36C10B21R0015 Final.docx

36C10B21R0015

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

05-04-2021 John T McDonnell 732-795-1020 05-11-2021

2:00PM

EDT

36C10B Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

X

517311 1500 Employees

N/A

See Section, Attachment 1

See Block 9.

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

See CONTINUATION Page See Section B.3

Contracting Officer

Table of Contents

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 REQUIREMENT BACKGROUND

This is a solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subparts 12.6 and 13.5, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.

Solicitation Number 36C10B21R0015 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) telecommunication data services at the service delivery points (SDP) as listed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The services required are Metro Ethernet circuits point-to-point (10, 100, and 1000 mbps). Specific requirements are listed in the PWS (see section B.4).

All offers shall contain the minimum information required under FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors, Commercial Items to include its associated addendum (see E.5). All proposals received in response to this solicitation will be evaluated in accordance with the section of this document titled, “52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (Modified)” (see E.6). Your proposal, in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications, Commercial Items, shall list your DUNS number, CAGE code, Company name, Point of Contact, and phone number. All offerors are cautioned to pay close attention to the proposal submission instruction in section E.5 and to return both completed attachments found in section D.

B.2 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:

Page 1 of Page 1 of

B.3 PRICE SCHEDULE

Base Period

The Period of Performance shall be 1 June 2021 thru 31 May 2022

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

IAW FAR Clause 52.204-14, the contractor shall report annually by October 31 all services performed under this contract during the preceding Government fiscal year. The reporting is accomplished via the internet at www.sam.gov.

Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.7.1

Deliver 14 Days ARO Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.7.2

Deliver 14 Days ARO Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Base Period:

Option Period 1 This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (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 at the end of the previous period.

The Period of Performance shall be 1 June 2022 thru 31 May 2023

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

IAW FAR Clause 52.204-14, the contractor shall report annually by October 31 all services performed under this contract during the preceding Government fiscal year. The reporting is accomplished via the internet at www.sam.gov.

Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Option Period:

Option Period 2 This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (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 at the end of the previous period.

The Period of Performance shall be 1 June 2023 thru 31 May 2024

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

IAW FAR Clause 52.204-14, the contractor shall report annually by October 31 all services performed under this contract during the preceding Government fiscal year. The reporting is accomplished via the internet at www.sam.gov.

Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Option Period:

Option Period 3 This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (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 at the end of the previous period.

The Period of Performance shall be 1 June 2024 thru 31 May 2025

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

IAW FAR Clause 52.204-14, the contractor shall report annually by October 31 all services performed under this contract during the preceding Government fiscal year. The reporting is accomplished via the internet at www.sam.gov.

Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Option Period:

Option Period 4 This 12-month option period may be exercised in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (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 at the end of the previous period.

The Period of Performance shall be 1 June 2025 thru 31 May 2026

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

SDPs & Quantities IAW Section D, Attachment 0001 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

IAW FAR Clause 52.204-14, the contractor shall report annually by October 31 all services performed under this contract during the preceding Government fiscal year. The reporting is accomplished via the internet at www.sam.gov.

Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Option Period:

Total Contract Cost:

B.4 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 BACKGROUND

The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps), Solution Delivery (SD), Telecommunication Provisioning Office – LEC Services (TPO-LEC) is to partner with our business units to enable VA to become a Veteran centric service provider through the delivery of available, adaptable, secure, and cost effective technology services.

OI&T supports VA by enabling world-class service to Veterans and their families through effective communication and management of people, technology, business and financial processes.

TPO-LEC has the overall business and management responsibilities for all VA Enterprise communication services (voice and data). The TPO-LEC is currently responsible for the management of communications operational expenses for all major Medical Centers and their attached smaller satellite offices across the Enterprise footprint.

TPO-LEC catchment area includes the 50 continental United States including Hawaii and Alaska as well as several U.S. Territories. The proposed contract will allow TPO-LEC the ability to centralize management of LEC services and accomplish its goal of reducing overall telecommunications expenses.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

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

1. FIPS Pub 201, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors,” March 2006

2. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

3. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

4. OMB Circular A-130, “Management of Federal Information Resources,” November 28, 2000

5. Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220), August 7, 1998

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

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

8. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program,” September 20, 2012

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

10. Project Management Accountability System (PMAS) portal (reference PWS References -Technical Library at https://www.voa.va.gov/)

11. OI&T ProPath Process Methodology (reference PWS References -Technical Library and ProPath Library links at https://www.voa.va.gov/) NOTE: In the event of a conflict, OI&T ProPath takes precedence over other processes or methodologies.

12. Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.voa.va.gov/)

13. National Institute Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications

14. VA Directive 6508, VA Privacy Impact Assessment, October 3, 2008

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

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

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

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall be able to provide LEC telecommunication data services of Metro- E to VA sites as listed in Attachment 1, and based on their Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) coverage. The services required are Metro Ethernet circuits point-to-point (10, 100, and 1000 mbps).

Contractor shall utilize the VA OB-10 system or an approved Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software system to electronically submit invoices for processing. Invoices must contain the following information in order for them to be considered valid invoices for payment: Invoices that do not contain the required information will be rejected for non-compliance with the contract. Upon completion of the POP and the final invoices are paid, the Contractor must notify the COR and the Contracting Officer so the purchase order can be closed out.

All disconnect or discontinuations of service requests will stop billing within 30 days of the VA original requested date to the Contractor regardless if the Contractor has discontinued the service.

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

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Firm Fixed Price contract.

4.2 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period for the contract shall be a base period of 12 months with 4 – 12 month option periods. Period of Performance is listed below:

Installation, maintenance and/or disconnection of services shall commence between 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. Work may be required outside of normal business hours due to system failures and other issues. Maintenance that requires intrusive testing will have to be completed after normal working hours unless the service is not currently functioning. If services will be affected then Contractor must coordinate with the site POC and be performed after hours.

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

Under current definitions, four are set by date:

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

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

4.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance shall be the current location the Contractor already has services installed at the below listed location in Gainesville, Florida:

3832 W. Newberry Road, Gainesville, FL 32607 3842 W. Newberry Road, Gainesville, FL 32607 300 E. University Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32601 2444 NE 1st Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32601 235 S. Main Street. Gainesville, FL 32601 201 SE 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601 1604 SE 3rd Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601 1601 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32601 105 NW 75th Street, Gainesville, FL 32601 4805 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608 5415 SW 64th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608 5533 SW 64th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608 5571 SW 64th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608

4.4 TRAVEL

Contractor travel is not required for this contract.

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following:

5.1 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

5.1.1 PROGRESS REPORT

None required

5.3 RECURRING DATA SERVICES

The Contractor shall be able to provide LEC telecommunication data services as listed in section 5.3.1. This is based on services currently in place.

5.3.1 SERVICE TYPES

The Contractor shall continue providing the existing service types required for OI&T TPO - LEC. The existing services and associated accounts shall be transitioned under this contract NLT 30 days after award of this contract.

1. Ethernet base data services switched (layer 2), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) (Layer 2.5) and Routed (Layer 3) (10 Megabits per second [Mbps], Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1000 Mbps), OptiWan, OptiMan or equivalent services

5.3.2 ETHERNET FEATURES

The Contractor shall provide Ethernet services as a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that shall support Voice, Video, Real Time applications and data with Class of Service (CoS) and Quality of Services (QoS) feature for services operating at the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Layer 3 and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) services. Ethernet services operating at OSI Layer 2 shall support Real Time (RT), Guaranteed Data (GD) connections. This feature is not required at all facilities.

5.3.3 THROUGHPUT

Throughput is defined as the Bandwidth Rate (expressed in Megabits) that can effectively be used by the Government compared to the Bandwidth Rate delivered by the Contractor based on an Ethernet frame size of 1518 bytes. Throughput excludes Ethernet Frames that are not delivered due to factors unrelated to Contractor's Service. The Contractor shall confirm the throughput performance at the establishment of service also as defined in section 5.5.

Throughput is calculated as the usable Bandwidth Rate (expressed in Megabits) successfully (without any frame loss) transmitted over the Contractor’s core network, divided by the Bandwidth Rate (also expressed in Megabits) delivered by the Contractor based on an Ethernet frame size of 1,518 bytes The measurement domain is the Edge-to-Edge device (from Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) to CPE) within the Contractor Ethernet service.

Any circuit that does not comply with the SLAfor throughput, the Contractor shall conform within thirty calendar days from time of trouble ticket.

5.3.4 TELECOMMUNICATION AVAILABILITY

The Contractor shall provide telecommunication services at each facility 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per annum. 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 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. Rate and service schedules must comply with both Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and PUC rules. Best effort service shall not be accepted.

5.4 ESTABLISHMENT OF SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide telecommunication services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (to include all materials, equipment, and labor) for the location specified PWS Section 3.0. The Contractor shall seek permission via local Point of Contact (POC) to enter the Government facility for the purpose of installing, inspecting or repairing of the services/equipment, or upon termination of the service, for the purpose of removing Contractor services/equipment.

Requirements for access to VA facilities shall include the following:

1. Normal working hours at VA facilities are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM except for the Network Operations Center (NOC) which is open 24/7. Overtime or access after normal administrative hours shall be coordinated and approved with each site.

2. Contractor Technicians shall require escorts for in-building work where security requirements dictates; a maximum of four escorts will be provided at each VA location depending on staff availablility. The intent is for escorts to be dedicated resources.

3. If work must be conducted after normal working hours, pre-notification must be given to VA Telecom Manager to coordinate VA escorts at a minimum of 48 hours in advance of technician arrival.

5.4.1 INVENTORY OF LINES AND CIRCUITS

Upon completion of the transition, the Contractor shall complete an inventory of all their circuits under this contract. The inventory shall include the cable pair assignments, the local and long haul circuit ID, the Network Interface (NI) location, and monthly recurring charges for each item in the inventory at each demarcation point for the location specified. The Contractor shall submit the inventory data to the designated COR no later than 30 business days after the completion of the installation or 30 business days for paper only transitions.

The Contractor shall provide the up-to-date, accurate inventory of lines and circuits as part of the Contractor’s account management inventory reporting.

5.4.2 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PRIORITY

The Contractor shall comply with the assignment of a Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) to circuits identified in the contract. 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 as a result of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and other natural or man-made disasters. 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 VA shall receive priority attention by the service vendor before any and all non-TSP services.

Website: http://tsp.ncs.gov

5.5 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA)

The Contractor shall agree that services they provide conform to Service Level Agreement (SLA) parameters as defined in the following subtasks. This SLA will 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.

5.5.1 CONTRACTOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT

The Contractor shall use an Escalation Process to resolve customer service issues and provide a single point of contact for each issue or dispute. The Contractor shall provide the COR an Escalation Process 14 days After Receipt of Order (ARO) outlining the specific steps taken to resolve customer service issues. The process shall include a full escalation list that provides resolution if necessary at the Contractor’s senior executive level.

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 toll free number shall be designated as the primary help desk number for VA Telecom Staff to call to report a trouble ticket. 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 will be raised and given to the Government representative and also 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 report of Help Desk trouble tickets at the completion of each billing cycle. The report shall contain all tickets opened during the billing cycle and shall include a list of trouble ticket numbers and circuits effected, reporting location, time of trouble ticket report, time of service restoration, and description of fault and resolution of fault.

5.5.2 MEAN TIME TO REPAIR

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 4 hours for outage and 24 hours for services being affected. The Contractor shall provide technical support/resolution during established business hours to assist VA with issues pertaining to the LEC Services in Section 5.3.1. 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 classifications of fault. If problems are not being completely resolved within 3 business days, the Contractor shall provide an explanation with plan and timeframe for resolving.

5.5.2.1 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. Contractor shall acknowledge the trouble ticket within 1 hour of being reported. 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 COR or trouble ticket, every business day via telephone until restored. The fault shall not return for seven days or it shall be considered a continuation of the original service impact.

5.5.2.2 PRIORITY 2– SERVICE DEGRADED

Service Degraded means VA’s workflow is not seriously affected or limited as defined in 5.5.2.1 The fault shall not return for 30 days or it shall be considered a continuation of the original fault. Contractor shall acknowledge the trouble ticket within 1 hour of being reported. The Contractor shall respond to all Service outages within four hours. Notifications shall be provided to VA local POC as identified by COR or trouble ticket, every business day via telephone until restored.

5.5.2.3 EXCLUSIONS

During scheduled maintenance of the LEC Service, the Contractor shall notify VA within three 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 facility POC before scheduled maintenance occurs. The voice service shall not be considered to 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 days in advance of outage or service degradation;

2. During the installation period; and

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

5.5.3 EFFECTIVE DATE

The Critical Dates utilized to establish the effective date are as follows:

1. Application Date (APP): The date the Government provides a contract and sufficient information to the Contractor for order placement. The APP Date is the date the contract service provider enters the order into their order distribution system(s). This is sometimes referred to as the order date.

2. Design Layout Report Date (DLRD): The date the Design Layout Report which contains the design for the service(s) ordered is forwarded to the Government.

3. Plant Test Date (PTD): The date acceptance testing is performed with the the Government.

4. Service Date (DD): The date the service is due to be made available to the Government. This is sometimes referred to as the Due Date.

The time between APP and DD should be less than 60 days in all cases. The Government shall be notified within 45 days after APP if the DLRD cannot be provided or if the Contractor’s facilities cannot support the requirements. Also the Contractor shall notify the Government prior to the 60th day the results of the PTD. Any exception to the effective date shall be identified by the contractor and shall also furnish a written plan with a new due date and anticipated additional cost to install. The Government COR may approve exceptions up to 60 days from the APP. If not approved by the COR or the exception is greater than 60 days, the requirement issue will be raised to the CO for additional action.

5.5.4 END TO END SERVICE AVAILABILITY

End-to-End Service Availability is defined as the total number of minutes in a billing month during which the Service is available to transmit data between the originating & terminating Government Sites divided by the total number of minutes in a billing month. LEC Service Availability SLA shall be 99.9%. Service Availability is calculated in relation to Service Outage only. Measurement is based on the LEC’s Help Desk time documentation and does not include time covered by exclusions in the section 5.5.2.3. The calculation of Service Outage time shall include periods of severe service degradation as defined in section 5.5.2.1 Calculation of Monthly Service Availability (%) = (1 - (Total minutes of Service Outage per month Days in month x 24 hours x 60 minutes)) X100.

5.6 MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

The Contractor shall maintain service availability to the standards established in this PWS, and ensure no loss of telecommunications services during all service requests, and provide maintenance activities to the Contractor’s network. For example, remediation of major system failures using redundant resources or other resources may be necessary to maintain performance standards. The Contractor shall conduct all activities necessary to ensure service technicians are able to access, provide, and maintain all service-provider-controlled circuits and equipment. If major system failure occurs and is outside of typical business hours the VA reserves the right to directly contact repair services of the Carrier providing the last mile to the location. The Contractor shall clean up all work areas 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 by telephone call or email to the VA local technical contact. The service request, repair, or maintenance is not considered complete until a VA Facility Telecommunications Manager confirms that the completion of service is acceptable.

5.6.1 DOWNTIME

The Contractor shall obtain the approval of the COR and VA Facility Telecommunications Manager through the Contractor’s account management system (refer to Section 5.8 Account Management) before starting any work that will cause any downtime. If work is needed to be performed outside of normal business hours, the Contractor shall notify the COR and VA Facility Telecommunications Manager a minimum of three business days before the work is to begin (except in the case of emergencies or major failures).

5.6.2 ONSITE WORK

The Contractor shall clean up all work areas after completing work in VA facilities, including removal and disposal of defective equipment.

Requirements for access to VA facilities shall include the following:

a. Normal business hours at VA facilities are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM except for the Network Operation Center and Major Medical Centers which require 24/7 coverage. Access after normal business hours shall be coordinated and approved with each site Telecom Manager in advance with at least 48 hours notice when possible.

b. Technicians are required to be escorted by VA staff at all times.

c. If work must be conducted after normal business hours, the Contractor shall notify VA prior to arrival in order to coordinate VA escorts at least 48 hours in advance.

5.6.3 RESTORATION OF SERVICES AND RESPONSE TIME

The Contractor shall restore all losses of service within 4 hours.

The Contractor shall respond to major system failures within one hour of notification, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. If problems are not being completely resolved within 3 business days, the Contractor shall provide an explanation with plan and timeframe for resolving.

The Contractor shall respond to minor system failures within four hours of notification, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The Contractor shall have a qualified technician call the service requestor within one hour of a service request.

When the Contractor needs onsite access, to respond to service or repair requests for example, the Contractor shall provide a timeframe not exceeding two hours for arrival onsite.

A major system failure is any failure that affects receipt of incoming calls or generation of outgoing calls, inability to receive or transmit data or access critical medical systems due to circuit impairment for more than fifteen consecutive minutes. If major system failure occurs and is outside of typical business hours the VA reserves the right to directly contact repair services of the Carrier providing the last mile to the location.

A minor system failure is a failure or repair request that is not a major system failure.

5.6.4 INTRUSIVE TESTING

The Contractor shall receive approval from the COR and/or VA Facility Telecommunications Manager prior to commencement of intrusive testing. Intrusive testing must be conducted after normal business hours unless the circuit is already down and is required to restore services.

5.6.5 SERVICE FIELD REPORTS

The Contractor shall provide Service Field Reports to the onsite VA Facility Telecommunications Manager at the time of the service call. The Contractor shall obtain the VA Facility Telecommunications Manager’s signature on the Service Field Report. Service Field Reports shall include written evidence of all procedures and tests performed and any itemized parts used in the repair.

5.6.6 NOTIFICATION OF SERVICE COMPLETION

The Contractor shall notify VA when any service request, repair, or maintenance is completed by sending an email to a VA email group(s) designated by the COR. The service request, repair, or maintenance is not considered complete until a VA Facility Telecommunications Manager confirms that the completion of service is acceptable.

a. CUSTOMER SERVICE The Contractor shall provide a toll free number for customer service support staffed by a live customer service representative 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. The customer service representative must be able to speak and write in English and be understandable. The customer service support may be delivered using an Interactive Voice Response System (IVR), but only if the initial voice menu allows the caller to immediately choose to speak with a live customer service representative.

5.7.1 RESOLUTION OF ISSUES

The Contractor shall use an Escalation Process to resolve customer service issues and provide a single point of contact for each issue or dispute.

The Contractor shall provide the COR an Escalation Process 14 days After Receipt of Order (ARO) outlining the specific steps taken to resolve customer service issues. The process shall include a full escalation list that provides resolution if necessary at the Contractor’s senior executive level.

Deliverable:

A. Escalation Process

5.7.2 CUSTOMER SUPPORT ORGANIZATION CHART

The Contractor shall provide the COR a Customer Support Organization Chart containing employee names, email addresses, and direct phone numbers. The Contractor shall submit the Customer Support Organization Chart 14 days ARO.

Deliverable:

A. Customer Support Organization Chart

5.7.3 CUSTOMER SERVICE RECORDS

The Contractor shall provide Customer Service Records (CSRs) by the 45th day after successful transition. Each record shall include the delivery service point, an itemized list of service types provided, and the existing price associated with each service. The Contractor shall provide VA access to all records by maintaining them in the Contractor’s account management system.

6.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1 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 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Excel 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS PowerPoint 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Project 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Access 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Visio 2000/2002/2003/2007/2010, AutoCAD 2002/2004/2007/2010, and Adobe Postscript Data Format (PDF).

6.2 PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Performance Levels for Objectives associated with this effort.

The Government will utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) throughout the life of the contract to ensure that the Contractor is performing the services required by this PWS in an acceptable manner. The Government reserves the right to alter or change the surveillance methods in the QASP at its own discretion. A Performance Based Service Assessment Survey will be used in combination with the QASP to assist the Government in determining acceptable performance levels.

Should service be out of commission for use by the VA the Contractor shall calculate the daily cost and credit the account accordingly for the periods of non-use.

6.3 FACILITY/RESOURCE PROVISIONS

The Contractor shall contact the COR for Government documentation needed and which is not available by other means.

The Contractor shall not transmit, store or otherwise maintain sensitive data or products in Contractor systems (or media) within the VA firewall IAW VA Handbook 6500.6 dated March 12, 2010. 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 PWS. For detailed Security and Privacy Requirements refer to ADDENDUM A and ADDENDUM B.

6.4 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION

Government site plans, manuals, and drawings are applicable to this acquisition and will be provided to the Contractor at the task order level as required for performance.

7.0 ACRONYMS

The following is a list of acronyms that may be found in this document or in TOs issued by VA.

BRI – Basic Rate Interface CLEC – Competitive Local Exchange Carrier CIO – Chief Information Officer DVA – Department of Veterans Affairs EGB – Executive Governance Board ERR – Enterprise Requirements’ Repository FBO – Federal Business Opportunities FFP – Firm Fixed Price FTEE – Full Time Employee Equivalents FY – Fiscal Year GFE – Government Furnished Equipment IDIQ – Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity ILEC – Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier IM – Information Management ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network IT – Information Technology LEC – Local Exchange Carrier LOA – Letter of Authorization LPTA – Lowest Price Technically Acceptable

MSO -

MRC – Monthly Recurring Charges NANP – North American Numbering Plan OEC – Office of Enterprise Communications OI&T – Office of Information Technology POP – Period of Performance PIC – Primary Interexchange Carrier PRI – Primary Rate Interface PUC Public Utilities Commission PWS – Performance Work Statement QOS – Quality of Service RFI – Request for Information RFQ – Request for Quotes ROI – Return on Investment SDP – Service Delivery Point SLA – Service Level Agreement TO – Task Order TBO – Telecommunications Business Office TCO – Total Cost of Ownership TEM – Telecommunications Expense Management TSP – Telecommunications Service Priority TTU – Test and Turn Up VA – Veterans Affairs VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol V2E – Visibility to Everything

ADDENDUM A

A1.0 Cyber and Information Security Requirements for VA IT Services All security violations or attempted violations shall be reported to the VA Program Manager and VA Information Security Officer as soon as possible. The Contractor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security, especially those that pertain to certification and accreditation.

Each documented initiative under this contract incorporates the VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010 by reference as though fully set forth therein. The VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security” shall also be included in every related agreement, contract or order. The VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, is included in this document as Addendum B.

Training requirements: The Contractor will not have access to VA systems and therefore does not need to complete TMS training requirements. Contractors will be escorted at all times by a VA employee.

Contractor employees shall complete a VA Systems Access Agreement if they are provided access privileges as an authorized user of the computer system of VA.

A2.0 VA Enterprise Architecture Compliance The applications, supplies, and services furnished under this contract must comply with One-VA Enterprise Architecture (EA), available at http://www.ea.oit.va.gov/index.asp in force at the time of issuance of this contract, including the Program Management Plan and VA's rules, standards, and guidelines in the Technical Reference Model/Standards Profile (TRMSP). The VA reserves the right to assess contract deliverables for EA compliance prior to acceptance.

A2.1. VA Internet and Intranet Standards:

The Contractor shall adhere to and comply with VA Directive 6102 and VA Handbook 6102, Internet/Intranet Services, including applicable amendments and changes, if the Contractor’s work includes managing, maintaining, establishing and presenting information on VA’s Internet/Intranet Service Sites. This pertains, but is not limited to: creating announcements; collecting information; databases to be accessed, graphics and links to external sites.

Internet/Intranet Services Directive 6102 is posted at (copy and paste the following URL to browser): http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=409&FType=2

Internet/Intranet Services Handbook 6102 is posted at (copy and paste following URL to browser): http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=410&FType=2

A3.0 Notice of the Federal Accessibility Law Affecting All Electronic and Information Technology Procurements (Section 508) On August 7, 1998, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was amended to require that when Federal departments or agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use Electronic and Information Technology, that they shall ensure it allows Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by other Federal employees. Section 508 required the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to publish standards setting forth a definition of electronic and information technology and the technical and functional criteria for such technology to comply with Section 508. These standards have been developed and published with an effective date of December 21, 2000. Federal departments and agencies shall develop all Electronic and Information Technology requirements to comply with the standards found in 36 CFR 1194.

Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Standards:

The Section 508 standards established by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) are incorporated into, and made part of all VA orders, solicitations and purchase orders developed to procure Electronic and Information Technology (EIT). These standards are found in their entirety at: http://www.section508.gov and http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/standards.htm. A printed copy of the standards will be supplied upon request. The Contractor shall comply with the technical standards as marked:

_x_§ 1194.21 Software applications and operating systems _x_§ 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications _x_§ 1194.23 Telecommunications products _x_§ 1194.24 Video and multimedia products _x_§ 1194.25 Self contained, closed products _x_§ 1194.26 Desktop and portable computers _x_§ 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria _x_§ 1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support

The standards do not require the installation of specific accessibility-related software or the attachment of an assistive technology device, but merely require that the EIT be compatible with such software and devices so that it can be made accessible if so required by the agency in the future.

A4.0 Physical Security & Safety Requirements:

The Contractor and their personnel shall follow all VA policies, standard operating procedures, applicable laws and regulations while on VA property. Violations of VA regulations and policies may result in citation and disciplinary measures for persons violating the law.

1. The Contractor and their personnel shall wear visible identification at all times while they are on the premises.

2. The VA does not provide parking spaces at the work site; the Contractor must obtain parking at the work site if needed. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to park in the appropriate designated parking areas.