36C10X19R0016-0002000.docx

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer) 05-10-2019

NONE

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

MD

21703 Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs 321 Ballenger Center Drive, Suite 125 Frederick

MD

21703 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C10X19R0016 04-16-2019

X X X

X 1 (one) The purpose of this amendment is to:

1) Respond to vendor's Questions and Responses;

2) Revise PWS; and

3) Revise Section E.

All revisions are noted in red within.

CONTINUATION PAGE White House VA Hotline Call Center Questions and Responses Amendment 00002 to RFP 36C10X18R0145

Question 68. Does the government regard a team with the prime and sub-contractors both being CVE certified SDVOSBs provide more value to the Veterans Administration than a team of a SDVOSB with a large as a sub-contractor?

Response 68. The requirement is 100% set aside to SDVOSB prime contractors only. The subcontracting plan is a business decision.

Question 69. On Question 33. Will the Government provide the applicable DOL wage determination or CBA for this effort as well as identify the positions/categories that will classified as covered by the SCA? If so, please provide the applicable occupational codes that industry should use to price the labor categories.

Response 33. All agents are subject to DOL wage determinations. The applicable occupational codes that industry should use are as follows:

Response 69. All agents are subject to DOL wage determinations (WD 15-4285 (Rev.-12). The applicable occupational codes that industry should use are customer service representative I, II or III. It is a business decision as to which one you use, however the pricing must specify which code you are utilizing.

Question 70. On page 7-8; 2. Scope.

Agents will undergo currency and competency training on VA benefits and services based on hotline trends and are assisted by newly implemented tracking software to help VA capture and improve response, referral and resolution processes to best support Veterans. A Government FTE Training Section will be responsible for development/delivery of initial, new and refresher training content.

Will the Government please confirm that all required training will be provided at no cost to the contractor?

Response 70. Yes, the training will be provided at no cost to the contractor.

Question 71. On page 10; 5. Specific Tasks and Deliverables and page 12; 5.3 Contract Center Metrics.

The contractor shall staff, schedule, and monitor the center which currently includes the following contractor staff: 35 Call Agents, six Supervisors and one Program Manager.

To ensure the required staffing is adequate to meet the required metrics, would the VA please provide the following statistics from the current call center?

Annual/monthly call volumes Call volumes by arrival time on a daily basis (to understand what time of day during a 24-hour period the volume is heavy versus light) Average time to handle (AHT) for incoming calls (call length) Abandoned call rate Average wait time # of current vacancies by shift (to understand the actual population of CSR’s responding to the volume) # of current Government employees by role and shift and projected future Government employees by role and shift

Response 71. The contractor will not be responsible for scheduling; the government will provide schedules dependent upon demand. The contractor shall staff and monitor the 35 agents, which is sufficient to support current call volume with an average speed to answer of less than 20 seconds, an abandonment rate of less than 3%, and an average handle time of 15 minutes.

Question 72. On page 12; 5.3 Contact Center Metrics Contact Center Metrics include the following:

1. Call Abandonment Rates less than 3%

2. Average Speed of Answer of 10 - 20 seconds

3. Shrinkage below 10%

4. Service Recovery for 99% of surveys and complaints involving the contract staff 5.

6. Agent & Supervisor performance metrics

Survey Data, including survey scores and number of participants

Would the VA please provide the most recent report on metrics achieved by the current service provider to include all the data provided above by shift?

Response 72. The contact center currently is answering calls on average in less than 20 seconds with an abandonment rate of less than 3%, and an average call handle time of 15 minutes. The contact center does not operate in a shift model. Schedules are staggered based on contact demand throughout the 24-hour time period. Currently no schedules start between the hours of 01:00-06:00, but that is subject to change if demand warrants it. Shrinkage is being implemented as a new metric so there isn’t historical data. Agent and supervisor metrics have recently been modified so there isn’t historical data.

Question 73. On page 12; 5.3 Contact Center Metrics Contact Center Metrics include the following:

1. Call Abandonment Rates less than 3%

2. Average Speed of Answer of 10 - 20 seconds

3. Shrinkage below 10%

4. Service Recovery for 99% of surveys and complaints involving the contract staff

6. Agent & Supervisor performance metrics

Survey Data, including survey scores and number of participants

There is no metric provided at number “5.” Would the VA please confirm that this line was intentionally left blank?

