N02CO51028-27_Amendment_2_package.pdf

RFP N02CO51028-27

Amendment 2 Page 2 of 13

NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUE

N02CO51028-27

AMENDMENT #2

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following are answers to questions received from potential offerors.

Question 1:

The solicitation identifies a large number of information technology and security (IT&S) support requirements and deliverables, however the labor categories and level of effort identified in Section L.1.d do not include any appropriate labor categories or LOE for this work. Would the government please provide the expected LOE for IT&S support for required deliverables, and IT support of the contact center and technology support for Tasks including Task 7 (Innovation and Strategy Planning), Task 8 (Pilot and Health Communications Projects), Task 10 (IT and Telecommunications), and Task 10 (Security)?

Answer 1:

The Government has indicated that support is necessary as outlined in Tasks 7, 10 and 11. Based on the information provided, the contractor should propose the expected level of effort for this work.

Question 2:

Page 55, Important Note to Offerors states, “The following information shall be addressed in a separate section of the Technical Proposal entitled, ‘Information Security,’” but the requirements listed in detail on pages 55-66 seem duplicative of requirements under Attachment 3 (SOW, pages 7- 9), and tasks 10 (IT and Telecommunications) and 11 (Security). Also, the solicitation states on pages 28-29 that Contractor Security Deliverables are not due until after contract award. Would the government please clarify the following?

• Should offerors submit the IT Security Plan (IT-SP), IT Risk Assessment (IT-RA), FIPS 199 Assessment, and IT Security Certification and Accreditation (IT-SC&A) as part of their technical proposals?

• If so, should these items be submitted as a separate “Information Security” section, as required on page 55?

• May offerors append this “Information Security” section, if required? Would this appendix be excluded from the page limit?

Answer 2:

Security Deliverables are not due until after contract award as specified in the solicitation. The Information Security Section should be included in the Technical Proposal and will count towards the 50-page technical proposal page limitation.

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Question 3:

Under Additional Technical Proposal Instructions (page 2), the solicitation requires 4-page responses to Scenario A: Training Plan on Palliative Care and Scenario B: Video Chat Pilot Project. May offerors include these as appendices to their technical proposals? Would these appendices be excluded from the page limit?

Answer 3:

Responses to the two scenarios are to be provided as attachments. The attachments will count towards the 150 total page limitation for the technical package.

Question 4:

The level of effort chart on page 49 includes three positions—Science Writer, Budget Analyst, and Administrative—that are not included in the Additional Technical Proposal Instructions (Experience and Capabilities of Key Staff and Additional Personnel (page 3 of 10), or anywhere else in the scope of work. Should these positions be considered as additional personnel in the operations of the Contact Center?

Answer 4:

These positions will be considered additional personnel.

Question 5:

Because the transition-in plan is only required of bidders that are not the incumbent, will the transition-in activities described in Task 13 (SOW page 10 of 11) and Attachment 5 (page 2) be unscored? May bidders append their transition-in plan? If so, will it be excluded from the page count?

Should bidders include their transition-out plan as Task 13?

Answer 5:

The transition-in plan will be an unscored factor and will be rated as “acceptable” or “unacceptable”. Offerors may include their transition-in plan as an attachment. The transition-in plan will be excluded from the 150 page limitation. A transition-out plan is not required with proposal submission. Per the Statement of Work, a transition-out plan will be due 60 days prior to contract expiration.

Question 6:

Task 1 (SOW pages 1-3) indicates that the Contractor shall send printed NCI materials and publications to clients as appropriate. Are print responses fulfilled through another contractor housing the NCI publications or does this solicitation include warehousing, printing, and/or shipping requirements that have not been identified? Would the government please clarify?

Answer 6:

The solicitation does not include warehousing services. NCI materials ordered for clients of the NCI Contact Center will be placed through the NCI warehouse.

The Government assumes that the contractor will spend up to $500.00 per Information Specialist per contract year on materials in support of contact center operations. These costs may include, but are not limited to: postage, envelopes, copies, faxes, etc.

