Draft PWS Avaya PBX Maintenance.docx

UC Avaya National Consolidated PBX Maintenance

VA-23-00054534

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology Unified Communications (UC)

UC Avaya National Consolidated PBX Maintenance Including Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) / Enterprise Contact Center-VHA ECC Avaya Remote Access Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Support

Date: 6/13/2023

VA-23-00054534

PWS Version Number: DRAFT

Contents

BACKGROUND

The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Information Technology Operations and Services, Unified Communications (UC) is to provide benefits and services to Veterans of the United States. OIT strives to provide high-quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services to those responsible for providing care to the Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of the Veterans’ health care in an effective, timely, and compassionate manner. VA relies on Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) systems to achieve its mission goals.

OIT requires technical support and maintenance for all Avaya Voice Systems (VS) used at VA Medical Centers (VAMC), Vet Centers, Outpatient Clinics, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and support facilities. The VS includes Avaya telephony systems and associated/peripheral equipment, services including but not limited to: Voice-Over-IP, virtual machines, gateways, instruments, trunks, cable plant (copper/fiber) terminations and documentation, system alarms and all interfaced ancillary systems (such as voicemail, auto attendants, Integrated Voice Response (IVR), contact centers, call accounting). Technical support, security, and maintenance services are required, including emergency, routine, and preventative maintenance; moves, adds, and changes; file/system backups; firmware/software maintenance; inventory; recommendations for VS system improvements; and associated documentation.

For the purposes of this PWS, VS shall be an inclusive term to encompass the entire system required to provide telecommunication services. Services provided by the Contractor shall also include VS security, documentation, reports, inventory control, change management, preventive maintenance, and training.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following:

1. 44 U.S.C. § 3541-3549, “Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002”

2. “Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014”

3. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-2, “Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules”

4. FIPS Pub 199. “Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems,” February 2004

5. FIPS Pub 200, “Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems,” March 2006

6. FIPS Pub 201-2, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 2013

7. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program"

8. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

9. Public Law 109-461, Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, Title IX, Information Security Matters

10. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

11. VA Directive 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” June 4, 2010, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

12. VA Handbook 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” May 2, 2016, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

13. VA Directive and Handbook 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

14. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” January 18, 2017

15. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Managing Federal Information as a Strategic Resource,” July 28, 2016

16. 32 C.F.R. Part 199, “Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)”

17. NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 1, “An Introductory Resource Guide for Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule,” October 2008

18. Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended, January 18, 2017

19. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12), August 27, 2004

20. VA Directive 6500, “VA Cybersecurity Program,” February 24, 2021

21. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program,” February 24, 2021

22. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI),” March 12, 2019

23. VA Handbook 6500.5, “Incorporating Security and Privacy into the System Development Lifecycle,” March 22, 2010

24. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010

25. VA Handbook 6500.8, “Information System Contingency Planning,” April 6, 2011

26. VA Handbook 6500.10, “Mobile Device Security Policy,” February 15, 2018

27. VA Handbook 6500.11, “VA Firewall Configuration,” August 22, 2017

28. OIT Process Asset Library (PAL), https://www.va.gov/process/ . Reference Process Maps at https://www.va.gov/process/maps.asp and Artifact templates at https://www.va.gov/process/artifacts.asp

29. One-VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.va.gov/trm/TRMHomePage.aspx)

30. VA Directive 6508, “Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” October 15, 2014

31. VA Handbook 6508.1, “Procedures for Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” July 30, 2015

32. VA Handbook 6510, “VA Identity and Access Management,” January 15, 2016

33. VA Directive and Handbook 6513, “Secure External Connections,” October 12, 2017

34. VA Directive 6300, “Records and Information Management,” September 21, 2018

35. VA Handbook, 6300.1, “Records Management Procedures,“ March 24, 2010

36. NIST SP 800-37 Rev 2, “Risk Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy,” December 2018

37. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, “Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations,” September 23, 2020 (includes updates as of 12/10/2020)

38. VA Directive 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” October 26, 2015

39. VA Handbook 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” March 24, 2014

40. OMB Memorandum 05-24, “Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 5, 2005

41. OMB Memorandum M-19-17, “Enabling Mission Delivery Through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management,” May 21, 2019

