Final_RFP_2019.pdf

SECTION A -

Indian Health Service Request for Proposal for Program Evaluation Services

(RFP) 75H70419R00034

You are invited to submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements of the following Solicitation.

Proposals must be received by the Government no later than the local time on the Due Date stated in the table below.

Issue Date: 07/18/2019

Due Date: 08/14/2019

Time: 3:30 p.m., EST

Point of Contact:

Daniel Rosenstengel daniel.rosenstengel@ihs.gov mailto:daniel.rosenstengel@ihs.gov

Solicitation #75H70419R00034 Indian Health Service – Program Evaluation Services

SECTION B – PRODUCTS OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1. TYPE OF CONTRACT (FAR 52.216-1 (APR 1984))

This solicitation is being conducted utilizing FAR Part 13 as a Small Business Indian Firm/Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) set aside based on authority of the Buy Indian Act (25 U.S.C. 47). The Government contemplates award of one or more Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract(s) resulting from this solicitation.

B.2. CONSIDERATION AND PAYMENT

The Contractor shall provide the services described in Section C, Description/ Specifications/Statement of Work. Except as otherwise specified in the contract, the Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, materials, services, facilities, and otherwise provide all tasks necessary for or incident to the performance of the work set forth herein.

In consideration of satisfactory performance of work described in the Statement of Work, the contractor shall be compensated for the number hours actually incurred at the fixed fully-loaded hourly rates set forth below. Travel when necessary shall be paid at actual cost in accordance with F.12.

B.3. CONTRACT PRICE

a. This is an IDIQ contract. The guaranteed minimum amount for this contract is $5,000.00 during the base year of the contract. This minimum shall be met through issuance of one or more task orders. The total aggregate amount of the contract assuming all four option periods are exercised shall not exceed $7,500,000.00 for the five year period of the contract.

b. Upon delivery and acceptance of the services described in the Performance Work Statement of this contract and identified in the schedule of charges below, the Government shall pay to the Contractor the number of hours specified in individual task orders at the rates specified below per the following Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) accordingly:

[The estimated hours on the schedule below are based on the possibility that as many as five (5) evaluations could be active at any given time.]

SCHEDULE OF CHARGES FOR THE BASE PERIOD

CLIN

Contract Period

Description of Services

Unit

Estimated Quantity

(Hours)

Hourly Rate

Total Price ($)

0001 Base Project Manager III HR 600

0002 Base Project Director II HR 2000

0003 Base SME/Consultant

HR 900

0004 Base Researcher/Evaluator III HR 3000 0005 Base Evaluation Specialist HR 3750 0006 Base Technology Specialist HR 510 0007 Base Editorial Specialist HR 510 0008 Base Travel - Not-to-exceed $5,000.00 per individual evaluation (price not required for this RFP)

N/A

TOTAL:

B.4. OPTION PRICES

a. Pursuant to FAR Clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services and FAR Clause 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract, set forth in CONTRACT CLAUSES of this contract, the Government may, by unilateral contract modification, require the Contractor to perform the Option Period(s) as defined in the Performance Work Statement of this contract. If the Government exercises this/these option(s), notice must be given before the expiration date of the contract.

Specific information regarding the time frame for this notice is set forth in the OPTION PROVISION of this contract. If an option period is exercised, the estimated amount of labor hours will be increased as set forth below.

b. Upon delivery and acceptance of the services described in the Performance Work Statement of this contract and identified in the schedule of charges below, the Government shall pay to the Contractor the number of hours specified in individual task orders at the rates specified below per the following Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) accordingly:

SCHEDULE OF CHARGES FOR THE OPTION PERIODS

OPTION PERIOD ONE (OY1):

OY1 Project Manager III HR 600

OY1 Project Director II HR 2000 1003 OY1 SME/Consultant

1004 OY1 Researcher/Evaluator III HR 3000 1005 OY1 Evaluation Specialist HR 3750 1006 OY1 Technology Specialist HR 510 1007 OY1 Editorial Specialist HR 510

1008 OY1 Travel - Not-to-exceed $5,000.00 per individual evaluation (price not required for this RFP)

OPTION PERIOD TWO (OY2):

2001 OY2 Project Manager III HR 600 2002 OY2 Project Director II HR 2000 2003 OY2 SME/Consultant

2004 OY2 Researcher/Evaluator III HR 3000 2005 OY2 Evaluation Specialist HR 3750 2006 OY2 Technology Specialist HR 510 2007 OY2 Editorial Specialist HR 510

2008 OY2 Travel - Not-to-exceed $5,000.00 per individual evaluation (price not required for this RFP)

OPTION PERIOD THREE (OY3):

3001 OY3 Project Manager III HR 600 3002 OY3 Project Director II HR 2000 3003 OY3 SME/Consultant

3004 OY3 Researcher/Evaluator III HR 3000 3005 OY3 Evaluation Specialist HR 3750 3006 OY3 Technology Specialist HR 510 3007 OY3 Editorial Specialist HR 510

3008 OY3 Travel - Not-to-exceed $5,000.00 per individual evaluation (price not required for this RFP)

OPTION PERIOD FOUR (OY4):

4001 OY4 Project Manager III HR 600 4002 OY4 Project Director II HR 2000 4003 OY4 SME/Consultant

4004 OY4 Researcher/Evaluator III HR 3000 4005 OY4 Evaluation Specialist HR 3750 4006 OY4 Technology Specialist HR 510 4007 OY4 Editorial Specialist HR 510

4008 OY4 Travel - Not-to-exceed $5,000.00 per individual evaluation (price not required for this RFP)

SECTION C- DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

C.1. Title

C.2. Background The Indian Health Service (IHS) is the agency within the Department of Health and Human (DHHS) responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. As the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for AI/AN people, the goal of IHS is to raise their health status to the highest possible level. Within IHS, the Office of Public Health Support (OPHS) provides essential public health functions of epidemiology, surveillance, planning, performance, evaluation, research and statistical information and analysis.

OPHS’s Division of Planning, Evaluation and Research (DPER) provides leadership and coordination of the agency’s strategic planning, program evaluation, and health research activities.

This IDIQ contract will support evaluations of a variety of IHS Programs in partnership with IHS Program and DPER staff, and in some cases, may involve working with grantees.

C.3. General Requirements Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the work of the contract.

Under this contract, the Contractor is responsible for the planning, coordination, development, implementation, delivery, and quality program evaluation and evaluation support functions to support IHS in understanding processes, outcomes, and either short- or long-term impacts related to Public Health Programs, Clinical Services and Healthcare Business Operations.

This section describes the general requirements for this effort. The following sub-sections provide details of various considerations on this effort. The following schedule of tasks and deliverables outlines the requirements necessary to plan, organize, develop, implement, operate, and evaluate the tasks within the contract.

C.3.1. Non-Personal Services The Government shall neither supervise Contractor employees nor control the method by which the Contractor performs the required tasks. Under no circumstances shall the Government assign tasks to, or prepare work schedules for, individual Contractor employees. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to manage its employees and to guard against any actions that are of a personal services nature, or give the perception of personal services. If the Contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, it shall be the Contractor's responsibility to notify the Contracting Officer (CO) immediately.

C.3.2. Business Relations The Contractor shall successfully integrate and coordinate all activity needed to execute the requirement. The Contractor is required to provide quality assurance services and effective management of subcontractors. The Contractor shall seek to ensure customer satisfaction and professional and ethical behavior for all Contractor personnel.

C.3.3. Contract Administration and Management The following subsections specify requirements for contract management, contract administration and personnel administration.

C.3.3.1. Contract Management The Contractor shall establish clear organizational lines of authority and responsibility to ensure effective management of the resources assigned to the requirement. The Contractor must maintain and ensure continuity of evaluation activities between the Contractor's corporate offices and the Indian Health Service.

C.3.3.2. Contract Administration The Contractor shall establish processes and assign appropriate resources to effectively administer the requirement. The Contractor shall respond to Government requests for contractual actions in a timely fashion. The Contractor shall have a single point of contact between the Government and Contractor personnel assigned to support the contract and task orders. The Contractor shall assign work effort and maintain proper and accurate time keeping records of personnel assigned to work on the requirement.

The Contractor will meet with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and IHS officials within 7 days of the contract award to become acquainted with the IHS staff, review the Performance Work Statement (PWS), discuss timelines and deliverables, and to begin initial planning. The Contractor and COR will also hold start up meetings at the beginning of each option year of the contract to revisit and make adjustments (if necessary) to the comprehensive action plan, quality assurance plan, communications plan, evaluation plan, and project plan and also to discuss ongoing tasks in the PWS, and deliverables.

C.3.3.3. Personnel Administration The Contractor shall maintain the currency of their employees by providing initial and refresher training as required to meet the PWS requirements. The Contractor shall make necessary travel arrangements for employees and maintain adequate infrastructure to support contract tasks.

C.3.4. Subcontract Management The Contractor shall be responsible for any subcontract management necessary to integrate work performed on this requirement and shall be responsible and accountable for subcontractor performance on this requirement. The prime contractor will manage work distribution to ensure there are no Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI). Contractors may add subcontractors to their team after notification to the CO and COR.

C.3.5. Contractor Personnel, Disciplines, and Specialties The Contractor shall accomplish the assigned work by employing and utilizing qualified personnel with appropriate combinations of education, training, licensure/certification and experience. The Contractor shall ensure the labor categories as defined in the Labor Categories document, labor rates, and man-hours utilized for the performance under the awarded contract will be maintained throughout the performance period.

