DJJB-14-RFP-0851.docx

DOCX document 225 KB Posted

Attached to
Victim Notification System Operation and Maintenance Support
Solicitation number
DJJB-14-RFP-0851
Issued by

About this file

Request for Proposals (Sections B-M of the solicitation) Please note that attachments J2 through J17 are sensitive documents that require explicit access.

View the file

Other files

File Type Posted
VNS_RFP_Questions_and_Answers.pdf PDF
Amendment_001.docx DOCX document
J20_Past_Performance_Reference_Form.doc DOC document
J18_Subcontracting_Plan_Template.rtf RTF text file
Standard_Form_33.pdf PDF
J21_Felony_Conviction_ _Delinquent_Tax_Certification.docx DOCX document
Cover_Letter.docx DOCX document
J19_VNS_Price_Proposal.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet

On GovTribe

Work with this file

  • Download the original file
  • Contacts named in this file
  • Similar government files
  • Ask GovTribe AI about this file

Text version

Table of Contents

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS3
B.1 Introduction3
B.2 Contract Type and Services3
B.3 Contract Pricing3
B.4 Payment for Overtime Premiums6
SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK7
C.1 Background7
C.2 Objective7
C.3 Applicable Standards7
C.4 Assumptions8
C.5 Technical Requirements10
C.6 Contract/Project Management20
C.7 Security20
C.8 Deliverables22
C.9 Personnel24
C.10 Quality Assurance and Quality Control26
SECTION D - PRESERVATION, PACKING AND MARKING28
D.1 Preservation, Packing and Marking28
SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE29
E.1 Inspection and Acceptance29
E.2 FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference29
SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE30
F.1 Period of Performance30
F.2 Place of Performance30
F.3 Notice to the Government of Delays30
F.4 Performance Standards30
F.5 Performance Incentive Bonuses32
F.6 FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)34
SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA35
G.1 Contract Administration35
G.2 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)35
G.3 Contractor Representative36
G.4 Security Programs Manager (SPM)36
G.5 Payment37
G.6 Release of Claims38
G.7 Equipment Purchase Approval Requirement38
SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS39
H.1 Key Personnel39
H.2 Subcontracting Approval39
H.3 Ordering Supplemental Services39
H.4 Engineering Changes40
H.5 Data Rights42
H.6 Government Property43
H.7 Freedom of Information Act Requests for Contractor's Proposal44
H.8 Public Releases44
H.9 Security Requirements - Unclassified44
H.10 Confidentiality of Data51
H.11 Security of Systems and Data, Including Personally Identifiable Data51
H.12 Common Security Configurations in Information Technology (IT) Products and Services53
H.13 Organizational Conflicts of Interest53
H.14 Prohibition Against Soliciting and Performing Personal Services54
H.15 Representation Regarding Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law or Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability (Deviation 2014-01) (November 2013)55
H.16 Section 508 Compliance55
H.17 Observance of Legal Holidays/Federal Non-Work Days55
H.18 Continuing Contract Performance During a Pandemic Influenza or other National Emergency56
H.19 Indemnification57
SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES58
I.1 FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)58
Section J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS60
SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS61
K.1. FAR 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications (JAN 2014)61
SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS64
L.1 Type of Contract64
L.2 Solicitation Questions64
L.3 Proposal Due Date/Time & Delivery Instructions64
L.4 Proposal Instructions64
L.5 Proposal Preparation Costs69
L.6 Disposition of Proposals70
L.7 Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1998 Amendments70
L.8 Service of Protest70
L.9 Protests Filed Directly with the Department of Justice70
L.10 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference72
Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award73
M.1 General73
M.2 Evaluation Process73
M.3 Evaluation Factors73
M.4 Price Evaluation74
M.5 HUBZone Price Evaluation Preference75
M.6 Award Selection75
M.7 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference75

Table List

Number
Table Name
Page(s)
B-1
O&M CLINs
3
B-2
Bonus CLINs
4
B-3
Equipment CLIN
4
B-4
Phase-In CLIN
4
B-5
Labor CLINs
5-6
B-6
Total Contract Price
6
C-1
Historical Data
8
C-2
Number of Users
9
C-3
User IT Environment
9
C-4
VNS Average Response Times
12-13
C-5
VIS Average Response Times
13
C-6
Bulk Mailing Statistics
16
F-1
Period of Performance
30
F-2
Downtime Credits
31
F-3
Response Time Credits
31
F-4
Call Center Credits
32
F-5
Bonus Scoring System
32-33
F-6
Bonus Rating Scale
33-34
H-1
Key Personnel
39
H-2
Approval Subcontractors
39
M-1
Technical Evaluation Factors
74

DJJB-14-RFP-0851 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PAGE i OF 75

VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

DJJB-14-RFP-0851 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PAGE 75 OF 75

VICTIM NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 Introduction

This contract is for information technology (IT) services to support the operation, maintenance and further enhancement of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Victim Notification System (VNS). The VNS provides standardized and automated notifications to victims of crime at various stages of the criminal justice process. The functional requirements are described in detail in Section C, Statement of Work, and Section J, Attachments. The Contractor shall provide all necessary resources to satisfy this requirement in accordance with the contract terms, conditions and prices.

This contract is a follow-on to contract DJJ09-C-1850. The contract term includes a base period of 12 months, effective July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. The Government may exercise up to four consecutive 12-month option periods as indicated in Section F.1.1.

Because the continuing provision of services is essential to program continuity, it is critical that contract phase-in is accomplished in a well-planned, orderly and efficient manner in accordance with the Contract Transition Plan (Section J1).

At the end of the contract term, the functions performed hereunder may convert to an in-house Government operation or be continued under a new contract award. In either case, the Contractor may be required to assist in the phase-out of this contract. In this event, the price and terms of phase-out activities will be negotiated as a separately priced task order falling under Section C.5.6, Supplemental Support Services, CLINs 0003 - 4003.

B.2 Contract Type and Services

This is a fixed price contract for operation and maintenance of the VNS. For supplemental support services as described in Section C.5.6, the Government will negotiate and issue task orders on a firm-fixed-price (FFP), time-and-materials (T&M) or labor-hour (LH) basis, or any combination thereof. Although anticipated, the Government does not guarantee that supplemental support services will be required under this contract.

B.3 Contract Pricing

a. VNS Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Support:

Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) 0001A, 1001A, 2001A, 3001A and 4001A are designated for recurring VNS O&M support which includes program/project management. These CLINs are firm-fixed-priced on a monthly basis. CLINs 1001A, 2001A, 3001A and 4001A are optional CLINs to be exercised at the Government’s discretion and in accordance with Section F.1.1.

Table B-1 O&M CLINs

CLIN
Description
Unit Price
Unit of Issue
Qty
Price
0001A
Base Period O&M
TBD
Month
12
TBD
1001A
Option 1 O&M
TBD
Month
12
TBD
2001A
Option 2 O&M
TBD
Month
12
TBD
3001A
Option 3 O&M
TBD
Month
12
TBD
4001A
Option 4 O&M
TBD
Month
12
TBD

TOTAL O&M PRICE

b. Performance Incentive Bonuses:

CLINs 0001B, 1001B, 2001B, 3001B and 4001B are designated for semi-annual performance incentive bonuses which are further described in Section F.5. CLINs 1001B, 2001B, 3001B and 4001B are associated with option CLINs 1001A, 2001A, 3001A and 4001A, respectively.

Table B-2 Bonus CLINs

CLIN
Description
Unit Price (Maximum)
Unit of Issue
Qty
Price

(Maximum)

0001B
Base Period Bonus
$10,000
Semi-Annually
2
$20,000
1001B
Option 1 Bonus
$10,000
Semi-Annually
2
$20,000
2001B
Option 2 Bonus
$10,000
Semi-Annually
2
$20,000
3001B
Option 3 Bonus
$10,000
Semi-Annually
2
$20,000
4001B
Option 4 Bonus
$10,000
Semi-Annually
2
$20,000
TOTAL BONUS PRICE
$100,000

c. Phase-In:

CLIN 0001C is designated for a phase-in period between contract DJJ09-C-1850 and the successor contractor, if applicable. Any required phase-in period will be considered part of the Base Period O&M CLIN 0001A. For example, a phase-in period of 1 month will result in an 11-month O&M period. The period of performance for CLINs 0001A and 0001C combined will not exceed 12 months. This CLIN is firm-fixed-priced.

Table B-3 Phase-In CLIN

CLIN
Description
Unit Price (Maximum)
Unit of Issue
Qty
Price

(Maximum)

0001C
Option Phase-In
TBD
Lot
1
TBD
TOTAL PHASE-IN PRICE
TBD

d. VNS/VIS Equipment Replacement:

CLIN 0002 is designated for the potential replacement of any VNS/VIS equipment that reflects an in-service date prior to December 2011 (reference Sections C.4.1(b) and J.9.). CLIN 0002 is an option to be exercised at the Government’s discretion at any time during the contract. This option is NOT subject to a preliminary notice requirement as is required in Section F.1.1 for O&M option CLINs. This is a T&M CLIN with a ceiling price. However, it is understood that the CLIN price shown below is based on quotes received prior to contract award which customarily have a limited validity period (e.g., 30 or 60 days). In the event that the Government does not exercise this option at the time of contract award or within 30 days thereafter, the Contractor will be given an opportunity to refresh its quotes and submit a new estimated CLIN price for the Government’s consideration. Accordingly, this CLIN price is subject to change by mutual agreement after award.

Table B-4 Equipment CLIN

CLIN
Description
Unit Price (Maximum)
Unit of Issue
Qty
Price

(Maximum)

0002
Option Equipment
TBD
Lot
1
TBD
TOTAL EQUIPMENT PRICE
TBD

e. Supplemental Support Services:

CLINs 0003, 1003, 2003, 3003 and 4003 are designated for supplemental support services as described in Section C.5.6. Supplemental services will predominantly involve direct labor, although incidental materials may occasionally be required. Fixed hourly rates and materials are defined and described in FAR 16.601. Fixed hourly rates approved for use in ordering supplemental support services on any price basis include the following:

