36C25525Q0032.docx

SUBJECT*

Courier Service, KC

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15 3450 S 4th Street Trafficway Leavenworth KS 66048

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Juszczak, Janie janie.juszczak@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

4801 East Linwood Boulevard

Kansas City Missouri

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products and/or services. Your response to this Sources Sought Notice will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise because of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort.

The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in developing its acquisition approach, statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this Sources Sought Notice or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice.

The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this Sources Sought Notice in accordance with (IAW) FAR Part 15.201(e).

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the products and/or services described below.

Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following:

(a) Company Name;

(b) Address;

(c) Point of Contact;

(d) Phone, Fax, and Email;

(e) UEI Number;

(f) Cage Code;

(g) Tax ID Number;

(h) Type of Small Business, e.g., Services Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Small Business HUBZone business, etc.;

(i) State if your business has an FSS contract with GSA, VA NAC, NASA SEWP, or any other federal contract, that can be utilized to procure the requirement listed below and provide the contract number; and

(j) Must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization’s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below.

Requirement:

The VA Heartland Network 15 Contracting Office located at 3450 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, KS, 66048-5055 is seeking a potential qualified contractor to provide Courier Services for the Kansas City VA Medical Center, located in Kansas City, Missouri, Please see Performance Work Statement for more specifics and details.

The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS Code) is 492110 (Couriers and express Delivery Services), size standard 1500 employees. Based on this information, please indicate whether your company would be a Large or Small Business and have a socio-economic designation as a Small Business, VOSB or SDVOSB.

Important Information:

The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this source sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to an acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. Currently a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms is anticipated based on the Veterans Administration requirement with Public Law 109-461, Section 8127 Veterans Benefit Act. However, if response by Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open may be used.

Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to Janie Juszczak at janie.juszczak@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Friday, October 25, 2024, at 10:00AM CST. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this sources sought. Responses to this sources sought notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

Sources Sought Notice

B.3 STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Description of Requirement The Vendor shall provide lab courier services to the Kansas City VA Health Care System (VA), in accordance with this Statement of Work (SOW).

Service Contract Requirement Vendor shall provide hourly wages in accordance with U.S. Department of Labor Wage Determinations and FAR Subpart

22.10 (Service Contract Labor Standards); see Solicitation Attachment 1 (USDOL Wage Determinations). The following position is applicable:

01141 – Messenger Courier Period of Performance This will be a single award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), for period of performance of DATE 1 Feb 2025 to DATE 31 Jan 2030. Services will be contracted through the issuance of BPA task orders per each ordering period:

Places of Performance Shawnee CBOC-6830 Anderson St, Shawnee, KS 66226 Cameron CBOC- 311 Little Brick Rd, Cameron, MO 64429 Nevada CBOC-1200 E Austin Nevada, MO 64772 Lenexa VA Clinic-15512 W 113th St, Lenexa, KS 66219 Belton CBOC- 1900 E. 173rd Street, Belton, MO 64012 (Previous address: 209 Cunningham Industrial Pkwy, Belton, MO-this is the same location, the city is in the process of changing the address) Warrensburg CBOC-702 E. Young Warrensburg MO 64093 Paola-501 S Hospital Dr, Paola, KS 66071 Excelsior Springs VA Clinic-197 S McCleary Rd, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024 (this address will change) Johnson County/Overland Park Radiation Oncology Clinic-10500 Mastin St, Overland Park, KS 66212 Honor Annex-4251 Northern Ave, Kansas City, MO 64133

* Other fixed schedule locations may be added or changed during the term of the contract as they become known. Any additional locations will be added to the contract as a separate CLIN.

Fifteen (15) mile radius – An imaginary line drawn around the city of Kansas City, MO with its center being the KCVAMC. It is determined through the use of the internet application “Google Maps”. Utilizing the app’s search feature the address of the destination is entered and the app will display one or more routes to the destination, the projected travel time and the number of miles. The route with the least amount of travel time will be utilized for computing the distance. The first 15 miles of the distance is to be included in the per trip price specified in the Price Schedule, any miles in excess of 15 (rounded to the nearest 1/10 mile) will be invoiced at the mileage rate specified in the Price Schedule.

Training Requirements TMS 20929 (No Access) A form will be provided by CO to all cleared Vendor personnel to review, sign and acknowledge. Upon completion, a copy of this will need to be provided by Vendor to the CO and COR.

