36C10X22Q0097 0001_1.docx

36C10X22Q0097

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Cedric Jackson cedric.jackson@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this amendment is to issue Governments Response to questions, update sections B.2 of the Performance Work Statement, B.3 Cost Schedule and Volume I Technical. See SF 30, Summary of changes and conformed Solicitation document.

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

Page 1 of

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

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) 36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs 5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703 36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs 5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C10X22Q0097

X X X

See CONTINUATION Page X Amendment 0001 is issued to 1) provide Government response to questions and update sections of B.2 Performance Work Statement, B.3 Cost schedule and Volume 1 technical.

RFQ Intentions due date has changed from August8, 2022 to August 12, 2022 at 10:00am ET.

All terms and conditions of the solicitation remains unchanged.

All changes are highlighted in yellow.

See summary of changes on continuation page

Jennifer Swift Contracting Officer Page 1 of Page 1 of

CONTINUATION PAGE

Summary of Changes all changes are highlighted in yellow. See changes below:

Questions and answers session: Governments Response is in blue text for Ease of Reference.

1. PG 25-26 under section 6.7 Task 7: CJ Production & Compiler and Other Support. Added the following verbiage:

This task requires the presence of general administrative support to assist user working within the CJ Management Workflow System to manage workflow and then prepare files for publishing. Reviews of Microsoft Word formatting of headers footers, spacing, placement of embedded tables and charts are all necessary to ensure all 90 documents comply with the requirements of the Microsoft Word Compiler Tool (Compiler). The Compiler itself employs code designed for the VA identifying the content in chapters to organize for compiling to generate standard headers and footers, pagination and tables of contents automatically. In order for it to work, the code needs to be updated to support any new content structures, such as, new chapters, the rearrangement of chapters. Delivery of code updates is necessary. It is also necessary to train VA employees on how to use the CJ Management Tool and the content structure requirements of the Compiler within Word documents. Delivery of training ahead of production, within training group and individual tutorial and then individual user support will all be deliverables. Status reports within the CJ Management Tool and then as products are prepared for be sent to the printer via the Compiler are also deliverables. Tools exist to provide status reports, but the project seeks to insert them into Power BI with more automation. The two database administrative support roles will work with users and may act as a service desk, however, for the Apportionment and Allotment Workflow System and the CJ Management System, there is outside developer support from the Budget Line of Business. For the SharePoint processes, yes, these two positions will manage permissions, workflows, training and user support. For any server or IT issue with SharePoint, VA’s help desk would be a resource.

For the SQL database, the SMEs on the contract will be expected to manage any user issues and provide training and help desk support. Likewise, Power BI applications will be managed by contractors and will include basic operational training and user support.”

2. PG 36 Added deliverables to deliverable table: under 6.7 task 7 CJ Production & Compiler and Other Support

i. Update Word Macros and Compiler Code (semi-annually)

ii. Process map and methodology description two weeks before and after CJ Production twice annually per COR guidance

iii. Report generation expansion estimated twice annually

iv. Expand Power BI to additional tables and reports in Word (Monthly expansion)

v. Roll Over Code and Process for Each New Cycle (twice annually)

vi. Train the Trainer and train users (As required per COR guidance)

3. Period of performance has been updated and highlighted in yellow in B.2 Performance Work Statement, item# 5 PG 17, and B.3 Cost schedule PG 49-52, Period of Performance (POP) base year CLINS 0001 through 0007 has been updated to reflect item #5 in the PWS POP’s for base and all option years CLINS 1001-1007, 2001-2007,3001-3007 and 4001-4007

4. PG 82-83 under section E.2 A._VOLUME I – TECHNICAL CAPABILITY was updated see changes highlighted in yellow.

1. Is this a new requirement?

Government Response: Yes.

1. If not, can you provide the contract number, amount, and incumbent Government Response: This is a new requirement.

3. How many FTEs are on the task? Or how many FTEs the government is expecting Government Response: 1 FTE for Database Operational Support and 1 FTE for VBA Database Support Services. Additional work by various SMEs will represent an additional 1.5 to 2 FTE.

