keep current.

Due the fifth day of each month throughout the period of performance, beginning one month after the software solution is deployed to the production environment.

IAW PWS Section 5.2.5.

Due at the completion of UAT (When Updates are made).

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.3 Electronic submission to: PM, COR and CS.

Pricing shall include SLINS 0003AA-0003AB

Due 30 days after completing the AboutFace Intervention. Peer support specialists will receive a specific training in the intervention and how to support participants in its use.

IAW PWS Section 5.3.

Due monthly after training IAW PWS Section 5.3.

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.4 Electronic submission to: PM, COR and CS.

Pricing shall include SLINS 0004AA-0004AB.

Due after the first ten AboutFace Intervention study participants complete the AboutFace Intervention pilot study.

Due at the end of the AboutFace Intervention pilot study.

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.5 Electronic submission to: PM, COR and CS.

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

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.2.4 Pricing shall include SLINS 1001AA-1001AD

Due the fifth day of each month throughout the period of performance, beginning one month after the software solution is deployed to the production environment.

Electronic submission to: PM, COR and CS.

Based on feedback from study participants, it may become necessary to make edits to the written content in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall replace up to 50% of the text in the intervention. NCPTSD will supply the revised text. Per 5.2.4.1

Based on feedback from study participants it may become necessary to replace selected videos in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall remove videos from the intervention, replacing them with a different video. NCPTSD will decide on which videos will be removed and will supply the new video. Per 5.2.4.2

Based on feedback from study participants, there may need to be substantive changes to the intervention to improve user experience. If exercised, the contractor shall implement programming changes to revise the intervention structure by up to 25% by, for example, changing the order of the modules. Per 5.2.4.3

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

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.2.4 Pricing shall include SLINS 2001AA-2001AD

Due the fifth day of each month throughout the period of performance, beginning one month after the software solution is deployed to the production environment.

Electronic submission to: PM, COR and CS.

Based on feedback from study participants, it may become necessary to make edits to the written content in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall replace up to 50% of the text in the intervention. NCPTSD will supply the revised text. Per 5.2.4.1

Based on feedback from study participants it may become necessary to replace selected videos in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall remove videos from the intervention, replacing them with a different video. NCPTSD will decide on which videos will be removed and will supply the new video. Per 5.2.4.2

Based on feedback from study participants, there may need to be substantive changes to the intervention to improve user experience. If exercised, the contractor shall implement programming changes to revise the intervention structure by up to 25% by, for example, changing the order of the modules. Per 5.2.4.3

Option Year Two Total

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

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.2.4 Pricing shall include SLINS 3001AA-3001AD

Due the fifth day of each month throughout the period of performance, beginning one month after the software solution is deployed to the production environment.

Based on feedback from study participants, it may become necessary to make edits to the written content in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall replace up to 50% of the text in the intervention. NCPTSD will supply the revised text. Per 5.2.4.1

Based on feedback from study participants it may become necessary to replace selected videos in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall remove videos from the intervention, replacing them with a different video. NCPTSD will decide on which videos will be removed and will supply the new video. Per 5.2.4.2

Based on feedback from study participants, there may need to be substantive changes to the intervention to improve user experience. If exercised, the contractor shall implement programming changes to revise the intervention structure by up to 25% by, for example, changing the order of the modules. Per 5.2.4.3

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

In accordance with (IAW) PWS 5.2.4 Pricing shall include SLINS 4001AA-4001AD

Due the fifth day of each month throughout the period of performance, beginning one month after the software solution is deployed to the production environment.

Based on feedback from study participants, it may become necessary to make edits to the written content in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall replace up to 50% of the text in the intervention. NCPTSD will supply the revised text. Per 5.2.4.1

Based on feedback from study participants it may become necessary to replace selected videos in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall remove videos from the intervention, replacing them with a different video. NCPTSD will decide on which videos will be removed and will supply the new video. Per 5.2.4.2

Based on feedback from study participants, there may need to be substantive changes to the intervention to improve user experience. If exercised, the contractor shall implement programming changes to revise the intervention structure by up to 25% by, for example, changing the order of the modules. Per 5.2.4.3

Option Year Four Total

OPTIONAL TASK—Professional Services This option may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity may be exercised at any time and from time to time up to the contract maximum value set forth in this clause. Work shall not commence until, and unless, a formal modification is issued by the Contracting Officer.

400 completed Veterans through the study design using 5.2.4, 5.2.5, 5.4, and 5.5 as a guide.

This optional task may be exercised IAW FAR 52.217-7, Option for Increased Quantity-Separately Priced Line Item (MAR 1989). This option may be exercised any time and from time to time throughout the period of performance but shall not exceed 400 total Veteran studies.

Partial payments may be issued quarterly based on progress of each veteran in the study.

NTE

400 completed Veterans through the study design using 5.2.4, 5.2.5, 5.4, and 5.5 as a guide.

Report including details on the 400 completed Veterans

B.5 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans’ Health Administration

National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Executive Division AboutFace PTSD Engagement Intervention plus Evaluation with Peer Support

Date: June 11, 2021

1.0 BACKGROUND

The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (NCPTSD), Executive Division, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is responsible for creating training and educational products to support evidence-based care of Veterans with PTSD and related problems. PTSD is very common among Veterans and has a significant impact on Veterans’ quality of life. Most Veterans with PTSD do not access evidence-based treatments for PTSD, and many Veterans are either unable or choose not to access available mental health services of any kind. Lack of available services, distance from clinics, and stigma associated with mental health care are just a few of the barriers to providing care for Veterans and those living with a Veteran with PTSD.

The National Center for PTSD developed AboutFace, a public awareness, educational campaign to help Veterans recognize PTSD and motivate them to seek evidence-based treatment. AboutFace has tremendous potential to increase the likelihood that Veterans with PTSD and related mental health conditions will access mental health services. In this project we would like to develop a web based AboutFace Engagement Intervention using videos from AboutFace and text provided by the National Center for PTSD and then conduct a pilot study with 50 community Veterans to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.

NCPTSD would like a contractor to perform the following tasks:

1. Create a web based AboutFace Engagement Intervention using videos from AboutFace and text provided by the National Center for PTSD.

2. Provide VA certified peer support specialists who can be trained to support participants in their use of the AboutFace Engagement Intervention.

3. Conduct a pilot study with 50 Veterans with PTSD symptoms, recruited from the community, who are not currently receiving PTSD treatment. PTSD participants should screen positive on the PC-PTSD-5 (e.g. 3 or more endorsed) and should not have received PTSD treatment in the last 6 months.

The above shall be conducted using an online platform that provides access to a large pool of Veterans (i.e. >100 per month) and has built-in functionality for peer support and coaching of Veterans that can be used for the AboutFace Engagement intervention. For the pilot study, questionnaires will need to be made web-ready so that participants can reply to online surveys. The Contractor shall create a web based AboutFace Engagement Intervention using videos from AboutFace and text provided by the National Center for PTSD that will run less than 60 minutes in length (depending on the length of the videos chosen). The functionality and content will match the technical, functional and esthetic environment of the website www.ptsd.va.gov/AboutFace.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

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

1. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

2. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards,” July 1, 2003

3. VA Directive 6500, “Managing Information Security Risk: VA Information Security Program,” September 20, 2012

4. VA Handbook 6500.1, “Electronic Media Sanitization,” November 03, 2008

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

6. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2300010

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

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

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

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

11. VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, February 26, 2009

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

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

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

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

16. NIST SP 800-63-3, 800-63A, 800-63B, 800-63C, Digital Identity Guidelines, June 2017

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

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

19. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 2.0”, May 2017, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

20. “POLARIS User Guide”, Version 1.2, February 2016, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4412

21. VA Memorandum “Use of Personal Email (VAIQ #7581492)”, April 24, 2015, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

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

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

Specifically, the Contractor shall:

1. Develop a web based AboutFace Engagement Intervention using videos from AboutFace and text provided by the National Center for PTSD that includes 6-8 modules. Each module will address a specific topic (e.g., symptoms, effects on family, stigma, barriers to care, treatment, recovery) and will include some brief text followed by videos that support the topic.

2. Automate questionnaires for use on the web-platform to be completed pre, post and follow up. There will be questionnaires before the modules begin and some at the conclusion of the modules. NCPTSD will determine which outcome measures to use such as demographic measures to describe sample and as well as outcome measures.

3. Host the web based AboutFace Engagement Intervention.

4. Provide VA certified peer support specialists to support participants in using the AboutFace Engagement Intervention.

5. Co-train (with NCPTSD) VA certified peer support specialists in the platform (contractor) and in the intervention (NCPTSD).

6. Conduct a pilot study of the AboutFace Engagement Intervention to 1) determine the feasibility, rate of recruitment, and study retention, 2) assess the acceptability of the intervention, and 3) describe pre/post data on readiness, stigma, and attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment.

7. Create a final report including the Veterans’ follow-up information, assessment measure information and other results as described.

The Contractor shall perform software development, to include requirements analysis, configuration management, software design, development, testing, deployment, hosting, and maintenance of the software. After the software is developed, the vendor shall retain rights to that software and will recreate/embed the programs within their own platform to deliver the Course Content through the Platform or System Hosting.

The Contractor shall also recruit, screen, and enroll study participants, administer self-report measures of clinical variables selected by NCPTSD, and provide peer support coaching, as well as provide de-identified data gathered from the study to NCPTSD.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance (PoP) shall be 12 months from date of award, with four 12-month Option Periods.

There are eleven (11) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, five are set by date:

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

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

4.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at Contractor facilities. The Contractor shall identify the Contractor’s place of performance in their proposal.

The Government does not anticipate travel under this effort to perform the tasks associated with the effort.

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following:

5.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

5.1.1 CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The CPMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the PWS. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the CPMP and report any deviations and communicate with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Project Management Plan

5.1.2 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall attend weekly project meetings and provide verbal reports on progress. The Contractor shall also provide brief weekly status updates via a written Weekly Status Report that indicates the status of the project, including the work breakdown structure; the projected schedule; and the Contractor’s recommendations for recovering from any schedule slippage. Upon deployment of the software solutions to the Contractor-hosted production environment, the Weekly Status Report shall include the recruitment and enrollment numbers once the pilot study begins.

Deliverable:

A. Weekly Progress Report

5.1.3 TECHNICAL KICKOFF MEETING

The Contractor shall hold a technical kickoff meeting within 10 days after contract award. The Contractor shall present, for review and approval by the Government, the details of the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule. The Contractor shall specify dates, set up the call, develop the agenda, and meeting minutes. The Contractor shall invite the Contracting Officer (CO), Contract Specialist (CS), COR, and the VA PM.

Deliverable:

A. Kickoff Agenda B. Kickoff Meeting Minutes

5.2 DEVELOPMENT

5.2.1 AboutFace Engagement Intervention DEVELOPMENT

The Contractor shall develop a web based AboutFace Engagement Intervention using videos from AboutFace and text provided by the National Center for PTSD which includes 6-8 modules, the outline to be included as Appendix A. Each module will address a specific topic (e.g., symptoms, effects on family, stigma, barriers to care, treatment, recovery) and will include some brief text followed by 2 videos.

The Contractor shall provide input on technical and information security aspects of the platform so that the NCPTSD can prepare the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application in support of the AboutFace pilot study. The Contractor shall provide all technical information needed for the IRB application within one month after contract award.

The Contractor shall conduct requirements analysis, configuration management, software design, development, testing and deployment of the software needed. The Contractor shall work directly with NCPTSD to refine the requirements and develop solutions that meet the requirements in this PWS.

The Contractor shall plan, schedule, and conduct requirement review meetings with VA stakeholders to analyze, refine, and translate the requirements specified in this PWS into a user storyboard including screen mockups depicting every representative screen requested by NCPTSD, and acceptance criteria. The Contractor shall be responsible for documenting and maintaining the user storyboard and acceptance criteria. The Contractor shall ensure that the VA PM has access to the most current version of the user story and acceptance criteria.

The Contractor shall host and maintain a User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment with the latest code for VA to test and demonstrate the functionality between versions. This environment shall remain operational throughout the software development phase.

The final Contractor tested software code shall not have any known defects. The Contractor shall deliver a Final Test Report summarizing the testing that was performed, including both functional and scalability testing.

The Contractor shall host the final tested AboutFace Engagement Intervention.

