MICROSOFT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES and PM LANGUAGE EXCERPTS.docx

1.1 CORE MICROSOFT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (MPS)

The Contractor shall provide VA with Microsoft Unified Support (MUS) and Microsoft Professional Services (MPS) as listed in Attachment 0001 - Microsoft Core Professional Services and Support with the quantities identified.

MUS shall include immediate 24/7 technical support, escalation management, IT health assessments, cloud billing support, assigned customer support account manager resources, advisory support, and technical training. The MUS resources shall include an issue-management process in which all appropriate Microsoft resources are applied to resolve VA issues promptly and to the Agency’s satisfaction.

MPS shall provide support to implement Microsoft software products, services, and technologies throughout the VA enterprise, sustain the existing Microsoft licenses operational and provide key infrastructure components. MPS shall include daily configuration management, system monitoring, and immediate access to Microsoft Tier 3 support for problems encountered through normal operation.

MUS and MPS support provided as part of this Core MPS task shall be detailed in a Statement of Work (SOW) agreed to by all parties, similar to that provided as Attachment 0002: VA MPS SOW Template.

The Contractor shall provide a proposed distribution of flex credits across task areas for concurrence by the VA PM and COR. Any changes to the distribution of credits shall be approved by VA PM and COR prior to making changes.

1.1.1 CORE MPS REPORTING

The Contractor shall provide VA with a Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Microsoft Professional Service Status Report in human readable format (e.g., .pdf or .xls format), with detailed data provided in .csv format. The Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Microsoft Professional Service Status Report shall be submitted on the 15th calendar day of each month and provided in a format agreed to by all parties.

As a part of the Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Professional Services Status Report the Contractor shall include a section detailing Performance Built-In Proactive Services (BIPS) and offline assessments conducted or in progress, provided as part of MUS. This section shall report the number of BIPS and/or offline assessment credits used, and the total available number provided with the MUS. The Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Professional Services Status Report details shall contain information on usage of credits, including:

· Service for which credits were used

· Service type (e.g., health check, offline assessment, workshop)

· VA customer in which service was provided

· Support Account Manager who coordinated the service

· Date service was provided

· Status of service (e.g., delivered, in progress, in planning, awaiting approval)

The Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Professional Services Status Report shall include a Unified Support Incident Report section detailing all incidents for the past month that identifies:

· Incident Number

· Date of Incident(s) Including Initial Ticket Submission Date

· Person that Submitted the Ticket

· Resolution Date and Time

· Severity of Incident, Including Number of Impacted users,

· SLA Affected

· Affected Product and/or Service

· Date Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Delivered, as Applicable As a part of the Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Professional Services Status Report the Contractor shall include a Project Status Report section which shall include:

· Project Title

· Projects may be specific tasks with unique objectives or they may be specific areas of support allocated with an agreed upon number of flex credits (e.g., Support Engineering Credits or Design, Development, Deployment Credits)

· Project Objective

· Contract Modification Number

· Purchase Request Number

· Period of Performance (PoP)

· Key Project Stakeholders Name (First and Last Name), Including:

· VA Project Executive Sponsor

· VA Product Owner

· VA IT Project Manager

· Microsoft EDS

· Microsoft Project Manager

· Microsoft Team Lead

· Others as applicable

· LCAT(s) or Flex Credits Procured Specific to the Project, Including:

· Resource Full Name (First and Last Name)

· Estimated Percent of Time Spent on Project Against Specific LCAT or Number of Flex Credits Used

· Project Health (Red, Yellow, Green)

· Issues or Risks

· Accomplishments for Previous Month

· Planned Activities for Next Month As a part of the Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Professional Services Status Report the Contractor shall include a Contractor Staff Activity Report section which shall include information on all onboarded resources:

· Resource full name (first and last name)

· Resource VA email address

· Resource Microsoft email address

· Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) required (yes/no)

· Project(s) or Activity(ies) Worked During the Past Month (i.e., Task Definition or other Project/Activity Title from Project Status Report)

· If multiple projects or activities, indicate % of time per project or activity

· VA PM(s) to which resource is reporting

· Date resource began working the project or activity

· Date resource offboarded, or if applicable date resource moved to a different project

· Labor Categories (LCATs), Software Assurance Benefit, or flex credits resource is working against

· Percentage of time resource worked against LCAT(s) or flex credits

· Flex credit burn rate (starting # of flex credits, # used, # remaining flex credits)

· System access(es) the resource has been assigned (i.e., elevated privileges) Deliverable:

A. Monthly Microsoft Unified Support and Professional Service Status Report

1.2 ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SUPPORT (OPTIONAL TASK)

The Contractor shall provide pricing for the identified services as listed in Attachment 0001 - Microsoft Professional Services. These Microsoft Professional Services will be acquired separately as optional tasks exercised by VA on this EA. The Contractor shall coordinate MPS, to be provided as needs are identified and defined via task definitions. The MPS optional tasks shall be subject to a life-of-the-contract ceiling. The additional MPS support shall be provided in accordance with the VA approved MPS SOW described in Section 1.1 above. All additional MPS efforts provided under this section shall be detailed in accordance with the VA approved task definition. A sample of the recommended task definition document is provided as Attachment 0003 - Task Definition Template. While such task definitions are separate and in addition to those tasks provided under Core MPS described in section 1.1, these services shall not interfere with, go counter to, or duplicate those services provided under section 1.1 of this PD. The Contractor shall ensure all tasks are coordinated and contrasted with those services to maximize utilization and benefits of products provided in this EA if exercised by VA. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Contractor Staff Activity Report for all new, in process, or active resources during the previous month. The Monthly Contractor Staff Activity Report shall include currently on-boarded resource(s), with full name, date onboarded along with date system access is removed for project, Labor Categories (LCATs) or flex credits each resource is working against including burn rate; estimated percentage per LCAT/flex credits, system accesses the resource requires and has been assigned, Project or activity each resource is working on throughout the month, and the VA PM each resource is reporting to.

The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Professional Service Project Status Report which summarizes the scope and progress of each professional service engagement activities procured through these optional tasks on a monthly basis.

Deliverables:

A. Monthly Contractor Staff Activity Report B. Monthly Professional Service Project Status Report

1.3 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

1.3.1 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OFFICE

The Contractor shall provide support and management oversight of this requirement through the establishment of a Contractor Program Management Office (PMO) that will function as the primary operational interface between VA and the Contractor. This office shall coordinate general support and entitlement activities, procedural, educational, and related support requirements. The Contractor PMO shall coordinate with the VA PgM team, consisting of he Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), VA Program Manager (PgM), VA Project Managers (PMs) and other VA defined representatives and the Contractor Management team, which may consist of any prime and sub-contracted support personnel.

The VA PgM in coordination with the CO, COR and PM may issue VA Standard Operating Procedures to support effective oversight. The PMO shall have oversight responsibility for all service effort reporting, deliverables, entitlement reporting, and reconciliation on this enterprise agreement.

1.3.2 MEETINGS

The Contractor shall provide all agendas within 3 business days prior to meetings and all meeting minutes are due within 3 business days after unless otherwise specified.

1.3.2.1 KICK-OFF MEETING

The Contractor shall hold a Project Management and Implementation “kick-off meeting” within 14 calendar days from date of award; the meeting date will be agreed to by the Contractor and VA PMs and approved by the CO, COR, and PgM. The Contractor shall provide the Kick-Off Meeting Agenda 5 business day prior to the meeting along with proposed sample of deliverables, where requested, for VA review/approval. The Contractor shall provide detailed information regarding the Unified Support process such as incident ticket handling, service hub details, and contact information. The meeting can be held virtually. The Contractor shall provide details on the Contractor PMO structure, along with contact details, and communication and escalation plans at the kickoff meeting for review and approval by VA. As part of the kick-off meeting minutes, the Contractor shall supply VA with a detailed list of all deliverables and/or services, with associated timeframes, planned throughout the duration of the contract to demonstrate understanding of the VA requirements for delivering Microsoft products and services during this meeting. As part of this, the Contractor shall provide a template for the Bi-annual PMR presentation for review and revision during the kickoff meeting.

The Contractor shall provide Kick-Off Meeting Minutes and briefing materials to all attendees within 3 business days after the meeting.

Deliverables:

A. Kick-Off Meeting Agenda including detailed information regarding Unified Support processes B. Sample of Deliverables C. Kick-Off Meeting Minutes

1.3.2.2 BI-WEEKLY CONTRACTOR – VA PROGRAM MANGEMENT REVIEWS (PMR)

The Contractor shall host bi-weekly (once every two weeks) Program Management virtual meetings with OIT Managers. The Contractor shall provide an update on the progress that was made during the prior period, identify any risks and issues that are/may impact work activities, determine a mitigation strategy, and discuss planned activities for the coming period. The bi-weekly reviews shall also include a list of discussions that have occurred between the Contractor or OEM and VA PMs or other end users, to include any new products or capabilities that may have been communicated. The Contractor shall provide a Program Management Bi-Weekly Status Report Presentation that includes all the agenda items discussed during each PMR.

Deliverables:

A. Program Management Bi-Weekly Status Report Presentation

1.3.2.3 QUARTERLY MEETINGS

VA will host Quarterly Steering Committee Meetings for the term of the contract with OEM. The Steering Committee will provide oversight and guidance on the performance of the services the contract provides. Upon request by VA, the Contractor shall provide requested information or artifacts and\or Subject Matter Experts (SME) to support the Steering Committee reviews and discussions.

1.3.2.4 BI-ANNUAL PMR

The Contractor shall present in a bi-annual (twice per year) program management review of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement to VA Leadership. The schedule and location will be determined by VA. Within 3 calendar days of the meeting, the Contractor shall provide meeting agenda that includes topics covered, key issues/discussion points, actions, and copies of all presentations.

Deliverables:

A. Meeting Agenda within 3 calendar days of the meeting B. Bi-Annual PMR Presentation

1.3.3 REPORTING

1.3.3.1 ENTITLEMENT INVENTORY AND SALES REPORT

The Contractor shall compile and deliver a Monthly Entitlement Inventory and Sales Report to the COR and VA PgM for concurrence throughout the PoP in accordance with the format established during the kick-off meeting. The Monthly Entitlement Inventory and Sales Report shall include the cumulative quantities of licenses and subscriptions, along with usage increases over the past month, broken out by CLIN, along with additional entitlements procured since the previous report. The reports shall be in human readable format (e.g., .xls format), with detailed data provided in .csv format.

The Contractor shall provide VA access to an authoritative data source wherein entitlement information may be monitored and managed. The data shall be retrievable by VA (e.g., via API) for use in dashboarding or reporting. The Contractor shall proactively identify instances where utilization may be increasing to the point that purchased quantities may be exceeded, providing notice no later than 60 days prior to when maximums are anticipated to be reached. If maximum thresholds are reached, VA will:

1. Notwithstanding anything in the Agreement or the Enrollment to the contrary, if VA downloads or uses licenses in excess of the quantities purchased and cannot fulfill its true-up order obligations due to Congressional non-appropriation of funds, it may de-install the excess licenses and provide a valid certification as to the products removal and destruction.

2. Place an order for the additional subscriptions required This will ensure there is no Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. §1341 et seq.) violation or need for ratification.

In the event of a subscription purchase, the cost shall be prorated to the actual number of months left in the current contract period.

The Monthly Entitlement Inventory and Sales Report shall detail additional purchases and assets on the last business day of the month by ordering entity and categorized by most and least purchased for VA future investment decision making. The report should also list prior month quantities, change in quantity (reduction or addition) in past month, and change in cost. This report shall include any changes to product terms or licensing structure which may adversely affect billing structure or Azure usage.

Deliverable:

A. Monthly Entitlement Inventory and Sales Report

1.3.3.2 TRUE UP/TRUE DOWN

The Contractor shall allow VA to reconcile their MS inventory as identified in the Product Table and increase/decrease product quantities for the base year and subsequent option years as allowed by the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Terms, the Microsoft Product Terms and the Microsoft Online Services Terms (at the time of contract award), to accurately baseline MS products across VA. The Contractor shall identify eligibility for true up and true-down for each product on the Product Table in the Monthly Entitlement Inventory Report.

1.3.3.3 TECHNOLOGY REFRESH ANALYSIS

The Contractor shall submit technology refresh analyses to recommend new products or product equivalencies within the scope of the Enterprise Agreement to be incorporated into this contract in response to updated/revised standards, upgrades, end-user requirements, commercial non-availability, or obsolescence. The technology refresh analyses may be submitted for items not existing on the date of base contract award which continue and/or enhance the functionality of a product already within the scope of this Enterprise Agreement. Analysis may originate with either the Contractor or Government. Any Technical Refresh Analysis shall address:

1. Desirability. The Contractor shall submit information similar to that provided in Attachment 00004 Technology Refresh Product Details Template as part of the technology refresh analyses regarding the addition or substitution of new software for the Government and Contractor to jointly assess the value of including the proposed product. Such information should consist of the technical capabilities, and any efficiencies gained its applicability to current VA architecture standards and limitations of the recommended product. Details shall also include whether the product has been requested by an end user, whether it is a replacement or upgrade to an existing product on the current Product Table, and other pertinent information, such as associated entitlements, cloud consumption, or other billing impacts. For revised or upgraded products, the recommended product(s) by the Contractor shall be of equal or greater capability than product(s) to be refreshed.

2. Feasibility. The Contractor shall submit information regarding the addition or substitution of new software for the Government and Contractor to jointly assess the possibility of including the proposed product. Such information should consist of supporting rationale for why the addition or substitution would be considered to be within the scope of the contract, its backward compatibility with the product it replaces, and any integration or other technical problems that might be encountered. The analyses shall include details on users ability to transition from existing products to new products mid-term and planning for removal of products approaching end of life.

3. Cost of Ownership: The Contractor shall submit information identifying and estimating additional/supplementary costs (e.g., cloud credit consumption) associated with the products submitted as part of the technology refresh analysis. This shall include discussion of tiered pricing options, ability to apply credits from an existing product purchased.

The Contractor shall provide the analysis in a Technology Refresh Analysis Report. The report shall be provided semi-annually, 90 days prior to the anniversary date or 30 days prior to the need date of any end user to allow VA to review and make a final determination, as well as to allow time for an administrative modification to be processed.

Deliverable:

A. Technology Refresh Analysis Report