HRBCC PWS DRAFT.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

HUMAN RESOURCES BENEFITS CONTACT CENTER

1.0 SCOPE OF WORK

1.1.1 This PWS provides for the establishment and operation of the DON Civilian Human Resources Benefits Contact Center (HRBCC), a dedicated single service contact center (contractor personnel will be dedicated to the taskings within this PWS). For the purpose of this PWS, the HRBCC will be referred to as the "contractor" or “Benefits Line”. Additionally, employee refers to civilian employees working or formerly working for the DON. Addendum 1 lists the acronyms used in this PWS. The contractor will provide the full range of support to current and separated Navy civilian employees and prospective employees. Prospective employees are defined as employees who have received a job offer with the DON but are not processed in the personnel system. Employees are located world-wide. The contractor will provide general information, technical guidance and advice, to employees about retirement, the FEHB, the FEGLI and the TSP programs and employee entitlements to include FEDVIP, FSAFEDS and FLTCIP. The contractor will also guide employees to retirement information on the OCHR civilian portal page or other approved web sites or refer employees to a CBC Specialist. The contractor will assist employees in accessing the GRB Platform application or equivalent and making transactions. The contractor shall also assist former spouses, survivors and children of employees regarding information on benefits upon request. It is also recognized that the contractor may receive contacts on non-benefit-related matters. In such cases the contractor shall respond by providing limited information furnished by the CBC. The contractor shall also receive calls from hearing impaired employees by using a TTY/TDD telephone for the deaf and hard of hearing. For the purpose of this contract, "contact" is defined but not limited to the following means of communication received: telephone calls, email, web chat, chatbot interactions, or mail. As part of this assistance, the contractor shall adhere to all requirements of the Privacy Act. Historical workload data is provided in section 12.0.

1.1.2 Information is defined as responses to all requested queries contained in the following references including but not limited to : (1) 5 CFR, Chapter l, Parts 870, 890, 892, 1600; (2) OPM's FEHB and FEGLI Program Handbooks; (3) TSP bulletins; (4) approved written scripts to be provided by the CBC Liaison (5) Benefits Administration Letters (BAL) and (6) approved web sites referenced in the written SOPs. The handbooks are available at www.opm.gov and the TSP bulletins are available at www.tsp.gov.

The contractor shall use and follow the written SOPs, attachments 3-8, as provided by the government. If questions arise regarding handoff points, the CBC Liaison shall serve as the POC between the contact center and the CBC staff, except as specified in the government furnished SOPs, attachments 1-6.

1.1.3 Employees may use the self-service tool (the GRB Platform) or equivalent or may be assisted by a counselor to make benefit transactions. Counselor assistance is available through the Benefits Line. The contractor shall encourage and support the employees' use of the GRB Platform. The contractor shall understand the data elements used by employees in order to access the GRB Platform application.

1.1.4 Functional assistance provided by the government shall be minimal and limited to complex areas requiring the review of an e-OPF, or immediate and emergent benefit requirements. The CBC Liaison shall identify and resolve DON wide issues, provide direction to the contractor and act as a liaison between the contractor and the CBC staff.

2.0 OPERATIONAL SCHEDULE

2.1 The contract will be a firm fixed price contract. The period of performance will commence on the date of contract award. The contract includes provisions for option periods dependent upon government need and continued satisfactory contractor performance.

2.2 Working Hours, Holidays and Other Facility Closures. The operational hours of the contact center shall be from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday through Friday, ET, excluding the observed government holidays listed below; however, if additional "holidays" are authorized, it is at the contractor's discretion to work.

• New Year's Day — 1 January

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Third Monday in January

• Presidents' Day — Third Monday in February

• Memorial Day — Last Monday in May

• Juneteenth — 19 June

• Independence Day — 4 July

• Labor Day — First Monday in September

• Columbus Day — Second Monday in October

• Veterans Day — 11 November

• Thanksgiving — Fourth Thursday in November

• Christmas Day — 25 December

However, during any open season period, the hours of operation for the last 3 business days are from 7:30 AM to 9:30 PM, Monday through Friday, ET. The contractor is responsible for staffing the call center during operational hours.

2.3 In the event of a furlough or lapse in appropriations affecting government personnel, the contractor shall continue to perform under this contract in accordance with the terms and conditions herein, unless otherwise directed in writing by the Contracting Officer (CO).

3.0 SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED

3.1 The contractor shall be the first entry point of contact for current and former Navy civilian employees and prospective employees who have been offered a position with the DON. These employees are seeking advice, guidance and information regarding the following programs: (1) FEHB (attachment 5); (2) FEGLI (attachment 6); (3) TSP (attachment 4); and (4) Retirement (attachment 2) as specified in section 1.1.1 of this PWS as well as described in the General (attachment 3) and Administrative (attachment 1) SOPs. The contractor shall also assist former spouses and children of employees regarding information on TCC or FEHB and shall provide a TCC package upon request. This will include accepting or providing other regulatory documents as described in the Health SOPs, as written in attachment 5 (court orders or providing former spouses guidance on the Spouse Equity Act). The contractor will assist employees with providing regulatory documents for children incapable of self-support under the FEHB, FEGLI and

FEDVIP.

