Questions and Answers_RFI 36C10B22Q0300 Posted.pdf

Response to Questions Received from Solicitation Number 36C10B22Q0300

1.Can you tell me if these services were previously performed by a contractor? If so, could you please provide the incumbent name as well as the contract number?

Response: Most, but not all of these services are currently being sustained under a current contract.

2. Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like, from India or Canada)

Response: Time Zone and local business hours may affect the ability for a vendor from outside the USA to accomplish the tasks necessary for successful deployment of this contract. The system requires 24/7 access, and such constraints may affect this. The solution must also meet US Federal Government Security requirements.

3. Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

Response: Please refer to PWS for requirements regarding face-to-face meetings.

4. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada)

Response: Time Zone and local business hours may affect the ability for a vendor from outside the USA to accomplish the tasks necessary for successful deployment of this contract. The system requires 24/7 access, and such constraints may affect this. The solution must also meet US Federal Government Security requirements.

5. Can we submit the proposals via email?

Response: This Request for Information (RFI)/Sources Sought is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered an Invitation for Bids, Request for Quotations, or a Request for

Proposal Please refer to Request for Information (RFI) for process on submitting a response.

6. We would like to put together the most strategic and comprehensive response possible and are humbly requesting a one-week extension to allow us to put our best foot forward

Response: In order to provide additional time for submission the RFI is being extended.

7. How many users you expect to have access to the system, and if the LMS will be geared for IT content, procurement content, or general employee compliance and training.

Response: The primary focus for this solution is employee learning and development. Please refer to the PWS for detailed explanations of the solution requirements and goals as well as the number of current users and projected users of the system.

8. We looked at the VA Forecast and did not see this in the FY 2022 forecast. Will this be an FY2023 procurement for VA? Is there a value associated with this opportunity and will it be a Task Order against an existing Contract Vehicle or will it be its own

BPA/IDIQ?

Response: VA is attempting an FY22 acquisition and is still finalizing its acquisition strategy.

9. Is the system required to be FOC (Full Operational Capability) by September 30, 2022 for students' usage?

Reference: Solicitation Number 36C10B22Q0300 Enterprise Learning Management

Solution (ELMS), Requirements section, Paragraph 3, states "... please provide a timeline on how you propose to implement this solution to ensure seamless support is provided no later than September 30, 2022."

Source: Draft ELMS PWS 05182022.pdf

Response: No, please refer to the PWS for the projected phased approach.

10. Is the expectation to run concurrent LMS with the limited users deployed during each

Pilot?

Response: Yes, please refer to the PWS for the projected phased approach.

11. Please confirm the expectation a VA ELMS solution would not only include a learning management application but also the capabilities potentially as integrated subsystems to achieve the goals of HCSC.

Reference: The requirements for the VA ELMS solution seem to indicate that in addition to an LMS application, the solution would consist of subsystems and/or capabilities within the overall solution to include Analytics Reporting (5.16.4), Social

Learning (5.16.5), Virtual Classroom (5.16.6.1), Competency Management and

Assessment (5.16.7), Individual Development Planning (5.16.8), Career Development and Exploration Planning (5.16.9),Succession Planning (5.16.10).

Response: The expectation is a solution that would meet the requirements in each of the listed capabilities in order to achieve the goals of HCSC and have a solution that best meets those goals.

12. What are the concurrent usage requirements for each option year?

Reference: 5.7 SYSTEM LICENSING

Base Year: Full Access Users = 2000; Limited Access Users = 1000

Full access - Option Year 1 up to 20,000, Option Years 2-4 up to 700,000

Limited access - Option Year 1 up to 10,000, Option Years 2-4 up to 250,000

Response: Projected concurrency rate for Base Year is 200; Option Year 1-2 is 1000;

Option Year 3-4 would be 30,000.

13. Please define “out of the box” data feeds?

Reference: 5.10.2 SYSTEM INTEGRATION DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT

If exercised by the VA, the roll out of integrations will happen in phases with Base Year and Option Year 1 needing Out of the Box Data Feeds, Option Year 2 will need to incorporate integrations needed for pilot testing, and Option Year 3 will begin full implementation of all integrations to be ready to execute in the first month of Option

Year 4.