C.3.6. Location and Hours of Work Accomplishment of the results contained in this PWS may require work at various Government (IHS) facilities. Normal workdays are Monday through Friday except US Federal Holidays.

Workers typically work eight (8) hours per day, 40 hours per week. Core hours of work are from 0900 to 1500 daily. All employees and required services are expected to be available during core hours.

The Contractor will be responsible for coordinating the logistics of the trainings to include but not limited to securing a site (with priority given to Federal facilities) for the trainings, payment of non-federal sites, and on-site and web-based registration services. Facility related training costs must be approved in advance by the COR or Contracting Officer. If approved, a cost reimbursement line item will be included in the task order. Also, see F.12.

C.4. Performance Requirements The Contractor shall provide the necessary personal resources, equipment and infrastructure to manage, perform, and administer the contract throughout the performance period. The Contractor shall be responsible to complete submitted Task Order Proposals in all and any of the following domains:

I: Feasibility, Pilot and Evaluation Projects II: Statistical Projects III: Health Systems Analysis, Economics, and Financing IV: Technical Assistance and Training

C.4.1. Feasibility, Pilot and Evaluation Projects

Feasibility and Pilot Studies The Contractor shall design, conduct, and report results from feasibility and pilot studies, as well as develop tools that increase fidelity to the implementation of successful models of intervention and/or program design. A feasibility study is usually done to determine whether or not an organizational activity, a service, a therapeutic procedure, a financial intervention, a treatment service, strategy, intervention, technology or a statistical operation model will work as intended.

Feasibility studies are usually small scale and completed over a relatively brief period of time. A pilot study is used to determine whether or not the results of a feasibility study can be successfully replicated under a broader set of circumstances that are reflective of the intended range of applicability.

The Contractor shall identify the key components of the feasibility or pilot study; identify the units that will participate in the study and a procedure by which units will be sampled and invite units to participate in the study; arrange all logistics for the study; provide support to the units as the study is conducted; convene the sampled units as needed throughout the study; collect qualitative and quantitative information on unit performance in the study; and prepare a report on the outcome of the study.

Evaluation Projects IHS conducts evaluation studies of projects or programs in order to understand factors that may impede or contribute to its success; to explain linkages between project or program activities and outcomes; to assess effects beyond intended objectives; to estimate what would have occurred in the absence of a project or program, in order to assess net impact; or to compare the effectiveness of alternative interventions, projects or programs aimed at the same objectives. Evaluation studies can be experimental or non-experimental in design; and can include a range of qualitative and/or quantitative information for a number of subject areas. Evaluations may focus on: process or implementation to understand if the intervention, project, or program is operating as intended;

outcomes to determine if projects or programs achieve intended objectives; impact by comparing what would have happened in the absence of the project or program; cost benefit and/or cost effectiveness to assess the costs to produce positive benefits or identify the least costly method of achieving objectives. As evaluation design and planning is central to the effectiveness of a program and its evaluation, Contractor may be involved in strategic planning of programs and evaluations.

IHS evaluations may make use of multiple sources of data, such as: grantee progress reports, grantee local evaluation reports, performance data reported to IHS, customer/client surveys, clinical instruments, field observation, and other sources. The Contractor shall have the capacity to design and/or execute such evaluation projects. In some instances, evaluation studies will have short deadlines and limited resources so careful attention must be devoted to selecting the most appropriate designs and employing appropriate standards for health care research and statistical methodology. The Contractor shall develop a strategic planning approach to programs and their related evaluations. The Contractor shall develop one or more preliminary evaluation designs, which will measure relevant aspects of program performance.

The products of this sub task may include strategic plans, gap analyses, theory of change/logic models, data instruments, data collection plans, data analysis plans, and use/dissemination plans.

The Contractor shall identify the program and evaluative questions to be addressed by the evaluation study; design an evaluation study capable of successfully answering the questions posed;

invite participation in the study; arrange all logistics for the study; convene and conduct a technical support group; provide technical assistance on the evaluation; collect qualitative and/or quantitative information; analyze collected data and prepare a report that summarizes the essential questions, design, results, and discussion. In preparing summary reports, the Contractor will work with the Task Manager to identify the target audience (there may be more than one for each program evaluation) and develop an information presentation approach that is focused on conveying data and information visually such that it enhances understanding in intuitive ways for the audience to see and explore.

C.4.2. Statistical Projects

Sampling Designs and Statistical Methods The Contractor shall demonstrate expertise in complex sampling and survey design, in weighting, variance estimation, imputation and analyses of complex survey data, and in a wide range of additional statistical methods suitable for the analyses of survey data through direct staff and/or through consultant experts.

