ESBD_436340_1755635805613_02. Exhibit E, Scope of Work (SOW).pdf

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 1 of 19

RFP No. HHS0014800 Exhibit E, Scope of Work (SOW)

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 2 of 19

Table of Contents Article I - Scope of Work

1.1 Description of Services

1.1.1 Transition

1.1.2 Texas Risk and Authorization Management Plan

1.1.3 Exam

1.1.4 Exam Requirements

1.1.5 Skills Exam Requirements

1.1.6 Exam Administration

1.1.7 Exam Fees

1.1.8 Exam Scheduling

1.1.9 Exam Scoring

1.1.10 Exam Sites

1.1.11 Examiners

1.1.12 Reports

1.1.13 Training

1.1.14 Information Items

1.1.15 Meetings

1.1.16 File Feed Requirements

1.1.17 Key Personnel

1.1.18 Audit Compliance

1.1.19 Security

1.1.20 Turnover

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 3 of 19

ARTICLE I - SCOPE OF WORK

1.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

Contractor must perform all activities according to all requirements of Exhibit E, Scope of Work. Contractor is responsible for the written online exam and in-person skills exam testing of all eligible exam candidates approved to test by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). In addition, Contractor is responsible for exam registration, fee collection, approving and monitoring exam sites, proctoring exams, providing reports to HHSC and Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs (NATCEP), and providing exam results to candidates, HHSC, and NATCEPs as indicated in Exhibit E, SOW.

All Services set forth in this RFP must be provided by Contractor at no cost to HHSC. The Contractor will be paid solely by collecting the Nurse Aide Examination fees.

1.1.1 Transition

Contractor will coordinate and facilitate all transition activities related to the transfer from the outgoing contractor.

a. Transition services include, but are not limited to:

1. Full cooperation with the outgoing contractor;

2. Must start on the Effective Date until the Contract is fully operational;

3. Receive all scheduling and exam result data from outgoing contractor, in a format specified by HHSC; and

4. As part of the transition, the Contractor is responsible for and will provide data scrubbing or other similar efforts to address data that, as a result of Contractor’s Transition activities, is incorrect, inaccurately formatted, repeated to the degree that the data inhibits required system functionality, or is otherwise corrupted.

1.1.1.1 Transition Plan Requirements

Contractor must provide a transition plan that describes how the Contractor’s proposed staffing, key dates and activities to ensure the successful and timely transition from the previous service provider. The transition plan must be submitted to HHSC for approval within ten (10) calendar days after the Contract Effective Date. If HHSC does not approve the transition plan, Contractor must submit revised plans such that HHSC may give final approval within twenty (20) calendar days after the Contract Effective Date. Transition plan is not approved until HHSC provides written acceptance approval to Contractor.

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 4 of 19

The Contract transition plan must include, but is not limited to, the following:

a. Contractor must provide to HHSC the following written Deliverables by the due date specified in Section 1.1.1.1 Transition Plan Requirements, that must meet, at the minimum, the following requirements:

1. A transition timeline to include all transition services and description of procedures to be followed during the transition period;

2. Scope management, must identify all components of change, necessary actions and task to determine what needs to be transitioned, including systems, processes, data, and resources;

3. Schedule management, must outline key milestones, deadlines, and responsibilities to ensure a smooth transition;

4. Communication management, must clearly communicate strategies, and to minimize disruptions;

5. Quality management, must effectively monitor the transition process and evaluate its effectiveness weekly;

6. Risk management, must identify potential risks and develop strategies to minimize their impact;

7. Performance management must effectively monitor job responsibilities, project expectations, and providing feedback to those with assigned tasks and ensure performance aligns with goals;

8. Project status meetings with agenda, report and minutes, provide weekly reports and set meetings as requested by HHSC;

9. System incident reports if applicable, incidents must be reported to HHSC at Regulatory_NATCEP@hhs.texas.gov;

10. Testing plan, must establish clear metrics and benchmarks to determine if the testing is successful; and

11. Security plan must outline how Contractor will protect information and systems from threats and vulnerabilities. Including policies, procedures, and controls to mitigate risks and ensure a secure environment.

mailto:Regulatory_NATCEP@hhs.texas.gov

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 5 of 19

12. Data migration plan must include clear objectives, data discovery, mapping, transformation, validation, migration strategy, and post-migration support to ensure a smooth and successful handover; but is not limited to, the following:

a. Issues that need to be addressed during the transition period with recommended solutions;

b. Description of Contractor’s roles and responsibilities; and

c. Outline of key milestones during the transition period.

