Government Responses to Questions v2 Updated.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 69 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Veterans Experience Office (VEO) Contact Center
- Solicitation number
- 36C10X25R0032
About this file
This document is a comprehensive Government Responses to Questions spreadsheet for the Veterans Experience Office (VEO) Contact Center draft solicitation. The opportunity is a 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) to provide a remote contact center supporting VA operations, with an anticipated solicitation release in FY25 and a single award contract strategy. The current incumbent is Bowen Consulting Group, with the existing contract handling 1.57 million calls in FY24, primarily operating as a virtual contact center serving Veterans nationwide.
Key operational details include a 24/7/365 remote contact center requiring 367 full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel, including 312 agents, 24 supervisors, 24 senior agents, and supporting management roles. The contact center will exclusively use government-furnished equipment and technology platforms, with agents providing Tier 1 customer service support across VA programs. Staffing will be entirely remote, with personnel required to be within 50 miles of a VA facility for potential on-site technology support. The contract includes base and option years with potential surge support CLINs to accommodate unexpected increases in call volume, with an emphasis on providing comprehensive Veterans support services.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Government Responses to Questions.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| 36C10X25R0032 Draft Solicitation.docx | DOCX document | |
| ATTACHMENT C - PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT D Price Schedule.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| ATTACHMENT B - PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCES.pdf | ||
| ATTACHMENT A - CONTRACTOR RULES OF BEHAVIOR.docx | DOCX document |
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Sheet1
| # | Section Header/Page | Contractor Questions | Government Response | |
| 1 | Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services? | The Bowen Consulting Group/FY19 thru present | ||
| 2 | To what extent will the location of the bidder’s proposed location or headquarters have a bearing on any award? | Employees must be located within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center or regional office.You can use this tool to find addresses: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/ | ||
| 3 | Is previous experience with any specific customer information systems, phone systems, or software required? | Must have experience with standard call center systems such as telephony, CRM, and WFM applications. | ||
| 4 | What is the minimum required total call capacity? | There is no minimum required total call capacity, however, last fiscal year (FY24), the call center handled 1.57M calls. The call center handled 1.4M calls in the previous year (FY23). | ||
| 5 | What is the minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity? | There is no minimum simultaneous inbound call capacity. | ||
| 6 | What is the maximum wait time? | No maximum wait time. | ||
| 7 | What is the maximum hold time? | 2 minutes | ||
| 8 | What percentage of calls must be resolved without a transfer, second call, or a return call? | Our goal is first call resolution. There is no requirement for percentage of calls that must be resolved with the first call. | ||
| 9 | Is there a minimum or maximum number of operators and supervisors? | Refer to pg. 37 in PWS Price/Cost Schedule. | ||
| 10 | What is the required degree of dedication for the call center? (Can the call center work on other contracts at the same time as this one)? | The call center will work exclusively on this contract. | ||
| 11 | What is the required degree of dedication for the operators? (Can the operators assigned to this contract work on others at the same time as this one)? | The agents (operators) will work exclusively on this contract. | ||
| 12 | What are the recording requirements for inbound and outbound phone calls and how long must recordings be maintained? | All calls are recorded. Recordings are maintained and follows VA records control schedule. | ||
| 13 | What are the recording and storage requirements for non-phone communications? | All calls are recorded. Recordings are maintained and follows VA records control schedule. | ||
| 14 | What information is to be included in call logs? | The agent captures demographic information, and creates a case with case type, case notes, and a summary of the call. Cases that are concerns are routed for resolution. | ||
| 15 | What is the current number of seats for operators and supervisors at your existing call center? | Our current number of operators are based on operational needs and work remotely (not a physcial location). | ||
| 16 | What is the current average handle time for phone calls and other types of communications? | The AHT is not a performance metric in this contact center. The quality of the encounter is more important than the length of the call. | ||
| 17 | What is the current average after-call work time for operators? | All agents are allocated a set amount of time for ACW based on historical utilization. | ||
| 18 | What time of day, days of the week, or times of the year do calls typically peak? | Calls peak on Mondays and the day after federal holidays and special projects. Call volumes generally increase during VA campaigns and notifcations via email and text messages which are sent in mass quantity to Veterans nationwide. | ||
| 19 | Please reconfirm the due date for this procurement by providing it in response to answers to questions. | All the information provide in the draft solicitation is what is available at this time | ||
| 20 | Can you please provide greater details regarding your bid bond and/or performance bond requirements related to this contract? For example, what is required with the proposal, and what is required to comply during the term of the contract? | All the information provide in the draft solicitation is what is available at this time | ||
| 21 | Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories? | All respondees are required to utilize Attachment E Price Schedule as is. If you have deviations from the proposed price schedule, please make note of those recommendations on a separate sheet in Attachment E Price Schedule. All recommended changes will be considered. | ||
| 22 | Can you please confirm whether non-SDVOSB small businesses, such as EDWOSBs, are eligible to participate as subContractors under an SDVOSB prime for this opportunity? | When a solicitation is set aside 100% for SDVOSB, the prime Contractor must be a SBA VetCert verified SDVOSB, but the subContractor(s) are not necessarily limited to the same socioeconomic category. | ||
| 23 | We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number? | The incumbent is Bowen Consulting Group. The current contract number is 36C10X25C0002 | ||
