36C10X24Q0178.docx

SUBJECT*

Request for Information_Veterans Health Adminstration (VHA) Primary Caregiver Support Program Financial and Legal Services

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Brian Kadel Brian.Kadel@va.gov (202)674-8618

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

Request for Information (RFI)

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this RFI in accordance with FAR 15.201(e). This RFI is issued for the purpose of conducting capabilities and market research. Accordingly, this RFI constitutes neither a Request for Proposal (RFP) nor a guarantee that one will be issued by the Government in the future; furthermore, it does not commit the Government to contract for any services described herein. Do not submit a Proposal. The VA is not at this time, seeking proposals or quotes and therefore will not accept, review, or evaluate unsolicited proposals or quotes received in response hereto. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The Government does not reimburse respondents for costs associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred for responses to this RFI. The information provided may be used by VA in developing an acquisition strategy and refining the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary; however, any information received shall become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the respondent. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or sensitive information contained in their response. This is a request for information only and does not obligate the Government in any way, nor does it commit the Government to a specific course of action. The Government is seeking as much information as possible and a complete response from industry to this RFI during this market research activity may assist the Government in developing an acquisition strategy and finalizing any PWS.

Background

The mission of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional care that improves their health and well-being. VHA will continue to be the benchmark for excellence and value in health care and benefits by providing exemplary services that are both patient-centered and evidence based.

On June 6, 2018, the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018 or the VA MISSION Act of 2018, Public Law 115-182, was signed into law. Section 161 of the MISSION Act of 2018 expanded eligibility for VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). This law, among other things, expanded eligibility for PCAFC to eligible Veterans with a serious injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service before September 11, 2001 in two phases. This law also established new benefits for designated Primary Family Caregivers of eligible Veterans under the PCAFC. Under 38 U.S.C. 1720G(a)(3)(A)(ii)(VI), as amended by section 161(a)(3) of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, the VA is required to provide designated Primary Family Caregivers:

(1) financial planning services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their caregivers; and

(2) legal services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their caregivers.

Under the law, these services must be provided through the use of contracts with, or the provision of grants to, public or private entities.

Please see the following link for detailed guidance provided in the attached final rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/31/2020-15931/program-of-comprehensiveassistance-for-family-caregivers-improvements-and-amendments-under-the-va.

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME.

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform the services identified in the draft Financial and Legal Services Performance Work Statement (PWS) document through a contract with VA, please provide responses to questions outlined in Attachment A_Finance and Legal Services RFI Questionnaire.

STRUCTURE AND SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

Contractors should respond to this RFI by Wednesday, April 17, 2024 by 10:00 AM EDT via e-mail to Brian.Kadel@va.gov and Lindi.Sylvester@va.gov. Please limit all responses to 10 pages, excluding the coversheet and index.

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

Sources Sought Notice

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1. INTRODUCTION. The mission of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional care that improves their health and well-being. VHA will continue to be the benchmark for excellence and value in health care and benefits by providing exemplary services that are both patient-centered and evidence based.

On June 6, 2018, the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018 or the VA MISSION Act of 2018, Public Law 115-182, was signed into law. Section 161 of the MISSION Act of 2018 expanded eligibility for VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). This law, among other things, expanded eligibility for PCAFC to eligible Veterans with a serious injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service before September 11, 2001 in two phases. This law also established new benefits for designated Primary Family Caregivers of eligible Veterans under the PCAFC. Under 38 U.S.C. 1720G(a)(3)(A)(ii)(VI), as amended by section 161(a)(3) of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, the VA is required to provide designated Primary Family Caregivers:

(1) financial planning services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their caregivers; and

(2) legal services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their caregivers.

Under the law, these services must be provided through the use of contracts with, or the provision of grants to, public or private entities.

Please see the following link for detailed guidance provided in the attached final rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/31/2020-15931/program-of-comprehensiveassistance-for-family-caregivers-improvements-and-amendments-under-the-va.

The following table provides the estimated participate projected volumes.

Family Caregiver Estimated Participant Projected Volume

PCAFC Projections (Financial & Legal) **showing projections for first 5 years with estimated similar trending moving forward (note: historically, of the entitlements requested, the results are approximately: ~87% have been legal and ~13% have been financial type of requests) Primary Family Caregiver Estimated Participant Projected Volume

Option Period 2 / 2027

2. SCOPE. The scope of this requirement is in support of legal and financial services for designated Primary Family Caregivers enrolled in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers in support of the Veterans they serve. Per 38 CFR 71.15, covered legal services “means assistance with advanced directives, power of attorney, simple wills, and guardianship; educational opportunities on legal topics relevant to caregiving; and referrals to community resources and attorneys for legal assistance or representation in other legal matters. These services would be provided only in relation to the personal legal needs of the eligible Veteran and the Primary Family Caregiver. This definition excludes assistance with matters in which the eligible Veteran or Primary Family Caregiver is taking or has taken any adversarial legal action against the United States government, and disputes between the eligible Veteran and Primary Family Caregiver.”

The Contractor shall provide these services to all VA markets to include all fifty (50) United States and territories to include Guam, Northern Marianna Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Under 38 U.S.C. 1720G(a)(3)(A)(ii)(VI), as amended by section 161(a)(3) of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, the VA is required to provide designated Primary Family Caregivers these services to include the following: financial planning services which shall be provided--relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers; and (2) legal services: relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers. The services will be provided in English and Spanish and in other languages as requested by the Primary Family Caregiver. The other languages (all other than English) may be provided through a translation service (3-way call) for live interactions. Written materials may be requested for translation into other languages at the request of the PM/COR.

3. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 CONTRACT TYPE. The preferred contract type is Firm Fixed Price (see FAR 16.202); however, due to commercial Offerors’ specialty in providing these services, Offerors are afforded the opportunity to propose the contract type (as defined and allowed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 16) and pricing model that is consistent with its proposed technical approach.

Note, this solicitation is for commercial services; therefore, a cost-reimbursable contract is prohibited (see FAR 12.207 and 16.301-3).

3.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE. The period of performance will include one 12-month base period of performance, anticipated to begin on March 30, 2025 – March 29, 2026, with Nine, 12-month option periods.

3.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE. Services shall be performed at the Contractor’s facilities (off-site) or virtually.

3.4 OTHER DIRECT COSTS (ODCs). The Government anticipates that Other Direct Costs (ODCs) may be needed to address this requirement, particularly for Task 5.7 Translation Services. An ODC Line Item is include in the Price Schedule accordingly. ODCs will be reimbursed at Contractor direct cost. No indirect costs will be reimbursed. The Contractor shall perform due diligence to ensure it incurs most-favorable pricing prior to passing these costs on to the Government. The Contractor shall submit projected costs for ODCs in advance to the COR for review and approval. The Contractor shall submit with their invoice, copies of all receipts that support the ODCs claimed in the invoice and written substantiation for the incurred costs (to include COR pre-approval); any invoice missing these receipts and written documentation will be rejected.

4. KICK-OFF MEETING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN.

4.1 Kick-Off Meeting shall occur within 5 business days after contract award or as stipulated by VA’s Project Managers (PM) and may be held virtually. The Contractor shall hold a Project Kick-Off Meeting with the PM/COR, and key stakeholders and subject matter experts (SME) to be identified by the VA PM/COR. The Contractor shall also provide completed standard administrative tasks at Kick-Off Meeting (e.g., background investigation forms, staff roster, mandatory training).

4.2 The Contractor shall present the details of initial Project Management Plan (PMP) five (5) business days after the start of the period of performance, which shall include the Contractor’s intended approach and work plan and project schedule including deliverable dates with major milestones for review and approval by the VA PM/COR. The Final PMP is due five (5) business days after review and feedback on the initial (draft) Project Management Plan is received from the VA PM/COR. Work shall not commence until the VA PM/COR approves the PMP (i.e., approach/methodology, work plan and schedule with major milestones).

5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES. The contractor shall provide a phased implementation approach with live services first and website upon Authority to Operate (ATO). Within the first week, the contractor shall submit the required training and background check paperwork per section 9.2. By day 30 all services that do not contain digital Federal data (VA Data) shall be made available for use (Task 1-4). The call center will be active and network available to meet established support/timeframes for services with an ability to receive and validate referrals using non-website venue until website is live. Within the 90 days of award, the contractor shall have submitted to the VA all required data verifications related to the website approval process to route for review and meet any interim or final certification requirements (to meet the standards/requirements reflected in Appendix C). In addition to a production Website, there will be a Development website. The contractor will provide both a test and production environment. The website shall be fully operational and under review through the website will not be in production until VA Authority to Operate (ATO) has been approved. VA’s Risk Management Framework (RMF process) shall be utilized and maintained/sustained once the ATO is approved. Upon interim approval, the contractor shall first provide access to live services with the subsequent online financial and legal services educational resources following ATO approval. The contractor shall provide supporting documentation and ensure compliance per the RMF process (as well as all other VA/OIT/VHA security and web requirements).

New Systems/solutions requiring a VA Authorizations following the RMF will take on average 6-12 months for approval (or is using Software as a Service for a new VA sponsored FedRamp up to 12-24 months). Existing VA approved systems with a current Authority to Operate (ATO) may require changes that can take 3-6 months for changes to be fully approved. Existing VA Authorized solutions may be hosted in a VA Data Center, Vendor hosted data center, or VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) which resides inside the Microsoft Azure GovCloud High and/or Amazon Web Services High FedRAMP authorizations.

Cloud solutions that meet FedRAMP requirements will require the VA to accept an existing FedRAMP authorization that can take on average 6 months. Any cloud solution that requires a new FedRAMP authorization may take 12-24 months for full FedRAMP authorization.

The contractor shall submit all deliverables in full compliance with the Revised Section 508 Standards guidance as published in the Federal Register notice available at: https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ict-final-rule.pdf. It will be the contractor’s sole responsibility to fully understand these requirements, ensure they meet these standards and, at a minimum, leverage and adhere to WCAG 2.0 level AA criteria and VA's Section 508 office supplemental requirements, for reviewing, assessing, and addressing all issues failing WCAG 2.0 and not meeting supplemental requirements of VA's Section 508 office on all documents created as part of this contracted effort. The VA Section 508 office supplemental requirements also includes addressing issues identified as violations by VA's HTML scanning appliance(s). The contractor shall resolve all accessibility deficiencies for each deliverable to the government’s satisfaction and acceptance in alignment with all legal requirements.

For the online access to items such as non-live webinars and downloadable templates/checklists/worksheets for legal and financial documents, etc., access will be validated through the referral verification process annually (once per 12-month period based on day initially verified) and members will have unlimited access to those non-live resources. Then, after one (1) year from their verification, they will be required to have a new access verification/referral verification validated to ensure they are still eligible for these services. For all other services/tasks (such as live support, legal/financial advice/support or document preparation support, etc.), an initial referral must be validated to determine eligibility for the requested service. Once validated, if additional services are requested, the contractor may assume valid eligibility for additional service during the initial 45-business day service provision under the initial referral so long as there are services being actively provided. Any additional services requested after previous services have ended (no active services ongoing) require another referral. Eligibility shall be validated at the start of any requests for services, whether from the local CSP support team or self-referrals (this confirmation can be obtained primarily via the CARMA lookup tool used by the Contractor to verify eligibility and as a backup by the VAMC CSP Teams. (Of note, for referrals for live services, after 3 attempts by phone to schedule the live services over a 2--week period, the referral can be closed and any new contact will require a new referral).

Once website is live, the internal website will have the ability to enable eligible Veteran/caregiver to self-register, as well as the Caregiver Support Program Team will be able to submit and approve referrals for eligible Veterans/Caregivers, and staff should be able to register. Once live, the referral portal will be the single source for referral submission and verification. During initial roll out when website is not yet fully operational (not yet approved), an alternative process such as a secure survey monkey (with added HIPAA/security functionality) may be used upon confirmation by the COR; however, once the website is live, the only venue for submitting new referrals will be through the Website. If an eligible caregiver/Veteran contacts the help desk, the concierge may submit the referral information/request while online with the Veteran/caregiver and subsequently validate through the CARMA lookup tool. (Note: Veteran/Caregivers will be validated either by the corresponding CSP Team staff or via the CARMA lookup tool. The primary validation process will be completed by the contractor through the CARMA lookup tool, when available, prior to providing services—backup method for eligibility confirmation (if/when not all info is available from the CARMA lookup tool) will be by the corresponding VAMC staff through the referral section on the Finance/Legal website. The Staff will be validated by their Program Manager and the Program Managers will be validated once confirmed as a PM by the VHA CSP team.

The contractor shall perform Financial Planning services on a non-personal services basis. VA organizations will not provide supervision of contractor personnel. Contractor personnel shall at no time allow an employer-employee relationship to develop with VA organizations or their staff. VA organizations will refrain from any activities that create the appearance of such a relationship. Contractors shall not perform inherently governmental functions including decision-making, supervision of Government employees, supervision of other contractors on other contracts, or activities that create the appearance of performing such functions.

The contractor shall ensure corresponding professional credentials for the provision of legal and financial services. The contractor shall ensure all attorneys are licensed, active and in good standing in at least one State bar and are in good standing regardless of active status in all State bars to which they have been admitted (properly licensed). The contractor shall also ensure financial counselors maintain a certification through a national financial counseling organization such as the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC), Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE), or Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC). Financial planning credentials through organizations such as Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) are not accepted since services are limited to counseling, coaching and education. The contractor shall describe how it will meet legal and financial licensure/certification requirements to enable provision of services across all geographical areas covered under this contract. These areas include all VA markets to include all fifty (50) United States and territories to include Guam, Northern Marianna Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Contractor will ensure staff availability to support the expected volume/need for such services among the caregivers on a national level. The Contractor will ensure that every licensed attorney supporting the contract maintains a minimum of $300,000.00 in annual malpractice insurance for legal services or the minimum required by each state, whichever is higher. In addition, the Contractor shall maintain $1M miscellaneous professional liabilities insurance for financial services. The concierges will be, at a minimum, paraprofessionals (financial/para-legal) to help navigate the Veteran/caregiver to the appropriate service.

For any referrals to community resources, the contractor will provide notification to the Caregiver/Veteran that these subsequent services will be provided at their own expense/determination and are outside the purview of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The contractor shall use language essentially the same or similar (covering the same main points) as that provided in Attachment D Sample Referral Language to notify each Caregiver/Veteran upon referral for services outside of scope (or continuation of services outside of allotted time/scope of this contract).

5.1 TASK 1 – LEGAL SERVICES:

5.1 (1) LEGAL SERVICES: The contractor shall provide legal services including legal advice and consultation, relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers. The legal services include provision of legal advice and consultation relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their designated Primary Family Caregivers. The contractor shall provide general legal supportive services for eligible Primary Family Caregivers (and the corresponding Veterans) to develop items such as legal documents (instruments), provide education, and provide support referrals to community resources. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment D Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the Caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources. This contract will not include any legal support that entails court appearance. The deliverables shall include, at a minimum, the following at the request of the eligible Primary Family Caregiver (and the corresponding Veterans) and approved by VA (See Task 5.5):

5.1 (1) DELIVERABLES (one each per eligible Primary Family Caregiver/corresponding Veteran per base/option period):

a. Simple wills (Estate Planning)

i. Drafting of a last will and testament

ii. Designating beneficiaries

iii. Finalize instruments

b. Advanced Directives

i. Finalize instruments

c. Up to one of each of the types of Power of Attorney (POA) as follows (every 12-months): POA, Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOAHC), and Durable Financial Power of Attorney (DFPOA)

i. Review and educate on the types of POAs

ii. Draft a POA

iii. Finalize POA

d. Guardian of Veteran (guardianship of person or emergency guardianship)

i. Review and educate on the types of guardianship

ii. Provide overarching guidance on the required steps for guardianship

iii. Draft guardianship instruments

e. Referrals to community resources for individual representation and attorneys for legal assistance or representation in other legal matters (related to the personal legal needs of the eligible Veteran and the Primary Family Caregiver that are not covered in the above sections). This excludes assistance with matters in which the eligible Veteran or Primary Family Caregiver is taking or has taken adversarial legal action against the United States Government and disputes between the eligible Veteran and the Primary Family Caregiver. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment D Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the Caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources.

f. Educational programs relevant to state regulations on topics relevant to caregiving (provided through webinars, websites, or other venues as well as (including) live training programs). Each Veteran/caregiver may sign up for one live program per topic per option year (so, up to 3 live webinars—one each of the below topics i.- iii.) with additional information for any state nuances provided either as a part of the larger program or as a standalone program). Each live webinar (per topic listed below i. – iii.) will be offered a minimum of one time per quarter (or greater to accommodate demand for live support). Classes should be no more than 25 registered participants and additional classes added to accommodate any demand greater than the initial offerings per quarter. The content will be reviewed and updated on a minimum of an annual basis. The corresponding topics will also be available on demand through the website (utilizing the VA YouTube approved channel/approved through the VA YouTube request process):

i. Advanced Directives

ii. Simple Wills/Estate Planning

iii. Guardianship

g. One, thirty (30) minute live session per topic with an attorney to provide consultation and support in completing each of items a. through d. above. Up to two additional 30-minute sessions may be offered per task (item 5.1(1) a-d above with supporting documentation reflecting justification for request of additional services/sessions. If the caregiver requires additional services beyond the specific 30-minute sessions, then the Contractor may refer the caregiver to resources to provide additional support to be funded by the caregiver. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment D Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the Caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources.

TASK 5.1 (2) OPTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES

Optional Legal Services shall provide additional legal support relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their designated Primary Family Caregivers to include support in areas such as the development of additional legal documents, provision of additional phone consultation, and education on preventative action support and restorative services in response to personal data breaches and known identity theft.

All optional legal services shall be priced at time of award (must be included in any proposal submitted in response to the solicitation). However, these services shall only be performed if the associated Price Schedule line item(s) are exercised, and funds obligated by the Contracting Officer via a contract modification. The Government does not guarantee the exercise of these optional services or deliverables. Options will be exercised based on the government’s needs and availability of funds.

The following optional services would include below deliverables:

TASK 5.1 (2) DELIVERABLES (OPTIONAL):

a. Identity theft (Optional)

i. Review and educate on the types of identity theft

ii. Provide support for taking preventative steps in cases of personal data compromise.

iii. Provide 90-day restorative services support for known identity theft occurrences.

b. Draft up to two (2) documents pertaining to credit reporting agencies, businesses, and debt collector notifications (Optional)

c. Up to two letters prepared or reviewed and/or two phone calls made or received by plan attorney to assist in resolving civil disputes in the following areas (not to exceed 30 minutes per each of the two phone calls) (Optional):

iii. Insurance such as disability insurance, life insurance, or health insurance (excluding insurance issues arising out of tort)

5.2 TASK 5. 2 – FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES

Financial planning services shall include the provision of financial planning services relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers which shall provide support such in areas such as household budgeting, debt management, retirement planning, insurance review/education and financial counselor consultation to assist the Primary Family Caregiver (and the corresponding Veterans). The Contractor shall ensure all financial planning recommendations are provided based on the best interest of the Caregiver and the Veteran they serve. These services shall include, at a minimum, the following deliverables will be provided at the request of the eligible Primary Family Caregiver (and the corresponding Veterans) and approved by VA (See Task 5.5):

TASK 5.2 (1) DELIVERABLES (one each per Primary Family Caregiver/corresponding Veteran per base/option period):

a. Household Budgeting

i. Creating a personal budget/financial plan to reduce, eliminate, and avoid debt and to achieve solvency and stability

ii. Learning to balance a checkbook

iii. Learning to pay bills

iv. Teaching money management techniques

v. Managing income changes or increased expenses

b. Debt Management (not including bankruptcy proceedings)

i. Assistance with establishing payments with creditors

ii. Negotiating with Creditors

iii. Dealing with collection agencies and delinquencies

c. Retirement planning review and education

i. Educate on retirement planning and investment options

d. Insurance review and education

i. Educate on current insurance policies

ii. Educate on alternative insurance option to include health, automobile, life and homeowners/renters

e. One, thirty (30) minute session per topic per eligible Primary Family Caregiver/corresponding Veteran with an Financial Counselors to provide consultation and support in completing each of items 5.2(1) a. through d. above. Up to two additional 30-minute sessions may be offered per task with supporting documentation reflecting justification for request of additional services/sessions. If the caregiver/Veteran require additional services beyond the specific 30-minute sessions, then the Contractor may refer the caregiver to resources to provide additional support (to be funded by the caregiver).

TASK 5.2 (2) OPTIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES:

The optional financial services shall provide enhanced support relating to the needs of injured Veterans and their Primary Family Caregivers in relation to topics such as mortgage loan/refinancing education, referrals to community resources, live AND on demand webinars, credit management and other planning/education services. Each live webinar (per corresponding topics listed a-f below) will be offered a minimum of one time per quarter (or greater to accommodate demand for live support). Classes should be no more than 25 registered participants and additional classes added to accommodate any demand greater than the initial offerings per quarter. The corresponding topics will also be available on demand through the website (utilizing the VA YouTube approved channel/approved through the VA YouTube request process). The content will be reviewed and updated on a minimum of an annual basis. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment D Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the Caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources.

