Engineering Services SOW.pdf

Statement of Work 1

Introduction The mission of the Indian Health Service (IHS) is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. As part of this mission, the IHS is committed to providing a reliable and efficient health information system, modernizing IT infrastructure, improving access to care, and reducing medical errors through technology.

Statement of Work (SOW) Enterprise Cisco UC/Collaboration & RPMS Systems Support The Indian Health Service (IHS) Great Plains Area (GPA) seeks a single contractor to provide comprehensive support services that encompass the full scope of work contained in both the Enterprise Cisco Unified Communications (UC) and Collaboration Support requirements and the Resource Patient Management System (RPMS) Systems Support requirements. The selected contractor will deliver unified communications engineering, system administration, maintenance, troubleshooting, modernization, and Tier 2/Tier 3 support for both the Cisco collaboration ecosystem and RPMS/EHR platform environments across all GPA facilities. These services will be consolidated under one contract to ensure coordinated oversight, streamlined support, and high system reliability for mission-critical communication and clinical information systems.

Section C — Statement of Work

C-1. Overview The Great Plains Area requires comprehensive, integrated IT support services across two major operational domains:

• Enterprise Cisco UC and Collaboration Systems supporting voice, video, telehealth, conferencing, and communication.

• Engineering Services to migrate Billings into the GPA Calling Cluster

• RPMS/EHR Systems supporting clinical operations at nineteen facilities, including four 24/7 hospitals.

The contractor shall ensure the stability, performance, compliance, and modernization of both environments.

C-2. Place of Performance Support will be provided primarily remotely using IHS-approved secure connectivity. On-site work will occur only when authorized in writing by the COR. All RPMS and Cisco UC support may involve phone or VPN access. All travel must be pre-approved and reimbursed under relevant policies.

Statement of Work 2

C-3. Period of Performance Base Period: One (1) year Option Periods: Four (4) one-year option periods

C-4. Background The GPA Cisco environment includes UCM, Unity, Expressway, IM&P, Webex, and related systems. RPMS systems run on Windows or AIX and support 19 locations including four hospitals. Both environments support mission-critical healthcare and administrative operations.

C-5. Objectives Cisco UC Objectives:

- Ensure stable and optimized Cisco UC operations.

- Provide Tier 3 engineering support. i.e. Networking issue resolution, infrastructure equipment support, ISP escalations, last mile carrier / local Telco POC, cloud configurations, SME for related projects.

RPMS Objectives:

- Maintain continuous RPMS/EHR operations.

- Provide Tier 2 support and coordinate Tier 3 escalations. i.e. Restart RPMS services and interfaces for RPMS servers, disaster recovery and restore functions, beta testing and installing patches and RPMS updates, Server maintenance; physical and virtual.

C-6.1 Scope of Work – Cisco UC Support Tier 3 Engineering and Escalation Support

• Serve as the senior technical resource for Cisco UCM, Webex, and associated collaboration technologies.

• Troubleshoot and resolve complex call flow, SIP trunking, voice gateway, Expressway-C/E traversal, and media resource issues.

• Manage cluster-level operations and interoperability between on-premises and cloud-based platforms.

• Interface with Cisco TAC for major incidents, software defects, and root cause analysis.

System Optimization and Performance Management

• Monitor system performance, call quality, and resource utilization.

• Perform scheduled backups of Cisco Unified Communications applications, Expressway-C/E clusters, and related collaboration components, and validate restore integrity per IHS configuration and continuity requirements

• Conduct QoS audits and implement configuration adjustments to enhance service reliability.

Statement of Work 3

• Optimize integration between Cisco UCM and Webex for seamless collaboration and conferencing.

• Provide quarterly reports summarizing performance trends and improvement recommendations.

Configuration and Lifecycle Management

• Plan and execute upgrades, patches, and system refreshes for UCM clusters, Unity, and Expressway.

• Maintain standard configuration baselines and ensure consistent call routing and dial plan policies.

• Support onboarding of new sites, users, and call flows within the enterprise environment.

• Document configurations, workflows, and system dependencies in accordance with IHS change management.

Security and Compliance

• Ensure systems adhere to IHS and HHS security baselines and hardening standards.

• Coordinate vulnerability mitigation and patch management activities.

• Support required compliance standards through documentation and evidence gathering.

• Collaborate with IHS cybersecurity and ISSO teams for remediation and audit support.

Reporting and Knowledge Transfer

• Deliver monthly reports detailing incidents, system performance, and optimization activities.

• Provide updated documentation following significant changes or upgrades.

• Participate in technical reviews and meetings with IHS leadership as requested.

C-6.2 IHS Billings Migration to GPA UC Cluster:

Migrate up to 1600 phones and 6 sites from two (2) separate Communications and Unity Connection clusters into the existing IHS Great Plains Area (GPA) Communications Manager and Unity Connection clusters

• Configure up to six (6) new sites in the GPA cluster

• Configure up to six (6) gateway routers with SRST in the GPA cluster

• Migrate existing PSTN and analog gateway routers to register with the GPA CUCM cluster

• Activate PRI for Little Shell site with new DIDs for users/phones

• Modify existing dial plan to fit into GPA’s 10-digit dial plan

• Configure up to ten (10) paging groups into GPA’s existing InformaCast Advanced (ICVA) cluster with up to ten (10) legacy paging interfaces (LPI/analog overhead speakers)

Statement of Work 4

• Duplicate/Import all Auto-Attendant features into new Unity Connection cluster

• Configure up to ten (10) E911 locations into GPA’s existing CER based on IP subnet –

Required for E911 support

• E911 locations based on dedicated DID availability

• Migrate sites/users in seven (7) separate migration events

• Perform testing, troubleshooting and support post site migration

Assumptions:

• All devices (phones and gateways) will be migrated in a like-for-like manner. It is assumed that all devices are currently Cisco supported.

• Current paging gateways are of a hardware version that will support a firmware upgrade to version 2.X

• Utilize existing IHS/GPA UC and ICVA licensing

C-6.3 Scope of Work – RPMS Systems Support

The Subcontractor is responsible for ensuring that the Resource and Patient Management System/Electronic Health Record (RPMS/EHR) operates reliably across the Great Plains Area (GPA). To meet Indian Health Service (IHS) standards, the Subcontractor must maintain 99% system uptime and ensure all RPMS systems follow standard configuration guidelines across both IRIS and Windows environments. This includes providing continuous monitoring, timely maintenance, technical expertise, and coordination with federal staff.

The Great Plains Area’s Office of Information Technology (GPA OIT) requires both Tier 2 and assistance with Tier 3 engineering-level support. Approximately 400–600 tickets per year are handled through Tier 2 services, making the subcontracted support a critical operational function.

Support is provided to nineteen facilities (four of which are 24/7 hospitals) and is conducted remotely via phone or VPN.

Core Technical Responsibilities

1. RPMS Platform & Operating System Support

The Subcontractor must provide full support for:

• Server hardware and OS environments: This includes IBM AIX servers and Windows-based systems.

• RPMS patching and updates: Ensuring systems remain synchronized with IHS National Release cycles.

• IRIS database environments: Installation, upgrades, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of IRIS databases, journaling, and mirroring.

Statement of Work 5

• Backup management: Ensuring consistent and reliable site backups.

• General RPMS issue resolution: Troubleshooting system failures, data issues, and performance concerns.

• OS and application patching: Applying updates to operating systems, RPMS applications, IRIS, and any related RPMS/EHR tools.

2. System Monitoring & Reliability Assurance

To maintain the required 99% uptime, the Subcontractor must:

• Perform proactive monitoring of all systems to detect potential issues early.

• Notify GPA OIT about emerging issues before they become operational problems.

• Ensure system performance remains optimal through tuning, testing, and analysis.

• Provide technical guidance to improve reliability, stability, and security.

Tier 2 Support Responsibilities (Detailed)

Tier 2 support includes direct issue resolution, troubleshooting, and technical intervention across all 19 facilities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Patch Management & Break-Fix Applying patches and resolving failures affecting Windows and AIX systems, including real-time operational disruptions.

• Help Desk Support Offering help desk services for federal, tribal, and urban RPMS systems.

• Transmission and Connectivity Issue Resolution Fixing failures in system communication between AIX and Windows environments.

• Coordination with On-Site Admins Scheduling maintenance with local system administrators to minimize operational impact.

• Documentation Requirements All steps taken to resolve issues must be documented in the centralized repository within 2 hours of ticket closure.

• Rapid Downtime Response Subcontractor personnel must respond “as soon as possible” for any downtime events and must be reachable 24/7 for emergencies.

Specialized Technical Responsibilities:

• Providing qualified specialists for IBM AIX High Availability administration.

• Supplying experienced personnel skilled in IRIS/Caché environments for Windows and

AIX.

• Assisting with RPMS server conversions from AIX to Windows.

Statement of Work 6

• Providing remote user support, including RPMS password resets and server troubleshooting.

• Troubleshooting:

o Vista Capture and Display client issues o ACHS Web Printing Module setup o RPMS-Dentrix dental integration o IRIS Management Portal errors o Great Plains Area DI server issues o BMW application problems o RPMS Error Trap investigation and resolution

Tier 3 Support Responsibilities

Though Tier 3 engineering support is provided by IHS headquarters, the Subcontractor must:

• Identify issues requiring Tier 3 assistance, track them, and coordinate the escalation process.

• Provide monthly status reports documenting:

o All support calls handled o Risks identified and their mitigation o Final resolutions

• Recommend improvements to enhance RPMS reliability based on proactive monitoring.

• Maintain full tracking of escalated tickets through their final resolution.

• Prepare and organize training materials, presentations, and documentation

(PowerPoints, meeting notes, reports).

Staffing Requirements

• Provide the equivalent of one full-time employee, which may be composed of multiple specialists (AIX expert, IRIS specialist, Windows engineer, etc.).

• A single dedicated Project Manager/Point of Contact must oversee all activities, ensure communication, and enforce best practices.

• Staff must be able to provide:

o Business-hours support for standard maintenance windows o After-hours emergency support without additional overtime costs o Adjusted work schedules to meet facility needs

C-7. Personnel Qualifications

• Cisco UC Engineer: Senior-level Tier 3 engineer with expertise in UCM, Unity, Expressway, Webex, SIP, and QoS.

• RPMS/IRIS Team: 4–5 personnel experienced in AIX, IRIS, and RPMS administration, coordinated by a Project Manager.

• All staff must hold required IHS credentials.

Statement of Work 7

C-8. Government-Furnished Resources IHS will provide system access, administrative permissions, documentation, network diagrams, and maintenance coordination.

C-9. Security, Privacy & Access Requirements All personnel must pass background checks and comply with IHS/HHS security requirements. All work must safeguard PII and PHI and follow site-specific security processes.

C-10. Accessibility Requirements All services procured under this contract must conform to 36 CFR Part 1194 accessibility standards unless exempt.

C-11. Deliverables

- Monthly performance and activity reports.

- Quarterly optimization reports.

- Preventive maintenance schedule.

- Updated documentation after major changes.

- Quality control plan.