| 24 | Regarding 5.0 Place of Performance: (1) Does the prime just need to have a location within 50 miles of a VA facility that provide on-site technology support OR do all remote agents need to meet that criteria as well? And (2) https://www.va.gov/find-locations does not include any “Facility type” drop downs that directly tie to “VBA Regional Centers” and “VAMC”. Please confirm which of the available drop downs should be selected to view the VA facilities that meet the requirements. | All remote agents need to meet location criteria. https://www.va.gov/find-locations includes Facility type” drop downs that directly tie to “VA Benefits” and “VA Health”. | ||
| 25 | Regarding CLIN 0001 how many hours per month does a resource need to work to be considered an FTE? | 40 hours per week | ||
| 26 | When do you expect to release the RFP? | The solicitation is expected to be published to SAM.gov in FY25. Please continue to check contract opportunities for further updates. | ||
| 27 | Is the incumbent contracted to handle all of the in-scope calls? Or is the scope additional/new work? | The call center is primarily a tier 1 call center with the possibility of tier 2 calls which will be taken by the Senior Agents and/or Supervisors. | ||
| 28 | What is the incumbent pricing? | The total obligated under contract no. 36C10X19C0032 was $70,124,878.33. | ||
| 29 | Is it a requirement for vendors to respond to the attachments provided online in order to submit a response to the official solicitation once it is released? | No, the purpose of the draft was to provide notice to industry of the solicitation and to offer an opportunity for industry questions prior to the official solicitation release while mandatory pre-solicitation reviews are on-going. | ||
| 30 | Section C.6 | The RFP states that for service contracts, the SDVOSB prime Contractor may not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the Government to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs, with certain exclusions for direct costs. Can the Government please confirm that this 50% limitation does not override the SBA-approved exception for an SDVOSB Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture (MPP JV), where the SBA mentor firm is permitted to perform up to 60% of the total contract work under 13 C.F.R. § 125.8(c)? | Yes, the SBA-approved exception does override the general 50% subcontracting limitation - if the Offeror is an SBA-approved Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture. The exception found at 13 C.F.R. § 125.8(c)(3) | |
| 31 | Section 8.0 Key Personnel | Key Personnel states that resumes shall be submitted for key personnel - in which section of the proposal response are you expecting key personnel resumes? Please confirm if the resumes are outside of page count. | Key Personnel are not an evaluation factor in the solicitation. The awardee will be required to comply with the minimum requirements of each Key Personnel post-award. | |
| 32 | Section 8.0 Key Personnel | Key Personnel Contact Center Senior Agent – The chart on page 18 notes Minimum Education as "Preferred" without designating the education requirement. Can you confirm the education level preferred, if any, for senior agents? | There is no education requirement for Senior Agents, that is a typo and will be removed | |
| 33 | B.3 Price/Cost Schedule & Attachment D Price Schedule | CLIN 0006 – Is Travel amount correct? Can you describe how it was calculated and why it is so much higher than the travel cost anticipated for the option years? | Yes, the travel amount is correct. The base year has a higher amount due to anticipation of initial training | |
| 34 | B.3 Price/Cost Schedule & Attachment D Price Schedule | CLIN 0002AA - amount is indicated for "Agent’s overtime", however, Senior Agents and PMAAs can also work overtime (as defined by LCAT coverage of SCA WDs), is this CLIN intended to cover all non-exempt overtime or just for those in the "Agent" LCAT? | Only those in the "Agent" LCAT | |
| 35 | Will the Government allow a 1-page Executive summary up front, outside of the page count requirements? | Yes, the solicitation will be updated to allow this. | ||
| 36 | Page 85 | The page limit for the past performance references is listed as 1 per reference as shown on the form. The form, however, is two pages long. Can the Government please confirm that 1 page per reference is correct? | Page limitations will be adjusted to 2 pages per reference. | |
| 37 | Section 7.5, Tier 1 Customer Service Representative (Agent) Tasks | The SCA Directory of Occupations describes a CSR II position as, “responsible for performing duties detailed in CSR I job description. In addition, CSR II is responsible for responding to escalated and more complex inquiries on a broader scope of topics. Tasks may require simple adaptation and interpretation of provided reference materials.” As all these responsibilities and others listed in Section 7.5 define the Tier 1 Agent as a CSR II position, will the VA include a Statement of Equivalent Rates for all Tier 1 Agents? | "Under the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), if a specific labor category is not expressly identified in the Wage Determination (WD), it is typically the Contractor's responsibility to determine the appropriate equivalent classification. This process is known as "conformance." | |
| 38 | Section 2.0, Scope of Work | These responsibilities in addition to other identified Agent responsibilities further indicate this role is more aligned to a CSR II position on The SCA Directory of Occupations. Will the VA please provide a Statement of Equivalent Rate for this role? | See response to question 37. | |
| 39 | Section 7.6, Tier 1 Senior Agent Tasks (Page 15) | The SCA Directory of Occupations states that a CSR III Position is defined as, “responsible for performing duties detailed in CSR I and CSR II job descriptions. In addition, CSR III is responsible for supervising and advising CSR I and CSR II.” Since these roles appear to include supervisory and advisory roles, will VA include a Statement of Equivalent Rates for the Senior Agent position? | See response to question 37. | |
| 40 | Section 7.7, Program Manager Administrative Assistant (PMAA) Tasks | Is this role currently SCA covered? If so, what designation has been assigned? | The role of the PMAA is not explicitly covered by a service classification in the wage determination (WD) and it is not the responsibility of the Contracting Officer to provide or assign a specific designation if the WD does not list the PMAA role. Contractors are responsible for determining the proper classification of positions that are not explicitly listed in the WD. This often involves matching the duties and responsiilities of the PMAA role with the closest equivalet classification present in the WD. You may also consult the Department of Labor's (DOL) guidance on the Service Contract Act for assistance in determining the approproate classification and wage rate for roles not explicity listed. | |