42. OMB Memorandum, “Guidance for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 Implementation,” May 23, 2008

43. Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) Roadmap and Implementation Guidance, December 2, 2011, (NOTE: Part A of the FICAM Roadmap and Implementation Guidance, v2.0, was replaced in 2015 with an updated Architecture (https://arch.idmanagement.gov/#what-is-the-ficam-architecture)

44. NIST SP 800-116 Rev 1, “Guidelines for the Use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credentials in Facility Access,“ June 2018

45. NIST SP 800-63-3, 800-63A, 800-63B, 800-63C, “Digital Identity Guidelines,” updated March 02, 2020

46. NIST SP 800-157, “Guidelines for Derived PIV Credentials,” December 2014

47. NIST SP 800-164, “Guidelines on Hardware-Rooted Security in Mobile Devices (Draft),” October 2012

48. Draft National Institute of Standards and Technology Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7981, “Mobile, PIV, and Authentication,” March 2014

49. VA Memorandum, VAIQ #7100147, “Continued Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12),” April 29, 2011 (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

50. IAM Identity Management Business Requirements Guidance document, May 2013, (reference Enterprise Architecture Section, PIV/IAM (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

51. VA Memorandum “Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Logical Access Policy Clarification,” July 17, 2019, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896

52. Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents

53. OMB Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative,” September 12, 2019

54. OMB Memorandum M-08-23, “Securing the Federal Government’s Domain Name System Infrastructure,” August 22, 2008

55. Sections 524 and 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, (Public Law 110–140), December 19, 2007

56. Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, (Public Law 109–58), August 8, 2005

57. Executive Order 13834, “Efficient Federal Operations,” dated May 17, 2018

58. Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” August 2, 2001

59. VA Directive 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program,” July 19, 2013

60. VA Handbook 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program,” July 19, 2013

61. Office of Information Security (OIS) VAIQ #7424808 Memorandum, “Remote Access,” January 15, 2014, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

62. Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, 40 U.S.C. §11101 and §11103

63. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 4.0,” January 2021, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

64. VA Memorandum “Proper Use of Email and Other Messaging Services,” January 2, 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

65. “DevSecOps Product Line Management Playbook” version 2.0, May 2021, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946

66. NIST SP 500-267B Revision 1, “USGv6 Profile,” November 2020

67. OMB Memorandum M-21-07, “Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6),” November 19, 2020

68. Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act of 2017

69. Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, March 23, 2018

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor is responsible for providing comprehensive telephony support services to VA OIT to ensure that the Avaya telephony systems are maintained and operational. The Contractor shall perform all VS Operations and Maintenance (O&M) in accordance with the VS manufacturer Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Specifications. The following services shall be provided by the Contractor:

Maintenance and technical support: The Contractor shall provide maintenance and technical support for the Avaya VS platform and all ancillary equipment at the sites identified in Section 4.0 of this PWS. The Contractor shall repair or provide replacement of all VS equipment, software, and hardware necessary to remediate failures of hardware components organic to the VS and VS cabling and components directly connected to the Avaya VS.

OEM maintenance services: The Contractor shall provide OEM maintenance services for the existing VS and any VS additions to include all phone instruments/hardware/software/ports provided by the VS.

Personnel and equipment: The Contractor shall furnish qualified personnel, equipment, transportation, management supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform VS maintenance and support on the Avaya VS including but not limited to: (Private Branch Exchanges (PBX), Voicemail Systems, Integrated Voice Response (IVR)s, and Contact Centers)

During the performance of this effort the Contractor shall comply with the current versions of all national codes and any updates to such codes, telecommunications industry standards and practices which are referenced in Section 2.0 of this PWS.

Note: Where telephone system and PBX system appear in the singular form, the requirement shall be for multiple VS for the sites listed for this PWS.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance (PoP) shall be one 12-month base period from date of award, with four 12-month option periods, and optional tasks to be exercised at the Government’s discretion. Total PoP for this TO shall not exceed 60 months.

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

Within the Base Period, the Contractor shall provide VS support to:

5380599

51496099

51597987

51527019

51592773

5347333

3265963

222 Richmond Avenue, Batavia, NY 14020 5027916

51765364

5124398

2984138

5383480

There are eleven (11) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, four are set by date:

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Efforts under this TO shall be performed in VA facilities identified below. Work may be performed at remote locations with prior concurrence from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

Within the Base Period and all Optional Periods, the Contractor shall provide VS support to:

5380599

51496099

51597987

51527019

51592773

5347333

3265963

222 Richmond Avenue, Batavia, NY 14020 5027916

51765364

5124398

2984138

5383480

TRAVEL

The Government anticipates travel under this effort to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend major maintenance events (e.g. on-site patching) throughout the PoP. Include all estimated travel costs in your firm-fixed-price (FFP) line items. These costs will not be directly reimbursed by the Government.