Deliverables:

A. AboutFace Engagement Intervention, 508 compliant, Software Build

5.2.2 Automated Assessment

The Contractor shall create a 508 compliant platform for the assessment questionnaires on the same platform as the AboutFace intervention. The contractor will automate the questionnaires that are provided. Assessment questionnaires are required for recruiting and screening, as well as to determine outcomes. A list of assessment measures is included as Appendix B. Tracking of conversations with peer support specialists and of whether participants sought out additional resources that were provided (i.e. clicked links for more information) are also required.

1. Security

a. The Contractor’s solution shall meet all VA system security requirements identified within this PWS. The studies will collect and store Veterans’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) outside of the VA network. VA will not share any PII or PHI with the contractor. The contractor will make available on a secure server participant names and contact information. A business associate agreement will be utilized.

b. Collected PHI shall be stored within a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Trust Alliance compliant server that can only be accessed by select staff members with limited and controlled access.

c. The clinical data collected as part of the research study (to be reviewed by the IRB) shall be connected to a non-identifiable unique participant username/ID only, which is assigned by the awardee.

Deliverables:

A. AboutFace Assessment build on 508 compliant platform, Software Build

5.2.3 USER ACCEPTANCE TESTING

The Contractor shall facilitate VA UAT. Upon successful implementation and Contractor testing of the requirements specified in Appendix A, the Contractor shall deploy the completed software solutions to a Contractor-hosted UAT environment. The Contractor shall develop test scenarios, test cases, and test scripts necessary to test the functional requirements as specified within this PWS. The Contractor shall provide and input any sample data required by the systems in order to complete the testing of the functional requirements. The Contractor shall track, resolve, and retest all defects found during UAT and provide updated Software Source Code, Compiled Code, and Software Builds for the Pilot AboutFace Study.

Deliverable:

A. UAT Test Scenarios, Test Cases, and Test Scripts B. Updates to Pilot Study Software Build

5.2.4 SYSTEM HOSTING

Upon completion of VA UAT, the Contractor shall deploy the software solutions to the Contractor-hosted production environment so that the assessment questionnaires and AboutFace Engagement Intervention is available to users of the website who enroll in the study.

The system shall be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system shall be available at least 99 percent of the scheduled operational time, excluding scheduled maintenance outages. The Contractor shall schedule system maintenance outages between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Scheduled outages shall not occur more than once per week and shall be set up at least seven days in advance for maintenance and/or system upgrades to the greatest extent practical unless deemed emergent due to system compromise or imminent failure. The Contractor shall inform the VA PM and COR of any downtimes for planned or unplanned maintenance to include technical refreshes, upgrades, patches, or security updates.

The Contractor shall deliver a monthly System Hosting Report. The report shall summarize any planned or unplanned outages that occurred during the reporting period and any planned outages scheduled for the following reporting period. An explanation shall be provided for any unplanned outage that occurred during the reporting period, indicating the root cause of the outage and the steps that were or are being taken to correct the problem and prevent its reoccurrence.

5.2.4.1 Text Edits

Based on feedback from study participants, it may become necessary to make edits to the written content in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall replace up to 50% of the text in the intervention. NCPTSD will supply the revised text.

5.2.4.2 Programming Changes

Based on feedback from study participants, there may need to be substantive changes to the intervention to improve user experience. If exercised, the contractor shall implement programming changes to revise the intervention structure by up to 25% by, for example, changing the order of the modules.

5.2.4.3 Video Replacement

Based on feedback from study participants it may become necessary to replace selected videos in the intervention. If exercised, the contractor shall remove videos from the intervention, replacing them with a different video. NCPTSD will decide on which videos will be removed and will supply the new video.

Deliverable:

A. System Hosting Report

5.2.5 SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE

The Contractor shall resolve and retest any defects found while the software applications are in production. The Contractor shall document and track all defects to closure. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Defect Report describing all defects, their status, and final resolution.

The Contractor shall host Updated Software Build for the Pilot Study, and deploy bug fixes to the production environment in accordance with Task 5.2.4 System Hosting.