Upon award and clearance of Vendor personnel for background checks, the following Training Management System (TMS) course shall be completed by all Vendor personnel:

Estimated Quantities The quantities referenced in Section B.2 (Price Schedule) are estimated quantities based on VA historical needs. The estimated quantities are not a guarantee to the vendor. Actual quantities on task orders issued against BPA could be equal to, lesser than, or greater than estimated quantities referenced.

Definitions and Acronyms:

BPA: Blanket Purchase Agreement CBOC: Community Based Outpatient Clinic CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDR: Contract Discrepancy Report Contracting Officer (CO) – The person executing this contract on behalf of the Government with the authority to enter and administer contracts and make related determinations and findings.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – A person appointed by the CO to take necessary action to ensure the Vendor performs in accordance with and adheres to the specifications contained in the contract and to protect the interest of the Government. The COR shall report to the CO promptly any indication of non-compliance in order that appropriate action can be taken.

CPARS: Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, which is the official Government reporting system for Vendor past performance on awards.

DOT: U.S. Department of Transportation HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act OSHA: U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration POP: Period of Performance QASP: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan VA: VA Health Care System SOW: Statement of Work

Scope of Work Kansas City VA Health Care System (VA) requires courier services. The Vendor shall provide all necessary management, labor, equipment, vehicles, transportation, information security (HIPAA), and insurance to provide courier services to and from the VA Health Care System and CBOC addresses cited under “Places of Performance.”

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) provide a variety of outpatient primary care services in communities closer to where eligible veterans reside, thus improving convenience, equity of access in rural/underserved areas, efficiency and effectiveness of care, and access to care for all eligible veterans. These outpatient primary care services may include primary care, preventive care, immunizations and vaccinations, prescription of medications, mental health, social work, dental, radiology, counseling and group therapy, laboratory testing, women’s care, physical therapy, and referral to specialists. It should be noted that the type of medical services available at a CBOC can vary from clinic to clinic.

All work is to be performed in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations or ordinances, including any specified regulations for oxygen cylinders, information security (HIPAA), dangerous goods, diagnostic specimens or bio-hazardous materials.

Record Keeping The Vendor shall be responsible for maintaining an electronic log system that will be acknowledged by both contractor’s employee and KCVA employee at time pick up/drop off. The Vendor shall be responsible for supplying, completing, and submitting all reports required and/or requested by any federal, state, and/or local government agency, as required by law, ordinance, and/or regulations that pertain to the supplies and services provided under this contract.

All correspondence relative to the Contract or any task order shall contain the BPA number, task order number, facility name, and description of services performed.

The COR will provide the Vendor with copies of any reference documents and/or materials within fifteen (15) business days upon receipt of a written request.

Daily Courier Service Daily Courier services include but are not limited to: the transportation of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy items, medical supplies, audiology and optometry clinic supplies, diagnostic specimens, prostheses equipment, office supplies, mail, sterile and contaminated instruments, all laboratory specimens (blood/body fluids), housekeeping supplies, equipment including wheelchairs and walkers, documents, medical records, other hand carried materials, and other items as required. Items will be secured (locked) at-all-times while in the possession of the Vendor.

Daily fixed schedule courier services between the Kansas City VA Healthcare System and CBOCs shall be provided Monday through Friday, except for federal holidays or any day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a federal holiday. The eleven federal holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day, and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a federal holiday.

Once daily and twice daily Courier services shall be to and from the designated pick-up and delivery points as specified below between the Kansas City VA Health Care System and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC):

(1) Kansas City VA Health Care System, 4801 Linwood Blvd. KCMO (pharmacy, laboratory, mail/supply/equipment) for daily (Monday through Friday) pick-up and deliveries. Items shall be picked up between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and delivered to the CBOC the same day.

(2) See “Places of Performance” listed below for specific CBOC locations.

Shawnee CBOC-6830 Anderson St, Shawnee, KS 66226 Cameron CBOC- 311 Little Brick Rd, Cameron, MO 64429 Nevada CBOC-1200 E Austin Nevada, MO 64772 Lenexa VA Clinic-15512 W 113th St, Lenexa, KS 66219 Belton CBOC- 1900 E. 173rd Street, Belton, MO 64012 (Previous address: 209 Cunningham Industrial Pkwy, Belton, MO-this is the same location, the city is in the process of changing the address) Warrensburg CBOC-702 E. Young Warrensburg MO 64093 Paola-501 S Hospital Dr, Paola, KS 66071 Excelsior Springs VA Clinic-197 S McCleary Rd, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024 (this address will change) Johnson County/Overland Park Radiation Oncology Clinic-10500 Mastin St, Overland Park, KS 66212 Honor Annex-4251 Northern Ave, Kansas City, MO 64133 *Other fixed schedule locations may be added or changed during the term of the contract as they become known. Any additional locations will be added to the contract as a separate CLIN.