Response 73. Addressed in prior Amendment 0001.

Question 74. On page 13; 5.3 Contract Center Metric. The Contractor shall deliver a monthly Contact Center Program Metrics Report and Assessment.

The metrics required to be reported on in Section 5.3 do not align with performance metrics identified in Section 9.

Would the VA please clarify (1) which metrics are to be used to measure the vendor’s performance; and (2) which metrics are to be reported on in the Monthly Contact Center Program Metrics Report?

Response 74. Section 5.3 contains the overall contact center metrics. Section 9 contains details of the Agent and Supervisor performance metrics referenced in Section 5.3. See revised PWS for additional areas in section 9.

Question 75. On page 47; E.1.A. Proposal Submissions/Instructions To Offerors

Attachment B

8. Proposals Submitted in response to this solicitation shall contain the following in separate volumes:

Volume II – Past Performance…Attachment B: 3 pages (1 pate per reference as shown on the form)

Attachment B, as provided in the solicitation, is 2 pages long.

Would the VA please clarify the page limitation for Past Performance references?

Response 75. Attachment B can be 2 pages per reference. See revised Section E. Instructions for details.

Question 76. On page 49; E.1.A. Proposal Submissions/Instructions To Offerors 8. Proposals Submitted in response to this solicitation shall contain the following in separate volumes:

3. Volume III – Factor 3 Price

Would the VA please confirm that pricing is only required from the prime offeror and subcontractors are not required to provide the items required for Volume III separately?

Response 76. Yes, the prime contractor must send over pricing for all aspects of the requirement. The VA will not accept a price proposal from the sub contractor.

Question 77. On page 51; E.3 FAR 52.207-3 Right of First Refusal of Employment (May 2006) (a) The Contractor shall give Government personnel who have been or will be adversely affected or separated as a result of award of this contract the right of first refusal for employment openings under the contract in positions for which they are qualified, if that employment is consistent with post-Government employment conflict of interest standards.

(b) Within 10 days after contract award, the Contracting Officer will provide to the Contractor a list of all Government personnel who have been or will be adversely affected or separated as a result of award of this contract.

Would the VA please provide the equivalent rates for the government staff as they relate to the staffing requirements of this contract?

Response 77.

The government employees are GS 6 Customer Service Representative, GS 7 Lead Customer Service Representative and GS 9 Supervisor, GS 11 Program Analyst, and GS 12 Manager. The rates associated with these positions are available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2019/general-schedule. /

Question 78. On page 51; E.3 FAR 52.207-3 Right of First Refusal of Employment (May 2006)

(a) The Contractor shall give Government personnel who have been or will be adversely affected or separated as a result of award of this contract the right of first refusal for employment openings under the contract in positions for which they are qualified, if that employment is consistent with post-Government employment conflict of interest standards.

(b) Within 10 days after contract award, the Contracting Officer will provide to the Contractor a list of all Government personnel who have been or will be adversely affected or separated as a result of award of this contract.

Does this contract fall under the Service Contract Act?

If so:

1. Will Executive Order 13706 apply?

2. Will the Government please provide a cross reference between the VA Labor categories and the SCA Occupation Code and Title?

3. Would the Government please provide the applicable wage determinations?

Response 78. There are no Government employees affected by this requirement. See response to question 69 referring to SCA and WD details.

Question 79. On page 10; Section 5 Specific Tasks and Deliverables. The following is a representation of the base CLINs as well as the surge options: Base Period: Contact Center (CC) Support, Program Mgr (1) Supervisors (6), Agents (35)

Is it the government’s intention to not use a Deputy Program Manager in addition to the Program Manager and the six supervisors?

Response 79. The PWS lists the team that is required.

Question 80. From Amendment 0001; Question 10 Response 10. The Workforce Management (WFM) Section will forecast and monitor staffing requirements. Schedules are currently established. They will establish new schedules based upon new demand. The contractor will provide the staff. If new schedule requirements exceed capacity optional tasks may be executed.

If the Government determines how the contractor is to staff the shifts, the contractor is not able to schedule additional staff or control the number agents that may be required to meet the call volume within specified service/performance metrics.

How can the contractor be responsible for meeting the contact center metrics specified in Solicitation Sections 5.3 and 9, when the Government determines staffing levels at any given time?

Response 80. The government has a WFM tool in place, which will aid in determining the best schedules based on overall demand, along with a trained WFM team. The government continually monitors volume/demand and makes adjustments to schedules as needed.

Question 81. From Amendment 0001; Question 33 Response 33. All agents are subject to DOL wage determinations. The applicable occupational codes that industry should use are as follows:

No occupational codes were provided in the answer. Would the Government please provide the applicable occupational codes?

Response 81. See Response to question 69.

Question 82. On page 17; 6.1 Key Personnel (Amendment 1) Supervisors are required to have 4 years of contact center and supervisory skills and experience.

Would the Government please clarify this requirement as to whether the Supervisors are required to have 4 years of experience in both contact center and as a supervisor? Or just 4 years in a contact center?

Response 82. The Government requires 4 years of experience in contact centers and one (1) year of supervisory experience. See revised PWS for details.

Question 83. Section E.1.8.a, page 37

The RFP states that “The offeror shall submit a Technical Capability volume which shall address in detail how the offeror proposes to accomplish each of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) tasks and provide an appropriate work breakdown structure.” The three PWS tasks, 5.1, Kick Off Meeting, 5.2 Project Management Plan, and 5.3 Contact Center Metrics do not necessitate a WBS. Can the Government please clarify its expectations for a WBS or eliminate this requirement?

Response 83. A work breakdown structure is not necessary for Tasks 5.1, Kick Off Meeting and 5.3, Contact Center Metrics. It is required for Task 5.2, Project Management Plan.

Question 84. Section E.1.A.8., Table, page 36

Section cites a page limitation for Volume II Past Performance of 3 pages total and “1 page per reference as shown on the form” in Attachment B.

Attachment B is a fillable PDF that defaults to a two-page format when addressing both Description of the work and Performance. The form is also character limited which prevents offerors from being compliant with the instructions if it is used as provided.

Will the Government accept a replicated template in MS Word format as long as it meets the page limitation requirements and responds to all requested information?

Response 84. Yes, the Attachments B and C can be submitted in word or pdf.

Question 85. Section E.1.A.5. , pp. 35-36

In the instructions to offerors, the formatting requires, “Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size not less than 8-point and may be landscape.”

Is it permissible for offerors to use the reduced font-size for the Past Performance template as long as it is compliant with the one-page limitation per reference?

Response 85. The page limitation has been revised, see revised Section E for details.

Question 86. Please confirm that the VA considers “agent” for purposes of this contract to be equal to occupation code 01041 - Customer Service Representative I under the wage determination.

Response 86. See response to question 69 for details.

Question 87. Please confirm that Executive Order (EO) 13706 regarding paid sick time contained in DOL WD 15-4285 rev11 is applicable to this contract.

Response 87. The WD 15-4285 (Rev.-12) and its contents are applicable.

Question 88. Are offices or other administrative facilities available on site for additional billable or non-billable contractor staff used to support contact center operations?

Response 88. There are no offices available on site at the Shepherdstown location.

Question 89. What is the current call center seating capacity of the existing facility? How much of this is currently utilized?

Response 89. There are a sufficient quantity of work stations available at the Shepherdstown location for the base period.

Question 90. Is it the government’s intention to pay labor hour CLINs on contractor employee hours such as paid time off or exclusively for working hours?

Response 90. For the surge options (optional CLINs), the contractor will only be paid for hours worked.

Question 91. Which definition of shrinkage is the government using in Section 5.3 #3?

Response 91. The term “Shrinkage” has been replaced with the term “Staffing Readiness” throughout the document. See PWS for revisions

Question 92. Does the government have any small business subcontracting goals for this solicitation or will proposals with additional small business subcontracting be given greater consideration than those without?

Response 92. Since this is a 100% set aside for SVOSBs only, a subcontracting plan is not required.

Question 93. Does VA have the ability to extend the incumbent’s contract to continue providing services through any potential delays in procurement under this solicitation?

Response 93. Extension of the current contract is not anticipated.

Question 94. Reference Q9 Page 9. Knowing the location of potential optional tasks could directly affect the salaries being offered and therefore the overall costs. Could the Government provide a location to ensure all proposals are evaluated equally?