Response: Out of the box data feeds would be the data feeds that are native or built-into the functionality of the solution. To include things like HR Data, learning element data, learning history data, competency data, and learning assignment data.

14. Section 5.2.1 The Contractor shall develop a dynamic dashboard, driven by the IMS that includes real-time updates available for Government review. For clarification, Is the expectation to build the dashboard from tools like JIRA or is there a specific tool that the Government is expecting for these dashboards to be configured?

There isn’t a specific tool

15. Section 5.4.1.2SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE Does the Government currently have a 508-compliance tool, or is the contractor expected to propose a tool?

Contractor is expected to produce 508 compliant interfaces

16. Section 5.4.1.1CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT Does the Government currently have a configuration management tool, or is the contractor expected to propose a tool?

The Contractor can choose their own configuration management tool

17. Section 5.4.3 USER ACCEPTANCE TESTING (UAT) Can the Government share how many users are expected to participate in UAT testing?

Participants in UATs depend on the size and scope of what is being tested.

18. Section 5.5 OPERATION AND MAINTAINENCE SUPPORT Is the Government expectation for the contractor to support the full Lifecyle administration of all LMS related databases?

No, the Contractor is only expected to provide full Lifecycle administration for their proposed solution

19. Section 5.10.1 SYSTEM INTEGRATION PLAN Is there any chance of increasing or decreasing the number of integrations of (17) over the life of the contract?

Yes, integrations with the system may decrease or increase depending on capabilities or functionality of the solution and/or need of the integration. Integrations are reviewed annually to ensure that the need for the integration still exists. Due to the phased approach some Integrations will not be needed in Base Year but will be added in the Option

Years.

20. Section 5.10.1 SYSTEM INTEGRATION PLAN Can the Government clarify this statement: The Contractor shall oversee the development of external dependent projects, how many, and what are the requirements?

Any project that will be produced or consumed by the solution with a third party system shall be developed and maintained by the Contractor.

21. Section 5.13 TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO OPERATE (TATO)/AUTHORITY TO

OPERATE (ATO) Does the Government currently have Static and Dynamic application security tools procured of choice or is the contractor is expected to propose these tools after the award?

The Contractor is expected to provide a FedRamp certified solution that follows

Federal security standards.

22. Section 5.13 TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO OPERATE (TATO)/AUTHORITY TO

OPERATE (ATO) Does the Government currently have Source Code Analysis tools procured of choice or the contractor is expected to propose these tools after the award?

The Contractor is expected to provide a FedRamp certified solution that follows

Federal security standards.

23. Section 5.15 DATA GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT Will the Government please clarify that the data collection and feedback analysis expected is from the data that is only migrated from the 17 integrated applications?

N/A

24. Section 5.15.2 DATA GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT Does the Government have any architectural documentation of the As-Is state, that will be shared in the final RFP?

The Government will collaborate with the Contractor to provide any architectural to develop their proposed solution.

25. Section 5.15.13.3 DATA GOVERNANCE AND SUPPORT Does the Government currently have a Change Request process documented? Is there a Change Control Board established?

Yes

26. Section 5.4.1.1CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT Is the expectation that we host the FEDRamp LMS or subscribe to a vendor-owned hosted FEDRamp SaaS?

Yes

27. Section 5.4.5.2TRAINING MATERIALS Does the Government utilize SuccessFactors today, and if so how, and is it FEDRamp certified?

N/A

28. Section 5.6 SYSTEM HOSTING Is the expectation that we document the hosted SaaS environment to the degree identified?

Yes

29. Section 5.8 SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE Is the expectation that we post the vendor’s patch/maintenance schedule per VA process?

N/A

30. Section 5.14 DATA DICTIONARY Is a full data dictionary needed or just on the publicly accessible data elements (incl. Custom fields)?

A full data dictionary is expected as a deliverable to the Government

31. Section 6.6 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY Is the expectation that these tools are run against the Hosted SaaS environment?

Any tools residing on the Government furnished equipment are expected to function on the VA network.