EDGE PWS Draft.docx

Enterprise Digital Government Enablement (EDGE)

VA-25-00039517

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology Digital Services Delivery (DSD) | Product Delivery Service (PDS) | Digital Product Services (DPS)DRAFT

Digital Transformation Center (DTC)

Enterprise Digital Government Enablement (EDGE) Date: 02/03/2026

VA-26-00039517

PWS Version Number: 3.0

Contents

BACKGROUND

The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Digital Service Delivery (DSD), Digital Transformation Center (DTC) is to establish VA-wide Digital Modernization Initiatives which can be supported and delivered via Product Delivery and Lifecycle Management methodologies to transform VA by tapping into emerging technologies, connecting developers with VA data, and making Human Centered Design (HCD) the method of how all VA products are designed.

DTC established a modern digital experience for VA Enterprise needs such as the acceleration/adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Application Programing Interface (API), and emerging technologies to modernize service and solution delivery through adoption of software development (Dev), security (Sec), and Information Technology (IT) operations (Ops) (DevSecOps), Product Line Management (PLM), and Industry Best Practices/Standards. DTC programs have delivered and manage best-in-class product services and solution capabilities leveraging specialized and diversified skill sets for the VA Enterprise Digital Modernization Initiatives to include Federal Multi-Tenancy Enclaves.

The DTC Ecosystem is a persistent collaboration of platform management, program management teams, and system integrators (SI) across the entire capability delivery lifecycle with centralized enterprise platform management with quality approval gates assuring the SI’s delivery of high-quality low code/no code (LCNC) solutions. As outlined in Figure 1 below, Enterprise Digital Government Enablement (EDGE) as a System Integrator (SI) team is represented as the Product Delivery team in blue focused on delivering complex, large-scale solutions within the DTC Capability Delivery Lifecycle Management. While DTC Platform Management Team tasks and activities in red are out of scope for EDGE, the red tasks and activities outlined in Figure 1 delineate the process interactions and gates between EDGE and the DTC Platform Management Team. DTC success is measured and validated through the incremental and iterative delivery of business and technology capabilities driving modernization efforts.

As part of VA’s digital modernization, SaaS is a strategic application delivery model. A SaaS Product is hosted on a cloud infrastructure outside the security boundary of VA and is provided to the Cloud Service Customer (CSC) over the internet. The CSC uses the SaaS offering via a thin-client interface, such as a web-browser or a program interface. The CSC subscribes to the SaaS offering and is only responsible for limited application configuration settings. The Cloud Service Provider (CSP) offering the application is responsible for management of the application, safeguarding of data stored or processed by the application, and all elements of the underlying infrastructure.

In order to qualify as SaaS for use at VA (as defined in Attachment 1), and to align with Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements, the hosting for the offering must conform to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-145 definition of Cloud Computing and thus contain following key characteristics:

· On-Demand Self-Service: The CSP fully automates the provisioning of both the customer interface and the underlying cloud components of the SaaS offering. In some cases, the CSP may provision internal resources manually, while providing the CSC an automated interface to request and track the service.

· Broad Network Access: The SaaS capabilities are available over the internet or over a network that is available from all access points the CSC requires. The SaaS offering is accessible through common platforms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations).

· Resource Pooling: The computing infrastructure supporting the SaaS offering is shared among more than one CSC using a multi-tenant model, and resources are dynamically assigned depending on customer demand.

· Rapid Elasticity: Computing capabilities are automatically provisioned and released in a manner that scales with customer demand. In some cases, the scaling of resources may not be fully automated, but it should be fast enough to support the needs of the CSC, which the CSC would have to define.

· Measured Service: Resource usage, such as storage, processing, bandwidth, and user activity are measured and reported on in a manner that is relevant to the SaaS offering.

The SaaS offering shall be hosted within the continental United States and data stored, processed, and/or transmitted within the offering shall remain within the United States. CSPs shall be aware of FedRAMP and ready to partner with VA through the existing SaaS FedRAMP Authorization process.

To further accelerate the adoption of VA’s Cloud First policy, VA sponsors Hybrid and Managed Solutions in addition to the SaaS application delivery model referenced above. A Hybrid Solution is comprised of both SaaS and on-premise components which shall adhere to both SaaS and VA Enterprise Cloud established policies. A Managed Solution is defined as a single-tenant product not hosted within the VA Network. The mission of the VA is to provide benefits and services to Veterans of the United States. In meeting these goals, OIT strives to provide high quality, effective, and efficient 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 depends on Information Management/Information Technology systems to meet mission goals.

In support of VA systems modernization and the agency’s mandate to move to the cloud, this task order seeks to continue developing Veterans Enterprise Systems Integrator (EDGE) PaaS/SaaS Applications to modernize VA Health and Business specific case management solutions across the enterprise. The EDGE solution will utilize a platform agnostic approach to provide VA with modern solutions to support EDGE modular LCNC solutions that enables an innovative reusable service-focused software component architecture including PaaS functions/capabilities, SaaS integrations, APIs, and Digital modernization and emerging technology support.

EDGE architecture will make configuring and customizing DTC PaaS and SaaS solutions easier to scale and faster to create, enabling innovation and accelerating time-to-market for new features.

Currently, DTC’s PaaS and SaaS Vendor platforms are identified as follows,

· Salesforce/MuleSoft

· Microsoft Power Platform/Microsoft Dynamics

· Pega

· Box

· Appian These platforms are not limited to those listed above for future requirements as business requirements change.

The integration of low code/no code (LCNC) platforms and extensible products into the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) and Veteran Business Administration (VBA) presents significant benefits by accelerating feature delivery and unifying the complex VA Health and Business Ecosystem.

From an enterprise perspective, LCNC solutions address the diverse and intricate requirements of the VA system of systems with the following key advantages:

· Comprehensive Platform: Enterprise-grade LCNC platforms provide a unified, all-in-one environment for development and deployment. This eliminates the need for integrating multiple disparate tools, simplifying workflows and reducing system complexity, which is crucial for the VA’s multifaceted Health and Business operations.

· Streamlined Deployment: With built-in deployment capabilities, these platforms enable the seamless publishing of applications across desired environments. This ensures that VA systems are easily scalable and maintain compatibility with various components, reducing delays in application rollouts across VHA and VBA programs.

· Enhanced Collaboration: Centralized environments offered by LCNC platforms foster better communication and collaboration between developers, business users, and stakeholders. This feature improves knowledge sharing and speeds up decision-making, enabling faster response to veteran needs across departments.

· Standardization and Consistency: LCNC solutions enforce consistent development practices across all VA applications, ensuring uniformity in application quality and reducing the learning curve for new developers. This consistency benefits both the VHA and VBA by improving operational efficiency and simplifying maintenance efforts.

· Robust Ecosystem and Support: These platforms often come with extensive community and vendor support, providing a wealth of pre-built components, documentation, and resources. This accelerates development efforts within the VA, allowing developers to leverage proven solutions for rapid deployment of veteran-facing applications.

· Performance Optimization: Enterprise LCNC platforms are optimized for high performance within unified environments. This helps the VA leverage built-in performance enhancements, minimizing the need for complex configurations and ensuring faster, more reliable service delivery.

· Reduced Complexity: By offering a cohesive suite of tools in a single environment, LCNC platforms lower the complexity of managing large-scale applications. Developers can focus on addressing veteran needs without being burdened by intricate infrastructure challenges, enabling quicker turnaround times for mission-critical solutions.

· Lower Maintenance Overhead: The consolidated environment simplifies maintenance, including updates and dependency management, reducing resource strain. This efficiency frees up VA resources for more strategic initiatives, leading to cost savings and higher operational efficiency.

· Vendor-Provided Scalability and Reliability: Built-in scalability and reliability features of LCNC platforms ensure that VA applications can grow in capacity and performance without requiring additional infrastructure. This enables the VHA and VBA to scale services rapidly, enhancing their ability to serve veterans efficiently.

In addition, as an emerging technological part of VA’s digital modernization strategy, the VA is increasingly embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) as foundational capabilities integrated within SaaS, PaaS, and low code/no code (LCNC) platforms to enhance productivity, decision-making, and service delivery across VA agencies. DTC enables the responsible adoption of AI technologies by embedding AI capabilities directly into the EDGE capability delivery ecosystem, ensuring alignment with VA policies, security requirements, and enterprise governance, including oversight by the VA Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Within the DTC ecosystem, AI is leveraged to augment LCNC development and configuration through AI-assisted application design, workflow automation, intelligent case routing, predictive analytics, natural language processing, and decision-support capabilities. These AI-enabled features accelerate solution delivery, reduce manual effort, and improve consistency and quality across VA Health and Business systems while maintaining human oversight and accountability.

Enterprise LCNC platforms supported by DTC increasingly provide native and extensible AI services, including AI-assisted source code and configuration generation, intelligent testing and validation, data-driven insights, and performance optimization. By incorporating these capabilities, EDGE solutions enable VHA and VBA programs to rapidly configure and deploy intelligent applications that adapt to evolving mission needs without increasing technical complexity or maintenance burden.

AI integration within EDGE solutions follows a modular, reusable, and platform-agnostic architecture, allowing AI components, models, and services to be reused across multiple applications and value streams. This approach supports interoperability, scalability, and consistency while ensuring compliance with VA security, privacy, accessibility, and ethical AI standards.

In alignment with VA’s Cloud First policy and FedRAMP requirements, AI capabilities are delivered through secure SaaS, PaaS, and hybrid architectures, leveraging cloud-native AI services where appropriate and ensuring that all data used, processed, or generated by AI systems remains within approved U.S.-based environments. AI-enabled LCNC solutions support measurable service outcomes, transparency, and performance monitoring, enabling VA leadership to make data-informed decisions and continuously improve veteran-facing services.

By integrating Artificial Intelligence into the DTC LCNC ecosystem, VA enhances its ability to modernize enterprise case management, health, and business solutions with intelligent automation, predictive insights, and adaptive digital services. This approach empowers VA agencies to deliver faster, more responsive, and more effective services to Veterans while maintaining rigorous governance, security, and quality standards across the digital service delivery lifecycle.

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 201-3, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors,” January 2022

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

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, as amended, Title IX, Information Security Matters

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

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 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

14. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” as amended

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),” as amended

17. NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 2, “Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide,” February 2024

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

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),” June 30, 2023

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,” March 25, 2025

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

70. Digital Transformation Center (DTC) Standards https://github.com/department-of-veterans-affairs/va-salesforce-digital-transformation-center

71. VA Cloud First Strategy - VA Directive 6517 https://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=852&FType=2

72. Cloud Security Technical Reference Architecture, June 2022 Version 2.0 https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-02/cloud_security_technical_reference_architecture_2.pdf

73. FedRAMP Authorization Act, December 23, 2022

74. VA SaaS Definition - Attachment 1

75. Existing PTEMS 2.0 and VEMSIS Projects - Attachment 2

76. DTC Process - How to Submit a Request to Move a Module to Sustainment - Attachment 3

77. SI Sustainment Readiness Self-Assessment - Module Name 20xx-xx-xx (v2.4 - 5-28-25) - Attachment 4

78. VA_BO_Module_Stability_Assessment_-_Module_Name_20xx-xx-xx (v2.4 - 5-28-25) - Attachment 5

79. DTC System Integrator SLAs - Attachment 6

80. VA DTC PaaS Technology Stack Assessment V1.1 1 – Attachment 7

Please be advised that any hyperlinks contained within this document, if any, are for convenience purposes, only. Due to the dynamic nature of hyperlinks and the information accessed through or imbedded therein, it is incumbent upon the Contractor to ensure that all information required to successfully complete the requirements established herein is independently located, verified for accuracy, and confirmed to be the most up-to-date version available, prior to use.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide support for the delivery of enterprise low code/no code solutions that enables an innovative reusable service-focused software and integration component architecture. The Contractor’s support shall include: capability delivery lifecycle management, enhancement/development delivery, configuration, additional enhancement/development delivery, EDGE enhancements and development, EDGE capability discovery, data management and lifecycle services, VA System of System Engineering and Modernization Support, IT operations and maintenance, existing EDGE solutions operations and maintenance, business end user support, and transition.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The Period of Performance (PoP) shall consist of one 12-month base period, four 12-month option periods, and tenOptional Tasks. The PoP for the optional tasks shall not exceed the period of performance for the base or option period for which it was exercised. The overall Task Order PoP shall not exceed 60 months, inclusive of options and optional tasks.

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

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

Under current definitions, five 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

A majority of the efforts under this contract shall be performed at Contractor facilities and work may be performed at remote locations with prior concurrence from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). It is expected that this work shall be conducted during core business hours, unless specified otherwise. For specific meeting types, including user requirements sessions and other key meetings which are best accomplished at Government facilities, the Government will schedule meeting rooms as necessary. No work under this contract shall take place outside the United States.

TRAVEL

The Government anticipates travel to perform the tasks associated with the effort to attend program-related meetings and user requirement sessions throughout the PoP.

Travel shall be proposed on a Cost-Reimbursable basis. Travel shall be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and requires advanced concurrence by the COR. Contractor travel within the local commuting area will not be reimbursed.

The Contractor shall provide cost estimates with each travel request to the COR. Each Contractor invoice must include copies of all requested, applicable, and required receipts (FTR §301-11.25: required for lodging, regardless of amount, and a receipt for every authorized expense over $75) that support the travel costs claimed in the invoice.

Contractor travel within the local commuting area of 50-miles will not be reimbursed. Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the Contractor’s facility will not be reimbursed. Contractor travel within the local commuting area will not be reimbursed.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide the resources necessary to design, configure, develop, integrate, and implement a platform agnostic approach. The Contractor shall provide VA with modern solutions to support higher and lower complexity, modular LCNC solutions that enables an innovative reusable service-focused software component architecture including PaaS functions/capabilities, Software as a Service (SaaS) integrations, APIs, and Digital modernization and emerging technology support.

The Contractor shall perform the following:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CONTRACTOR PRODUCT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Product and Project Management Plan (CPPMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline, and tools to be used in execution of this TO effort. The CPPMP shall take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the product and/or project delivery timeline and targets for each prioritized capability, including a sprint forecast of target products/projects capabilities are in the upcoming sprints, target delivery of capability with sprint confidence metric, milestones, changes to target delivery with reason in plain language, risks, and resource support. The CPPMP 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 CPPMP shall be concurred upon and updated in accordance with Section B of the TO. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA Product Manager (PM) approved CPPMP throughout the PoP.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Product and Project Management Plan

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide Monthly Progress Report using a modern, automated tool. The report shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent. The Monthly Progress Report shall reflect data as of the last business day of the preceding period. The Monthly Progress Report shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period for each project. The Monthly Progress Report shall also identify any problems that arose and give a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including its plan and timeframe for resolving the issue(s). The Monthly Progress Report shall also include an itemized list of all documents and electronic deliverables. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the CPPMP and report any deviations in the next Monthly Progress Report. The Contractor shall ensure regular communication with the VA PM so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues. The Contractor shall also provide the data and reporting content to the VA PM to support management level reporting.

Deliverable:

A. Monthly Progress Report

WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT

The Contractor shall provide a Weekly Activity Report to include the EDGE Program Brief detailing any risks and dependencies on a weekly basis. Any new risk or dependency shall be communicated and escalated to the DTC Platform Lead(s) within 24 hours of the issue discovery. This report shall include details on all risks and dependencies discovered during the previous week, identification of any new risks or dependencies encountered, and an update on previously identified risks and dependencies.

Deliverable:

A. Weekly Activity Report

TECHNICAL KICKOFF MEETING

A technical kickoff meeting shall be held within 10 days after contract award. The Contractor shall coordinate the date, time, and location (can be virtual) with the CO, the VA PM, the Contract Specialist (CS), and the COR. The Contractor shall provide a draft Kickoff Meeting Agenda (via email) to the CO, CS, COR, and VA PM at least five calendar days prior to the meeting. Upon Government approval of a final Kickoff Meeting Agenda, the Contractor shall distribute to all meeting attendees (via email). During the kickoff-meeting, the Contractor shall present Kickoff Meeting Power Point Presentation for review and approval by the Government. The presentation shall include details of the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule for each effort. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Contractor shall update the presentation with a final slide entitled “Summary Report” which shall include notes on any major issues, agreements, or disagreements discussed during the kickoff meeting. The Contractor shall submit the final updated Kickoff Meeting Power Point Presentation to the CO, CS, and COR for review three calendar days after the meeting. The Contractor shall prepare and distribute the Kickoff Meeting Minutes to the CO, CS, COR and all attendees within three calendar days after the meeting.

Deliverables:

A. Kickoff Meeting Agenda B. Kickoff Meeting Power Point Presentation C. Kickoff Meeting Minutes

TRAINING

PRIVACY TRAINING

The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel submit Talent Management System (TMS) Training Certificates of completion for VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior and provide signed copies of the Contractor Rules of Behavior in accordance with Section 9, Training, from Appendix C of the VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security” which can be found at Addendum B of this PWS.

The Contractor shall track the status of VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training for all individuals engaged on each Level of Effort (LOE) under the contract. The status reporting shall identify a single Contractor Security Point of Contact (POC), the names of all personnel engaged on each LOE under the contract, their initial training date for VA Privacy and Information Security and Rules of Behavior training, and their next required training date. This information shall be submitted as part of the Contractor’s CPPMP. The training referenced above is required to be renewed annually.

Deliverable:

A. TMS Training Certificates (VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior)

ELEVATED PERMISSIONS TRAINING

The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel have completed all required training prior to giving any elevated permissions to production or pre-prod environments as deemed by the VA’s Security regulations. The Contractor shall provide Elevated Permissions Training Certificate.

Deliverable:

A. Elevated Permissions Training Certificate

ONBOARDING

The Contractor shall manage the onboarding of its staff. Onboarding shall include steps to obtain a VA network and email account, complete training, initiate background investigations, and gain physical and logical access, which may include elevated privileges to the necessary development and test environments for the various systems to be enhanced.

A single Contractor Onboarding POC shall be designated by the Contractor who tracks the onboarding status of all Contractor personnel. The Contractor Onboarding POC shall be responsible for accurate and timely submission of all required VA onboarding paperwork to the COR or his/her onboarding designee. The Contractor shall be responsible for tracking the status of all its staff’s onboarding activities. The Contractor shall provide an Onboarding Status Report every two (2) weeks which includes updates for all in-process staff, and any staff with outstanding onboarding requests for review by the COR and his/her onboarding designee.

Deliverable:

A. Onboarding Status Report

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT/KEY PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall provide resources that have the requisite skills and experience required to perform the tasks within the PWS. The Contractor agrees that the personnel identified below, as key to supporting this effort, shall not be removed from the effort, replaced or added without a compelling reason and without written notification to the CO.

The Contractor shall provide Contractor support personnel and subcontractors who have the required educational background, experience, security clearance, and access authorization or combination thereof to meet the labor category descriptions for the required PWS tasks.

If any change to the Key Personnel assigned to the labor categories identified below becomes necessary (initial staffing, substitutions, or additions), the Contractor shall immediately notify the CO/CS/COR/PM in writing. The proposed replacement personnel shall be of at least substantially equal ability and qualifications as the individual(s) currently performing in that category and that the proposed replacement meets or exceeds the qualifications designated for that Key Personnel position. The substitution or replacement of the personnel shall not occur within the first six months after the date of award.

The Contractor agrees that it has a contractual obligation to mitigate the consequences of the loss of Key Personnel and shall promptly secure any necessary replacements in accordance with (IAW) this PWS section. Failure to replace a member of the Key Personnel pursuant to this clause and without a break in performance of the labor category at issue shall be considered a condition endangering contract performance and may provide grounds for termination for default.

All Contractor team members shall possess demonstrated proficiency in the architecture, interoperability, integration, product delivery, and customization utilizing modern VA tools IAW Attachment 7 - VA DTC PaaS Technology Stack Assessment V1.1 1.

The labor categories below are identified as Key Personnel. Key Personnel must meet the corresponding requirements identified in the Labor Description column below:

· Expertise in managing entire agile software development lifecycle for a project of at least one million dollars up to and including production delivery and some phase of post-delivery/warranty support.

· Expertise as a product manager accountable for delivery for at least 7-10 software professionals with a duration of greater than one year.

· Demonstrated success with delivering digital products.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors

Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Resource Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 5 years Substitutions

· A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education

· Demonstrated knowledge and use of modern software development and DevOps tools including GitHub and implementation of a DevOps pipeline in a cloud environment.

· Chief Architect or Senior Engineer on a production system in one of the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Vendors Clouds

· Experience as a Software Engineer for at least one project in one of the CSP Vendors Clouds.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Resource Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 10 years Substitutions

· Certifications in relevant technology plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, or a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

· Demonstrated knowledge and use of modern software development and DevOps tools.

· Demonstrated success implementing and/or maintaining a customer support workflow, for all touch points including (but not limited to) managing new release communications, bug fixes, and support requests/questions.

Minimum Education Level

· High School or GED Degree In

· Not Applicable (N/A) Minimum Experience

· 5 years Substitutions

· N/A

· Demonstrated release/delivery management on large-scale deployments for at least five (5) years.

· Demonstrated successful delivery of multiple large-scale deployments.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Resource Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 5 years Substitutions

· A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

· Expertise with user focused designs and workflows based off complex data models leveraging HCD market analysis, customer feedback and requirements, and user research analytics.

· Expertise in designing mock-ups and click-through prototypes, identifying streamlined User Interface (UI) opportunities incorporating emerging technology trends.

· Expertise in developing high-level requirements, conceptual diagrams, and visual interface designs.

· Expertise in creating key design deliverables specific to each product, such as scenarios and use-cases.

· Expertise with UI strategy and iterations with a focus on HCD for at least five (7) years.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Resource Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 7 years Substitutions

· Certifications in relevant User Experience (UX) Software plus a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience; or a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

· Expertise with usability engineering strategy and at least five (5) years of relevant UX software experience including relevant certifications.

· Expertise in establishing and maintaining the vision of the overall user experience across all creative disciplines leveraging human-centered design, information architecture, usability, and other applicable best practices.

· Expertise in aligning deliverables with overall user experience strategies optimizing overall customer and end-user experience across all engagement and interactions.

· Expertise across standard UX Software.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Resource Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 5 years Substitutions

· Certifications in relevant UX software plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience or a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education

· Assess, select, manage, and implement enterprise application components, and to ensure that the technical solution solves the business problem as an organic part of the organization’s operational and functional baseline.

· Focus on specific product or technology family on multiple platforms, which is supplemented with a clear understanding of the business requirements and related applications issues.

· Supports technical strategies that will improve productivity across functional areas within the organization.

· Educates others regarding product-specific best practices.

· Leads enterprise applications integration efforts and oversee the validation of associated work products.

· Provides work direction and guidance to other personnel; ensures accuracy of the work of other personnel, operates under deadlines, able to work on multiple tasks.

Minimum Education Level

· Master’s

Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 7 years Substitutions

· A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

· Conducts workflow analysis, technology assessments, and business-related studies to define business case plans and architecture strategies supporting long term sustainability and growth.

· The expert provides guidance and strategy for adoption of new technology products and processes optimizing developer, customer, and end-user experience.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 5 years Substitutions

· Certifications in relevant UX software plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, OR a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

· Communication and coordination of activities between all teams, external and internal clients, and contract stakeholders pertaining to team products and product delivery to end‐users.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Business Administration, Business Management, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Resource Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 7 years Substitutions

· A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

Designs, implements, and maintains AI capabilities, including AI-assisted development, automation, and decision-support solutions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and operational baselines. This role integrates AI technologies across platforms, supports productivity and quality improvements, and educates teams on best practices, responsible use, and secure implementation. The AI Engineer leads enterprise AI integrations, validates performance, and provides technical guidance while managing multiple tasks and deadlines.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 7 years Substitutions A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

Designs, develops, deploys, and maintains scalable machine learning models and pipelines that support enterprise mission objectives and operational baselines. This role applies advanced ML frameworks and lifecycle management practices to improve predictive capability, automation, and analytical insight while ensuring alignment with business requirements and data governance. The Machine Learning Engineer leads model integration and performance monitoring, educates stakeholders, and provides technical guidance to ensure reliable, compliant solutions delivered on schedule

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 7 years Substitutions A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, defined in the expertise requirements above, may be substituted for education.

Assesses, designs, and oversees secure enterprise AI architectures that integrate seamlessly into the organization’s operational and functional baseline. This role applies AI and machine learning architecture patterns across cloud and on-premise platforms to improve scalability, reusability, security, and governance while aligning solutions to business and system dependencies. The AI Solution Architect leads enterprise AI integration efforts, validates architectural decisions, educates stakeholders, and provides technical leadership to ensure consistent, compliant delivery across multiple initiatives.

Minimum Education Level

· Bachelors Degree In

· Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Operations Research, or related fields.

Minimum Experience

· 7 years Substitutions A minimum of 10 years of relevant…