Table B-5 Labor CLINs

Sub-CLIN (e.g., 0003A)
Labor Category
Hourly Rate

Base Year

CLIN 0003

Hourly Rate Option 1

CLIN 1003

Hourly Rate Option 2

CLIN 2003

Hourly Rate Option 3

CLIN 3003

Hourly Rate Option 4

CLIN 4003

A
Program Manager
B
Integration Lead
C
Quality Assurance Manager
D
Mid Quality Assurance
E
Jr. Quality Assurance
F
Sr. Security Manager
G
Sr. Security Officer
H
Mid Security Officer
I
Jr. Security Officer
J
Sr. Application Developer
K
Mid Application Developer
L
Jr. Application Developer
M
Technical Lead
N
Mid Technical Writer
O
Jr. Technical Writer
P
Sr. Test Engineer
Q
Mid Test Engineer
R
Jr. Test Engineer
S
Sr. Analyst
T
Mid Analyst
U
Jr. Analyst
V
Sr. System Administrator
W
Mid System Administrator
X
Jr. System Administrator
TOTAL SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES PRICE (ESTIMATE)
$1,500,000.00

For task orders placed on a T&M or LH basis which are not expected to exceed 12 months in duration, the labor rates in effect at the time of order placement shall remain fixed for the entire order term, even in the event that the period of performance crosses from one contract term into a subsequent term.

For T&M or LH task orders expected to exceed 12 months in duration, the fixed hourly rates in effect at time of order placement shall remain in effect for 12 months, after which the rates in effect on month 13 may be applied for up to the next 12 months, and so on.

For task orders that are awarded on a FFP basis, increases in fixed hourly rates will not be permitted regardless of the task order period of performance.

The estimated value of supplemental services to be required via task orders is $1,500,000.00 for the life of the contract. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to unilaterally increase or decrease this estimate at any time during the contract term at the Government’s discretion.

For material costs, the Contractor is authorized to apply a material handling charge not to exceed TBD % for materials required under CLINs 0002 and 0003. This rate shall be fixed for the life of the contract and may not include profit and/or fee.

f. Total Estimated Contract Price:

Table B-6 Total Contract Price

TOTAL O&M PRICE
$ TBD
TOTAL BONUS PRICE (MAXIMUM)
$ 100,000.00
TOTAL PHASE-IN PRICE (IF APPLICABLE)
$ TBD
TOTAL EQUIPMENT PRICE (OPTION)
$ TBD
TOTAL SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES PRICE (ESTIMATE)
$ 1,500,000.00
TOTAL CONTRACT PRICE
$ TBD

B.4 Payment for Overtime Premiums

Payment of overtime premiums is not authorized under this contract. As may be applicable to any T&M or LH task order for supplemental support services, payment for direct labor in excess of forty (40) hours per week shall be at the applicable fixed hourly rate in effect at the time the task order is issued.

End of Section B

SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Background

The Victim Notification System (VNS) is a web-based victim information tracking and notification management application that automates the process of informing victims of crime about the custody status of defendants/inmates, court cases, and investigative issues. The VNS includes an Internet site, referred to as the Victim Internet System (VIS) and a VNS Intranet site. The VIS allows victims to access information about their cases on-line. The VNS Intranet site includes all VNS notification methods (i.e., letter, email, Call Center, Internet, etc.) and is capable of being used for VNS testing purposes. The VNS is currently located at the Justice Data Center in Rockville, Maryland and has a back-up site presently in Louisville, Kentucky. The back-up site serves to provide access for government users in the event the primary location for VNS is not available.

The VNS was developed in 2001 and initially operated by GRC International, Inc. (later changed to AT&T Government Solutions, Inc.) under contract number 01-C-0287. A follow-on contract was awarded in 2009 to Project Performance Corporation (now Project Performance Company, LLC) for VNS operation, maintenance and enhancement through June 2014. The VNS now serves as the main source of crime victim contact and notification information for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) through the United States Attorney’s Offices (USAOs) and the Criminal Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Currently, the VNS is also accessed by the United States Parole Commission (USPC), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and many United States Probation Offices (USPOs). Access to the VNS is also available to other federal law enforcement agencies. Information contained in the VNS is considered "Sensitive But Unclassified" (SBU).

The VNS fulfills a legislative mandate promulgated by the Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982, the Crime Control Act of 1990, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (2004) and the Attorney General's Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance.

C.2 Objective

This IT services obtained through this contract are intended to keep the VNS fully functional throughout the contract term and to allow for system enhancements as necessary to ensure efficient and effective notifications to crime victims at various stages of the criminal justice process. At a minimum, the Contractor shall operate and maintain the VNS as currently designed, which includes, but is not limited to, the following functional responsibilities: system development, maintenance and implementation; system startup procedures; system shutdown procedures; system reconfiguration; system backups; system restoration; user account setup, operations and maintenance; system monitoring operations; database/data repository compacting, indexing and cleanup; system report generation; preventative maintenance procedures; system performance optimization; reporting of opportunities for system improvement; maintenance of system network interface diagrams; and system security compliance with DOJ/Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) policy. As necessary, the Contractor shall be responsible for problem analyses and resolution as well as evaluations and recommendations for new technologies as they emerge in the marketplace. Supplemental support services included in this contract include but are not limited to user training and system enhancement. (See also Section C.5.6.)

C.3 Applicable Standards

The following standards are applicable to this contract:

· DOJ Order 2640.2(series) Information Technology Security, including Appendix 1 (References) (available at http://www.justice.gov/jmd/publications/doj2640-2f.pdf.)

· DOJ Configuration Management Plan

· DOJ IT Security Standard Configuration Management C.4 Assumptions

The Contractor’s technical approach to operating and maintaining the VNS shall take into consideration and otherwise accommodate the following assumptions and conditions.