Response 94. The VA has not yet identified a second location.

Question 95. Reference Q11 Referencing CFR 52.222-17. Are Supervisors considered bonafide executive employees for this opportunity?

Response 95. The supervisors are not subject to SCA as they are not listed as an occupational title in the wage determination.

Question 96. Ref Question 11, which added six key personnel, and revision of para 6.1 Key Personnel that provided supervisor qualifications of 4 years of call contact center and supervisory skills and experience, and instructions on page 37, para E.1.8.a. last sentence that states, “Resumes must be provided for all proposed key personnel”. The addition of these 6 key personnel, with resumes, added a considerable effort to identifying and recruiting these positions. Due to that added effort, request a 4-5 day extension to allow offers the time to meet this requirement.

Response 96. In order to ensure an August 6, 2019 award, an extension will not be granted.

Question 97. Ref Question 33. The response to questions states, “All Agents are subject to DOL wage determinations. The applicable occupational codes that industry should use are as follows:” however, nothing is listed after, “as follows” Shall we assume that this was answered in question 59, that provides confirmation that WD-15-4285 Rev11 is correct?

Response 97. See response to question 69 above.

Question 98. Price Schedule spreadsheet. Instructions on page 38, para 3. Volume III-Factor 3: Price. States that we are to complete Attachment D. While not labeled Attachment D, we will prepare the spreadsheet with the filename: 36C10X19R0016-012. The spreadsheet contains line items for; Contact Center (CC) Support, Supervisors, Agents, and Surge Options. However there is no line item specifically for the program manager. Shall we assume that the “Contact Center (CC) Support line is for the program manager?

Response 98. Since there will only be one (1) program manager for the base and all option period and optional (surge) CLINs, this will be included in the base pricing (CLINs 0001, 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001).

Question 99. Attachment D: CLIN 0001 UNIT LT What is the definition of LT as a UNIT of pricing?

Response 99. LT = lot.

Question 100. 1.a. Is CLIN 0001 Firm Fixed Price?

Response 100. Yes.

Question 101. Attachment D: CLINs 0003 - 0006

Basis of Actual Hours Worked for L/H pricing is 1920; however, Executive Order 13706 allows Contractors to accrue up to 56 hours of Sick Leave per year, reducing the basis of hours to 1864. Request for modification of Attachment D, Basis of Hours for Option CLINs 0003 – 0006, 1003 – 1006, 2003 – 2006, 3003-3006, and 4003 – 4006

Response 101. This is considered a business decision and included in your pricing proposal.

Question 102. Attachment D: CLIN 0002 and Amendment 0001 Response 52 and 67

Is the CLIN hours for CLIN 0002, 1002, 2002, 3002, and 4002 Ad Hoc/Overtime? Response 52. Option 1 is intended to bridge the gap on a temporary basis when a surge starts until staff can be hired. Response 67. . . .Since the initial Surge (A) (CLIN 0002) provides availability to pay 1.5 times the pay.

Response 102. Yes.

Question 103. Attachment D: CLIN 0003 – 0006

How will the Awardee Contractor receive notification to hire additional FTEs for additional staff support? What is the Government’s expectation for the on-boarding of new hires timeline?

Response 103. The contractor will receive notification as soon as Workforce Management becomes aware of a demand increase that would warrant exercising a CLIN and will send a modification once funding is received. Surge Option A provides gap coverage with existing staff while new hires are onboarded.

Question 104. How many hours of overtime did the Contractor agents work in 2018 and first quarter 2019?

Response 104. The current contract does not provide an overtime option so historical information is not available.

Question 105. How many Incumbent Contractor Agents are currently working and qualify for FAR 52.207-3 Right of First Refusal?

Response 105. Approximately 37 incumbents.

Question 106. How many Incumbent Contractor Agents work during core hours of 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday?

Response 106. Approximately 9.

Question 107. How many Incumbent Contractor Agents work core hours of 8am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday?

Response 107. Approximately 6.

Question 108. How many Incumbent Contractor Agents work during the hours of 12am and 8am?

Response 108. Approximately 7.

Question 109. What is the turnover rate for Government Agents in 2018?

Response 109. This is unknown at this time.

Question 110. What is the turnover rate for Contractor Agents in 2018?

Response 110. This is unknown at this time.

Question 111. On Question 59 from Amendment 0001 Question 59. FAR clause 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (MAY 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67) is checked as a required clause. Can the government verify that WD 15-4285 Rev11 is the current Wage Determination to use.

Updated Response 111. This is WD 15-4285 Rev12 Date of Revision 04/26/2019.

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1. BACKGROUND

The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to rebuild trust with Veterans and the American people, improve service delivery, set the course for long-term VA excellence/reform and deliver better access to care and benefits for the long term. The Veteran Experience Office (VEO) is supporting VA in this transformation with the White House/VA Hotline (WH/VA HL), which was created in response to the President’s promise to Veterans made in July 2016 to allow Veterans to directly call and begin resolution of their challenges and navigation of the broad business lines of VA.

The WH/VA HL began operations in September 2017 using improved User Experience (UX) as its guiding objective and provided for 24/7 Tier 1 Contact Center at VA’s Shepherdstown, West Virginia facility. Veterans or immediate family members of Veterans comprise 97% of the team that supports current operations. This is a foundational expectation for future contractor staffing. VEO now operates this Tier 1 Hotline center as a referral contact center to resolve Veteran problems as they come in, or refer them to the appropriate business line that will work on their case or claim issue, such as health, pharmacy, benefits, compensation, pensions, education, loans, or insurance, etc. In FY19, WH/VA Hotline is picking up additional VA Tier 1 Call Center tasks and become a general Tier 1 Contact Center for the VA (see discussion of Tier 1 description below in Section 2 SCOPE). VEO is focused on creating a Veteran-centered VA and placing Veterans in control of how, when and where they want to receive services.

Agents, comprised of both contractor staff and Government Full time Employees (FTEs) shall answer inquiries, provide directory assistance, document concerns about VA care, benefits and services, and route contacts and cases to the appropriate organization/person within the VA to resolve the concern. Agents undergo currency and competency training on VA benefits and services based on trends and are assisted by a knowledge management tool and newly implemented tracking software to help VA capture and improve its response, referral and resolution processes to best support Veterans. Other Tier 1 responsibilities include on-line navigation and assisting with simple technical problems like password resets. Data captured by the agents in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is used by VA stakeholders to identify local, regional and enterprise-wide program and process Veteran experience improvement opportunities.

1. SCOPE

The scope of this effort is solely focused on obtaining contact center staffing for an established Tier 1 Level Contact Center leveraging existing contact center technology/tools. This does not include the requirement for IT hardware/software to include telephony or customer relationship management solutions. Of note, Tier 1 is the initial support level responsible for customer issues.

A significant portion of the contact volume are complaints, which requires all staff to have service recovery skills. Service Recovery is the process or reaction taken to return an aggravated, dissatisfied customer to a state of calm satisfaction. The successful bidder must understand and have experience with the process of effectively engaging customers to recover the damage done from a prior poor customer experience. This could originate from direct (i.e.; phone) and indirect (i.e.; survey) customer interactions.

Agents will undergo currency and competency training on VA benefits and services based on hotline trends and are assisted by newly implemented tracking software to help VA capture and improve its response, referral and resolution processes to best support Veterans. A Government FTE Training Section will be responsible for development/delivery of initial, new and refresher training content. Contract supervisors will be responsible for coaching agents in accordance with established standard operating procedures and training curriculum. Agents will use resources available such as Job Aids, Knowledge Management, FAQs, email alerts, Bulletins, SOPs, mandated scripts, and reference materials to improve knowledge and utilize these materials as the first source of needed information or guidance.

This contact center will be operated 24/7, with staffing adjusted to meet varying call volume. A Government FTE Workforce Management Section will be responsible for forecasting labor requirements and creating staff schedules. A rapid surge capability is part of this PWS (see options for details). The contractor staff with be comprised of agents and supervisors and will follow the same performance criteria of government full time employee (FTE) agents and supervisors. Refer to Attachment 1, on page 9, VE Contact Center Operations, that shows 24/7 hours deployed by agents and supervisors to man the WH/VA HL.

Tier 1 support includes being the first line of resolution for technical call inquiries and include answering general inquiries about VA benefits and services, directory assistance, communicating with customer through a variety of communication channels, basic assistance with navigation of online resources, triaging issues for proper disposition, escalation of issues beyond the Tier 1 level to the appropriate resource, documenting into a customer relationship management (CRM) tool and troubleshooting basic access issues.

At the Supervisory level, the Contractor shall provide the Government with call data metrics. Of note, none of the contractor staff will be supervising Government FTEs. Supervisors will interact with clients and other members of the Hotline team with respect, courtesy, focus and professionalism. They will actively participate in improving the White House VA Hotline's performance by assisting in balancing all workload requirements, responding in a positive manner to management requests for information or ideas that enhance the effective operation of the Hotline, and completing or reinforcing training on matters regarding the Hotline.

These services shall lead to:

· Recommendations for and participation in contact center planning.

· Perform a supervisory review of 15 cases in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software per agent each month using criteria established by the operations team.

· Perform a supervisory review of 5 calls using quality software per agent each month using criteria established by the operations team.

· Perform a supervisory review of customer satisfaction survey call scores below an average score of 3 and above a cumulative score of 21.

· Complete training on content provided by the Operations Team and other VA subject matter experts.

· Identify calls that must be escalated to management.

· Determine most appropriate course of action or identifies alternatives in resolving issues.

· Ask appropriate probing questions to clarify complex or vague requests.

· Prepare well defined case notes during the call.

· Work well under pressure, remain calm and effective while dealing with escalating and difficult calls.

· Respond to Veteran through approved communication channels such as phone, chat, text, or other forms of messaging.

· Stay organized and prioritized regarding multiple tasks.

· Meet the requirements for delivering excellent customer service.

This PWS requires a Contractor’s Program Manager to manage, monitor, and control all subsequent tasks completed by contractor staff and initiated to obtain services required to satisfy the WH/VA Hotline objectives. The Program Manager required by this PWS shall oversee and provide direction and guidance to the Supervisors and Agents of the Contact Center. The Program Manager shall coordinate efforts between all tasks and projects.

Essential responsibilities of the Contractor’s Program Manager in respect to all tasks:

· Identify, monitor, and control interdependencies between tasks

· Manage escalated issues amongst the tasks that compromise the program

· Track the call center metrics weekly and monthly of assigned agents and report analysis results to VA Management weekly and monthly

· Participate in call calibration and other quality review activities

· Participate in post complaint and post survey service recovery activities

· Always maintain appropriate level of staffing for 24/7 service to include the hiring and replacement of agents or supervisor. New hires shall start only during regular training cycle and should be hired prior to the start of the training cycle.

1. CONTRACT TYPE

The contract type will be a hybrid of firm fixed price as well as labor hour CLINs.

1. PERFORMANCE DETAILS

3. PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The anticipated period of performance for this contract is Aug 5, 2019 through Aug 4, 2024 to include a one-year base period with four option years (OY). Note: The optional tasks will be executed anytime throughout the year and prorated for the period of performance.

3. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance is at a VA secure facility located at 239 Lowe Drive, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. A potential second VA secure facility would be staffed outside of the DC Metro area, as an example, Salt Lake City UT or Austin TX. This second staff location is a TBD.

3. TELEWORK

Agents may be eligible for telework if performance standards are met. Supervisors may be eligible for telework on an ad hoc basis. Any telework considerations must comply by telework policy and agreement.

3. HOURS OF OPERATION

This is a 24/7 operation and considered an essential operation thus the contractor shall ensure it is staffed appropriately at all times.

1. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Government will provide clarification on requirements, templates, standards, and guidelines on all deliverables when clarification is not provided in this PWS prior to any action taken by the Contractor.

The Contractor or Vendor shall be required to support the Government Divisions with the tasks listed in this PWS.

The contractor shall staff, schedule, and monitor the center which currently includes the following contractor staff: 35 35 Call Agents, six Supervisors and one Program Manager.

The Vendor shall identify a Program Manager (PM) who shall be the single Point of Contact (POC) with overall responsibility for the performance of the work.

The following is a representation of the base CLINs as well as the surge options:

Base Period:

Contact Center (CC) Support, Program Mgr (1) Supervisors (6), Agents (35) Surge Option A: Additional Agent hours up to 3920. Note: Agent can receive over time rate (1.5X hourly rate) Surge Option B: Additional CC Personnel 40+2 Surge Option C: Additional CC Personnel 20+1 Surge Option D: Additional CC Personnel 60+5 Surge Option E: Additional CC Personnel 40+3 Option Year One OY1:

Contact Center (CC) Support, Program Mgr (1) Supervisors (6), Agents (38) Surge Option A: Additional Agent hours up to 5880. Note: Agent can receive over time rate (1.5X hourly rate) Surge Option B: Additional CC Personnel 20+1 Surge Option C: Additional CC Personnel 40+2 Surge Option D: Additional CC Personnel 40+3 Surge Option E: Additional CC Personnel 60+5

Option Year Two OY2: Contact Center (CC) Support, Program Mgr (1) Supervisors (6), Agents (38)

Suge Option A: Additional Agent hours up to 5880. Note: Agent can receive over time rate (1.5X hourly rate) Surge Option B: Additional CC Personnel 20+2 Surge Option C: Additional CC Personnel 40+2 Surge Option D: Additional CC Personnel 40+3 Surge Option E: Additional CC Personnel 60+5

Option Year Three OY3: Contact Center (CC) Support, Program Mgr (1) Supervisors (6), Agents (38)

Surge Option A: Additional Agent hours up to 5880. Note: Agent can receive over time rate (1.5X hourly rate) Surge Option B: Additional CC Personnel 20+1 Surge Option C: Additional CC Personnel 40+2 Surge Option D: Additional CC Personnel 40+3 Surge Option E: Additional CC Personnel 60+5

Option Year Four OY4: Contact Center (CC) Support, Program Mgr (1) Supervisors (6), Agents (38) Surge Option A: Additional Agent hours up to 5880. Note: Agent can receive over time rate (1.5X hourly rate) Surge Option B: Additional CC Personnel 20+1 Surge Option C: Additional CC Personnel 40+2 Surge Option D: Additional CC Personnel 40+3 Surge Option E: Additional CC Personnel 60+5

4. KICK OFF MEETING

Kickoff meeting. The kickoff meeting shall be held within two (2) business days of contract award inclusive of an initial PMP. The initial PMP shall include a transition-in plan for full staffing that describes the contractor’s plan to ensure continuity of support activities being transferred from outgoing contractors. The kickoff meeting shall be held at 239 Lowe Dr. Shepherdstown WV 25443. Attendance is recommended.

Deliverable:

Kickoff meeting notes/slides.

4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Project Management Plan (PMP) that lays out the Vendor’s approach, timeline and tools to be used in execution of this contract. The Plan should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks and resource support. The Plan shall also include how the Vendor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the PWS. The Vendor shall update and maintain the approved Plan throughout the period of performance.

Deliverable:

PMP

4. CONTACT CENTER METRICS

The Contractor shall deliver a monthly Contact Center Program Metrics Report and Assessment. This report shall provide the Government with a summary assessment of contacts received and outcomes derived from contractor supported calls. Any problems or pertinent issues shall be addressed in this report. The Vendor shall develop mechanisms and metrics to measure against the action plan as well as monitor its success and adjust the plan as needed.

Contact Center Metrics include the following:

1. Call Abandonment Rates less than 3%

1. Average Speed of Answer of 10 – 20 seconds

1. Staffing Readiness: Schedule Deviation < +/- 10% and In-Service Time at least 78%.

1. Service Recovery for 99% of surveys and complaints involving the contract staff

1. Agent, Supervisor & Program Manager metrics Survey Data, including survey scores and number of participants Deliverables:

Contact Center Program Metrics Report

1. PERSONNEL

5. KEY PERSONNEL

The Program Manager is defined as key personnel and shall not be removed, diverted or replaced from work without approval of the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Additionally, the Program Manager should have at least eight (8) years of progressive management experience with Call Centers and Customer Service centers in supervisory roles.

Another role defined as key personnel is the supervisor. Supervisors are required to have 4 years of contact center and 1 year of supervisory skills and experience.

