36C25220Q0268-0001011.pdf

Contract Opportunity

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

CLASSIFICATION CODE *

SUBJECT *

CONTRACTING OFFICE'S *

ZIP-CODE

SOLICITATION NUMBER *

BASE NOTICE TYPE

RESPONSE DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)

ARCHIVE DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

SET-ASIDE

NAICS CODE *

CONTRACTING OFFICE

ADDRESS

POINT OF CONTACT *

(POC Information Automatically Filled from

User Profile Unless Entered)

DESCRIPTION * See Attachment

AGENCY'S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT'S EMAIL

ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

* = Required Field Contract Opportunity Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

R606

Court Reporting Services

60064

36C25220Q0268

02-04-2020

N

SDVOSBC

561492

Department of Veterans Affairs

Great Lakes Acquisition Center (GLAC)

3001 Green Bay Road

Building 1, Room 326

North Chicago IL 60064

Department of Veterans Affairs

Captain James A. Lovell

Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)

3001 Green Bay Road

North Chicago, IL

60064-3048

USA

http://www.va.gov

Department of Veterans Affairs

Naqikah.Greenfield@va.gov

E-Mail

PAGE 1 OF 1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NO. 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls) 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR CODE FACILITY CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

TELEPHONE NO. DUNS: DUNS+4:

PHONE: FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

ITEM NO. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION (REV. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 90

556-20-1-4014-0005

36C25220Q0268 01-28-2020

GREENFIELD,NAQIKAH 224-610-3283 02-04-2020

10:00AM local

36C252

Great Lakes Acquisition Center (GLAC)

3001 Green Bay Road

X 100

X

561492

$16.5 Million

N/A

X

Captain James A. Lovell

Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)

3001 Green Bay Road

North Chicago IL 60064-3048

36C252

Great Lakes Acquisition Center (GLAC)

Financial Services Center

PO Box 149971

Austin TX 78714-9971

877-353-9791 512-460-5540

See CONTINUATION Page

PROVIDE COURT REPORTING/TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES AT THE

CAPTAIN JAMES A. LOVELL FEDERAL HEALTH CARE CENTER (FHCC)

AND ASSOCIATED COMMUNITY BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS (CBOCs)

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEMENT OF WORK.

SERVICE CONTRACT LABOR STANDARDS APPLY - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

(DOL) WAGE DETERMINATION (WD) 15-4935 (REVISION 12), DATED

12/23/2019

100% SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

See CONTINUATION Page

556-3600169-4014-741900-2580 070053743

X X

X 1

NAQIKAH C. GREENFIELD

CONTRACTING OFFICER

Table of Contents

SECTION A

A.1 SF 1449 SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA (continuation from Standard Form 1449, block

18A.)

B.2 IT CONTRACT SECURITY

B.3 STATEMENT OF WORK

B.4 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT

2018)

C.2 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

C.3 52.216-18 ORDERING (OCT 1995)

C.4 52.216-19 ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995)

C.5 52.216-22 INDEFINITE QUANTITY (OCT 1995)

C.6 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

C.7 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)

C.8 52.219-6 NOTICE OF TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (DEVIATION 2019-01)

C.9 52.232-19 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR (APR 1984) 39

C.10 VAAR 852.203-70 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING (MAY 2018)

C.11 VAAR 852.219-10 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-

OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (JUL 2019) (DEVIATION)

C.12 VAAR 852.219-74 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—MONITORING AND

COMPLIANCE (JUL 2018)

C.13 VAAR 852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV

2018)

C.14 VAAR 852.237-70 INDEMNIFICATION AND MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

(OCT 2019)

C.15 VAAR 852.270-1 REPRESENTATIVES OF CONTRACTING OFFICERS (JAN 2008) 44

C.16 VAAR 852.273-75 - SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES (INTERIM- OCTOBER 2008)

C.17 52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT

STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2019)

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS

D.1 BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT

D.2 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WAGE DETERMINATIONS

SECTION E - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

E.1 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2018)

E.2 FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS

E.3 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB

1998)

E.4 52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (DEC 2019)

E.5 52.212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS

E.6 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS—COMMERCIAL

ITEMS (DEC 2019)

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA (continuation from Standard Form 1449, block 18A.)

1. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

a. CONTRACTOR: __________________________________ (Contractor’s Name)

__________________________________ (Address)

__________________________________ (City-State-Zip)

__________________________________ (Point of Contact/Title)

PHONE NUMBER: __________________________________

FAX NUMBER: __________________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: __________________________________

DUNS NUMBER: __________________________________

b. GOVERNMENT: Naqikah Greenfield, Contracting Officer

Great Lakes Acquisition Center (GLAC)

3001 Green Bay Road

Building 1, Room 326

North Chicago, IL 60064-3048

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with:

a. FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management (OCT

2018)

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears upon inspection and acceptance of services in accordance with:

a. VAAR 852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV 2018)

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS (See SF1449 Block 18):

a. All invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with

852.232-72 ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS (NOV 2018)

b. Facsimile, e-mail, and scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests.

c. VA’s Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment System – The FSC uses a third-party contractor, Tungsten Network e-Invoice, to transition vendors from paper to electronic invoice submission. Please go to this website: http://www.tungsten-network.com/customer-campaigns/veterans-affairs-us/ to begin submitting electronic invoices, free of charge.

d. For assistance setting up e-Invoice, the below information is provided:

* Tungsten Network e-Invoice Setup Information: 1-877-489-6135

* Tungsten Network e-Invoice email: VA.Registration@Tungsten-Network.com http://www.tungsten-network.com/customer-campaigns/veterans-affairs-us/ http://www.tungsten-network.com/customer-campaigns/veterans-affairs-us/ mailto:VA.Registration@Tungsten-Network.com

* FSC e-Invoice Contact Information: 1-877-353-9791

* FSC e-invoice email: vafsccshd@va.gov

5. INVOICES cont:

a. Payments shall be made in arrears upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice

b. In order to comply with the Improper Payment Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010

(IPERA), the VA has mandated electronic invoice submission to the Veterans Affairs

Financial Services Center (VAFSC). VAFSC has partnered with Tungsten Network e-

Invoicing network, for submissions of all electronic invoices to VA. Tungsten Network electronic invoicing is free to all VA vendors. In order to submit electronic invoices, all

VA vendors must register with Tungsten Network by submitting an email to

VA.Registration@Tungsten-Network.com or calling 1-877-752-0900 option 2 for

Enrollment.

c. Contractor shall submit an electronic invoice by the tenth (10th) of the following month services were performed to the Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center (VAFSC) e-

Invoice through the website at https://portal.Tungsten-Network.com/Login.aspx. For questions regarding the submission of VA electronic invoices, Tungsten Network customer service may be contacted at 1-877-489-6135.

d. All invoices shall reference the vendor name and address, customer name, contract number, appropriate obligation/funding order number, description of services provided, quantity, unit price, and total invoice amount (any additional info). Invoices shall also include any payment discount terms.

e. For questions regarding invoice receipt or payment, please call VAFSC directly at 1-877-

353-9791 or email vafsccshd@va.gov

OFFERORS MUST COMPLETE AND RETURN ALL INFORMATION DESIGNATED HEREIN

PRIOR TO THE TIME SPECIFIED IN BLOCK 8 OF THE SF 1449 IN ORDER TO BE

CONSIDERED FOR AWARD.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

AMENDMENT DATE

_0001_________________________ __01/30/2020__

OFFER REQUIREMENTS & INSTRUCTIONS:

See Section E.1. 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (OCT 2018) and Section E.2.

General Instructions to Offerors.

ACQUISITION OF COMMERCIAL ITEMS/EVALUATION/BASIS OF AWARD:

This Request for Quote (RFQ) solicitation is issued under the authority of FAR Part 12 Acquisition of

Commercial Items and FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures. FAR Part 15 will not be used.

mailto:vafsccshd@va.gov mailto:VA.Registration@Tungsten-Network.com https://portal.tungsten-network.com/Login.aspx mailto:vafsccshd@va.gov

The procedures in Part 12 used in conjunction with Part 13 allow the Government to procure services resembling those in the commercial marketplace and streamline the procurement process. See 52.212-2

Evaluation – Commercial Items for a description of the factors that the Government will use to evaluate offers. Prospective contractors must furnish the information listed herein with their proposals to ensure they receive full consideration.

TYPE OF CONTRACT/AUTHORIZED LIMITS:

The Government anticipates award of an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) fixed unit price contract. The Government estimates that the IDIQ orders placed against this agreement will have an aggregate minimum of at least $300.00 and a non-guaranteed maximum (ceiling limit) of $250,000.00 over the period of the IDIQ. The successful contractor shall be responsible for requirements in accordance with the terms, conditions, provision and specifications of this contract for the period specified in the schedule.

All orders including those that exceed the ceiling limits must be coordinated through the Contracting

Officer before larger valued orders can be issued and prior to commencement of work. All unauthorized work, regardless of amount, will be processed through the ratification process.

SPECIAL NOTE:

In order to maintain integrity of this solicitation and subsequent award date, all offerors are advised that any questions must be submitted in written form via e-mail to Naqikah.Greenfield@va.gov, Contracting

Officer no later than THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 at 10:00 AM local time. Contracting will issue a consolidated response via solicitation amendment to Contract Opportunities (FBO) https://beta.sam.gov within 2 business day to all parties.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION:

The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements under this order. The Contractor shall communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters pertaining to task order administration. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitment or issue changes that will affect price, quantity or quality of performance of this order. In the event the Contractor effects any such change at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the change shall be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the order price to cover any increase in cost incurred thereof.

B.2 IT CONTRACT SECURITY

VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY

1. GENERAL

Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS

a. 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.

mailto:Naqikah.Greenfield@va.gov https://beta.sam.gov/

b. 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.

c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The

Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security

Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security

Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the contractor/subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S.

may be an evaluation factor.

e. 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.

3. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

a. 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 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).

b. VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor's 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 on site 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.

c. 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.

d. 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 NIST issues or updates applicable 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.

e. 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.

f. 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.

g. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.01, Business Associate Agreements.

Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship.

h. The contractor/subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated.

i. 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.

j. 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.

k. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor/subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38

U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the contractor/subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that contractor/subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response.

l. For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require C&A or an MOU-ISA for system interconnection, the contractor/subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COR.

4. INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

a. Information systems that are designed or developed for or on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities shall comply with all VA directives developed in accordance with FISMA, HIPAA, NIST, and related VA security and privacy control requirements for Federal information systems. This includes standards for the protection of electronic PHI, outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C, information and system security categorization level designations in accordance with FIPS 199 and FIPS 200 with implementation of all baseline security controls commensurate with the FIPS 199 system security categorization (reference Appendix D of VA Handbook 6500, VA Information Security Program).

During the development cycle a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must be completed, provided to the

COR, and approved by the VA Privacy Service in accordance with Directive 6507, VA Privacy Impact

Assessment.

b. The contractor/subcontractor shall certify to the COR that applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the VA Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC), and the common security configuration guidelines provided by NIST or the VA. This includes Internet

Explorer 7 configured to operate on Windows XP and Vista (in Protected Mode on Vista) and future versions, as required.

c. The standard installation, operation, maintenance, updating, and patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the VA approved and FDCC configuration. Information technology staff must also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default "program files" directory and silently install and uninstall.

d. Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges.

e. The security controls must be designed, developed, approved by VA, and implemented in accordance with the provisions of VA security system development life cycle as outlined in NIST Special Publication

800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems, VA

Handbook 6500, Information Security Program and VA Handbook 6500.5, Incorporating Security and

Privacy in System Development Lifecycle.

f. The contractor/subcontractor is required to design, develop, or operate a System of Records Notice