C.4.1 Operating Environment

(a) Web Browser

The VNS currently supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) versions 7 through 9. As part of the O&M effort, the Contractor shall factor in an upgrade to IE in each 12-month term of the contract. The Contractor shall also ensure that the VIS supports current versions of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Apple Safari and is compatible with mobile web browsers.

(b) Equipment

The primary VNS servers are located at the Justice Data Center in Rockville, Maryland. Backup servers and Call Center operations are located in Louisville, Kentucky in a contractor-leased, contractor-operated facility. The Government reserves the right to relocate the VNS servers during this contract term.

As an option to be exercised at the Government’s discretion (CLIN 0002), the Contractor shall either replace VNS/VIS equipment that reflects an in-service date prior to December 2011 or provide acceptable equipment alternatives. Any such replacement or alternative must take into account the current and projected demands on the System, the contract performance standards, and new or emerging technologies, including, but not limited to, server virtualization or cloud computing.

C.4.2 Historical Volume Levels

Below are statistics showing historical data from the VNS. It should be noted that these numbers can vary significantly each year.

Table C-1 – Historical Data

FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
Total Number of Victims
2,490,722
2,806,241
3,041,947
3,366,833
Number of Victims Added
334,327
325,702
469,254*
341,416
Total Number of Alternate Contacts
81,539
100,112
257,169*
305,520
Total Number of Alternate Contacts Added
20,707
19,833
181,555*
54,049
Number of Registrants Opted In
2,211,445
2,491,034
2,707,985
2,977,133
Number of Approved Notification Events
9,520,018
11,804,022
14,158,525
15,246,998
Call Center
56,615
75,480
69,235
50,338
Number of VIS Logins
155,244
178,531
158,283
147,529
Number of VIS Information Saves
19,848
51,882
24,654
26,395
Number of Letter Notifications Generated
1,570,848
1,603,071
1,636,995
1,405,964
Number of Approved Email Notifications
1,587,955
2,085,549
2,278,109
2,623,669
Largest Case
47,000

*Database revision in FY12 impacted data resulting in larger than average total

On average, the life cycle of an active case is estimated to be 24 months for the investigation stage, 12 months for the prosecution stage, and for the incarceration stage, see below:

> 1 Year2.5%10-15 years20.3%
1-3 years11.8.0%15-20 years9.4%
3-5 years14.2%> 20 years10.0%
5-10 years28.7%LIFE3.1%

C.4.3 User Profiles

System users include a wide range of personnel, such as: FBI Special Agents; FBI Victim Witness Specialists (VWSs); USPIS Inspectors; USPIS VWSs; Assistant U.S. Attorneys; USAO Victim Witness Coordinators (VWCs); USAO System Managers; secretarial and clerical personnel; BOP Case Managers; U.S. Probation Officers; and support staff. System users are geographically dispersed within all 50 States, the Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and Saipan. Current VNS statistics showing the number of users by organization are below:

Table C-2 – Number of Users

AGENCY
ENABLED ACCOUNTS
ACTIVE ACCOUNTS*
Federal Bureau of Investigation
418
178
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
224
126
United States Attorney's Office/Criminal Division
1199
647
Bureau of Prisons
4579
1924
United States Probation Office
2169
419
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
130
71
United States Parole Commission
39
8

* Active Accounts – accessed during a 12-month period.

Note: USAOs include users at the Executive Office for US Attorneys (EOUSA). The number of users requiring System access at the desktop for each organization represents the total estimated number of PCs that must have access to VNS. The number of active users represents the potential peak concurrent usage.

For reasons of economy, efficiency, and security, System users access the VNS using existing workstations (PCs) and communications networks. The Contractor shall ensure that the VNS remains capable of operating within this environment and supporting the number of users specified in Table C-2, with expected peak concurrent usage representing 75% of the potential peak concurrent usage. Potential peak concurrent usage is represented by the total number of expected users 'Actively Using the System' specified above.

Table C-3 – User IT Environment

User Organization
CPU
Memory
O/S
E-Mail
Browser
FBI
Pent 266 Ghz
512 Mb
Win 7
MS Exchange

Outlook v.2007

IE 9

Minimum PC Configuration

USAOs
Intel Core i5-2400 Processor
4 Gb
Windows 7 Professional(32-bit)
MS Exchange 2010
IE 9
BOP
Pent 3.x GHz
1 Gb
Win XP Pro
GroupWise 6.5
IE 8
USPIS
Pent 4
1 Gb
Win XP Pro SP3
MS Exchange
IE 7.0 SP2

C.4.4 Data Storage/Retention/Destruction

Beginning with Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, the VNS storage used and total storage capacity was as follows: VNS Rockville, 9.7 of 14.4 TB used; VIS Rockville, 2.0 of 2.4 TB used; and VNS Louisville, 9.6 of 14.4 TB used. As a general rule, data is retained in the system for five years after a matter is terminated. Termination is determined by a number of factors involving the activities in a case (i.e., investigation closed without criminal prosecution through convicted defendant’s expiration of sentence or order of restitution). The Contractor shall delete appropriate data at intervals proscribed by the Government.

C.5 Technical Requirements

C.5.1 General Operations

(a) The functionalities and system outputs expressly and implicitly described herein constitute requirements and obligations of the Contractor under this contract. Details regarding the VNS design and functionality are available in the documents listed below and attached to Section J. Upon award and throughout the contract term, the Contractor shall create, maintain and/or update all system documentation and make copies available to the Government upon request.