The Contractor must make available staff and/or consultants, through appropriate logistical arrangements, who can provide advice to the Government in these specialized design and statistical areas. Advice may take the form of a consultation that includes design of a complex survey, design of a complex sampling procedure for a survey, design of compound weights and variance estimation for a survey, design of one or more complex statistical analyses, or some combination of these activities.

Acquiring, Developing, and Managing a Collection of National Data Bases The Contractor shall identify Federal and/or non-Federal databases pertinent to the scope of work (e.g., household surveys, facility surveys, employer surveys, census data, health claims databases, surveillance or epidemiological data, etc.) that can provide answers to questions posed 0by the Government. When such databases are not available, the Contractor shall have the knowledge and capacity to provide advice on ways such databases can be developed. This may include building such data bases from other preexisting data bases or recommending new data collections.

The Contractor shall search Federal, State, Local and private sources, as appropriate, for data bases that contain information that can answer the questions posed by the Government. When such data bases are identified, the Contractor shall determine the quality of the data, completeness, accessibility of the data, their costs, use agreements and fees, required security training, etc.

Imputations and other methods to correct sampling error should be used as needed. Once the Government has concluded that the data bases are appropriate, the Contractor shall acquire and process them through appropriate logistical arrangements to answer the questions posed by the Government. In some instances, the Contractor shall process information for use by others (e.g., processing Federal information for use by the States). When a new data collection is required, the Contractor shall perform all tasks associated with preparation of an instrument or questionnaire including the qualitative assessment of instruments, e.g., through focus groups and cognitive testing, including but not limited to preparation of necessary Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance packages, sampling design and execution, field data collection and cleanup, and electronic data files and tabular/graphical analyses. The work plan shall specify methods that will be used to collect data, whether on site, (e.g., face-to-face interview, or telephone) or, for large-scale data collections, via the Internet, diskette, or paper forms. The work plan shall define site selection criteria, and potential study sites, and indicate options and relative advantages of different sampling plans. The Contractor shall have the capacity to conduct large scale data collections; to collect data through the Internet, via computer-assisted telephone interviews or audio computer-assisted interviews or other electronic means, or on paper forms; to perform complex sampling and weighting procedures for probability samples and adjustment of missing data to account for non-response.

Analyses of National Datasets The Contractor shall process and analyze Federal and/or non-Federal data sets, through appropriate logistical arrangements, that address the questions posed by the Government; undertake research to determine the quality and characteristics of these data sets; and plan appropriate analyses of the data sets to address specific questions. The Contractor shall prepare analyses of the data sets in the most economical manner and prepare appropriate frequency, percentage, and rate distributions, or other statistical measures, e.g. variances. Special attention shall be devoted to economical procedures of data analysis, and Contractor shall identify shortcuts and best practices that will reduce costs to the Government when large data sets are analyzed. In some instances, the Contractor may be required to work with weighted data collected through complex sampling designs or to prepare complex analyses (e.g., logistical regression) using these data bases.

The Contractor will comply with all applicable Federal security, confidentiality, and privacy laws.

In preparing summary reports, the Contractor will work with the COR to identify the target audience (there may be more than one for each program evaluation) and develop an information design approach that is focused on conveying abstract information in intuitive ways allowing the target audience to see, explore, and understand large amounts of information at once.

Analyses of Complex Quantitative Data If involved in a survey, the Contractor shall prepare analyses of complex data sets, whether for survey data derived from complex sampling designs or for analysis of cost, service utilization and population distinctions. This will entail the preparation of statistics and their associated variances using the SUDAAN, NVIVO, STATA, or other appropriate software. Software shall be provided by the Contractor. Such results will also be used to prepare variance curves or design effect tables for inclusion in reports to be provided to users who want to interpret the statistics from a survey. To perform this work successfully, the Contractor must have staff and/or consultants with advanced expertise in statistics, econometrics, sampling, weighting, imputations, and variance statistics.

The Contractor shall prepare a summary report that integrates findings from the data analysis and literature review, and as required, identify current gaps in knowledge. In preparing summary reports, the Contractor will work with the Task Manager to identify the target audience (there may be more than one for each program evaluation) and develop an information presentation approach that is focused on conveying data and information visually such that it enhances understanding in intuitive ways for the audience to see and explore.

Development, Implementation, and Testing of Quality Tools The Contractor shall conduct a range of activities and make logistical arrangements with respect to topics identified by the Government from the following areas: clinical and system practice guidelines, outcome measures, population and service report cards, and performance indicator systems. This work may include analyses that address the compilation and reporting of GPRA measures employed by IHS programs. These activities shall include a review of current literature and practice; development of structures, processes, measures, criteria, and benchmarks; consultation with key persons and groups (e.g., a panel of experts to discuss, review, and a critique of indicators of substance abuse and other behavioral health related problems); preparation of synoptic reports for target audiences; review of developments in parallel fields; examination of new technology and its potential application to the field; and other tasks that promote the development, testing, implementation, and assessment of quality tools.

The Contractor shall make available direct contract staff and/or consultants who can carry out each of these tasks. The Contractor shall demonstrate both substantive and methodological expertise.

C.4.3. Health Systems Analysis, Economics, and Financing IHS frequently requires economic and finance analysis to assess strengths, gaps, or effectiveness of current or future Health Systems programs, structures, or processes. Such analyses will often involve data from various sources/locations as needed and will include data gathering, compiling, and validating. This may include Systems at the national, IHS or program level which will be useful in identifying trends, clarifying funding or program priorities, developing new approaches to health care delivery, or informing general decision-making.

C.4.4. Technical Assistance and Training IHS frequently provides access to technical assistance (TA) and training to its clinical and public health programs and grantees to support successful program implementation and enhance program outcomes. Whomever the audience, IHS ‘s experience has shown that technical assistance is most effective when it targets a specific need, is delivered by a content expert who has developed a collaborative relationship with the TA recipient, is delivered when the expertise is needed and in a manner that is culturally appropriate and accessible. Technical assistance needs are identified in a variety of ways—IHS-driven based on strategic priorities and objectives and/or programmatic goals, needs assessments, grantee request, Tribal Organization, community, etc.

The Contractor will work with the COR to identify technical assistance needs, identify appropriate resources and respond to requests in a timely manner. Technical assistance and training delivery should take into account the requestor’s organizational capacity, stage of program planning or implementation, Federal program requirements, cultural or linguistic factors, and program objectives.

Establish and Maintain a Technical Assistance and Training Program The Contractor shall establish and maintain a technical assistance (TA) and training program to provide TA and training in one or more of the programmatic areas targeted by IHS. These areas include, but are not limited to: strategic prevention framework, data-driven prevention planning, building community capacity and coalitions, program development and implementation in a variety of service settings, implementation of evidence-based practices, health reform, parity, recovery supports, and other changes in financing or organization of care at national, State, sub-State, and local service delivery systems.

The Contractor shall have the capacity to provide staff or consultants with the expertise to deliver technical assistance or training on a wide variety of topics to a variety of audiences. This will include providing technical assistance and/or training in a culturally appropriate manner. Technical assistance and training may be provided by experts to IHS grantees, Tribal government representatives, and others.

Provide Technical Assistance and Training The Contractor shall provide technical assistance through a variety of mechanisms that may include:

training at geographically distant sites; at regional or national meetings; providing expert consultants or staff to deliver workshops, training at leadership institutes and policy academies; or through webinars, podcasts, teleconferences and other social media vehicles in order to deliver technical assistance and training while minimizing costs. The Contractor shall utilize multi-disciplinary teams to provide technical assistance and training, Training of Trainers (TOT), peer-to-peer, etc. Technical assistance and training may be provided simultaneously to multiple programs or sites or may be individualized to a particular organization, grantee or program.

C.5 Special Requirements This section describes the special requirements for this effort. The following sub-sections provide details of various considerations on this effort.

C.5.1 Security and Safety Contractor staff will be required to follow the procedures for obtaining a full Federal background investigation and preliminary clearance. No 3rd party investigation is allowed. In order to obtain a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, contractor staff shall complete and pass a Federal background investigation conducted by the Office of Personnel Management. IHS will process the investigations through the Office of Personnel Management on all contractor staff.

Processing of PIV cards shall be completed by the IHS Headquarters HSPD-12/Suitability Office in conjunction with the physical locations throughout IHS and HHS that have PIV card stations. The contractors will be required to be physically present at one of the HSDP-12 enrollment and issuance workstations to obtain a PIV card. Biometric identification is required.

Each contractor shall complete each of the requirements below and receive pre-employment clearance from IHS prior to performing services under this contract:

1) Fingerprints must be captured electronically at a HHS enrollment workstation or via hard-copy card then sent to the IHS Headquarters Security Office for digital processing;

2) The OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, shall be completed;

3) The Addendum to the OF-306, shall be completed;

4) eQIP Information request must be turned into the HSPD-12/Suitability Office;

5) The eQIP questionnaire must be fully and accurately submitted; and

6) The contractor must be enrolled for a PIV card at a HHS HSPD-12 enrollment workstation.

Upon receipt of the card, the contractor must activate it at a HHS HSPD-12 card issuance workstation.

If at any point during the investigation process a contractor staff is deemed ineligible or found to have other than favorable suitability, the individual must be removed from providing services under this contract.

During any type of project under this contract, the contractor shall be prepared to address data access and privacy and human protections. The contractor will be responsible for gathering information for any necessary Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance or Internal Review Boards (IRB) packages, as appropriate. These activities should be identified at the beginning of the project and anticipated in the technical (including timeline) and business proposal for each Task Order.

Also, in consideration of these data and human protections, third party use of data collected or used during a project is generally prohibited.

C.5.2 Reporting The contractor shall follow the reporting plan submitted as part of the proposal and keep the Government fully informed of status throughout the contract period. Throughout the contract periods, it is essential that attention be given to minimize interruptions or delays to work in progress that would impact the mission.

The Contractor shall provide to the COR, annual performance reports that include but are not limited to project plan status and accomplishments, fiscal accountability, evaluation data, sub-Contractor performance reports (if applicable) and a Contractor self-evaluation report. The Contractor shall provide a written outline of the annual report to the COR for approval according to the deliverable schedule. The annual reports shall be delivered by e-mail and postal service according to the deliverable schedule before the end of the contract period. The annual report shall be discussed at the Start-up meeting.

C.5.3 Storage and Disposition of Materials Disposition of any national training and marketing materials will be determined in the Start-Up meeting.

Storage should be available as soon as national materials are generated. A disposition schedule will be discussed with the COR during the Start-Up meeting.

C.5.4 Environmental Requirements The contractor shall comply with all documents listed below as mandatory and referenced under paragraph 3.0, Performance Requirements. Compliance with documents listed as non-mandatory is the contractors' option.

Mandatory compliance document: None Non Mandatory document: None

C.5.5 Correspondence and Conference Calls The Contractor shall provide weekly updates and correspondence as determined necessary by the COR.

The IDIQ will have scheduled not less than monthly conference calls with the COR. The monthly conference call schedule may be adjusted as determined by the COR.

Each Task Order will have scheduled not less than monthly conference call with the COR. The monthly task order conference call schedules may be adjusted as determined by the COR (with agreement from Program) and the specific needs of the task order.

C.5.6 Business Associate and Data Use Agreements Once competed, this contract will include an updated version of the general Business Associate Agreement (BAA) found in Appendix D.

When applicable, contractors and/or sub-contractors may be required to enter into a more specific BAA or Data Use Agreement in order to have access to a specific Program’s data, particularly when that data includes Protected Health Information. This will be determined on a project-by-project basis.

C.6 Deliverables The contractor shall provide deliverables as described in subsequent task orders within the above broad categories. Deliverables shall be specified by the government. Format and delivery schedule for deliverables shall be outlined in CDRLs and/or other means TBD.

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1. PACKAGING

All deliverables shall be preserved, packaged, and packed in accordance with normal commercial practices to meet the packing requirements of the carrier including that which is necessary to prevent deterioration and damages due to the hazards of shipping, handling, and storing.

D.2. MARKING

Each package/container shall be delivered to the address shown in Section G.1.3 entitled “Contracting Officer's Representative Appointment and Authority” and shall be clearly marked as follows:

A. Name of Contractor B. Contract Number C. Description of Items Contained Therein D. Consignee’s Name and Address

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

All work under this contract is subject to inspection and final acceptance by the Contracting Officer (CO) or the duly authorized representative of the government. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), as a duly authorized representative of the Contracting Officer, shall assume the responsibilities for monitoring the Contractor’s performance, evaluating the quality of services provided by the Contractor, and performing final inspection and acceptance of all deliverables and services called for by the contract.

E.2. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

Purpose:

(For Base and Option Periods except where indicated)

The purpose of this quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP) is to provide a government-developed and applied system to assure the use of quality assurance methods in the administration of the performance based acquisition standards. The intent is to ensure that the program services are provided in accordance with performance requirements set forth in the contract documents, that the government receives the quality of services called for in the contract and that the government only pays for the acceptable level of services received.

This plan provides the basis for the COR to evaluate the quality of the Contractor’s performance.

The oversight provided for in the contract and in this plan will help ensure that service levels reach and maintain the required levels throughout the contract term. Further, this plan provides the COR with a proactive way to avoid unacceptable or deficient performance and provides verifiable input for the required annual past performance evaluations.

Authority:

Authority to issue this QASP is provided under Section E.2. – Inspection and Acceptance, which provide for inspection and acceptance of the articles, services, and documentation called for in task orders to be accomplished by the CO or COR.

Scope:

The Contractor is responsible for management and quality control actions necessary to meet the quality standards set forth by the contract. The Contractor develops and submits its quality control plan (QCP) for government approval in compliance with its contract deliverables.

The Contractor must provide a quality control plan that contains, at a minimum, the items listed below to the CO for acceptance not later than the post-award conference. The CO will notify the Contractor of acceptance or required modifications to the plan before the contract start date. The

Contractor must make appropriate modifications and obtain acceptance of the plan for the CO before the contract start date. The plan must include:

• A description of the inspection system to cover all services listed on the performance requirements summary. The description must include specifics as to the areas to be inspected on both a scheduled and unscheduled basis, frequency of inspections, and the title and organizational placement of the inspectors.