| 41 | Section 8.0 Key Personnel | Please clarify if the Senior Agents, listed as key personnel, are considered SCA covered positions or are they exempt? | It is ultimately the Contractor's responsibility to review the job duties and responsibilities of Senior Agents to determine if they fit the criteria for exemption or if they should be classified under the applicable SCA labor categories (or other designation) listed in the wage determination. | |
| 42 | Section 8.0 Personnel | Since the Senior Agents have inherent supervisory roles, will these position be considered CSR III positions? | See response to question 37. | |
| 43 | PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS | |||
| INSTRUCTIONS TO OfferorS; Paragraph 8., Volume I | Does the Government expect the pages in experience for Volume I to map to the references for the past performance in Volume II, or may Offerors cite different experiences for both the prime and their sub-Contractors? | No, the Government does not expect the same references for both the experience volume and past performance volume. Offerors may cite different experience within the limitations of the solicitation. As a reminder the solicitation states "The Government may place greater weight on experience performed by the prime Contractor, especially when that experience demonstrates direct capability to perform the requirements of the solicitation." | ||
| 44 | PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS/ | |||
| INSTRUCTIONS TO OfferorS; Paragraph 8.b, Volume II | Contract officers may not be willing to respond to PPQs limited to just 1-3 individuals from the prior contract, even if it within the last 3 years. |
How would an Offeror submit a company past performance that may be limited to an individual or individuals on a contract from a predecessor company?
| This evaluative criterion is excellent, however, for the Government to assess experience. Would the Government consider moving this evaluative criterion to the Volume I Experience section? | For the purposes of this solicitation, the Government is seeking information on the past performance of the company as a whole rather than individuals. Ensure that any submitted PPQ's or past performance references are accompanied by a summary that explains the context. This summary should provide enough detail to demonstrate how the individuals' past experiences are relevant to your companies current capabilities. The Government is not considering combining the evaluations into one Volume. | |||
| 45 | PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS/ | |||
| INSTRUCTIONS TO OfferorS; Paragraph 8.b, Volume II | References submitted that are associated with predecessor companies may not result in PPQ submissions, or accurately communicate their performance due to conflicts of interest if they are also competing for the VEO Contact Center. Would the Government consider Offerors moving references to predecessor companies to the Volume I Experience section, while also citing any potential conflict of interest from a predecessor company to ensure objective evaluations by the Government of either prime or sub-contracting companies? | The Government will not consider moving references to predecessor companies to the Volume I Experience section. OCI language has been added to the solicitation. | ||
| 46 | Section 7.0 Task Statement | Will the Contractor be allowed to assign and manage employee schedules, or will it be required to adhere to VA WFM scheduling requirements? | Contractor will adhere to VA WFM scheduling requirements | |
| 47 | Section 7.2, Operational and Quality Reporting Requirements (Page 16) | Given the frequency of these performance evaluations there is some concern about the frequency creating survey bias, and the timing for completion not being sufficient for the supervisor to give adequate attention to accurately document their observations. Will VA consider amending this requirement to complete within five (5) business days following the month that the performance occurred? | Agent performance evaluations are expected to be completed during the month and that is the reason for the requirement to have all completed by the 1st business day of the following month. This requirement will not be changed. | |
| 48 | Section 7.3, Program Management (PM) Tasks | A one to one evaluation every month will consume a significant amount of time of the Program Manager for 24 supervisor FTEs. While these evaluations are absolutely significant, a monthly review will likely detract from other immediate roles of daily operations and convey very little benefit while increase operational risk. With a monthly requirement for these to be completed, there may not be sufficient time for the PM to give consideration to every supervisor and offer meaningful direction. Will the VA considering modifying this requirement to a quarterly evaluation of each supervisor? | Supervisor performance evaluation is an important element which impacts the performance of the teams and the quality of the operation of the contact center, and this will remain a monthly requirement. However, the Program Manager may choose to delegate other responsibilites to the Deputy Program Manager to ensure these monthly evaluations are completed. | |
| 49 | Price/Cost Schedule | If SCA covered positions, additional sub-CLINs should be added for roles as they will both require RT and OT rates. | There is no question here | |
| 50 | PWS 1.0 | Will the VEO contact center solicitation clearly define the common contact center requirements for VHA and VBA and how calls will be routed from VHA and VBA programs into the VEO contact center? Is the VEO contact center considered an “overflow” contact center if VHA and VBA contact centers are not meeting demand? | The VEO Contact Center is the "front door" to the VA for general information, directory assistance, and concerns/complaints, among other responsibilities. It is not an overflow contact center, but does Tier 1 intake for concerns which are routed to VHA and VBA for resolution. | |
| 51 | PWS 2.0 | Has the surge support (optional CLIN) been executed in FY2024? If so; How long did the surge last? What was the magnitude of support from the current contact center? (i.e., number of additional CSRs needed, or overtime for current CSRs?) | Yes, once the surge was activate it was to the end of the year, there were 26 CSRs added | |
| 52 | PWS 7.4, Supervisor Responsibilities | In reviewing all supervisor responsibilities there is a list of 22 critical tasks listed. When supervisors are serving as agents, there is some concern that the other 21 responsibilities will not be adequately managed and results in sub-optimal performance and operational risk. |
To mitigate these risks in our plans:
| • | Does the Government have historical data on the time supervisors have spent serving as an agent? | |
| • | How does the Contractor receive alerts that customer wait times are exceeding established thresholds? | |
| • | What is the customer wait time threshold? | Supervisors do not function as agents. |
Contractor has access to dashboards which provide real time information on calls in queue There are established wait times after which calls roll over to senior agents.
