JA FAR 16.5 Appointment reminder SMS gateway redacted_Redacted.pdf

Text Messaging Short Message Services

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed price (FFP) modification to Contract/Delivery Order No. NNG15SD42B/ 36C10B23F0053 issued under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) on January 11, 2023 for Appointment Reminder Text Messaging Short Message Services (SMS) telecommunications gateway service with Architechture Solutions, LLC (Architechture), 11325 Random Hills Road Suite 360, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-0972.

3. Description of the Supplies or Services: VA, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Integrated Veteran Care requires a 12-month extension to the current delivery order providing SMS telecommunications gateway service to enable two-way communication via SMS message between VA Medical Facilities and Veterans regarding the scheduling, confirmation and/or cancellation of medical appointments. VA has developed a software solution (VEText) that uses the telecommunications SMS gateway service to send SMS appointment reminders to Veterans. VEText allows the Veteran to confirm or cancel the appointment from the text message without staff intervention. VEText provides integration with Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture and Oracle Health scheduling systems to remind patients of their scheduled appointments and allow cancellation if necessary. This SMS service utilizes two different types of telecommunication numbers, 10-digit long codes (10DLC) and SMS short codes. Both the long codes and short codes are authorized to send application-to-person (A2P) SMS messages to users. SMS Short codes enable a higher volume of messages in a short period of time than 10DLC numbers and are used for the critical appointment messaging by VEText. The 10DLC are used for Veterans that cannot receive short codes due to their lower quality cellular phone service. These special numbers are registered with the telecommunications carriers to ensure

Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This registration process ensures the identity of the sending organization and that the intent and content of the messages comply with TCPA. The Contractor shall also provide access to the cloud-based SMS service capable of supporting all VA Medical Centers (approximately 168) with messaging services for each site with an estimated annual volume of 504,000,000 long code messages and 705,600,000 short code messages.

Contract/Delivery Order No. NNG15SD42B/ 36C10B23F0053 was competitively awarded on January 11, 2023 as a result of a solicitation amongst NASA SEWP V GWAC holders with a period of performance consisting of a Base Period from February 16, 2023 through February 15, 2024 followed by one option period from February 16, 2024 through February 15, 2025

The proposed modification is to extend the current delivery order by 12 months, to February 15, 2026. The estimated value of the modification is which will increase the total delivery order value to

4. Statutory Authority: The statutory authority permitting an exception to fair opportunity is Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c)(3) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation

-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order.

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: VA requires continuation of the SMS telecommunications gateway service currently being acquired from Architechture Solutions, LLC. VEText, a VA developed software with a current VA Authority to Operate (ATO), utilizes SMS telecommunication services from Architechture Solutions to proactively message approximately ten million Veterans each year to remind them of their appointments, provide them the ability to cancel appoints, as well as the ability schedule earlier appointments. During the solicitation period for a new SMS messaging provider, it was realized that any new messaging solution/provider would need additional security requirements to be incorporated into solicitation. These additional requirements were not originally in the current solicitation and were not planned activities to implement a new solution. This introduces intolerable risk in uninterrupted messaging services beyond the expiration of the current contract. To ensure this critical service for Veterans continues without interruption, the current delivery order will be extended for 12 months. This extension will allow VA to reassess messaging solutions offered in the marketplace that meet the new requirements and determine how this new requirement impacts competition followed by a transition period.

In regard to transition any new contractor must provide a series of SMS short codes and long codes. The process to register a short code with a new provider takes 8 to 12 weeks, while 10DLC takes approximately 2-weeks including initial messaging campaign approval. While the VA owns the short codes and 10DLC numbers in use with the same timeframe (up to 12-decides not to port the numbers and instead acquire new numbers, it would still take 8 to 12 weeks to register new number. The process of porting and / or registering new numbers would also include software changes to VA developed software (VEText) that would also require testing and coordination of an additional 4 to 8 weeks. In addition, if a different telecommunications service was competitively selected the VA developed programming interface (API). These codes will need to be developed and tested to ensure the same level of service to Veterans. The current estimate for these application changes and testing is six months. While the porting and testing of new numbers and API development and related testing can be done concurrently, both activities are estimated to take six months.

Ultimately, moving to a new messaging provider will require 12 months to allow for updating the requirements, port the short codes and 10DLC numbers, and for VA to make and test the necessary API changes. Therefore, in the interest of economy and vendors. The Government NASA SEWP website on January 29, 2025; January 30, 2025 and January 31, 2025. The RFQ was amended four times (on January 30, 2025, January 31, 2025, February 3, 2025 and February 4, 2025). The quote submission deadline was extended via Amendments 0003 and 0004 with quotes due on February 6, 2025. On February 3, 2025, it was determined that new security requirements would need to be incorporated into the solicitation. This policy was not in effect when the current delivery order was awarded in 2022 and reflects a significant change to the current requirements. Further market research will be conducted to determine whether any vendors offer solutions that meet the updated requirements. As a result of the significant change to the requirements, the RFQ was cancelled on February 6, 2025. This 12-month effort will be awarded in the interest of economy and efficiency to allow the requirements to be updated based on new information that was just added, recompete with the new requirements and a provide for proper transition preventing a disruption or delay in these vital services.

9. Other Facts: None