All optional financial services shall be priced at time of award (must be included in any proposal submitted in response to the solicitation). However, these services shall only be performed if the associated Price Schedule line item(s) are exercised, and funds obligated by the Contracting Officer via a contract modification. The Government does not guarantee the exercise of these optional services or deliverables. Options will be exercised based on the government’s needs and availability of funds.

These services will include at a minimum the following below deliverables:

TASK 5.2 (2) DELIVERABLES (OPTIONAL):

a. Mortgage loans and refinancing (Optional)

i. Educate on types of mortgages available

ii. Live AND on-demand webinars with approximate length of 30 minutes to one hour per topic. Live webinars will be offered at least once every quarter.

b. Extensive Financial Coaching (Optional)

i. Provision of 90-day telephonic coaching program to assist in developing and implementing an action plan (optional)

c. Referrals to community resources. Note: Refer to section “5. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES” above and Attachment D Sample Referral Language for additional referral language to be relayed to the Caregiver/Veteran related to a referral to community resources. (Optional) d Six (6) additional live AND on demand money management webinars—with the live courses offered a minimum of every quarter with a length of approximately 30 minutes to one (1) hour in length(Optional)

e. Credit Management (Optional)

i. Understanding credit, finance charges, interest rates, and the implications of only paying the minimum amount each month

ii. Educating Primary Family Caregivers and their families on the importance of maintaining excellent credit histories and ratings. Teaching Primary Family Caregivers and their families how to establish, monitor, and protect their credit

iii. Live AND on-demand webinars with approximate length of 30 minutes to one (1) hour per topic. Live webinars will be scheduled at least quarterly and will cover at least 3 unique topics.

f. Planning for college expenses and addressing student loans (Optional) Educate on the types of college savings plans for Primary Family Caregiver/dependents and the Veterans the serve/dependents.

i. Live AND on-demand webinars with approximate length of 30 minutes to one hour per topic. Live webinars will be offered at least once every quarter.

5.3 TASK 5.3 – MONITORING AND DATA REPORTING:

The contractor shall deliver a monthly data file via secure method to include individual customer level interaction/event information so that the following can be compiled/reported (contractor shall report/provide narrative in the monthly report on any metrics not met due to caregiver/Veteran delays and shall not include those caregiver/Veteran specific causes for delays within the below monthly metrics):

TASK 5.3 DELIVERABLES:

(1) Finance data to be produced by contractor:

a. Total number of referred eligible Primary Family Caregivers and Veterans using service

b. Status of referrals by Veteran and Primary Family Caregiver (requested, in progress, completed: monthly, FY roll up)

c. Count of Type(s) of each service(s) received, by Veteran and Primary Family Caregiver (pulled by SSN) and added fields for corresponding VAMC and VISN

d. Survey results after receiving financial services will be compiled to include a summary of outcomes as a result of services in order to monitor program goals. At a minimum, the survey summary will include: quantity surveyed, quantity responded, benefit from the service, level of improvement on ability to manage personal finances, caregivers level of agreement to quality standards met, and whether the services increased financial capability.

e. Additional metrics to be included at the request of the COR/PM will be implemented within 30-days of the request [reported monthly after approval by PM/COR and, if leading to change in the survey, after approval from Office of Management and Budget (OMB)] such as a breakout of services provided during a specified period of time and/or by geographical region.

f. Narrative summary/details of each of the reported data sets as well as annotation describing reason/corrective action to address any deviation from the standard

g. FY rollup summary

1) monthly FY rollup

2) end of year roll up summary (to include metrics by VAMC/VISN)

i. roll up of all monthly data points

ii. rollup of quality metrics to include time to answer

iii. corresponding annual summary narrative report

h. Total to date (rollup of monthly data points for entire contract)

(2) Legal data to be produced by contractor:

a. Total number of referred eligible Primary Family Caregivers and Veterans using service

b. Status of referrals (requested, in progress, completed: monthly, FY roll up)]

c. Count of Type(s) of service(s) received, by Veteran and Caregiver (SSN as ID)

d. Survey results after receiving Legal services will be compiled to include a summary of outcomes as a result of services in order to monitor program goals. At a minimum, the survey summary will include: quantity surveyed, quantity responded, benefit from the service, level of improvement on ability to manage personal legal topics, and whether the services increased ability to manage the corresponding legal situation/request.

