PWS - Draft.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Mental Health and Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP)

Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grants Program (SSG Fox SPGP)

Operational Advisory and Implementation Support

Date: October 22, 2026 PWS Version Number: 1.0

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP), strives to reduce military and Veteran suicide by focusing on clinical interventions and community-based outreach prevention strategies. Through this program, VA has offered grants to eligible entities, identified in the regulations, for providing or coordinating suicide prevention services to Veterans and their families. The goal of the program is to identify Veterans who are at risk of suicide and their family members and to provide them with suicide prevention services either through the VA or the community.

The Staff SG Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) is authorized pursuant to the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-171) and implemented by final rule, promulgating 38 C.F.R. part 78. Per 38 C.F.R. part 78. Grantees may provide the following suicide prevention services to program participants: Outreach to identify those at risk of suicide; Baseline mental health screening to eligible individuals; Education of communities, Veterans and families on suicide risk and prevention, how to identify those at risk of suicide, how and when to make referrals for care, and the types of suicide prevention resources available within the area; Provision of clinical services for emergency treatment; Case management services; Peer support services; VA benefits assistance for eligible individuals and their families; Assistance with obtaining and coordinating other benefits provided by the federal VA, a state or local VA, or an eligible entity; Assistance with emergent needs relating to health care services, daily living services, personal financial planning and counseling, transportation services, temporary income support services, fiduciary and representative payee services, legal services to assist the eligible individual with issues that may contribute to the risk of suicide, and child care. In addition, grantees may provide nontraditional and innovative approaches and treatment practices, as determined appropriate by VA.

VA requires professional support to strengthen the operating conditions necessary for SSG Fox SPGP grantees to implement their programs consistently, demonstrate appropriate readiness for evaluation, use data for improvement, and progress toward durable community-based suicide prevention capability. The Base Year emphasis is the development and operation of a standardized assessment-to-action system that gives VA a consistent view of grantee organizational capacity, implementation maturity, evaluability, and priority improvement needs.

This requirement is developmental rather than solely compliance-oriented. SSG Fox SPGP grantees vary in organizational maturity, service model, target population, geography, prior grant experience, staffing, partnerships, data capability, and implementation context. VA therefore requires a structured method to understand where each grantee is in its program-development lifecycle, distinguish grantee-specific needs from systemic program barriers, and determine what support is appropriate at each stage. As the grantee portfolio has grown in size and complexity, the operational demands on VA program staff have also increased, heightening the need for durable assessment, decision-support, and improvement infrastructure that can be sustained across grantee cohorts and personnel transitions.

VA requires insight into Human-Systems Integration (HSI) factors to support assessment, decision-making, organizational improvement, and future-state design. HSI considers how people interact with the processes, policies, structures, tools, data, interfaces, and governance that comprise a system. Human-Centered Design (HCD) complements HSI by focusing discovery and design activities on the needs, experiences, and operating realities of the people who use and are affected by the system.

VA requires the Contractor to employ the Magnify™ framework, a continuous Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Human-Systems Integration (HSI) discovery and improvement methodology that incorporates the Human Performance Assessment (HPA) framework developed under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topic N092-150, Decision Support Aiding for Human-Systems Acquisition (Phases I and II), and subsequently extended under Phase III. Magnify™ examines the SSG Fox SPGP across the interconnected dimensions of people, processes, and technology; uses stakeholder discovery and systems analysis to identify operational friction and capability gaps; and translates findings into prioritized, testable improvement actions.

The Magnify™ framework is not a one-time assessment. It provides a repeatable cycle for discovery, assessment, prioritization, action planning, verification, and continuous improvement. Under this PWS, Magnify™ will be used to establish and operate the Base Year Grantee Capacity, Implementation Maturity, and Evaluability Assessment-to-Action Framework and, as authorized by the Government, to support broader operational advisory and implementation activities in subsequent periods.

The work contemplated under this PWS derives from, extends, and applies capabilities developed under SBIR N092-150. The Government intends this requirement to support a Phase III SBIR acquisition consistent with the SBIR Program Policy Directive and 15 U.S.C. § 638(r).

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

The following document is applicable to this effort:

Public Law 116-171 – Section 201 (k) (2) Final/Annual Congressional Report: https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ171/PLAW-116publ171.pdf

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide operational advisory and implementation support for the SSG Fox SPGP, including program assessment, human-centered discovery, implementation-maturity analysis, evaluability support, grantee capacity-building and technical-assistance strategy, program-management support, process and data/tool improvement, and portfolio-level decision support. The Contractor shall apply Magnify™ and the underlying HPA framework developed under SBIR N092-150 throughout performance.

The Base Year shall focus on establishing and operating a Grantee Capacity, Implementation Maturity, and Evaluability Assessment-to-Action System. The Contractor shall develop a VA-approved framework and rubric; assess VA-designated grantees; diagnose capability and implementation gaps; translate findings into prioritized support requirements and individual improvement pathways; track progress; reassess grantees; and aggregate findings to provide VA leadership with portfolio-level visibility and learning.

During the Base Year, the Contractor shall own the assessment-to-action system, including assessment design, diagnosis, routing recommendations, improvement planning, reassessment, and portfolio learning. The Contractor shall also provide strategic guidance to VA regarding the design, prioritization, sequencing, targeting, and effectiveness of technical-assistance and capacity-building activities informed by assessment findings. VA retains Government decision authority over policy, compliance, grant-management actions, and assignment of support delivery. The Contractor may develop enabling content and materials and may support implementation activities when directed and within awarded scope. As program needs evolve, the Government may authorize expanded Contractor responsibilities for coordination or direct delivery of technical-assistance and capacity-building support through an option, modification, or other authorized ordering mechanism.

The Contractor shall design all assessment outputs so they can inform VA decisions regarding grantee onboarding, program definition and logic, implementation support, evaluation readiness, continuous improvement, sustainment, and transition/offboarding. Evaluation readiness shall be treated as a developmental determination tied to the evaluation question and the grantee’s implementation conditions, not as a universal calendar threshold.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The Period of Performance (PoP) shall be a 12-month base period, with two, 12-month option periods. Office hours shall be 8:00am – 4:30pm EST, Monday through Friday.

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

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

Under current definitions, five are set by date:

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

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

4.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

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

In the event that VA requires the Contract to travel to a VA site, any work at a VA site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the CO or the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

4.3 TRAVEL

Travel may be required for VA-directed discovery, grantee engagement, or program convening activities. All travel shall require prior written Government authorization and shall be performed in accordance with applicable Federal travel regulations and contract terms. The travel allocated on this Contract is as follows:

Base: 4 on-sites + 4 strategic planning sessions OY 1: 4 on-sites + 4 strategic planning sessions OY 2: 4 on-sites + 4 strategic planning sessions

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following tasks. Deliverable timing shall be established and maintained in the Government-approved Contractor Project Management Plan unless a specific timing requirement is stated below.

5.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall designate a Program Manager as the Contractor’s primary interface with the requiring VA organization and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The Program Manager shall coordinate Contractor personnel, schedule, cost, risks, deliverables, subcontractor activity, and Government dependencies necessary to meet PWS requirements.

Project scheduling and maintenance of an integrated project schedule.

Cost and resource management.

Risk, issue, action, and decision tracking.

Stakeholder coordination and meeting support.

Deliverable quality control and Section 508 coordination.

Subcontractor and subject-matter-expert integration, as applicable.

5.1.1 POST-AWARD KICK-OFF MEETING

A technical kickoff meeting shall be held within ten (10) calendar days after contract award. The Contractor shall coordinate the date, time, and location with the COR and VA Program Manager. The Contractor shall provide a draft agenda at least five (5) calendar days before the meeting. At kickoff, the Contractor shall present its proposed approach, initial schedule, staffing plan, Magnify™ methodology, stakeholder-engagement approach, and near-term Government dependencies.

Deliverables:

Kick-Off Meeting Agenda Kick-Off Meeting Minutes

5.1.2 CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that describes the approach, timeline, milestones, staffing, communications, quality controls, risks, Government dependencies, and deliverable schedule for execution of the PWS. The CPMP shall include the plan for sequencing Magnify™ discovery, framework development, grantee assessments, improvement planning, reassessment, and portfolio reporting.

Deliverable:

Contractor Project Management Plan

5.1.3 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide the COR with a Monthly Progress Report in electronic format. The report shall cover work completed during the reporting period, work planned for the subsequent period, current schedule status, staffing, risks and issues, decisions required from VA, status of deliverables, and current Section 508 conformance status for applicable deliverables. The Contractor shall maintain regular communication with VA so issues are surfaced and resolved before escalation.

The Contractor shall participate in recurring status meetings at a cadence agreed upon with the COR and VA Program Manager and shall maintain action, risk, issue, and decision records sufficient to support program execution and institutional continuity.

Deliverables:

Monthly Progress Report Recurring Status Meeting Materials / Action Log

5.1.4 MAGNIFY™ FRAMEWORK AND SBIR N092-150 APPLICATION

The Contractor shall use the Magnify™ framework, which incorporates the HPA framework developed under SBIR N092-150 and subsequently extended under Phase III, as the overarching methodology for discovery, assessment, analysis, prioritization, and continuous improvement under this PWS. Magnify™ activities shall examine people, processes, and technology and shall incorporate HSI, HCD, user experience, and customer-experience principles as appropriate to the SSG Fox SPGP operating environment.

The Contractor shall use stakeholder discovery, facilitated working sessions, journey and workflow mapping, systems analysis, evidence review, and iterative validation to ensure findings reflect actual grantee and VA operating conditions. The Contractor shall translate findings into decision-ready requirements and recommendations that can be traced to observed needs and reassessed over time.

The Contractor shall provide an initial Magnify™ Roadmap within ninety (90) calendar days of award. The roadmap shall identify the initial sequence of assessment and improvement priorities, major stakeholder groups, discovery activities, expected decision points, and planned feedback loops. The roadmap shall be updated as directed by VA to reflect new evidence and changing program priorities.

The Contractor shall also provide a semiannual report describing how SBIR N092-150-derived capabilities were applied under the PWS and how resulting findings informed subsequent activities and recommendations.

Deliverables:

Magnify™ Roadmap Semiannual Report on Use of SBIR N092-150 / Magnify™

5.2 BASE YEAR: GRANTEE CAPACITY, IMPLEMENTATION MATURITY, AND EVALUABILITY ASSESSMENT-TO-ACTION SYSTEM

The Contractor shall develop and operate a standardized, evidence-informed framework for assessing SSG Fox SPGP grantee organizational capacity, implementation maturity, and readiness for appropriate forms of program evaluation. The system shall provide VA with a consistent method to identify strengths, barriers, and improvement needs while recognizing variation among grantees and service models.

The framework shall support the grantee lifecycle from onboarding and program definition through implementation, measurement and learning, appropriate evaluation, sustainment, and transition/offboarding. Capacity building shall be treated as the mechanism that helps a grantee progress through the lifecycle, not as a single discrete maturity stage.

5.2.1 DEVELOP THE CAPACITY AND EVALUABILITY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

The Contractor shall collaborate with VA SSG Fox SPGP leadership, grant management staff, evaluation staff, and other VA-designated stakeholders to develop a Grantee Capacity, Implementation Maturity, and Evaluability Assessment Framework and Rubric. Development shall use relevant program requirements, grantee materials, logic and program narratives, budgets and service plans, program data, prior evaluation findings, grantee feedback, existing VA tools, and applicable implementation and evaluation concepts provided or approved by VA.

The framework shall define observable, evidence-based criteria that allow VA and grantees to understand current conditions and the conditions necessary to advance.

The Contractor shall recommend assessment domains for VA approval based on program requirements, stakeholder discovery, available evidence, and grantee variation. Assessment domains shall address, as appropriate, the following areas:

Program definition, intended outcomes, and alignment with SSG Fox SPGP goals.

Leadership, staffing, governance, organizational capability, and workforce readiness.

Program operations, policies, workflows, service delivery, and implementation conditions.

Outreach, reach, engagement, partnerships, and referral infrastructure.

Financial, staffing, service, and resource alignment.

Data collection, reporting, data quality, and use of information for management.

Measurement, evaluation, evaluability, and definition of meaningful benchmarks.

Continuous improvement, learning, sustainment, and transition capability.

Final domains, evidence expectations, assessment methods, and decision criteria shall be refined with and approved by VA.

Deliverables:

Capacity, Implementation Maturity, and Evaluability Framework Grantee Assessment Rubric and Toolkit

5.2.2 ESTABLISH MATURITY LEVELS AND READINESS CRITERIA

The Contractor shall develop a VA-approved maturity model that describes progressive grantee development and supports consistent decisions about readiness, support needs, and reassessment. The model shall be sufficiently flexible to account for differences in service model, population, geography, organizational maturity, and implementation context. Stage names, thresholds, evidence expectations, and decision rules shall be refined with VA throughout the period of performance. The maturity model shall support developmental management and shall not function as a punitive compliance score or simplistic ranking mechanism. At a minimum, the maturity model shall include the following:

Define meaningful lifecycle stages or readiness states that reflect progression from onboarding and program definition through implementation, measurement and learning, evaluation readiness, sustainment, and transition.

Establish observable evidence and decision criteria for movement between stages or readiness states.

Identify conditions that indicate a grantee requires additional support, reassessment, or VA-level intervention.

Allow maturity determinations to change as staffing, eligibility, data requirements, service models, or operating context change.

Support linkage between maturity findings, appropriate forms of evaluation, capacity-building priorities, and portfolio-management decisions.

Evaluation readiness shall not be treated as a single point-in-time determination. The Contractor shall identify which forms of evaluation and performance assessment are appropriate at each maturity stage based on implementation stability, available data, stated outcomes, and the evaluation questions to be answered.

5.2.3 CONDUCT INITIAL AND RECURRING GRANTEE ASSESSMENTS

The Contractor shall use the VA-approved rubric to conduct initial capacity and maturity assessments of VA-designated SSG Fox SPGP grantees and shall periodically reassess grantees to document progress, emerging needs, and changes in implementation conditions. Assessment methods shall be approved by VA and may include document review, grantee self-assessment, facilitated consensus assessment, review of logic/program narratives, budgets, service tables and performance data, VA staff working sessions, and observation of relevant onboarding or program activities.

Assessments shall identify, at a minimum:

Demonstrated strengths and existing capabilities.

Organizational, implementation, or measurement gaps.

Barriers requiring VA grant-management or policy action.

Needs appropriate for technical assistance or other capacity-building support.

Systemic issues affecting multiple grantees.

Data or measurement gaps affecting evaluability.

Recommended priority actions and expected evidence of progress.

Criteria and timing for reassessment.

Deliverables:

Initial and Recurring Grantee Capacity / Maturity Assessments

5.2.4 TRANSLATE ASSESSMENT FINDINGS INTO TARGETED SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall translate assessment findings into prioritized technical-assistance and capacity-building requirements for VA. For each identified need, the Contractor shall define the capability gap, intended audience, urgency, recommended modality, expected outcome, evidence of progress, and prerequisite information or materials needed for effective support.

During the Base Year, VA shall retain decision authority regarding the assignment of support delivery. The Contractor shall provide strategic guidance on technical-assistance and capacity-building delivery, including recommended audience segmentation, sequencing, modality, required expertise, delivery approach, coordination needs, intended outcomes, and measures of effectiveness. The Contractor may develop scripts, job aids, content requirements, facilitation materials, data summaries, or other enabling materials and may support delivery activities when directed. Recommendations and enabling products shall be structured so VA can refine or expand delivery responsibilities over time without redesigning the underlying assessment-to-action system.

Support requirements shall be tied to documented assessment findings; tailored to grantee maturity, role, service model, and population context; specific about the gap to be addressed; accompanied by an expected outcome or indicator of progress; routed to the resource best positioned to deliver the support; and reassessed to determine whether the intervention resolved the identified need.

Deliverables:

Technical-Assistance / Capacity-Building Strategy and Prioritization Plan TA Enabling Materials, as directed by VA

5.2.5 DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL GRANTEE CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT PLANS

For grantees requiring targeted support, the Contractor shall develop concise Capacity Improvement Plans in coordination with VA. Each plan shall create a traceable improvement pathway from current condition to the next desired maturity condition and shall support handoff to the VA-designated delivery resource.

Each Capacity Improvement Plan shall identify the current maturity level, documented gap, desired condition, recommended support, assigned or recommended delivery resource, evidence of progress, and reassessment point. The success measure shall be capacity or implementation condition gained, not simply the delivery of technical assistance.

Deliverables:

Grantee Capacity Improvement Plans

5.2.6 ESTABLISH A CLOSED-LOOP CAPACITY-BUILDING PROCESS

The Contractor shall establish and maintain a VA-approved closed-loop process that connects assessment findings, VA routing and prioritization decisions, support actions, implementation monitoring, evaluation findings, reassessment, and continuous improvement. The process shall be refined during performance based on stakeholder input and operating experience rather than fixed to a single workflow at contract award. At a minimum, the process shall:

Maintain traceability from an identified need or barrier through the recommended action, VA decision, support activity, and evidence of progress.

Distinguish among grant-management, policy/compliance, technical-assistance, evaluation, system/tool, and other resource needs so issues are routed appropriately.

Define appropriate feedback and reassessment points based on the type and urgency of the identified need.

Support adaptation when an intervention does not achieve the intended condition or when operating circumstances change.

Aggregate recurring findings and lessons to inform portfolio-level priorities, future support strategy, and continuous program improvement.

5.2.7 SUPPORT PORTFOLIO-LEVEL VISIBILITY AND LEARNING

The Contractor shall aggregate assessment findings to provide VA leadership with a portfolio-level view of grantee maturity, common capacity gaps, systemic barriers, support demand, progress over time, cross-grantee learning opportunities, and areas requiring VA-level intervention. Portfolio reporting shall support developmental management and learning rather than simplistic grantee ranking.

The VA-approved reporting mechanism shall support visibility into:

Grantee maturity by domain.

Portfolio-wide strengths and common gaps.

Concentrations of support need by topic, audience, geography, cohort, or service model.

Grantees requiring more intensive intervention.

Grantees progressing toward appropriate evaluation readiness.

Recurring systemic issues that individual technical assistance cannot resolve.

Cross-grantee learning and peer-learning opportunities.

Grantees approaching sustainment or reduced-support status.

Deliverables:

Grantee Maturity / Readiness Tracker Portfolio Capacity and Readiness Briefs, as established in the CPMP Base Year Capacity and Readiness Findings Report

5.3 OPTIONAL / SUBSEQUENT-PERIOD OPERATIONAL ADVISORY AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT

If exercised by the Government in an option period, modification, or other authorized ordering mechanism, the Contractor may provide additional operational advisory and implementation support informed by Magnify™ findings, portfolio priorities, and evolving SSG Fox SPGP needs. Activities may build on the Base Year assessment-to-action capability and may include:

Grantee capacity building, technical-assistance strategy and delivery, and knowledge infrastructure, including standardized guidance, program guides, knowledge resources, training content, role-specific support, and standing field/subject-matter expertise.

Strategic convening and field engagement, including role-specific summits, onboarding/orientation, peer-learning activities, and structured feedback loops.

Tool and data infrastructure improvement, including stakeholder-driven requirements, workflow and user-experience analysis, data-definition improvements, and VA-owned feedback mechanisms.

VA staff support, process improvement, automation, and institutional continuity, including workflow mapping, administrative burden reduction, knowledge capture, and VA-owned process tools.

Business analytics and grantee performance intelligence, including portfolio-level operational analyses, comparative learning, key performance indicators, and decision-support products for grant management.

Any optional or subsequent-period work shall be specifically authorized by the Government, shall remain within the Phase III scope derived from SBIR N092-150, and shall use Magnify™ findings and other Government priorities to refine the specific activities, sequencing, deliverables, and level of effort.

5.4 KEY PERSONNEL

The following roles are designated as Key Personnel. Proposed Key Personnel shall not be removed or replaced without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer. Any proposed replacement shall meet or exceed the qualifications of the departing individual.

6.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1 METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall deliver documentation electronically unless otherwise directed by the Government. Acceptable formats include Microsoft 365 applications and PDF. Deliverables intended for broad VA distribution shall conform to applicable VA formatting and Section 508 accessibility requirements.

6.2 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Contractor Responsibilities:

a. 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.

b. 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 in accordance with the PAL template artifact. The Contractor Staff Roster shall contain the Contractor’s Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, individual background investigation level requirement (based upon Section 6.2 Tasks), etc. The Contractor shall submit full Social Security Numbers either within the Contractor Staff Roster or under separate cover to the COR. The Contractor Staff Roster shall be updated and provided to VA within 1 day of any changes in employee status, training certification completion status, Background Investigation level status, additions/removal of employees, etc. throughout the Period of Performance. The Contractor Staff Roster shall remain a historical document indicating all past information and the Contractor shall indicate in the Comment field, employees no longer supporting this contract. The preferred method to send the Contractor Staff Roster or Social Security Number is by encrypted e-mail. If unable to send encrypted e-mail, other methods which comply with FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) are to encrypt the file, use a secure fax, or use a traceable mail service. (Note that by September 22, 2026, all FIPS 140-2 certificate validations will be placed on the Historical List. See FIPS Transition Effort Timeline for more details: https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/fips-140-3-transition-effort#schedule)

c. The Contractor should coordinate with the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized. The Contractor shall bring their completed Security and Investigations Center (SIC) Fingerprint request form with them (see paragraph d.4. below) when getting fingerprints taken.

d. The Contractor shall ensure the following required forms are submitted to the COR within 5 days after contract award:

1) Optional Form 306

2) Self-Certification of Continuous Service

3) VA Form 0710

4) Completed SIC Fingerprint Request Form

e. The Contractor personnel shall submit all required information related to their background investigations (completion of the investigation documents (SF85, SF85P, or SF 86) utilizing the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) after receiving an email notification from the Security and Investigation Center (SIC).

f. The Contractor employee shall certify and release the e-QIP document, print, and sign the signature pages, and send them encrypted to the COR for electronic submission to the SIC. These documents shall be submitted to the COR within 3 business days of receipt of the e-QIP notification email. (Note: OPM is moving towards a “click to sign” process. If click to sign is used, the Contractor employee should notify the COR within 3 business days that documents were signed via e-QIP).

g. 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.

h. 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), completed training delineated in VA Handbook 6500.6 (Appendix C, Section 4), signed “Contractor Rules of Behavior”, and with a valid, operational PIV credential for PIV-only logical access to VA’s network. A PIV card credential can be issued once your SAC has been favorably adjudicated and your background investigation has been scheduled by OPM. 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 OPM.

i. 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.

j. Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security investigative requirements may result in loss of physical and/or logical access to VA facilities and systems by Contractor and Subcontractor employees and/or termination of the contract for default.

k. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential Holders must follow all HSPD-12 policies and procedures as well as use and protect their assigned identity credentials in accordance with VA policies and procedures, displaying their badges at all times, and returning the identity credentials upon termination of their relationship with VA.

Deliverables:

Contractor Staff Roster

6.3 PERFORMANCE METRICS

The COR may utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) or other Government performance-monitoring mechanism to assess Contractor performance against the PWS.

6.4 FACILITY / RESOURCE PROVISIONS

The Government may provide access to VA systems, documents, program materials, Government subject-matter experts, and other resources necessary to perform the PWS, subject to applicable access controls. The Contractor shall provide the personnel, management, facilities, equipment, software, and other resources necessary to perform work not expressly identified as Government-furnished.

6.5 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

VA will furnish property to the contractor for use in the performance of this task order. GFP (materials, equipment, and/or information) will be provided in conjunction with required performance under this TO, as determined by mutual agreement between VA and contractor. The contractor purchase of hardware or software tools, unless approved as part of the TO for this PWS, must be pre-approved by the COR.

VA will provide the contractor with access to manuals, routine reports, and related materials necessary to perform. VA will provide the contractor with access to VA systems or environments required to accomplish work within the scope of this TO, subject to VA security requirements.

The contractor shall have at the VA’s discretion, access to internal program documentation as well as program-related meetings hosted by either the VA or support contractors. The contractor’s access to documentation and meetings shall be for the purpose of collecting information for analysis or providing advice in accordance with the objectives of this TO.

All GFP shall be reported at the contract level, within the contractor staffing roster. At the written request of the VA, the contractor shall immediately return any property provided by the VA for the contractor’s use to complete the assigned subtasks under this TO. If not requested, the contractor shall continue to abide by Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 45 until completion of the contract.

6.6 GOVERNMENT ACCEPTANCE

The VA Program Manager and COR will review deliverables for conformance with PWS requirements. The Government may reject or require correction of deficiencies that are contrary to the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for timely delivery through the agreed review chain and for incorporating Government-directed corrections within the schedule established by the COR.

6.7 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION

The Contractor solution shall support the Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act (FPA) of 2017 which prohibits the inclusion of SSNs on any document sent by mail. The Contractor support shall also be performed in accordance with Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, enacted March 23, 2018, which mandates VA to discontinue using SSNs to identify individuals in all VA information systems as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor shall ensure that any new IT solution discontinues the use of SSN as the Primary Identifier to replace the SSN with the ICN in all VA information systems for all individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor delivered applications and systems integrate with the VA MPI for identity traits to include the use of the ICN as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor solution may only use a Social Security Number to identify an individual in an information system if and only if the use of such number is required to obtain information VA requires from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of VA.

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