· VNS Operations Manual (Section J2)

· VNS User Manual (Section J3)

· VNS Data Models (Section J4)

· VIS Data Models (Section J5)

· VNS Security Operation Procedures (Section J6)

· IT Security Awareness and Training Plan (Section J7)

· VNS Configuration Management Plan (Section J8)

· VNS/VIS Hardware List (Section J9)

· VNS/VIS Software List (Section J10)

· VNS System Security Plan (Section J11)

· VNS System Security Plan Definitions (Section J12)

· VIS System Security Plan (Section J13)

· VNS Contingency Plan (Section J14)

· VIS Contingency Plan (Section J15)

· FY2010 through FY2013 Performance Summaries (Section J16a-d)

· Summary of Engineering Changes (Section J17)

(b) The Contractor shall operate the VNS in accordance with the VNS Operations Manual and the terms and conditions of this contract. Throughout the contract term, the System must remain capable of supporting other DOJ components and Federal agencies, including the FBI, ATF, BOP, U.S. Attorneys, DOJ Criminal Division, USPIS, U.S. Parole Commission and the U.S. Probation Offices (hereinafter referred to as “participating agencies”). Additional agencies may be added at the Government’s discretion under the task order provision of this contract.

(c) The Contractor shall execute phase-in activities, as applicable, in accordance with the Contract Transition Plan (Section J1). Any deviations to the Transition Plan must be approved in advance and in writing by the CO and COR.

C.5.2 Notification Methods

The VNS currently issues notifications in English and Spanish. The Contractor shall translate from English to Spanish all notifications using any of the current or future methods of notification and shall be responsible for any translation required to maintain the Spanish version of the VIS.

Notification methodologies used by the VNS include letters; inbound and limited outbound telephone calls; electronic mail (email); the VIS;, and facsimiles. The capability to generate and deliver notifications using these methods and in both languages constitutes a system requirement upon award. However, one or more methods, such as facsimile, may become obsolete during the contract term. Throughout the contract term, the Contractor shall continually assess the effectiveness and efficiency of each delivery method and submit recommendations to the COR as to discontinuing any given method or implementing new methods to the system.

(a) Letter Notifications

The System provides the ability to generate letter notifications using pre-defined (standard) text provided by each agency and to add text to the standard wording. Currently, letter notifications are used in cases involving less than 300 victims. For cases involving more than 300 victims, letters are sent for the first notification which direct victims to the Call Center or Internet or ask them to provide an email address for future notifications. The number of letter notifications generated in the last three years are: FY11, 1,603,071; FY12, 1,636,995; and FY13, 1,405,964. Note, however, that an engineering change implemented in November 2013 is likely to reduce the use of letter notifications and increase the use of email notifications.

Throughout the contract term the Contractor shall submit recommendations to the COR for potential solutions to address the efficient handling of undeliverable mail resulting from inaccurate victim address information. The Government’s goal is to locate accurate address information and enter that updated information into the VNS in order to provide notification to victims with minimal VNS user time spent with the update process. However, when an accurate address is not available, the VNS record for that victim must be automatically updated to reflect the Invalid postal address.

(b) Outbound Phone calls

The VNS provides the ability to generate outbound telephone calls to registrants. Except in emergency situations, this function is rarely used, as registrants’ telephone numbers have not been verified and the System will make repeated calls to the recipient’s telephone until a four-digit PIN number (provided by a VNS letter notification) is entered to confirm receipt of the call.

(c) Email Notifications

Currently, when an opted-in registrant has a validly formatted email address in their contact information, the System automatically generates an email notification. In November 2013, an engineering change was deployed which allows VNS registrants to verify their email address by accessing the VIS. Letter notifications are generally not provided to registrants with verified email accounts. Prior to this engineering change, the number of email notices generated during the last three years was: FY11, 1,807,710; FY12, 1,972,104; and FY13, 2,273,322.

(d) Call Center (In-bound)

Currently the Call Center provides registrants with access to an automated system which provides scripted text for each notification in English and Spanish. The volume of calls the past three years was: FY11, 75,480; FY12, 69,235; and FY13, 50,388.

(e) Victim Internet System (VIS)

The VIS is a means by which registrants can use the Internet to: (1) access notification information; (2) update contact information; (3) verify email addresses; and (4) opt-out of the notification program. The number of successful logins to VIS the past three years was: FY11, 178,531; FY12, 158,283; and FY13, 147,529.

Should the Government decide at any time during the contract term to create a backup for the existing VIS that will meet DOJ security requirements, a task order will be negotiated for this purpose.

(f) Facsimile

This method of notification provides a facsimile version of the letter notification. This method is rarely used and is subject to being discontinued during the contract term.

C.5.3 System Availability and Response Time

(a) System availability is defined as the System allowing any user to logon, execute all System functions, search all database files, enter any data, retrieve/download any requested information, and generate notifications. The VNS must be available to all users on a continuous basis during the following hours (Eastern Time):

Monday through Fridayfrom 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. (21 hours)
Saturdayfrom 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (18 hours)
Sundayfrom 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (16 hours)

Downtime is defined as that period of time when the System is not fully available to users due to a malfunction or limitations in the Contractor-provided VNS equipment or software. The Contractor shall ensure that System downtime does not exceed one hour per month of the required period of availability.

(b) System response time is defined as the time required by the VNS application server to process a user request once that request has been received by the VNS application server. For Transaction Types 1 through 8 (see Table C-4), System response time excludes time required for the request to be transmitted across the Departments communications network from the user's workstation to the VNS application server and the time required for the response to the request to be transferred across the Departments communications network from the VNS application server to the user's workstation. At no time during any consecutive three-month period shall the VNS response times exceed the rates indicated in Table C-4, “Averages”, under an 80% peak user load.

Table C-4 – VNS Average Response Times

Transaction Type
Definition
VNS Averages (seconds)
1. Home Page Access
Time from submission of userID & password to when standard Ahome@ page is fully accessible. Does not include delay for acknowledging pop-up messages.

Time period from when command is entered to return to the Homepage from within application.

10.58

2. Access to System Screens & Functionality
Time a submission request is accepted by VNS application & requested screen and/or function is available to user (except for functions specifically noted in this table).
.962
3. Data Entry Adds
Time submission request is accepted by VNS application and VNS server adds appropriate records & transmits response back to DOJ network. Average time is calculated by VNS Audit and Tracking feature & reported to COR monthly.
.777
4. Data Updates
Time submission request is accepted by VNS application and VNS server modifies appropriate records & transmits response back to DOJ network. Average time is calculated by VNS Audit and Tracking feature & reported to COR monthly.
.690
5. Standard Reports (see note)
Time submission request is accepted by VNS application & VNS server adds appropriate records & transmits response back to DOJ network. Average time is calculated by VNS Audit and Tracking feature & reported to COR monthly.
7.085
6. Ad-hoc Reports (see note)
Time submission request is accepted by VNS application & VNS server adds appropriate records & transmits response back to DOJ network. For reports that include multi-page data, only the time to present the initial page of data will be counted.
15.0
7. Interactive Voice Response
Time system will return information on a lookup that a victim is receiving over the automated toll-free line. Average time is calculated by VNS Audit and Tracking feature & reported to COR monthly.
0.31 seconds
8. Transfer of Data Between VNS & VIS
Minimum number of updates applied to and from VNS/VIS.
3.98 per day

Note: While it is unlikely that a large number of users will generate reports simultaneously, it is noted that the sizing for the application is based on assumptions that, during peak loads, users are performing a variety of activities. Scenarios are built where a large number of users run simultaneous reports causing a momentary degradation outside of the guarantee limits. The response time guarantee is that the limits are maintained for the average transaction in each category over the monthly reporting period.

Table C-5 - VIS Average Response Times

Transaction Type
Definition
VIS Averages
1. Home Page Access
Time submission of userID & password to when standard home page is fully accessible. Time period does include a 10-second delay for the pop-up warning message. Time period from when the command is entered to return to the Home page from within the application.
.984 (Seconds)

2. Transfer of Data Between VIS & VNS

Minimum number of updates applied to and from VNS/VIS each day.
4
3. Access to System Screens & Functionality
Time submission request is accepted by VIS application and requested screen and/or function is available to user (except for functions specifically noted in this table).
.320 (Seconds)
4. Data Entry
Time submission request is accepted by VIS application and VIS server adds appropriate records & transmits response back to DOJ network. Average time is calculated by the VIS Audit and Tracking feature & reported to COR monthly.
1.04

Note: The Contractor is not responsible for the failure to transfer complete information between the VIS and the VNS by non-Contractor personnel. However, any failures and/or delays to transfer information shall be identified within two (2) hours and the exchange of data completed within ten (10) hours of being identified.

(c) Downtime and response time shall be measured on a monthly basis and included in the Contractor's System Performance Report.

C.5.4 Call Center Requirements

(a) The Contractor shall provide and operate a Call Center that is dedicated to the VNS operation and meets all the requirements set forth in this contract. The Call Center shall include the facility, equipment, software, and services as described in this section with the exception of those items that are specifically identified as the Government's responsibility. The Call Center must be capable of supporting participating agencies. Operational support to participating agencies shall include the facility (i.e., space, utilities, furniture and office automation equipment) as well as the provision of data input, conversion, notification and Help Desk support. Operational support to additional users who may be added throughout the contract term shall include the incremental increase to the Facility and support to accommodate the additional users.

(b) The VNS Call Center, currently located in Louisville, Kentucky, can be located anywhere within the continental United States provided that it is physically separate (i.e., fully dedicated to VNS) from the Contractor's other operations as to comply with DOJ physical security requirements and restrict access to only DOJ-cleared contractor personnel. The Contractor shall staff and operate the VNS Call Center in accordance with the following schedule:

Monday through Friday*6:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.Eastern Time
Saturday & Sunday8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time

*excluding Federal holidays

(c) At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide the following:

(1) space adequate to house all VNS notification devices, office automation equipment and Contractor staff, including rest rooms and utility closets;

(2) all office furniture, supplies, and automation equipment and associated maintenance;

(3) comfortable environmental conditions (temperature between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 75 degrees Fahrenheit; relative humidity of 35 to 40 percent);

(4) utilities necessary to operate and maintain the facility (electricity, heating, cooling, humidity control, water, trash collection, cleaning, and repairs for the facility); and

(5) telephone service.

(d) The Contractor shall protect electronic and paper records stored at the facility from access by unauthorized individuals and shall establish, install and maintain security measures, including procedures and devices to preclude unauthorized persons from gaining access to the Facility. During non-business hours, the Facility must be securely locked and have an alarm or other security device that notifies the police when unauthorized entry is attempted. The Contractor shall provide the COR with copies of all keys and access codes necessary to enter the facility without assistance at any time.