• A description of the methods to be used for identifying and preventing defects in the quality of service performed.

• The plan must ensure that no patient personally identifiable information is disclosed to the Contractor in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191.

Once accepted, the Contractor then uses the QCP to guide and rigorously document the implementation of the required management and quality control actions to achieve the specified results.

The QASP is put in place by the COR to provide government surveillance oversight of the Contractor’s quality control efforts to assure that they are timely, effective and delivering the results specified in the contract or task order. The QASP is not a part of the contract, nor is it intended to duplicate the Contractor’s QCP.

Government Resources:

Contracting Officer (CO): Daniel Rosenstengel Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): Patrick C. Weld

Responsibilities:

CO: Manage overall contract to assure that the Contractor receives fair and equitable treatment under the contract, as well as, determine whether the Contractor’s performance is adequate.

COR: Provide technical administration of the project and assure government surveillance of the Contractor’s performance. Inform the CO about Contractor performance and recommend payment of invoices. Participate in conference calls with the Contractor and attend occasional face-to-face meetings. Purpose of communications is to review project progress, discuss issues or problems, and develop recommendations.

Methods of Surveillance:

The methods of surveillance listed below will be used for the QASP. In addition to specific instructions that may be mentioned, the appropriate and standardized form that will be used for documenting QA surveillance is the surveillance activity checklist. Government staff will use the following surveillance methods:

A. COR Feedback - Government staff will use this method to inspect and approve: The COR will review and recommend approval or corrections as appropriate to the CO, who will then approve after due consideration of performance standards. Procedures used for materials include:

1. Visual inspection, reading for content, layout, visual appeal, organization, and cultural acceptability of the curriculum, lessons, lessons plans, teaching tools and evaluation reports by the

COR.

B. Evaluation Summaries - This government method of monitoring relies on the evaluation summaries that are related to actual requirements of the contract. The evaluation summaries will be used each time the Contractor hosts a training at the pilot sites. The Contract Discrepancy Report (see Performance Evaluation below) will be used when the Contractor does not meet the standards when evaluated by the COR.

Identified QA Surveillance Tasks (QASP) – Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL)

Performance Evaluation:

If the Contractor fails to perform required services at the acceptable quality level, payment may be withheld until the Contractor makes corrections. In the event that the Contractor is failing to perform any required services, the COR will notify the Contractor and the CO. The CO will issue the Contractor a Contractor Discrepancy Report (CDR). The Contractor shall have 14 calendar days to provide the CO with Contractor’s response to the CDR. Upon evaluation of the Contractor’s response to the CDR for tasks surveilled, the Contractor’s payment for the month in which the performance in question occurred will be calculated. For example, assume the following:

a. Progress reports at the 90% compliance level to IHS COR as specified;

b. Progress report is not provided in timeframe identified;

The maximum payment percentage to be withheld for not meeting the AQL would be 10%.

Documentation:

The COR will, in addition to providing documentation to the CO, maintain a complete quality assurance file. The will contain copies of all reports, evaluations, recommendations, and any actions related to the government’s performance of the quality assurance function, including the originals of all surveillance activity checklists. All such records will be retained for the life of this contract. The COR shall forward these records to the CO upon termination or completion of the contract. Forms to be used are:

• Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR)

• Contractor Assessment Report (PM/COR Feedback Form)

E.3. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES

FAR Clause No. Title and Date 52.246-6 Inspection – Time and Materials and Labor Hours (MAY 2001)

SECTION F – DELIVERIES AND/OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is a Base Period of twelve (12) months with four (4), twelve (12) month Option Periods, unless the period is extended by modification to this contract. The Government may exercise options to extend the period of performance in accordance with FAR Clause 52.217- 9 – Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000); upon written notification by the Contracting Officer within 30 days of contract expiration.

The period of performance shall be as follows (to be determined upon award):

Base Period: / /2019 through / /2020 Option Period One: / /2020 through / /2021 Option Period Two: / /2021 through / /2022 Option Period Three: / /2022 through / /2023 Option Period Four: / /2023 through / /2024

F.2. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Some services will be performed at IHS worksites. However, most services can be performed remotely and communications will be primarily by email or telephone. Contractors may need to travel for occasional face to face meetings with IHS.

F.3. DELIVERABLE SCHEDULE

The Contractor shall submit the below deliverable items to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and the Contract Officer (CO) at the address shown in Section G.1.3 unless a virtual delivery method is approved by the COR per task order.

Items specified for delivery below are subject to the review and approval of the COR prior to acceptance. The Contractor shall be required to make revisions deemed necessary by the COR.

Deliverables shall be specified by the Government. Format and delivery schedule for deliverables shall be outlined in the CDRLs.

