36C79124R0002 11-20-2023.docx

36C79124R0002 leadPAGE 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.

UEI:

EFT:

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. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

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

36C79124R0002

11/20/2023 Sandra McAnany 303-215-5246 12/21/2023 12:00

MT

Department of Veterans Affairs Commodities & Services Acquisition Svc (003B6E) 555 Corporate Circle Golden CO 80401-5621 x

561422 $25.5 Million

N/A

X

Department of Veterans Affairs Denver Logistics Center

555 Corporate Circle Denver CO 80401

Department of Veterans Affairs Commodities & Services Acquisition Svc (003B6E) 555 Corporate Circle Golden CO 80401-5621

Electronic Payment Requests Submit Invoices at:

http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp

Contractor is to provide Call Center Services through Veteran Service Support Technicians (VSSTs)and other staff for Denver Denver Logistics Center (DLC).

Period of Performance is 1/1/2024 to 12/31/2024, with four additional one-year options to continue services through 12/31/2028.

Complete Contract Administration on page 4.

See Schedule of Services, page 6.

See Performance Work Statement, page 7.

All questions from offeror regarding the solicitation shall be submitted on or before 12:00 pm MT on 12/01/2023.

pending

Sandra McAnany Contracting Officer

Table of Contents

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

1. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION MATTERS WILL BE HANDLED BY:

Contractor:

Contractor’s Name/Address/City-State-Zip (please print or type):

Point of Contact/Title:

Telephone Number:

Fax Number:

Email:

Contractor Unique Entity Identification (UEI):

Federal Taxpayer Identification Number:

Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Point of Contact:

Name & Title:

Telephone Number:

Email:

Government:

Joanna Hudson-Lundquist, Joanna.Hudson-Hundquist@va.gov, 303-273-6225

Department of Veterans Affairs Commodities & Services Acquisition Service 555 Corporate Circle Golden, CO 80401

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management.

3. INVOICES: The contractor shall submit each invoice electronically via email to DLC Fiscal at DALC.INVOICES@va.gov and include the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Contracting Officer (CO), and Contracting Specialist (CS) in the email.

All payments by the Government under this contract shall be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) in accordance with FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management and Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) clause 852.232-72, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

4. POST AWARD ORIENTATION:

The CO will schedule a post award conference meeting for contract orientation purposes.

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS:

The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

(End of Contract Administration Data)

B.2 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

The VA attempts to be as accurate as possible when providing estimated quantities; however, actual quantities may vary from quantities listed in the Schedule of Services below. The Government’s guaranteed minimum to be ordered during the base year in which the contract is awarded is $25,000.00. The Government’s ceiling amount of this contract is $15,000,000.00.

Please provide pricing in Attachment D.6 – Price Schedule. Attachment D.6 must be signed, in the specifically designated area, by an authorized signatory.

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:

1.1 Introduction.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Denver Logistics Center (DLC) (VA DLC) provide holistic supply chain management for the VA National Audiology, Prosthetics, and Telehealth Programs and support the VA and other Government agencies with professional acquisition and logistics services. The VA DLC procure, stock, and distribute – worldwide - commodities, including hearing aids and accessories, cochlear implants and accessories, assistive listening devices and accessories, assistive devices, batteries, prosthetic socks, orthotic soft goods, aids for visually impaired, Home Telehealth equipment, and peripherals. The DLC is an organizational arm of the VA Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics (OPAL), which provides medical products and services, including a worldwide network of frontline Veteran Services Support Technicians, General Clerk I, II, III or Customer Service Representative I, II, or III, to the Veterans, VA Medical Clinics and Hospitals, and other Government partners. DLC OPAL strive to continuously improve its quality standards and to offer improved value, timelines, and convenience in a competitive, responsible, accountable to taxpayers’ manner.

DLC operates a national supply program that directly supports over 1.9 million disabled Veterans, 21 Veteran Integrated Service Networks, 153 hospitals, 780 community-based outpatient clinics, 156 nursing homes,103 domiciliary units, and 13 blind rehabilitation centers.

Customer service representatives, comprised of both contractor staff and Government full-time employees (FTEs), will answer inquires and provide direct assistance to Veterans, and VA Clinicians in the process of fulfilling their orders utilizing the Remote Order Entry System (ROES) and transfer calls to different departments and/or sections within the DLC, assisting with credit card transactions, and processing mail.

1.2 Objective.

This requirement is for call center support services of Veteran Service Support Technicians (VSST), Lead/Training, and Supervisory staff provided by the contractor (Agents) for the DLC Veteran Services Division (VSD) Customer Support Center (CSC) and related customer services to support DLC operations. The selected contractor will provide competent Agents having the necessary ability, knowledge, and skill to deliver a variety of customer service tasks/services and supervision as outlined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS). The services requested are essential to DLC in meeting the VA mission to care for the US Veterans by allowing them to directly call and seek resolution of challenges and streamlined navigation of the broad business lines of the VA.

The objective is to obtain services of competent Agents with the following skills and knowledge:

1.2.1 Customer Service: Ability to work with VA customers and staff, general public, other agencies, and various non-government organizations. After completing standard operating Call Center procedure training, Agents must know and understand all available DLC products and services, be able to assess the customers’ needs, provide requested information, and otherwise assist in timely and effective manner, and resolve customers’ problems/needs in a satisfactory manner. Agents must be committed to providing excellent customer service to all DLC customers, both internal and external.

1.2.2 Verbal Communication: Be able to clearly relate information, ideas, and facts to individuals and groups in an effective manner taking into account the type of audiences addressed and nature of information conveyed (technical, sensitive, controversial information), make clear and convincing verbal presentations, actively listen, attend to nonverbal cues, and respond appropriately.

1.2.3 Written Communication: Expresses facts and ideas in writing in a timely, clear, correct, succinct, complete, and organized manner appropriate for the type of customer served.

1.2.4 Leads: Leads will have a mastery of diverse communication styles, to include professional writing and formatting, as well as managing the preparation of materials that convey complex technical program information directed to audiences with varying levels of comprehension and interests. A working knowledge of procedures, rules, and processes that exist in other VA service organizations in order to refer Veterans to appropriate VA business lines. Considerable training experience including practical application. Ability to constructively handle customer service-related conflict and problem resolution in a professional and appropriate manner.

1.2.5 Supervision: Skills related to planning work schedules and assignments (on an on-going basis) and adjusting work procedures within CSC as necessary to satisfactory production levels. Extensive verbal and written communication, including proactive customer service leading to customer driven outcomes. Ability to serve organizational customers; a knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and approaches to assure the highest level of services. Ability to develop and submit reports, briefings, prepare spreadsheets, and operating procedures. Ability to apply analytical and evaluative strategies to implement the Call Center performance measurements and metrics that define success. Problem solving skills, including resolution of issues that cross the inter-disciplinary lines of the VA business. Ability to handle conflict constructively, professionally, and appropriately.

2. GENERAL SCOPE AND REQUIREMENTS:

The scope of this effort is solely focused on obtaining contact center staffing for an established Customer Call Center, located at the Denver Logistics Center in Golden CO. The call center will leverage existing Call Center tools and technologies, including Government furnished computer hardware/software, with pre-loaded programs and menus, telephone equipment, and telephone accessories.

The scope the contract will be performed by a minimum of ten (10) but no more than fifteen (15) of full-time VSST’s; a minimum of five (5), but no more than ten (10) part-time VSSTs; a minimum of two (2) full-time Leads, and a minimum of one (1), but no more than two (2) full-time Supervisors. Full-time is defined as 40 hours per work week, Monday-Friday with work being performed as an 8-hour shift worked between hours of operations 6:00 am – 6:00 pm. Mountain Time (MT). Part-time is defined as a minimum of 20 hours per work week, with flexible incremental hours based off of high call volume hours, e.g., 8:00am – 1:00 pm) Monday-Friday, with work being performed between hours of operations, 6:00 am – 6:00 pm MT.

The contractor staff shall:

· Place phone order(s) received from Veterans during inbound calls, which may result in multiple transactions per call.

· Process, track, and place order(s) using Outlook email, scanner technology, and DLC software (Remote Order Entry System).

· Respond to emails using Outlook email.

· Evaluate orders for accuracy and timeliness by verifying shipment tracking.

· Process credit card payment.

· Gather information from Customers necessary and sufficient to place accurate orders.

· Conduct courteous and professional telephone interviews that address Customers’ issues and/or questions.

· Proficiently navigate Vendor Websites to locate manufacturer specific information, product guides, manuals, and instruction.

· Process credit card payments for charges made under PAY.GOV program.

· Process ROES loop transactions.

· Provide assistance to customers by guiding them through the Remote Order Entry System (ROES) software program screens.

· Provide instructions and/or guidance on technical or administrative matters, including ordering procedures, ROES loop processing, problem resolution, and other aspects as needed.

The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all information required to successfully perform the services under the awarded contract. In cases where the contractor believes that available information is not adequate, poor quality, or unusable, the contractor shall immediately notify the CO and COR.

Agents are only permitted on site at the DLC, located in Golden, Colorado when Government personnel are present, for example, an unforeseen closure due to extreme weather in the area and the building is closed, contract agents will not be permitted into the building.

Agents will use the available resources such as Job Aids, Knowledge Management, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), email alerts, Bulletins, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and mandated scripts, and reference materials to improve knowledge and utilize these materials as the first source of information/guidance.

All Agents shall be fully qualified and have the level of experience necessary to accomplish the requirements of this PWS. The personal and professional conduct and technical knowledge required shall enable the Agents to provide services that meet contract requirements.

Any Agent whose personal conduct does not in any way meet the requirements listed in the PWS shall be removed by the Contractor after notification from the COR for the issue, and replaced with an Agent whose conduct meets the requirements listed in the PWS at no additional cost to the Government.

All contractors/agents will comply with the VA’s Standard Code of Conduct.

All contract personnel shall be proficient in using office automation equipment and software and have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to provide professional services to VA DLC. Specifically, knowledgeable and proficient in the use of Microsoft Office application software such as: Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Outlook; be able to type at least 40 WPM, use an electric calculator, and be proficient in 10-key data entry via keyboard; have understanding of computer system tools such as keyboard mapping and smart keys to maximize efficiency; have general office skills, research skills, shipping and receiving, as well as computer skills; be able to operate various office machines, including personal computers, printers, calculators, scanners, shredders and copiers, etc.; at a minimum a high school diploma, or equivalent; sufficient relevant experience necessary to perform the required services.

Specific one-time training on existing and/or new DLC equipment, as the case may be, will be provided by the Government, upon contract award. Thereafter, contractor’s on-site Supervisor will be responsible for training other Agents on all existing/new DLC equipment that may be introduced, from time to time. The training process shall be included in the contractor’s staffing plan.

All Agents performing services under the awarded contract shall review, sign, and return Attachment D.7 Information Security Rules of Behavior.

3. HOURS OF OPERATION, STAFFING, PLACE OF PERFORMANCE, AND TRAVEL:

3.1 Hours of Operation and Staffing.

The Call Center will be operated from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM MT, Monday through Friday and closed on all Federal Holidays. The services will be performed Monday through Friday beginning no earlier than 6:00 A.M. MT and ending no earlier than 6:00 PM MT. The contractor will ensure breaks, lunches, and time off are scheduled to ensure coverage and support during business hours, as specified in the awarded contract. A Government FTE Supervisor in the Call Center will be responsible for forecasting labor requirements and forecasting contractor staff schedules. Staffing will be adjusted to meet varying call volume and contractor staff schedules will be the responsibility of the contractor.

The contractor shall name a Program Point of Contact (POC) who shall be available via telephone Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM MT until 5:00 PM MT, excluding federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. The POC shall be available to participate in teleconferences within three (3) hours of notification or in case of an emergency.

3.1.2 Hiring

The contractor will be required to review resumes, conduct interviews and work with Government personnel for federal onboard actions (e.g., background investigation and Personal Identification Verification (PIV) cards and obtaining government furnished equipment needed to perform the duties as listed in this PWS.

3.2 Place of Performance.

The work will be performed at the Denver Logistics Center, 555 Corporate Circle, Golden, CO 80401.

3.3 Travel.

Contract personnel is not anticipated or expected to travel for this position.

Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from the place of performance shall not be reimbursed. The Government shall not be responsible for any relocation expenses associated with moving contractor’s personnel to the Denver Metro and Golden, CO commuting area.

4. MAJOR DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND REQUIREMENTS:

4.1 Duties and Responsibilities.

The contractor is required to provide support to VA DLC with all tasks listed in the PWS. Primarily, the contractor shall staff and schedule contractor FTE and part-time employee (PTE), and work directly with Government FTE, Chief of Operations, and Chief of Veteran Services Division to monitor the Call Center needs and workload.

The Government CO will provide clarification on requirements, templates, standards, and guidelines on all deliverables when clarification is not provided in this PWS prior to any action taken by the contractor.

The Agents who serve in the capacity of a VSST and are the frontline representatives are responsible for the placement of all orders received from VA clinicians and Veterans at the DLC, orders received via the call center will be for DLC products such as hearing aid accessories, assistive listening devices, assistive devices, batteries, orthotic soft goods, prosthetic socks, aids for the blind and telehealth equipment. These orders can be received electronically, by telephone, via fax, or by mail. VSSTs will process a wide variety of transactions subject to various rules and regulations. They shall be the subject matter expert (SME) on all national programs managed by the DLC.

4.1.1 The VSST work processes involve:

a) Identifying issues or problems, seeking alternative solutions (consistent with applicable regulations), and providing direct technical assistance to Veterans and VHA Clinicians.

Technical assistance at this level involves providing direct assistance to clinical specialists such as: guiding the clinician through the DLC’s ROES software program screens for ordering items, conducting model changes, how to re-register Veterans’ devices under a new Veteran’s name, proper procedures for entering eligibility of a Veteran coming from active duty into the VA, how to make serial number changes on hearing aids, cochlear implants, artificial limb devices, assistive listening devices, and sleep apnea products and devices, evaluating duplicate records and assistance in finding correct patient records. Responsibility for a stream of products or continuing processes based on direct application of established policies, practices, and criteria such as: correct credit card ordering procedures, shipping procedures, return policies, lost and damaged hearing aids, sleep apnea, telehealth service entry procedures in ROES, advising clinicians of how to resolve Veteran database record errors under established guidelines, and time and policy procedures.

b) Responsibility for accuracy and timeliness of orders received at the DLC. In this capacity VSST will:

· Process routine orders within two (2) days and priority and emergency orders the same day.

· Evaluate orders from Veterans to determine the appropriateness of the priority.

· Apply product knowledge to customer requests to determine accurate order descriptions and quantities.

· Ensure that the Veteran has the appropriate eligibility to order items requested and process Government credit card orders for payment of charges made under the PAY.GOV program.

c) Initial training for the Supervisor(s) and Lead(s) will be provided by DLC. After the initial training is completed the Supervisors and Leads will train the VSSTs. The training must be designed to ensure that the VSSTs are fully competent subject matter experts able to answer question and provide information for all DLC products, including different models of hearing aids, different types and sizes of batteries, prosthetic socks, orthotic softgoods, telehealth equipment, and understanding of all DLC programs and processing procedures.

Other duties may vary from time to time and are not completely standardized or prescribed, for example: tracking spreadsheets for order card and phone call workload, credit card reconciliation, researching of items that are on contract, control/evaluation for misaddressed orders, resolution of medical problems for Veterans based overseas, and miscellaneous office procedures. Duties will regularly involve new and changing situations, which may not be covered by regular guidelines or procedures.

4.1.2 The Lead/Trainer work process involve:

a) Provides guidance and advises Agents on standards and protocols of the call center.

b) Assists the on-site contract Supervisor with all aspects of customer service section production, workload, team dynamics, and individual contract employee issues and concerns.

c) Provides resolution for simple and informal complaints received from Veterans, VHA Clinicians, and DLC employees. Refers more complex issues and concerns to the on-site contract Supervisor.

d) Provides instructions to Agents regarding proper phone etiquette – messaging, transfers, online ordering instructions, interpreting software screens.

e) Accessory ordering:

· Identification of proper parts for different hearing aids and parts in the ROES program.

· Proper ordering procedures using ROES and Veterans Health Information Systems Technology and Architecture (VistA).

· Working with manufacturers to identify unique parts and different materials used in prosthetic socks.

· Distinguishing the type of amputation and how prosthetic socks are sized accordingly.

· Orthotic softgoods identification and sizes.

f) Follow all procedures for managing lost and/or damaged items.

g) Email Procedures:

· Will identify unique emails requiring Supervisor attention for placing email orders.

· Ensure appropriate customer service written responses are provided for orders or issues.

h) Remote Order Entry System (ROES) Loop processing:

· Contract application, dissemination of contract information and how it applies to ROES ordering.

· Assistance for clinic staff concerning contract and ordering issues.

i) How to manipulate and process the ROES Loops for items requiring personal attention for:

· Assistive devices.

· Battery orders.

· Stock battery orders.

· Hearing Aids.

- Hearing aid registrations

- Hearing aid parts and accessories

- Stock hearing aid accessories

- Hearing aid issue/problems

- Hearing aid order cancelations

- Custom hearing aid orders

j) Prosthetic item orders (stock and custom).

k) Telehealth:

· Telehealth orders

· Telehealth items

· Telehealth registration

· Telehealth equipment identification

· How to provide correct information for implementing telehealth services ordering in ROES

· Problem resolution to telehealth orders that contain incorrect Shipping and Receiving information.

l) Shipping and receiving procedure

· Shipping timelines.

· How to track items shipped through the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel Service (UPS), and FedEx Corporation.

· How to manage orders that were sent incorrect to the customer.

· Credit for incorrect shipments or damaged orders.

m) Credit Card Procedures

· How to properly input data for a credit card order.

· Implementing correct Pay.Gov procedures.

· Meeting Pay.Gov processing timelines.

Leads will be responsible for taking inbound calls, as well as delivering initial, new, and refresher training content to all contracted Agents.

The Leads report to the on-site contract Supervisor who is responsible for the services performed by the Agents.

4.1.3 The on-site Supervisors processes involve:

a) Coaching Agents in accordance with the established standard operating procedures and training curriculum.

b) Coordinating with the Chief of Veteran Services and the Government FTE Supervisor for the Call Center to ensure appropriate coverage is in place during the business operating hours.

c) Providing the Government with call data metrics.

d) Interacting with customers and other members of the VSD team with respect, courtesy, focus, and professionalism.

e) Actively participating in improving the VSD’s Call Center performance by assisting in balancing all workload requirements, responding to management requests for information or ideas that enhance the effective operation of the phone lines, and completing and/or reinforcing customer service training.

f) Being responsible for the services performed by Agents, including meeting of all duties listed in the PWS.

g) Validating all work performed by the Agents before signing off on production summary documents (see PWS paragraph 5.1).

h) Working with DLC management on complex issues and concerns.

i) When requested by the CO or COR, providing a summary of all duties performed by and/or Agents’ accomplishments not later than the close of business the last duty day of each week for the prior week. (Ref: para 5.1 Weekly Production Report.)

j) Remaining on site for the entire term of the contract.

The on-site Supervisor shall have a full authority to act on behalf of the contractor on all matters relating to the daily performance of the PWS requirements to include coordinating with the COR, managing and assigning work to Agents, and managing contract employee’s leave, schedules, timecards, etc.

The Supervisors’ primary purpose is to monitor the performance of the VSST; ensuring customer service runs efficiently and effectively, and that VSSTs remain optimally productive throughout the contract.

Contractor staff will not be supervising the Government FTEs, nor will Government FTEs be supervising contractor staff.

4.2 Requirements.

All contractor staff - Supervisors, Leads/Trainers, and VSSTs shall have a thorough knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation to compose written material, including any correspondence with Veterans, medical facilities, manufactures, and other external customers, both verbally and in writing. Agents shall present a neat appearance (professional or business casual).

Agents shall have a high school diploma or equivalent. Agents shall have a minimum of six (6) months of experience and knowledge of customer service practices and principles (e.g., hospitality, hotel, caregiver, recreation, retail, marketing, food service, call center), ensuring customer satisfaction. Agents shall have basic knowledge and skills with computer programs like Windows, Excel, and Microsoft Office suite and typing skills.

The Leads and other Agents are regarded an expert source of information for different models of hearing aids, different types and sizes of batteries, prosthetic socks, orthotic softgoods, and apnea and telehealth equipment in understanding the DLC programs and processing procedures.

All Agents shall have the ability to effectively listen and communicate verbally with people on the telephone. This includes the skill to conduct telephone interviews that produce the necessary exchange of information needed by VA DLC to address the issue(s) or question(s) posed by the caller. Contractor staff must be able to convey any information accurately, fully, and clearly about DLC inventories, which are of interest to the caller or make a proper referral when the information or service requested can be better provided by a different organization or agency. This requires a strong skill set in both verbal and written communications.

The on-site Leads shall have a high school diploma or equivalent, but more education and/or technical training is preferred. Shall have a minimum of one-year of experience with training or leading customer service staff to perform daily tasks in support of business operations, through knowledge of team processes and have knowledge and skills with managing complaints providing resolution, working with management, and monitoring daily workloads. Advanced/exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Leads shall have intermediate to advanced knowledge and skills with computer programs like Windows, Excel, and Microsoft Office suite and typing skills.

The on-site Supervisor shall have high school diploma or equivalent, but additional higher education, specifically in business management/supervision, is preferred. A minimum of one-year experience in a call center, customer service, or supervisory position. Contract Supervisor shall have proficiency with technology, especially computers, software applications like Windows, Excel and Microsoft Office Suite, advanced typing skills, and knowledge of multi-line phone systems. Advanced/exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Ability to coach, train, and motivate employees and evaluate their performance. Experience and knowledge to administratively maintain files, generate reports, and keep timecards.

The contractor shall not employ any personnel to provide services to DLC without ensuring that they do not pose potential risk to health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the installation and its entire population. If an Agent is identified by the CO as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well-being or operational mission of the installation and its population, the contractor shall immediately remove the Agent from the facility and replace him/her with an Agent who meets the Agent requirements defined in this PWS within ten (10) business days.

All contractor personnel employees (Supervisors, Leads/Trainers, and other Agents) shall present a neat appearance (professional business casual). Employees are expected to wear clothes which are suitable for business and to present themselves in a manner which brings credit to the facility.

Footwear: All footwear should be kept clean and neat. Athletic shoes are not to be worn except in the case of a medical reason (a medical note to be required).

Clothing: All clothing is to be neat, clean, and in good condition, free from holes, rips/tears, and stains. Prohibited attire includes:

a) Any clothing item that contains inappropriate slogans, illustrations, or advertising. Examples of inappropriate slogans, illustrations, and advertising include, but are not limited to clothing that promote or displays alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs; clothing that might be offensive to individuals based on sex, age, race, national origin, or sexual orientation; disability, religion, or clothing that has sexual, political and/or negative connotations or messages.

b) Any article of clothing that is sheer/see-thru in nature when worn alone, mini-skirts or shorts. Sheer shirts, blouses and dresses must be layered with another article of clothing.

c) Loungewear (i.e. Bathrobes, pajamas, lounge pants);

d) Tube tops, midriff or halter tops, spandex, strapless or spaghetti-strap dresses are acceptable when worn with a cover-up. A jacket, sweater or an overblouse will be always worn when dressed in this fashion.

e) Athletic warm-ups/sweat suits (to include items made of spandex) and sweatshirts;

f) Hats, caps, or scarves covering the head including sweatbands should not be worn indoors, unless it is in respect to religious beliefs, for a medical reason, sunglasses should not be worn indoors, except for medical reasons (medical note will be required);

g) Hair, including facial hair, is to be clean and groomed.

Contractor personnel shall be required to wear building access contractor badge, issued by the Government, to gain access to the building at all times.

5. DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULE:

The following table provides the schedule of deliverables required under this PWS. All deliverables and documentation shall be submitted in electronic format, unless otherwise instructed. The submitted electronic formats shall be compatible with approved Government computer software (Pdf, doc, xls, ppt and other approved file types).

Deliverable

Frequency

Credit Card Pay Reconcile Pay.Gov Weekly

Provide customer guidance with ordering software (ROES)

Daily

5.1 Weekly Production Report.

The on-site Supervisor shall validate all work performed by signing off on production summary documents. When requested by the CO or COR, the onsite Supervisor shall provide a summary of duties performed or accomplishments for each employee and deliver to CO/COR by close of business, the last duty day of each week for work that was completed the prior week.

5.2 Performance Metrices.

The table below defines the Performance Metrics associated with this effort.

Performance Standard for Agents and Leads/Trainer

Indicator: The on-site Supervisor will monitor the Agent and document any discrepancies.

1. Proficient in English, typing, writing skills, grammar, and spelling.

Ability to type orders into Veteran’s records in ROES.

Performance Standard for contractor Supervisors who supervise contractor staff

1. Complying with agencies policies, directives, and labor practices.

1. Recognize problems and effectively resolve them while fully communicating with upper management.

1. Providing employees with performance standards.

1. Maintain accurate documentation of employee’s performance.

1. Complete monthly performance /expectations about performance.

1. Addressing performance deficiencies as soon as possible.

1. Process personnel actions within required time frames.

The Supervisor must show a pattern of good supervision skills as shown by positive feedback, management observation or other documented evidence, with no instances of unusual manager level intervention during the performance appraisal period and failure to comply with guidelines concerning the implementation of their employee's performance plan.

Indicators: Management observation, Manager’s records, and peer-to-peer recognition. Monthly performance must be presented to the employee each month. Monthly the Manager/Designee will review 50% of the employee performance folders, per team, for accuracy and completeness.

1. Analyze daily telephone activities and adjust during the day to staffing to meet incoming call volume and to ultimately ensure wait time, staffing compliance, and abandoned call rates are within parameters.

1. Manage to ten percent (10%) available Agent shrinkage.

1. Complete all Supervisor call backs within the established guidelines.

1. Complete SQC review on fifteen (15) complaint routing actions per Agent per month for quality and training purposes.

The Supervisor must show a pattern of good supervision skills as shown by positive feedback, Management observation or other documented evidence, with no instances of unusual Manager level intervention during the performance appraisal period and no instances of failure to comply with guidelines concerning the implementation of their employee's performance plan.

Indicators: System and quality reports, including telephone Call Monitoring Evaluation Sheets, SQC program, Supervisor’s employee performance folders.

1. Maintains a healthy and safe work environment.

1. Engages in early conflict management and alternative dispute resolution as needed.

1. Demonstrates evidence of supporting employees’ professional growth, to include mentoring.

The Supervisor demonstrates the high level of performance expected, and his or her actions and leadership contribute positively toward the achievement of strategic goals. The Supervisor is an effective, solid, and dependable leader who delivers high-quality results based on measure of quality, quantity, efficiency, and/or effectiveness within agreed upon timeliness.

Indicators: Management observation, peer-to-peer recognition, and Supervisory records, reports, and reviews.

1. Ensure that all employees are aware of shredding policies and the destruction of appropriate documents is completed in a timely manner.

1. Ensure that all employees under their authority comply with Privacy Act requirements and are trained to understand their responsibilities.

1. Comply with established procedures for detecting, reporting, and responding to information security incidents or privacy violations.

No instances of failure to adhere to the Privacy Act. No instances of failure to adhere to report Privacy Act violations.

Indicator: Supervisory review, privacy reports, Talent Management System reports, customer service surveys, and feedback received from external customers.

1. Proficient in typing, writing skills, grammar, and spelling Ability to document escalation content, service recovery actions and other managerial level content so that it captures key points, is factually accurate, and easy to understand.

· Helps lead the team that rallies around the mission and vision of the organization.

· Helps minimize team conflict and manage team dynamics.

The Lead demonstrates the high level of performance expected, and his or her actions and leadership contribute positively toward the achievement of strategic goals. The Supervisor is an effective, solid, and dependable leader who delivers high-quality results based on measure of quality, quantity, efficiency, and/or effectiveness within agreed upon timeliness.

6. QUALITY ASSURANCE:

Quality Control Plan (QCP). The contractor is responsible for ensuring the services are performed in accordance with all VA DLC requirements listed in this PWS.

Agents’ performance will be monitored by the Supervisors.

The COR and technical/program office staff shall also monitor the Agents’ performance. They may use any and all monitoring methods listed below. The Government reserves the right to utilize third party external monitoring and assessment to verify that all required performance objectives are met. The COR shall contact the on-site Supervisor and inform the CO of specific performance issues.

If an Agent’s performance is below the required standard for a given period, the contractor will be notified and will be given a time period of two (2) weeks or more if determined appropriate to ensure the meeting of all performance standards.

If Contractor and its Agents are not performing in accordance with the performance standards set out in this PWS, the COR will schedule remediation meetings with the CO and Contractor to determine why they are not meeting the performance standards. If the remediation meeting does not result in a correction of Agents’ performance, in addition to other non-performance rights under the awarded contract, deficient performance shall be reported in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

Monitoring methods used:

· Direct Observation

· Reviews for accuracy of work

· Progress or status meetings or communications

If the monitoring results indicate that any of the services do not conform with the PWS, the Government may require the Contractor to provide refresher training.

Agents 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 is Low Risk, National Agency Check with Inquires (NACI) Tier The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

The contractor must notify the CO and COR immediately when an Agent(s) working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor. The CO and COR must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to any termination of any Agent(s). Terminated Agents will turn in PIV cards and all other access cards to the COR.

Information made available to the Agents by VA for the performance of services under the awarded contract or information developed by the Agent during the performance of services under the awarded contract shall only be used for this purpose and shall not be used in any other way. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the awarded contract confidentiality, privacy, and/or security provisions, it shall be sufficient grounds for Termination for Cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12.

Contractor Rules of Behavior. All contractor employees shall review, sign, and return to the COR copies of VA Handbook 6500 Rules of Behavior Appendix A, Information Security Rules of Behavior and Appendix G, Rules of Behavior prior to…