Questions and Answers.docx

1. Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing this work? If so, can the Government provide the incumbent contract number, Period of performance, and total value? This is a new requirement.

1. Do SCLS, Wage Determination apply to any positions supporting this contract? If so, please provide applicable wage determination revision. The services are performed remotely, without the need for physical presence or on-site labor. As such, the nature of the work does not fall under the scope of service labor occupations covered by the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS). The tasks are distinct from general service labor and are instead aligned with professional and technical categories.

1. Would the government consider extending the RFP due date for 7-10 days after answers to questions are released to allow for vendors to review the answers and prepare their proposal response? The deadline for submission of quotes will not be extended.

1. Are on-site visits ever expected, or is this contract strictly remote support? Strictly remote support for software and devices. See SOW section I. & II.

1. Will the annual technical efficiency review require a site visit? If so, will a CLIN be added for travel/ODC? No.

1. What is the monthly average number of system issues that arise? 5-10

1. Approximately how many service tickets or incidents occur per month for the nurse call system? 5

1. Can the Government provide historical data for:

1. Number of incidents No

1. Average resolution time As soon as possible. This is a life safety system.

1. Number of system upgrades per year? 0

1. On the price schedule, the Quantity value is 1. Should quantity be 12 for monthly invoicing? No. The Unit of Issue covers a 12 month period - Invoices to be submitted in arrears.

1. What is the current Jeron system integrated with (for example, a PBX, VOIP, etc.)? If so, what is the name of the system? See SOW section IV.

1. What remote access method will be provided by the government for contractor use (VPN, VA remote access gateway, OEM portal)? VA remote access via VA Centrix

1. Will the contractor be provided administrator privileges to the system or will actions require VA coordination? Contractor will be provided administrator privileges for Jeron Provider 790 system and related devices, software, and equipment only.

1. How many workstations are being supported? See SOW section IV.

1. How many nursing consoles are being supported? See SOW section IV.

1. How many end points are being supported? See SOW section IV.

1. How many total nurse call endpoints/devices are currently connected to the system (beds, consoles, phones, etc.)? See SOW section IV.

1. Can the Government provide an overview of the current Jeron 790 Nurse Call system deployment (servers, interfaces, consoles, network connections)? No.

1. Is the system deployed at one facility only (Atlanta VAMC) or are there multiple buildings or campuses involved? Only Atlanta VAMC.

1. Are software licenses for the Jeron 790 system already owned by the Government, or is the contractor expected to provide license renewals? Vendor renewed.

Are there third-party system integrations currently connected (EHR, VoIP, messaging systems, ADT)? Answer: Get Well, Vocera, Bed Alarms, and eventually automated overhead paging for code 99 and rapid response code calls initiated by nurse call system.

1. What are the expected response and resolution times for the 24x7x365 service desk requirement? As soon as possible. This is a life safety system.

1. For the Annual Technical Efficiency Review, can the Government clarify the expected deliverable format for the Annual Technical Efficiency Review? There are no requirements regarding the format of the Annual Efficiency Review.

1. For the Reporting Requirements, is there a standard VA reporting template that contractors should follow? No. Just professional and clear language with required information for reports, invoices, company information/letterhead, etc. and following requirements of VA SOW, fiscal, contracting office, and government regulations and policies for records creation and the submission of them to VA.

1. Does the VA require technicians to have certified training from Jeron? Yes

1. Will the contractor be required to provide end-user training for hospital staff after updates or upgrades? Yes - if it changes user and system technical and general functionality.

1. Does the Government anticipate a dedicated remote administrator? No

1. Will contractor personnel require VA background investigations or PIV credentials to access VA systems? Yes. VA Centrix requires VA PIV to access for remote support for system.

1. What level, if any, of security clearance is required for personnel supporting the contract? None

1. How frequently does Jeron release software updates or firmware upgrades that must be installed? Frequently. Always check to ensure that the most current version is available and is installed for our system.

1. The pricing schedule lists two CLINs per year: Software Support and Assurance; Remote Managed Services: Should the offeror price these as separate labor/service components, or is the Government expecting a single bundled solution broken into two CLINs?

Pricing should be submitted in accordance with the format provided in the solicitation.

1. Evaluation Criteria includes Technical Approach, Experience and Past Performance.

21. Should offerors include these sections in one volume or multiple volumes/files? Offeror may submit as one volume or multiple volumes.

21. Can the government define the difference between Experience and Past Performance? Experience refers to the contractor's history of performing similar work or tasks. Past performance refers to the contractor's track record of how well they have executed similar projects in the past.

21. Are there any restrictions on page limits? No limit has been set.

21. Should pricing be provided in a separate volume/file? It is not required for pricing to be submitted in a separate volume/file.