The contractor shall deliver services through the following channels:

• Inbound telephone (toll-free Benefits Line)

• Email (navybenefits@us.navy.mil)

• AI-powered chatbot for Tier 1 self-service inquiries

• Scheduled callback

• TTY/TDD for deaf and hard of hearing customers

It is also recognized that the contractor may receive contacts on non-benefit-related matters. In such cases the contractor shall respond by providing limited information furnished by the government. The government shall handle and respond to matters generated by government agencies (OFEGLI, OPM, TSP, payroll offices, HROs, etc.). In cases where OFEGLI makes a decision on requests for insurance, notification will be forwarded to the contractor and processed in accordance with SOP, as written in attachment 6. All correspondence received daily by the contractor will be stamped indicating the date and time of receipt.

3.2 The contractor shall serve as a clearinghouse for the government for benefits related forms and packaged information including but not limited to beneficiary forms, to be distributed as requested by callers or by the government staff. All retirement application submissions shall be directed to the Online Retirement Application (ORA) system or equivalent. Paper retirement applications are no longer accepted. The contractor may be tasked to distribute other printed materials to designated activities and/or employees when required. Distribution of benefits related materials includes letters, forms, brochures, and pamphlets via mail or email. For customers who do not have access to government systems (including but not limited to: separated employees, former spouses, and death-in-service survivors and beneficiaries), the contractor shall provide a secure document upload portal compliant with OSW and DON IT/cybersecurity requirements as specified in Section 3.17.4 below.

3.3 The contractor shall use DON approved software when completing transactions. Contractor personnel shall demonstrate technical proficiency when responding to questions and provide accurate information and efficient transaction processing.

3.4 The contractor shall be knowledgeable and conversant with the contents and capabilities of the benefit applications, the government's portal and the SOPs as written in attachments 3-8 as indicated in section

4.16. In addition, the contractor shall perform the full range of transaction processing (accurately and timely) in the areas of FEHB, FEGLI, and TSP in the operation of the benefits contact center but shall also be able to assist callers in completing their own transactions.

3.5 The government expects the contractor to provide correct information to callers' inquiries at all times.

All calls shall be answered within an average of two (2) minutes or less, with the exception of the months of November through January. During these months, when call volume peaks, all calls shall be answered within an average of seven (7) minutes or less.

3.6 The contractor shall review and reconcile daily rejected transactions to include carrier feed and BRAAT reports, as shown through an electronically generated report by GFSA. Transactions rejected from the carrier feed will be fixed prior to the next run.

3.6a The contractor will work directly with FEHB carriers to change elections or update election-related information as needed. In addition, the contractor shall work with the CBC to ensure that corrected FEHB, TSP, and FEGLI elections refresh correctly in the DON election system and shall upload any corrected forms to e-OPF.

3.7 The contractor shall respond to email inquiries for all serviced customers within two (2) business days from the receipt of the email (ET). In addition, the contractor shall respond to email inquiries received via the NavyBenefits@us.navy.mil or QCNavyBenefits@us.navy.mil email address. The contractors may respond to email requests in the U.S. via email or telephonically. Respond via email to personnel that are located overseas due to time zone differences. All email responses are to be copied into the current WTS.

Inquiries outside the contractor's scope of responsibility shall be forwarded to the CBC Liaison for resolution. The CBC Liaison shall be copied on all email responses.

3.8 The contractor shall be responsible for implementing technical or procedural changes to remain current with the benefit program areas.

3.9 The contractor shall enter and maintain workload in the current WTS as defined in established SOP, as written in attachments 1-6. The contractor shall electronically record and track the history of all contacts with customers (mailings, telephone calls, web chat sessions, SMS interactions, and emails), and actions rerouted to the CBC. New work shall be entered within one business day of receipt to ensure that WTS is updated continuously (in real time and not retroactively) and accurately completed (resolved) within 2 business days, if resolution can be made. The contractor shall also notate the disposition of each contact in the WTS ticket. The contractor may be asked to scan documents in the e-OPF as necessary.

3.10 The contractor shall not enter non-benefit related calls or emails in the WTS. Some examples include calls referring to TWMS, myPay, employment, or verification of employment and myBiz. However, the contractor shall track non-benefit related contacts for reporting purposes. The contractor shall use scripts provided by the CBC in responding to callers/emailers who have non-benefit related issues.