Any personnel the Vendor offers as substitutes shall have the ability and qualifications equal to or better than the key personnel who are being replaced. Requests to substitute personnel shall be approved by the COR and the CO. All requests for approval of substitutions in personnel shall be submitted to the COR and the CO within 30 calendar days prior to making any change in key personnel. The request shall be written and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution. The Vendor shall submit a complete resume for the proposed substitute, any changes to the rate specified in the order (as applicable) and any other information requested by the CO needed to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Vendor of approval or disapproval thereof in writing.

5. NON-KEY PERSONNEL

The Vendor staff shall be fully qualified and have the level of experience necessary to accomplish the requirements of this PWS. In addition, Vendor personnel shall be acceptable to the Government in terms of personal and professional conduct, and in technical knowledge. Furthermore, Vendor personnel are expected to be proficient in using office automation equipment and software and have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to support the Department. Should any Vendor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable personal conduct while on-site or while working on contract activities, the Vendor shall immediately remove and replace the unacceptable on-site personnel at no additional cost to the Government. Vendor personnel are to serve in a support role, final decisions regarding the Department business will always be made by Government personnel.

Replacement of staff, at the Supervisor level, must be approved by the Operations Team leadership. The staff member being brought on should have the same level experience as the staff member being replaced. The Vendor shall submit the candidate’s resume along with a summary of the candidate’s qualifications that match the requirements of the position.

1. OTHER APPLICABLE CONDITIONS

6. PROGRAM AND SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & DOCUMENT OWNERSHIP

The Vendor shall adhere to the Government Contract terms for title to and ownership of all property. Notably, all documentation and related deliverables generated and/or delivered by the Vendor within the scope of this Contract shall be the sole property of the Government without exception and shall be housed in a Government owned repository.

6. OTHER DIRET COSTS (ODCs) Not applicable.

6. TRAVEL

Contractor travel is not anticipated in support of the requirements for this contract. Travel on any basis must be approved by the COR a minimum of five (5) days in advance by the Government and shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. Travel reimbursement will not include G&A charges.

Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the place of performance shall not be reimbursed. The Government shall not be responsible for any relocation expenses associated with moving Vendor personnel to the Washington, D.C., commuting area or other job sites as may be identified either initially, or if necessary, with replacement of personnel, even if replacement of personnel is required.

6. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT

Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) will be provided. The VA shall provide, where required, Government furnished facilities and workspace (i.e., cubicle), Government furnished systems and network access (i.e., laptops/desktops and email access) and access to other VA program offices and partner agencies for the contractor to perform its duties. The Contractor will be billed for unreturned GFE checked out to individual employees who fail to return GFE.

1. GOVERNMENT TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Table 1 – Government Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms

1. PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the Performance Metrics associated with this effort.

Contact Center Metrics

5. Agent, Supervisor & Manager Criteria

Agent

Indicator: A random review will consist of a sampling of recorded or live telephone calls totaling five (5) per month.

2: The White House VA Hotline agent was responsive to my needs.

3: It felt as if the White House VA Hotline agent I spoke with cared about my needs.

The Agent must demonstrate a combined average score of at least 3 (rounded up) on questions 1, 2, and 3 on the monthly post call survey. Annually, the Agent must not exceed 3 management verified complaints. Management verified complaints documented in the CRM will replace post survey scores for that month. Complaints will be scored as a zero.

Indicators: Demonstrated by monthly average of post call survey scores for question 1, 2, and 3 and any management verified complaints documented in the CRM.

Indicator: The WFM tool will be used to track agent monthly and annual compliance with a 90% adherence rate.

The customer’s contact information, Select/route the appropriate Complaint or Non-Complaint Category and Subcategory and document the Five Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How) The agent may not have more than 15 occurrences, during the performance year, where items have been returned and noted with a substantial error condition.

Indicator: The Supervisory or a designee will randomly review 15 cases of an Agent's complaint routing, non-complaint actions, email to case, web to case, and chat monthly. Errors are determined by the Statistical Quality Control (SQC) criteria.

Supervisor

Indicators: Management observation, Manager’s records and peer-to-peer recognition. Monthly performance must be presented to the employee each month. Monthly the Manager/Designee will review 50% of the employee performance folders, per team, for accuracy and completeness.

Indicators: System and quality reports, including telephone Call Monitoring Evaluation Sheets, SQC program, supervisor’s employee performance folders.