1.1.2 Texas Risk and Authorization Management Plan

Commencing on the Effective Date and during the Contract Term, Contractor must provide Services that comply with TX-RAMP Certification Level 2. Contractor acknowledges that TX- RAMP Provisional Status does not satisfy the TX-RAMP Certification Level 2 requirement.

1.1.3 Exam

The exam must contain the following:

a. Contractor must provide a two-part Nurse Aide Examination that includes (1) a multiple-choice written or oral exam, and (2) a skills exam. Items in the examination must be based on a job analysis and Nurse Aide practice as taught in accordance with Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 556, Nurse Aides and the Texas Curriculum for Nurse Aides in Long Term Care Facilities. The exam must meet state, federal (such as see 42 CFR 483 Subpart D: Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation), and Psychometric Requirements to assess the competency of Nurse Aides.

b. Contractor is responsible for developing the exam and testing materials and must provide HHSC copies of all testing materials for review and written approval within five (5) calendar days from Contract Effective Date.

c. Contractor must provide all editorial, psychometric, printing, and computer services for the exam. This includes all systems, reports, and online services and printing all test materials, if applicable, including manuals within five (5) calendar days of the Effective Date. Contractor must provide to HHSC a test outline for review and approval that is consistent with the Texas Curriculum for Nurse Aides in Long Term Care Facilities requirements and guidelines of Code of Federal Regulations 483.154 Contractor must document how the test outline specificity relates to statutory requirements and Nurse Aide practices as stated in Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 26, Part 1, Chapter https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=26&pt=1&ch=556&rl=6 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.154 https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=26&pt=1&ch=556&rl=6

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 6 of 19

556, and the Texas Curriculum for Nurse Aides in Long Term Care Facilities. The test outline must also specify the method for evaluating the English reading comprehension questions of job-related information for candidates.

d. All ancillary test items such as registration and candidate information (including information housed or stored within Contractor’s system(s)), exam results, candidate’s exam answers, reports, and manuals, as part of this Contract are the exclusive property of HHSC.

e. The exam is owned by Contractor and will be used to test candidates for Nurse Aide Certification.

1.1.4 Exam Requirements

1.1.4.1 Written:

a. Must be developed from a pool of test questions (reference Section 1.1.3 Exam Subsection (a)), only a portion of which is used in any one examination and use a system that prevents disclosure of both the pool of questions and the individual competency evaluations and must be outlined in the security plan as referenced in 42 CFR § 483.154 Nurse Aide Competency Evaluation.

b. Contractor will administer the written online exam for all eligible candidates at an approved test site. If unexpected disruptions occur (e.g., loss of internet connection, computer malfunction, etc.) such that written online exam administration is not possible by candidate or Contractor, Contractor must reschedule exam within ten (10) days of disruption and provide scheduling instructions to the candidate. Contractor must notify HHSC immediately of any disruptions that may prevent written online exam administration for more than seven (7) days.

c. Questions may be printed in a test booklet with a separate answer sheet or provided in a written online testing format as approved by HHSC per. 26 TAC 556.6(g)(2).

d. Contractor must provide a secure written online exam approved by HHSC and must ensure security controls are in place to maintain the integrity of the exam, such as:

i. Candidates must be monitored by an examiner, either in person or through video camera with audio, to guarantee that no tampering of the test or cheating occurs;

ii. The examiner must ensure the exam candidate is testing in a private room, alone with no one else present in the room;

https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=26&pt=1&ch=556&rl=6 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.154#:%7E:text=(iv),competency%20evaluations%3B%20and https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.154#:%7E:text=(iv),competency%20evaluations%3B%20and https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?$locale=en_US&interface=VIEW_TAC_SUMMARY&queryAsDate=05%2F02%2F2025&recordId=220668

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 7 of 19

iii. Ensure candidates are not using any type of assistance such as written notes or any other type of electronic devices; and

iv. Contractor may test up to thirty (30) candidates at the same time as long as Contractor can monitor adequately.

1.1.4.2 Oral Exam only:

a. Contractor must provide an oral format of the written exam. The oral format must be a recorded presentation read from a prepared text in a neutral manner that includes questions to test reading comprehension. The recording and the questions are read to the exam candidate while they read and answer questions on the computer and candidate may replay questions as many times as needed. The oral instructions to the candidate must be in English, the oral recording and exam questions must be available in either Spanish or English.

1.1.5 Skills Exam Requirements

a. The skills exam will assess the minimum competency of candidates to deliver safe care to patients in a long-term care facility. The exam will consist of five (5) scored tasks, which will be randomly selected. The pool of tested skills must include all the personal care skills as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, Section 483.152 Contractor will determine the selection process based on an item bank categorized by difficulty levels, ensuring that all content meets applicable federal requirements.

b. Contractor must provide scoring protocols (i.e., how test items are scored) for the skills examination. Such scoring protocols must identify critical elements of a skill or step for which a candidate’s failure to achieve would result in an automatic failure of the skills exam. Contractor must develop and provide training for skills examiners on how to evaluate or score exam candidates.

c. A written list or skills card of at least five (5) scored tasks, selected from the skills agreed upon in this Contract, must be provided to the candidate in English prior to administering the skills exam.

d. When scheduling a manual skills exam at an exam site, Contractor cannot cancel an exam for low attendance if at least five (5) candidates register.

e. The manual skills exam must be administered in English.

f. A manual skills exam demonstration must be conducted at an approved location on volunteers or mannequins.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.152#p-483.152(b)(3)

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 8 of 19

1.1.6 Exam Administration

a. The Contractor must adhere to the guideline and timeline outlined below:

1. Provide the Nurse Aide competency evaluation in accordance with CFR: 42 CFR

483.154 -- Nurse aide competency evaluation;

2. Once a candidate is eligible to register for the exam, Contractor must have a written and skills exam date available to the candidate within thirty (30) calendar days.

Exam availability must be within fifty (50) miles of the NATCEP;

3. Exam results for all candidates must be provided to HHSC within twenty-four (24) hours of exam completion; and

4. Contractor must provide exam dates to candidates at least six (6) days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central Time.

b. If an exam is not scheduled and administered within thirty (30) calendar days of a candidate’s request for the exam, Contractor must test the candidate at a reduced rate of twenty percent (20%) off the original exam fee. If Contractor is unable to test the candidate within sixty (60) calendar days of the request to test, Contractor must provide the applicable exam to the candidate free of charge. Any reduced fee amount must automatically be applied to the candidate's account;

c. Contractor must test only those candidates for whom a fee has been paid in accordance with the approved fees agreed upon within the Contract and candidates who have been approved by HHSC and the NATCEP to test. Contractor must require candidates to present both their government issued photo identification and a social security card or government-issued identification number such as a Temporary Identification Number (TIN) before taking the exam;

d. Exam procedures must be consistent at each approved evaluation testing site to provide a fair, uniform exam;

e. Contractor must ensure that the administration of the exams meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). All candidates must receive a fair, consistent, and nondiscriminatory evaluation. Candidates are required to contact HHSC to obtain exam modification approval from the HHSC Civil Rights Office. Contractor must implement accommodations specified by HHSC, including the accommodations indicated for a candidate in HHSC’s nightly file feed;

f. Contractor must prepare, secure, and distribute all exams and supporting materials to all candidates on test day;

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 9 of 19

g. Contractor must maintain security of the examination site during the evaluation (see Section 1.1.19 (Security)); and

h. Within fifteen (15) calendar days after the Contract Effective Date, Contractor must develop and provide to HHSC an incident reporting plan. The plan must include a detailed description of the activities to be conducted by Contractor to address candidates’ registration issues or issues with the exam. Contractor must include a plan provision naming each applicable candidate’s name and describe the registration or exam issue and provide any Personal Identifying Information (PII) disclosure. Incident reporting must be made to HHSC at Regulatory_NATCEP@hhs.texas.gov concerning problems involving candidate registration or exam issues within six (6) hours of incident.

1.1.7 Exam Fees

a. Contractor must provide a secure, accessible online exam fee collection system for use by candidates that collects fees for the Nurse Aide Examination that is accessible twenty-four

(24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, and three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year.

The exam fee collection system can be online payment systems, fee management software, and traditional fee management processes as agreed upon by HHSC and Contractor. Exam fee collection system must only accept electronic payment method. Payment must be received at the time of registration;

b. Contractor must maintain a record of all candidates who have provided payment;

c. Exam fees from the candidate will be the total compensation due to Contractor for each exam taken. Fees for candidates who are offered employment or employed by a Nursing Facility are to be collected from the Nursing Facility rather than the candidate;

d. If a candidate, Nursing Facility, or the NATCEP is unable to submit the examination fee via the online system, Contractor will offer another type of payment method to collect the exam fee;

e. Refund justifications and standards will be set by the Contractor and agreed upon by HHSC and Contractor. All refunds under the Contract must be issued to the payee within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the refund request; and

f. Contractor must provide at least seven (7) calendar days’ notice of any scheduled downtime or maintenance of the online exam fee collection system. Contractor must immediately notify HHSC of any incident (such as system failures, unplanned downtime or maintenance, etc.) or other unavailability of the online exam fee collection system.

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 10 of 19

1.1.8 Exam Scheduling

Contractor must schedule exams within the State of Texas at a NATCEP location approved by Contractor and/or at a Regional Test Site (such as a testing center) approved by Contractor within thirty (30) calendar days of candidate's request. All testing locations must comply with the applicable requirements of the Contract, including:

a. Contractor must provide a secure, accessible online scheduling and registration of the Nurse Aide Examination that is accessible twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, and three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year. For required maintenance, the scheduling system needs to be shut down, Contractor should follow a clear process, shutting down the system from 12:00 a.m. CT, Saturday to 11:59 p.m. CT, Sunday. Notice should be posted to website, a minimum of five (5) business days prior to shut down and will send HHSC notice within one (1) business day of planned maintenance. For emergency maintenance, Contractor must shutdown the scheduling website as soon as possible and must notify HHSC within one (1) hour of emergency need;

b. At a minimum, the online exam scheduling website will provide the following information to candidates:

1. Instructions on how to complete exam scheduling;

2. The method by which candidates may contact Contractor, to include a toll-free number to resolve problems and receive information concerning scheduling, administration, and score reporting during the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday;

3. Exam requirements;

4. Exam fee schedule;

5. Examination content;

6. Sample questions;

7. Examination dates for the year;

8. Scheduling deadline dates;

9. Security and registration information; and

10. Other pertinent information deemed appropriate and necessary by HHSC.

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 11 of 19

c. The online scheduling website must include the following fields for candidates to complete when scheduling an exam:

1. Full name in first/middle/last format;

2. Social security number;

3. Suffix;

4. Date of birth in month/day/year format;

5. Sex;

6. Race and ethnicity;

7. Address 1 & 2;

8. City, State, and ZIP code;

9. Phone;

10. Valid email address (system must validate email upon registration);

11. Official name and identification number of the NATCEP attended, dates of training and approval of program director;

12. Official name and the NATCEP identification number of the testing site;

13. Official approval from HHSC that a candidate is eligible to test;

14. Test date;

15. Eligibility route; and

16. Nurse aide experience.

c. Contractor must provide HHSC with online access during business hours 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Central time (as required by HHSC) to Contractor’s scheduling system, including but not limited to candidate files and report generation;

d. Contractor must develop and implement a system via email that notifies candidates of their scheduled test date. The notification must be sent immediately after candidate has completed exam registration;

e. Contractor must provide candidates with email notification of scheduled exams at least ten

(10) business days prior to the date of the exam unless special consideration is given for a

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 12 of 19 late application. Contractor must provide at least twenty-four (24) hours’ notice of postponements or cancellations;

f. In the email notifications contemplated by this section, Contractor must include the following exam-related information:

1. The approved evaluation site;

2. Reporting time;

3. Identification data;

4. Any other pertinent information required for the examination; and

5. If taking the written online exam, reporting time and identification data must be provided.

g. Contractor must process Nurse Aide Examination requests as specified by HHSC and ensure that candidates qualify for the exam; and

h. Contractor must ensure candidate scheduling is complete and accurate prior to scheduled exam date including, but not limited to:

1. NATCEP identification;

2. Testing site NATCEP identification;

3. Program director’s approval (if applicable); and

4. Approved HHSC testing site.

1.1.9 Exam Scoring

a. Contractor must grade each candidate’s exam on the day of the exam;

b. Contractor must provide the exam score to HHSC via nightly file feed within twenty-four

(24) hours of the exam;

c. Contractor must contact HHSC Credentialing Unit Manager at Regulatory_NATCEP@hhs.texas.gov to report if the official results cannot be provided within twenty-four (24) hours of the exam;

d. Contractor must send a pass/fail notice and score report to the candidate via secure email within twenty-four (24) hours after completion of the exam. If Contractor does not send

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 13 of 19 pass/fail notice within twenty-four (24) hours after completion of the exam, Contractor must refund ten percent (10%) of the exam fee automatically to the payor;

e. Contractor must establish a system whereby candidates who fail the exam receive same day test results and diagnostic information regarding strengths and weaknesses in subject matter areas as well as procedures for retaking the exam;

f. Contractor must allow a candidate to retest within thirty (30) calendar days of the candidates request to schedule an exam. Candidates that fail the written or skills exam three (3) times must retrain at an approved NATCEP before testing again;

g. Contractor must correct any mistakes identified by HHSC or candidate, that are made by Contractor pertaining to the candidate’s personal information or exam results within two

(2) business days of the request. If Contractor does not correct such mistakes within two

(2) business days, Contractor must refund ten percent (10%) of the exam fee to the payor;

and

h. All plans, procedures, for scoring, analyzing, and reporting are accomplished in consultation with, under the direction of the Contractor, and subject to the approval of

HHSC.

1.1.10 Exam Sites

a. Contractor is responsible for reviewing, approving and securing all evaluation sites;

b. Contractor must provide exams to a candidate within fifty (50) miles of the candidate’s

NATCEP;

c. Contractor must ensure evaluation sites provide reasonable accommodations for all candidates and ADA compliant accommodations for candidates with disabilities;

d. Accommodations must include but are not limited to:

1. Sufficient lighting and ventilation;

2. Adequate room for spacing candidates;

3. Comfortable chairs

4. Writing surfaces;

5. Accessibility to restrooms;

6. Wheelchair accessible space and testing stations;

7. Freedom from distractions that would affect the candidate’s ability to perform optimally on the exam; and

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 14 of 19

8. Accommodations required by required by HHSC TAC 556.6(h).

e. For manual skills exam sites, Contractor must ensure the exam area contains sufficient privacy, space, and equipment to perform optimally; and

f. Without prior notification to monitor test administration procedures and to any other location where exam materials are located.

1.1.11 Examiners

The Contractor must provide examiners, in accordance with applicable law TAC, Title 26, Part 1, Chapter 556, Rule §556.5.

a. Contractor must provide trained and experienced personnel to administer the exam to candidates. Contractor must provide sufficient personnel to cover the need to proctor exams timely at each evaluation site or to administer the written online exam and monitor closely the candidates to maintain security and integrity.

b. Contractor must ensure the written online exam or manual skills component is administered and evaluated by a registered nurse who holds a current and unrestricted nursing license in the State of Texas and has at least one (1) year of experience providing care for the elderly or the chronically ill of any age. If the examiner teaches or has taught in a nurse aide NATCEP, that examiner may not conduct an exam for candidates who were students in that program.

c. Contractor must provide mandatory in person training sessions to new examiners and provide instructional materials both online or in classroom at least once annually for all examiners. Training sessions must be developed on required criteria in federal and state requirements.

d. Contractor must provide written procedures to the examiners and examiner training for handling emergency situations and other irregularities at the exam site (e.g., power failure, defective test material, illness, disruptions, or inclement weather).

e. Contractor must notify HHSC within twenty-four (24) hours of any incident involving an examiner and a candidate (e.g., disruption, conflicts, etc.).

1.1.12 Reports

a. On the fifth (5th) calendar day of each month, Contractor must provide HHSC with monthly Nurse Aide Examination reports. The format of these reports will be mutually agreed upon by HHSC and the Contractor. Contractor must transmit the current data and ensure at a minimum; the reports include detail information from the previous month which must include:

https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?$locale=en_US&interface=VIEW_TAC_SUMMARY&queryAsDate=05%2F02%2F2025&recordId=220668 https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?$locale=en_US&interface=VIEW_TAC_SUMMARY&queryAsDate=08%2F08%2F2025&recordId=220667 https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?$locale=en_US&interface=VIEW_TAC_SUMMARY&queryAsDate=08%2F08%2F2025&recordId=220667

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 15 of 19

1. Total number of candidates tested;

2. Total number of candidates that passed and failed written;

3. Total number of candidates that passed and failed skills;

4. Total percentages of pass-fail rates; and

5. Name of each NATCEP that tested candidates with total number of passes and fails.

b. Within five (5) calendar days of the Effective Date, Contractor must provide to HHSC for review and approval an example of a pass/fail report regarding the Nurse Aide Examination and its administration of each NATCEP.

c. HHSC must have the electronic capability to generate reports, which must also include the ability to generate a summary of the results of each exam administered after the final scoring of exams within ten (10) business days after the close of the month in which the exam was given. This report will include the following for all applicants:

1. Full name;

2. Complete address;

3. Social security number;

4. Score;

5. Pass or fail status;

6. Date of examination;

7. Provide for retention of item performance for a period of not fewer than seven (7) years; and

8. Include the NATCEP identification number provided by HHSC.

d. On the fifth (5th) calendar day of each month, Contractor must provide a monthly report to HHSC Long Term Care Regulation (“LTCR”) Licensing and Credentialing that at a minimum includes the dates each request for an exam was received by Contractor and the corresponding date the exam was administered.

e. On the fifth (5th) calendar day following the end of each state quarter, Contractor must prepare and distribute quarterly summary reports to HHSC by NATCEP identification number and provide HHSC with the capability to electronically generate reports.

Contractor must ensure that the summary report to each NATCEP includes aggregate data

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 16 of 19 on the candidates from that NATCEP and identification of pass and fail segments of the test.

f. On the fifth (5th) calendar day of each month, Contractor must provide NATCEP a written summary of the examination results and the candidates’ performance of the exam and provide HHSC with access to the Contractor’s reporting system and provide the capability to electronically generate the reports.

1.1.13 Training

Contractor must provide examiners with training opportunities to train the NATCEP’s instructors on the skills exam. Topics must include but are not limited to instructions and demonstration of each required skill as referenced in Section 1.1.5 (Skills Exam Requirements), and feedback that cover the general ideas of the most missed questions on the written exam.

1.1.14 Information Items

Contractor must provide to HHSC copies of any informational items it mails or emails to approved NATCEPs, facilities, or groups in Texas maintained on all mailing lists.

1.1.15 Meetings

Contractor will conduct meetings with HHSC staff on-site at an HHSC designated location in Austin, Texas, within three (3) business days of such request.

1.1.16 File Feed Requirements

a. Contractor must be able to receive a nightly file feed from HHSC with the following integration requirements:

1. Receive a data file feed in Comma-Separated Values (CSV) format from HHSC Nurse Aide Registry System to Contractor's system with list of candidates approved for taking the examination required for certification and placement on the Texas Nurse Aide Registry, which must include the following fields:

A. Social Security Number;

B. Date of Birth;

C. Full Name; and D. Any required accommodations for testing.

2. The file feed will include a list of all applicants eligible to test. Applicants may have been removed from the previous list for different reasons making them ineligible.

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 17 of 19

b. Contractor must send a nightly exam file feed of passing candidates in CSV format and is placed by Contractor on HHSC Globalscape site or HHSC’s Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) server with the following integration requirements:

1. File feed of exam results from Contractor to HHSC with Nurse Aide Examination test results that must include the following fields but may include additional fields as necessary up to a maximum of fifty (50) fields:

A. Social Security Number;

B. Date of Birth in month /day/year format (XX/XX/XXXX);

C. Full Name;

D. Test Results (Pass or Fail);

E. Application ID;

F. Account ID;

G. Exam Title;

H. Exam Date;

I. Scaled Points;

J. Exam Score;

K. Exam Status; and L. Attempt number.

c. Contractor must provide this nightly file feed after 12:00 A.M. Central Time.

1.1.17 Key Personnel

a. Contractor must have at least one (1) employee or its Subcontractor residing in Texas to monitor exam sites and serve as an escalated contact and liaison with HHSC;

b. Contractor must notify HHSC within three (3) business days of any changes in key personnel, including new personnel transfers, email addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers; and

c. Contractor must provide HHSC with contact information of key personnel that HHSC can get in contact with within two (2) hours.

1.1.18 Audit Compliance

HHSC, the State of Texas, and authorized representatives of the federal government have the right at all reasonable times to inspect or otherwise evaluate the Work performed and work location hereunder. Also, refer to Exhibit B, Health and Human Services (HHS) Uniform Terms and Conditions (UTC) – Vendor, Version 3.4.

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 18 of 19

1.1.19 Security

a. Contractor is responsible for all maintenance and security of the exams and the exam process;

b. Contractor must immediately inform HHSC of any suspected cheating examinee's identity within twenty-four (24) hours of discovery;

c. In the event of a security breach, Contractor must provide HHSC an email to the Regulatory_NATCEP@hhs.texas.gov, the email must provide details of the incident containing dates, times, number of incidents, and type of incident. HHSC reserves the right to request additional information;

d. Contractor must develop and implement a security plan. Contractor must provide the security plan to HHSC no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract Effective Date. The security plan must include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. A description of the procedures used to secure the exam site, exam administration, and security for the delivery of exam material to and from exam sites;

2. How the Contractor will ensure candidates do not have access to exam materials prior to or after the exam;

3. The process by which Contractor will closely monitor candidates to prevent cheating and disruptions to others;

4. A description of the procedures used to administer the written online exam related and ensure that the individual taking the exam is the appropriate person and that the individual is completing the exam themselves without any outside help;

5. A description of the procedures used to ensure that once the exam has begun, no entry and electronic devices will be allowed, and the examination site and test personnel meet the requirements of the Contract;

6. A description of the procedures used in protecting confidentiality, maintaining security, and providing for quality assurance control for both in-person exams and written online exams;

7. A description of how they will ensure each candidate's safety while the candidate is at the testing site; and

8. A description on how exam scheduling and payment data will be secured.

Exhibit E - Scope of Work (SOW) RFP No. HHS0014800 Page 19 of 19

1.1.20 Turnover

a. Contractor will provide any assistance and actions reasonably necessary to enable HHSC or its designee to effectively close out the Contract and transfer the Work and the obligations of the Contract to a successor contractor or to perform the Work by itself.

Contractor agrees that this obligation survives the termination, regardless of whether for cause or convenience, or the expiration of the Contract and remains in effect until completed to the satisfaction of HHSC.

b. Turnover services include, but are not limited to:

1. Contractor must develop a Turnover Plan that describes Contractor’s role and responsibilities during turnover of services to HHSC or its designee. The Turnover Plan must be submitted to HHSC for approval within fifteen (15) calendar days after the Contract Effective Date. If HHSC does not approve the Turnover Plan, Contractor must submit revised plans such that HHSC may give final approval within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract Effective Date. The Turnover Plan is not approved until HHSC provides written acceptance of approval to Contractor.

2. Ninety (90) days prior to the end of the Contract Term or a date specified by HHSC, the Contractor must provide transfer knowledge and all information including data samples or any other specified information requested by HHSC to the subsequent Contractor.

3. Contractor must cooperate fully with HHSC and the successor contractor to provide an easy and timely transition of services to the successor contractor.

4. Transfer all tests and records to HHSC or its designee. All such records are property of HHSC. The transfer of records from Contractor to HHSC its designee must be completed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date requested by HHSC.

5. Transfer of all HHSC data and Work Product within thirty (30) days of the request and provide written certification to HHSC within twenty-four (24) hours of completion. Contractor must provide data transfer or material in a method and format that is acceptable to HHSC.

c. Contractor must perform Turnover services concurrently with regular exam services and must take all steps necessary to ensure that both Turnover services and exam services are performed without interruption or diminished performance, to ensure Contractor’s complete and uninterrupted performance of all Contract obligations.