| 53 | 8.0 Key Personnel | There is no other education indicator before or after “preferred”. Can the VA clarify if there is an education requirement for these positions? | This was a typo and will be removed. |
| 54 | PWS 11.3, Table B, 1. Satisfaction and Recovery | If the organizational goal is to maintain scores of 3 or greater, recommend the PM receive some point range for achieving the organizational goal, for example, anything between 3.0 and 3.5 the PM will receive 0.5 point. | The Government will take this into consideration. |
| 55 | Who is the incumbent performing this work or is it a combination of contracts and Government personnel currently? please clarify. | The Bowen Consulting Group is the incumbent performing the work. | |
| 56 | Where is the current incumbent Contractor(s) facility? | Currently all Contractor work is done remotely | |
| 57 | RFP gp 38, B.3 – Price/Cost Schedule | Can you confirm the anticipated number of FTEs by labor category (1 Program Manager, 1 Deputy Program Manager, 24 Supervisors, 5 PMAAs, 24 Senior Agents, 312 Agents, and any additional Program Management Support), and clarify whether these numbers are fixed requirements or subject to adjustment based on operational needs? | This is the number for the fixed requirement, however, requirements are adjustable up until the solicitation is released |
| 58 | RFP pg 10, B.2, 7.2 – Operational and Quality Reporting Requirements | Will the vendor have access to performance dashboards? | Yes |
| 59 | RFP pg 6-7, B.2 – Scope of Work | Can you provide more detail on surge event triggers, scope, and historical frequency of such events? | There is no historical frequency on surge events because they are unanticipated. |
| 60 | RFP pg 38-43, B.3 – Price/Cost Schedule | Will surge hours be handled via option CLINs at a different rate, or under the same labor hour structure? | Surges will be handled via the option CLINs structure shown in the Prce/Cost Schedule section |
| 61 | RFP pg 27, B.2 – 12.0 Security and Privacy Requirements – 12.1 Position/Task Risk Designation Level(s) | Can the VA clarify the position sensitivity level for each labor category (especially Program Managers vs. Agents), as Tier 1-4 seem referenced but not clearly assigned per task? | All work is consider Position Sensitivity Low / Tier 1 for this contract |
| 62 | RFP pg 9-10 & 27-29, B.2 – 7.1 Operations Management Support and 12.2 Contractor Personnel Security Requirements. | What is the expected timeline and process for onboarding new staff, including average time for background checks, fingerprinting, and PIV issuance? | This is dependent on a variety of factors, one of which is the responsiveness of the candidate, the process typically takes a minimum of three weeks |
| 63 | RFP pg 22-24, B.2 – 11.0 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan – Table A: Contact Center Metrics. | Can the VA provide historical call volumes by day of the week, hours of the day? | In FY24, the contact center handled 1.57M calls. |
| 64 | RFP pg 22-24, B.2 – 11.0 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan – Table A: Contact Center Metrics. | Can the VA provide monthly/annual historical call volumes? | In FY24, the contact center handled 1.57M calls. |
| 65 | RFP pg 22-24, B.2 – 11.0 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan – Table A: Contact Center Metrics. | Can the VA provide average call talk time and after call documentation time? | The AHT is not a performance metric in this contact center. The quality of the encounter is more important than the length of the call. Call documentation is expected to occur during the call but VA does allow time for wrap up after the call. |
| 66 | RFP pg 22-24, B.2 – 11.0 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan – Table A: Contact Center Metrics. | Can the VA provide historical performance data for key metrics (e.g., abandonment rate, speed of answer, service recovery, average call talk time) to help bidders understand baseline expectations? | In FY24, abandonment rate was less than 4.0%, AHT was approximately 10:30 with an ASA of approximately 30 seconds. SR is expected to be completed within 7 days. |
| 67 | RFP pg 9-10, B.2 – 7.1 Operations Management Support Contact Center Program Management Plan (CCPMP) | What is the expected transition period prior to full operational performance? | Since the contact center is operational 24/7/365, the expectation is to have a seamless transition from the incumbent to the new Contractor. The initial 30 calendar days in production will be non-evaluated time. |
| 68 | RFP pg 9, B.2 – 7.1 Operations Management Support | Will the Government provide access to incumbent staff or documentation to facilitate knowledge transfer? | The Government has no supervision over incumbent Contractor personnel. |
| 69 | Is there a requirement for Key Personnel Resumes (8.0 Key Personnel) | Key Personnel are not an evaluation factor in the solicitation. The awardee will be required to comply with the minimum requirements of each Key Personnel post-award. | |
| 70 | Do we need a resume for all supervisors and all senior agents defined as key personnel? | Yes | |
| 71 | Would the Government consider adding a CLIN for the facility cost and all furniture, licensing etc.? | No, all Contractors will work remotely | |
| 72 | RFP Section B.3. | Does the Government want the facility price to be included in CLIN 0001, 1001, 2001 and so on? | No, all Contractors will work remotely |
| 73 | RFP Section B.3. | SLINs 0002AA and 0002AB seems to roll up into CLIN 0002. Should Offeror price SLINs and then put the sum of the SLINs in the CLIN 0002 line item price? And, would the same be done for the option periods in CLIN 1002, 2002, etc.? | Pricing will only be submitted on the SLINs. The parent CLIN (e.g., 0002) will be clearly marked as NSP in the final solicitation. |