The total estimated number of trips in support of the program related maintenance events for this effort is 1 to 3 per year. Anticipated locations include the following, estimated at 1 to 5 days in duration: Site locations are listed in Section 4.2.

Any “onsite” Contractor shall be available for work at any facility within the designated locations listed above within Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 5 and VISN 2 and may be required to travel between each primary location and its associated facilities. Include all estimated travel costs in your FFP line items. These costs will not be directly reimbursed by the Government.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Contractor shall appoint the Project Manager (PM) within 3 days of the TO Award and provide contact information to the COR. PM shall host a “Kick Off Meeting” to introduce themselves 5 business days after award of the TO.

CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline, and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The CPMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks, and resource support. The CPMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the PWS. The initial baseline CPMP shall be concurred upon and updated in accordance with Section B of the contract. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA PM approved CPMP throughout the PoP.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Project Management Plan

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide the COR with Quarterly Progress Reports in electronic form in Microsoft Word and Project formats. The report shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent. These reports shall reflect data as of the last day of the preceding quarter.

The Quarterly Progress Reports shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period. The report shall also identify any problems that arose and a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. The report shall also include an itemized list of all Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deliverables and their current Section 508 conformance status. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the CPMP and report any deviations. It is expected that the Contractor will keep in communication with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.

Deliverable:

A. Quarterly Progress Report

TECHNICAL KICKOFF MEETING

The Contractor shall hold a technical kickoff meeting within 10 days after TO award. The Contractor shall present, for review and approval by the Government, the details of the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule for each effort. The Contractor shall specify dates, locations (can be virtual), agenda (shall be provided to all attendees at least five calendars days prior to the meeting), and meeting minutes (shall be provided to all attendees within three

(3) calendar days after the meeting). The Contractor shall invite the Contracting Officer (CO), Contract Specialist (CS), COR, and the VA PM.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

The Contractor shall provide services to operate, maintain, and repair the VA VS to assure VS availability (uptime) of 99.9 percent. To protect the Government from loss of system operation and data, the Contractor shall perform the following activities for the VS:

a. System and working file backups and restorations daily;

b. Full system backups weekly;

c. Store the backups in a VA provided repository;

d. Troubleshoot and resolve any issues or problems related to performing the backups.

The Contractor shall correct any loss of data or system operation within five business days due to Contractor negligence related to the backup activities. The Contractor shall ensure users can access their voice mail from within the medical center and from remote. The Contractor shall ensure IVRs used by VA staff, Veterans, and customers stay in good working order and are accessible by end-users. The Contractor shall ensure the Avaya Contact Call remains operational as for VA to still assist Veterans and stakeholders. The Contractor shall analyze, identify, and correct local problems within the VS. The Contractor shall conduct all VS operations and maintenance in accordance with the OEM manuals. The Contractor shall summarize activities associated with this task in the CPMP.

CERTIFICATE OF MAINTAINABILITY

When the TO is terminated, expires contractually or upon request by the CO, or designee, at any time, the Contractor shall issue, within five working days of that event, a "Certificate of Maintainability" for all equipment maintained under this task order.

The Certificate shall state that all preventative maintenance, in accordance with the specifications of the OEM, has been performed and that the equipment is performing in accordance with the OEM's specifications such that the OEM (or OEM's successor in interest) commits that it would assume maintenance of the equipment (or OEM certifies that the equipment is eligible for maintenance, including but not limited to, repair or inspection charge) if such maintenance were assumed effective the date after the Contractor's performance ceases.

Should the Contractor fail to issue the required Certificate of Maintainability in accordance with this requirement, or should any equipment fail to perform in accordance with the certification for any reason, the Contractor shall be liable to the Government for any reasonable costs incurred by the Government for the purpose of bringing the equipment up to the required maintainable level, where such maintenance is assumed effective the date after the Contractor's performance ceases for a period of 30 days. This shall include the replacement of the VS.

Deliverable:

A. Certificate of Maintainability

USE OF EQUIPMENT AND/OR SOFTWARE MONITORS

The Government may choose to augment the VS system to examine or measure the activity within the VS and/or equipment rooms e.g., expand PBX to support growth. Devices such as equipment monitors, which may require physical connection to the system, and devices such as software monitors to aid in system analysis, are specifically included in this category. The Contractor may not prohibit the installation of such devices unless the device will cause significant or permanent damage to the system. The Contractor shall assist the Government in identifying and locating device connections when requested by the Government.

Efforts associated with this subtask shall be reported in the CPMP.

SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

The Contractor shall identify and recommend technological advances, changes, or other improvements to the VS that will improve system efficiency, reduce required maintenance, or otherwise lower costs to the customer. All recommended upgrades shall maintain current voice traffic grade or better.

Efforts associated with this activity shall be reported in the CPMP.

MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

The Contractor shall be responsible for telecommunications work as applicable to the Avaya VS to isolate and repair any problems. At facilities and associated remote sites, the Contractor shall provide technical support and assistance as needed. The Contractor shall troubleshoot the hardware and software on the communications and peripheral equipment to determine the cause and best method of repair. If problems are found, the Contractor shall follow VA procedures and continue corrective measures until the problem is resolved. The Contractor shall schedule the remaining repair work with the COR or Designated site POC. The Contractor shall include contact information in the Escalation list for OIT on-call staff, COR, or designee to contact in the event of an issue with the VS.

PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall provide personnel to work with OIT staff during regular business hours. Historically, two full-time telephony engineers have been used to fulfill this task. These engineers assist with all issues that may arise on a day-to-day basis. The Contractor shall provide end-user support to assist with telephony system issues and troubleshooting. This includes providing guidance and assistance to users in understanding and using the telephony system, as well as resolving user issues and answering user questions. This includes but is not limited to: working customer tickets via the OIT ticketing system, performing maintenance, and planning tasks, and attending VA telephony related project meetings as needed. The Contractor shall provide timely and effective troubleshooting and technical support for any telephony system issues that arise, including diagnosing and resolving system outages, hardware failures, and software malfunctions. The Contractor shall also provide technical support for telephony system upgrades and maintenance. The Contractor is responsible for promptly documenting all work performed, including maintenance and follow-on services, in the OIT ticket management system no later than the next business day. The Contractor must ensure that all support requests requiring higher-level support are properly documented with clear and actionable details and are submitted to the OIT ticketing system in a timely manner.

These engineers must possess the knowledge, skills, and experience to be classified at a senior level IT professional. An in-depth knowledge of Avaya telephony systems such as, but not limited to, Avaya Contract Centers, VMware, and Avaya Communication Managers, Work Force Management (WFO), Avaya Oceana must be required.

Typical normal duty hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday local time of the facility. All service-affecting work activities required by this PWS shall be completed on Monday through Friday after hours, 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time of the affected site, or on weekends or holidays. All non-service affecting work shall generally take place during normal business hours. Work outside of these approved periods shall be approved in advance by the COR. Any work at the VA site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the COR or CO.

ON-SITE TECHNICIAN (OPTIONAL TASK) - UP TO 2 PEOPLE

If this optional task is exercised, the Contractor shall provide one full time on-site technician to assist with Avaya telephony support services as needed. The COR shall coordinate the place of performance within the VISN 2 or VISN 5 area for the on-site Contractor and will communicate this to the contract holder at the time this Optional Task is exercised. The Contractor shall provide one on-site technician each time this optional task is exercised for no less than 6 months under this TO and shall be performed in VA facilities identified in Section 4.2. The Contractor will have 30 days to have a technician on-boarded from the time this optional task is exercised. All personnel shall possess the necessary skills, access, knowledge, and experience to effectively perform the required services. The Contractor shall have, at a minimum, OEM certified technicians 40 hours per week Monday through Friday. The Contractor is responsible for promptly documenting all work performed, including maintenance and follow-on services, in the OIT ticket management system no later than the next business day. The Contractor must ensure that all support requests requiring higher-level support are properly documented with clear and actionable details and are submitted to the OIT ticketing system in a timely manner. All technicians will be responsible for all Avaya telephony maintenance and tasks within the assigned VISN catch area during the period of performance of this task order.

On-site Technicians must possess the knowledge, skills, and experience to be classified as an OEM certified IT professional. Knowledge of Avaya telephony systems such as but not limited to: Avaya Contract Centers; Avaya Communication Managers; WFO; Avaya Oceana; Avaya Voicemail systems; Avaya hardware; and cabling is needed. The Contractor shall provide timely and effective troubleshooting and technical support for any telephony system issues that arise, including diagnosing and resolving system outages, hardware failures, and software malfunctions. The Contractor shall also provide technical support for telephony system upgrades and maintenance.

Typical normal duty hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday local time of the facility. All service-affecting work activities required by this PWS shall be completed on Monday through Friday after hours, 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time of the affected site, or on weekends or holidays. All non-service affecting work shall generally take place during normal business hours. Work outside of these approved periods shall be approved in advance by the COR. Any work at the VA site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the COR or CO.

This optional task can be exercised up to ten times during the POP of this task.

REMOTE TECHNICIAN (OPTIONAL TASK) -

If this optional task is exercised, the Contractor shall provide one full time remote technician to assist with Avaya telephony support services as needed. The COR will coordinate the place of performance within Section 4.2 for the remote Contractor and will communicate this to the contract holder at the time this Optional Task is exercised. The Contractor shall provide one remote technician each time this optional task is exercised for no less than 6 months under this TO and shall be performed in VA facilities identified in Section 4.2. The Contractor shall have 30 days to have a technician on-boarded into the VA from the time this optional task is exercised. All personnel shall possess the necessary skills, knowledge, access, and experience to effectively perform the required services. The Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, OEM certified technicians 40 hours per week Monday through Friday. All technicians shall be responsible for all Avaya telephony maintenance and tasks remotely as designated by the COR, during the period of performance of this task order. The Contractor is responsible for promptly documenting all work performed, including maintenance and follow-on services, in the OIT ticket management system no later than the next business day. The Contractor must ensure that all support requests requiring higher-level support are properly documented with clear and actionable details and are submitted to the OIT ticketing system in a timely manner.

Remote Technicians shall possess the knowledge, skills, and experience to be classified at a senior level IT professional. An in-depth knowledge of Avaya telephony systems such as but not limited to: Avaya Contract Centers; VMware; and Avaya Communication Managers; WFO; and Avaya Oceana, shall be required. The Contractor shall provide timely and effective troubleshooting and technical support for any telephony system issues that arise, including diagnosing and resolving system outages, hardware failures, and software malfunctions. The Contractor shall also provide technical support for telephony system upgrades and maintenance.

Typical normal duty hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday local time of the facility. All service-affecting work activities required by this PWS shall be completed on Monday through Friday after hours, 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time of the affected site, or on weekends or holidays. All non-service affecting work shall generally take place during normal business hours. Work outside of these approved periods shall be approved in advance by the COR. Any work at the VA site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the COR or CO.

This optional task can be exercised up to 20 times during the POP of this task.

24X7 SUPPORT FOR AVAYA CONTACT CENTERS (OPTIONAL TASK 24X7 SUPPORT)

If this optional task is exercised, the Contractor shall supply technicians to support Avaya Contact Centers 24 hours, 7 days a week. The Contractor shall provide support services and personal to assist with any VA Avaya telephony contact center issue that may arise outside of normal business hours. All personnel shall possess the necessary skills, knowledge, access, and experience to effectively perform the required services. A wide variety of issue could be seen from end-user softphone configuration issue to a hard down server. Typically, there are 3 to 7 issues per week afterhours. The Contractor is responsible for promptly documenting all work performed, including maintenance and follow-on services, in the OIT ticket management system no later than the next business day. The Contractor shall ensure that all support requests requiring higher-level support are properly documented with clear and actionable details and are submitted to the OIT ticketing system in a timely manner. The Contractor shall have, at a minimum, OEM certified technicians available always to monitor and resolve the Avaya Contact Centers issues as they come in. If this optional task is exercised, the Contractor will have 30 days to have all technicians on-boarded into the VA from the time this optional task is exercised.

The VCL/ECC-VHA Avaya Call Center provides over 3,500 Telephony Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) Agents located in three VAMC Call Center locations.

This optional task can be exercised up to five times during the POP of this task.

PRIVACY TRAINING

The Contractor shall submit status of VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness training for all individuals engaged on the task. The status reporting shall identify, a single Contractor Security Point of Contact (POC), the names of all personnel engaged on the task, their initial training date for VA Privacy and Information Security training, and their next required training date. This information shall be submitted as part of the CPMP. The Contractor shall submit VA Privacy and Information Security training certificates in accordance with Section 9, Training, from Appendix C of the VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security” within one week after award and/or one week after on-boarding of a new employee and annually as required throughout the period of performance for all Contractor employees.

Deliverable:

A. VA Privacy and Information Security Training Certificates

Hardware/Software Maintenance and Support The Contractor shall provide equipment maintenance agreements and hardware maintenance to ensure the Avaya telephony system hardware and peripherals are kept in good working condition. This includes both reactive maintenance and preventive maintenance.

The Contractor shall provide software licenses reports and administration services to ensure that all telephony system software is properly licensed and up to date. The Contractor shall also provide software administration services, server/web certifications support, database support, and including software updates and patches.

Deliverable:

A. Maintenance agreement between Contractor and Avaya

MANUFACTURER’S SUPPORT

The Contractor shall provide manufacturer’s support for the existing VS listed in Section 4.2. The Contractor shall establish direct access to the VS Manufacturer’s technical support center within seven business days after task order award.

The Contractor shall maintain access to Avaya’s central emergency assistance maintenance center for diagnostic testing and technical problem assistance. As additional VS systems and ancillary equipment are installed by VA, the Contractor shall ensure its Technicians obtain the necessary OEM certification to support the additional equipment 30 days prior to the installation and provide a copy to VA.

The Contractor shall notify VA of any product’s recall within five business days of notice and within 15 days of notice of discontinuance, or end of life cycle for items covered under this TO. The Contractor shall also update the CPMP with this information.

The Contractor shall have access to Avaya Technical Support Center (TAC) 24/7 to obtain system information, licensing information, warranty information, diagnostic support, and updates on OEM system modifications, improvements, revisions, and new software level releases. The Contractor shall provide proof of Avaya Partner Assurance Software Support-Plus, or equivalent in the CPMP, for the existing software, including any OEM-sponsored modifications or revisions. The Contractor shall provide 24x7 Avaya hardware support for all VS components. The Contractor shall provide manufacture and Avaya Professional Services (APS) support for the VA’s Avaya Pod Fx environments.

The Contractor shall provide software support consisting of correction of errors, provision of OEM-sponsored modifications, improvements, and revisions. The Contractor shall identify all software changes, revisions. and patches to the COR for approval prior to installation. The Contractor shall furnish full documentation for all changes and/or modifications to the software provided to meet the Government’s requirements.

The Contractor shall provide to the COR or Designated POC a written notice of each OEM software patch/update/new release within 30 days of receiving OEM notification. The notice shall identify the software patch number or version in the case of update/new release, synopsis of features/functions of the patch/update/new release and any hardware required. The VA COR may, at its discretion, choose to accept or reject the patch/update/new release. If accepted by VA, the Contractor shall provide support for and install the software. Historically this happens once a month. The Contractor shall perform any reprogramming of additional equipment required to accommodate such patch/update/new release. If the software update is accepted by VA and it is determined that new equipment is required to perform the software update, the Government will provide the new equipment. The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure daily data backups are run and for ensuring the resulting backups are not corrupt. All system data shall be provided by the Contractor, to VA staff, for storage and handling. Efforts associated with this activity shall be reported in the CPMP.

5.3.2.1 MAINTENANCE SPARE PARTS SUPPORT

The Contractor shall identify the spare parts required by the OEM, for proper maintenance of the total maintained system. The Contractor shall document these additional items in a Spare Parts List and submit it to the COR for approval. If the OEM does not have a recommended spare parts list, the Contractor shall provide a list of spare parts that should be on hand to ensure the required response times identified in section 5.4 in this TO are met. The Contractor shall submit the spare parts list to the COR for final approval. The Contractor will be allowed to store its spare parts in VA telephone switch room(s) at each main facility if space is available. For any spare parts not stored on-site, the Contractor shall ensure these spare parts are available onsite within 24 hours upon request. The Contractor shall be responsible for replenishing its spare parts inventory by purchasing and restocking spare parts as they are used in providing the services defined in this TO.

The Contractor shall update the Spare Parts list as items are used or replenished. At the end of the TO, the Contractor shall retain ownership of all Contractor owned spare parts, including those stored on-site in VA facilities.

The Contractor shall maintain and replace defunct endpoints (phones) at no additional cost to the Government. Devices shall be returned to the Contractor at the Government’s expense, repaired or replaced and shipped back to the government at the Contractor’s expense. If repair or replacement for a phone cannot be performed, due to the age and availability of spare parts, a newer like model of endpoint shall be provided at no additional cost to the Government. Phone Terminal support is only required for VISN 2 and VISN 5 identified in section 4.2.

Deliverable:

A. Spare Parts Lists

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall perform inventory management. The Contractor shall be accountable for all VS components and peripherals. The Contractor shall develop and maintain inventory controls for all VS software, hardware, and peripherals. The Contractor shall inventory all VS equipment at all the locations listed in Section 4.2 of this PWS, with a VA representative. The Contractor shall document the results in an Inventory Control Document, separated by sites. The Contractor shall provide recommendations for upgrading VS components, including software, as part of the Inventory Control Document.

Deliverable:

A. Inventory Control Document

SUBSTITUTION OF EQUIPMENT

The Contractor shall ensure all replacement parts are Avaya manufacturer approved as acceptable replacement parts on all products installed at VA sites.

From time to time, some of the contracted equipment may not be readily available or may be permanently out of production. The Contractor may request a substitution for one or more parts. Such requests must be made in writing to the COR and the following conditions met:

1. The replacement item(s) must meet or exceed all manufacturer specifications of the existing item.

2. The replacement item(s) must be acceptable to the Contracting Officer or COR.

3. The replacement item(s) must be approved in writing by the Contracting Officer or COR.

Telephony MAC Support The Contractor shall provide support for telephony moves, adds, and changes (MAC) requests. This includes the ability to perform MAC requests on telephony system hardware and peripherals, as well as configuring and testing new telephony hardware and peripherals as needed. If Contractor is not on-site, remote MAC work is required which involves configurations done remotely and assisting end-users via phone. All personnel involved in providing telephony MAC support shall possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to effectively perform the required services.

The Contractor shall ensure that all telephony MAC support services are provided in accordance with industry and OEMs best practices.

The Contractor shall ensure that for all MAC calls, routine work order requests are generated and tracked by the OIT ticketing system. Historically on average sites that have 1000 phones or less generate one (1) MAC calls per day, sites that have 1000-2500 phones generate three (3) MAC calls per day, sites that have 2500 plus phones generate five (5) MAC calls per day.

On-site Contractors shall also perform the following tasks as needed:

Cross connections for cabling shall be performed within the existing Main Distribution Frame(s) (MDF) and Intermediate Distribution Frame(s) (IDF). The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR or Designated site POC for all work within the MDF/IDF. All distribution frame maintenance and installation work performed by the Contractor shall be performed within National Electrical Code guidelines. The Contractor shall perform asset tracking, distribution, and configuration of all end user phones. The Contractor shall also perform all basic troubleshooting and triaging of all UC related endpoints, systems and peripherals related to the VS. The Contractor shall perform all labeling and documentation of all UC related equipment, circuits, racks, cables, etc. The Contractor shall perform basic adds and changes to voicemail boxes and ACD agents.

The On-Site Contactor shall be responsible for providing informal training to designated on-site VA representative(s). This training shall include, but not be limited to, knowledge transfer of all onsite related information, cabling terminations, MAC tech work, and all telephony documentation. The Contractor will also provide training through hands-on assistance, basic technical troubleshooting, testing and installation of the VS to designated VA representative(s).

The Contractor shall perform all MACs assigned under this TO at the facilities and associated remote sites listed in Section 4.2 where on-site Contractors are located. The Contractor shall relocate, add, or change ancillary VS equipment or software within the facilities due to movement of personnel. The Contractor shall initiate services within one working day after receipt of a request from VA and complete the follow-on MAC work within three business days of initiation.

Support for Contact Center The Contractor shall provide comprehensive support for the contact center, utilizing industry-leading software and virtualization technology to ensure maximum uptime and availability. This includes implementing and maintaining Verint WFO and Avaya Oceana solutions to improve workforce management, quality monitoring, and customer engagement across multiple channels. The Contractor shall also maintain and support VMware servers within the contact center platform. Contractor shall ensure the contact center is remains operational and available to receive calls, monitoring the contact center for issues, performing proactive maintenance, and implementing disaster recovery procedures as necessary.

The Contractor shall ensure that all contact center support services are provided in accordance with industry best practices and performance standards outlined with in the OEM documentation. The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel involved in providing contact center support possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to effectively perform the required services.