4. How many trips a year are expected to HQ/DC?

Government Response: Very few, however, if there are instances where remote server access compromises delivery of core requirements, visits to HQ will be required. It is also rarely required to support replacement of remote access credentials

5. The period of performance listed on page 12 does not match the period of performance listed in the Price/Cost schedule on page 43. Also, on page 43 the quantity of months is 4 but the POP begin is 09-01-2022 and the POP End is 08-31-2023 which is 12 months. Please clarify which is the correct period of performance.

Government Response: The correct period of performance for the base year is September 1, 2022 through January 31, 2023. See Amendment 00001 with the correct period of performance.

6. The Delivery Schedule, see page 21, does not list any deliverables for Task 7, CJ Production & Compiler and Other Support. Please provide the deliverables for Task 7.

Government Response: This task requires the presence of general administrative support to assist user working within the CJ Management Workflow System to manage workflow and then prepare files for publishing. Reviews of Microsoft Word formatting of headers footers, spacing, placement of embedded tables and charts are all necessary to ensure all 90 documents comply with the requirements of the Microsoft Word Compiler Tool (Compiler). The Compiler itself employs code designed for the VA identifying the content in chapters to organize for compiling to generate standard headers and footers, pagination and tables of contents automatically. In order for it to work, the code needs to be updated to support any new content structures, such as, new chapters, the rearrangement of chapters. Delivery of code updates is necessary. It is also necessary to train VA employees on how to use the CJ Management Tool and the content structure requirements of the Compiler within Word documents. Delivery of training ahead of production, within training group and individual tutorial and then individual user support will all be deliverables. Status reports within the CJ Management Tool and then as products are prepared for be sent to the printer via the Compiler are also deliverables. Tools exist to provide status reports but the project seeks to insert them into Power BI with more automation.

7. Starting on page 43, it should 4 months for the first year (09-01-2022 to 08-31-2023) for CLINs 0001-0007. Should that be 12 months? If not, please explain the 4 months.

Government Response: The correct period of performance for the base year is September 1, 2022 through January 31, 2023. See Amendment 00001 with the correct period of performance.

8. Is there an incumbent? If so, who?

Government Response: This is a new requirement.

9. How many FTEs is this contract for?

Government Response: 1 FTE for Database Operational Support and 1 FTE for VBA Database Support Services. Additional work by various SMEs will represent an additional 1.5 to 2 FTE.

10. If no knowledge of the below does this preclude ability to be award contract:

The contractor must have the ability to accept and manage data extracts from VA’s FMS and iFAMS systems into the existing SQL database. Knowledge of GTAS, FMS and iFAMS is required to maintain relationships between legacy and new system and manage report designs that use each.

Governments Response: Contractor must demonstrate knowledge of data extracts for SQL databases from Governmentwide Treasury Accounting Systems at the general ledger level of detail, if unable to demonstrate would preclude the ability to be awarded the contract.

11. Will the VA provide Laptops/Desktops for this solicitation? If not, are there any technical specification requirements and software licensing requirements for required applications to perform daily tasks?

Government Response: No. Contractors working on this project may use non-government computers. They will be providing a service to VA on VA’s servers and, therefore, must be able to gain access to those servers. VA;s OIT has a well-established security protocol to enable contractors to gain secure access to VA’s servers through a CITRIX Gateway application. A successful contractor will conform its non-government equipment to meet VA’s security protocols.

12. Is this solicitation fulfilling a previous contract requirement that is (or will soon be) expired? If so, is it possible to get the contract holder's information?

Government Response: This is a new requirement.

13. If answered yes to question 2, How many full-time employees did the previous contract holder require to fulfill the contract obligations? Do you anticipate the same amount of employees to fulfill this solicitation?

Government Response: This is a new requirement

14. In section "B.2 Price/Cost Schedule", under the "Unit" tab, what does the abbreviation "MO" stand for (please see the image below for reference)?

Government Response: MO is an abbreviation for Month

15. In the same section mentioned in question 14, what does "Quantity" mean? The number of Full Time Employees required to do the Services mentioned in the same line? Or the number of daily hours required to complete the same line?

Government Response: Quantity in that table is conditional upon the column to the left. In this case Quantity is showing 4.00 months of service. The schedule will be adjusted to show that quantity of 4 will line up in the correct columns to avoid confusion.

16. We currently have an accelerator built on Salesforce platform for Budget Formulation and Execution that is used by another agency to support $700M+ budget. Is the VA open to replacing its current Microsoft / O365 toolset with an end-to-end Salesforce solution?

Government Response: The Government will continue to use the existing toolset and is not open to replacing with a new solution.

17. Is there an incumbent currently providing these types of services? If yes, please provide the contractor number and any other information releasable through FOIA.

Government Response: This is a new requirement

18. Key Personnel. Is there a maximum number of FTEs desired for Key Personnel?

Government Response: 1 FTE for Database Operational Support and 1 FTE for VBA Database Support Services. Additional work by various SMEs will represent an additional 1.5 to 2 FTE.

19. Will the VA provide training to contractor personnel on the specific financial management systems of record?

Government Response: To be successful in this project, contractors will need to have skills and experience with Government financial systems that are compliant with the Government-wide Treasury Account System. VA’s financial systems, both legacy and new, are predicted on GTAS structures and that base of knowledge is critical to interaction between them and the OB Database. That expertise combined with experience with SQL databases will be sufficient. The project largely works with extracts from VA’s financial systems and does not require expertise within those platforms. If interaction with VA’s financial system becomes required, training in those system will be provided.

20. Is the contractor expected to perform any quality of service/help desk tasks for the referenced VA systems? If so, what tiers/levels?

Government Response: The two database administrative support roles will work with users and may act as a service desk, however, for the Apportionment and Allotment Workflow System and the CJ Management System, there is outside developer support from the Budget Line of Business. For the SharePoint processes, yes, these two positions will manage permissions, workflows, training and user support. For any server or IT issue with SharePoint, VA’s help desk would be a resource.

For the SQL database, the SMEs on the contract will be expected to manage any user issues and provide training and help desk support. Likewise, Power BI applications will be managed by contractors and will include basic operational training and user support.

21. RFQ Intentions due 8th August. Is the contractor to assume that the Government must be notified on the 8th of the contractor’s intentions to bid on this requirement? Then submit the proposal on the 16th which is the date responses are due?

Government Response: Correct

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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:

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer 36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

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.

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

36C10X22Q0097

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B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Formulation and Execution Operational Support and Data Systems

2. Background. The VA Office of Budget (OB) is responsible for coordinating the formulation of VA’s annual budget request through the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to Congress. OB supports the presentation and defense of the request with Congress and tracks Congressional action as annual appropriations are enacted into law.

Once enacted, OB plays a central role in overseeing VA’s funds control entries in the Financial Management System (FMS) and the Integrated Finance and Acquisitions Management System (iFAMS).

OB then oversees execution of the funds including reporting on fund availability, obligations and expenditures, also known as outlays. Lastly, OB plays a central role in audit activity relating to prior year execution.

All of this requires issuing guidance, standing up data collections processes, maintaining reports showing views on control figures for appropriations and reporting on formulation and execution activity. The Budget Process and Data Management Service (BPDM) Director is responsible for maintaining a data repository and for processes of collecting and reporting data for the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget.

OB has been engaged in a project to design, build, and operate a Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) database supporting all facets of budget formulation and execution. Many elements of this project generated established systems and processes that need to be maintained and supported administratively. The project is also still ongoing with several areas under development including enhancing Microsoft Power BI reporting on the data in the database.

The federal employees within the BPDM branch are budget analysts. The work required to administer these tools and to develop additional capabilities requires skills not inherent in budget analyst positions. This contract will employ resources to administer existing systems and develop new tools following an established project plan. It also includes resources to train BPDM employees so they will have the skills to maintain systems and processes and gain a functional understanding of how to develop new capabilities within them.

The term Database Operational Support is used to describe resources needed to maintain and support existing systems and functions. Data uploads from established data sources, managing existing data forms users access for data collections, managing user and group permissions and other functions which are detailed in the scope and tasks. These are largely administrative support roles with some technical competencies within technologies listed in the scope.

The Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) Execution and Payroll Data Analysis project is a project within the OB Database Project, and it is funded by reimbursements from VBA’s Manpower and Financial Management Offices. It too has operational support requirements that involve operating and maintaining existing systems. Details on the scope of that operational support are included in the scope and task details. It does not involve developing new systems.

There is an ongoing need within the VBA project to develop tools VBA needs to expand the capabilities of the core system and it is directly related to the implementation of iFAMS. Knowledge of VA’s legacy FMS, and iFAMS, HR Smart and PAID Payroll data is critical. FTE and payroll data in each system is essential to build from the existing OB Database to new reporting and resource allocation projects. This activity is detailed as the Veterans Benefits Administration Execution and Payroll Data Analysis and Reporting Requirements in the scope and tasks.

The Implementation of iFAMS impacts the current functions of the OB database for both OB and VBA projects. This goes beyond the operational support of existing systems and becomes a project to develop and maintain crosswalk detail from the FMS system to the new iFAMS environment. Everything from budget object class (BOC) to general ledger code is being revised in iFAMS and needs to be maintained in the database. This work affects all areas and is most apparent within two scope and task areas;

· Budget Database Development, Maintenance and Training

· Project Management/Budget Subject Matter Expert Support

Supporting the annual production of the Budget Submission also includes elements of operational support; maintaining established systems and processes. And it involves development work to improve workflow management tools in SharePoint and the Budget Line of Business. Production tools established with Microsoft Word have operational support and development aspects as well.

3. Applicable Documents In the performance of the tasks associated with this PWS, the Contractor shall comply with the following:

1. Federal Travel Regulations

2. 44 U.S.C. § 3541, “Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002”

3. Title 38 U.S.C. §5725, Contracts for data processing or maintenance

4. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

5. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Data Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI)”, March 12,2019

6. VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, February 26, 2009

7. VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program

8. Department of Veterans Affairs 0710 Handbook, “Personnel Security Suitability Program,”

9. VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization

10. Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 140-2

11. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Alternative Workplace (Telework) Policy (VA Handbook 5011, Part II, Chapter 4)

12. OMB Circular A-11 Preparation, Submission and Execution of the Budget (June 28,2019)

13. OMB Circular A-123 Management's Responsibility for Internal Control (Effective beginning with Fiscal Year 2006) (Revised 12/21/2004)

14. Pub. L. No. 107-107, Section 831 of the Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2002

15. P.L.107-300, Improper Payments Information Act of 2002

16. 31 USC Chapter 35 Accounting and Collection and Subchapter Recovery Audits (§§ 3561–3567)

4. Scope.

This PWS describes the requirements for support to the The VA Office of Budget (OB) including a wide range of budgeting and financial support services that include but not limited to reviews, reconciliations, research, and execution of a variety of budgeting and financial support topics, transactions, and tasks.

The Contractor shall provide contractor personnel comprehensive management and supervision of Contractor resources, and any required deliverable necessary to satisfy the requirements of this PWS.

Contractor personnel are to serve in a support role to the The VA Office of Budget (OB) and VA Benefits Administration (VBA) . Therefore, final decisions regarding inherently Governmental functions will always be made by Government personnel. In any situation where the contracted personnel have questions about duties that may or may not be deemed as inherently Governmental, they should raise those concerns to the Government immediately, and before any related work is conducted.

Services performed shall be of a non-personal services nature. The Government will not provide supervision of Contractor personnel, and at no time shall Contractor personnel allow an employer-employee relationship to develop with Government staff. The Government shall refrain from any activities that create the impression or appearance of such a relationship.

The Contractor shall institute and maintain a management process that effectively manages all Contractor personnel and resources used to perform the services required by this contract. In order to do so, the Contractor shall:

1. Employ a management approach that is consistent with project management best practices (i.e. Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide);

2. clearly identify all personnel involved in the management and performance of the contract and clearly define their roles, responsibilities, and interaction with the Government.

