Attachment D - QASP.docx

Contract Description: The Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, located at 1700 South Lincoln Ave, Lebanon, PA 17042, (Lebanon VAMC) requires contractors to provide services as part of it’s Community Based Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program, in accordance with VHA Handbook 1162.09. The contractor facility will not be used for detoxification or other hospital level treatment. The contractor facility shall be located within the catchment area of a 30-mile radius from the Berks Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 2762 Century Blvd., Suite #120, Wyomissing, PA,19610.

Contractor’s Name: To Be Determined The contractor will be evaluated in accordance with the following:

1. PURPOSE

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the stated contract. This QASP explains the following:

· What will be monitored?

· How monitoring will take place.

· Who will conduct the monitoring?

· How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

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

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

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

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

Contracting Officer: TBD Contracting Specialist: Stefanie Carter Organization or Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Procurement Office – East (RPO-E), Network Contract Office (NCO) 4, Lebanon, PA

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

Assigned COR: To be determined after award Organization or Agency: Lebanon VAMC, 1700 South Lincoln Avenue, Lebanon, PA 17042

3. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

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

The Performance Requirements are listed below in Section 6. The Government shall use these standards to determine contractor performance and shall compare contractor performance to the standard and assign a rating. At the end of the performance period, these ratings will be used, in part, to establish the past performance of the contractor on the contract.

4. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE

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

a. DIRECT OBSERVATION. 100% surveillance:

b. PERIODIC INSPECTION. Monthly and annual inspections scheduled and reported quarterly per COR delegation or as needed.

c. VALIDATED USER/CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. Customer complaints are tracked through the Patient Advocate Database and Patient Safety Incidences are tracked through Patient Safety Database. Both are reported as they occur to the COR.

d. RANDOM SAMPLING. Per quarter, all reviews and reports will be conducted in compliance with VA Privacy and Information security standards.

e. Verification and/or documentation provided by Contractor. The contractor will provide information on services provided to patients when requested by COR.

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

1. QASP PERFORMANCE REPORT DATE: ____________________

Reference Performance Requirement

Method Incentive / Penalty

3.19

Random sampling Negative Past Performance Rating for Failure to Comply

2.4 3.12

Contractor must accommodate immediate admissions 24/7.

Contractor must have the ability to accommodate special populations.

Random sampling Negative Past Performance Rating for Failure to Comply

CRS beds, room and board, laundry, meals, internet/computer access, transportation for all referred Veterans under the contract.

Direct observation.

Negative Past Performance Rating for Failure to Comply

3.14

Direct observation.

Random sampling

Negative Past Performance Rating for Failure to Comply

3.25

All monthly invoices will be submitted electronically within 15 days following the end of the month of services rendered.

Contractor shall keep records in employee’s file of trainings required by Lebanon VAMC and provide to VA COR upon request.

Privacy, Confidentiality and HIPAA

Metrics and methods are designed to determine rating for a given standard and acceptable quality level. The following ratings shall be used (Reference: CPARS User Manual https://www.cpars.gov/pdfs/CPARS-Guidance.pdf p. A2-1):

Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being assessed was accomplished with few minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were highly effective.

Note: To justify an Exceptional rating, you should identify multiple significant events in each category and state how it was a benefit to the GOVERNMENT. However a singular event could be of such magnitude that it alone constitutes an Exceptional rating. Also there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

Note: To justify a Very Good rating, you should identify a significant event in each category and state how it was a benefit to the GOVERNMENT. Also there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

Note: To justify a Satisfactory rating, there should have been only minor problems, or major problems the contractor recovered from without impact to the contract. Also there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

8. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE

a. The Government shall document positive and/or negative performance. Any report may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action and preparing annual past performance using CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CPAR).

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

The contractor shall acknowledge receipt of the CR in writing. The CR will specify if the contractor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the contractor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CR will also state how long after receipt the contractor has to present this corrective action plan to the CO. The Government shall review the contractor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability. The CO shall also assure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the contractor’s performance and the acceptability of the Contractor’s corrective action plan.

Any CRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO. See Sample CR on the following page.

9. COR AND CONTRACTOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF QASP

SIGNED:

COR NAME/TITLE DATE

SIGNED:

CONTRACTOR NAME/TITLE DATE