F.4. REQUIRED DELIVERABLES

Deadline Deliverables Schedule

(Contract Base Year) Performance Threshold

(Deliverable)

Within 30 days after Award date

One time submission Quality Control Plan (QCP) as specified in Section E.2.

Monthly Report, per active tasks 1) Delivered on time (15th of the month, unless negotiated otherwise during kick-off meeting).

2) Not more than 2 edits within report.

3) Edits corrected within 5 working days of government reporting the error.

4) Matches invoice for costs project status; monthly and cumulatively.

5) Estimate of completion per project scope and budget.

Quarterly Updates and correspondence Delivered per COR instructions in accordance with F.5.

Annually Report, including all tasks 1) Delivered on time per the date negotiated during kick-off meeting per each individual task order.

2) Not more than 2 edits within report.

3) Edits corrected within 5 working days of government reporting the error.

Weekly Project Update Phone Call (in person as needed)

Minimum: COR and Program Manager. Could include task leads from contract & government, other contract/government as needed.

Within 7 days of contract execution

Contract Kick-Off meeting

Within 14 days of Task Order submission to Contractor

Task Order Kick-Off meeting

Within 24 hours of occurrence Report Data Breaches to government

Within 72 hours of occurrence Correct Data breaches Length of Specific Tasks Retain Adequate Staffing, per

Task

1) 100% for 0-6 month tasks

2) 85% for 6-18 month tasks

3) 75% for 18+ month tasks

a. Miscellaneous documents and written materials developed during the course of the contract period, whether in draft or final form, are deemed the property of the U.S. Government.

b. The U.S. Government reserves the right to accept or reject services, if the level of work performance is unsatisfactory based on deliverables.

F.5. CORRESPONDENCE AND CONFERENCE CALLS

The Contractor shall provide quarterly updates and correspondence as determined necessary by the COR. The quarterly conference call schedule may be adjusted as determined by the COR.

Training updates and correspondence include but are not limited to training summaries, conference call agendas and minutes, and any other items deemed necessary by the COR.

F.6. SECURITY AND SAFETY

Contractor staff will be required to follow the procedures for obtaining a full Federal background investigation and preliminary clearance. No 3rd party investigation is allowed. In order to obtain a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, Contractor staff shall complete and pass a Federal background investigation conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). IHS will process the investigations through OPM all Contractor staff.

Processing of PIV cards shall be completed by the IHS Headquarters HSPD-12/Suitability Office in conjunction with the physical locations throughout IHS and HHS that have PIV card stations.

The Contractors will be required to be physically present at one of the HSDP-12 enrollment and issuance workstations to obtain a PIV card. Biometric identification is required.

Each Contractor shall complete each of the requirements below and receive pre-employment clearance from IHS prior to performing services under this contract:

1. Fingerprints must be captured electronically at a HHS enrollment workstation or via hard-copy card then sent to the IHS Headquarters Security Office for digital processing;

2. The OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, shall be completed;

3. The Addendum to the OF-306, shall be completed;

4. eQIP Information request must be turned into the HSPD-12/Suitability Office;

5. The eQIP questionnaire must be fully and accurately submitted; and

6. The Contractor must be enrolled for a PIV card at a HHS HSPD-12 enrollment workstation.

Upon receipt of the card, the Contractor must activate it at a HHS HSPD-12 card issuance workstation.

If at any point during the investigation process a Contractor employee is deemed ineligible or found to have other than favorable suitability, the individual must be removed from providing services under this contract.

F.7. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERY/SERVICES & EXPECTATIONS

No government furnished materials are provided under this contract.

The Government shall be deemed as having complete control over direct ownership of records and data created or produced by the Contractor in the performance of this contract until such time as the records and data have been: (1) subjected to an acceptable method of quality control and quality assurance and utilized in the evaluation of this project; and (2) destroyed or returned completely to Indian Health Service and (3) the Contractor may not publish or use any records or findings from the project for any other purpose in accordance with the terms of this contract.

As used in this PWS, "records and data" mean: (1) any handwritten, typed, or printed documents (including, but not limited to, memoranda, letters, writings, books, brochures, transcripts, minutes, electronic transmissions, study findings, laboratory note books, chromatograms, spectra, and maps); (2) documentary material in other forms (such as punch cards, magnetic or paper tapes, instrumentation cards, computer discs, electronically stored information, audio or video recordings, motion pictures, photographs, slides, microfilm, and microfiche); (3) biological samples and pathology materials (pathology slides, paraffin blocks, and wet tissues); and (4) any patient/client data obtained from Tribes or Indian Health Service for the purpose of evaluation of the project.

Records and data may or may not constitute a specific deliverable defined under the terms of the contract.

F.8. RECORDS

The Contractor shall specifically destroy or return to IHS all data…