Statement Of Work_AgriEnviro_Proquest.docx

Statement of Work - Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration

Agricultural & Environmental Science Database (ProQuest) Health Outcome Military Exposures (HOME) - November 2024

The VA's Office of Patient Care Services, Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME) requires a subscription to Agricultural & Environmental Science Database (ProQuest) which will be made available to all HOME staff (librarians, researchers, epidemiologists, toxicologists, clinicians, health science specialists, administrators, etc.)

2.0 Background:

Agricultural & Environmental Science Database (ProQuest) is a cross-disciplinary resource of full-text content along with expert indexing of global literature across agricultural, environmental, and related disciplines. It features peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, magazines, grey literature, working papers, conference papers and proceedings. It also includes Environmental Impact Statements & Digests in full text and AGRICOLA, the world’s leading bibliographic database of agricultural science literature.

Agricultural & Environmental Science Database (ProQuest) will allow all HOME staff to access in-depth research and literature reviews covering agricultural research, environmental research, and allied disciplines. Subject offerings include the following: agricultural economics, animal and veterinary sciences, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, food and human nutrition, forestry, and plant sciences.

Agricultural & Environmental Science Database (ProQuest) capabilities include:

a. Comprehensive user search interface (basic search, advanced search, publications search, etc.)

b. Comprehensive scope of coverage; journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, and more.

c. Abstracting and indexing of all relevant literature

d. Immediate access to thousands of full-text titles and key content sources.

3.0 Scope of Work:

The contractor shall provide all HOME staff with online access to a single online, web-based subscription to Agricultural & Environmental Science Database (ProQuest). Authentication shall be through IP authentication and username/password when IP access is not available.

a. The contractor shall provide an unrestricted number of simultaneous users with immediate access from any web-enabled computer within the Department of Veteran Affairs, Health Outcomes Military Exposure (HOME) office to 150 HOME staff of onsite and remote employees.

b. The contractor shall assure the requirements listed in paragraphs 5, Information Quality, 6, Usability, 7, Currency, and 8, Access, Content, Support, are addressed.

4.0 Performance Period: One (1) year from date of award, plus three (3) one (1) year option periods to be exercised at the discretion of the Government.

5.0 Information Quality:

The contractor shall assure:

a. Information is accurate, authoritative, and relevant.

b. Authors and sources are well recognized subject matter experts in their fields.

c. Policies for determining validity and standards for inclusion of material are well described.

d. Content includes cited references or sources.

6.0 Usability:

The contractor shall assure:

e. Navigation within the system is logical and is easy to use. There is fast access to all content. Abstracting and indexing retrieves content of high relevance quickly.

a. The product has “user friendly” help and instructional aids.

b. Users can quickly and easily locate information sources by using the comprehensive user search interface (basic search, advanced search, publications search, etc.)

7.0 Currency:

a. The contractor shall assure content areas are updated on a continuous, incremental cycle rather than on a single anniversary date for the entire product.

8.0 Access, Content, Support:

The contractor shall assure:

a. Product is 508 compliant (http://www.section508.gov/). If product is not 508 compliant, the contractor shall describe measures being taken to bring product into compliance and date, within 12 months of contract award, that product will be 508 compliant. Or, if product is not 508 compliant, the contractor shall describe why no work is being done to make it 508 compliant.

b. All site content and support of the web site is the responsibility of the contractor.

c. System downtime is minimal, and the VA project manager is notified when such occurs.

d. Information sources can be easily printed, saved, downloaded, emailed, etc.

e. Customer service is available 24/7/365 via toll free number.

f. Usage statistics are available to the system administrator on an enterprise and IP level.

g. The product is accessible via a variety of personal mobile devices including Apple and Android devices.

h. The product’s licensing agreement permits free use for educational purposes of all pictures and graphics.

i. Graphics, pictures, and/or images that are searchable are highly desirable.

j. On-site and remote instruction to training materials are available and designed to integrate solutions with maximum efficiency and effectiveness into the Health Outcome Military Exposures (HOME) work environment.