e. Additional metrics to be included at the request of the COR/PM will be implemented within 30-days of the request (reported monthly after approval by PM/COR, and if leading to change in the survey, after approval from Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

f. Number of Caregiver referred to other resources.

g. Narrative summary/details of each of the reported data sets as well as annotation describing reason/corrective action to address any deviation from the standard

h. FY rollup summary

1) monthly FY rollup

2) end of year roll up summary (to include metrics by VAMC/VISN)

i. rollup of all monthly data points

ii. rollup of quality metrics to include time to answer

iii. corresponding annual summary narrative report

i. Total to date (rollup of monthly data points for entire contract)

(3) Additional monthly monitoring/data:

The contractor shall develop and provide ad hoc reports as requested by the PM/COR to address elements such as (but not limited to):

a. Number of Primary Family Caregivers and Veterans who have newly started to receive services since the last designated period/range and/or number of caregivers and Veterans who are using the services

b. Breakdown by method of contact;

c. Total number of completed phone calls (including a breakdown by language)

d. Utilization trends of the services provided broken down by financial and legal services;

e. Persistence/consistency of use of contracted services and completion rates broken down by state and VAMC location;

f. Customer service center statistics;

g. Best practices reports (identifying key internal and external processes that are working well and those that need refinement--such as the referral procedures or other mechanisms/approaches to provide services); and

h. Specialty reports as it relates to Primary Family Caregivers/Veterans not captured above.

5.4 TASK 5.4 – SURVEY

The contractor shall develop and institute a survey that will capture a summary of results of services received related to finance and legal services. Prior to administration, the survey will be approved by the PM/COR as well as approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to meet the requirements/review in support of the Paperwork Reduction Act. During the review process, it is possible that OMB will require additional changes/updates to the survey prior to approval. The survey will be sent to the caregiver within two weeks of completed services provided. At a minimum, the survey will capture the number surveyed (100% of those who received finance and/or legal services), the number who responded, and the results of the survey. The results shall capture, at a minimum, if the services provided the following: overall benefit from the service, improvement in ability to manage finances, and whether the services helped to increase financial capability. [See 5.3 above for monthly reporting requirements after approval of by PM/COR and OMB]

5.5 TASK 5.5 – SECURE WEBSITE AND REFERRAL PROCESS

a. The contractor shall provide a secure website that will be created and maintained by the Contractor which allows self-authentication (for the Veteran and their approved Primary Family Caregiver) via a secure login (utilizing mandated Multi-Factor Authentication-including login.gov, ID.me, PIV, and others if required. The contractor/subcontractor’s firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA’s minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request. VA will review the controls in place and approve that it meets the VA standard.

b. The website, training materials, downloadable documents, and videos shall all be 508 compliant (to include closed captioning and 508 standards) and follow VHA/VA guidance and criteria. These training materials and downloaded documents must be available on the website in Spanish and English.

c. The contractor will draft training slides (and be available for questions on field calls if applicable) to provide overview of items such as steps to access the secure website and also include general services through the call center/website (target audience Caregiver Support Coordinators).

d. Website/system/application will have continuous monitoring (in accordance with VA policy).

e. The contractor shall provide a secure (website) referral portal where a set of mandatory fields will be populated and verified prior to authorizing services as a method of verification of eligibility. Caregivers’ online access for non-live services (such as non-live webinars and downloadable templates/checklists/worksheets for legal and financial documents) shall be verified annually (from date of initial verification of referral); whereas live Legal/Financial support (and/or support services beyond non-live website access/downloadable resources) must be validated for each request for service/episode). The PM/COR will approve the referral portal process and will designate/approve any mandatory fields such as name and Caregiver Record Management Application (CARMA) number. Contractor may also include additional fields as needed (approved by PM/COR). The contractor will create a mechanism to allow both self-referrals and referrals from Caregiver Support Teams through the approved Website (see section 5 Tasks and Deliverables for interim process period prior to website being fully function). If a member is referred by the Caregiver Support Team, the Caregiver Support Team will provide the mandatory verification data. For self-referrals, the contractor will confirm with the corresponding Caregiver Support Team for the required verification information/data fields prior to providing the corresponding requested services. (see section 5.0 Specific Tasks and Deliverables)