Deliverables:

A. Monthly Defect Report B. Updates to Software for the Pilot Study

5.3 VA CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS

5.3.1 Training peer support specialists to support participants with the AboutFace Engagement Intervention The contractor will provide VA certified peer support specialists to assist participants with using the AboutFace Engagement Intervention. The number required should be sufficient so that participants can get connected with a peer specialist within 2 days (preferably same day) of enrolling in the study and so that they are able to respond within 24 hours to any inquiries that come in while the participants are using the intervention. Peer support specialists will receive a specific training in the intervention and how to support participants in its use.

Deliverables:

A. VA certified peer support specialists B. Tracking of peer support contacts (e.g., nature of contact, when contact occurred, number of total contacts, etc.)

5.4 PILOT STUDY

The Contractor shall conduct a pilot study of the AboutFace Engagement Intervention with up to 50 veterans. Goals are to 1) to determine the feasibility, rate of recruitment, and study retention, 2) assess the acceptability of the Intervention, and 3) describe pre/post data on readiness, stigma, attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment and behavioral action steps.

The Contractor shall: recruit enough Veterans to ensure that a minimum of 50 Veterans enroll in the pilot study following screening. Eligible participants are Veterans who screen positive on the PC-PTSD-5 (e.g. 3 or more endorsed) and who have not received PTSD treatment in the last 6 months. The pilot study shall run until all 50 participants have been enrolled and all those who have not withdrawn have completed post-assessments (approximately 3 months).

The Contractor shall collect system usage and behavioral health outcomes data to evaluate the impacts of the Veterans’ use of the platform and their interaction patterns with peer support mentors using the measures and time points specified by NCPTSD. The Contractor shall provide a structured dataset containing de-identified data on participant usage of the intervention, clinical variables, and peer support contacts to NCPTSD for analysis and interpretation.

The Contractor shall collect self-report measures of clinical variables at study enrollment, post intervention, and at three-month follow up. Automated reminders should be sent to participants with log-in information that takes them to the online surveys. The contractor will also provide summary data of peer support contacts (e.g., nature of contact, when contact occurred, number of total contacts, etc.)

The Contractor shall provide NCPTSD with Preliminary Study Datasets after collection of the first 10 participants for quality and process checks. The Contractor shall provide a Final Pilot Study Dataset after meeting recruitment goals and after completing data collection. The datasets shall consist of system usage and peer support services interaction data summarized at the individual user level. System usage includes variables such as frequency and duration of time spent on system, completion of current intervention modules, frequency and duration of peer support specialist interactions per peer support specialist and in total, frequency of use of peer chat function, and any indicator variables for safety-related actions taken (e.g., required peer support contact and/or transfer to Veterans Crisis Line). The dataset also shall include the raw item-level scores for each clinical measure from each assessment point. To obtain de-identified data, dates of assessment points and other time-based information shall be provided as days since day of enrollment. A unique person-specific study identification variable shall be included as a numeric (integer) variable that does not include any personally identifying information.

Deliverables:

A. Preliminary Pilot Study Dataset B. Final Pilot Study Dataset

5.5 FINAL REPORT

1. Final Report

a. There shall be a research report on the pilot study.

b. The dashboards shall display data on:

i. Participant enrollment (e.g., number consented, random assignment condition if applicable, progress through programs, completion status).

ii. Program usage (e.g., mean and mode of time spent completing various study components, such as module review, video time, etc.).

iii. Progress on completing various study modules (e.g., time since last log on, number of components completed, research peer support identification, tools accessed if applicable, research questionnaires completed and by time point, overall completion status, etc.).

iv. At agreed upon timepoints (e.g., after first ten users, at completion of study, upon need for preliminary analyses), NCPTSD staff shall have access to all relevant data collected via a data download option.

v. All VA and Contractor staff who are involved in these research protocols and programs and/or access these data shall have completed Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative training (i.e., training in responsible conduct of research).

Deliverables:

A. AboutFace Pilot Study Final Report

5.6 OPTION PERIOD ONE

If Option Period One is exercised by VA, all tasks in the following sections and their sub-sections shall apply:

5.2.4 System Hosting

5.7 OPTION PERIOD TWO

If Option Period Two is exercised by VA, all tasks in the following sections and their sub-sections shall apply:

5.2.4 System Hosting

5.8 OPTION PERIOD THREE

If Option Period Three is exercised by VA, all tasks in the following sections and…