3.11 The contractor shall be responsible for all expenses associated with all required mailings. First class postage is required. Traceable mailings are identified in the SOPs, as written in attachments 5 and 6 or as required by regulation. One example is the follow-up letter to the employee requesting supporting documentation for a life or health insurance change. There is a requirement for the contractor to perform a QC on most benefits changes. QC requirements are identified in SOPs, attachment 5 and 6. Notification letters shall be sent within 10 days from receipt of report to employees who are required to provide documentation for proof of coverage entitlement. To assist in mailing costs, the contractor may combine mailings or utilize the employee's government email address. The contractor may forward attachments via email to employees who request that service. (Emails will be encrypted if PII data is provided.) This does not apply to traceable mailings. The use of employee's personal email addresses can be used as long as no PII data is shared.

3.12 The contractor shall be responsible for scanning, uploading and verifying benefit documents in e- OPF as identified in the SOP as written in attachments 1-6. Upon request the contractor will manually prepare benefit election forms and upload to e-OPF as directed by the government. Documents shall be uploaded into e-OPF within (15) business days after completion of all required actions unless otherwise specified in SOPs. Delay of scanning documents into e-OPF may occur during an FEHB/FEGLI OS when CSRs are needed to take calls, perform transactions. Other reasons include large mail outs and emails of employee notices. The contractor shall track the number of documents scanned to the e-OPF for reporting purposes.

3.13 The contractor shall be responsible for generating reports from the GFSA or their call center solution. The reports are used to perform certain tasks as written in the SOPs, attachments 3-8. Reports shall be generated timely and completely. Examples of reports include LWOP, return to duty, QCs, reemployed annuitants, temporary employee notices and transaction statistics/workload reports and monthly production reports. In addition, due to changes in the regulations, the contractor may receive additional reports from the CBC. The reports will be completed in accordance with guidance provided by the CBC Liaison. This includes the annual FEHB OS, special benefit enrollment periods, mass transfers due to a change in payroll office, as well as a FEGLI Open Enrollment period.

3.13a The contractor shall be responsible for the following special processes, each of which requires specific programmatic knowledge, dedicated staff time, and case-level tracking through resolution:

Quality Control (QC), Family Member Quality Control (FMQC), Leave Without Pay (LWOP), New Hires/Rehires, Child Incapable of Self-Support determinations, Reemployed Annuitants, Child Equity, TSP 100% elections, Election Rejects, Temporary Employee actions, Union Dues, and Open Season plan changes. Each process requires generating and reviewing reports, contacting employees by phone, email, or mail, and tracking associated tickets, actions, and case numbers through resolution.

3.14 The contractor shall shred and properly dispose of all working notes, paper copies of forms, and any related documentation with customer transaction information, using the crosshatched method, after one year.

3.15 The contractor shall utilize DCPS (or other application as identified) for problems with benefit elections in payroll and report as necessary to the proper CBC for correction. The contractor will determine who on the contractor's staff will have access to DCPS and DFASNow. Contractors will follow guidance for accessing and understanding the DFAS applications. Guidance will be provided after contract award. Contractor personnel will be required to take an online test for security measures and submit the request form to the CBC Liaison. The CBC Liaison or government personnel will submit it to DFAS for processing. The contractor is responsible for maintaining access to all GFSA (such as DCPS and DFASNow accounts) and report within 24 hours a contractor's loss of access.

3.16 Any SOPs included as part of this PWS are subject to change. New SOPs may be added and vetted as necessary in accordance with legislative or regulatory changes and new initiatives or improvement in business processes. SOPs, as written in attachments 1-6 identify contractor responsibilities, business processes, and time frames for completing various benefit processes. A final set of SOPs will be shared after contract award. References to the Benefits Line in the SOPs are referring to the contractor.

3.17 RETIREMENT SUPPORT SERVICES. The contractor shall provide retirement information and support services to employees, prospective retirees, and their eligible family members using CBC-approved scripts, FAQ responses, and SOPs. Retirement support services under this section are strictly non-adjudicatory in nature. The contractor shall not certify annuity amounts, , or advise customers on matters requiring adjudicatory judgment. All responses to retirement-related inquiries shall be drawn from CBC-approved content only. The authorized scope of retirement support is defined in the CBC Retirement FAQ (Attachment 9), which may be updated by the CBC via SOP revision without requiring a contract modification. The contractor shall implement updated FAQ content within five (5) business days of receipt from the CBC Liaison.

3.17.1 Authorized Retirement Information Categories. Contractor CSRs are authorized to respond to retirement-related inquiries within the following categories, using CBC-approved FAQ responses and scripts:

• General Retirement Questions — including retirement type selection, retirement date questions, and expected specialist contact timelines.

• Retirement Eligibility Information — including Minimum Retirement Age (MRA), length of service thresholds, and FERS/CSRS eligibility criteria, using CBC-approved reference tables and scripts only. CSRs shall not make eligibility determinations.

• Benefits and Retirement Questions — including continuation of FEHB/FEGLI coverage, FEDVIP interim billing through BENEFEDS, and open season change rights post-retirement.

• Retirement Pay Questions — including guidance on using the retirement calculator on the GRB Platform, interim pay timelines, finalization timelines, and payment method information. CSRs shall direct employees to the portal for computation guidance and shall not calculate or certify annuity amounts.