| 74 | Is the Government going to provide computers, printers and so on? | See section 10.0, "The Government will provide encrypted laptop, monitor(s), internet-based phone, electronic mail (e-mail) account, and software (workforce management, telephony, quality, CRM, word processing, training, and internal communications). For alternate locations the Government will provide an encrypted laptop, monitor(s), internet-based phone, electronic mail (e-mail) account, and software (workforce management, telephony, quality, CRM, word processing, spreadsheets, training, and internal communications). The expectation is that the Contractor will be able to pick up GFE at a VA facility within 50 miles of the Contractor location. All call center work will be conducted on Government systems, including communication through Government email accounts. " | |
| 75 | RFP pg 9 | “A Government Training Section will be responsible for development/delivery of initial, and subsequent training content. New hire training is virtual with two weeks of classroom type training followed by two weeks of nesting with an experienced Contractor agent/supervisor, who provides immediate guidance and coaching on performance until personnel have demonstrated consistent ability to use technology tools and handle a call in an empathetic manner independently.” |
a. Can the Governmnt clarify trainig listed in this section? Is the 2 weeks of classroom training all online or at a Government facility?
b. Is nestingwith experienced agents in person at Government facility or virtual?
c. What Government facility will new hire agents be required to train at if any of the training is in-person?
d. How many total hours of trainin are required per FTE?
| The new hire training in generally virtual and includes two weeks of classroom instruction and two weeks of nesting with experienced agents. The Government may choose to require in-person training at the start of the contract but nearly all of the training is virtual. In additional to new hire training, staff in production are expected to participate in assigned continuous learning activities about two hours per month or more per the direction of the Government. | |||
| 76 | RFP page 10 | First bullet states, “initial setup and establishment of connectivity through Government furnished equipment and VPN to VA systems.” Section 10 states that laptops, monitors and telephony/WFM will be provided by the Government, Will the Government furnished equipment include telecom equipment and ACD/IVR, etc.? | All Government Furnished Equipment is detailed in Section 10, if not listed, it will not be provided |
| 77 | RFP pg 13-14, Section 7.5 Agent Responsibilities | Are there any minimum qualifications / years of experience, certifications/licensures, and/or education requirements for the Agent position? | No |
| 78 | RFP pg. 15 | Bullet 1 references a KM tool. What knowledge management system/tool is the Government using that the agents will required access to? | The current tool that is used for KM is Salesforce but that is subject to change. |
| 79 | RFP pg 15, Section 7.7 PM Admin Assistant (PMAA) Responsibilities | Are there any minimum qualifications / years of experience, certifications/licensures, and/or education requirements for the PMAA position? | No |
| 80 | RFP pg. 15, Section 7.8 | Training states that 24 Supervisors and 24 Senior Agents require annual training located in Frederick, MD or other locations arranged by the Government. Is the Government going to provide annual ODCs for personnel travel (as a separate CLIN) to attend this training in Frederick, MD or other location? | Training travel cost is covered under CLIN 0006 in the Price/Cost Schedule section |
| 81 | RFP pg 20 Section 11.2 | The first sentence seems incomplete – “During contract 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.” Please clarify. | This will be corrected, but this will be evaluated yearly |
| 82 | Standard Form 1449, Block 8 | Please confirm the due date of the proposal. | The due date for questions against the draft solicitation is 7/31/2025 by 1:00pm EST. The proposal due date will be provided with the official solicitation. |
| 83 | Section 7.0 Task Statement, Performance Work Statement | Section 7.0 Task Statement states that “Agents are expected to have a Personal Identification Verification (PIV) Card prior to beginning the training.” Please clarify who is responsible for covering the costs associated with the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the PIV card. | The Government is responsible. |
| 84 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Section 5.0 Place of Performance includes a requirement that performance occur within 50 miles of the nearest VA facility capable of providing on-site technology support. Will the VA please clarify which locations listed in its locator tool are considered VBA Regional Centers and VAMCs? The available selection options in the locator include: “VA Health,” “Urgent Care,” “Emergency Care,” “Community providers,” “Community pharmacies,” “VA benefits,” “VA cemeteries,” and “Vet Centers.” | See response to question 24. |
| 85 | General RFP Question | Does a cover letter count towards the page limit count on any volume? | The solicitation currently states The cover page, table of contents, and/or a glossary of abbreviations or acronyms will not be included in the page count of any Volume. |
| 86 | Section E – Solicitation Provisions | Solicitation Provisions states a page limit of 3 pages for Attachment B (1 page per reference). However, Attachment B currently includes 6 pages (2 pages per reference). Please confirm the intended page limit for Attachment B. | See response to question 36. |
| 87 | General RFP Question | Please provide monthly or quarterly call volume forecasts to support effective staffing and resource planning, particularly in anticipation of known seasonal surges. | In FY 2024 the call center answered 1.57M calls. In FY 2023 it was 1.4M calls. Surges may occur at any time based on expansion of VA benefits or services or due to unforeseen events. |
| 88 | General RFP Question | Please provide historical data on events that have previously triggered surge support. | Expansion of VA benefits and services, extensions of filing deadlines, communication campaigns to Veterans, and other factors impact call surges. |
| 89 | General RFP Question | Please provide projections regarding the anticipated frequency and magnitude of events that may require surge support | Expansion of VA benefits and services, extensions of filing deadlines, communication campaigns to Veterans, and other factors impact call surges. |
| 90 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Please confirm that the Cleveland VA Clinic located at address 8901 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106 can provide technology support as required to meet the requirements in Section 5.0 Place of Performance. | Please see the response to question 24. |
| 91 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Please confirm that the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center located at address 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106-1702 can provide technology support as required to meet the requirements in Section 5.0 Place of Performance. | Please see the response to question 24. |
| 92 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Please confirm that the Cleveland VA Regional Benefits Office located at address 1240 E. 9th Street, A.J. Celebrezze Federal Building, Cleveland, OH 44199 can provide technology support as required to meet the requirements in Section 5.0 Place of Performance. | Please see the response to question 24. |
| 93 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Please confirm that the VetSuccess on Campus at Cleveland State University located at address 2254 Euclid Avenue, Trinity Commons, Cleveland, OH 44115 can provide technology support as required to meet the requirements in Section 5.0 Place of Performance. | Please see the response to question 24. |
| 94 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Please confirm that the VetSuccess on Campus at Cleveland State University located at address 2254 Euclid Avenue, Trinity Commons, Cleveland, OH 44115 can provide technology support as required to meet the requirements in Section 5.0 Place of Performance. | Please see the response to question 24. |
| 95 | Section 5.0 Place of Performance, Performance Work Statement | Please confirm that the Parma Vet Center located at address 6325 York Road, Suite 102, Parma Heights, OH 44130 can provide technology support as required to meet the requirements in Section 5.0 Place of Performance. | Please see the response to question 24. |
| 96 | General RFP Question | Will training content for service recovery be provided by the VA, or is the Contractor responsible for developing training materials? | VA will provide training materials |
| 97 | B.2 PWS Section 1.0 Background | To support accurate teaming, transition planning, and pricing, can the Government identify which VEO contact centers and service lines are currently anticipated to be within scope for consolidation under this contract, and if a phased rollout is envisioned, provide a preliminary list or notional grouping of programs to be included? | That information is not available at the moment |
| 98 | B.2 PWS Section 1.0 Background | Given the emphasis on unifying contact center services, is this contract intended to replace incumbent Contractor operations or expand on existing efforts, and if replacement is expected, would providing standard operating procedures and baseline performance data during transition-in support continuity of service? | This is a new contract for the VEO Contact Center which will replace the current Contact Center contract |
| 99 | B.2 PWS Section 1.0 Background | To ensure proper technical planning and staffing alignment, should Offerors assume the need to integrate with specific VA-managed systems or third-party platforms for multichannel operations, and if so, could a list of expected systems such as CRM, knowledge bases, or telephony tools be shared during the solicitation phase? | The VA contact center uses a variety of applications for CRM, WFM, and telephony systems, but this is subject to change. Contractor will be provided access and training to all systems. |
| 100 | B.2 PWS Section 1.0 Background | Given the proximity to VA’s broader contact center modernization efforts (e.g., VCCEM, Veteran Experience Office reorg), can the Government clarify how this contract aligns with or differs from these initiatives, and whether interdependency is expected? | There is no information at this time |
| 101 | B.2 PWS Section 2.0 Scope of Work | To support accurate staffing, pricing, and implementation planning, should Offerors assume responsibility for handling all communication channels (e.g., phone, email, voicemail, chat, text) across all VEO programs listed in the solicitation, and if some channels are not currently active, could the Government identify those anticipated to launch during the contract period? | Not all channels are active at this time. We do not have information on what additional channels may launch during the contract period. |
