36C10X23Q0276.docx

SUBJECT*

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE-SOURCE (SDVOSB) Multi-Channel Technologies (MCT) VIC Application and Data Quality Support (VA-23-00080786)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

POINT OF CONTACT*

CONTRACTING OFFICER

WANDA Y EDWARDS

Wanda.Edwards@va.gov

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

This Notice of Intent to Sole Source is not a request for competitive quotations or proposals.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Strategic Acquisition Center, Frederick (SAC-F) contracting office intends to award a firm fixed price sole source contract for the Veteran Experience Office (VEO) to:

Kent, Campa and Kate Incorporated 416 N. Thomas Street Arlington, VA. 22203

The proposed contract action is to procure Contractor support services for the Veteran Identification Card (VIC) program and Data Quality programs.

This acquisition is conducted in accordance with Public Law 109-461, codified at 38 USC § 8127, in order to increase contracting opportunities for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans and small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans with service-connected disabilities. Contracting Officers of the VA are given specific statutory authority to award a contract to a small business concern owned and controlled by veterans using procedures other than competitive procedures (i.e. a “sole source” contract). The contracting officer may do so in accordance with VAAR 819.7007.

Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. Supporting information must be furnished in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to comply with the requirements. No solicitation package is available and telephone requests will not be honored.

Information must be sent to the Contracting Officer Wanda Y. Edwards at Wanda.Edwards@va.gov Responses received will be reviewed; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. No cost to the government will arise as a result of contractor submissions of responses to this announcement or the government use of such information. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competitively sensitive information contained in their response. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated.

Interested parties may e-mail Wanda.Edwards@va.gov no later than August 14, 2023, 0900 EDT.

Special Notice Special Notice See attached Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Special Notice

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Veteran Identification Card (VIC) Application and Data Quality Support

Page 1 of Title: Multi-Channel Technologies (MCT) VIC Application and Data Quality Support

1. BACKGROUND

The Veteran Experience Office (VEO) was established as an organization directly aligned under the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to focus on creating a Veteran-centered VA and putting Veterans in control of how, when and where they want to receive services. VEO is aligned with the Secretary of VA (SecVA) priorities to deliver integrated benefits and services, while driving VA culture and practices towards our Customers’ expectations. Customer engagement training, processes and systems are developed to deliver the best Customer-Centered Experience.

VEO’s Multi-Channel Technology (MCT) directorate leads the development and implementation of VA’s enterprise channel strategy, which provide the paths or means through which any organization delivers products and services to its customers. MCT has enabled VEO and VA’s Lines of Business (LOBs) to leverage business capabilities, process improvements, and technology to engineer a positive and efficient customer experience for Veterans and VA employees. MCT translates business requirements into technical solutions to enhance the Veteran’s experience as they access the services they need and have earned.

MCT’s responsibilities include facilitating the Veteran Identification Card (VIC) program and Data Quality programs. The Veterans Identification Act of 2015 was signed into law on July 20, 2015, under Public Law (PL) 114-31. This amended Chapter 57 of Title 38, United States Code requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue an identification card to all Veterans that request a card and present a DD-214 or other documentation that validates service in the military, naval, or air service in the Armed Forces of the United States, to include commissioned officers of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Public Health Service (PHS).

Data quality ensures that VA’s customer data is accurate, complete, and available to all VA consumers. The program provides the implementation and enforcement of data specifications, along with data quality standards for the Veterans Experience Offices’ (VEO’s) assigned data subject areas. Data Quality focuses on identifying and resolving data errors, and benchmarking and reporting the quality improvement process.

2. SCOPE

This contract provides for vendor contract support services across the Veteran Identification Card (VIC) program and Data Quality programs. Areas of focus include:

VIC Application Support

· Email contact with Veterans; occasional telephone contact.

· Reviewing applications for completeness, data, and image discrepancies.

· Verifying eligibility through various systems.

· Resolving any data or image discrepancies.

· Developing for additional information and service verification as needed.

· Processing VIC applications.

· Help desk support will be provided by reviewing and responding to AskVA (AVA) and VIC help desk mailbox inquiries.

· Tasks will primarily originate from the VIC system, help desk systems, and tools and resources used to manage those systems. VIC Program management may also assign tasks should the VIC system experience technical issues or if the system needs to be reviewed for specific information.

Data Quality (Data Error Team)

· Reviewing “bad address files” to determine which Veterans to contact to correct all address errors and update all addresses.

· Contacting Veterans via telephone and requesting demographic data (current address, phone number, email, etc.) to update their VA health care enrollment record in the Veteran Enrollment System (VES) and Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) system.

· Utilizing Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) & Veterans Health Administration (VHA) systems to identify, investigate, and resolve data quality issues specifically those related to address errors.

· Reviewing past historical address inputs for reference and information

3. SPECIFIC TASKS

This PWS consists of 3 major task areas:

· Project Management

· VIC Application and Help Desk/AVA Support

· Data Quality (Data Error Team) Support* Each major task is contained within the twelve (12) month base period and in two (2) 12-month options.

*Data Quality (Data Error Team) Support is an optional task contained within the twelve (12) month base period and the two (2) option years.

This optional task can be prorated and exercised at any time within each period of performance.

3.1. Project Management

The Contractor shall provide MCT with business support services.

The following conditions apply to all services provided below:

· Services performed shall be of a non-personal nature;

· MCT will not provide supervision of contractor personnel; and Contractors shall not perform inherently governmental functions including: decision-making, supervision of Government employees, supervision of other contractors on other contracts and activities that create the appearance of performing such functions.

The Contractor shall deliver a Project Management Plan (PMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline, and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The PMP will describe how the Contractor manages and schedules Contractor resources, manages communications with Contractor resources and Government points of contact (POCs). The PMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks, and resource support. The PMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and emergency responses and reporting requirements as identified within the PWS. The initial baseline PMP shall be concurred upon by the COR and updated by the Contractor monthly or otherwise as directed by the Government thereafter. The Contractor shall update and maintain the PMP throughout the schedule of this contract.

The Contractor shall attend a kickoff meeting with the MCT PMO team, Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and Contracting Officer (CO), and key personnel from the Contractor. This meeting shall be held within one week after award. The kickoff meeting shall address post award topics and shall present the Contractor’s plan and approach for meeting PWS requirements. This shall include review of the PMP, and recommended changes from the Government. The kickoff meeting shall be held virtually. The Contractor shall specify dates, agenda (to be provided to all attendees prior to the meeting), and meeting minutes (to be provided to all attendees within three (3) calendar days after the meeting).

The Reporting Requirements require that Monthly Status Reports be provided to each MCT Chief and/or business lead within the VIC program and Data Error Team, as well as the COR. The Monthly Status Report shall highlight key accomplishments, upcoming commitments, risks, and issues, pending deliverables and due dates. The Contractor shall work with the MCT PMO team to identify gaps and define the strategic plans and requirements leading to areas that should be improved.

3.1.1. Deliverables

3.1.1.1 - Project Management Plan

3.1.1.2 - Kick Off Meeting

3.1.1.3 Monthly Reports

3.2 VIC Application and Help Desk/AVA Support (Base)

3.2.1 VIC Application Processing

Veterans receive their identification card via email immediately upon approval of their VIC application. Attention to detail and the accuracy of data prior to approval of the application is imperative to ensure a quality and usable VIC is received by the Veteran. The Contractor shall process VIC applications daily, with holiday and weekend applications being processed the next business day.

The Contractor shall complete the processing of VIC applications to include reviewing and approving applications or conducting additional development, submitting requests on behalf of Veterans when needed, verifying, correcting, and updating inaccurate or erroneous data elements, resolving duplicate record entries, editing of images and photos provided, and verifying military service information.

The Contractor shall update logs daily to capture the status of VIC application processing. These logs will be stored in a central location and accessible to Government staff. Examples of status fields include number of applications received daily, and number of applications reviewed and processed per processor. A full listing of log fields will be provided upon award.

The Contractor shall provide metrics reflecting workload status of VIC applications received, total numbers of applications in various statuses received, and metrics on the number of applications reviewed and processed per processor received.

3.2.1.1 Deliverables

3.2.1.1.1 Metrics on workload status of VIC applications received daily (monthly report)

3.2.1.1.2 Metrics on the total numbers of applications in various statuses received weekly (monthly report)

3.2.1.1.3 Metrics on the number of applications reviewed and processed per processor received weekly (monthly report)

3.2.2 Help Desk and AVA Support (Base)

The Contractor shall manage help desk support activities according to the VIC SOP.

The Contractor shall respond to all VIC help desk and AVA inquiries received, which could include referring the customer to a different help desk for assistance. Help desk and AVA inquiries will be answered daily, excluding holidays and weekends.

Excluding holidays and weekends, no inquiry will go unanswered for more than 3 business days.

The Contractor shall ensure quality responses for help desk and AVA inquires by reviewing the VIC system for accuracy of information, following the VIC SOP, utilizing the standard response guide appropriately, and replying to the inquiry to request additional information if needed.

The Contractor shall review, route, and respond to AVA inquiries appropriately.

The Contractor shall provide monthly metrics on the total number of help desk inquiries received and worked, to include monthly AVA business intelligence (BI) metrics showing how many inquiries were received, responded to, rerouted, and split for response, as well as the number of responses per processor for AVA and help desk inquiries.

3.2.2.1 Deliverables

3.2.2.1.1 Monthly metrics on help desk inquiries

3.2.2.1.2 Monthly metrics on AVA BI metrics

3.3 Data Quality (Data Error Team) (Base, Optional Task)

The Contractor shall review bad address files to determine which Veterans to contact to correct all address errors and update all addresses.

The Contractor shall review error transaction files (phone numbers) to determine which Veterans to contact to correct all phone errors and update all phone numbers.

The Contractor shall review error transaction files (email) to determine which Veterans to contact to correct all email errors and update all email addresses.

The Contractor shall contact Veterans via telephone and requesting demographic data (current address, phone number, email, etc.) to update their VA health care enrollment record in the Veteran Enrollment System (VES) and Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) system.

The Contractor shall utilize Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) & Veterans Health Administration (VHA) systems to identify, investigate, and resolve data quality issues specifically those related to address errors.

The Contractor shall review past historical address inputs for reference and information.

3.3.1 Deliverables

3.3.1.1 Metrics on address errors corrected monthly, broken down by error transaction code

3.3.1.2 Metrics on phone number errors corrected monthly, broken down by error transaction code

3.3.1.3 Metrics on email errors corrected monthly, broken down by error transaction code

3.3.1.4 Metrics on the total numbers of veteran contacts, by error transaction code and tracking of fields corrected from each contact (monthly)

3.3.1.5 Metrics on the number of CMOP records corrected (monthly)

All Contractor-provided work products shall be furnished within the specified delivery dates (see Schedule of Deliverables below). Any changes to delivery dates must be discussed with the COR and requested in writing to the CO. If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled timeframe, the Contractor is required to explain why in writing to the COR and CO including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the COR and CO shall cite the reasons for the delay and the impact on the overall project. The CO shall then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations. Government review for all deliverables will be within 10 days. Business days do not include Federal holidays. Electronic files will be in the appropriate Microsoft 2003/2007/2010-compatible format (e.g., Plans and Documents in Microsoft Word, Schedules in Microsoft Project or Excel, Presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint, etc.).

HISTORICAL DATA

Based on historical data below, the Government estimates that seven (7) full-time resources would be required to provide VIC Application Processing and Help Desk and AVA Support, while eight (8) full-time resources would be required to provide Data Quality (Data Error Team) support. One (1) Project Manager could be leveraged to oversee the work of the estimated 15 resources.

This information is provided as information only and may not be a representation of the actual workload required:

4 SCHEDULE

Base Period Deliverables (Dates are subject to change due to mandatory background investigations)

3.1 Project Management

3.3. Data Quality (Data Error Team) (Base, Optional Task)

5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for this Firm Fixed Price Task Order is a base period of twelve (12) months with two (2), twelve-month, option years.

· Base (12 months): 15 August 23 – 14 August 24

· Option Year 1: 15 August 24 – 14 August 25

· Option Year 2: 15 August 25 – 14 August 26 The Government's decision not to exercise an option shall not be considered a termination.

6 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The tasks under this PWS shall be primarily performed virtually and/or at the Contractor’s facility. Work shall not take place on Federal Holidays or weekends unless directed by the CO.

No data may be stored, maintained, accessed from, or sent to any real or virtual location outside of the United States. A breach of this term will be considered a material breach, subject to Termination for Cause at the Government's sole discretion.

7 TRAVEL

The Government does not anticipate travel under this effort.

8 CHANGES TO THE PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Any changes to this PWS shall be authorized and approved only through a signed modification to the contract from the Contracting Officer. A copy of each modification shall be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project.

9 GENERAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Contractor staff shall be fully qualified and have the level of experience necessary to accomplish the requirements of this PWS. In addition, Contractor personnel shall be acceptable to the Government in terms of personal and professional conduct, and in technical knowledge. Furthermore, Contractor personnel shall be proficient using office automation equipment and software and have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to support VA. The work accomplished in this Task Order shall not use offshore labor unless specifically agreed to by the contracting office. Should any Contractor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable personal conduct while on-site or while working on contract activities, the 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.

9.1 LABOR CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

Review and validate data entries, identify any errors or inconsistencies. Compare data against predefined standards or established rules to verify its accuracy. Perform basic data cleaning tasks, such as removing duplicates or verifying data accuracy. Strong attention to detail, analytical skills, and the ability to work with large volumes of data.

Possess excellent typing skills, attention to detail, and the ability to maintain a high level of accuracy while working efficiently. Possess excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to communicate with customers effectively and empathetically via phone calls and/or email.

Educational requirements are a high school diploma and 3 years of experience.

specifications on time and within budget

Ensures all project tasks are executed based on sound/industry best methods and techniques.

Implements, and reviews all policies and procedures, prepares reports on productivity. Measures standards of performance.

Expertise with software and hardware used for data collection and project management tools.

Educational requirements are a bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience. Allowable Substitution: 10 years of relevant experience with High School Degree.

9.2 KEY PERSONNEL

Certain skilled experience professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as “Key Personnel” whose experience biographies shall be submitted and marked by the Contractor as “Key Personnel”. Substitutions shall only be accepted if in compliance with the “Substitution of Key Personnel” provision identified below.

The Supervisor/Project Manager is defined as Key Personnel and, except in cases where individuals commit criminal conduct or violations of company policy, shall not be removed, diverted, or replaced from work without notifying the CO and COR.

Any personnel that the Contractor offers as substitutes shall have the ability and qualifications equal to or better than the key personnel who are being replaced. The Contractor shall submit a complete resume for the proposed substitute and any other information requested by the CO needed to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the contractor of approval or disapproval thereof in writing.

10 OTHER DIRECT COSTS

None

11 GOVERNMENT- FURNISHED EQUIPMENT

Government-furnished laptops will be provided. Secure remote access will be provided to VA government email, calendar, instant messenger, and MCT managed SharePoint repositories.

The Government will furnish encrypted laptops, and additional monitors and docking stations pending availability.

The contractor shall adhere to all VA security requirements for any VA issued equipment and all contractor personnel that will receive and utilize VA issued laptops shall sign a VA property loan form and all associated documentation prior to receiving the equipment. All VA policies related to networked computer use will apply. Personal identification verification (PIV) cards shall be required for all contractor personnel with VA network access/accounts. Contractor personnel shall complete VA’s Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training before networked computer access will be granted.

Prior to the use of any Government-furnished equipment, the Contractor shall complete all mandatory training courses on the VA training site, currently the VA Talent Management System (TMS), and will be tracked therein. The TMS may be accessed at https://www.tms.va.gov. If an individual does not have a TMS profile, go to https://www.tms.va.gov and click on the “Create New User” link on the TMS to gain access. The VA laptop computers must comply with all rules/requirements regarding patches and updates and must be returned to VA at the conclusion of the task order.

12 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

Performance Standards define required performance for specific tasks. The Government performs surveillance to determine if the contractor exceeds, meets, or does not meet these standards. The Government may utilize the Performance Based Service Assessment Survey, provided as Attachment E, or other methods to compare contractor performance to the Acceptable Levels of Performance (ALPs).

12.1 METHODS OF SURVEILLANCE

Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use any or several of the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP.

12.1.1 100% Inspection (evaluates all outcomes) - Each month, the COR shall review all of the contractor’s performance/generated documentation and document results accordingly. This assessment shall be placed in the COR’s QA file.

12.1.2 Random Sample - The COR shall review a random sampling of the contractor’s performance/generated documentation and document your results accordingly. This assessment shall be placed in the COR’s QA file.

12.1.3 Validated Customer Complaint or Validated Below Average ALP in a Specific Area - Each month, the COR shall review the contractor’s performance/generated documentation corresponding to a validated customer complaint or validated inability to perform in accordance with the ALP in a specific area and document your results accordingly. This assessment shall be placed in the COR’s QA file.

12.2 FREQUENCY OF MEASUREMENT

During task order performance, the COR will periodically analyze whether the negotiated frequency of surveillance is appropriate for the work being performed, and at a minimum shall be twice a year.

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