(e) Any media used by the Contractor to store VNS data (e.g., office automation equipment hard drives) shall be removed by the Contractor and provided to the COR for degaussing prior to replacement or repair work to be performed off-site.

(f) The Contractor shall not relocate the Call Center during the contract term without prior written permission of the Contracting Officer. Should the Contractor request relocation and the Government so authorize, the Contractor shall bear the cost of any lease penalties, any overlapping facility lease fees, and any additional lease fees for the new facility resulting from the move. The Contractor shall pay the entire cost of physically relocating equipment, staff, records, and operations to the new facility. The Contractor shall also bear the entire cost of relocating Government-provided data lines to the new facility. The Contractor shall remain liable, at all times, for providing uninterrupted services at the required performance level during any change to a new facility.

(g) Should the Government require the Contractor to move the Call Center to a new facility, the Government will bear the cost of the relocation, including any lease termination penalties, overlapping facility lease fees, and any additional lease fees for the new facility resulting from the move. The Contractor would, nonetheless, remain liable, at all times, for providing all the services required in the contract during any change to a new facility.

(h) The Government may, when circumstances dictate, require the Contractor to acquire additional space contiguous to the facility or a second facility to supplement existing space. In this event, the Government will provide the requirements at the time needed and will negotiate the cost of the supplemental space and building modifications with the Contractor and modify the contract as necessary to reflect the negotiated agreement. Under these circumstances, the Government will also bear the costs of moving files and equipment to the supplemental space. The Contractor shall, nonetheless, remain liable, at all times, for providing all the services required in the contract during any movement to supplemental space.

(i) If relocation to a new facility or supplemental space is necessary, the Contractor shall complete the transition in no more than three (3) months after the Contracting Officer approves the relocation.

(j) At the conclusion of the Contractor's performance of contract duties, the Contractor shall transfer the lease of the Call Center to the Government or to the subsequent vendor who assumes performance of the VNS operational support. The final lease and the contingency leases that the Contractor signs must include the following clause:

"Notwithstanding anything contained in this assignment to the contrary, Landlord hereby covenants and agrees to consent to this Lease being assigned, or the Demised Premises being sublet to: (i) the United States Department of Justice (the "Department") where the Department may further assign the lease or sublet the Demised Premises with prior written consent of the Landlord and Tenant and (ii) any corporation into or with which Tenant may be merged or consolidated provided that the net worth of the resulting entity from such merger or consolidation is equal to or greater than the net worth of Tenant determined on the date which is immediately prior to such merger or consolidation, or (iii) any parent, subsidiary, or affiliated corporation."

(k) Call Center Operational Support

At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide Call Center support at the following service levels/performance standards. Except where specifically noted otherwise, all services shall be provided during call center business hours as defined earlier. Services required beyond the specified levels, if any, shall be acquired via task order as described herein.

(1) Data Entry. The VNS Call Center shall be staffed to support data entry for a minimum of 5,000 victim records per month for the participating agencies. Data Entry services included in the annual operations and maintenance price are limited to 5,000 individual records per month. Data entry in excess of 5,000 records will be ordered separately via a task order.

(2) Data Import. For non-standard data imports of victim information, personnel shall be available in the VNS Call Center to import data at the request of participating agencies. Data is anticipated to be submitted by the requesting agency in an electronic format (e.g., MS Excel, MS Access, ASCII, etc.). The VNS Call Center shall be staffed to support up to 12 requests per month for electronic non-standard data conversion.

(3) Printing/Bulk Mailing.

The VNS Call Center shall be staffed to support the notification process, including the printing and mailing of letter notifications in select cases. The Help Desk shall send letters when directed by the COR. The Help Desk is informed by email of the details of the service. Email notices are automatically sent by the System when notifications are approved and do not require any special handling by the Call Center.

During any 12-month contract period and as part of the monthly/annual fixed price, the Contractor shall provide printing/bulk mailing services for up to 150,000 notification mailings, including all necessary materials, including but not limited to, paper, postage and envelopes containing the return address as provided by the Government for each specific mailing. Mailing quantities above 150,000 will be handled via the task order process. Printing and mailing under this provision does not include mailings that exceed the maximum for standard First Class postage or matters where the quantity of material contained in mailing exceeds the capacity of a standard VNS envelope (size Number 10). Letters may be printed on both sides of a sheet of paper.

Section J13 contains a summary report detailing the total of victims imported and letters printed and mailed under the existing contract for fiscal years 2010 through 2013.

Table C-6 - Bulk Mailing Statistics

FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
Number of Data Loads
55
70
69
53
Registrants Imported
61,331
106,620
129,148
92,751
Letters Printed/Mailed
82,320
112, 182
99,097
114,965

(4) Operator Assistance for Registrants. The Contractor shall provide operators to assist registrants calling the toll-free information line during Call Center hours. The Contractor shall also provide a fluent Spanish-speaking operator or immediate access to a Spanish interpreter during Call Center hours of operation. The Call Center operators shall maintain logs of contacts in sufficient detail as to enable a review of the purpose of the call and the resolution of any purported problem as detailed below for the Help Desk. The Contractor shall update information for registrants when they contact the Call Center.