| 102 | B.2 PWS Section 2.0 Scope of Work | Because resource planning depends on workload elasticity, can the Government describe whether call and outreach volumes are expected to vary significantly by season, program, or campaign, and if so, provide historical or projected volume patterns to guide surge staffing assumptions and ensure timely service levels? | Expansion of VA benefits and services, extensions of filing deadlines, communication campaigns to Veterans, and other factors impact call surges. |
| 103 | B.2 PWS Section 2.0 Scope of Work | Given the requirement for a turnkey, scalable contact center solution, should Offerors assume responsibility for furnishing and maintaining all contact center infrastructure—including telephony, CRM, reporting platforms, and remote agent tools—or will any core systems or licenses be Government-furnished, and if mixed, could a list of platforms expected to be Contractor- versus Government-provided be identified? | All systems are Government furnished |
| 104 | B.2 PWS Section 2.0 Scope of Work | Can the Government clarify whether this effort includes outbound contact services (e.g., appointment reminders, wellness checks, claims follow-up) in addition to inbound support, and if so, which programs or service lines are expected to use outbound engagement? | The only outbound engagement that is regularly used is service recovery for customer complaints. This is generally completed by supervisors. |
| 105 | B.2 PWS Section 2.0 Scope of Work | Should Offerors expect to provide support for multiple languages beyond English and Spanish, and if so, is the use of third-party interpretation services permitted or should in-house multilingual agents be proposed? | Government will provide translation services as needed |
| 106 | B.2 PWS Section 2.0 Scope of Work | To support accurate staffing, scheduling, and workload modeling, will the Government provide the historical or target average handle time (AHT) for Tier 1 and any anticipated Tier 2 calls, including average talk time and after-call work duration? | The Government will provide staffing expectations to the Contractor based on forecasting and analysis of historical trends. |
| 107 | B.2 PWS Section 5.0 - Place of Performance | Because staff eligibility and recruitment planning depends on geographic requirements, should Offerors assume that remote work from U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico is considered within the contract’s definition of CONUS, given the language in C.4 stating that all Contractor personnel must reside within the continental United States? | No |
| 108 | B.2 PWS Section 5.0 - Place of Performance | To ensure compliant implementation of remote workforce policies, should Offerors assume that internet speed verification (25 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload) will be required during onboarding or post-award rather than at proposal submission, and that documented speed tests or self-certifications will be sufficient to meet this requirement? | Internet speed verification will be required during onboarding or post award for each staff member prior to production since contact center agents and supervisors work remotely from home. |
| 109 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | Given the emphasis on maintaining data quality and consistency across all interactions, should Offerors assume that initial access to Government-developed knowledge base content, scripts, and escalation protocols will be provided post-award to support startup activities, with ongoing maintenance of knowledge content as a Contractor responsibility? | The Government will provide the knowledge base content both initially and on an ongoing basis. |
| 110 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To support accurate labor pricing and compliance with Service Contract Labor Standards, please indicate whether any labor categories under this requirement are covered by an existing or predecessor Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA/CSA), and if so, provide the applicable agreement and wage determination or identify whether Offerors should assume a non-union environment. | Contractor Discretion: As a standard practice, it is typically up to the Contractor to determine whether their staff are unionized. Unless explicitly stated in the contract requirements or applicable laws, the Government does not mandate unionization. |
Incumbent Staff Information: If your inquiry is about the incumbent Contractor’s staff, it is usually irrelevant unless their unionized status impacts the transition of services or contractual obligations. The general practice during RFP evaluations does not consider the incumbent Contractor’s union status unless it affects service delivery or compliance aspects.
Contractual Compliance: We recommend reviewing the specific labor-related clauses in the RFP to confirm any requirements or preferences concerning unionized staff. Otherwise, Contractors typically retain the discretion over their labor arrangements 111 B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements To ensure compliant pricing and adherence to FAR labor clauses, should Offerors assume a unionized workforce under this requirement, and if so, whether the successor Contractor will be required to honor existing employee seniority, wage progression, or benefit structures negotiated under a Collective Bargaining Agreement? Contractor Discretion: As a standard practice, it is typically up to the Contractor to determine whether their staff are unionized. Unless explicitly stated in the contract requirements or applicable laws, the Government does not mandate unionization.
Incumbent Staff Information: If your inquiry is about the incumbent Contractor’s staff, it is usually irrelevant unless their unionized status impacts the transition of services or contractual obligations. The general practice during RFP evaluations does not consider the incumbent Contractor’s union status unless it affects service delivery or compliance aspects.
