36C10X18R0133-A00007001.docx

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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

36C10X18R0133 05-25-2018 Stephen Nickles, Contract Specialist 240-215-1667 07-13-2018

12:00 PM ET

36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs 321 Ballenger Center Drive, Suite 125

Frederick MD 21703

X

Y 621111 $11 Million

TBD

N/A

See Section B.2 (Performance Work Stmt) for details.

36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs 321 Ballenger Center Drive, Suite 125

Frederick MD 21703

See Section B.1 (Contract Admin Data) for details.

See CONTINUATION Page VBA Medical Disability Examinations as Authorized under Public Law 104-275

See Section B.3 (Schedule of Prices) for Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs).

TIN: ________________________________

DUNS: ________________________________

CAGE: ________________________________

See CONTINUATION Page

Stephen Nickles Contracting Officer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

1. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

a. CONTRACTOR: TBD

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.

OB10/IPPS ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION

FSC e-INVOICE PROGRAM THRU AUSTIN PORTAL

FSC MANDATORY ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION FOR AUSTIN PAYMENTS

Contractor POC: TBD

COR (Contracting Officers Representative):

TBD

CONTRACT/TASK ORDER NUMBER: TBD

PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER: To be provided in future task order(s)

VENDOR ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION METHODS:

Fax, email and scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests. Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted data transmissions below.

· VA’s Electronic invoice presentment and payment system-The FSC uses a third party Contractor, OB10, to transition vendors from paper to electronic invoice submission. Please see OB10 contact information below to begin submitting electronic invoices, free of charge.

· A system that conforms to the X12 electronic data interchange (EDI) formats established by the Accredited Standards Center (ASC) chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

· The X12 EDI Web site (http://www.x12.org).

VENDOR E-INVOICE SET-UP INFORMATION:

Please contact OB10 at the phone number or email address listed below to begin submitting your electronic invoices to the VA Financial Services Center in Austin, TX for payment processing. If you have questions about the e-invoicing program or OB10, please contact the FSC at the phone number or email address listed below.

· OB10 e-Invoice setup information: 1-877-489-6135

· OB10 e-Invoice email: VA.Registration@ob10.com

· FSC e-Invoice contact information: 1-877-353-9791

· FSC e-Invoice email: vafsccshd@va.gov

· http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp

COMMUNICATIONS:

· https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/11/27/2012-28612/va-acquisition-regulation-electronic-submission-of-payment-requests

· http://fcw.com/articles/2012/11/27/va-epayments.aspx?s=fcwdaily

· VAFSCFiscalSection101@va.gov

· or you can call 512-460-5401

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The Offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING-- MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUN 2011)

This solicitation includes FAR 52.219-4 Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HubZone Small Business Concerns. Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation will include this clause. The contractor is advised in performing contract administration functions, the CO may use the services of a support contractor(s) retained by VA to assist in assessing the contractor's compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirements specified in the clause. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to contractor's offices where the contractor's business records or other proprietary data are retained and to review such business records regarding the contractor's compliance with this requirement. All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an “Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement” to ensure the contractor's business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the CO in assessing the contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the CO to assess the contractor's compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirement.

(End of Clause)

SUBCONTRACTING COMMITMENTS--MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUN 2011)

This solicitation includes VAAR 852.215-70, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business Evaluation Factors, and VAAR 852.215-71, Evaluation Factor Commitments. Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation will include these clauses. The contractor is advised in performing contract administration functions, the CO may use the services of a support contractor(s) to assist in assessing contractor compliance with the subcontracting commitments incorporated into the contract. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to the contractor's business records or other proprietary data to review such business records regarding contract compliance with this requirement. All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an “Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement” to ensure the contractor's business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the CO in assessing the contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the CO to assess the contractor compliance with the subcontracting commitments.

(End of Clause)

SUBCONTRACTING PLAN--MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUN 2011)

This solicitation includes FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, and VAAR 852.219-9, VA Small Business Subcontracting Plan Minimum Requirement. Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation will include these clauses. The contractor is advised in performing contract administration functions, the CO may use the services of a support contractor(s) to assist in assessing the contractor's compliance with the plan, including reviewing the contractor's accomplishments in achieving the subcontracting goals in the plan. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to the contractor's business records or other proprietary data to review such business records regarding the contractor's compliance with this requirement. All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an “Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement” to ensure the contractor's business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the CO in assessing the contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the CO to assess the contractor compliance with the subcontracting plan.

(End of Clause)

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B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

INTRODUCTION

Title of Project: Medical Disability Examinations (MDEs) under Section 504 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–275; 38 U.S.C. 5101) Background: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) administers the Compensation & Pension (C&P) Program for benefits to Veterans, their dependents, and their survivors. Entitlement determinations for disability compensation and pension claims are made by VBA Rating Veterans Service Representatives (RVSRs) and Decision Review Officers (DROs) working in VA Regional Offices (VAROs) across the country. VA Central Office (VACO) assists the VAROs. An MDE is a critical piece of evidence for determining the extent of permanent impairment, and thus the percent of disability that defines the dollar benefit a Veteran is awarded. Because it is so critical, the examination report must be of high quality, providing essential information to support each diagnosed disability. It is not enough to simply state a diagnosis. The examination report must provide detailed findings sufficient for RVSRs and DROs to arrive at a determination that is able to withstand the scrutiny of appellate review. Veterans may appeal disability ratings. MDE's must be sufficiently accurate, thorough, and detailed to answer these challenges. The Contractor therefore shall follow the requirements of the worksheets to ensure that sufficient criteria are met. For the purpose of this PWS, the term “worksheet” represents a Disability Benefit Questionnaire (DBQ) or Compensation and Pension (i.e., Aid & Attendance; Bones) worksheet in situations where specific DBQs do not exist. VA reserves the right to substitute worksheets or any other system VA may deploy in the future.

On October 9, 1996, Congress enacted Public Law 104-275, which authorized VA to contract for medical examinations from non-VA medical sources. The report stated a desire to see the contract medical examination authority expanded and made permanent. A subsequent contract was awarded under the same public law authority. The current contracts provided over 724,000 examination referrals during fiscal year 2017, and each referral, on average, results in 2-3 unique examination types, plus additional ancillary diagnostic services and Veteran travel benefits. This contract is anticipated to execute approximately of 7.7 million examination requests over the life of the 10-year contract.

VA has a critical requirement for one or more prime contractors with deep and relevant institutional/corporate experience and knowledge to provide the above referenced disability examination services for Veterans through hiring and/or subcontracting with, training, and overseeing a skilled network of licensed examiners. Additionally, the prime contractor(s) shall possess deep and relevant institutional/corporate experience and knowledge in the development and maintenance of an IT network capable of interfacing with various VA systems in order to process incoming examination requests and to transmit examination results and other data back into the VA’s systems.

TYPE OF CONTRACT

This contract is a Firm Fixed-Price, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, under FAR 16.202.

CONTRACT MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DOLLAR VALUE

In accordance with FAR 16.504(a)(4)(ii), the guaranteed minimum dollar value for each contract awarded under this solicitation is $3,500,000. The Government anticipates it will order the following maximum quantities of examination requests over the 10-year life of the contracts that result from this solicitation:

The actual exam request volume may vary from year to year and depends on many factors, including, but not limited to the following examples: Number of Veterans that file for Disability benefits; Any unexpected increase or decrease in the number of active Servicemembers; New armed conflicts; New conditions being added to those that are eligible for award of benefits; and/or Any significant change in the volume of exams that can be handled internally by VA through VHA exam providers versus contracted exam providers .

For detailed data regarding actual exam volume during FY 2017, see MS Excel spreadsheet at Attachment G (Exam Volume by VARO for FY17).

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is a base period of 12 months from the date of award, with nine subsequent 12-month option periods, subject to the availability of funds. Exercise of options will be made at the sole discretion of the Government. If VA chooses not to exercise an option, that shall not be deemed a termination of the contract.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Performance shall take place at the Contractor’s place of business and at the examination provider’s place of business.