• Retirement and Military Deposits — including general information on military deposit completion and directing employees to a retirement specialist for service computation date questions.

• Online Retirement Application (ORA) Support — including ORA application status lookups, ORA account access issues (including incorrect personal email or phone number on file), PIN resets, and submission timeline guidance. CSRs shall create a call ticket for ORA technical issues that cannot be resolved through approved scripts.

3.17.2 Expanding the Authorized FAQ Scope. The CBC reserves the right to expand the authorized retirement support FAQ at any time via SOP update or revised Attachment 9, without requiring a formal contract modification. The contractor shall train affected CSRs on any new FAQ content within five (5) business days of receipt and shall confirm readiness to the CBC Liaison in writing.

3.17.3 Referral Requirements. The contractor shall refer callers to a CBC retirement specialist whenever an inquiry falls outside the scope of the CBC-approved FAQ, requires adjudicatory judgment, or involves a complex service history issue. The contractor shall document all retirement referrals in the WTS and shall not provide speculative responses on matters outside the approved FAQ scope.

3.17.4 Secure Document Upload Portal. The contractor shall provide and maintain a secure, government-approved document upload portal for use by customers who do not have access to government systems, including but not limited to separated employees, former spouses, and death-in-service survivors and beneficiaries. The portal shall: (a) meet all DOD and DON data security and Privacy Act requirements; (b) provide encrypted transmission and storage of all documents;

(c) generate a confirmation receipt upon successful upload; and (d) integrate with the contractor's workload tracking system. PII data shall not reside on contractor-supplied hardware or software systems outside of government-approved security boundaries.

4.0 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 All employees of the contractor employed in the performance of work under this contract shall be employees of the contractor at all times and not employees of the government. All employees shall be a U.S. citizen. Each contractor employee must obtain and maintain Secret Clearance eligibility. No contractor employee will be given access to DON PII information or systems prior to approval. In order to access Government databases, the contractor personnel shall have a favorably adjudicated T3/Moderate Level at a minimum. The cost, if any to complete the Background Investigation/enrollment in Continuous Vetting (CV) to acquire a Secret eligibility shall be the responsibility of the contractor/FSO. The contractor is responsible for submitting all security documents to Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) tp begin the personnel vetting process to obtain the required level of eligibility to work on behalf of the DON.

The Government shall issue a DD Form 254, DOD Contract Security Classification Specification to the contractor to officially communicate security requirements, classification guidance, and handling procedures to contractors and subcontractors who need eligibility/access up to sensitive or classified information within their authority.Once eligibility is approved, all contractor employees shall complete the following tasks in the Total Workforce Management system (TWMS):

• Required Information Assurance Awareness (IA) training: (1) DOD Cyber Awareness Challenge, and (2) Department of the Navy Annual Privacy Training, (3) Privacy I

• System Authorization Access Request Navy (SAAR-N) form, OPNAV 5239/14

4.1.1 Contractor employees will not be given access to the DON's PII data or access to any system which contains PII data prior to approval by the Government's Security Manager and shall follow the government's guidance to obtain approval for access from the Security Manager. The contractor shall provide documentation to the Security Manager in regards to security clearances via a Visit Authorization Request (VAR) in DISS, in addition to servicing within DISS for managing contractor employee profiles in DISS. The Security Manager/DCSA shall grant interim clearance, at a minimum for contractor to access Government Systems.

4.1.2 For each contractor employee, the COR is required to submit a registration request in the Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) System. The Security Manager or designee will process the ICAM sponsor request authorizing the contractor employee to obtain a CAC.

4.1.3 The contractor shall provide documentation to the Security Manager to apply for CACs and security clearances. Once the Security Manager grants access, each contractor employee shall acquire a government CAC. Travel cost to acquire the CAC shall be the responsibility of the contractor. CACs are obtainable at military security offices, to include but not limited to Navy installations.

4.1.4 Contractor employees shall use the CAC to access government computers and applications, which require DOD digital certificates. All CACs shall be relinquished to the government upon a contractor employee's separation, or upon the end of the contract period of performance.

4.2 Contact Center Personnel: Certain experienced personnel are essential for successful contractor accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract. The Contact Center Manager, Lead Functional Assistant, and Computer Specialist are considered key personnel. A detailed approach shall be submitted to describe the work experience and the qualifications for the Contact Center Manager, Lead Functional Assistant, and Computer Specialist, which shall contain information sufficient to demonstrate that the proposed individuals meet the requirements set forth below. The knowledge and experience level of personnel will not require intercession by any CBC personnel to resolve problems.

4.3 No substitution or addition of key personnel shall be made except in accordance with the following.

The contractor agrees that during the first 120 days of the contract performance period, no key personnel substitutions will be permitted unless an individual's sudden illness, death, or termination of employment necessitates such substitutions. In any of these events, the contractor shall promptly notify the COR and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution. The contractor shall provide a complete resume for the proposed substitute, reflecting the same or greater qualification experience to the COR for review. The COR will evaluate the requests for substitution and addition of personnel and forward to the CO for approval/disapproval. The CO will promptly notify the contractor in writing whether the request is approved or disapproved.

