36C77618R0091-003.docx

BA Health Enterprise Architecture Task Order #1 PWS

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA)

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Health Informatics (OHI) Strategic Investment Management (SIM) Business Architecture Service (BA)

BA Health Enterprise Architecture Task Order #1

Date: 06/14/18 PWS Version Number: v0.3

Table of Contents

BACKGROUND

See BA Health Enterprise Architecture Single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 1.0 – Background.

Applicable Documents See BA Health Enterprise Architecture Single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 2.0 – Applicable Documents.

SCOPE OF WORK

Specifically, the functional task areas that shall be supported by this Task Order (TO) are: Director’s Office (Advisory, Strategy, Planning, Operations, Tooling and Quality Assurance), Integration and Reference Architecture, Process and Value Architecture, Information and Knowledge Architecture, and Program/Project Management. Contractor shall provide deliverables 5.1 – 5.6 as stated in the PWS. Deliverables shall be related to these functional areas. See BA Health Enterprise Architecture Single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 3.0 – Scope of Work.

CHANGES TO THE PWS

See BA Health Enterprise Architecture Single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 3.1 – Changes to the PWS.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance for this TO is twelve (12) months base period plus four (4) twelve (12) month option periods.

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

There are ten (10) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, four are set by date:

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at Contractor facilities and/or Government-provided facilities. Government provided facilities include Washington, DC, and Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, FL, areas.

TRAVEL

The Contractor shall attend meetings in Washington, D.C., St. Petersburg, FL, Kansas City, KS, and/or other VA facilities. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the Contractor’s facility is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. This includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time. Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the Contractor’s facility will not be reimbursed. Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the Contractor’s facility are authorized for reimbursement on a case-by-case basis and must be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

Travel costs will be included in the TO award as a separate, cost-reimbursable, “not to exceed” (NTE) line item. Travel will be requested, approved and reimbursed in accordance with the TO.

The Government estimates the following travel for the one (1) year base period of performance and four (4) option years.

Base Period

Option Period 1

Option Period 2

Option Period 3

Option Period 4

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

This PWS provides specific requirements (deliverables). Technical Functional Component Areas are described in Section 5.1. Requirements shall fall within the areas described in Sections 5.0 and 6.0. This TO encompasses more than one functional component area. Functional component area requirements are not mutually exclusive and may apply across multiple functional areas.

The Functional Component Areas are:

1. Director’s Office (includes Advisory)

2. Strategy and Planning

3. Operations and Quality Assurance

4. Integration and Reference Architecture

5. Process and Value Architecture

6. Information and Knowledge Architecture

PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF CONTRACTOR ACTIVITIES

The contactor shall apply Project Management Institute (PMI) - http://www.pmi.org/, best practices to all project tasks in a fashion such that activities are traceable against requirements and meet each objective.

The contractor shall provide for comprehensive knowledge management and knowledge transfer to VA personnel and partners for all contract requirements. The contractor shall employ methods such as presentations, papers, meetings and virtual workspace content management.

0. Program Consolidated Monthly Report (PCMR):

The contractor shall produce and submit a consolidated monthly report describing progress and activities. This report will include written meeting minutes, summarizing meetings attended and minutes/notes captured, any task work adjustments or change requests, project issues and risk assessments, deliverables completion and schedule status, and summary notations of any background investigations and outstanding training requirements, to include the Project Management Plan (PMP) (12 comprehensive reports)

0. PM Quarterly Updates:

The contractor shall develop updates to the BA PMP for this functional task area. The following components will be included as areas of responsibility:

· Communication Management updates

· Quality Management and Control updates

· Staffing Management updates (including reach-back capabilities)

· Risk Management updates

· Schedule to include Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), tasks and milestone tracking, change requests, issue tracking, schedule statuses, staff rosters, status of staff background investigations and access requirements.