(SOR) on individuals to accomplish an agency function subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (as amended), Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Privacy Act may involve the imposition of criminal and civil penalties.

g. The contractor/subcontractor agrees to:

(1) Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically identifies:

(a) The Systems of Records (SOR); and

(b) The design, development, or operation work that the contractor/ subcontractor is to perform;

(1) Include the Privacy Act notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation, when the work statement in the proposed subcontract requires the redesign, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals that is subject to the Privacy Act; and

(2) Include this Privacy Act clause, including this subparagraph (3), in all subcontracts awarded under this contract which requires the design, development, or operation of such a SOR.

h. In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the violation concerns the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of the Act, when the contract is for the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the contractor/subcontractor is considered to be an employee of the agency.

(1) "Operation of a System of Records" means performance of any of the activities associated with maintaining the SOR, including the collection, use, maintenance, and dissemination of records.

(2) "Record" means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and contains the person's name, or identifying number, symbol, or any other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a fingerprint or voiceprint, or a photograph.

(3) "System of Records" means a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.

i. The vendor shall ensure the security of all procured or developed systems and technologies, including their subcomponents (hereinafter referred to as "Systems"), throughout the life of this contract and any extension, warranty, or maintenance periods. This includes, but is not limited to workarounds, patches, hotfixes, upgrades, and any physical components (hereafter referred to as Security Fixes) which may be necessary to fix all security vulnerabilities published or known to the vendor anywhere in the Systems, including Operating Systems and firmware. The vendor shall ensure that Security Fixes shall not negatively impact the Systems.

j. The vendor shall notify VA within 24 hours of the discovery or disclosure of successful exploits of the vulnerability which can compromise the security of the Systems (including the confidentiality or integrity of its data and operations, or the availability of the system). Such issues shall be remediated as quickly as is practical, but in no event longer than 5 days.

k. When the Security Fixes involve installing third party patches (such as Microsoft OS patches or

Adobe Acrobat), the vendor will provide written notice to the VA that the patch has been validated as not affecting the Systems within 10 working days. When the vendor is responsible for operations or maintenance of the Systems, they shall apply the Security Fixes within 5 days.

l. All other vulnerabilities shall be remediated as specified in this paragraph in a timely manner based on risk, but within 60 days of discovery or disclosure. Exceptions to this paragraph (e.g. for the convenience of VA) shall only be granted with approval of the contracting officer and the VA Assistant

Secretary for Office of Information and Technology.

5. INFORMATION SYSTEM HOSTING, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, OR USE

a. For information systems that are hosted, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities, contractors/subcontractors are fully responsible and accountable for ensuring compliance with all HIPAA, Privacy Act, FISMA, NIST, FIPS, and VA security and privacy directives and handbooks.

This includes conducting compliant risk assessments, routine vulnerablity scanning, system patching and change management procedures, and the completion of an acceptable contingency plan for each system.

The contractor's security control procedures must be equivalent, to those procedures used to secure VA systems. A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must also be provided to the COR and approved by VA

Privacy Service prior to operational approval. All external Internet connections to VA's network involving VA information must be reviewed and approved by VA prior to implementation.

b. Adequate security controls for collecting, processing, transmitting, and storing of Personally

Identifiable Information (PII), as determined by the VA Privacy Service, must be in place, tested, and approved by VA prior to hosting, operation, maintenance, or use of the information system, or systems by or on behalf of VA. These security controls are to be assessed and stated within the PIA and if these controls are determined not to be in place, or inadequate, a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) must be submitted and approved prior to the collection of PII.

c. Outsourcing (contractor facility, contractor equipment or contractor staff) of systems or network operations, telecommunications services, or other managed services requires certification and accreditation (authorization) (C&A) of the contractor's systems in accordance with VA Handbook 6500.3, Certification and Accreditation and/or the VA OCS Certification Program Office. Government- owned

(government facility or government equipment) contractor-operated systems, third party or business partner networks require memorandums of understanding and interconnection agreements (MOU-ISA) which detail what data types are shared, who has access, and the appropriate level of security controls for all systems connected to VA networks.