Items shall be picked up at the CBOCs Monday through Friday between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and shall be delivered to the appropriate KCVAMC location no later than 2 hours from pick-up time. Locations requiring a twice daily delivery will have the initial pick up from the CBOC and delivery to the KCVA Medical center no later than 1:00 PM

VA Health Care System normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Local Standard Time. The VA Laboratory is open 24/7.

Due to the geographical region and proximity of CBOCs, it is anticipated that deliveries and pick-ups to the VA Health Care System will occur after normal business hours; therefore, the vendor shall use the facility’s designated entrances to access Kansas City VA Healthcare System. Vendor personnel shall limit their movement within Kansas City VA Healthcare System to designated areas only.

Daily average transport requirements for each CBOC are:

· Lab – one (1) specimen tote bag per CBOC

· Logistics – up to eight (8) totes per CBOC

· Pharmacy – one (1) to two (2) boxes per CBOC

· Medical equipment – up to two (2) totes per CBOC

· Prosthetics – up to one (1) large box (wheelchair) per CBOC

· Environmental Management – one (1) tote per CBOC

· Miscellaneous boxes, bags, and small equipment – two (2) per CBOC

· Totes are approximately 16 inches high x 30 inches long x 20 inches wide. They may vary in size. Routine delivery totes shall not exceed forty-nine pounds. Some of the packages/boxes may be of odd dimensions, for example, those containing crutches, canes, and paper supplies. Totes may contain office and medical supplies, interoffice mail, medical records, medications/prescriptions, etc.

· Boxed wheelchairs are considered routine delivery items.

The Vendor shall provide the COR with a copy of delivery routes within five (5) business days of award. Additionally, the Vendor shall provide the COR with updated copies of delivery routes five (5) business days prior to the effective date of any changes to the established delivery routes.

Non-Scheduled Courier Services

The Contractor shall furnish non-scheduled courier services on an as required basis for deliveries from KCVAMC to, to-be-determined locations (facility or patient) or from a to-be-determined hospital or company to the KCVAMC.

Non-schedule Services (Separate CLIN in price schedule): Courier services will be furnished twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) on an as needed basis and with little or no advance notice given (A). The Contractor shall provide courier services for deliveries within a 100-mile radius of the KCVAMC, i.e. from KCVAMC to another facility or patient or from another hospital or company to the KCVAMC. CBOC’s, Pharmacy, Pathology and Laboratory, and Cath Lab will all be utilizing the non-scheduled services.

(i). Response time:

· Pickup originating at the KCVAMC shall be within one (1) hour of notification and delivery within two (2) hours.

· Pickup originating at a location other than the KCVAMC shall be within one (1) hour of notification if the location is within a 50-mile radius of KCVAMC or within one (2) hours of notification if the location is in excess of a 50-mile radius of KCVAMC. Delivery shall be within two (2) hours.

(ii). The Contractor shall not open or disclose any information that may be contained on the outside of any envelopes or containers.

(iii). All non-scheduled trip mileage will be priced one way (loaded), unless otherwise designated as round trip.

Additional Courier Requirements The Vendor shall deliver/pick-up empty containers for each location and deliver/pick-up a fully packed container for the return trip. Laboratory specimens, i.e. body fluids, will be properly packaged by the VA personnel for transportation. All specimens must be transported in accordance with all Department of Transportation (DOT) and OSHA Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR) 49 and 29.

Intermittently, there may be a requirement for items exceeding fifty pounds. The assigned Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will provide the Vendor with a twenty-four (24) hour advanced notice to determine if special handling is required.

Some containers/packages may require special handling and will be marked “Fragile” or “This Side Up.” The Vendor shall comply with all special handling instructions marked on containers/packages.

Interruption of Work: The Contractor’s personnel shall be required to interrupt the performance of the services of this contract at any time to prevent interference of operations of the Medical Center, to include the right of way passage for patients, staff, personnel, visitors, equipment, carts, fire protection systems, emergency vehicles, and utility services. Contractor shall provide a central call-in telephone number and point(s) of contact to include name, telephone number, and email for each Medical Center or CBOC serviced under this contract. The purpose is to provide efficient and timely communication for adverse events that delay or cancel a scheduled pickup/delivery, follow up on issues noted after delivery, etc.

The Contractor shall provide a list of personnel to contact in case of emergency. The list shall include names, phone numbers and/or pager numbers.

Invoices/Billing: The Contractor shall furnish a detailed invoice indicating work performed with an itemized listing of pricing by CLIN, monthly in arrears. Four separate accounts will be established, and five (5) different obligation funding documents will be identified to the Contractor. The Contractor will prepare four separate invoices, one for each account. Invoices will be submitted based on VA requirements.

Environmental Controls

The Vendor shall be responsible to maintain a temperature-controlled environment between 68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity level between 65 to 72 percent in vehicle or storage areas.

Lab specimens shall be maintained at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius with the use of adequate refrigerant packs (to be supplied by VA) for all deliveries of laboratory specimens or supplies.

Items must be kept out of contact with environmental hazards such as dust, snow, and rain.

The Vendor personnel drivers shall not leave vehicles in extreme heat or cold while specimens, sterile supplies, and pharmaceuticals are being transported. The Vendor shall be responsible for failures by the Vendor to ensure established environmental controls are maintained, of which results in damage or deterioration of laboratory specimens, supplies, or pharmaceuticals.

Should specimens and/or transported items be lost, broken, or otherwise damaged, the Vendor shall be required to submit a preliminary summary incident report to the COR within 24 hours of the incident. The Vendor shall provide a written incident report explaining the details of the incident; specifically, what caused the incident (who, what, where, when, and how) within seventy-two hours of the incident.

Contractor shall make all reasonable provisions to protect items being transported against loss, such as placing items in a secure area until delivery has been accomplished. Should an item be lost or stolen while in the Contractor’s possession, the Contractor shall reimburse KCVAMC for the cost of the envelope and its contents (i.e. office supply items).

Should an item become damaged beyond use, the Contractor shall reimburse KCVAMC for the cost of the item (i.e. office supply item).

Bloodborne Pathogens The Vendor and the Vendor personnel shall comply with the effective VA Medical Center Policy (and Occupational Health requirements in accordance with OSHA Blood Borne Pathogens (BBP) Law and the OSHA Tuberculosis Compliance Directive, enforceable under OSHA’s General Duty Clause) governing healthcare workers infected with a blood borne pathogen. If the Vendor obtains information that a person providing services under this contract may be infected with a blood borne pathogen, the Vendor shall immediately advise the COR.

HIPAA Compliance

The Vendor must adhere to the provisions of Public Law 104-191, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the National Standards to Protect the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information (PHI). In addition, all VA security policies and applicable confidentiality statues such as 38 U.S.C. §5701 (VA Claims Confidentiality), 38 U.S.C. §5705 (Confidentiality of Healthcare Quality Assurance Review Records), 38 U.S.C. §7332 (Confidentiality of certain medical records), as well as 45 C.F.R. Parts 160, 162, and 164 (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) should be followed.

As required by HIPAA, HHS has promulgated rules governing the use and disclosure of protected health information by covered entities.

The covered entity component of VA is the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In accordance with HIPAA, the Vendor shall be required to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VA upon award. Please see Solicitation Attachment 2 (Business Associate Agreement Template) for reference.

Contingency Plan

1) Inclement weather. The Vendor shall develop a contingency plan within five (5) business days after award to address possible inclement weather conditions. The plan shall provide all Community Based Outpatient Clinics, VA laboratory staff, and the COR with notifications early enough to provide the appropriate staff time to notify veteran patients that laboratory services need to be rescheduled. The Vendor shall immediately notify the COR or VA lab personnel via phone and email communications of emergent road closures authorized by the Missouri or Kansas DOT.

2) The Vendor shall develop a contingency plan within five (5) business days to ensure uninterrupted daily scheduled courier services for VA. This plan shall be reviewed annually by the Vendor, the COR, and other designated VA lab personnel.

Vendor Vehicles Within five (5) business days after award, the vendor shall provide the following:

1) Number of vehicles, including make, model, and license plates.

Vendor vehicles and storage areas used in the performance of this contract must be licensed and meet the minimum requirements as mandated by the States of Missouri or Kansas.

Vehicles shall have the company name/logo prominently displayed.

