36C10B21R0017 Final.docx

36C10B21R0017

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1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

DUNS:

DUNS+4:

PHONE:

FAX:

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

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

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

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

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

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

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

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

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

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

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

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

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

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

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

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

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

05-19-2021 John McDonnell 732-795-1020 05-26-2021

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 B.3

See Block 9.

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

See Section B.3

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 Subparts 12.6 and 13.5, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.

Solicitation Number 36C10B21R0017 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 24-Strand and 2-Strand Dark Fiber Connections. Specific requirements are listed in the PWS (see section B.4).

All quotes 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 the completed attachment 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:

B.3 PRICE SCHEDULE

Base Period

The Period of Performance shall be 16 June 2021 thru 15 June 2022

PWS 5.3.1

Charlie Norwood VAMC 1 Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30904 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

James H Quillen VAMC 1557 Downtown West Blvd.

Knoxville, TN 37919 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 5.1.1

Deliver 14 Days ARO Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.1

Deliver Monthly Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.6

Deliver 14 Days ARO Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.7

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 16 June 2022 thru 15 June 2023

PWS 5.3.1

Charlie Norwood VAMC 1 Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30904 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

James H Quillen VAMC 1557 Downtown West Blvd.

Knoxville, TN 37919 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 5.1.1

Deliver Monthly Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Base 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 16 June 2023 thru 15 June 2024

PWS 5.3.1

Charlie Norwood VAMC 1 Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30904 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

James H Quillen VAMC 1557 Downtown West Blvd.

Knoxville, TN 37919 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 5.1.1

Deliver Monthly Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Base 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 16 June 2024 thru 15 June 2025

PWS 5.3.1

Charlie Norwood VAMC 1 Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30904 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

James H Quillen VAMC 1557 Downtown West Blvd.

Knoxville, TN 37919 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 5.1.1

Deliver Monthly Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Base 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 16 June 2025 thru 15 June 2026

PWS 5.3.1

Charlie Norwood VAMC 1 Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30904 Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.3.1

James H Quillen VAMC 1557 Downtown West Blvd.

Knoxville, TN 37919 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 5.1.1

Deliver Monthly Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

PWS 5.1.3

Deliver When Applicable Inspection & Acceptance: Destination

PSC: DG11

Total Base Period:

Total Contract Price:

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B.4 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 BACKGROUND

The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is to provide benefits and services to Veterans of the United States. In meeting these goals, Office of Information & Technology (OIT), Development Security and Operations (DevSecOps), Solution Delivery (SD), Telecommunications Provisioning Office (TPO – LEC) strives to provide high quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services to those responsible for providing care to the Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of the Veterans’ health care system in an effective, timely and compassionate manner. VA depends on Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) systems to meet mission goals.

OIT, DevSecOps, SD, TPO – LEC is responsible for procurement and management of voice and data communications services for all VA Medical Centers, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), Veterans Benefits, National Cemetery and field and program offices service delivery points that are geographically dispersed the VA Enterprise.

OIT, DevSecOps, SD, TPO – LEC has identified a need for the continuation of Dark Fiber connectivity circuits between 2 locations in Augusta, Georgia and between 2 locations in Knoxville, TN. Augusta GA requires one 24-strand fiber optic connection and Knoxville TN requires one 2-strand fiber optic connection.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

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

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

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

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

4. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program"

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

6. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

7. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Directive 0710, “Personnel Suitability and Security Program,” May 18, 2007

8. VA Directive 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” July 15, 2008

9. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards,” July 1, 2003

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

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

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

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

14. VA Handbook 6500.1, “Electronic Media Sanitization,” March 22, 2010

15. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Data Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI)”, January 6, 2012

16. VA Handbook 6500.3, “Certification and Accreditation of VA Information Systems,” November 24, 2008

17. VA Handbook, 6500.5, “Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development Lifecycle” March 22, 2010

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

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

20. OIT 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, OIT ProPath takes precedence over other processes or methodologies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

1) The Contractor shall install and maintain monthly services of a 24 strand Single Mode (dark) Fiber Optic cable between VA facilities located at: 950, 15th Street, Augusta, GA to 1 Freedom Way, Augusta, GA.

2) The Contractor shall install and maintain monthly services of a 2 strand Single Mode (dark) Fiber Optic cable between VA facilities located at: 8033 Ray Mears Blvd., Knoxville, TN to 1557 Downtown West Blvd, Knoxville, TN.

3) The cable shall be terminated, labeled, tested to meet manufacturer specs. The final tests shall involve VA personnel to ensure “critical data” is being passed on the strands. Vendor shall provide fiber enclosures and mount them at both end points. The fiber terminations shall be “SC” connectors.

4) The Contractor shall provide all labor, management, tools, material, and equipment to perform all requirements described herein. This is to include fiber housings and fiber termination ends. Fiber shall be installed in specified IT rooms at both locations as identified by site IT personnel.

5) The Fiber shall be installed and maintained by the Contractor of record. There shall be no “additional vendor” connection points between the two locations. The installation should be a true physical point-to point connection.

The fiber optic cable shall have service level 24x7x365 or “Premium Service Packages”.

Contractor must utilize the VA approved Tungsten OB-10 EDI billing system or an approved EDI software system to electronically submit invoices for processing to the VA Financial Services Center in Austin, TX. Invoices must be submitted monthly in arrears and not fall behind on submissions more than 60 days. Invoices not in compliance with the contract will be rejected and vendor notified to correct and resubmit. When a final invoice for the period of performance is submitted, Contractor must notify the COR that it is the final invoice so it can be processed, and the purchase order can be closed out. Upon receiving new period of performance purchase order Contractor is responsible for updating the account to reflect the new purchase order number. There will be no exceptions to these requirements.

The Contractor shall forward invoices related to this effort by electronic submission, via EDI or OB 10 to:

VA Financial Services Center (VA FSC) ATTN: TPO 116-S(insert PO #) PO Box 149971 Austin, TX 78714-8971

All invoices submitted shall contain the following information to make them valid for payment. Failure to have this information on the invoices will result in the invoices being rejected:

Invoice Number Invoice Date Contract Number:

Purchase Order Number:

Account Number:

Contractor Name:

Invoicing Period:

Service Delivery point Description of Services billing Quantity Unit Cost Total Cost Vendor POC for billing inquiries

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

The account shall identify the Contracting Officer Representatives as the following:

Any of the above personnel shall have access to the account in order to discuss issues on behalf of the VA.

Service Delivery Points:

Site Name

Service Address

Service Description

Access

Port /Count

VA

950 15 th Street, Augusta, GA

VA

1 Freedom Way, Augusta, GA

VA

VA

3.1 Contract Type

This requirement will result in a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract for the monthly recurring (MRC) service of a Point-to-Point 24 strand fiber optic cable between 2 specified locations in Augusta Georgia and a Point-to-Point 2-strand Fiber Optic cable connection between the specified locations in Knoxville, TN. Any charges such as Universal Service Fund fees, etc., that are not included in the contract will be removed from payment on invoices submitted as invalid charges.

Any and all non-recurring installation charges need to be specified in the contract quote and contract and will be billed with the monthly services as soon as the work is completed. Thereafter, should any Non-Recurring charges arise the Contractor must notify the Contracting Officer and COR and await approval before commencing with work incurring these charges. Unauthorized charges will be rejected from billing.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

This contract will consist of a 12-month base period with (4) one-year option periods as listed below:

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). Or at the request of the facility Telecom Manager in support of a trouble ticket pertaining to a total outage or service degradation.

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(s) of performance is the awarded vendor’s Central Offices and the Service Delivery Points delineated on the table in 3.0 above and all carrier paths, in between and across the vendor’s telecom network.

4.3 TRAVEL

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 ensure continuity with respect to the current data network in use. The contractor shall take all reasonable precautions necessary to protect persons and property from injury or damage during the performance of this contract. Vendor shall be responsible for any injury to himself/herself, his/her employees, as well as for any damage to personal or public property that occurs during the performance of this contract that is caused by his/her employees fault or negligence, and shall maintain personal liability and property damage insurance having coverage for a limit as required by the laws of each state identified in this PWS.

If necessary, the contractor shall be responsible for all contacts and coordination with any local telephone company regarding maintenance and installation of all LEC and CLEC maintained circuits and equipment. The contractor is responsible for telephone company repair service visit costs when the contractor requests telephone company repair service.

The contractor shall provide installation and recurring monthly services to achieve connectivity using appropriate cabling and wiring, and related trenching, ducting, grounding, and lightning protection systems.

Site preparation work done by the contractor under the contract shall conform to applicable federal, regional and local codes and shall conform to accepted industry installation and construction practices. All planned work and code compliance shall be subject to review AND approval by the VA prior to the start of work.

Deliverables:

a. A complete and viable point-to-point dark fiber connection between the two endpoints as described in the Technical Requirements Section 3.0 Scope of Work.