(5) User Help Desk. Call Center personnel shall provide assistance to VNS Users with any operational capabilities and troubleshooting system problems. Help Desk assistance shall be provided via a telephone line dedicated exclusively for this purpose. Help Desk hours of operation shall be as follows:

Monday through Friday*6:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Saturday & Sunday:8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time

*excluding Federal holidays

The Call Center is responsible for the designated administrative accounts for each of the participating agencies. Each of those accounts is responsible for creating and maintaining their agency user accounts. The Help Desk is also responsible for creating and maintaining the training user accounts.

The Help Desk shall, at a minimum:

· Log all trouble calls to the Help Desk.

· Document the problem including sufficient information to identify the module, hardware component, system or specific COTS application experiencing the problem and/or causing the problem; what impact the problem imposes on VNS or its support to its clients; recommended corrective action(s); and, the actions taken to resolve the problem.

· Tabulate and report all trouble calls daily, weekly and monthly.

· Produce a weekly, monthly and annual report on all trouble calls in the VNS in a format as to enable the COR to readily identify common and priority issues.

(6) Uploading Data. For extract data transmitted in a standard format (i.e., ACS, LIONS/LCMS, ISIIS, Sentry, etc.), an electronic message with the results of the import shall be delivered to the sender within two (2) business hours. For extract data transmitted in a non-standard format, an electronic message with the results of the import shall be delivered to the sender within forty-eight (48) business hours.

C.5.5 Maintenance

(a) The Contractor shall be responsible for all VNS equipment and shall ensure that the System meets the requirements of Section C throughout the entire contract term. The Contractor shall also be responsible for ensuring uninterrupted access to the System, i.e., equipment maintenance (emergency and preventive for all Contractor provided equipment), software maintenance and upgrades, configuration management, System backup and recovery, and disaster recovery. The Justice Data Center will provide the space, power and connectivity along with tape transfers between the VNS and the VIS. Other computing and communications resources to be furnished by the Government are explicitly described herein.

(b) Use of any Contractor-controlled facility(ies) during the maintenance period for remote maintenance, remote monitoring, backup and recovery, and disaster recovery is subject to the security requirements herein. Dial-in/dial-out maintenance ports (see also Attachment 4) on the VNS application server shall be kept in a disabled state and be enabled only on an "as needed" basis to perform maintenance functions. The control of hardware maintenance ports is necessary to eliminate a potential security exposure as they can often be used to bypass normal network or host security. However, some systems require maintenance ports for continuous real time monitoring of data transmission performance and systems. In such cases, an exemption must be requested and may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Maintenance ports which can be used to enter network or host commands or to access network or host data must be identified and approved by the Government.

(c) Any System devices furnished and maintained by the Contractor that are used to store VNS data (e.g., server disk) must be removed by the Contractor and provided to the COR for degaussing prior to replacement or repair work to be performed off-site. All degaussing must be performed by Department of Justice personnel.

(d) Software maintenance shall cover all software components as deployed and accepted and appropriate upgrades and bug fixes. Software maintenance shall consist of correction of errors, provision of regularly scheduled (Contractor-sponsored) modifications and improvements, plus any other revisions or renewals. Documentation and on-line help updates made necessary by any maintenance action shall be provided as specified in Section C.5.1.

Note: In order to maintain the most useful and effective automated system, and in response to requests from various System users, the Government may, after contract award, require the Contractor to expand or enhance the System with the addition of new data elements, System features, or programmed reports. These services will be acquired via task order but may also impact the maintenance unit price(s).

(e) The Justice Data Center-Washington will provide storage services for the backup data contained in VNS. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to create the data backup (i.e., code, software, etc.) as required to re-establish the System in the event of a disaster or unauthorized intrusion. Backup and recovery services must ensure lost programs and/or data are recovered and restored so that processing can resume within one (1) hour of the cessation of processing. The Contractor shall update its Backup and Recovery Plan annually and submit it to the COR by each October 15.

(f) Disaster recovery services shall ensure that full System access is restored within 48 consecutive hours after the event. The Contractor shall update its Disaster Recovery Plan annually and submit it to the COR by each October 15.

(g) Other system products which the Contractor announces, improves, or may develop for general use, shall be made available to the Government on the same basis that such products are provided to the Contractors commercial customers as described in Section H.14 Engineering Changes. Delivery and implementation dates shall be mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the Contracting Officer. The COR shall be provided with full documentation of all Contractor changes and/or modifications to the System provided to meet the requirement. The Contractor shall correct any latent defects of the System.

(h) Archiving of data is the responsibility of the Contractor. During the base period of the contract, the Contractor shall address the need for archiving both existing and future data to preserve system performance and the data accessibility, as well as serve as a plan for implementation of the archived data.

(i) The Contractor shall prepare and maintain a rotational refresh schedule for all System hardware (excluding Government-furnished equipment) with a three-year projection window. With respect to the installation of new equipment and maintenance of equipment, the Contractor’s responsibilities and obligations include the following:

(1) Detecting any limitations by means of site inspections and consultation with the Government's representatives.

(2) Preparing and submitting a detailed schedule for delivery of all components, commencement and completion of all installation activities, and the schedule for all testing.

(3) Complying with the security requirements stated herein.

(4) Shipping and delivery to the Justice Data Center - Washington (JDC-W) loading dock and within the JDC-W facility, including rigging and drayage costs.

(5) Providing all labor and other services necessary to field install the System at the JDC-W floor location, specified by the…

This is the start of the file's text. The full file is on GovTribe.

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .