DRAFT SOO - Home COVID19 Testing Services.docx

Statement of Objectives

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

COVID At-Home Testing Services

January 24, 2022

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer

Vision To establish an Agency At-Home COVID-19 Testing program that provides results in normally 15 minutes mailed directly to employee homes or post of duties.

1.0 Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented nationwide public health emergency. Sources of authority include guidance documents and fact sheets issued to Federal agencies by the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Labor, etc.

HUD is adopting a testing policy to safeguard the health and well-being of its employees, their families, and the communities we serve from COVID-19. HUD wants to assure employees and the community of its continued commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. Routine testing is an effective method of identifying and addressing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Employees regardless of work assignment, location, or if teleworking, are required to undergo COVID-19 testing, at least once in any week they are working onsite or interacting with HUD employees, stakeholders, or the public. Employees who are on leave on their assigned testing date are required to undergo a COVID-19 test the HUD day upon return to work.

The Department requires the performance for employees to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 with rapid antigen tests that have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to detect current infection. Testing should adhere to current CDC COVID testing standards. Test results will be provided to the employee who was tested and to the agency via a secure automated portal.

2.0 Purpose

The purpose of this Statement of Objectives is to acquire contractor support services for the agency’s At-Home COVID-19 testing and reporting program.

3.0 Scope

The Department of Housing and Urban Development intends to acquire the commercial services of a testing provider, who shall provide “at home” COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Card Home Test, a self-administered, nasal swab antigen test that provides results in 15 minutes. Certified observers will supervise the testing process virtually, confirming employee identity, overseeing proper sample collection, and authenticating results during a telehealth visit.

HUD estimates the initial maximum of 500 test kits are needed per week for the base period and reserves the right to modify the number of kits required in response to testing requirements workplace flexibilities. Employees in the testing program will receive an initial shipment of four tests. Employees will be asked to certify their upcoming schedule every 30 days to determine the number of tests they will receive each 30-day period. The vendor should provide the ability for employees to provide input on the number of future tests needed, as well as certify that the information is accurate to the best of their knowledge.

The vendor shall identify a process to provide express shipping of tests in the event an unanticipated need or emergency arises, outside of the projected need.

Rapid Antigen tests will be delivered within 5 days from order to delivery.

The contractor shall abide by all federal safety protocols, legal requirements, and privacy and information security requirements as outlined in the contract clauses (in the Security and Privacy Requirements section of this document) and Publication 4812. The contractor shall provide in the Performance Work Statement specific actions they will take to ensure privacy, protected personally identifiable information pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, and public health information (PHI), as appropriate per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as applicable.

In addition to the above, the testing kits and program capability shall include, but is not limited, to the following elements:

3.1 Technical Requirements

The Contractor shall provide:

· Virtually guided at-home use of the tests through vendor secure portal o Minimum technical requirements to access the vendor secure portal for a virtually guided testing session include: 1) access to an internet connection with a minimum bandwidth of 650 kbps, and 2) an internet-enabled device with a microphone, speakers, front-facing camera or webcam, and a supported browser (i.e., Safari, Chrome, Edge). Employees may access the vendor secure testing portal using any computer or smart-device meeting the minimum technical requirements, including their government-issued computer, shared HUD computers, or other HUD computer access available to HUD employees.

· Vendor will provide online guided self-collection process, results interpretation assistance and results reporting to individuals through their app in a matter of minutes.

· Testing Assistance related to Testing Session. Vendor will respond to inbound End User contacts related to the at-home use of the test and service inquiries (e.g., prescribing, secure portal, guided administration) throughout all supported channels, including voice, encrypted email, live chat, and letter

· Reporting of Test Results to End Users and applicable public health authorities.

· Rapid antigen testing kits may be delivered to employees’ homes or post of duty within 5 days from order to delivery. Employees will receive their validated results via message on the secure portal or encrypted email. Designated agency staff will have access to a secure portal with consolidated test results.

· Supplying all materials needed for self-administration of tests

· Test sample collection that can be done by HUD employee at their home

· Kits that must include sample collection instructions

· Results roughly 15 minutes after administration with certified observer provided by contractor

· Access to licensed physician(s) who can answer any questions by test takers about the test results and help determine next steps in care

· Participants must automatically receive a notification when the virus is detected with rapid antigen testing

· Anonymized aggregate report with the total number of participants tested and the total number of participants who tested positive for the virus versus negative for the virus

· Any other pertinent reports required by the government as directed by the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

· Individual reports must be available via the secure portal for viewing by the responder

· Individual results report in electronic fashion, downloadable by the identified employee

· All access to individual results and reports must have customizable access restriction to ensure compliance with privacy and information security requirements

· For contract tracing, contractor must meet CDC guidance and state and local reporting requirements

· Per kit (each) pricing that includes HIPAA, Privacy Act, and Publication 4812 compliant secure portal for registration and results, at-home test kit, shipping costs, lab processing, employer reporting, physician oversight

· Test results must be readily transcribed or recorded onto the employees’ smart phone or software application with time, date, and test result findings for every rapid antigen test taken.

· Employees will receive their validated results through their registered personal or work email to receive encrypted email or sign in to the secure portal for results and through a digital health pass on their smart decide

· Authorized HUD staff will have access to a secure portal with consolidated test results

3.2 Storage and Handling Requirements:

· The vendor will store the rapid antigen tests, so they are protected from deterioration by light, moisture, or temperature.

· Rapid antigen tests must be stored within a temperature-controlled range or 2-30 degrees Celsius (35.6 – 86 degrees Fahrenheit) A HIPAA and Privacy Act compliant, secure portal for requests for the test kit and notification of results. Scripts of engagement between the portal and responder must be provided in advance to ensure meeting Internal Revenue Service privacy requirements

· The parties agree that damaged, erroneously delivered, defective or incomplete test kits will be replaced at no charge. Products damaged in transit, delivered in error, or found to be incomplete or defective will be replaced at no charge and a delivery pick-up ticket will be issued for the damaged, erroneously delivered, or defective product at Vendor’s discretion.

· Claims for damage, shipping error or product issue must be reported immediately, but no less than 48 hours after receipt.

· Expired rapid antigen tests and PCR tests shall not be used, and the vendor will not ship any test kits that expire within two months' time.

4.0 Performance Objectives

The desired outcomes include, but are not limited to the following:

· Conduct proctored COVID-19 PCR testing on all HUD-approved employees.

· Establish a system(s), method(s), and processes that enables efficient and reliable employee registration, consent verification, collecting employee data, and reporting of test results

· Create a standard method(s) for disseminating and reporting test results data to HUD

· Ensure confidentiality, immutability, integrity, and availability for all data stored and transmitted via this digital platform

· Comply with HUD technology, security, data and interoperability, identity management, accessibility, and service desk requirements

5.0 Deliverables and Reporting

· As described in Scope/Specifications/Technical Requirements/Storage and Handling sections

· Itemized Invoice every thirty (30) days during the period of performance

· The Vendor will report on all activities supported on a monthly basis to the COR and PM

6.0 Security Considerations and Privacy Requirements

The contractor shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws, and HUD policies and regulations to include but not limited to:

Applicable Directives:

· HUD Enterprise Architecture

· HUD Information Technology (IT) Security Policy and Guidance

· HUD Contractor Security and Contractor Mandatory Training

· Section 508 Requirements

· NIST Special Publication 800-53A Assessing Security and Privacy Controls in Federal Information

· Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)

· HUDAR

7.0 Operating Constraints

The services provide by the contractor shall adhere to the rules, regulations, laws, standards, and conventions identified by HUD as well as within the Federal Government. Constraints include the following:

· COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan

· Safer Federal Work Force Taskforce’s COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Agency Model Safety Principles

Due to evolving changes with the COVID-19 pandemic, additional mandates or other changes may be incorporated. As a result, the contractor must be able to perform tasks in a fast-paced environment and quickly adapt to change.

8.0 Period of Performance

The anticipated period of performance for testing services shall consist of 6 months from date of award, with two (2) 6-month Option periods. The implementation date should be as soon as practicable. Note: The government reserves the right to scale back the period of performance if requirements change.

9.0 Place of Performance

The contractor shall perform full all work for HUD’s COVID-19 testing at their facility.

10.0 Contractor Travel

The contractor is not required to travel in the performance of this requirement.

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