SCOPE OF WORK

This acquisition will acquire private-sector MDEs on behalf of VA. The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in the PWS, except as may otherwise be specified. The Contractor is to locate, subcontract, and train medical professionals in performing MDEs for Veterans in one or more of four geographic Regions. The Contractor shall document examination findings as provided in this PWS. The geographic areas (or VBA Regions) to be serviced by the contract(s) include Regions 1-4. Following are details for each of the VBA Regions:

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MDE REGIONS 1-4

Region 1 (Northeast): To include Veterans that reside anywhere within the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The total anticipated volume of examination requests for this region is 1.1 million over the 10-year life of the contract.

Disability claims for this region are, primarily, serviced out of the following VA Region Offices, although other VA Region Offices may administer the claim according to VA’s National Work Queue program:

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· Hartford, CT

· Chicago, IL

· Wilmington, DE

· Boston, MA

· Indianapolis, IN

· Togus, ME

· Detroit, MI

· Manchester, NH

· Newark, NJ

· Buffalo, NY

· New York, NY

· Philadelphia, PA

· Pittsburgh, PA

· Providence, RI

· Cleveland, OH

· White River Junction, VT

· St. Louis, MO

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Region 2 (Southeast): To include Veterans that reside anywhere within the states of Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The total anticipated volume of examination requests for this region is 2.7 million over the 10-year life of the contract.

Page 1 of Page 1 of Page 1 of Disability claims for this region are, primarily, serviced out of the following VA Region Offices, although other VA Region Offices may administer the claim according to VA’s National Work Queue program:

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· Washington, DC

· Montgomery, AL

· Little Rock, AR

· St. Petersburg, FL

· Atlanta, GA

· Louisville, KY

· New Orleans, LA

· Baltimore, MD

· Jackson, MS

· Winston-Salem, NC

· Columbia, SC

· Nashville, TN

· Roanoke, VA

· Huntington, WV Page 1 of Page 1 of

Region 3 (Midwest): To include Veterans that reside anywhere within the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The total anticipated volume of examination requests for this region is 1.9 million over the 10-year life of the contract.

Page 1 of Page 1 of Disability claims for this region are, primarily, serviced out of the following VA Region Offices, although other VA Region Offices may administer the claim according to VA’s National Work Queue program:

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· Denver, CO

· Wichita, KS

· Des Moines, IA

· St. Paul, MN

· Lincoln, NE

· Muskogee, OK

· Fargo, ND

· Sioux Falls, SD

· Waco, TX

· Houston, TX

· Milwaukee, WI

· Cheyenne, WY

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Region 4 (Pacific): To include Veterans that reside anywhere within the states of Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. The total anticipated volume of examination requests for this region is 2.0 million over the 10-year life of the contract.

Page 1 of Page 1 of Disability claims for this region are, primarily, serviced out of the following VA Region Offices, although other VA Region Offices may administer the claim according to VA’s National Work Queue program:

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· Oakland, CA

· Los Angeles, CA

· Phoenix, AZ

· Seattle, WA

· Boise, ID

· Reno, NV

· Portland, OR

· San Diego, CA

· Honolulu, HI

· Anchorage, AK

· Salt Lake City, UT

· Albuquerque, NM

· Ft. Harrison, MT

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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide MDEs for VBA according to VBA standards, forms, and practices.

The Contractor shall be required to provide these services for Veterans residing (permanently or temporarily) within the geographical jurisdiction of the listed VAROs. In instances where support in new or different sites is required, the Contractor will be provided 180 days ramp-up time, unless negotiated, to hire and train additional personnel. Ramp-up performance consists of all the preparation activities, including but not limited to the following:

Making capital expenditures;

Ensuring a qualified workforce is in place;

Conducting background investigations;

Establishing security clearances where applicable;

Providing appropriate training; and Implementing the information technology support and security necessary to fully perform the requirements contained in the PWS.

The Contractor shall furnish all required services, facilities, and equipment required to perform the contract in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications contained herein at the established fixed price rates, with any incentive or disincentive to be determined in accordance with Section 12.0 of this PWS.

At no time, from the date of contract award through expiration or termination of the contract, shall two or more Contractors supporting the same Region maintain and affiliation or enter into an affiliation. The purpose of this requirement is to enable VA’s goal of maintaining two or more distinct and separately operated MDE contractors within the same geographic region, which will ensure redundancy of MDE support should one of the contractors within a given geographic region struggle or fail to meet minimum contract requirements. Additionally, this requirement will maximize the benefit of the exam request methodology and incentive structures (see Section 12.0) so that continuous improvement beyond the minimum performance standards may be realized; and will promote continued bona fide competition for the Government’s MDE requirements. Accordingly, award shall not be made within the same region to two or more “affiliated” prime contractors; prime contractors shall be deemed “affiliated” when one or more of the following circumstances applies:

The entities are in a direct parent/subsidiary relationship, meaning that one of the entities is a “major shareholder or owner” of the other or of a parent entity of the other.

The entities are currently participating, or have participated in the one-year period immediately preceding solicitation closing, in any joint venture.

The entities are organized under a common owner or parent entity.

The entities have one or more major shareholders or owners in common.

Following award of contracts under this solicitation, MDE prime contractors shall provide advance notification to the Government, and obtain the Government’s advance approval for: (1) any proposed affiliations with other MDE prime contractors as defined above within the same geographical regions; (2) any proposed instances of (a) “significant overlap” of subcontractor provider exam networks with another MDE prime contractor within the same region; or (3b) any proposed instances of any MDE prime contractor using in performance of its contract the same IT network as another MDE prime contractor also providing services under this contract in the same geographical region. For purposes of this provision, an “IT Network” is defined as the server and internal IT infrastructure used by a Prime Contractor in performance of this contract; however, Prime Contractors that simultaneously service the same geographical region may coincidentally use the same internet service provider (e.g. AT&T, Verizon, Amazon, Comcast, etc.). A finding of affiliation between MDE prime contractors performing within the same geographical region, or a finding that two or more MDE prime contractors performing within the same geographical region either have “significant overlap” of exam networks or share the same IT network, shall be considered a breach of contract; and shall represent grounds for default termination or other appropriate administrative action by the Government. For purposes of this provision, “Significant overlap” of subcontracted exam provider networks shall be deemed to exist when greater than 45% of a Contractor’s subcontracted exam provider network mirrors that of another contractor’s subcontracted network of exam providers within the same geographic region.

Upon written request by the Contractor, the COR and/or Contracting Officer reserves the right to relax the 45% overlap restriction in order to temporarily or permanently assist the Contractor to provide exams at the required standard of performance in remote geographic areas where the supply of qualified exam providers is otherwise limited. A decision to relax the 45% overlap restriction is entirely at the discretion of the COR and/or Contracting Officer, and limited to the specific period of time the COR and/or Contracting Officer deems appropriate. Furthermore, such decision shall be limited to a specified geographic area designated by the COR and/or Contracting Officer (e.g. zip code, municipality, township, county, or state). If such decision is granted by the Government, the decision shall apply to all Contractors that service the applicable geographic region. Prior to acting on such decision, the Contractor shall obtain confirmation in writing from the Contracting Officer regarding the terms of the relaxed overlap restriction, including the duration, geographic location, and any other relevant information necessary to provide maximum clarification regarding the expectations of the Government and the Contractor.

TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

Task One: The Contractor shall provide a detailed Program Management Plan (PMP) presented in a briefing to the project team to present the Contractor's plan for completing the requirement. The Contractor's plan shall be responsive to this PWS and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for the requirement to include all IT requirements. The PMP shall also address the Contractor’s proposed overarching Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) that details all proposed activities to ensure compliance with the performance standards of the contract, as well as a Quality Control Plan (QCP) that details the proposed actions (e.g. measurements, inspections, and/or quality checks) required at each phase of the MDE process that will assure that all deliverables conform to the performance standards of the contract. The PMP shall clearly describe how the QAP and QCP will be applied throughout execution of the contract. The Contractor shall modify the PMP, QAP, and QCP, as needed, to correlate to any contract or task order modifications made throughout the period of performance, providing an updated copy to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Except for preparation of the deliverables required at the kick-off meeting, the Contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this PWS until the Contracting Officer (CO) has conducted a kick-off meeting or has advised the Contractor that a kick-off meeting is waived. The kick-off meeting will be held in Washington, DC. Contractor travel will not be reimbursed for attending the kick-off meeting.

Deliverables (Task One):

1.1.1 Detailed PMP, QAP, and QCP, including Briefing and Minutes

1.1.2 Kick-off Meeting, including Minutes

Task Two: The Contractor shall provide a detailed Training Plan (TP) presented in a briefing to the project team to present the Contractor's plan for completing the requirement. The Contractor's plan shall be responsive to this PWS and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for the requirement. The TP shall also address how it will be applied throughout execution of the contract. The Contractor shall modify the TP, as needed, to correlate to any contract or task order modifications made throughout the period of performance, providing an updated copy to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The Contractor shall train all examiners, staff support and SubContractors who have routine contact with Veterans. Either hard or electronic copies of the documents are acceptable. The Contractor shall, in consultation with VA, prepareSuch payment sshall be made in accordand implement a training program to provide:

1. Basic overview of VA programs and available sources of Veteran assistance (can be found at http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/);

1. DBQ/C&P Examination Worksheets;

1. Office of Disability and Medical Assessment (DMA) Certification:

Certification training can be found at https://www.vha.train.org VHA TRAIN is supported by the Veterans Health Administration Employee Education System, an internal education and training program office in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

VHA TRAIN is an affiliate of the Public Health Foundation’s national training platform for public health providers.

All DBQ/C&P providers must obtain the DMA General Certification through specific courses and materials provided via VHA TRAIN.

Examiners who perform Initial Mental Disorders examinations shall take the DMA Initial Mental Disorders Examination;

Examiners who perform Initial Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) examinations shall take the DMA Initial Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Examination;

Examiners who perform Review Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) examinations shall take the DMA Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Review Examination or DMA Initial Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Examination;

Examiners who perform Review Mental Disorders exams shall take either the DMA Mental Disorders Review Examination OR DMA Initial Mental Disorders Examination;

Examiners who perform Musculoskeletal examinations (Joints, Feet, or Spine) shall take the DMA Musculoskeletal Examination; and Examiners who perform Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) examinations shall complete the DMA TBI training module.

All examiners shall complete military sexual trauma (MST) protocol training, DMA Military Sexual Trauma and the Disability Examination Process, in VHA Train.

All medical examiners will complete the mandatory Gulf War Examination (GWE) training course in VHA Train.

All medical examiners shall complete aggravation opinions training course in VHA Train.

All medical examiners shall complete medical opinions training course in VHA Train.

The Contractor can utilize Talent Management System (TMS) to obtain training for:

1. VA Information Security and Privacy Awareness training, including annual refresher training (contract examiners are not required to complete this course);

General Privacy training (contract examiners are not required to complete this course); and Any additional VA cybersecurity or privacy training as required in addition to DMA certification for examiners.

All personnel who have access to VA systems and/or regular interactions with Veterans being served by the Contractor must submit to all training as outlined in Section 8.2(c)(i);

The Contractor shall submit to the COR the required security paperwork for each employee and/or SubContractor.

While security paperwork is being processed for contract personnel, the Contractor and SubContractor personnel may access the https://www.vha.train.org site to complete the DMA certification, and the VA TMS (https://www.tms.va.gov/learning/user/login.jsp) site to complete Privacy and HIPAA Training the VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior course, and training on the core claims adjudication process. Contractors must follow policies and procedures outlined in VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program; and VA Handbook 6500.6 (See Section 19.0 (Security) for further details).

The Contractor shall maintain and track all training and certifications for its personnel and SubContractor(s). Any SubContractor personnel can use TMS and VHA TRAIN for training purposes. The Government may request information regarding training and certification at any time during the period of performance.

The Contractor shall prepare a detailed Training Plan to provide the required education. Training should reinforce an understanding of relevant VA requirements, regulations, and the necessity for Quality Assurance. The training plan shall include the Contractor’s approach to ensuring all project-related employees and SubContractors are adequately trained. Reference Section 14.0 (Training) for additional training information. The Contractor shall maintain a current training plan throughout the period of performance. Updates to the training plan are required as new or revised worksheets are developed by VA.

Deliverable (Task Two):

1.1.3 Training Plan

Task Three: The Contractor shall locate and subcontract with qualified examiners to conduct MDEs in response to examination requests received from VA. Reference Section 10.0 (Examination Requirements), of this PWS, for additional requirements pertaining to examination requests.

1. The Contractor shall follow the requirements outlined in the DBQ/C&P examination worksheets including any requirements for examinations to be performed by specialists Examination worksheets are subject to change and the Government will notify the Contractor of any changes to the worksheets via email. All examinations and associated reports must be completed and returned in accordance with the performance standards detailed in Section 12.0 (Performance Requirements Summary).

1. If testing/evidence is not of record or dated within 12 months of the exam date, the exam provider shall review the evidence of record prior to determining if additional diagnostic testing is necessary. If the testing/evidence is not of record or dated within 12 months of the exam date, Attachments O and P provide criteria for pre-authorized diagnostic testing. If the Examination Worksheet or DBQ, as applicable, requires an examiner to conduct an examination of a Veteran to determine suitability for a particular diagnostic test, then the Contractor shall not schedule such diagnostic test prior to the Veteran's examination unless preauthorized by the requesting facility. The list of rules for ordering diagnostic tests is identified in Attachment O, Rules for Triggering Diagnostic Tests and Additional Examinations and Attachment P, Examinations with Accompanying Ancillary diagnostic tests. The Contractor shall get approval from the COR via email for any additional testing or examination that is not preauthorized or addressed during the triage process.

1. The Contractor shall post all completed examination reports to the Contractor’s secure website daily. Once VBMS Integration is fully implemented, completed examination reports (i.e. DBQs, non-DBQ worksheets and associated diagnostic and test results) shall be posted as they are finalized per contention and not held until all examination reports for the request are completed. Upon contract award, the Contractor shall provide VA Office of Information Technology (OIT) with information to access the Contractor’s secure website (see Sections 27.0, 28.0, and 29.0) for daily download. In addition, the Contractor shall send the completed examination worksheet (including diagnostics) and other examination data and results (e.g. laboratory tests and X-ray reports) to the IT systems identified by VA with the date and time the examination was completed. The Disability Benefit Questionnaires (DBQ) exam results, non-DBQ worksheets and diagnostics will be transmitted to VA using the Data Access System (DAS) as described in Section 29.0, DAS File Transfer.

1. The Contractor shall provide daily status updates on the status of scheduling requested examinations. Specifically, the Contractor shall make available to VA a method by which VA may obtain a real-time status for any or all examination requests that are in any stage of completion with the Contractor. VA requires that this be a component of the Contractor's secure management information system. This is not a separately priced deliverable, but shall be a feature of the Contractor’s secure management information system.

