Attachment 1 Virtual Bookstore Statement of Objectives.pdf

Attachment 1: Statement of Objectives

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

USU Virtual Bookstore Services

I. Purpose USU is seeking a single entity to provide virtual bookstore services (hard copy textbooks, ebooks, medical journals and subscriptions, etc.) to support USU requirements. Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, offerors shall propose a clear, comprehensive and concise Performance Work Statement (PWS) and succinct Quality Assurance Plan (QASP) for providing virtual bookstore services and surveillance of the most critical aspects of contractor performance.

II. Scope of Mission The mission of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is to educate, train, and comprehensively prepare uniformed services health professionals, scientists, and leaders to support the Military and Public Health Systems, the National Security and National Defense Strategies of the United States, and the readiness of our Uniformed Services.

The University consists of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine (SOM), the Office of Graduate Education (GEO), the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing (GSN), the Postgraduate Dental College (PGDC), and the College of Allied Health Sciences. The University also has a Learning Resource Center (LRC) on the main campus located in Bethesda, Maryland.

(a) School of Medicine (SOM)

● Typically enrolls between 175-180 new students each year

● Curriculum spans four years so the total average medical student enrollment is about

720 students per year.

● The medical student curriculum awards course credits as students progress through the curriculum, but it is successful completion of all the required curricular content that determines eligibility for graduation--not the total number of credit hours earned.

● Books are issued to each incoming Class of students in early August and include all the textbooks that will be required during the course of their 4 year curriculum. Although some titles change each year, roughly 85% of the core texts remain constant (aside from edition updates) from year to year.

(b) Learning Resource Center (LRC)

● Collections include journals & books (online & hardcopy), databases, and other online tools.

● Some collections include ClinicalKey, Ebook Central, EBSCO, LWW Health Library, R2

Library, and Stat!Ref

(c) Graduate School of Nursing (GSN)

● The GSN enrolls between 50 and 80 students per year in five different specialty programs (all are considered Advanced Practice RNs): Family Nurse Practitioner;

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; Women's Health Nurse Practitioner;

Registered Nurse Anesthetist; and Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist with a Perioperative focus.

● The GSN has a PhD in Nursing Science program. Students are enrolled for 3-4 years and have some core books and specialty books, depending on their area of study.

● Books are issued to each incoming class of students in late April and include most of the textbooks that will be required during the course of their study (3 years for the APRN, 3- 4 years for PhD).

Each of these component schools, colleges and centers has unique requirements for texts (paper and electronic) and other academic resources (e.g. journals and subscriptions). Therefore, USU is looking for an offeror that can provide flexible solutions to meet differing requirements, various schedules, and that can readily adapt to unforeseen circumstances for these schools specifically, but for USU as a whole.

III. Period and place of performance The Government anticipates a 5 year period of performance. Place of performance is virtual, but the USU main campus is in Bethesda, MD.

IV. Background Under the current process, each individual school, center, office and/or division submits orders for textbooks separately, either via a Government Purchase Card (GPC) or a Purchase Order processed by the Acquisitions Directorate (ACQ). Ordered materials are received and distributed by USU staff in various ways and sometimes get misplaced. USU is looking for an offeror who can comprehensively streamline and expedite this process. Representative sample requirements (estimated quantities can range from 1 to 300 copies) are included below.

V. Performance Objectives Virtual Bookstore services must address the following performance objectives (listed in descending order of importance):

(a) Ordering, tracking, delivering (and potentially distributing larger orders on-site) textbooks in any requested combination of hardcopy and/or electronic format.

(b) All digital materials must clearly identify: (1) all available licensing models (named-user versus site/institutional access; multi-user versus unlimited user), (2) the target user base (department-specific versus University-wide) and (3) procurement options that best fit USU needs for any given title. Must coordinate with the requesting University customer to facilitate access via applicable methods (e.g. username/password, IP authentication, etc.).

(c) A full range of delivery alternatives based upon types of orders - from digital materials to large quantity orders, to individualized sets of books for each student. (All deliveries must go through the LOGISTICS loading dock).

(d) Receive orders of varying quantities (e.g. “bulk orders” to single copies or subscriptions) from different designated University customer POCs (e.g. SOM, GSN, LRC) throughout the year, so as to meet the scheduling requirements of the varying academic calendars.

(e) Clearly defined lead time requirements for various sizes and types of orders and contingency plans and timeliness of customer notification(s) – not only for routine orders, but particularly in the event the vendor’s in-house supply of a required book is insufficient to meet the requirement or is temporarily out of stock.

(f) Book and subscription order placement in a web-based “cart/checkout” process that allows orders only from designated USU staff to be placed in a virtual “cart”, and approved for purchase at “check-out” ONLY by authorized USU staff.

(g) Provide customer support generally via phone and web-based means with possible on-site support as needed.

(h) Ability for status of orders query to comprehensively see the status of an order anytime in the process including, but not limited to order placement, shipping, delivery and receipt as well as when books are back-ordered, are out of print, order history, etc.

(i) Ordering process must allow for a coordinated clearinghouse where all designated USU orders are visible and possibly highlighted to avoid duplication and ensure ordered quantities are sufficient to meet requirements across the University.

(j) Provide sourcing assistance when necessary (e.g. locating out-of-print materials, back-issues, etc.).

(k) Provide training on all processes (ordering, status tracking, delivery, returns, etc.).

(l) Ensure refund and exchange policies are clearly detailed.

VI. Any operating constraints USU anticipates the award of an IDIQ-type contract with Firm-Fixed price orders; however, Offerors are encouraged to suggest contract types and/or ordering mechanisms & procedures that are compatible with the objectives listed herein.

Funding will be obligated at the time of an order by a Government official with the authority to obligate the Government. Payments will be generally made via the Government Purchase Card or by invoice submission through Wide-Area Workflow (WAWF).

VII. Representative Example of Requirements See SOM, GSN, and LRC Representative Order Example spreadsheets, refer to Appendices 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.

VIII. Appendices

Appendix 1.0: School of Medicine (SOM) Requirement Representative List

Appendix 2.0: Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) Requirement Representative List

Appendix 3.0: Learning Resource Center (LRC) Requirement Representative List