Each vehicle used in the performance of this contract shall be adequately stocked with at least one current/up-to-date complete “Spill Kit” for a bio-hazard clean-up in case of leakage or accidental discharge from container.

The Vendor shall provide comprehensive automobile liability insurance required by the States of Missouri and Kansas Upon request, the Vendor shall provide certified proof of automobile liability insurance for all vehicles used by the Vendor in the performance of this contract.

Vendor vehicles must be maintained in a sanitary clean condition, absent of foreign debris and contaminants.

All vehicles must be in good working condition with all doors and trunks able to fully close and lock. Unattended vehicles with VA contents shall be locked at all times.

The following types of vehicles are prohibited from use under the contract:

a) Bicycles

b) Motorcycles

c) Vehicles without a secure cargo area, such as convertibles

d) Pickup trucks without fully enclosed and lockable bed cover, unless cargo is secured in the driver’s cab.

Vendor Drivers/Personnel Within five (5) business days after award, the vendor shall provide the following to the COR:

1) Number of drivers, including names and states of licensure The Vendor shall review the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS OIG web site at http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/index.asp to ensure all proposed Vendor employee(s) are not listed. By signing the BPA, the vendor certifies that the HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities has been reviewed and that proposed vendor employee(s) are not listed as of the date the BPA was signed.

Vendor drivers must maintain a valid driver’s license for the type of vehicle operated as required by Missouri and Kansas.

The Vendor shall be licensed by the state and/or local health authority in those localities where licenses are required.

Vendor personnel, while performing the services of this contract, shall conduct themselves in a professional business-like manner.

The Contracting Officer, upon discussion with the COR, reserves the right to exclude vendor staff members from providing services under the contract or task order based upon breaches of conduct, including conduct that jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction or negligence in performing tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by Veterans or other staff members to designated government representatives. The vendor and COR shall address issues raised concerning vendor personnel conduct. The Contracting Officer shall be the final decision on questions of acceptability and in validating complaints.

Smoking is not allowed within vehicles or when carrying and transporting delivery items or on any VA property.

The vendor’s drivers shall observe and abide by all signage, speed limits, pedestrian right-of-way, emergency vehicle right-of-way, and designated roadways.

The vendor shall supply his/her employees with uniforms that shall be always worn while performing the services of the contract and while vendor employees are on government property and in government buildings. These uniforms shall contain the vendor’s company name upon the shirt. Consistency is necessary for identification purposes when the vendor or vendor’s personnel are on site at XYZ VA Health Care System or CBOC facilities.

VA will supply personal identification verification (PIV) badges to qualifying Vendor personnel and are to be worn while on VA premises. These will be provided upon successful conclusion of background checks as called for in this contract.

The vendor’s drivers, shall be required to maintain a record log of courier pick-ups and deliveries, indicating times and dates of pick-ups and deliveries, number of containers/totes and/or loose items.

The vendor’s drivers are required to notify the assigned COR during normal business hours of any unusual events that impede him/her in making delivery as required by the BPA.

Under no circumstances shall any animal or person other than the driver ride in the vehicle or handle items being transported.

The Vendor shall provide and maintain training for its employees in appropriate safety and packaging procedures suitable to specimen type and distances transported. This should include issues such as adherence to regulations for transport of biohazards, use of rigid containers where appropriate, temperature control, notification procedures in case of accident or spills, etc. Upon request by the COR, the Vendor shall provide documentation certifying that training has been provided to Vendor’s personnel. Reference 49 CFR §173.199 Diagnostic Specimens and Used Health Care Products and § 172.700, Subpart H, Training and International Air Transportation Association (IATA) Section 1.5.02.

The Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of any Vendor personnel at any time after performance begins, if personal or professional conduct jeopardizes patient care or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the facility. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, theft, patient abuse, dereliction or negligence in performing directed tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by patient or VA staff members to designated Government representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. The CO and COR shall deal with issues raised concerning vendor employee(s) conduct.

The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the CO. Indemnification The Vendor shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Government against all actions or claims for loss of or damage to property or the injury or death of persons, arising out of or resulting from the fault, negligence, or act or omission of the Vendor, its agents, or employees.

Vendor Support for Employees This is not a personal services contract. The vendor shall be responsible for supervision of its employees under this BPA.

The Vendor shall be responsible for protecting vendor employee furnishing services. To carry out this responsibility, the vendor shall provide or certify that the following is provided for all their staff providing services under the resultant BPA:

a. Workers’ compensation

b. Professional liability insurance

c. Health examinations

d. Income tax withholding

e. Wages in compliance with Service Contract Labor Standards (see Solicitation Attachment 1_USDOL Wage Determinations)

f. Social security payments.

Problem Resolution The CO, upon discussion with COR and VA lab personnel, will resolve complaints concerning vendor relations with Government employees and/or patients. The CO is final authority on validating complaints. In the event the vendor is involved and named in a validated complaint, the Government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of the services being rendered. This does not preclude refusal in the event of incidents involving physical or verbal abuse by vendor personnel towards VA personnel, CBOC personnel, COR, and other vendor personnel while performing services as specified in this BPA.

Reports and Deliverables

The Vendor shall be responsible for complying with all reporting and deliverable requirements established by the BPA. Vendor shall be responsible for assuring the accuracy and completeness of all reports and other documents as well as the timely submission of each. Vendor shall comply with BPA requirements regarding the appropriate reporting formats, instructions, submission timetables, and technical assistance as required. All reports and deliverables are to be sent by electronic mail unless otherwise specified by the CO or COR.

The following are brief descriptions of required documents that must be submitted by Vendor:

award

COR

award

COR

For Background Investigations and Special Agreement Checks, complete forms provided by

CO

award CO with cc to

COR

Quality Control Plan: Description and reporting reflecting the Vendor’s plan for meeting of BPA requirements and performance standards

Final list of proposed percentages and businesses to sub contact to

COR

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) The Vendor will be evaluated in accordance with the QASP.

The QASP provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the stated BPA. This QASP explains the following:

· What will be monitored?

· How monitoring will take place.

· Who will conduct the monitoring?

· How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

This QASP does not detail how the vendor accomplishes the work. Rather, the QASP is created with the premise that the vendor is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the BPA. It is the Government’s responsibility to be objective, fair, and consistent in evaluating performance.

This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis. However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the vendor through BPA modification. Copies of the original QASP and revisions shall be provided to the vendor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities.

Government Roles and Responsibilities:

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

a) Contracting Officer (CO) – The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the BPA terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also assure that the Vendor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this BPA. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the Vendor’s performance.

b) Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – The COR is responsible for technical administration of the BPA and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the Vendor’s performance. The COR shall keep a quality assurance file. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf.

Performance Standards:

The Vendor is responsible for performance of ALL terms and conditions of the BPA. CORs will provide BPA progress reports quarterly to the CO reflecting performance on this plan and all other aspects of the resultant BPA. The performance standards outlined in this QASP shall be used to determine the level of vendor performance in the elements defined. Performance standards define desired services. The Government performs surveillance to determine the level of vendor performance to these standards.

Methods of QA Surveillance:

Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP.

· Direct observation: 100% surveillance

· Periodic inspections: inspections scheduled and reported quarterly per COR delegation or as needed.

· Validated user/customer complaints: data will be collected from actual patient complaints. Complaints will be investigated and verified.

· Random sampling: vendor logbooks will be reviewed by COR for compliance

· Verification and/or documentation provided by vendor: vendor provided information on services provided to COR. Performance Requirements:

Examples of Performance Requirements are listed below. The Government shall use standards such as these to determine vendor performance and shall compare vendor performance to the standard and assign a rating. At the end of the performance period, these ratings will be used, in part, to establish the past performance of the vendor on the BPA and for purposes of providing the CO with information for inclusion on CPARS:

Measures

1. Urgent requests for local delivery.

a. Picked up within 40 minutes.

b. Delivery less than 15 minutes after pick-up.

3. Regular deliveries: Sioux City and Spirit Lake arrive prior to 6PM; Aberdeen, Wagner and Watertown arrive before 8:30PM Vendor to meet delivery timelines (SOW under “Daily Courier Service”)

If vendor performance does not meet the Acceptable Quality level, the CO shall inform the Vendor. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the CO shall document the discussion and place it in the contract file. When the COR and the CO determines formal written communication is required, the COR shall prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR), and present it to CO. The CO will in turn review and will present to the vendor's program manager for corrective action.

The Vendor shall acknowledge receipt of the CDR in writing. The CDR will specify if the Vendor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the Vendor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence.

The CDR will also state how long after receipt the Vendor has to present this corrective action plan to the CO. The Government shall review the Vendor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the vendor’s performance and the acceptability of the vendor’s corrective action plan. Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO or for purposes of reporting vendor past performance on CPARS.

Page 1 of