4.4 Contact Center Manager: (This is a Key Personnel Position as described in paragraph 4.2 and 4.3).

Shall have five (5) years or more general supervisory experience in contact or call center operations. This skill experience shall be equivalent to General Schedule (GS)-0201-12, Supervisory Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits). Experience in query-based systems is preferred. Shall have experience in:

directing work, monitoring workflow, evaluating performance, writing reports, analyzing data, identifying problems, and providing customer feedback. Shall have demonstrated customer service interface expertise and ability to prioritize assignments among equally time sensitive work projects. Shall have skill in following written directives, and inter-agency work protocols. Shall have conflict resolution techniques sufficient to interact in occasional highly charged emotional situations because of delicate or highly contested case matters and determinations. The Call Center Manager shall be co-located with the majority of the CSRs in order to supervise operations effectively.

4.5 Lead Functional Assistant: (This is a Key Personnel Position as described in paragraph 4.2 and 4.3).

The LFA shall possess a competent understanding of the regulations and policies involved in federal benefits processing. Shall have three (3) or more years experience in processing and providing advice and guidance in Federal benefits (FEHB, FEGLI and TSP) gained within the last five (5) years. This skill experience shall be equivalent to General Schedule (GS)-0201-11, Human Resources Specialist (Employee Benefits). Shall have demonstrated proficiency to lead/supervise personnel. The LFA shall be co-located with the majority of the CSRs in order to lead effectively.

4.6 Customer Service Representative: Shall have a minimum of one year experience in customer service/customer relations in addressing complaints/resolving problems and skill in clearly communicating factual and procedural information orally and in writing. Shall have skill in office automation, data entry and retrieval and is a qualified typist (40 words per minute). All CSRs under the life of the contract shall have the training identified in section 5.0. In addition, all CSRs shall possess sufficient technical knowledge, at the full performance level, of FEHB, FEGLI and TSP and the GRB Platform to answer questions identified in reference material and related web sites. CSRs will guide employees to retirement information on the CBC or other approved web sites or refer employees to a CBC Specialist. CSRs assigned to retirement support duties under Section 3.17 shall additionally demonstrate working knowledge of: ORA system navigation and PIN reset procedures;

FERS/CSRS retirement eligibility criteria as defined in the CBC Retirement FAQ (Attachment 9);

retirement pay timeline guidance; benefits continuation during the retirement process; and all CBC-approved retirement FAQ responses and referral thresholds.

*Please note the government recognizes that contractor CSRs may be hired at the entry level, not possessing the skills required to be at the full performance level. In such cases, the contractor is permitted to delegate certain tasks to these entry level CSRs, such as allowing them to respond to calls that are less technical in nature in order to gain proficiencies of the skill level required. Some examples include assisting employees with accessing GRB Platform, mailing forms, working internal reports, scan and upload documents to e-OPF. However, CSRs in training will have their calls/work monitored to ensure accurate information is given until such time the contractor has certified that the CSR is competent.

4.7 Administrative Clerical Support: Shall be able to follow directions and communicate with office staff.

Ability to print, sort, file, copy, scan and upload documents to e-OPF, retrieve and organize information;

experience with office equipment such as computers, copiers, scanners, and the ability to enter data in spreadsheets, databases, and reports.

4.8 Computer Specialist (Technical): Shall have a minimum of two years of experience in Windows 10 or higher and server maintenance, including at least one year of experience supporting a cloud-based or vendor-hosted platform (e.g., CCaaS, helpdesk, or similar hosted solution). Shall be able to troubleshoot technical problems (workstation, communication [data and voice] and LAN) within the contact center and between the contact center and the government's IT personnel. Shall have familiarity with cloud-based or vendor-hosted contact center platforms and the ability to perform first-tier troubleshooting and escalation for AI-powered chatbot, agent assist, and omnichannel interaction tools deployed within the contact center. Shall be able to communicate orally and in writing.

4.9 Telework: The contractor is permitted to allow telework, but the COR must authorize. The contractor will comply with all guidelines set forth in DON's SECNAV Instruction 12271.1., and OCHR Norfolk Instruction 12600.1C to include sharing with the COR training certificates and signed telework agreements/forms. The COR retains the right to rescind telework privileges if a contractor fails to meet the QASP.

5.0 TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

5.1 In the event the contractor has previously operated a Navy Benefits Contact Center, the LFA shall receive annual benefits update training that will be taken from the "Approved Provider Courses" listed in section 5.6 below. Substitution of similar courses shall be subject to COR review/approval. Courses will be completed at the contractor's expense. Written verification of completion of courses shall be provided to the CBC Liaison.