f. General overarching guidance: The website shall be developed to meet all VHA/VA requirements and/or governmental mandates to ensure, among other requirements, the safety, accuracy, and standardization of websites (and sub-items such as videos and documents). In addition to the current standards, the developer will ensure ongoing compliance with the below references or any updated VA/VHA/Governmental guidance to ensure compliance with current standards (to maintain compliance with any updated requirements). The Website (and its contents) follow the guidance provided in VA 6102 Handbook which can be found at https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=1055&FType=2t and the VA Web Best Practices Guide found at https://digital.va.gov/web-governance/standards-and-policies/web-policies/ which provide specific direction for the establishment, management, and maintenance of all VA websites as well as all external websites that represent the VA. Branding and style to follow TR1 styling guidelines.

g. The Contractor shall consider leveraging the utilization of existing FEDRAMP solutions located at https://digital.va.gov/marketplace/?redirect=1 and/or existing VA solutions with current Authority to Operate status.

a. If using existing VA solutions, please see the following background: In November 2018, VA issued the Cloud First Policy mandating that all new and existing IT solutions be assessed to determine suitability to be offered as an enterprise cloud computing service. The VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) was established by the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) in 2017, to host cloud computing solutions. § The {Solution Name} shall be implemented and hosted in the VA Enterprise Cloud.

h. See Appendix XXXXX for:

a. Security requirements

b. SAAS requirements (if utilized)

c. Veterans Affairs Enterprise Cloud

i. System Steward: The VA will provide an information assurance analyst (commonly known in VA as a System Steward) who performs a variety of duties related to implementing changes in software systems. The System Steward is responsible for cyber security and risk assessment, and documenting security compliance using the VA’s Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) tool. VA currently utilizes eMASS as our GRC tool for tracking security compliance for systems following the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and implementing security controls for systems following NIST 800.53a rev 4 & 5. Once staff are onboarded VA will provide internal standard operating procedures (SOP) for using our GRC tool and implementing RMF in order to receive an Authority to Operate (ATO).

i. The contract team will utilize the VA CARMA Lookup confirmation tool (if available to confirm caregiver and correlated Veteran eligibility for these services (per VA guidance on eligibility for finance/legal serves)….all referrals (whether it be self-referrals or referrals from the Caregiver Support Team) will be validated by the contractor through the VA tool where the contractor can log in to the VA tool and enter key data and receive confirmation of eligibility. The Contractor will provide capacity/capability for Caregiver Support Teams/staff to validate within the Finance/Legal Website as an alternative approval process if/when the full functionality of the CARMA Lookup tool is unavailable.

j. Outsourcing (contractor facility, equipment, or staff) of systems or network operations, telecommunications services or other managed services require Assessment and Authorization (A&A) of the contractor’s systems in accordance with VA Handbook 6500 as specified in VA Information Security Knowledge Service. Major changes to the A&A package may require reviewing and updating all the documentation associated with the change. The contractor’s cloud computing systems shall comply with FedRAMP and VA Directive 6517 requirements.

k. Note: If any of the referenced documents have been updated the vendor will reference the most recently published version. If a document has been rescinded, then the vendor must reference the publication replacing the rescinded document.

l. Note: Some terms and wording have changed since the publication of VA Handbook 6500.6 March 12, 2010.

m. VA Directive and VA Handbook (HB) 6500 have both been updated and published 24 Feb 21. A previous update to VA6500 Directive Jan 19, 2020 Rescinded VA 6500.1 HB and the recent update to 6500HB rescinded VA 6500.3 HB.

n. Website must meet all VA requirements as listed in VA Directive and VA Handbooks as well as any other official VA/Governmental requirements including (but not limited to) security, Privacy, Web governance, 508 compliance, Multi-Factor Authentication.

o. Creation and/or Maintenance of website will include completion and receipt/maintenance of Authority to Operate (ATO).

p. INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6) The Contractor solution shall support Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) based upon the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 19, 2020 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf). IPv6 technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Program (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1), NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267B Revision 1 “USGv6 Profile” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1), and NIST SP 800-119 “Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119), compliance shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices shall support native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g. web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall communicate using native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) operations.

5.6 TASK 5.6 – CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL CENTER/CONCIERGE

The contractor shall provide a United States based customer service center to provide corresponding services through staffing, processes, procedures, and technological infrastructure necessary to manage and operate financial and legal services program for Primary Family Caregivers and corresponding Veterans.