36C24723R0012.docx

Presolicitation Notice Presolicitation Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

215 Perry Hill Road

Montgomery AL

COUNTRY

CONTACT INFORMATION

700 19th St South

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Joseph Osborn Joseph.Osborn@va.gov

(205) 561-8857

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

Project #619-23-920 - CAVHS Master Planning Project THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL; NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER AN EVALUATION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROVIDED SF-330.

ARCHITECT-ENGINEERING (A/E) DESIGN SERVICES:

1. The Department of Veteran Affairs Network 7 Contracting Office is seeking qualified Architect-Engineering (AE) firms to submit Standard Form 330 (SF 330) “Architect/Engineering Statement of Qualifications” for Project # 619-23-920 – VISN 07 Master Planning Project. Firms submitting qualification packages must be fully licensed to perform designs as a registered professional AE firm in the United States to be considered for this opportunity. Also, see geographic location restriction in paragraph 5 of this notice.

2. Network Contracting 7 VA Facility location:

3. This acquisition is a 100% set aside for Small Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.

a. Prospective Contractors are cautioned that proposal submitted in response to this solicitation must meet the criteria identified by 38CFR, Part 74. The SDVOSB concern agrees that in the performance of the contract, the concern will comply with the limitation on subcontracting requirements in accordance with VAAR Clause 852-219-10, VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside.

b. For a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) to be considered as a prospective contractor, the firm, including Joint Ventures, must be verified and registered in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) Vendor Information Pages (VIP), VETBIZ (www.vip.vetbiz.gov , registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database (www.sam.gov) at time of submission of their qualification and reporting to VETS -4212 Federal Contractor Reporting in accordance with FAR 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/vets4212. Failure of a prospective SDVOSB to be verified by the Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) at the time the SF 330 is submitted shall result in elimination from consideration. All Joint Ventures must be CVE verified at time of submission and submit agreements that comply with 13CFR 125.15 prior to contract award.

4. Contract Information: A Firm Fixed Price A/E Design service contract is contemplated for Project # 619-23-920 – VISN 7 Master Plan. There is no estimated magnitude of construction for this project. The estimated/target design completion period is 365 calendar days after issuance of Notice to proceed. The NAICS code for this acquisition is 541330, Engineering Services with a size standard of $22.5 million.

5. The primary place of performance will be at the Consultant’s facility; however, some may require work to be performed at Government facilities. Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

6. Project Information/Statement of Tasks: The Consultant will provide services that include Master Planning, Drawing Maintenance and Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) readiness. (Please see below Statement of Work for detailed deliverables)

7. Selection Criteria: The A/E Source Selection Team shall utilize the following selection criteria listed in descending order of importance:

a. Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required service and working together as a team (in-house and/or consultants(s)). Note: The firm and A/E on staff representing the project or signing drawings in each discipline must be registered/licensed to practice in the United States. Provide your information on the SF 330 clearly marked by providing a current architect and/or engineering License numbers AND proof of Licensure. The VA will confirm the individuals are current and in good standing with the respective state license board.

b. Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required, including but not limited to: Architecture, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fire Protection, Abatement/Industrial Hygiene, Cost Estimation, Project Management and where appropriate, experience in energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and the use of recovered materials. (Include Government and private Experience on similar projects)

c. Capacity to accomplish work in the required time.

d. Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules.

e. Location in general geographical area and knowledge of the locality of the project and that your proximity to the general geographical area enables you to respond to emergency calls in person within 24 hours if required. (SF 330 submittal should show your knowledge of the locality of the project.) Eligible prime contractor firms must have a main and/or branch office geographically located within the 400 mile radius.

f. The extent to which potential contractors identify and commit to the use of service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses, Veteran-owned small businesses, and other types of small businesses as subcontractors

g. Reputation and standing of the firm and its principal officials with respect to professional performance, general management, and cooperativeness. (Awards, Outstanding Merits, Recommendations.

h. Specific experience and qualifications of personnel proposed for assignment to the project.

8. Selection Procedures:

a. This requirement is being procured in accordance with The Brooks Act of 1972, Federal Acquisition Regulation 36.6 (FAR) and VA Acquisition Regulation 836.6 (VAAR) and VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM) 836.6. Firms responding to this announcement by submitting a qualifying SF 330, before the closing date and time, will be considered for initial selection evaluation. Following initial evaluation of the SF330s received three or more firms that are considered the most highly qualified to provide the type of services required will be selected for interviews. Selected firms will be notified by telephone or email of selection and provided further instructions.

b. Selection and evaluation of firms shall be made based on SF 330 submissions and direct responses to the selection criteria identified herein. Failure to address all selection criteria will result in a decreased rating.

c. Evaluating past performance and experience may include information provided by the firm, customer inquiries, Government databases, and Contracting Officer knowledge of current project performance. Failure to provide requested data, accessible points of contact or valid phone numbers could result in a firm being removed from consideration.

d. Firms that design or prepare specifications in conjunction with this contract are prohibited from participating on any future construction contracts based on those documents. All projects identified on the SF330 must be completed by the office/branch/individual team member performing the work under this contract.

9. Submission Requirements:

a. The SF 330 form may be downloaded from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF Completed SF 330’s shall include the primary firms, subcontractor firms and any consultants expected to be used on the project. Do not submit information incorporating by reference. Prospective firms shall address all selection criteria factors within their submitted SF330 packages. The following format shall be used:

(1) Cover Page with Solicitation Number, Project Title

(2) Table of Contents

(3) SF 330’s

(4) Acceptability under other appropriate evaluation criteria; i.e. SF 330, Section H.

(a) Management Plan

i. Management Process

ii. QA/QC

iii. Cost Control/Design within Funding Limitations

iv. Schedule Control

(b) Proposed Design Approach

(c) Estimating Effectiveness

(d) Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time.

(e ) Awards received

(5) Copy of Current A/E state Engineer/Architect License

(6) Copy of current vetBiz.gov SDVOSB certification

(7) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number

(8) Tax ID number

(9) The E‐mail address and Phone number of the Primary Point of Contact.

a. SF 330 Date of Receipt/Due Date: Interested firms having the capabilities to perform this work must submit one (1) electronic SF 330 and attachments (if any) no later than (NLT) no later than Friday, January 6, 2022, by 10:00 CST. Email capacity is limited to five (5) to seven (7) megabyte (Megs).

b. All SF330 submittals and questions must be sent electronically to the attention of Joseph Osborn, Contracting Officer at Joseph.Osborn@va.gov . Please provide Pre-Solicitation Number, Project Title, and Firm Name in Subject Line of email. When submitting SF330s, if more than one email is sent, please number emails in Subjects as “1 of n”. Submittals received after the date and time identified on page one (1) will not be considered. Firms not providing the required information may be negatively evaluated. Facsimile submittals will not be accepted. All information must be included in the SF330.

c. The SF-330 including title page, table of contents, and any other relevant information shall not exceed a total of 50 pages in a common font size 12 font, single spaced. The proposal shall be submitted as a single application-generated (not scanned), searchable PDF document. A page is defined as each face of an 8.5 X 11-inch sheet of paper containing information. The page limitation does not apply to the licenses, contract performance evaluations, (i.e. CPARS) and award documentation. This information should be provided as attachments to the SF 330.

d. All questions regarding this announcement must be emailed to the Contracting Officer Joseph.Osborn@va.gov no later than Monday, December 19, 2022, by 10:00 CST to allow time to respond.

Site Visits will not be arranged during this phase.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE FOR ARCHITECT/ENGINEERING (A/E) DESIGN SERVICES; NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER AN EVALUATION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROVIDED SF-330. ONLY THE A/E FIRMS RESPONDING TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BY SUBMITTING AN SF330 PACKAGE ON TIME WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR INITIAL EVALUATION.

STATEMENT OF WORK

CENTRAL ALABAMA VETERANS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (CAVHCS)

MASTER PLAN 2022

PART A – SCOPE OF WORK

Consultant Services shall include:

The Consultant will provide services that include Master Planning, drawings maintenance, and Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) readiness. CAVHCS has a total of 1,493,213 total gross square feet (GSF) of owned space in 64 buildings, 183,663 NUSF net usable square feet (NUSF) leased in 5 buildings (includes 1 larger replacement lease that will be online in FY22), and a total of the 237 acres. The sites of care are summarized in the below table

Central Alabama VA HCS West Campus Montgomery:

Owned Space: 357,188 GSF Owned Buildings: 16 Acres: 50 Leased Space: 183,663 NUSF (includes 1 larger replacement lease that will be online in FY22)

Leased Buildings: 5 East Campus Tuskegee:

Owned Space: 1,136,025 GSF Owned Buildings: 48 Acres: 187 Leased Space: 0

Leased Buildings: 0

1. Acronym Table

2. MASTER PLANNING: The Consultant will develop a Strategic Business Plan and related Strategic Facility Plan that provides a vision for growth over the next 10 years for CAVHCS. The Consultant will work with the engineering staff, strategic and/or facility planner, and senior leadership team to collect necessary data, analyze the data, and present recommendations regarding projects to support that vision. Collect all necessary data that is provided by the VA and collected independently to include, but not limited to:

· Baseline Year (2019) Veteran population, enrollment, utilization, special population, and local demographics projection forecasts

· Existing workload

· Market and sector (sub-market) boundaries and service needs

· Drive time access and rural analysis

· VHA, VISN, and Medical Center Mission, Vision Statements, and Strategic Plans

· Current facility goals and strategic plans where available

· Previous facility master plans

· Previous market assessment recommendations

· Current Health Care Planning Model (HCPM) Market Reports

· Current SCIP Gaps and Projects

· Proposed Capital and Non-Capital Solutions

· Capital Asset Inventory (CAI) including Facility Condition Assessments (FCA), and Capital Functional Survey Data

· Current facility project data (of ongoing work) and associated space implications

· Joint Commission Statements of Condition

· Other local facility data, and other documents as may be appropriate and available

3. DRAWING MAINTENANCE: The Consultant will conduct a full face-to-face space audit of the main campus (2 facilities). The space audit should show all current rooms, the owning service, the current room usage, and any other information relevant to the planning effort. The Consultant will update the facility’s existing AutoCAD (.dwg) floor plans with any discrepancies found. After the initial audit, two additional audits (virtual) will be made to accommodate changes that result from space moves, and/or renovations and construction projects. The Consultant will develop a process to request a data call and the government will provide updates that were made since the initial audit via space minutes, red-lines, as-builts, etc. in response to the data call.

4. SCIP READINESS: The Consultant will develop a 10-year Construction Phasing Plan that considers the impact of all in-progress and/or pending renovations and make recommendations on the realignment of the facility’s existing SCIP for NRMs, Minors, Leases, and Major projects. The 10-year Construction Phasing Plan will have detailed planning for the first five years and broader overall objectives for the second five years. The Consultant will perform the following tasks: review and identify any new specific capital initiatives such as construction projects, special projects (studies), and/or leases; evaluate the advantages of build versus lease versus fee out decisions regarding capacity requirements (cost, the timing of need, availability of resources, duration of need and location of need relative to location of the customer shall be considered); evaluate the advantages of renovation versus new construction versus non-capital solutions regarding meeting capacity requirements (condition of facilities to be renovated, the cost of renovations, the existing layout and functionality of existing space, physical limitations and constraints, as well as adjacencies of existing space to other key programs in the facility shall be considered). For new capital solutions, the Consultant will develop realistic timelines, cost estimates, gap reviews, detailed descriptions, and scope of work. VA will use this information to submit projects into SCIP (the Consultant will not perform SCIP submissions). For each project, the Consultant will include a timeline that recommends the SCIP year/cycle that the project shall be entered into the SCIP Automation Tool (SAT).

5. Prepare a Basis of Study that outlines the study details and the ultimate presentation in the final plan and reports.

6. Prepare a Schematic Study that includes both narrative and conceptual drawings that meet or exceed current VA performance measures, design guides, and access requirements through improved space utilization. It should demonstrate the following: proposed spatial improvements to facilities that will eliminate gaps and/or surpluses in care; upgrade the facility to meet current life safety and building code requirements; correct high priority (levels C, D, and F) deficiencies as identified in the FCA; increase productivity; economize space; improve ergonomics; improve aesthetics; enhance overall appearance; reduce operational costs; and/or, extend the useful life of the facility through modernization of supporting architectural and utility infrastructure.

7. The master plan should be based on the approved Schematic Study that outlines systematic and logically phased/sequenced plans for improving the environment of care of all medical and administration functions at each Medical Center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics. Additionally, the 10-year Construction Phasing Plan should be a part of the Master Plan.

8. The Consultant conducting the master planning shall have at least ten years of experience in healthcare planning and five years of experience with federal contracts. Experience with healthcare clinical design, VA patient and family-centered care or Planetree philosophy, evidence-based design for interior features to promote healing environments, ADA, NFPA 101 Life Safe Code, LEED certification, energy conservation, interior design, and space planning is preferable.

9. All work to be performed for this project must meet all National Fire Protection (NFPA); National Electric Code (NEC); National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA); Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007); Underwriters Laboratory, Inc. (UL); Federal, State, and Local regulations and codes; and JCAHO standards and guidelines.

10. Deliverables:

A. Part I – Basis of Study: Provide the COR with a detailed summary of current conditions, constraints, and plans. Submission due dates are found in section 10. This summary should include all meeting minutes, analyses performed, reviews performed, and other relevant documentation. This submission is intended to provide an agreed starting point for the master plan. It is expected by this submittal that the Consultant will have performed (at a minimum) the following tasks:

· Coordinated with VA personnel to develop a listing of all planning assumptions and constraints; and,

· Generated in a collaborative method with VA personnel a list of necessary interviewees to ensure that critical stakeholders are included; and,

· Facilitated planning meetings with all critical stakeholders to perform an analysis and determination of needs to develop options for the facility master plan.

· Reviewed the deliverable with the facilities ensuring that the submission is free of errors before submission to the COR.

A facility point of contact will be provided to the Consultant for each site to coordinate the above activities.

B. Part II – Schematic Study: The submittal will include conceptual drawings, conceptual facility master plans, initial project listings, and initial scope and cost estimates. Submission due dates are found in section 10. It is expected by this submittal that the Consultant will have performed (at a minimum) the following tasks:

· Identified any planned new programs for the facility and determining workload and space requirements for those new programs; and,

· Completed a Market Level Services Delivery Plan; and,

· Completed a Space and Service gap analysis that contains all required solutions; and,

· Evaluated and identified additional services needed to support new programs; and,

· Completed an initial gap evaluation and provided a report showing current and future deficiencies for:

· Support Services

· Clinical Services (Patient Care)

· Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Infrastructure

· Space

· Security

· Functionality/Adjacency/Efficiency

· Parking

· Reviewed the deliverable with the facilities ensuring that the submission is free of errors.

C. Part III – CAI: The submittal will include complete .dwg drawings and PDF’s. The consultant will have 10 business days after each site visit and a virtual meeting to update drawings. All efforts shall be done prior to the submission date for each phase. Submission due dates are found in section 1.

D. Part IV – Draft Master Plan and 10-year Construction Phasing Plan: The submittal will include a 60% draft of the master plan and 10-year construction phasing plan with refined drawings, project listings, refined project phasing plan, scope, and cost estimates for all work included in the Master Plan. Submission due dates are found in section 10. Consultant shall be prepared to present this document CAVHCS for discussion and feedback. Draft version to include a two-page briefing paper, online presentation, and handout. It is expected by this submittal that the Consultant will have performed (at a minimum) the following tasks:

· Provided a general listing of program requirements, as well as a detailed listing of projects and prioritization; and,

· Utilized space projections to determine appropriate square footage needs on both the departmental and facility levels; and,

· Developed a detailed list of capital initiatives by year and program along with a Gantt Chart schedule for the Capital Master Plan that will identify tasks (broadly defined projects), task duration, task schedule (timing of activation to meet projected demand), task phasing (successor/predecessor relationships), as well as program resources required for accomplishment (NRM, CSI, Minor, Major, lease, etc.) preferred format for Gantt Chart is Microsoft Projects.

· Reviewed the deliverable with the facilities ensuring that the submission is free of errors.

E. Part V – Final Master Plan and 10-year Construction Phasing Plan: The submittal shall include final drawings, project listings, timeline, scope, and cost estimates for all work of the Master Plan. Consultant shall be prepared to present this document to CAVHCS Leadership for discussion and feedback.

11. Meeting Frequencies (per site), Meeting Modalities, and Submission Due Dates:

Part III CAI updates

· Initial space Audit

· 2nd space Audit

· Update floor plans (final update)

· 3 days

· 1

· 1

· Face to Face

· Virtual

· Virtual

· 90 Days from NTP

· 240 days from NTP

· 330 days from NTP

Note: The VA will have 10 business days to review each deliverable and provide comments/feedback to the Consultant for corrections. Corrections from the Consultant shall be made within 5 business days.

12. Submittal Formats

Submittals shall be provided in electronic format only unless specifically required to be in hard copy format as listed below.

The electronic format includes: Portable Document Format (.pdf), Microsoft Office Suite formats (.doc, .xls, and .ppt), Microsoft Project (.mpp), and AutoCAD (.dwg) files are acceptable formats.

Submittals shall additionally be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. '794 d); information on the requirements for accessible media can be found at http://www.section508.gov/.

Meeting/Conference Minutes: The Consultant will provide meeting minutes for all formal meetings and conferences held with the VA. Meeting minutes shall be submitted within five (5) business days of the meeting or conference.

Site Visit Reports: Site visit reports shall be submitted within ten (10) business days of the visit.

Part I: Basis of Study

· All documents in any of the electronic formats listed above on a CD.

· Three paper bond sets of documents for each facility.

Part II: Schematic Study

· All documents in any of the electronic formats listed above on a CD.

· Three paper bond sets of documents for each facility.

Part III: Draft Master Plan and 10-year Construction Plan

· All documents in any of the electronic formats listed above on a CD.

· Three paper bond sets of Master Plan documents for each facility.

Part IV: CAI updates

· All documents in any of the electronic formats listed above on a CD.

· Drawing updates shall be in .dwg and PDF for each facility.

Part V: Final Master Plan

· All documents in any of the electronic formats listed above on a CD.

· Three paper bond sets of documents for each facility.

13. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 365 calendar days

14. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: The primary place of performance will be at the Consultant’s facility; however, some may require work to be performed at Government facilities. Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

15. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILANCE PLAN (QASP): This QASP describes a systematic method that will be used to evaluate the consultant’s performance.

A. Scope: Consultant shall have an on-going quality control program (QCP) designed to monitor and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of patient care, resolve identified problems, and pursue opportunities to improve patient care objectively and systematically. The written plan shall delineate the objective of the quality assurance activities, scope of the activities, activities for monitoring and evaluation, methods of implementation of the monitoring and evaluation activities, methods for reporting results, mechanisms for taking follow-up action and responsibilities of staff for each activity of the quality assurance program. The objectives, scope, organization, and effectiveness of the quality assurance plan shall be evaluated at least annually and revised as necessary. The Consultant shall present their Quarterly Quality Assurance Measures / Data / Outcomes at our Quarterly Assurance Meetings.

B. Performance Requirements Standards: Performance standards define desired contractor performance. The VA performs surveillance to determine if the Consultant exceeds, meets, or does not meet these standards. The VA shall use the standards below to determine contractor performance and shall compare contractor performance to the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL).

Ratings will be documented in CPARS

Ratings will be documented in CPARS

Ratings will be documented in CPARS

Ratings will be documented in CPARS

The following Government personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities:

a. Contracting Officer (CO):

Assigned CO: Joseph Osborn Organization: NCO 7, Construction Team West Telephone: (205) 561-8857 Email: Joseph.Osborn@va.gov

b. Contracting Officers Representative (COR):

Assigned COR: James Bearrentine Organization: CAVHS Engineering Telephone: (334) 727-0550 Ext. 53402 Email: James.Bearrentine@va.gov

c. The Consultant has assigned the following personnel to measure the Consultant’s QCP against the performance standards of this QASP in accordance with the Consultant’s QCP. In addition, they will serve as the Consultant’s Program Manager for this contract.

Program Manager: TBD Telephone: TBD Email: TBD

C. Methods of QA Surveillance: Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this plan:

a. Monitoring of issues through meetings, management information systems, and customer service feedback

b. Planned – Direct Observation (Can be performed periodically or through 100% surveillance).

c. Periodic inspection of updates

d. Direct observation of consultant work activities and deliverables.

e. Data validation.

f. Additional surveillance may be employed as determined necessary based on consultant performance.

D. Ratings & Documenting Performance: Metrics and methods are designed to determine if performance exceeds, meets, or does not meet a given standard and acceptable quality level. A rating scale shall be used to determine a positive, neutral, or negative outcome. The following ratings shall be used, and performance will be documented in CPARS:

a. Acceptable Performance: The VA will document positive performance.

b. Unacceptable Performance: When unacceptable performance occurs, the COR will inform the contractor. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the COR will document the discussion and place it in the COR file.

When unacceptable performance occurs, the COR will inform the contractor. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the COR will document the discussion and place it in the COR file. When the COR determines formal written communication is required, the COR will prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) and present it to the contractor's program manager. The contractor shall acknowledge receipt of the CDR in writing. The CDR will specify if the contractor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the contractor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CDR will also state how long after receipt the contractor has to present this corrective action plan to the COR. The VA will review the contractor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability. Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO.

PART B - Supplement “B”

The project design shall be completed in accordance with this scope and all appropriate Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) standards, specifications, and other criteria otherwise required by the VA. The Consultant shall retrieve all VA design information and standards from the VA Facilities Web Site (http://www.cfm.va.gov/). These documents and all national, state, and local codes adopted and used by the VA shall be incorporated in the design of this project and reflected in the construction cost estimate. The following references, as applicable but not limited to, shall be utilized for planning and design purposes:

· National CAD Standard Details PG-18-4

· VHA Program Guide PG-18-3

· VA Master Construction Specifications

· Structural Design Manual

· National Electric Code

· PG-18-13 Barrier Free Design Handbook

· Life Safety Codes

· Electrical Design Manual

· Government-furnished Record Drawings (Consultant to field verify conditions)

· PG-18-15 AE Submission Requirements.

· HVAC Design Manual

· VA Sustainable Design Manual

PART C – Security Requirements

VHA Handbook 6500 (Appendix B), 852.273-75 - Security Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources: The contractor, their personnel, and their subcontractors shall be subject to the Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks regarding information and information system security as delineated in this contract.

VHA Handbook 6500 (Appendix C), Access to VA Information and VA Information Systems:

· A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.

· All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

· The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor’s employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.

VHA Handbook 6500 (Appendix C), VA Information Custodial Language:

· Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in the performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).

· VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractors’ information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA’s information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA’s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct onsite inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements.

· Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract.

· The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations, and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations, and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issues or updates applicable Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.

· The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on contractor/subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the contractor/subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed.

· If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12.

· 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.

· Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA’s prior written approval. The contractor/subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA Contracting Officer for response.

Part D - Required Training

All contractor employees and subcontractor employees requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems:

The contractor shall provide to the CO and/or the COR a copy of the training certificates and certification of signing the Contractor Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within 1 week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required. Failure to complete the mandatory annual training and sign the Rules of Behavior annually, within the timeframe required, is grounds for suspension or termination of all physical or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the training and documents are complete.

END OF STATEMENT OF WORK

Presolicitation Notice