DRAFT PWS - Business Information Reports and Analytics Service.pdf

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 PURPOSE

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a requirement to consolidate services for business data, business information, business reports and analytic services to provide a comprehensive lifecycle for evaluating and managing business entities from sourcing to reporting, with particular focus on risk evaluation and mitigation, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) verification and certification, and predictive analytics. By consolidating and systematically integrating these services into a comprehensive, unified program, the VA can enhance its contractor management and responsibility determination, as well as better support the verification and evaluation process while realizing significant cost savings. These services will primarily support three organizations within the VA: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL), the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Supply Chain Systems (SCS).

Enterprise Acquisition Systems Service (EAS) within OAL provides consistent, modern, integrated procurement automation tools to the VA acquisition community which meets the needs of users and management. EAS provides acquisition and program management expertise and support for life cycle management of enterprise-wide solutions relative to VA acquisition. EAS also provide services to ensure VA complies with laws, policies, and directions from execution branch partners, such as the Office of Management and Budget, Department of Treasury, General Services Administration, Government Accountability Office, and Congress.

EAS has a requirement to procure business information reports to support all Enterprise-wide procurement operations.

The VA OSDBU provides numerous outreach services for Veterans and service-disabled Veterans who seek to open or expand a business. OSDBU is the verification authority, as designated by statute 38 U.S. Code 8127(f) entitled “Database of Veteran-Owned Businesses”, with responsibility for investigating and adjudicating the background of applicants to determine their eligibility as a service-disabled Veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) or a Veteran-owned small business (VOSB). OSDBU must verify that any company claiming Veteran owned status is actually owned and controlled by Veterans. IAW 38 U.S. Code 8127(f)(5), contracting offices of all Federal departments and agencies must ensure, prior to award of any contract, that all companies bidding for VOSB or SDVOSB set-asides are listed in VA’s database of verified contractors. The database is known as Vendor Information Pages (VIP) and is a component of the current Veterans Enterprise Management System (VEMS) VetBiz Portal which is the phase where the actual verification process is conducted. The VIP collects and displays information on all known small businesses that have been verified as SDVOSBs or VOSBs.

SCS provides data cleansing services for the Integrated Fund Control Point and Purchasing (IFCAP) vendor files from the 150+ medical centers across the VHA organization. In addition, they support a number of other programs and initiatives which require the use of the IFCAP vendors. SCS is the data arm of the Procurement & Logistics Office (PLO) and provides Extract Transform Load (ETL) data integration, data processing, reports, analysis, and development services for both the logistics and acquisition branch of the PLO organization.

http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:38%20section:8127%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section8127)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:38%20section:8127%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section8127)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:38%20section:8127%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section8127)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:38%20section:8127%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section8127)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall provide business data, business information, business reports and analytic services to provide a comprehensive lifecycle for evaluating and managing business entities from sourcing to reporting, with particular focus on risk evaluation and mitigation, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) verification and certification, data cleansing, and predictive analytics. In addition, the contractor shall provide a single consolidated view of the entire business entity to allow thorough analysis of multiple facets of the corporate dynamic. Further, criminal activity and special events that are very telling of a business’s continued eligibility for the Veterans First Contracting Program are required information under 5 U.S. Code 552a (commonly referred to as the Privacy Act) and shall be included. The contractor shall be responsible for providing real-time reporting on businesses.

Other fields needed are the legal business name, the correct physical address, and company contact name. There are many variations of this information not only between the 150 instances of IFCAP but within the individual copies as well. The matching software is required to cleanse these systems of record due to the many variations and provide a standardized list of vendors.

In addition, the company hierarchy is needed to determine what the actual parent organization is that the products and services are purchased from. The National Item File (NIF) has its own set of vendors which exist as manufacturers, distributors, or both. NIF currently only has names and needs to be augmented with the complete addresses. The company hierarchy is also needed to help determine the relation between the manufacturers and their products and services. An additional need is corporate merger and acquisition information. When a company takes over another or merges with it, the products will often be rebranded and/or receive a new part number. This must be tracked within the NIF system so that the continuity of items is preserved. Both systems (IFCAP and NIF) will require a batch matching and processing capability due to the number of company records to be dealt with. The entity matching software needs to have the capability to intake over 500,000 records, perform the processing, and return the match results as an output. Additionally, SCS requires the ability to do single company lookups and searches via a web application for the NIF team and others to do research on companies as needed.

SCS requires access to entity matching software to assist in the parsing, standardization, grouping, and matching of the vendors within IFCAP and associated VA business systems to accomplish the cleansing and standardization of the aforementioned vendor file suite.

VA OSDBU’s ability to determine ownership of a business requires quality and depth of data and a holistic view of a corporate entity to be uniquely captured in their Unique Entity ID (UEI).

Such robust company data, aside from being required by statute, must also provide insights not only into a company’s financial and operational stability, but the authoritativeness of information on which that data is generated. Additionally, aggregate data on federal awards; as made available through all Federal, State and Local government sources is essential. This data must provide specific details about business relationships the company may have with the Federal government including Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), contracts, grants, loans, and debts owed to the Federal Government. VA also requires assurance that the data is complete, accurate and the most current available by means of a contractor established comprehensive quality assurance process.

The OAL has a requirement to procure business information reports to support all enterprise-wide procurement operations. This is a requirement for a nation-wide subscription for access to vendor business reports in order to determine contractor responsibility. FAR 9.105 states that http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:5%20section:552a%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section552a)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true purchases shall be made from, and contracts shall be awarded to, responsible prospective contractors only. Responsible contractors must have the financial and technical resources (including expertise) to provide the Government the supplies or services required under the prospective contract. Business practices, including ethics and past performance shall be considered. Providing VA acquisition personnel with real time access to business intelligence and a nation-wide subscription will facilitate VA efforts to create a comprehensive, consistent, and actionable contractor evaluation process.

These reports must be accessible via commonly used web browser technology such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. VA users will be configured with a username and password for access to the service.

UEI has been identified by policy and statute as a number or other identifier used to identify a specific commercial, nonprofit, or Government entity, IAW Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

4.605 “Contract Reporting - Procedures”. Users shall be able to search by specifically, but is not limited to:

• Company Information

• Company Profile

• Public Records

• Risk Profile

• Financial Health Information

• Demographics

• UEI

• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)

• North American Industrial Classification Standards (NAICS)

• Business Executive and Corporate family tree

• Linkage between companies

• Special Events (i.e., mergers, acquisitions, criminal activity, etc.)

Users entering search criteria and are presented a list of results. Once the correct business is identified, users shall be able to select from several report types or create a personal customized report.

The service shall provide visibility for all ordered reports for 90 days and include an extended archive feature if needed. The service shall also include an investigation options so that if the need arises for more information or a report update, users can submit a request for investigation. Users shall have the ability to track investigations they have requested under the investigations tab. Investigations can be anonymous if needed, it will appear simply as updating.

The solution shall also include a Bulk Report capability which allows users to upload a template with up to 100 domestic companies at a time. The service will match against those companies and present the results. Users then have the option to review the results, remove any of the matches if needed, and then order the reports in bulk. The contractor shall provide access to an estimated maximum of 2,500 reports monthly. The VA also requires Risk Monitoring updates that will proactively notify VA procurement officials of key changes to the financial health of contract awardees. The risk monitoring reports shall provide business profiles and analyses of suppliers, supplier evaluation, management, financial performance, product availability, product offerings, and operations. This functionality will ensure VA contracting personnel are informed of critical events. The types of reports will vary and could include the following types of reports:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-4#FAR_4_605

• Comprehensive business report

• Business Information Report

• Business financial report with risk score

• Federal Information Report

• International Report

3.0 TASKS

3.1 Kick-Off Meeting

The contractor shall attend a Kick-Off Meeting with key VA staff members to provide overview and discuss expectations and responsibilities. The kick-off meeting will be held virtually within ten (10) calendar days after the award.

3.2 Business Reports

The contractor shall grant unlimited access to designated VA employees, including VA contracting officers, contract specialists, VA contract support staff, and OSDBU staff. All personnel shall have access to view, print, and/or save various reports. The contractor shall provide domestic and international reports based on the selected delivery method. The VA estimates that during each monthly period of performance an estimated maximum of 2,500 reports will be accessed. All reports shall be made available to VA users via a standard internet portal.

3.2.1 The Contractor shall provide a monthly report detailing the number of each report pulled and the office within VA that pulled the report. The Contractor shall provide the information in a spreadsheet or pdf that identifies the report or reports used. This report will be due the last business day of each month. The report shall also total users, identified by the users authorized VA government email, organization, and office code.

3.2.2 The contractor shall provide an electronic web access link that the VA authorized user will use to request access. Once provided with the user registration request, the contractor shall register VA personnel with accounts, so they are able to access business information reports.

The user registration must include, at a minimum, identification of the user by their authorized VA government email, the user’s organization, and the user’s office code.

3.2.3 The contractor shall ensure the VA user is granted system access within two business days of an official request. The contractor shall establish a method for ensuring only VA authorized users has access through this contract. The Contractor shall provide within two (2) business days upon request a list of all authorized user by name, organization, and email address. Throughout the life of the contract, the Government may notify the contractor of known non-authorized users whose access should be disabled. The account disable shall be completed within two business days of notification receipt.

3.2.4 Continuous Risk Monitoring

The VA also requires Continuous Risk Monitoring notification, alerts, and updates that will proactively notify VA officials of key changes to the financial health of contract awardees. The risk monitoring notifications and alerts shall provide business profiles and analyses of suppliers, supplier evaluation, management, financial performance, product availability, product offerings, and operations. This functionality will ensure VA personnel are informed of critical events.

3.2.5 Comprehensive Business Report

The contractor shall provide a Comprehensive Business Report that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• UEI

• Business profile and summary

• Government activity summary

• Financial analysis with risk summary

• Credit capacity

• Business history

• Doing Business As (DBAs)

• Industry information

• Financial statements

• Federal information

• Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)

• Standard Industrial Classification & North American Industry Classification System

• Contracts

• Public filings

• Payment summary

• Credit risk

• Financial risk score

• Claims, fees, fine, penalties

• Other miscellaneous debt information

• Recent financial information within one year

• Risk Monitoring Updates

3.2.6 Business Information Report

The contractor shall provide a Business Information Report that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Government activity summary

• Financial analysis with risk summary

• Credit capacity

• Business history

• Operations information

• Industry information

• Financial statements

• SIC & NAICS

• Contracts

• Public filings

• Credit risk

• Financial risk score

3.2.7 Business Financial Report with Risk Score

The contractor shall provide a Business Financial Report with Risk Score that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Government activity summary

• Financial analysis with risk summary

• Credit capacity and history

• Business history

• Operations information

• Industry information

• Financial statements

• SIC & NAICS

• Contracts

• Public filings

• Credit risk and score

Deliverables:

A. Comprehensive Business Report B. Business Information Report C. Business Financial Report with Risk Score D. Continuous Risk Alerts E. Monthly Usage Report F. Closeout Usage Report G. User Registration Report

3.3 Onsite software and Data Solutions with consulting support for SCS The contractor shall provide a tool and associated software and databases housed entirely within the VA firewall. The data shall be refreshed on a recurring basis of at least every 30 days or less. The refresh data may be available outside the VA firewall as long as no VA data needs to be transmitted outside of the VA firewall. The tool must allow the data to be transmitted within VA systems as needed for the projects and related operations. All company records must include the ,UEI and legal business name as a minimum. In addition, records should include all known addresses, small business information, phone numbers, SIC codes, NAICS codes, and company parent information. Corporate mergers and acquisitions should be provided as a separate file or subunit within the company database so that historical data can be tracked. All matches must include a match score which ranks matches according to the best fit as determined by the software and/or the contractor.

3.3.1 The contractor shall provide a software tool consisting of matching software and an associated database of current company information. A refresh consisting of record changes or a completely new set of data shall be provided on a minimum of a monthly basis. If, for any reason, any deliverable cannot be delivered on the schedule below the contractor shall provide a written explanation at least three business days before the due date to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). This transmission will include a firm commitment of when the work will be completed. The transmittal to the COR shall cite reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The COR will review collaboratively with the program office and issue a response in accordance with the contract terms and conditions. Unless otherwise specified an electronic copy shall be placed in the designated Chief Business Office (CBO) SharePoint site or other CBO-designated site. Specifically, the contractor shall:

3.3.1.1 The contractor shall provide for an onsite software and data solution along with the initial and ongoing consulting services to architect, implement, and provide training and support to VA staff in support of the SCS IFCAP and NIF matching, cleansing, and enrichment requirements. The solution license shall provide for the VA not to exceed an upper limit of 500,000 unique vendor records and shall accept an IFCAP or NIF input file to match, cleanse, and standardize against an existing Industry and Government recognized and acceptable data reference file for normalization and data enrichment. The license shall allow for matching, cleansing, and enrichment of data as often as needed (ad-hoc basis) using the data reference files.

3.3.1.2 The contractor shall provide a monthly refresh of data.

Deliverables:

A. Onsite Software and associated databases B. Monthly refresh of data

3.4 Business Data Services

The contractor shall provide an Application Programming Interface (API) or web services to deliver real-time or near-real-time up-to-date critical business information, monitor for changes to that data and report changes based upon pre-set criteria agreed upon between the government and the contractor. The service shall provide the ability to communicate changes in a given data layer such that any changes in fields (which is configurable to the customer’s requirements) will be responded to on a basis that is configured by the customer (including immediately) via http callback or email notification. The API web service shall support both Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Representative State Transfer (REST) standards-based Web services. The SOAP implementation shall accept and deliver information in XML format. The REST implementation shall accept and deliver information in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. The subscription-based API web services shall include the following data packets:

• Advanced Search of Businesses

• Detailed Company Profile (Enhanced) with monitoring

• Diversity Indicator Enhanced

• Public Records

Deliverables:

A. Web Services/APIs B. Data Packets

3.5 User Training & Helpdesk Support

The contractor shall make training available for the purposes of ensuring that the VA contracting staff has adequate understanding of the data, and how to access, view, print, and save data/reports. Training shall include instructions on how to examine the different aspects of data in a typical business information report, exploring how to actually use the data. This includes how to find the right business, identifying high-risk and special-event triggers, and specific data sections such as history, operational details, corporate linkage, public records, and trade payments. Training shall also include how scores are created, what they mean, and how to use them to gain insight around businesses. All training will be virtual/web-based and not specialized specifically for the Government. The contractor shall provide a web- based training tool on how to use the contractor’s system to access various reports and what is covered in each available report. This training may include training tutorials, modules, quick guides, and helpdesk support throughout the life of the task order.

The contractor shall make available to the VA user personnel, to include VA contractor support personnel, help desk support to aid in account creation and account management to support the PWS requirements. Helpdesk support shall be provided 24 hours a day 7 days a week through a combination of either telephonic or web-based (i.e. helpdesk/incident tickets) support.

Deliverable:

A. Virtual/Web-based training B. Training Tutorials, Modules, and/or Quick Guides C. Help Desk Support

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT