36C10D22Q0014.docx

Readiness & Employment System (RES) Request for Information (RFI)

Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)

Date: 16 May 2022 RFI Version Number: v2.0

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

1.0 INTRODUCTION

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) for the programs that Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Services is responsible for as stated in the M28C Veteran Readiness and Employment Manual. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only. There is no obligation for the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 15.201(E), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by VA in developing its acquisition strategy and informing, refining, and finalizing the Draft Statement of Objectives (SOO). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Only electronic responses to this RFI will be accepted. The Government will not pay for any time expended or information submitted in response to this RFI. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this RFI.

NOTE: For the purposes of this RFI, “RES” and “Readiness & Employment System” encompasses the services provided by VR&E and a case management system is a part of that system.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is looking for solutions within direct or related industries (e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation Case Management) for delivering Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) benefits administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). VBA VR&E Service administers VA’s program that provides VR&E benefits to qualifying Veterans, service members, and their dependents through four (4) distinct benefit programs/chapters (i.e., Chapters 18, 31, 35, and 36) and supports Veterans where they are located (including overseas). VR&E has operations at fifty-six (56) Regional Offices with potentially over 2,000 concurrent end users including over 900 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs). The strategic goal is to eliminate the administrative burden of ingestion, establishment, and processing of Veteran eligibility through establishment of automated capabilities so that VR&E is able to focus on managing Veteran outcomes.

VBA delivers VR&E benefits in-house by VA employees leveraging VA-developed and managed IT applications. Business process and IT systems are fluid with current plans balancing the critical priorities:

· Operating in a digital paperless environment

· Reduction of time-intensive manual processes through the use of automation

· Integration of proven industry managed services to improve the efficiency and quality of VBA benefits delivery.

In FY21, VR&E issued $1.4B to over 125,000 program participants. Below represents the categories of the activities supporting the program participants over the past five fiscal years:

Table 1: Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Activities Table FY16 – FY20 (See Draft SOO for additional details)1

1These are unique counts of participants and does not count if a participant entered multiple statuses.

3.0 PURPOSE

The VA is using this Request for Information (RFI) to help guide the shaping and achievement of a transition to a new, and completely digital and modern case management system. VA seeks industry’s input regarding potential paths forward and recommendations as to where the VA should focus its efforts to shape a potential solicitation for proposals. The VA seeks to obtain a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to provide a solution with automation where applicable. The solution will enable VR&E to manage cases and deploy the capability to production hosted within the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)-certified cloud environment. The information included in this RFI looks to:

0. Communicate a vision of the scope of services that VBA would ideally like to implement as a managed services solution; to convey context regarding VBA’s needs, which are likely not typically found in commercial case management service offerings.

0. Solicit approaches that VA might pursue to accomplish its priorities. Approaches should describe possible end state usage of managed business services and/or managed IT solutions as well as strategies for seamless integration and configuration of capabilities into VA’s systems architecture. Suggested approaches may apply to all VBA VR&E services, or any specific portion thereof as deemed viable and appropriate by the submitter.

0. Collect information about market capabilities and state of practice for case processing and automation services along with specific verifiable examples where these may be currently in use.

0. Determine capability of the market to support VR&E benefits solutions and the potential pool of bidders.

0. Understand the dimensions, detail and types of information that industry must have to be able to bid on a managed services solution.

VA’s goal in this exercise is to 1) communicate the challenge / opportunity faced, and 2) gather input on how industry would address this challenge. To that end, the more specific your answers are to our challenge, the more useful your response will be to the VA. RFI information, questions, Draft SOO, and Appendices provided cover a wide range of options.

The VA’s expectation is the MSP shall provide program services, along with development and operation of an automation infrastructure ensuring updates, licensing, changes, security, and compliance with VA ATO criteria for operations and interoperability with numerous VA systems. Further, the VA’s expectation is the MSP shall ensure the delivery of services strictly through outcome-based Service Level Agreement (SLAs) for the rendering of business and automation infrastructure capabilities consistent with the requirements of the resulting contract. The MSP is free to use, modify or replace the MSP automation infrastructure, provided VA operations are not impacted, the integrity of business capability is consistent with requirements, business rules for operating cases are maintained, notification is consistent with the requirements, and VA ownership and governance of data is ensured and maintained. For clarity, VA specifically requires:

· All data shall remain the property of the VA

· A process shall be developed for VA to access and maintain copies of data as required by the VA

· Any solution shall ensure interoperability with core VA IT assets, ensuring the integrity and synchronization of data – information such as program participant identity, military service record, contact and demographic information

· Adherence to all applicable Federal and VA policy regarding information security, privacy, and IT criteria In partnership with the MSP, VA will provide access to systems and test environments to assist in the integration process.

Prior to purchase and VA approval, all system components including those managed by subcontractors will require VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) approval and the MSP shall deliver plans and documentation to the VA describing the architecture and operations of the automation infrastructure for review and approval prior to implementation. It is the sole responsibility of the prime to ensure all system components even those managed by subcontractors are TRM compliant and will remain TRM compliant through the Period of Performance (PoP).

4.0 INFORMATION SOUGHT

The VA is seeking the following information to be provided by the vendors when responding to the RFI:

· Vendor Information

· Vendor Responses to Questions

· Draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) Comments

4.1 Vendor Information

Vendors shall provide the following information:

· Vendor Name

· Vendor Address

· Vendor Point of Contact name, telephone number, and email address

· Unique Entity Identifier (EUID) Number under which the vendor is registered in SAM.gov and/or VetBiz.gov

· Vendor Business Size and Status [e.g., Large Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Small Business (SB)] under NAICS 518210, which contains a size standard of $35 Million. If there is a more suitable NAICS code, then please indicate which one and why.

· The number of years in business operating under NAICS 518210

· Existing Multiple Award Contract (MAC) vehicles currently held by the company [e.g., General Service Administrations (GSA) schedules, Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), Indefinite Delivery Contracts (IDCs), Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs)] available for the Government’s use for this requirement. For each MAC vehicle provide vehicle name; vehicle number; date of award; expiration date.

· Please describe the vendor’s experience with planning, managing, and executing complex managed service programs that required data sharing with government infrastructure. Identify whether the vendor acted in the capacity as the prime or subcontractor. What made the program effort complex? What innovative methods did the vendor use, and what challenges or obstacles did the vendor overcome?

· What percentage of the technical capabilities and expertise required in the Draft SOO can be provided independently by the vendor? What percentage of the technical capabilities and expertise would require the aid of a subcontractor? Clearly describe the work self-performed and the work to be subcontracted to include specific tasks and key personnel.

· Estimate the number of contractor personnel that will require intermittent or routine access to networks on which VA information resides. This estimation will be used to approximate the quantity of government furnished equipment (GFE) required for MSP performance.

4.2 Vendor Responses to Questions

The vendor shall provide answers to each question for the entire range of services in this RFI, please identify the aspects that cannot be achieved and why in your responses. The vendor response shall address the company’s approach to satisfy the objectives, constraints, and requirements described in the Draft SOO and shall consider all additional information contained in this RFI.

4.3 Draft SOO Comments

The vendor shall provide comments on the Draft SOO in the following table format:

The comments may include recommended changes, noted errors, inconsistencies, ambiguities, areas requiring further clarifications or higher level of detail, etc.

5.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit responses via email only to the Contract Specialist, Jacob Linxweiler, at Jacob.Linxweiler@va.gov. Submissions are due no later than June 7, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. EST. The email subject line must contain the following: “Response to RFI 36C10D22Q0014, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Services Readiness & Employment System (RES).” VBA reserves the right to not reply to any emails, responses, questions, and materials submitted in response to the RFI. All VA current requirements identified herein including the Draft SOO are subject to change at any time.

Mark your response as “Proprietary Information” if the information included is considered to be business sensitive and / or includes trade secrets. Interested vendors are directed to respond to this RFI in PDF and RFI responses shall not exceed 20 pages total (exclusive of the title/cover page, table of contents, and Draft SOO Comments table,). VA will not review any other data or attachments that are in excess of the 20 pages. Responses shall be prepared on standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper (charts may be landscaped but must be on 8.5 x 11-inch paper) and shall be in Times New Roman, font size (12), with 1” margins. All pages of the response shall be appropriately numbered, and identified with the RFI number (i.e., 36C10D22Q0014)

6.0 LIST OF QUESTIONS

When responding to the questions below, please provide examples from within the last five (5) years, if applicable.

1. The VA is seeking to add automation to the Readiness & Employment System (RES) to enable VR&E to manage Veterans for the life of the case while participating in VR&E services. The overall lifecycle case management solution should provide automation that reduces time-intensive manual processing. The lifecycle would include but would not be limited to application intake and processing, eligibility and entitlement determination, case and plan creation, financial benefits calculation processing that determines payment amounts, and case closure.

0. In consideration of the Draft SOO and Appendices released with this RFI, please describe your overall approach and technical skills you would apply in providing a Readiness & Employment System (RES) with added automation.

0. The automation must integrate with approximately 21 existing VA systems that provide either data or operational requirements that must be maintained for licensing, architectural changes, and continuity of operations. The automation platform will require concurrent usage by approximately 2,000 users and shall be available 99.9% of the time operating 24/7. The system shall be available in 56 regional offices across the nation and globally. The VRCs must communicate with program participants located globally such as the Philippines, Europe, and other global locations for input into the system. In consideration of this description, please describe systems and technologies that you would propose for the solution as well as similar solutions that you may have developed for other agencies or organizations with similar requirements, size, and scope.

1. Describe the vendor’s experience and approach to configuration and organizational change management, including responding to legislative changes/directives, internal organizational process and policy changes, business rules and functionality adjustments, reporting requirements, and technology improvements.

1. VA is seeking system capabilities that will provide business process automation while streamlining administrative functions, calculations of complex payment amounts, payment changes, managing benefits used, and reporting capabilities for the programs that VR&E is responsible for as stated in the M28C Veteran Readiness and Employment Manual. Describe the vendor’s experience with vocational rehabilitation benefit rules and payment calculations and employing these criteria in the vendor’s automation solution.

1. Describe the vendor’s quality control checks to ensure all applicable business rules are addressed before a case would be off-ramped for VR&E action.

1. Describe the vendor’s quality management and governance model to address project implementation, contract performance, deliverables, reporting, error handling, audit criteria, and continuous improvement in an environment operated under federal government regulatory requirements. Provide a specific example illustrating the vendor’s quality management model.

1. VA has an interest in tracking end user (VRC and other VA defined users) satisfaction goals through surveys, metrics, and any other methods for capturing key information and providing reporting that identifies areas of improvement for business operations.

5. Provide details as to the methods the vendor would use and the frequency at which the vendor would measure performance against satisfaction goals and identifying mechanisms for tracking progress and providing meaningful reporting throughout the lifecycle.

5. What performance metrics would the company recommend for performance evaluation of this Draft SOO? Please provide as much detail as reasonably possible to support the vendor’s recommendations.

1. The Vendor shall be required to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO) in the VA environment within a 3-to-6-month timeframe.

6. Please describe the process the vendor has followed in attaining and maintaining authority to operate (ATO) in the VA or other Federal departments, ensuring compliance of Federal security and privacy protection of personal information, such as personally identifiable information (PII), health information (PHI) and other program participants information, along with applicable regulatory and cybersecurity frameworks?

6. Explain the vendor’s experience in supporting role-based access and reporting capabilities at the group and user level while maintaining Federal Agency security models?

1. VA maintains ownership of any data originating within VA systems. Describe how the vendor would receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information to ensure the vendor is in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies.

1. The end users for the case management solution, also known as RES, shall be Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs) and other users as defined by the VA who are located nationwide and globally. Describe the vendor’s training approach for a geographically dispersed workforce and how training success will be measured.

1. Provide recommendations for the system/solution development timeline to include your justifications. Based on experience, identify key risks to implementation and any suggestions on how the vendor would approach mitigation.

1. Detail the vendor’s experience with development of systems/solutions that are 508 compliant and integrate seamlessly with multiple assistive technologies (e.g., JAWS, Dragon, ZoomText)?

1. Describe the vendor’s pricing model and how it is aligned to the proposed solution. The proposed solution may require off-ramps of the cases for processing by human-in-the-loop (VBA staff) adjudication actions and subsequent on-ramps once resolved.

11. What information would the vendor need and what recommendations would the vendor make relative to pricing structures? Provide a detailed response.

11. Within the response, provide a pricing formula, calculation, or model as a cost framework.

1. What are the Top Five (5) to Ten (10) major risks in the performance of the services required in the Draft SOO and Appendices? Provide a detailed response to address the following:

12. How can those risks be mitigated?

12. How will cost, schedule, and technical risks be handled?

1. What gaps remain in this RFI and attachments that the VA should address?

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

· See attached document: Readiness _ Employment System (RES) Draft SOO v2.

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