5.2 If the contractor has not previously operated a Navy Benefits Contact Center, the LFA and the CSRs will be expected to attend a one-time government-furnished, on-the-job training (at the contractor's facility or virtual via an authorized collaboration tool) to learn the Navy systems and benefits applications and SOPs, as written in attachments 3-8. The training will occur during the transition period. After the one-time government furnished training, subsequent hired employees shall be trained at the contractor's expense.

In order for the training to take effect, the Contractor will ensure the following service/equipment is in place:

• Internet access service speeds/bandwidth sufficient to handle a VPN session from a laptop, desktop, or tablet.

• A video projection system or monitor system that will allow all class participants (locally or remote) to view the projected information.

• A sound system sufficient to carry sound throughout the room for all participants to hear the instructor, including over the internet/NIPRNET to reach remote students as needed.

• At a minimum, a telephone line that allows calls to and from the classroom. When dialing the Benefits Line (888-320-2917), the call should connect and the main menu can be heard.

5.3 Contractor personnel shall be trained on the benefit SOPs and general business practices and training on GFSA. Training to the GFA will be completed after contract award. The contractor shall ensure that the LFA and CSRs are competent to use the applications and understand the SOPs before they respond to callers or emails.

5.4 Prior to the government-furnished training, the LFA and the CSRs shall complete two (2) or more of the training courses listed under the Approved Provider Courses in section 5.6 below, at the contractor's expense, and provide proof of successful completion to the COR.

5.5 It may be beneficial for the contractor to work with an approved training vendor to ensure the provider emphasizes the training specifically needed to answer the types of queries on the federal benefits issues that fall within the scope of the contract. Upon completion of the government and private vendor training, CSRs should demonstrate highly skilled specialized knowledge of the FEHB, FEGLI and TSP programs and at a minimum be able to:

• Locate and identify regulatory and procedural guidance regarding Federal benefits.

• Know the location and content of benefit related web sites (CBC Portal, TSP, OPM, BENEFEDS, FSA, and LTCFEDS, GRB Platform).

• Know and utilize all benefits related tools available on the above web sites pertaining to FEHB, FEGLI, TSP and retirement.

• Explain to customers what each web site offers.

• Understand the fundamentals of FEHB, FEGLI and TSP including enrollment codes, status codes, how FEGLI codes are derived, calculating costs and coverage amounts, effective dates, QLEs, event codes, comparison charts, open season, and any other information needed to process actions in these areas.

• Advise new, current and separating employees on their federal benefits.

• Advise former spouses and children on their TCC benefits.

• Explain the impact of canceling or reducing benefits coverage (FEHB, FEGLI and TSP) in relation to retirement.

• Explain the effect LWOP has on federal benefits.

• Understand the Service Computation Date used to access the GRB Platform.

• Benefits for Part-time employees.

• Benefits for Temporary and Term employees.

• Apply the business processes as outlined in the SOPs.

• Navigate ORA system functions including status lookups and PIN resets, respond to all authorized retirement inquiry categories in the CBC Retirement FAQ (Attachment 9), and apply correct referral thresholds (for CSRs assigned to Section 3.17 retirement support duties).

5.6 It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that the contact center staff remains competent and current on DON applications and issues. The contractor will be responsible for training new hires on all topics covered in the government furnished training plus updates as they occur.

APPROVED PROVIDER COURSES

Note: The government recommends that offerors verify the current availability and course offerings of approved providers prior to proposal submission. The list below reflects historically approved providers and is subject to update.

• S. Harman & Associates, Inc. — Advanced Employee Benefits Workshop; Basic Employee Benefits Training; Processing Employee Benefits Benefits Workshop (www.sharmansite.com)

• Graduate School USA — Benefits for HR Staff (www.graduateschool.edu)

• Government, Retirement & Benefits, Inc. — Employee Benefits Determinations; Comprehensive

Federal Employee Benefits Training; Advanced Employee Benefits (www.grbinc.com)

5.8 The contractor shall provide two copies of the training material from the vendor who trained contractor personnel on Federal benefits to the COR, once a vendor has been selected.

5.9 The contractor is responsible for training its personnel and the government personnel on the contact center technology solution and related applications. This includes training on all omnichannel platform components (voice, web chat, SMS, chatbot, and secure document upload portal) as applicable. The contractor shall provide a computer to access the call center software, if required.

5.10 Any new CSRs hired as replacements or supplements to the original staff who does not attend the above training or the government furnished on-the-job training will undergo training and certification testing conducted by the Contractor. The contractor shall submit the CSR Course curricula to the COR for review within 30 days prior to the start of any subsequent new hires.

5.11 The contractor shall ensure training of all personnel in PA regulations and Customer Service Interpersonal skills in a Contact Center Environment prior to the start of contact center operations.

Additionally, the contractor's personnel shall complete all mandated DoD online training required to access government computers. All training is completed as required by the COR. Notify COR if training cannot be completed by required timeframe.