Deliverable (Task Three):

1.1.4 Completed Examination Worksheet (including diagnostics) and other examination data and results (e.g. laboratory tests and X-ray reports)

1.1.5 Daily Status Update (available in Contractor’s secure management information system) Task Four: The Contractor shall provide the following status reports:

1. The Contractor shall provide a consolidated monthly status report of examination requests sorted by site. For purposes of this provision, “site” is defined as the jurisdictional VA Regional Office based on the residence of the Veteran. These monthly status reports shall include overall and site-specific data for the month and cumulative amounts year-to-date for the following:

1. Listing of Examination Worksheets to fulfill the exam requests by VA (showing distribution by site and by the type of worksheet);

Number of Examination Worksheets completed by Contractor (showing distribution by site and by the type of worksheet);

Number of examinees (i.e., Veterans requested to be seen for examination (showing distribution by site);

Number of examinees (i.e., Veterans for whom examinations were completed (showing distribution by site);

Number of examination reports pending with a list of the pending examination requests (to include SR UUID, claim number, name, and date of request);

Average time from receipt of examination request to delivery of completed request (CAATS) or the date the contention results package for the last contention is successfully transmitted to VBMS through DAS by the Contractor for both pending and completed (VBMS);

Listing of rescheduled examinations, examinations cancelled for failure to report, and refusal to report (including the related Centralized Administration Accounting System (CAATS) Document ID examination # for requests submitted through CAATS and including the related Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs) for requests submitted from the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS)); (Failure to report is a No Show, Refusal to Report is a cancellation and shall be coordinated with the servicing Regional Office);

Up-to-date status of all examiners with a statement verifying that individual licenses and/or credentials have not been revoked and that disciplinary proceedings involving professional conduct are not pending (Please see Attachment B);

List any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem(s) was resolved or explanation of why it has not been resolved (including the related CAATS Document ID examination # for requests submitted through CAATS and including the related SR UUIDs for requests submitted from VBMS);

Cancellation Rate/Reason:

1. Provide cancellation rate (percentage) for each site, including a categorized reason for cancellation and a percentage for each category (Cancellation reasons to be provided at the request level, the contention level or the appointment level as appropriate):

Cancelled at Veteran’s request;

Cancelled at request of Site/VA;

Veteran relocated;

Veteran unavailable;

Unable to contact Veteran;

Examination restricted by contract;

Veteran deployed;

Medical record not received;

Duplicate request;

Veteran is deceased;

Outside contracted Site jurisdiction;

No Show; and Other: Free text for any reason not listed Provide cancellation rate (percentage) for the Region, including a categorized reason for cancellation and a percentage for each category (Cancellation reasons to be provided at the request level, the contention level or the appointment level as appropriate):

1. Cancelled at Veteran’s request;

1. Cancelled at request of Site/VA;

1. Veteran relocated;

1. Veteran unavailable;

1. Unable to contact Veteran;

1. Examination restricted by contract;

1. Veteran deployed;

1. Medical record not received;

1. Duplicate request;

1. Veteran is deceased;

1. Outside contracted Site jurisdiction;

1. No Show; and

1. Other: Free text for any reason not list.

Average Days pending Work in Progress (WIP) for each Regional Office.

The Contractor shall also maintain individual and aggregate examination request status information (including the related CAATS Document ID examination # for requests submitted through CAATS and including the related SR UUIDs for requests submitted from VBMS) accessible online by the VAROs and VACO. In addition to information about work completed during the preceding month, each report will present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month.

Site visit information as specified in Section 13.0.

Monthly data on all examinations scheduled further than the 50 miles for non-specialist and 100 miles for specialist examinations The Contractor shall provide a monthly market saturation report, to include an active provider list quarterly, using the standard format as provided in Attachment J.

The Contractor shall provide a monthly report of any case that is older than 20 days, along with a mitigation plan to resolve, using standard format in Attachment W. In response to inventory that does not meet the expected standard of performance, the Government reserves the right to reduce/offset that vendor’s percentage of their incoming inventory (examination requests) commensurate with the percentage of inventory pending greater than 20 days. The Government will also may request more frequent status reports identifying all cases pending greater than 20 days. Attachment W has been updated to reflect the required format and necessary information.

The Contractor shall provide reconciliation reports between vendor system and VA systems.

The Contractor shall provide ad-hoc reporting at no additional charge as required by PMO (for example, when natural disasters occur, when requests for information are submitted by outside entities, when special situations involve investigating alleged issues with examinations).