d. The contractor/subcontractor's system must adhere to all FISMA, FIPS, and NIST standards related to the annual FISMA security controls assessment and review and update the PIA. Any deficiencies noted during this assessment must be provided to the VA contracting officer and the ISO for entry into

VA's POA&M management process. The contractor/subcontractor must use VA's POA&M process to document planned remedial actions to address any deficiencies in information security policies, procedures, and practices, and the completion of those activities. Security deficiencies must be corrected within the timeframes approved by the government. Contractor/subcontractor procedures are subject to periodic, unannounced assessments by VA officials, including the VA Office of Inspector General. The physical security aspects associated with contractor/ subcontractor activities must also be subject to such assessments. If major changes to the system occur that may affect the privacy or security of the data or the system, the C&A of the system may need to be reviewed, retested and re- authorized per VA

Handbook 6500.3. This may require reviewing and updating all of the documentation (PIA, System

Security Plan, Contingency Plan). The Certification Program Office can provide guidance on whether a new C&A would be necessary.

e. The contractor/subcontractor must conduct an annual self assessment on all systems and outsourced services as required. Both hard copy and electronic copies of the assessment must be provided to the

COR. The government reserves the right to conduct such an assessment using government personnel or another contractor/subcontractor. The contractor/subcontractor must take appropriate and timely action

(this can be specified in the contract) to correct or mitigate any weaknesses discovered during such testing, generally at no additional cost.

f. VA prohibits the installation and use of personally-owned or contractor/ subcontractor-owned equipment or software on VA's network. If non-VA owned equipment must be used to fulfill the requirements of a contract, it must be stated in the service agreement, SOW or contract. All of the security controls required for government furnished equipment (GFE) must be utilized in approved other equipment (OE) and must be funded by the owner of the equipment. All remote systems must be equipped with, and use, a VA-approved antivirus (AV) software and a personal (host-based or enclave based) firewall that is configured with a VA-approved configuration. Software must be kept current, including all critical updates and patches. Owners of approved OE are responsible for providing and maintaining the anti-viral software and the firewall on the non-VA owned OE.

g. All electronic storage media used on non-VA leased or non-VA owned IT equipment that is used to store, process, or access VA information must be handled in adherence with VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization upon: (i) completion or termination of the contract or (ii) disposal or return of the IT equipment by the contractor/subcontractor or any person acting on behalf of the contractor/subcontractor, whichever is earlier. Media (hard drives, optical disks, CDs, back-up tapes, etc.)

used by the contractors/ subcontractors that contain VA information must be returned to the VA for sanitization or destruction or the contractor/subcontractor must self-certify that the media has been disposed of per 6500.1 requirements. This must be completed within 30 days of termination of the contract.

h. Bio-Medical devices and other equipment or systems containing media (hard drives, optical disks, etc.) with VA sensitive information must not be returned to the vendor at the end of lease, for trade-in, or other purposes. The options are:

(1) Vendor must accept the system without the drive;

(2) VA's initial medical device purchase includes a spare drive which must be installed in place of the original drive at time of turn-in; or

(3) VA must reimburse the company for media at a reasonable open market replacement cost at time of purchase.

(4) Due to the highly specialized and sometimes proprietary hardware and software associated with medical equipment/systems, if it is not possible for the VA to retain the hard drive, then;

(a) The equipment vendor must have an existing BAA if the device being traded in has sensitive information stored on it and hard drive(s) from the system are being returned physically intact; and

(b) Any fixed hard drive on the device must be non-destructively sanitized to the greatest extent possible without negatively impacting system operation. Selective clearing down to patient data folder level is recommended using VA approved and validated overwriting technologies/methods/tools.

Applicable media sanitization specifications need to be pre-approved and described in the purchase order or contract.

(c) A statement needs to be signed by the Director (System Owner) that states that the drive could not be removed and that (a) and (b) controls above are in place and completed. The ISO needs to maintain the documentation.

6. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION

a. The term "security incident" means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/ subcontractor shall immediately notify the COR and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/ subcontractor has access.

b. To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/ subcontractor's notice to VA shall identify the information involved, the circumstances surrounding the incident (including to whom, how, when, and where the VA information or assets were placed at risk or compromised), and any other information that the contractor/subcontractor considers relevant.

c. With respect to unsecured protected health information, the business associate is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the business associate knew or should have known of a breach of such information. Upon discovery, the business associate must notify the covered entity of the breach.

Notifications need to be made in accordance with the executed business associate agreement.

d. In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the contractor/subcontractor must concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG and Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The contractor/subcontractor shall cooperate with VA in any civil litigation to recover VA information, obtain monetary or other compensation from a third party for damages arising from any incident, or obtain injunctive relief against any third party arising from, or related to, the incident.

7. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FOR DATA BREACH

a. Consistent with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 5725, a contract may require access to sensitive personal information. If so, the contractor is liable to VA for liquidated damages in the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the contractor/subcontractor processes or maintains under this contract.

b. The contractor/subcontractor shall provide notice to VA of a "security incident" as set forth in the

Security Incident Investigation section above. Upon such notification, VA must secure from a non-

Department entity or the VA Office of Inspector General an independent risk analysis of the data breach to determine the level of risk associated with the data breach for the potential misuse of any sensitive personal information involved in the data breach. The term 'data breach' means the loss, theft, or other unauthorized access, or any access other than that incidental to the scope of employment, to data containing sensitive personal information, in electronic or printed form, that results in the potential compromise of the confidentiality or integrity of the data. Contractor shall fully cooperate with the entity performing the risk analysis. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination.

c. Each risk analysis shall address all relevant information concerning the data breach, including the following:

(1) Nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access);

(2) Description of the event, including:

(a) date of occurrence;

(b) data elements involved, including any PII, such as full name, social security number, date of birth, home address, account number, disability code;

(3) Number of individuals affected or potentially affected;

(4) Names of individuals or groups affected or potentially affected;

(5) Ease of logical data access to the lost, stolen or improperly accessed data in light of the degree of protection for the data, e.g., unencrypted, plain text;

(6) Amount of time the data has been out of VA control;

(7) The likelihood that the sensitive personal information will or has been compromised (made accessible to and usable by unauthorized persons);

(8) Known misuses of data containing sensitive personal information, if any;

(9) Assessment of the potential harm to the affected individuals;

(10) Data breach analysis as outlined in 6500.2 Handbook, Management of Security and Privacy

Incidents, as appropriate; and

(11) Whether credit protection services may assist record subjects in avoiding or mitigating the results of identity theft based on the sensitive personal information that may have been compromised.

d. Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis, the contractor shall be responsible for paying to the VA liquidated damages in the amount of $37.50 per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following:

(1) Notification;

(2) One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports;

(3) Data breach analysis;

(4) Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution;

(5) One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and

(6) Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories, or financial affairs.

8. SECURITY CONTROLS COMPLIANCE TESTING

On a periodic basis, VA, including the Office of Inspector General, reserves the right to evaluate any or all of the security controls and privacy practices implemented by the contractor under the clauses contained within the contract. With 10 working-day's notice, at the request of the government, the contractor must fully cooperate and assist in a government-sponsored security controls assessment at each location wherein VA information is processed or stored, or information systems are developed, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA, including those initiated by the Office of Inspector General. The government may conduct a security control assessment on shorter notice (to include unannounced assessments) as determined by VA in the event of a security incident or at any other time.