6.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1 The government will maintain its infrastructure for the DON's ADP and IT needs. The government will allow the contractor access to its information systems in accordance with DoW and DON guidelines, utilizing contractor furnished/approved laptop workstations and accessing the Government Systems/Sites via the Navy’s Nautilus Virtual Desktop (NVD). The contractor shall also provide a DoW approved CAC reader, printers, and FADGI approved scanners to meet the requirements of this PWS. The contractor shall be responsible for providing monitors, keyboards (USB), and mice (USB), and other peripherals as appropriate. The contractor shall contact the COR for DON approved devices. The DON enclave is the NMCI/Flank Speed infrastructure. Access to the Navy's enterprise network is governed by the Commander of the NETWARCOM, which requires PII data to reside within Navy’s Infrastructure.

The contractor shall adhere to all DoW and DON computer security regulations, guidelines, and policies concerning government and NIPRNET access. The contractor shall retrieve, store, use, and handle data in accordance with all government Privacy Act regulations of 1974, as well as the protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is DFARS 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting). The contractor shall conduct IA Self-Assessments every six (6) months, and take annual IA training as prescribed by the government.

6.1.1 Common Access Card. Access to the government furnished laptops will require a CAC; for logon to the PC and for access to the NMCI network/VPN/NESD.

6.1.2 Site Location. If the HRBCC is located at a non-approved NMCI site, then the contractor has to acquire internet service sufficient to allow the Contractor owned asset/laptop to connect to the Government networks/applications/systems.

6.2 The contractor shall be required immediately after contract award to provide the number of personnel identified in section 4, so that the Government can provide required forms for each contractor employee to complete for access to systems. The contractor will comply and adhere to all schedules with the process of "technical refreshes" of computers. Costs associated with this process are the responsibility of the government.

6.2.1 Hardware and Software Installation. The contractor shall assemble all hardware, install all software, and configure all contractor equipment to meet the contractor operational requirements as specified below.

6.2.2 Electronic Interface. The contractor shall provide all hardware, software, and communications technology to electronically interface with the IVRS database and web benefit applications, and their databases as necessary based on requirements. This interface shall include internet access and access to these tools via NVD. The electronic interface equipment/materials shall include but is not limited to routers, servers, PCs, data circuits, voice circuits, network interface cards, communications software, office equipment, and maintenance.

• Electronic Mail Capability. The contractor shall utilize DON's email capability, including all hardware and software, necessary to store, send, and receive email messages with attachment technology for the entire contact center staff.

• Email Inquiries. The contractor shall respond to email inquiries from customers as specified in section 3.7 of this PWS. The contractor shall invoke an automatic reply/response to email messages that come to the navybenefits@us.navy.mil address.

6.2.3 Omnichannel Contact Center Platform. The contractor shall implement and operate an omnichannel contact center platform that supports the full range of service channels required under Section 3.1, including inbound voice, live web chat (with co-browsing capability), AI-powered chatbot, SMS/text messaging, scheduled callback, and email. The AI-powered chatbot, including its underlying model, training data sources, response logic, and any updates thereto, shall be subject to government review and written approval prior to deployment and prior to any subsequent material modification. The platform shall: (a) maintain a unified interaction record across all channels for each customer, enabling complete interaction history for multi-touch cases; (b) provide call recording capability for all inbound telephone interactions; (c) voice average call wait time and callers in queue for telephone interactions; (d) support government monitoring of all interactions via the contractor's solution in real time or via recordings; and (e) include an agent assist AI capability that provides real-time guidance to CSRs during live interactions. The contractor shall provide all hardware, software, and services to implement the platform. PII data shall not reside on contractor-supplied hardware or software systems outside of government-approved security boundaries.

6.2.3.1 Compliance and Security Requirements. The Contractor shall ensure the Omni Channel tool and all associated systems, interfaces, and data handling processes comply with the following requirements throughout the period of performance. Compliance is non-negotiable and shall be demonstrated prior to system acceptance and maintained through the life of the contract.

a. Accessibility. All Omni Channel tool interfaces, including web chat, conversational voice/IVR, and document upload portal, shall conform to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d) and associated technical standards at 36 CFR Part 1194. The Contractor shall provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or equivalent accessibility conformance report prior to system acceptance and upon any material system update.

b. Cybersecurity and Cloud Authorization. The Contractor shall ensure all systems supporting the Omni Channel tool meet applicable Department of Defense Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (DoD CC SRG) provisions for the appropriate Impact Level (IL), as determined by the sensitivity of the data processed, stored, or transmitted. Where the solution operates in a cloud environment, the Contractor shall maintain a valid FedRAMP authorization (Moderate baseline or higher, as applicable) or an equivalent DoD Provisional Authorization. All systems shall implement security controls consistent with NIST SP 800-53 (current revision) at the appropriate control baseline, and the Contractor shall support Government security assessment and authorization (A&A) activities, including providing documentation necessary for an Authority to Operate (ATO).

c. Data Retention and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Handling. The Contractor shall handle, store, transmit, and dispose of all PII and other sensitive data in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), DoD 5400.11-R, and applicable DON privacy policy. Data retention periods shall align with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) General Records Schedules applicable to civilian personnel and retirement records. The Contractor shall not retain, use, or disclose PII for any purpose outside the scope of this contract, and shall report any suspected or confirmed data breach in accordance with DoD breach reporting timelines. Data at rest and in transit shall be encrypted using FIPS 140-2/140-3 validated encryption modules.