The program office is requesting that a new data column be added to the CAATS daily feed being report to PA&I. We are asking that you provide a new column that identifies the date in which an inadequate/insufficient quality assessment was received for a completed exam. Please use the following format and add this new column at the end of the record. (The format to be used for the date field is “MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS AM”. We would ask this format to be used for all the date fields included within the Vendor files) The initial transmission with this new column should include all historical inadequate/insufficient transactions going back to January 1, 2016, to the current date.

Deliverable (Task Four):

1.1.6 Monthly Status Reports

1.1.7 Daily reporting

Task Five: The Contractor shall inspect all facilities where MDEs are conducted to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. The Contractor shall provide an annual certified statement of verification of ADA and OSHA compliance. The Contractor shall also provide a Quarterly Report certifying the ADA and OSHA compliance of any new facilities added during that preceding quarter. This requirement applies to exams conducted within the United States, including its territories, possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and does not apply to exams conducted outside of these locations. Also, see Section 17.2 regarding licensed facilities.

Deliverable (Task Five):

1.1.8 Annual Facility ADA/OSHA Certification Statement

1.1.9 Quarterly New Facility ADA/OSHA Certification Report

Task Six: The Contractor shall develop a process for disseminating training and credentialing information for vendor subcontracted clinicians to all Veterans attending a contract examination or receiving a medical opinion or Acceptable Clinical Evidence (ACE) exam. This information shall be documented in the examination notification letter sent to the Veteran prior to their appointment. For examinations not requiring an examination notification letter, vendors shall send a notification to the Veteran informing them that VA has requested a medical opinion or ACE exam for their claimed condition. In the event that the examiner changes after the original letter goes out, the Contractor shall send an updated letter to the Veteran with the required information for the new examiner. They shall provide training and credentialing information for the examiner in that letter. Information to be included is as follows: Provider Name, Specialty/Field, Provider Type (MD, PA, etc.), License Number, State of Licensure, Board Certifications, Education, years of medical experience, years of VBA compensation related experience, and all compensation and pension related training received. These letters shall be transmitted to VBMS as an Attachment to the DBQ and will become part of the Veterans record.

Deliverable (Task Six):

1.1.10 Training and Credentialing Information via Exam Notification Letter or Medical Opinion/ACE Notification Letter.

Schedule of Deliverables:

Detailed PMP, QAP, and QCP, including Briefing and Minutes Task One/Deliverable 8.1.1 5 business days after contract award

Kick-off Meeting, including Minutes Task One/Deliverable 8.1.2 Kick-off Meeting to be held 5 business days after contract award; Minutes to be delivered within 5 business days after the Kick-off Meeting

Training Plan Task Two/Deliverable 8.2.1 5 business days after contract award

Completed Examination Data and Worksheet Results (including diagnostics) Task Three/Deliverable 8.3.1 20 calendar days after receipt of examination request (for DBQ/C&P examinations)

30 calendar days after receipt of examination request (for Incarcerated Veterans)

Daily Status Update Task Three/Deliverable 8.3.2 Each Business Day

Monthly Status Reports Task Four/Deliverable 8.4.1 10th calendar day of each month

Monthly Invoice Report Deliverable 9.19 10th calendar day of each month

Annual Facility ADA/OSHA Certification Statement Task Five/Deliverable 8.5.1 15 calendar days from contract award; 15 calendar days from the beginning of all exercised option periods

Quarterly New Facility ADA/OSHA Certification Report Task Five/Deliverable 8.5.2 15 calendar days from the end of each quarter

Training and Credentialing Information via Exam Notification Letter or Medical Opinion/ACE Notification Letter Task Six/ Deliverable 8.6.1 See section 8.6 This is due with each notification letter, medical opinion, or ACE examination.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Ordering: Individual Examination requests are entered into a VA information system and sent to Contractors through a secure file transfer process. Initially, requests will be entered in the Centralized Administration Accounting System (CAATS). When VBMS replaces CAATS, individual examination requests are entered in VBMS and sent to the Contractor through the Data Access Service (DAS).