9. TRAINING

a. 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:

(1) Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix E relating to access to VA information and information systems;

(2) Successfully complete the VA Cyber Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training and annually complete required security training;

(3) Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete required privacy training; and

(4) Successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access [to be defined by the VA program official and provided to the contracting officer for inclusion in the solicitation document - e.g., any role-based information security training required in accordance with NIST Special Publication 800-16, Information

Technology Security Training Requirements.]

b. The contractor shall provide to the contracting officer 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.

c. 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 Clause)

B.3 STATEMENT OF WORK

COURT REPORTING/TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES

1. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

a. The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, materials, and services, and otherwise do all things necessary for and incidental to the verbatim reporting and transcription of proceedings conducted by or pursuant to orders Office of Resolution Management, Regional Counsel, the

Administrative Judge, and/or the Administrative Investigative Board (AIB) Coordinator at Captain

James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), North Chicago, Illinois. The FHCC is defined by the following locations:

FHCC West Campus

3001 Green Bay Rd

North Chicago, IL 60064

Kenosha Clinic

800 55th Street

Kenosha, WI 53140

Evanston Clinic

1900 Dempster

Evanston, IL 60202

McHenry Clinic

620 South Route 31

McHenry, IL 60050

Zachary & Elizabeth Fisher Clinic

2419 Sampson Street

Great Lakes, IL 60088

b. Contractor shall be able to provide a Reporter within forty-eight (48) hour notice to transcribe accurate deposition/sworn statements without the use of tapes. No back-up tapes are to be used or created.

c. If testimony must be retaken as a result of mechanical breakdown of the transcribing equipment or as a result of negligence by the Contractor or any subcontractor, the contractor shall provide the services necessary to retake the testimony at no additional charge to the Department of Veterans Affairs or to any party to the litigation. In addition, the contractor shall bear all transportation and subsistence costs, to be computed in accordance with travel regulations governing employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, incurred by FHCC, the parties and their witnesses and attorneys in attending or testifying at such retaking of testimony.

d. The contractor agrees that the assigned reporter shall perform all work in a professional manner and according to the best standards of the reporting profession. The contractor, at all times, shall provide promptly at the time, date, and place designated, as many competent reporters and stenographers and maintain such staff and equipment at such times as may be necessary for the prompt recording of proceedings and the furnishing of satisfactory transcripts which shall conform to the requirements of this contract.

e. To the maximum extent practical, when requested by FHCC, the contractor shall assign the same reporter to a proceeding lasting more than one (1) day or, in the case of a lengthy proceeding, the same group of reporters. The Contractor agrees that the assigned reporter shall:

1. Present himself or herself to the presiding official at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the time and at the place of designated hearings, or in no case later than the time required to set up all required equipment and be able to begin verbatim reporting at the designated time;

or, if the case of a telephonic investigation shall make telephone contact to the presiding official at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the start time;

2. At all times be governed by the instructions of the presiding official in matters affecting the composition of the record, adjournment to other times or places, the hours of hearing, and matters of like character;

3. Report everything spoken while a hearing is in session unless the presiding official directs an off-the-record discussion;

4. Not omit from the record any part of a proceeding for which notes have been taken as required, unless the presiding official so directs;

5. Mark and number letter exhibits and arrange them in numerical or alphabetical order if directed to do so by the presiding official.

f. The Contractor is required to assure either directly or through his/her subcontractors;

1. That each reporter is fully aware of the assigned work situation, including the occasional need for extending a hearing session beyond the normal work day;

2. That each reporter is aware of the additional compensation available to him or her when such services are required and used;

3. That, in fact, the additional compensation is received by reporters.

g. The Contractor shall furnish complete transcripts, which accurately reflect the full and complete verbatim record of the proceedings. When the presiding official determines that there are errors in the transcript, he/she may require the Contractor to correct the errors and furnish the corrected transcript within five (5) calendar days after receipt of notification and without additional cost to the

Government for the same, regardless of the delivery time the original order specified.

h. The Contractor shall furnish transcripts which are legible. In the event the presiding official finds one or more copies of transcripts to be illegible, the Contractor shall correct and replace the same with acceptable copies within one (1) business day after receipt of notification from the presiding official and without additional cost for such replacement.

2. FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

a. Transcripts shall be typed in black ink and be producible by regular office-type duplicating machines or laser printers, on white 20-pound rag paper or equal. Paper shall be 8 1/2" X 11" in size, with a margin of 2" at the left-hand side.

b. In the original and each copy of…