Newconfromed RFP_ 36C10X22R0007 for amendment 0008-6-30-2022.docx

36C10X22R0007 / Conformed for Amendment 0005

PAGE 1 OF

1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

DUNS:

DUNS+4:

PHONE:

FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER 18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only) 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER) 30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

36C10X22R0007 03-24-2022 Cedric.Jackson@va.gov 202-679-1073 07-20-2022 10:00 A.M.

EST

36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

X

Y 541219 $22 Million

N/A

Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Service Center

Austin TX 78744 36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

TBD

VAFSC

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center

PO BOX 149971

(see Section B.1 invoicing/payment) Austin TX 78714-8917 1-(877)-489-6135

See CONTINUATION Page Request for Proposal (RFP) for the:

Department of Veterans Affairs, Financial Services Center for Accounting Support Services

Proposals are due 10:00 AM, ET, Wednesday, July 20,2022

Anticipated Contract Type: Single Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)

This RFP is set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) only.

See CONTINUATION Page

Todd Synder

Table of Contents

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

A. Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

1. CONTRACTOR: TBD

2. GOVERNMENT:

The Contracting Officer (CO) for this contract is as follows:

Todd Synder, Contracting Officer 36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center – Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs 5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

a. The CO is responsible for providing overall scope oversight, maintaining communication between Contractor and VA, ensuring contract compliance, and administering the contract and any modifications. The CO is also responsible for ensuring that task orders issued under the contract (hereafter referred to as “orders”) are within the scope of the contract, issuing and administering all orders, overseeing payment or rejection of invoices, and ensuring that annual performance evaluations are completed either at the contract or order level.

b. The CO is the only person with authority to obligate the Government under the contract or any order, authorize changes to terms or conditions of the contract or any order, or otherwise bind the Government under the contract or any order.

The CO reserves the right to designate a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) at the contract or order level. The CO will issue a designation letter to the COR and the contractor to ensure that all parties understand the limited authority of the COR. In no event will the COR have authority to obligate or bind the Government or change the terms and conditions of the contract or any order.

An initial order will be placed at time of contract award for the minimum guaranteed amount listed in subsection B.1.C.(1) below. Subsequent orders, if any, will be placed according to the Government’s need and availability of funding.

B. Task Order Procedures:

The Contractor shall provide services according to the delivery and performance requirements specified in the Performance Work Statement of the contract. Orders shall specify all applicable tasks, along with the associated deliverables and quantities required.

1. VA will follow the ordering procedures and requirements in FAR 16.505(a) that are applicable to single award IDIQ contracts, including those set forth at FAR 16.505(a)(2) and 16.505(a)(7).

2. As the Government identifies a need, the CO will issue an order to the contractor for the specific tasks and quantities required. The CO is the only person authorized to issue orders. The order may include additional or more specific information and requirements than the contract Performance Work Statement. Any conflicts between the terms of an order and the terms of the contract shall be resolved by giving precedence to the terms of the contract.

3. Orders will be issued on the SF 1449 via email.

4. Prices are determined at the contract level and shall remain firm fixed/labor hour prices throughout the ordering period. Orders shall utilize the hourly rates listed in Attachment F, LCAT Price Sheet. All hourly rates proposed at the task order level shall be at or below the hourly rates listed in the attachment.

5. An order is not fully executed until the CO signs the order, after which the fully executed order will be sent via email to the Contractor. The Contractor is not authorized to commence performance at any time prior to issuance of a fully executed order. The Contractor’s failure to begin performance within the timeframe required may result in the termination of the order.

6. The Contractor shall not perform or provide services that are not expressly identified in the contract and applicable order.

C. Minimum Guaranteed Amount and Maximum Value:

1. The minimum guaranteed amount for this contract is $3,000.00. Orders beyond the minimum will be determined by the Government’s need. The Government has no obligation to issue orders for services beyond the minimum guaranteed amount.

2. The maximum aggregate value of all awards and TOs under this IDIQ is $25,000,000. The maximum amount is for the entire five-year ordering period of the contract. The Government does not guarantee, and is not obligated to order, any quantities beyond the minimums identified in subsection B.1.C.1 above.

D. Invoicing:

1. All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with 52.232- 33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer – System for Award Management (Oct 2018).

2. All invoices shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (Nov 2018). Invoices shall be submitted monthly in arrears, upon Government final inspection/acceptance by the COR. Specific invoicing instructions will be specified in each order.

E. SOLICITATION ONLY – ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Accounting Support Services The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Financial Service Center (FSC)

A. BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Financial Service Center (FSC) is a Franchise Fund under the authority of “The Government Management Reform Act of 1994” and “The Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2006, Public Law 109-114”. Consequently, the VA FSC receives no federally appropriated funding and thus is required to market its services to other Government Agencies (OGA). The VA FSC is divided into services that are organized around revenue centers and product lines to better focus service delivery and accountability. The VA FSC offers many product and services such as Accounting, Audit Recovery, Consulting, Purchase Cards, Document Management Services (DMS), Electronic Commerce / Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Medical Claims, Payments, Payroll, Purchase Card, Reconciliation Solutions, and Travel.

B. 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)

C. SCOPE AND GENERAL INFORMATION

This PWS describes the requirements for support to the VA FSC and its customers, including a wide range of accounting support services that include but are not limited to reviews, reconciliations, research, and execution of a variety of accounting 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 FSC. 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.

D. 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 FSC. 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 FSC.

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.

1. Ordering Period

The contract ordering period shall consist of a base period of five years. The annual ordering periods are as follows:

Ordering Period 1 – August 19, 2022 – August 18, 2023 Ordering Period 2 – August 19, 2023 – August 18, 2024 Ordering Period 3 – August 19, 2024 – August 18, 2025 Ordering Period 4 – August 19, 2025 – August 18, 2026 Ordering Period 5 – August 19, 2026 – August 18, 2027

2. Type of Contract

This shall be an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract that will issue firm fixed/labor hour task orders upon award of the IDIQ contract.

3. Place of Performance

All work shall support the FSC located at 7600 Metropolis Drive, Bldg. 5 Austin TX, 78744. All Contractor work shall be done remotely.

In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 3306 (f) (2), telework is permitted by Federal Contractor employees (Contractor personnel). To be eligible, the Contractor personnel shall have successfully completed background checks, and shall have completed all mandatory VA training to include privacy and information security and annually thereafter. The Program Manager (PM) or equivalent (Equiv) shall provide a written list to the COR of those Contractor personnel ready to telecommute based on having completed the aforementioned requirements.

Contractor Personnel shall work remotely using the guidance of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Alternative Workplace Arrangement (Telework) Policy (VA Handbook 5011, Part II, Chapter 4). The COR will work directly with the Contractor’s Program Manager or equivalent in order to ensure compliance.

4. Hours of Operation

FSC hours of operation are defined as Monday through Friday, 6:00am – 6:00pm CST; FSC does not maintain core hours. Any work to be performed shall not take place on Federal Holidays or weekends unless directed by the COR. VA observes all federal holidays as recognized by the Office of Personnel Management (https://www.opm.gov/policy- data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays).

5. Federal Holidays

Services performed are during VA core business hours as noted above, except for the following federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103). Work shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). The Contractor shall observe the following 11 Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103).

Under current definitions, five holidays are set by date:

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

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

E. MANDATORY TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

1. Project Administration

The Contractor shall provide a single point of contact (Program Manager) to oversee the overall contract. The Program Manager shall be responsible for:

· Effectively communicating the project progress to VA

· Ensuring proper documentation is delivered to VA

· Coordinating, escalating, and resolving Contractor-related project issues

· Representing the Contractor in status meetings and providing timely status report

a. Contractor Project Management Plan

The Contractor shall produce a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) which includes the approach, timeline, and tools to be used in execution of the contract and each task order. The CPMP shall be updated and amended as outlined in the deliverables table. The Contractor shall update and maintain the COR-approved CPMP throughout the period of performance. The CPMP shall contain:

A comprehensive Project Schedule including milestones and deliverable dates. The Contractor shall provide to the FSC a CPMP no later than 10 business days after contract award that includes the following:

(1) Plan for backfills and timeline

(2) Personnel roster with labor category and planned hours of duty to support office hours at the FSC, Monday – Friday

(3) Risks Mitigation Plan

Deliverable:

(1) Contractor Project Management Plan

b. Contract Award Kick-Off Meeting

The Contractor shall conduct a kick-off meeting within 10 business days after contract award date. The Contractor shall present for review and concurrence by the Government, the details of the strategic vision and intended approach, work plan, and projected staffing schedule. The Contractor shall provide to the COR an agenda two calendar days prior to the meeting, and document meeting minutes after the meeting within three calendar days after conclusion of the meeting to be delivered to the COR. The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to invite relevant stakeholders including the CO and identified staff. The kick-off meeting will serve as a working meeting to review Contractor’s plans, work needs, resolve strategic questions, refine goals, and define success.

Deliverables:

(1) Strategic Vision and Approach Plan

(2) Staffing Schedule

(3) Attendance List

(4) Meeting Minutes

c. On-going Progress Meetings

The Contractor shall conduct on-going progress meetings on a weekly basis utilizing the updated CPMP to update the VA on Contractor project status, schedule, risks, risk mitigation, issues and issue resolution plans. This meeting shall be virtual.

d. Reporting Requirements

Monthly, the Contractor shall submit a Monthly Progress Report to include:

· Completed activities for the reporting period

· Planned activities for the next reporting period

· Tracking of current issues and risks

Deliverable:

(1) Monthly Progress Report

2. SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide professional accounting support services. The proposed personnel shall be highly qualified and have experience with Government accounting. The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel that work under this requirement are qualified and prepared for the services that they perform.

Personnel should have the following:

· Professional knowledge of accounting theories, practices, methods, and techniques to independently perform a variety of assignments.

· Knowledge of business and accounting practices, policies, regulations, and procedures. Knowledge of a variety of accounting and budget functional areas and their relationships to other functions; and knowledge of automated accounting and budget systems

· Ability to write correspondence to convey information relating to accounting processes and issues.

The Contractor shall perform the following daily accounting tasks:

· Review, reconcile, and process appropriate transactions.

· Research and resolve all Treasury reconciliation inquiries.

· Review and reconcile all monthly reports for the stations serviced by the FSC. This will include receivables, advances, suspense, undelivered orders, payables, and fixed assets. Determine the nature of errors, and upon receiving approval, make adjustments in the correct appropriation.

· Identify and resolve accounting transactions creating out of balance conditions.

· Research transactions and erroneous adjustments to isolate the original error and corrects it.

· Accomplish daily and monthly reconciliation of the general ledger to subsidiary accounts, accruals, adjusting journal entries, accounting reports and special reports.

· Reconcile accounting system output with input for accuracy.

· Examine vouchers, invoices, claims, and other requests for payment for goods and services provided to, by the Government, or for reimbursement of expenditures for travel and transportation for accuracy, adequacy of documentation or citations, compliance with regulations, and justification. Procedures will be provided for the work described in this bullet.

· As authorized, assist FSC in the process of making payments, answering payment related phone calls, researching payment inquiries for the stations, working with the FSC vendorizing team to establish vendor id's, etc. Procedures will be provided for the work described in this bullet.

· Prepare bills of collection for overpayments to vendors or payments accidently sent to incorrect vendor. Procedures will be provided for the work described in this bullet.

· Prepare refund payments for debts having been overpaid.

· Input and maintain fiscal data entered into an automated financial system.

· Correct rejects and process payments.

· Access computer data bases to look up payment history information.

· Research documents received in error.

· Maintain computerized general ledgers and related accounts, subsidiary ledgers, financial transaction documents and other related documents for the accounting system.

· Validate data using well-established accounting principles and practices.

· Analyze documents for accuracy and authorization, documents financial transactions to ensure a proper audit trail and assigns accounting transactions having the proper accounting effect.

· Render technical support relating to all phases of accounting, internal control, budget, and fiscal matters. The technical support will be in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76, “Performance of Commercial Activities”, and the Supplement to OMB Circular A-76.

· Develop through analysis, appropriate systems of accounting for initial and unusual circumstances.

· Review suspense transactions for the collection of debts processed through payroll deduction, recommends proper accounting treatment, and processes transactions to record the transaction to the appropriate station and accounting record.

· Identify accounting problems, inaccurate records and reports, improper methods for document control, and lack of documentary evidence to support performance of reconciliations.

· Conduct financial data cleanse analysis identifying incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate data.

· Use data mining to extract accounting information from data sets and identify correlations and patterns.

· Organize and transform accounting information into comprehensible structures for management analysis.

· Use tools and techniques to visualize data in easy-to-understand formats, such as diagrams, and graphs

· Provide accounting support to FSC customer organizations to include direct communication and follow-up with customer staff.

The Contractor shall perform the following risk mitigation tasks:

· Risk identification, risk statement assimilation, risk scoring, control gaps/internal controls identification, control gap remediation tracking, and internal control substantiation for each assigned program and process. Most of this information is part of the Risk and Control Matrix (RCM).

· Consolidate RCMs into the FSC Risk Register.

· Deliver Risk Management training artifacts to include:

· Overview of Risk Management - high-level briefing for Supervisors, Directors, and Executive Directors explaining the importance of risk management, the impact to the organization, role in the internal control lifecycle.

· How to complete the Risk and Control Matrix (RCM) - detailed briefing and simulation exercise for FSC staff who will be documenting the risks in the RCM and Risk Register.

· How to Process Map a Process – detailed briefing and simulation for FSC staff on how to document a process, identify applicable systems, and identify risk and internal controls.

· Assist with System and Organization Controls (SOC) audits as needed, which can include locating the FSC risks (identified in the artifacts above) and linking them to the Service Organization’s Complementary User Entity Control (CUEC) for VA or risks unmitigated by the SO.

3. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

a. Schedule for Deliverables Deliverables and specific due dates will be defined in each issued task order. If for any reason the scheduled time frame for a deliverable cannot be met, the Contractor shall explain why (include the original deliverable date) in-writing to the CO within five (5) business days of the original deliverable due date, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay and the impact on the overall project.

The CO will then notify the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations.

b. Government Furnished Equipment

The Contractor shall be provided Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) to include:

· Laptop w/card reader

· Monitor (s)

· Docking Station

· Keyboard

· Mouse

The contractor shall provide and maintain an inventory list of GFE.

c. Changes to the Performance Work Statement

Any changes to this PWS shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO through execution of a modification. Costs incurred by the Contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the Contractor.

d. Travel

Travel is not authorized for this contract.

4. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS & KEY PERSONNEL

Certain skilled, experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as Key Personnel and are those persons whose résumés were submitted and marked by the Contractor as Key Personnel under the Technical Capability Evaluation factor.

Prior to key personnel being removed, diverted, or replaced from work, Contractor shall provide notice to the PM, CO, and COR. If such a circumstance is necessary, a comparable replacement will need to meet the requirements of the PWS.

Substitution of Key Personnel: All Contractors requests for approval of substitutions hereunder shall be submitted in writing to the PM, COR, and the CO at least 15 calendar days in advance of the effective date, whenever possible, and shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a complete résumé for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the CO necessary to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The PM, COR, and the CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Contractor of approval or disapproval in writing. New personnel shall not commence work until all necessary security requirements have been fulfilled.

Any substituted personnel shall have the equivalent or better education, experience, and credentials than the personnel they replace, subject to VA FSC review and approval.

Furthermore, Contractor personnel are expected to be proficient using office automation equipment and software and have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to support the FSC. Additionally, Contractor personnel are expected to have professional conduct that portrays the VA positively. Should any Contractor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable personal conduct working on contract activities, the Contractor shall immediately remove and replace the unacceptable personnel at no additional cost to the Government. Contractor personnel are to serve in a support role; final decisions regarding VA business will always be made by Government personnel.

Contractor personnel shall not imply or misrepresent themselves as VA employees. Key personnel for the IDIQ contract are as follows:

· Senior Level Accountants must have 24 credit hours in accounting plus eight (8) years of accounting experience and four (4) years of Federal experience and experiences with ERP/financial system, MS Excel/Access and the ability to write SQL queries.

· Program Managers must have an education B.S. / B.A in any related field. plus ten years of experience for work similar in size and complexity and relevant certifications, such as FAC P/PM or Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMIPMP) certified or equivalent.

a. Contractor Experience Requirements – Standard Personnel

Skilled experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful Contractor accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract. All Contractor personnel are expected to be proficient using office automation equipment and software and have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to support VA. Additionally, Contractor personnel are expected to maintain professional conduct that portrays the VA positively. Should any Contractor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable personal conduct while working on contract activities, the Contractor shall immediately remove and replace the unacceptable personnel at no additional cost to the Government. Contractor personnel are to serve in a support role; final decisions regarding VA business will always be made by Government personnel.

Standard personnel for the IDIQ contract are as follows:

· Junior Level Accountants require a minimum of 24 credit hours in accounting education plus (2) years of accounting experience. A minimum of two (2) years of Government accounting experience required.

· Business Analyst II requires specific technical and/or programmatic experience in one or more of the following areas: Strategic and business planning, performance measurement, process improvement, process re‐engineering, program audits and evaluations, facilitation, problem solving, meeting coordination, survey/data collection and analysis, program/project management, earned value analysis, scheduling, cost analysis, risk analysis. Must be familiar with current trends in business process management and have working knowledge of Federal financial policies, standards, and accounting Systems. Minimum education: Bachelors Minimum experience: 5 years

b. VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Act Requirements

1. General

All Contractors and Contractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal security and privacy laws, regulations, standards, and VA policies as VA, including the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. §552a, and VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. Contractors must follow policies and procedures outlined in VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program; and VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs and its handbooks to ensure appropriate security controls are in place.

2. Access to VA Information and VA Information Systems

VA will supply the Contractor with the minimum logical (technical) and/or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for employees, sub-contractors: (1) to perform the services specified in the contract, (2) to perform necessary maintenance functions for electronic storage or transmission media necessary for performance of the contract, and (3) for individuals who first satisfy the same conditions, requirements, and restrictions that comparable VA employees must meet to have access to the same type of VA information.

All Contractors and Subcontractors working with VA Sensitive Information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of regular VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710, Handbook 0710, which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs, and VHA Directive 0710 and Implementation Handbook 0710.01, which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/index.cfm . Contractors are responsible for screening their employees. The following are VA's approved policy exceptions for meeting VA background screenings/investigative requirements for certain types of Contractor personnel:

a. Contractor personnel not accessing VA information resources, such as personnel hired to maintain the medical facility grounds, construction contracts, utility system Contractors, etc.

b. Contractor personnel with limited and intermittent access to equipment connected to networks on which no VA sensitive information resides

c. Contractor personnel with limited and intermittent access to equipment connected to networks on which limited VA sensitive information resides and with limited and intermittent access to facilities at which they are escorted

3. VA Information Custodial Requirements

VA information provided to the Contractor for either the performance or administration of this contract shall only be used for those purposes. No other use is permitted without the CO’s express written authorization. This clause expressly limits the Contractor’s rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d)(1). The Government shall retain the rights to all data and records produced in the execution or administration of this contract.

Prior to termination or completion of this contract, Contractor will not destroy information received from VA or gathered or created by the Contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the CO. A Contractor destroying data on VA’s behalf must do so accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, and applicable VA Records Control Schedules. All data and reports shall be transferred to VBA upon contract completion. The Contractor shall not make copies of VA information, electronic or otherwise, except as necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on Contractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the Contractor needs to be restored to an operating state.

The Contractor shall not use technologies banned in VA in meeting the requirements of the contract (e.g., Bluetooth-enabled devices).

If the contract requires taking VA data to a Contractor site and the data contains Personally Identifiable Information, the Contractor will provide an independent physical security assessment of their facility to the COR prior to commencing work. General guidelines for physical security can be found in VA Directive 0730, Section 6 (Physical Security) and VA Memorandum (subj: IT Oversight & Compliance Information Physical Security Assessments) dated October 24, 2007.

4. Background Investigation

All Contractor employees who require access to the VA website(s) and/or access to VA local area network (LAN) systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Security and Investigations Center (SIC). These requirements are applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same level of Background Investigation.

The Contractor employee level of background investigation required for this effort is Tier 2 / Moderate Background Investigation (MBI)

A Tier 2/MBI is conducted by OPM and covers a five-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check], a credit report covering a period of five years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment; an interview with the subject, law enforcement check; and a verification of the educational degree.

The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain the appropriate Background Investigation, and are able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.

The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations.

Within 30 business days after award, the Contractor shall provide an initial personnel roster of Contractor and Subcontractor personnel to the COR to begin their background investigations. The roster shall contain each Contractor personnel’s Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, email address and individual background investigation level requirement (based upon Section 6.2 Task). The Contractor shall submit full Social Security Numbers either within the Personnel Roster or under separate cover to the COR. The Personnel Roster shall be updated and provided to VA within one day of any changes in personnel status, training certification completion status, Background Investigation level status, additions/removal of personnel, etc. throughout the PoP. The Contractor Staff Roster shall remain a historical document indicating all past information and the Contractor shall indicate in the Comment field, personnel no longer supporting this contract. The preferred method to send the Personnel Roster or Social Security Number is by encrypted e-mail. If unable to send encrypted e-mail, other methods which comply with FIPS 140-2 are to encrypt the file, use a secure fax, or use a traceable mail service. The final roster shall be provided 30 calendar days before the PoP.

The Contractor should coordinate the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized.

For a Low Risk designation, OF-306 and DVA Memorandum – Electronic Fingerprints shall be completed. These initial documents should be submitted to the COR within five business days after award; final documents shall be submitted no later than 30 calendar days before the PoP.

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

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

The Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all personnel provided to work for VA under this contract. In the event that damages arise from work performed by Contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this contract, the Contractor shall be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident.

A Contractor may be granted unescorted access to VA facilities and/or access to VA Information Technology resources (network and/or protected data) with a favorably adjudicated Special Agreement Check (SAC) or “Closed, No Issues” (SAC) fingerprint results, training delineated in VA Handbook 6500.6 (Appendix C, Section 9), and the signed “Contractor Rules of Behavior.” However, the Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of the Contractor personnel they provide to perform work for VA. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the database of the OPM.

The Contractor, when notified of an unfavorably adjudicated background investigation for Contractor personnel as determined by the Government, shall withdraw the personnel from consideration in working under the contract.

Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security investigative requirements may result in loss of physical and/or logical access to VA facilities and systems by Contractor and Subcontractor personnel and/or termination of the contract for default. Identity Credential Holders must follow all HSPD-12 policies and procedures as well as use and protect their assigned identity credentials in accordance with VA policies and procedures, displaying their badges at all times, and returning the identity credentials upon termination of their relationship with VA.

5. Security Incident Investigation

The term “security incident” means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action the breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify the COR and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/subcontractor has access.

5. PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The Government will evaluate Contractor performance against the criteria in Table 1 to determine interim and final acceptance of the services provided.

Table 1. Accounting Support Services Performance Measures

Kick-Off Meeting (Section 5.1)

6. DOCUMENTATION

Delivery Format - All written documents shall be provided to the VA-FSC and COR in an electronic format that can be opened and edited using standard Microsoft (MS) Windows Office products (e.g. MS Word format, MS Excel, MS Visio, etc.). All documents shall be factually accurate, grammatically correct, and written in a clear and concise manner. The Contractor shall use tools and techniques to visualize data in easy-to-understand formats, such as diagrams, and graphs.

7. CYBER AND INFORMATION SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR VA IT SERVICES:

The Contractor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security using VA Handbook 6500 as guidance with VA standard operating procedures and standards as set forth within the PWS, conditions, laws, and regulations. The Contractor’s firewall and web server shall meet or exceed VA minimum requirements for security. All VA data shall be protected behind an approved firewall. Any security violations or attempted violations shall be reported to the VA Program Manager and VA Information Security Officer (ISO) as soon as possible. The Contractor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security.

Contractor supplied equipment, PCs of all types, equipment with hard drives, etc. for contract services must meet all security requirements that apply to GFE and Government Owned Equipment (GOE). Security Requirements include: a) VA Approved Encryption Software must be installed on all laptops or mobile devices before placed into operation; b) Bluetooth equipped devices are prohibited within VA; Bluetooth must be permanently disabled or removed from the device; c) VA approved anti-virus and firewall software; and d) Equipment must meet all VA sanitization requirements and procedures before disposal. The CO, COR, the Project Manager, and the ISO must be notified and verify all security requirements have been adhered to.

Contractor employees shall complete a VA Systems Access Agreement if they are provided access privileges as an authorized user of VA’s computer system.

VA Enterprise Architecture Compliance

The applications, supplies, and services furnished under this contract must comply with One-VA Enterprise Architecture (EA), available at http://www.ea.oit.va.gov/index.asp which is enforced at the time of issuance of this contract, including the Program Management Plan and VA's rules, standards, and guidelines in the Technical Reference Model/Standards Profile (TRMSP). VA reserves the right to assess contract deliverables for EA compliance prior to acceptance.

8. PHYSICAL SECURITY AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor and their personnel shall follow all VA policies, standard operating procedures, applicable laws and regulations while on VA property. Violations of VA regulations and policies may result in citation and disciplinary measures for persons violating the law.

The Contractor and its personnel shall wear visible identification at all times while personnel are on the premises.

VA does not provide parking spaces at the work site; the Contractor must obtain parking at the work site if needed. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. VA will not invalidate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the Contractor under any conditions.

Smoking is prohibited inside/outside any building other than the designated smoking areas.

The possession of weapons is prohibited.

The Contractor shall obtain all necessary licenses and/or permits required to…