· Organizational Knowledge Retention and Knowledge Transfer Strategy/Approach (4 quarterly updates)

0. Meeting Facilitation, Reports and Briefs for Leadership:

The contractor shall develop reports and briefs, as well as facilitate BA weekly leadership and unit lead engagements for the purpose of establishing a consistent level of knowledge of the status and progress of team work effort assignments and ongoing activities. Regular reports and briefings to leadership and unit leads ensure that there is a high level awareness of the team engagements with BA customers and help to identify areas that require knowledge management activities for contracting staff to ensure their engagements are maximized and productive. (12 comprehensive reports)

STRATEGY AND PLANNING SUPPORT SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide Strategy and Planning support services for healthcare clinical and administrative areas that include Health Information Technology (IT) Strategy; BA Planning, Tracking and Reporting; BA Communications and Marketing; Strategic Architecture Meta-model and Content, and SP Tooling Support.

Health IT Strategy. The Contractor shall support the National Leadership Council’s (NLC) Information Technology Committee’s (ITC) IT Strategy Sub-Committee (ITSSC) by facilitating monthly meetings and annual face-to-face meeting, developing and publishing the Health Information Strategic Plan (HISP), developing and obtaining endorsement from the IT Committee on the multi-year program (MYP) Prioritization Criteria each year, and participating in various specific-purpose work groups. The Contractor shall support Strategy and Planning activities including VHA IT Governance, development of the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Guiding Principles, consultative services with various stakeholders, and internal operations.

BA Planning, Tracking and Reporting. The Contractor shall support development of the agenda for the annual BA Strategic Planning meeting, perform annual review and analysis of BA goals and objectives and revise as necessary to ensure alignment to VA/VHA goals and objectives, and solicitation of new tasks from each unit in support of BA goals, consolidating that information into the BA Task List (BATL), and reporting status on progress toward meeting those tasks on the monthly BA All Hands call.

BA Communications and Marketing. The Contractor shall assist in updating BA communications materials as warranted (e.g., blogs and fact sheets) and in determining marketing strategies to enhance BA’s image with stakeholders.

Strategic Architecture Meta-model and Content. The Contractor shall review, assess, and update the Strategic Architecture Meta-model and content annually.

SP Tooling Support. The Contractor shall maintain SP artifacts including VA Goals and Objectives, for example, and related mappings for inclusion in the Business Architecture Repository.

0. Consolidated Unit Monthly Report:

The contractor shall produce and submit a consolidated monthly report describing progress and activities. This report will include written meeting minutes, summarizing meetings attended and minutes/notes captured, monthly BATL updates, work plan updates, and any other strategy and planning architectural updates. (12 comprehensive reports)

0. Quarterly Updates:

The contractor shall develop updates to the HISP and status brief for this functional task area. This includes review of current documentation with appropriate updates made, review of HISP change log and disposition of each item, and environmental scanning impacts. (4 quarterly updates which include HISP updates and status brief updates)

OPERATIONS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE (OQA) SUPPORT SERVICES

OQA provides operational support across BA related to Tooling and Business Intelligence (BI) decision support. OQA’s role enables BA Units to operate and perform their work in an efficient manner by providing operational support and leveraging the best tools available while ensuring consistency, accuracy, and accessibility of BA data content across the various VA-approved tools in use. The Contractor shall provide OQA support services for healthcare clinical and administrative areas that include Tooling Management, Configuration Support, Production and Reporting, BA Physical Meta-model Design and Publications, Integrated Testing and Quality Assurance, and Configuration Management as it relates to continuous design and maturity in support of Dashboarding, BI and BA Tooling Utilization.

Tooling Management and Production. The Contractor shall support tooling management and production activities through working with other BA units and with stakeholders such as VA Office of Enterprise Architecture (OEA) to help BA foster and establish a collaborative environment exists that meets BA tooling requirements. Support efforts include identification and tracking associated with analysis, design, initiation, execution, implementation and reporting related to BA architecture tooling solutions. Current tooling includes Unicom System Architect and the Rational Suite to include Software Architect and Tableau. The Contractor will be expected to be an expert in these tools to include configuration support, and familiar with common industry tooling in the architecture discipline.

BA Physical Meta-model. The Contractor shall review and assess the BA physical meta-model to determine if changes are required and will assist in making appropriate changes to same. This work will be done in collaboration with the Integration and Reference unit which has responsibility for the BA logical meta-model and integrating content leveraging tools such as Unicom System Architect (SA) and other VA-approved tools. Changes to BA tooling encyclopedia content will result in physical meta-model changes. These changes to the physical meta-model must be implemented throughout the BA tooling environments. This includes support for continued analysis and maturation of a physical meta-model in support of BA product integration and tooling configuration.

Integrated Testing and Quality Assurance. The Contractor shall support integrated testing of BA tools and ensure quality assurance of tooling products and underlying database designs that meet BA requirements. This may include working with various BA stakeholders such as OEA. The Contractor shall perform tooling integration and testing support, to include assistance for all BA units to develop and test custom BI reporting in support of governance and investment prioritization.

Configuration Management (Dashboarding and Tooling Configuration). The Contractor shall utilize the VA-approved tooling environment to develop, produce and publish analytics and dashboard views with the input of appropriate BA units. As necessary, the Contractor shall work with BA tooling owners to ensure the VA-approved tool can be configured to customize products needed by BA. This also may require working with various tooling environments to acquire access to products that will meet BA requirements.

0. Consolidated Unit Monthly Report:

The contractor shall produce and submit a consolidated monthly report describing progress and activities. This report will include written meeting minutes, summarizing meetings attended and minutes/notes captured, tooling system status reports, integrated testing and quality assurance updates, and any other operations and quality assurance updates. Likewise, the contractor shall include a BA Tooling Support and Quality Assurance Plan which will encompass monthly updates that provide identification and tracking associated with analysis, design, configuration, initiation, execution, implementation and testing of BA architecture tooling solutions, to include quality data integrity validations. The BA Tooling Support and Quality Assurance Plan will provide support for continued validation and maturation of physical meta-models in support of BA product integration, reporting and tooling configuration. (12 comprehensive reports)

0. Quarterly Updates:

The contractor shall develop updates to the physical BA Meta-model, BA Configuration Management, and status brief for this functional task area. This includes review of current documentation with appropriate updates made, review of the BA meta-model and any changes needed, and any appropriate configuration management activities. The Quarterly Updates will include a quarterly BA Tooling Data Stewardship Management Plan that coincides with the BA Repository (BAR) quarterly publication accomplished by the Integration and Reference team. The Data Stewardship Management Plan shall track BA data objects and their mappings, data owner, source of record, data format, data steward, repository steward, versioning, update method and frequency, and update status. (4 quarterly updates which include physical BA Meta-model updates; Configuration Management updates; status brief updates; and BA Tooling Data Stewardship Management Plan updates)

INTEGRATION AND REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE SUPPORT SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide Integration and Reference support services for healthcare clinical and administrative areas that include define and rank VHA Needs, planning, scope coordination and management, reporting, ad-hoc reference architecture analysis and continued maturity of all Integration and Reference architecture products and services. The Contractor shall complete work efforts, leveraging technical writer skills, involving diverse internal and external stakeholder engagements including end users and subject matter experts, resulting in a common understanding of referential alignments and reporting. The healthcare related work efforts include VA Secretary and Under Secretary for Health identified and prioritized efforts. Examples of work effort focus areas address Greater Choice, Improve Timeliness, Suicide Prevention, Efficiency, and Modernize Systems.

Define and Prioritize VHA Information Technology Needs. The Contractor shall support the Business Customer in identifying and understanding the business needs, identifying gaps (IT and non-IT) to enhance the business understanding and accomplish business goals, and preparing the needs for VHA Governance (when/where appropriate). Work is based upon multi-year planning and prioritization activities organized and led by the ARIWG.

Planning and Scope Coordination. In conjunction with government leadership, the Contractor shall work with business customers to define and validate work effort scope, structure and schedule, identify and coordinate Stakeholders (Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Business Owners and other supporting staff) including roles and responsibilities, review existing documentation (environmental scan and other relevant information), and facilitation of work effort kick-off meeting with identified Stakeholders to discuss all of the above.

VHA Integration Requirements and Reference Architecture. The Contractor shall elicit, refine, and document integration and reference support activities associated with VHA’s Requirements repository to inform reporting, analysis, project planning and development. Activities include modeling and architecture requirements elicitation utilizing Agile Methodologies, using VA approved Collaborative Lifecycle Management tools (currently primary tools are Rational Suite, Unicom System Architect and Tableau).

The level of effort of the Contractor will be limited to identified domains. Domains are understood through the VHA Capability Architecture and Service Perspective (see diagrams above). Capabilities offered by VHA form the architectural basis to help organize scope, requirements and architecture and are a perspective into the Business Architecture. Services are the mechanisms by which VHA achieves its Capabilities and form a Perspective into the Business Architecture.

Leveraging all relevant historical documentation as part of performing all tasks within this PWS, the Contractor shall provide support services that include Coordination of the delivery of Integration and Reference architecture work efforts, Delivery of Integration and Reference architecture support services, and Delivery of Integration and Reference architecture services to ensure appropriate operational and architectural integration and success.

Coordination of the delivery of Integration and Reference architecture work efforts. To include facilitation, business reference modeling (e.g., mappings/alignments) and re-engineering, architecture requirements capture, and approved scoping documentation and engagement strategies for healthcare clinical and administrative areas.

Delivery of Integration and Reference architecture support services. For the VHA healthcare clinical and administrative setting including business descriptive and definition modeling, analysis, mappings/alignments, matrices, functional decomposition, maturation of the business reference model, and maintenance of a comprehensive list and database of Integration and Reference artifacts/primitives and their alignments. Continue to improve database outliers and mapping updates.

Delivery of Integration and Reference architecture services to ensure successful integration. To ensure successful integration of architectural artifacts that yield business impact reports, using the current methodologies and industry best practices.

Reference Repository Packaging:

This report shall include final work effort packaging. Included in this report is the Business Architecture Repository (BAR) release documentation, updated/current VHA Capability Model, updated/current VHA Services Model and a complete inventory of all changes and updates with version control. All releases and documentation must be in a format that is consumable by Business Customers using Microsoft Office, as well as published and integrated in the BA tooling repositories in order to be consumable by stakeholders. (quarterly) (4 comprehensive packaging updates) Integration Analysis Packaging:

This report will include updates and publications of the Business Function Framework (BFF) reference model and publication of VHA-BA wide logical relationship model, to include outcomes/impacts related to BA’s Physical Meta-Model. This documentation is uploaded into and maintained within VA-approved tooling (currently Unicom System Architect). All releases and documentation must be in a format that is consumable by Business Customers using Microsoft Office, as well as published and integrated in the BA tooling repositories in order to be consumable by stakeholders. (semi-annually) (2 comprehensive packaging updates) Quarterly Work Activity Status Briefs:

These quarterly PowerPoint presentations will review the ongoing work efforts of the Integration and Reference architecture activities with BA team and stakeholders. (4 status brief updates) Consolidated Unit Monthly Report:

The contractor shall produce and submit a consolidated monthly report describing progress and activities. This report will include written meeting minutes, summarizing meetings attended and minutes/notes captured, tooling system status reports, integration activity updates, and any other operational updates relevant to integration and reference activities. Necessary updates to the BA Integration and Reference User Guide and Guiding Principles will be included. (12 comprehensive reports)

PROCESS AND VALUE ARCHITECTURE SUPPORT SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide support services that shall include Coordination of the delivery of Process and Value architecture work efforts and Delivery of Process and Value support services.

Coordination of the delivery of Process and Value architecture work efforts. For healthcare clinical and administrative areas, to include work effort scoping and engagement strategies, modeling session facilitation, re-engineering of business process modeling utilizing Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), architecture requirements capture and integration within the VA-approved tooling. Currently, Rational Tool Suite is the tool provided by the Government.

Delivery of Process and Value architecture support services. In accordance with established BA Modeling requirements. These work efforts involve multiple inter-related business processes, multiple levels of decomposition, and diverse internal and external stakeholders, resulting in common process understanding. These work efforts also include vendor architects teaming with requirements business analysts to ensure comprehensive and integrated architecture products and value-add functional business understanding. The work efforts include Secretary and Under Secretary for Health identified and prioritized efforts. Examples would include focus areas of Community Care and Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM).

Process Domain/Work Effort Monthly Reports (PDMR):

This report shall include, as appropriate: models and matrices, summary updates, status/progress updates, Integrated Master Plan (IMP) updates, BA Task List (BATL) updates, and meeting minutes. This report shall also include applicable completed and final work effort packaging for Process and Value support efforts in the form of a Process Model Summary Report (PMSR). This document is listed in BRAMP Table 1: Business Requirements and Architecture Package. All documentation must be in a format that is consumable by Business Customers using Microsoft Office, as well as published and integrated in the VA-approved tooling repositories in order to be consumable. (for more information refer to Appendix D of BRAMP). (12 comprehensive monthly reports containing approximately 3 PMSRs).

Quarterly Work Activity Status Briefs:

These quarterly PowerPoint presentations will review the ongoing work efforts of the Process and Value architecture activities with BA team and stakeholders. (4 status brief updates) Operational Documentation Update:

The contractor shall provide a fully compiled package of recommended updates to the standard management plans one time near the end of the task period of performance, and procedure/process guides maintained by the government team for use in directing teams in their work efforts. These updates are a direct result and outcome of lessons learned during assigned work efforts and reflect recommendations by the contractor for change and process improvement that will produce a more effective and efficient team or enhance the value of the deliverables for BA business customers and stakeholders. A comprehensive architecture requirements engagement presentation package will be provided to describe and discuss recommended updates for the BRAMP, BA Process Modeling User Guide and Guiding Principles. (1 comprehensive documentation update)

INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ARCHITECTURE SUPPORT SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide support services that shall include Coordination of the delivery of Information and Knowledge architecture work efforts and Delivery of Information and Knowledge architecture support services.

Coordination of the delivery of Information and Knowledge architecture work efforts. For healthcare clinical and administrative areas, to include work effort scoping and engagement strategies, modeling session facilitation, information modeling utilizing Unified Modeling Language (UML), architecture requirements capture and integration within the VA-approved tool. Currently, Rational Tool Suite is the tool provided by the Government.

Delivery of Information and Knowledge support services. In accordance with established BA Modeling requirements. These work efforts involve multiple inter-related business data flows, multiple levels of decomposition, and diverse internal and external stakeholders, resulting in common data/information understanding. These work efforts also include vendor architects teaming with requirements business analysts to ensure comprehensive and integrated architecture products and value-add functional business understanding. The work efforts include Secretary and Under Secretary for Health identified and prioritized efforts. Examples would include focus areas of Community Care and Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM).

Information Domain/Work Effort Monthly Reports (IDMR):

This report shall include, as appropriate: models and matrices, summary updates, status/progress updates, Integrated Master Plan (IMP) updates, BA Task List (BATL) updates, and meeting minutes. This report shall also include applicable completed and final work effort packaging for Information and Knowledge support efforts in the form of an Information Model Summary Report (IMSR). This document is listed in BRAMP Table 1: Business Requirements and Architecture Package. All documentation must be in a format that is consumable by Business Customers using Microsoft Office, as well as published and integrated in the VA-approved tooling repositories in order to be consumable. (for more information refer to Appendix D of BRAMP). (12 comprehensive monthly reports containing approximately 3 IMSRs).

Quarterly Work Activity Status Briefs:

These quarterly PowerPoint presentations will review the ongoing work efforts of the Information and Knowledge architecture activities with BA team and stakeholders. (4 status brief updates) Operational Documentation Update:

The contractor shall provide a fully compiled package of recommended updates to the standard management plans one time near the end of the task period of performance, and procedure/process guides maintained by the government team for use in directing teams in their work efforts. These updates are a direct result and outcome of lessons learned during assigned work efforts and reflect recommendations by the contractor for change and process improvement that will produce a more effective and efficient team or enhance the value of the deliverables for BA business customers and stakeholders. A comprehensive architecture requirements engagement presentation package will be provided to describe and discuss recommended updates for the BRAMP, BA Information Modeling Guiding Principles. (1 comprehensive documentation update)

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Quality Control (QC): The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective QC program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor’s QC program is the means by which he assures himself his work complies with the requirements of the individual TO. As a minimum, the Contractor shall develop QC procedures addressing the areas identified in the “Performance Metrics Table” defined in the TO. After acceptance of the QC plan, the Contractor shall receive the CO’s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his QC system.

Quality Assurance (QA): The Government shall evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this TO in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure the Contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rates. Quality standards and the QASP are tailored for each project and will be outlined in the PWS for that TO. The table below provides a sample of standards and descriptions the Government may use to evaluate TOs.

PERFORMANCE METRICS

The Government will utilize a QASP to ensure the quality levels of deliverables. See Attachment XXX.

ENTERPRISE AND IT FRAMEWORK

See BA Health Enterprise Architecture Single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 6.2 – Enterprise and IT Framework.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

See BA Health Enterprise Architecture Single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 6.3 – Security and Privacy Requirements.

POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

The position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the PWS are:

Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements by Task

The Tasks identified above and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal.

CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

See BA Health Enterprise Architecture single-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Performance Work Statement (PWS) Section 6.3.2 – Contractor Personnel Security Requirements.

METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include files compatible with the following applications: MS Word 2010, MS Excel/2010, MS PowerPoint 2010, MS Project 2010, MS Access 2010, MS Visio 2010, AutoCAD 2010, and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

FACILITY/RESOURCE PROVISIONS

The Government will provide office space, telephone service and system access when authorized contract staff work at a Government location as required in order to accomplish the Tasks associated with this PWS. All procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation for the project and other Government applications will also be provided on an as-needed basis.

The Contractor shall request other Government documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the Government officials with whom the Contractor has contact. The Contractor shall consider the COR as the final source for needed Government documentation when the Contractor fails to secure the documents by other means. The Contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work.

VA may provide remote access to VA specific systems/network in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, which requires the use of a VA approved method to connect external equipment/systems to VA’s network. Citrix Access Gateway (CAG) is the current and only VA approved method for remote access users when using or manipulating VA information for official VA Business. VA permits CAG remote access through approved Personally Owned Equipment (POE) and Other Equipment (OE) provided the equipment meets all applicable 6500 Handbook requirements for POE/OE. All of the security controls required for Government furnished equipment (GFE) must be utilized in approved POE or OE. The Contractor shall provide proof to the COR for review and approval that their POE or OE meets the VA Handbook 6500 requirements and VA Handbook 6500.6 Appendix C, herein incorporated as Addendum B, before use. CAG authorized users shall not be permitted to copy, print or save any VA information accessed via CAG at any time. VA prohibits remote access to VA’s network from non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. The exception to this are countries where VA has approved operations established (e.g. Philippines and South Korea). Exceptions are determined by the COR in coordination with the Information Security Officer (ISO) and Privacy Officer (PO).

This remote access may provide access to VA specific software such as Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA), ClearQuest, ProPath, Primavera, and Remedy, including appropriate seat management and user licenses, depending upon the level of access granted. The Contractor shall utilize government-provided software development and test accounts, document and requirements repositories, etc. as required for the development, storage, maintenance and delivery of products within the scope of this effort. The Contractor shall not transmit, store or otherwise maintain sensitive data or products in Contractor systems (or media) within the VA firewall IAW VA Handbook 6500.6 dated March 12, 2010. All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, local security field office System Security Plans (SSPs) and Authority to Operate (ATO) for all systems/LANs accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this PWS. The Contractor shall ensure all work is performed in countries deemed not to pose a significant security risk. For detailed Security and Privacy Requirements (additional requirements of the contract consolidated into an addendum for easy reference) refer to ADDENDUM A – ADDITIONAL VA REQUIREMENTS, CONSOLIDATED and ADDENDUM B - VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government has determined that remote access solutions involving Citrix Access Gateway (CAG) have proven to be an unsatisfactory access method to complete the tasks on this specific contract. The Government also understands that GFE is limited to Contractors requiring direct access to the network to: access development environments; install, configure and run TRM-approved software and tools (e.g., Oracle, Fortify, Eclipse, SoapUI, WebLogic, LoadRunner, etc.); upload/download/ manipulate code, run scripts, apply patches, etc.; configure and change system settings; check logs, troubleshoot/debug, and test/QA.

Based on the Government assessment of remote access solutions and the requirements of this contract, the Government estimates that the following GFE will be required by this contract:

1. Approximately seventeen (17) standard laptops

1. N/A of developer-grade laptops

1. Tooling described in BRAMP Appendix D will be provided by VA. Contractor is responsible for knowledge and experience using the listed tools.

The Government will not provide IT accessories including but not limited to Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots/wireless access points, additional or specialized keyboards or mice, laptop bags, extra charging cables, extra PIV readers, peripheral devices, additional RAM, etc. The Contractor is responsible for providing these types of IT accessories in support of the contract as necessary and any VA installation required for these IT accessories shall be coordinated with the COR.

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