3. adhere to privacy, data, and security regulations, policies, and procedures set forth in this contract; and ensure that all services provided are compliant with applicable federal regulations and guidelines.

a. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The work is best performed through the use of subject matter experts which provide task-specific, critical market-based skills that augment and support the internal activities of the OB and VBA. As such, Contractor personnel shall have the level of experience necessary to accomplish all requirements of this PWS. In addition, Contractor personnel are expected to be proficient in using office automation equipment and software and have superior written and verbal communication skills to support the OB and VBA. Should any Contractor personnel be determined by the Government to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable conduct or behavior or while working on contract activities, the Contractor shall immediately remove and replace the unacceptable personnel at no additional cost to the Government. Therefore, OB and VBA have a need and a requirement to provide administrative support for existing processes and systems. This is reflected in tasks detailed as Database Operational Support, and Veterans Benefits Administration Execution and Payroll Data Operational Support, Maintenance and Training.

OB and VBA are also in the process of expanding functionality of the core systems and require development support executing an existing project plan and exploring additional capabilities using existing tools. Existing processes and systems also must be migrated from FMS to iFAMS. This is reflected in Budget Database Development, Maintenance and Training, Project Management/Budget Subject Matter Expert Support, Power BI and SharePoint Development, Support and Training, CJ Production & Compiler and Other Support.

Technology - All the Department projects use software owned by the VA. This contract is designed to apply resources to these tools and systems to maintain current processes and build out additional capabilities with these technologies.

Software – Contractors will used software owned by the VA. It will be provided to contractors. This contract is designed to apply resources to these tools and systems to maintain current processes and build out additional capabilities with these technologies and contractors must provide details on how they have used these technologies to accomplish capabilities detailed in scope and task items.

· Microsoft SQL

· Microsoft Power BI

· Microsoft Office 365

· Microsoft VISIO

· SharePoint

Workflow Management Tools

· The e-Gov initiative known as the Budget Line of Business (Budget LoB)(https://budgetlob.max.gov/) provides access to several workflow tools and its server-spaces are maintained securely by OMB. VA employs two specific tools.

· MAX Community

· JIRA

· SharePoint forms the core of OB collaborations office-wide and with external stakeholders, but mostly as a share drive environment. This contract has administrative maintenance of that core function, but also aspects of development to harness some of the strengths of this environment for workflow management. As such, the contract seeks administrative experience, but also development experience.

· VIEWS – built on a Salesforce platform customized for VA. This tool is employed by the VA to manage collaboration on correspondence. The BPDM branch does not embrace it currently, but as part of project development over the course of the contract periods, applying it to workflow to compliment the other tools and potentially to replace other tools is being explored.

Data Environment OB is working with VA’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) within its Business Information Service Line (BISL). SQL Server space designed for pilot projects has been provided at no cost to OB. There are space limitations and user interface limitations. Knowledge of BISL’s business rules, BASECAMP administration and its applications portal with Power BI. Over the course of the base and option periods, migration to VA’s Azure environment may be explored as will partnerships with other VA entities for a common data environment.

5. Period of Performance.

Base Period: September 1, 2022 – January 31, 2023 Option 1: February 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024 Option 2: February 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025 Option 3: February 1, 2025 – January 31, 2026 Option 4: February 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027

6. Place of Performance.

The work performed under this contract will primarily virtually, with the occasional need to be in-person at the VA’s Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

4.1 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HOLIDAYS

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). There are 11 Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows: Under current definitions, five are set by date:

New Year's Day January 1 Juneteenth National Independence Day June 19 Independence Day July 4 Veterans Day November 11 Christmas Day December 25 If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday. The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January Washington's Birthday Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Thanksgiving Thursday in November

4.2 TYPE OF CONTRACT

This is a Firm Fixed Price Contract

5.0 QUALITY CONTROL

Quality Control is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor is responsible for the delivery of quality services/supplies to the Government.

5.1 GENERAL CONDITIONS

The contractor must have the ability to accept and manage data extracts from VA’s FMS and iFAMS systems into the existing SQL database. Knowledge of GTAS, FMS and iFAMS is required to maintain relationships between legacy and new system and manage report designs that use each.

Travel. The Government anticipates travel to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend program-related meetings or conferences throughout the period of performance. Travel requirements are expected to be very low and consist only of occasional meetings at VA Central Office. Most work will occur offsite in a virtual environment. Travel shall be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and requires advanced concurrence by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Contractor travel within the local commuting area (within a 50-mile radius) will not be reimbursed.

6.0 Task statement. The following tasks will be performed over the course of the contract:

6.1 Task 1, Database Operational Support.

Requires technical skills but is largely administrative. Using existing systems, data sources, processes and procedures these regular activities need to be supported. These functions are also intended to be reproduceable with more automation and by BPDM FTE over the course of the contract. The starting point requires more technical skill than current budget analysts on BPDM have, and the difficulty and level of knowledge will both be reduced across the base and option periods of the contract.

The OB Database project developed a system to manage data from multiple sources, including FMS and iFAMS. Contract resources will use existing process and procedures for obtaining and managing this data to reduce the challenges on federal employees.

· Data - Extract, Transform and Load (ETL)

i. FMS – General Ledger (GL) Transactions – Each month established data feeds are provided to the OB Database and these must be prepared and uploaded to the database. This data consists of approximately 70 million transactions. The process is documented and repeatable with core technical competencies. As iFAMS is implemented across the VA, FMS transaction data will decrease and iFAMS will increase.

ii. iFAMS – GL Transactions - Each month established data feeds are provided to the OB Database and these must be prepared and uploaded to the database. This data consists of approximately 70 million transactions. The process is documented and repeatable with core technical competencies.

iii. HR SMART – PAID Data Each pay period, established data feeds are provided to the OB Database and these must be prepared and uploaded.

iv. Governmentwide Treasury Accounting Structure (GTAS) - Each month, using an established process, Treasury and OMB data must be downloaded from an external system, prepared for upload and then uploaded to the OB Database.

1. Warrant Data includes appropriation detail and supplants detail collected during formulation and as execution proceeds across the fiscal year (FY).

2. Monthly Financial Statements [(Standard Form) SF-133s] from Treasury’s repository; Excel files

3. OMB Apportionment History from OMB’s Portal

v. Annual Formulation Data Uploads – Following a define process with established procedures, roles and tools, formulation data is collected to support multiple stages of formulation including Current Services, Internal Submission, OMB Submission, OMB Passback and President’s Budget

1. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) MAX A-11 Database. For each stage of the President’s Budget, Prior Year (PY) Lock, Current Year (CY) Lock and Budget Year (BY) Lock all 85-90 TAS Program and Financing (P&F) schedules are downloaded, prepared and uploaded

2. Microsoft Power App Forms – For each phase, data is entered by up to 150 users and the data is automatically uploaded. Administrative support here is maintaining lists of TAS and users and ensuring guidance and project plans reflect all required forms and users.

3. Macro enabled Microsoft Excel – For several TAS provide the mechanism for data collections. Support here requires understanding Excel macros which enable automated uploads and ensuring all required TAS are represented and functioning.

vi. Administrative Support – This role requires an understanding of OB Database reference tables relating to TAS so personnel changes can be maintained against the OB functions. Who works with each TAS from within OB and outside of OB all need maintained so permissions to workflow and access to the right reports are in place.

1. Org Charts – Maintain contact with OB and stakeholder offices to keep organizational structures current.

2. Contact Lists – Reference tables within the OB database drive data management and process communications and permissions.

3. Groups and Permissions reporting

· Workflow and Office Administration – Major functions have been constructed and are operational. Most work here revolves around administering existing processes and systems. In many cases, full project documentation, SOPs, users guide, and training exists, but in several areas documentation needs improvement to create truly automated repeatable functions and to enable BPDM FTE to take on the rolls over the course of the contract periods.

i. SharePoint – As described above, this tool functions largely as a shared drive collaboration for OB internally and externally within the VA. It does not serve any function with OMB. Documentation and reference tables within the database need to be employed for better management.

1. Administration

a. Permissions

b. Designs – Multiple users and administrators over time have created inconsistent structures. Working with the BPDM SD, existing structures need to be diagramed and redesigned.

c. Architecture Diagrams

d. Workflow Creation & Support – Ideas for ways to harness the capabilities of this tool should be explored.

2. Budget LoB Community Workflow Tools – This support requires self-driven training on the tools and then quick adoption to roll an existing CJ Management Tool over for the next formulation cycle.

a. Budget LoB Online Training on the Community tool

b. Update CJ Management Tool

c. Review user permissions and relate I to OB Database reference Tables

d. Identify OB Workflows suited for Community

6.2 Task 2: Veterans Benefits Administration Execution and Payroll Data Analyses and Reporting Requirements.

VBA implemented iFAMS for it discretionary general operating expense fund in FY 2022 and continues to struggle reconciling data from it with central office and field operations and reporting. This project requires a subject matter expert with equal understanding of VBA operations and reporting in the legacy FMS and with the dimensions in iFAMS.

For three years, the OB Database supported payroll and non-payroll monthly reporting including the allocation of central office and field office expenditures to Regional Offices and lines of business using FMS data feeds. One of the reports is known as the 885 payroll and personnel report.

This core reporting requirement was disrupted when dimensions in transactional data were not maintained as they were enabled in iFAMS. Some to many relationships were lost and had to be rebuilt.

The SME participates in weekly triage sessions with VBA’s manpower, finance and budget offices and with developers who are working on corrections to iFAMS. This includes Power BI teams designing reports to support VA-wide interests.

While the iFAMS triage sessions continue, the OB Database is redeveloping the reporting using the General Ledger (GL) level data feeds from iFAMS. Existing methodologies for resource allocations modelling are being revised and adapted to the new data from iFAMS.

Within that context, the SME gathers reporting requirements and assesses the data sources developing validation methodologies to cement the reporting. The project and report are then documented as are the processes so they can be carried out regularly.

For the resource allocation project, existing methodologies and assumptions must be revised with VBA’s manpower, budget, finance and program offices. Management decisions on which data to use and how to measure it requires facilitation.

Following a project plan from previous functionality on allocation modelling in FMS, the SME will facilitate the additional field interaction with the data to produce and report against operating plans. The process for managing field plans requires revisiting with the new iFAMS data and allocation model.

Over the base and option periods, restoring field reports and then documenting and automating them will form a core of development work. Project plans, reporting requirements, data sourcing and report construction will all be deliverables decided upon by VBA.

6.3 Task 3: Veterans Benefits Administration Execution and Payroll Data Operational Support, Maintenance and Training.

Just as with the OB Database, operational support is technical but largely administrative to manage existing process and tools involving customer service for multiple users who are providing and consuming the data.

This is a new resource to take on the normal data extract, transform and load (ETL) roles of the project. The main purpose is to free up resources for the more difficult iFAMS implementation and to codify the process so it can be automated and supported by VBA resources. An aspect of training VBA personnel and collaborating across VBA and OB will be required.

· Execution and Payroll Data, ETL

i. Extracts from iFAMS – monthly extracts also supporting the OB database but requiring additional preparation for VBA’s use.

ii. Extracts from HR SMART – Each pay period (26)

iii. Hourly Transactional Level Detail – Within the iFAMS data are hourly amounts attached to each transaction to represent FTE costs.

1. FTE Calculations – A defined methodology to use the transactional level detail to establish FTE. This work is largely maintaining views on methodology and data changes.

2. Reconciliation of HR SMART FTE – Apply established methodologies and data feeds, the comparison work is administrative in nature but require SQL and Microsoft Office skills.

· Resource Allocation Modelling – Apply the outcomes of VBA decisions to reporting methodologies using the established data sources.

i. Run Models Each Pay Period

ii. Maintain Reference Tables

iii. Maintain Business Rules

· Communications Platforms – Central Office, Field and Department-level access to the operating plan and resource allocation reports.

i. Power BI Reports – Populating, user access

ii. SharePoint - Permissions

· Project Documentation – VISIO process maps, organizational charts, methodology definition and other documentation will need to be applied to existing systems and any developed during the base and option periods.

· Communication with and training of VBA personnel will be an important customer service component. Explaining process, data sources and user interfaces will require skills up to the tasks.

6.4 Task 4: Budget Database Development, Maintenance and Training.

The OB database has existing systems, processes and tools that have evolved across functional areas. The is incremental improvement to be added building upon the framework established.

· Formulation

i. Repository – Detail from the 2017 through 2021 has been collected in the database and now needs to be validated and posted for general use. A process for validating needs to be launched and then the capabilities of Power BI applied so the detail can be used efficiently.

ii. Scoring – Processes are in place to support data gathering and maintaining views on decisions for appropriation requests and reimbursable amounts. The automation of data collection using Microsoft Forms or SharePoint require refinement and productivity tools need to be enabled.

iii. Tracking Decisions and Initiatives/Priorities – At the same time the database enabled standardization and automation it also increased the depth of detail associated with formulation decisions. Analyzing and evaluating this detail is required to establish more year over year views and standardization of the detail to support management decisions.

iv. Tables for Congressional Justification – The 2023 Budget Submission marked the first use of automatically updating tables in documents from Power BI. One office succeeded in updating tables in one chapter. This capability needs to be expanded and refined so final documents can be automatically update from data feeds. Microsoft Forms will unlock faster automated data uploads and Power BI will facilitate more table updates.

v. Dashboards for Workflow Monitoring – Dashboards and reports increasingly help manage processes, but more needs to be done to track progress through processes.

· Execution

i. Repository – Historical financial statement and appropriation data are established in Power BI, but the interface is pivot-table design driven and needs to be more intuitive. Report writing in Power BI will unlock access to data identifying business needs and then reports to support them.

ii. Operating Plan vs. Actual – Monthly Execution- The database successfully replaced legacy reporting for General Administration accounts collecting operating plan data and GL budget object class data to generate monthly execution reports for management. This needs to expand across all accounts and become more detailed to support additional lower-level reporting needs.

iii. Full Time Equivalent Employee (FTE) Calculations – was developed for two large funds and this methodology needs to be applied across all funds. Comparisons of HR SKMART FTE detail needs to be supported so VA can eliminate gaps between FTE reporting coming from different sources.

iv. Management Dashboards – Monthly reports on COVID-19 expenditures, obligations against plan, apportionment status, Congressional Marks are all in the database, but Power BI needs to unlock ready access to easily digested detail.

6.5 Task 5: Project Management/Budget Subject Matter Expert Support

· Process Maps for Existing Process – The database project is broad and deep, and methodologies and processes are defined up to a point, but resources need to be dedicated to formalizing all of this pilot work now that it has become a mature system that will require many people to manage and use it. Process Maps, inventory, architecture diagraming and metrics on productivity are all needed to cement the accomplishments and provide the framework for project planning.

· Report Methodology Documentation – Hundreds of reports have been supported and all have defined data source and methodology, but access to them is not organized because of the need for new abilities. Resources must be devoted to documentation.

· Analyze Process to Employ Workflow Tools – Review the existing technologies and the application of them to processes. Evaluate the best use cases and longevity of the tools to plan enhancements and new processes to improve.

· Metrics – Measuring Productivity and Quality. So much has been done that OB forgets how it used to do business and the business case has suffered as a result. We need to document to capture improvements and also evaluate areas that we not as successful as originally intended. What targets should the office set and how is it impacting core competencies of the office and the positions.

· Training, User Guides and Core Competencies

i. Facilitating Budget LoB Training

ii. Community Workflow Management Tools & User Guides

iii. Apportionment and Allotment Workflow Management

6.6 Tasks 6: Power BI and SharePoint Development, Support and Training

· The first phase of the OB Database project was to define the data and get the data correct. This included defining the process to collect data from users, in the case of formulation, and from systems.