5.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

5.1.1 MEETINGS

A Kick-Off Meeting – shall take place within 15 days after award of contract. Meeting should include the Primary COR’s, pertinent vendor personnel and VA staff knowledgeable of the facility infrastructure. Meeting shall be virtual via teleconference or on-line meeting software.

B. Progress Meetings – the COR and vendor staff shall have monthly meetings at a time mutually agreeable to discuss any issues that arise regarding this contract.

Deliverables:

a. Kick-Off Meeting

b. Progress Meetings

5.1.2 PROJECT MANAGER AND STAFFING

The contractor shall provide a project manager who will act as a single point of contact for issues and offer 24-hour replacement of equipment that fails within applicable warranty periods. The project manager shall also act as the single point of contact for equipment or billing issues.

5.1.3 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide VA service field reports at the time of a service call. Field reports shall include written evidence of performance of all procedures and tests as required and shall include itemized parts and labor charges. CSR’s (Customer Service Records) shall be provided to the VA upon initial installation and after any changes made to the services. After initial installation CSR’s shall be provided upon request with no more than 2 a year at no cost to the Government.

If any services and/or parts not covered or excluded by the contract are required at either Augusta or Knoxville VA locations, the Contractor shall inform the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) immediately. Parts that are not covered by this contract will be purchased by the VA Medical Center separately, not through this contract vehicle.

Contractor will submit reports and meet with VA Telecom staff to discuss any problems as they arise. Invoices will be accepted in lieu of monthly reports and clearly show the period of service and the charges for the services provided. Other reports at request of VA shall cover all work completed during a trouble period or downtime and delineate any maintenance work planned for any subsequent period. The reports shall also identify any problems that arose and a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. The Contractor shall keep in communication with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.

Deliverables:

A. Maintenance Reports B. Downtime Reports

5.2 Guaranteed uptime, Hours of coverage and response time requirements

5.2.1 GUARANTEED UPTIME

A guaranteed uptime service-level agreement (SLA) of 99.99% shall be maintained during hours of coverage for each geographical location.

Uptime will be calculated as: Uptime % = productive time - downtime x 100

Productive time is absolute use of services and equipment.

Downtime begins at service disruption or time of first service call, whichever is earlier, until equipment or service is returned to proper operating conditions.

5.3 MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION ACTIVITIES

5.3.1. DOWNTIME

The Contractor shall obtain the approval of the Contract COR, VA Facility Chief Information Officer (FCIO), Telecommunications Manager, or their delegates prior to 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 FCIO or Telecommunications Manager a minimum of three (3) business days before the work is to begin (except in the case of emergencies or major impact).

5.3.2 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:

1. Normal working hours at VA facilities are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM except the NOC and Major Medical Centers which requires 24/7 coverage. Access after normal administrative hours will have to be coordinated and approved with each site’s Telecom Manager or their designee.

2. Technicians will require VA OI&T employee escorts.

3. If work must be conducted after normal working hours, the Contractor shall notify the designated VA representative local contact (LCON) for the site at least 3 days in advance to schedule a time mutually agreeable to the contractor and VA. A pre-notification must be given to the VA Telecom Manager prior to any technician or contractor representative arriving on site so proper escort availability can be provided.

5.3.3 INTRUSIVE TESTING

The Contractor shall receive approval from the VA COR, FCIO, Telecommunications Manager or their authorized delegates prior to commencement of intrusive testing. Intrusive testing shall only be conducted after normal business hours of 8a-430pm, unless to correct an outage.

5.3.4 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 the COR, FCIO, Telecommunications Manager or their authorized delegates confirms that the completion of service is acceptable.

5.3.5 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, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year. The customer service center (CSC) or Network operations center (NOC) must be located in the continental United States (CONUS) and have English speaking staff. The help desk support shall be available, and the support shall continue until the end of each period of performance is reached. Technical support starts at the point the call is logged by the Help Desk to the point where the technician has been assigned to resolve the problem. In addition, an alternate Email address or web-based modality to electronically enter tickets and follow them thru the escalation process to completion shall be provided to VA by the contractor.

5.3.6 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 a Fault reporting and Escalation Process 14 days After Receipt of Order (ARO) outlining the specific steps necessary to resolve customer service issues. The process shall include a full escalation list that provides for escalations, if necessary, to the Contractor’s senior executive level. The Escalation process shall also include a Customer Support Organization Chart containing employee names, email addresses, and direct phone numbers

Deliverable

A) Fault Reporting and Escalation Process Procedures - diagram or chart that provides all necessary information to initiate trouble tickets and provide for escalations from inception to resolution. The diagram or chart shall include information such as contacts and their numbers and Email addresses, program or support offices and their contact information, and any delineated processes or procedures for effecting. There shall also be listed contacts and processes for general inquiries, orders, billing, reporting, technical, repair, sales, and complaints. The deliverable is desired to be in an electronic format or web-accessible.