6.2.4 Government Access and Training of Personnel. The contractor shall allow government employees to receive contact center calls for monitoring by the COR or Liaison in accordance with the QASP Matrix.

The contractor shall train the COR and Liaison on the use of the contact center software that the contractor is utilizing.

6.2.5 Telephone Service. The contractor shall provide telephonic services including hardware to receive and make local and long distance phone calls in the performance of contractor duties. The government will provide a toll free number (888-320-2917) that shall point to the contractor's local number and serve as the Benefits call line for DON employees or DON customers. The contractor's contact center solution shall manage the customer call until the CSR engages each caller. The contractor shall provide a contact center solution that is completely web based (zero footprint) that does not require any client type software or utilities to reside on the Contractor equipment. PII data shall not reside on the contractor supplied hardware/software systems. The government shall be able to monitor all calls via the contractor's solution in real time or via recordings.

6.2.6 Printing and scanning. The printers and scanners shall be locally attached to the NMCI workstation(s). .

6.2.7 Licenses. The contractor shall provide/purchase all essential software licenses to perform required contact center tasks as outlined in this PWS. The contractor shall not purchase licenses for software provided as GFM/E.

6.3 Maintenance and Problem Resolution.

6.3.1 GFE for use under this contract is provided in accordance with FAR clause 52.245-2 Government Property (Fixed Price Contracts). Network access and GFE problems shall be resolved according to DON guidelines and NMCI/NESD procedures.

6.3.1.5 The following GFSA are currently operational within OCHR or elsewhere with the oversight of the government:

• GRB Platform

• Workload Tracking System (BATS)

• BRAAT

• HRLink

• e-OPF

• TWMS

• DCPS/DFASNow

• Online Retirement Application (ORA)

6.3.4 At all times the contractor shall establish a communication link to the government furnished systems without failure lasting more than four hours, in order to provide services rendered under this contract.

6.4 The COR is responsible for minimal support to the contractor in the area of IA, GFE hardware and software support, and problem resolution. The COR will make announced or unannounced HRBCC site visits as necessary.

7.0 TTY/TDD CAPABILITY

7.1 In accordance with the ADA requirements, the contractor shall provide TTY/TDD capability in order to service the deaf/hard of hearing customers. This service shall be toll free.

8.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION

8.1 The government will provide the following:

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for benefit processes & FAQ

• CBC Points of Contact

• Health insurance providers and points of contact

• User Manuals for benefit applications

• Report template used by the contractor to report monthly performance

9.0 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

9.1 All reports shall be submitted in an electronic Microsoft Office format to the COR. For the purpose of the monthly reporting, the government will provide a report template for the contractor's use.

9.2 The contractor shall schedule a monthly program review. Within 10 calendar days from the beginning of the following month, the contractor shall provide the report and work with the COR to schedule a conference call. The report will contain Navy-wide data with cumulative totals and with the activities of the month along with cumulative year-to-date totals.

9.2.1 Real-Time Performance Dashboard. In addition to the monthly program review, the contractor shall provide the COR and CBC Liaison with access to a real-time operational performance dashboard. The dashboard shall display, at minimum: (a) current call volume, average wait time, and queue depth; (b) contact volume by channel (voice, chat, SMS, email, chatbot); (c) QA scoring results on a rolling basis; and (d) case status and workload tracking metrics. Dashboard access shall be available during all operational hours and shall not require installation of client software on government furnished equipment.

9.3 The contractor shall report immediately to the COR and/or CBC Liaison any system interruptions, including problems with CACs or laptop workstations. The contractor shall adhere to the GFE Resolution Procedures in reporting the results of trouble shooting analysis.

9.4 The contractor shall quickly identify and escalate all issues and/or complaints to the COR and/or CBC Liaison. This includes any backlog of work due to system issues. Within 4 hours, the contractor shall escalate issues or complaints to the COR.

10.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE

10.1 The contractor's performance shall be measured on the items listed in the QASP. Customer satisfaction shall be measured by monitored telephone calls, calls passed to the CBC Liaison by the government, surveys and email messages to ensure CSRs technical competency. The contractor shall implement automated quality assurance scoring on 100% of all inbound telephone interactions. AI-assisted scoring tools shall be used to provide objective, consistent measurement of CSR performance across all calls. QA scoring results shall be included in the real-time dashboard required under Section 9.2.1 and in the monthly program review report. The government retains the right to review all QA scoring data and recordings at any time.

11.0 HISTORICAL…