Contractual Compliance: We recommend reviewing the specific labor-related clauses in the RFP to confirm any requirements or preferences concerning unionized staff. Otherwise, Contractors typically retain the discretion over their labor arrangements
| 112 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | In support of transition planning and labor cost modeling, should Offerors expect that incumbent personnel covered by a CBA or CSA will be entitled to hiring preference under the right of first refusal provisions in FAR 52.222-17, and if so, whether a list of affected personnel and job classifications will be provided during transition-in? | The clause 52.222-17, which pertains to the Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers, was reserved as of January 1, 2025. This clause was previously required but has been removed in it's entirety due to revocation of Executive Order 13495, which mandated its implementation. | ||
| 113 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To support accurate wage escalation assumptions over the period of performance, should Offerors apply a multi-year wage adjustment schedule embedded in an existing CSA or wage determination if applicable, or propose escalation independently if no agreement exists? | See question 110 for wage determination. Offerors will have to give a proposal based on existing information | ||
| 114 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To inform workforce planning and ensure rapid response to program needs, should Offerors propose staffing models that include part-time and flexible-hour agents, or will full-time staff be required across all roles and shifts? | That is up to the Offeror | ||
| 115 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | Given that contact center staff will operate remotely, should Offerors assume responsibility for enforcing and documenting compliance with environmental requirements (e.g., private workspace, secure storage), and if so, will a Government-provided checklist or policy template be made available post-award? | Contractor is expected to enforce compliance with their staff. The VA telework checklist can be provided as a resource | ||
| 116 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To support remote quality assurance and compliance oversight, should Offerors assume the need to provide continuous screen or call monitoring tools, or will existing VA systems fulfill this function? | The Government will provide call monitoring tools. | ||
| 117 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To ensure compliance with Government expectations for continuity of operations, should Offerors include a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) as part of the proposal, or will that deliverable be submitted post-award? | COOP plan is delivered as part of the Program Management Plan post award. | ||
| 118 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To properly design performance management processes, should Offerors expect VA to provide a set of performance standards, KPIs, or target thresholds during the transition phase, or should proposed metrics be submitted for VA approval? | The Government will provide these standards. | ||
| 119 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | Given the distributed nature of the workforce, should Offerors assume responsibility for issuing and managing Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE) to remote agents, or is the Contractor expected to supply and secure all necessary end-user devices? | Government issued equipment is covered under section 10, any equipment not covered by that section is the responsibility of the Contractor | ||
| 120 | B.2 PWS Section 4.1 – Contractor Contact Center Services | To guide resource allocation and workflow design, should Offerors assume that each VEO program listed will have its own dedicated team and queue structure, or that contact center staff will operate in a pooled, cross-trained model supporting multiple programs concurrently? | The VEO Contact Center staff will be mostly cross trained to support the multiple business lines managed by the contact center. | ||
| 121 | B.2 PWS Section 4.1 – Contractor Contact Center Services | Because support requirements may vary significantly across service lines, could the Government indicate whether unique training content, call scripts, and escalation pathways will be provided for each VEO program, or if the Contractor is expected to develop those artifacts based on general VA guidance? | The Government will provide the training content, call scripts, and escalation pathways. | ||
| 122 | B.2 PWS Section 4.1 – Contractor Contact Center Services | To enable early architectural planning and accurate cost modeling, could the Government identify any specific security standards or technical integrations required for Contractor-provided telephony and CRM platforms, such as FedRAMP authorization, NIST 800-53 alignment, or APIs to VA-managed systems? | The Government will provide all telephony and CRM platforms. | ||
| 123 | B.2 PWS Section 4.1 – Contractor Contact Center Services | Given that the PWS states that Contractors will leverage existing Government technology for telephony, CRM, and other platforms, could the Government provide a list of the specific systems, tools, and licenses expected to be furnished, including any constraints on how they may be configured or customized by the Contractor during implementation? | The VA contact center uses a variety of applications for CRM, WFM, and telephony systems, but this is subject to change. Contractor will be provided access and training to all systems. | ||
| 124 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | Since Service Recovery is a new VA strategic priority and requires proactive engagement post-failure, could the Government identify whether specific KPIs or reporting templates for tracking Service Recovery outcomes will be provided, or if Offerors should propose a recommended performance framework for this function? | The Government will provide the expectations and tracking of SR activities and Contractor will confirm completion of assigned SR tasks within the required timeframes. | ||
| 125 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To ensure scalable staffing and surge planning aligned with the stated 24/7/365 support requirement, could the Government provide historical or projected contact volumes by time of day, day of week, or season, including any known peak periods or campaigns that historically drive contact spikes? | The Government will provide staffing expectations to the Contractor post award based on forecasting and analysis of historical trends. | ||
| 126 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | Since surge support is designated as optional CLINs and may arise with limited notice due to external events, could the Government provide historical examples or volume ranges from prior surge activations to inform scalable staffing and pricing models? | Expansion of VA benefits and services, extensions of filing deadlines, communication campaigns to Veterans, and other factors impact call surges. | ||
| 127 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | Because the statement of work includes intake of sensitive issues such as identity theft and sexual assault reporting, could the Government identify whether specific training materials, escalation protocols, or intake systems will be provided post-award, or if the Contractor should propose procedures that align with VA standards? | The Government will provide training and escalation protocols post award. | ||
| 128 | B.2 PWS Section 3.0 – General Requirements | To ensure accurate role definition and training requirements, could the Government elaborate on whether “technical support with VA.gov” is intended to include Tier 1 customer assistance such as navigation and referrals only, or if Contractors should also be prepared to support website authentication, login, or access-related troubleshooting? | The technical support could include navigation, general information, and basic login assistance with the expectation that any other activities or support will be referred to Tier 2. |
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