5.3.7 ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall provide VA access to an online account management system by the 14th day-after task order award. No other customer shall be able to access VA’s data. The system shall provide designated VA users the ability to obtain current status of service outages, access to billing records, and current VA accounts information.

Deliverable

a. Online account management system

5.3.8 CUSTOMER SUPPORT

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 a year for the remainder of the contract following installation. A toll-free number shall be designated as the primary help number for VA to call. Help Desk must be located in the Continental U.S (CONUS) and staff must be able to understand and speak English. In addition, an alternate Email address or web-based modality to electronically enter tickets and follow them thru the escalation process to completion shall be provided to VA by the contractor. The help desk support shall be available and the support shall continue until the end of each period of performance is reached. Technical support response is measured by number of calls placed to the help desk from VA. Technical support starts at the point the call is logged by the Help Desk to the point where the technician has been assigned to resolve the problem.

5.3.9 SUPPORT RESPONSE TIME

The Contractor shall provide technical support/resolution during established business hours to assist the VA with issues pertaining to the services set forth in Section 3.0. Response times begin when the Contractor receives a support request from the VA. The Contractor shall respond to the VA’s support requests according to the following Severity Levels.

SEVERITY LEVEL A – MAJOR IMPACT

A Major Impact means a business impacting function or service is not available such as circuit service outages. This also includes inability to receive or transmit data or access critical medical systems due to circuit impairment. The Contractor shall acknowledge trouble ticket within 1 hour of reporting and respond to all Severity Level A problems within four (4) business hours. Notifications shall be provided to VA local point of contact as identified by task order, at a minimum every four (4) hours via telephone or more frequently as time permits. Service shall be restored or minimized to Severity Level B within 24 hours of the notification of major impact and not return to major impact for seven (7) days or it will be considered a continuation of the original service impact.

SEVERITY LEVEL B – MINOR IMPACT

A Minor Impact means VA’s workflow is not seriously affected or limited. The Contractor shall acknowledge trouble ticket within 4 hours of reporting and respond to all Severity Level B problems within one (1) business day. Notification shall be delivered either by telephone or via email to the appropriate VA local point of contact and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) as identified by task order. Service shall be restored or minimized within 72 hours of the notification of minor impact and not return to minor or major impact for seven (7) days or it will be considered a continuation of the original service impact.

5.3.10 EXCEPTIONS

During scheduled maintenance of data services, the Contractor shall notify VA within three (3) days of the maintenance window and describe in detail how long and to what level of degraded service is to be expected. The Contractor shall obtain approval in advance from the appropriate VA point of contact as identified by task order before scheduled maintenance occurs. The data service shall not be considered to be unavailable for the following outages that results from any maintenance performed by the Contractor as defined by the following three exceptions:

5.4 ENTERPRISE AND IT FRAMEWORK

The Contractor shall support the VA enterprise management framework. In association with the framework, the Contractor shall comply with OIT Technical Reference Model (One-VA TRM). One-VA TRM is one component within the overall Enterprise Architecture (EA) that establishes a common vocabulary and structure for describing the information technology used to develop, operate, and maintain enterprise applications. One-VA TRM includes the Standards Profile and Product List that collectively serves as a VA technology roadmap. Architecture, Strategy, and Design (ASD) has overall responsibility for the One-VA TRM.

Where applicable, the Contractor solution shall support the latest Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) requirements and compliance standards established by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and NIST for IPv6 for Federal Government Agencies. IPv6 technology must be included in all infrastructure and application design and development efforts.

The Contractor shall support VA efforts in accordance with the Project Management Accountability System (PMAS) that mandates all new VA IT projects/programs use an incremental development approach, requiring frequent delivery milestones that deliver new capabilities for business sponsors to test and accept functionality. Implemented by the Assistant Secretary for IT, PMAS is a VA-wide initiative to better empower the OIT Project Managers and teams to meet their mission: delivering world-class IT products that meet business needs on time and within budget.

The Contractor shall utilize ProPath, the OIT-wide process management tool that assists in the execution of an IT project (including adherence to PMAS standards). It is a one-stop shop providing critical links to the formal approved processes, artifacts, and templates to assist project teams in facilitating their PMAS-compliant work. ProPath is used to build schedules to meet project requirements, regardless of the development methodology employed.

5.5 POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S) AND CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

The Tasks identified below and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation delineate the Background Investigation requirements by Contractor individual, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each individual, based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, based upon their submitted proposal.

5.5.1 LOW RISK DESIGNATION TASKS

N/A

|X| Low

5.5.2 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Contractor Responsibilities:

1. The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain the appropriate Background Investigation, and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

1. The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations.

1. Within 3 business days after award, the Contractor shall provide a roster of Contractor and Subcontractor employees to the COR to begin their background investigations. The roster shall contain the Contractor’s Full Name, Full Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, and individual background investigation level requirement (based upon Section 6.2 Tasks).

1. The Contractor should coordinate the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized.

1. For a Low Risk designation the following forms are required to be completed: 1.OF-306 and 2. DVA Memorandum – Electronic Fingerprints. For Moderate or High Risk the following forms are required to be completed: 1. VA Form 0710 and 2. DVA Memorandum – Electronic Fingerprints. These should be submitted to the COR within 5 business days after award.

1. The Contractor personnel will receive an email notification from the Security and Investigation Center (SIC), through the Electronics Questionnaire for Investigations Processes (e-QIP) identifying the website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the investigation documents (SF85, SF85P, or SF 86). The Contractor personnel shall submit all required information related to their background investigations utilizing the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP).

1. The Contractor is to certify and release the e-QIP document, print and sign the signature pages, and send them to the COR for electronic submission to the SIC. These should be submitted to the COR within 3 business days of receipt of the e-QIP notification email.

1. 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.

1. A Contractor may be granted unescorted access to VA facilities and/or access to VA Information Technology resources (network and/or protected data) with a favorably adjudicated Special Agreement Check (SAC) or “Closed, No Issues” (SAC) finger print results, training delineated in VA Handbook 6500.6 (Appendix C, Section 9), and, the signed “Contractor Rules of Behavior.” However, the Contractor will be responsible for the actions of the Contractor personnel they provide to perform work for VA. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the database of r the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

1. The Contractor, when notified of an unfavorably adjudicated background investigation on a Contractor employee as determined by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration in working under the contract.

1. Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security investigative requirements may result in termination of the contract for default.

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

5.7 PERFORMANCE METRICS

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

Contractor shall provide for a variety of services that would reflect the best value to the government. The number of services as stated in this requirement is for proposal purposes only; the actual number of services for the contract may vary plus or minus, depending on changing requirements. Any resulting contract shall include the option to increase or decrease the number of services over the life of the contract by 75% of the amount as stated in this requirement.

Additional services may be added or deleted to this Veterans Affairs contract by designated COR as requirements dictate.

Vendor shall identify and tag new and existing lines and circuits at each demarcation point. Vendor shall provide an inventory list of all lines and circuits to include the cable pair assignments at each demarcation point.

Vendor will submit the name and address of staff associated with this agreement. They shall also provide the names for Regional, local and 24 hour support for service or network failures. An escalation process will also be included with each proposal. The escalation process shall be the specific steps taken to resolve any customer service issues. Vendor will provide toll free number for customer service support.

The contract will be inclusive of all services currently held by the VA with a maximum of 75% growth over term of this agreement.

Billing issues will be resolved between regional contact and local vendor contact within 30 days or the next billing cycle.

The vendor will provide single point of contact for issues and offer 24 hour replacement of equipment that fails within warranty period.

The vendor shall be responsible for all contacts and coordination with the local telephone company regarding maintenance and installation of all LEC and CLEC maintained circuits and equipment. The vendor is responsible for telephone company repair service visit costs. The vendor is encouraged to identify and recommend technological advances, changes, or other improvements to the provided services that will improve system efficiency, or otherwise lower costs to the customer.

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.

5.8 FACILITY/RESOURCE PROVISIONS

The Government will provide access when authorized contract staff work at a Government location as required in order to accomplish the Tasks associated with this PWS. All procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation for the project and other Government applications will also be provided on an as-needed basis.

The Contractor shall request other Government documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the Government officials with whom the Contractor has contact. The Contractor shall consider the COR as the final source for needed Government documentation when the Contractor fails to secure the documents by other means. The Contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work.

VA will provide access to VA specific systems as required for execution of the task via a site-to-site VPN or other technology, including VA specific software such as Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA), ClearQuest, ProPath, Primavera, and Remedy, including appropriate seat management and user licenses. The Contractor shall utilize Government-provided software development and test accounts, document and requirements repositories, etc. as required for the development, storage, maintenance and delivery of products within the scope of this effort. 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.