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Question7:

Would the government please provide the required routers and physical IP phones referenced in Attachment 9 as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)? If not, what are the specifications for this equipment?

Answer 7:

The Government intends to provide systems and telecommunications infrastructure as referenced in the Statement of Work. Specifications for the equipment are not available at this time.

Question 8:

The volume data in Attachment 9 are helpful. The documentation indicates that the volume data do not include "publication orders that are answered by the Publication Ordering Service." Is the Publication Ordering Service managed by NCI’s Contact Center contract? If so, would the government please provide data on annual volume by channel along with average talk time and average after call work time? Also, does the Publication Ordering Service adhere to the same channel-specific service levels provided in the SOW?

Answer 8:

The NCI Contact Center will not be responding to Publications Order requests.

Question 9:

Attachment 3, Task 1 states that the contractor shall send printed material and publications to clients.

Further, in Attachment 9 (Operation Manual), reference is made to printing and mailing materials and publications. Would the government please provide the estimated quantity and type of documents to be printed and shipped each year under the resultant contract?

Answer 9:

See response to Question 6.

Question 10:

Regarding SOW p. 11 (Options for Additional Services--Options A Through E): Should offerors include their responses to this requirement as an Optional Task?

Answer 10:

Offerors shall include their responses to this requirement as individual Optional Tasks.

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Question 11:

Regarding Part IV, Section L, Subsection 1.d, and Attachment 10, the “direct labor hours” provided are inclusive of vacation, holiday, and sick leave. If an offeror accounts for vacation, holiday, and sick leave as part of their indirect cost pool, would the government please confirm that their pricing should only reflect direct labor hours in accordance with their standard accounting practice (e.g., 1,880 hours as a full-time equivalent)?

Answer 11:

Pricing should reflect direct labor hours in accordance with the offeror’s standard accounting practices. Offeror’s should insert their direct work year in the budget excel spreadsheet provided by the Government. This is to be included the “Number of Hours for Full Time Equivalent” cell.

Question 12:

Regarding Part IV, Section L, Subsection 1.d and Attachment 10, the solicitation provides labor hours by labor category and year. Is this level of effort and allocation across labor categories considered a uniform budget assumption that all offerors are required to reflect in their proposals?

Answer 12:

The labor hours provided in the solicitation are the Government’s estimate. Offerors may propose a different level of effort than estimated by the Government if they believe it will be more suitable and advantageous to the Government.

Question 13:

Regarding Part IV, Section L, Subsection 2.c-10.a.3, the solicitation states, “No Government Furnished Property is offered for this acquisition.” However, Government furnished equipment/items are noted throughout the solicitation, most notably in Attachment 5 (page 9). Would the government please confirm the Government Furnished Property under this solicitation, including the quantity and technical specifications?

Answer 13:

Systems, including telecommunications, to be used by the contractor are procured by the Government. The Contractor is responsible for the facilities, security, and equipment necessary to access and comply with those systems. The current systems in use are outlined on page 9 of Attachment 5 and current compatibility requirements are included in Task 10 on page 7 of the NCI Contact Center SOW.

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Question 14:

The requirements under Organizational Experience (page 84) require that offerors demonstrate entirely different information than required by Attachment 5 (Additional Technical Proposal Instructions, page 8, item C—Organizational Experience), which seems to require a demonstration of the offeror’s management approach. Would the government please clarify: Does the Government intend to review organizational experience (as required on page 84) or Management Approach (as required on Attachment 5 page 8) as the evaluation criterion valued at 15 points?

Answer 14:

The Government intends to review organizational experience as stated in Section M, Amendment 1 (pages 2-4). Attachment 5, Additional Technical Proposal Instructions, has been revised to clarify that offerors should demonstrate organizational experience.

To further clarify, items a-f, which were originally identified under page 8, Organizational Experience, have been moved to page 1, General Instructions, of Attachment 5. All offerors shall ensure that their technical proposals address the items outlined on page 1, General Instructions, of Attachment 5.

Question 15:

May offerors include in their technical proposal a compliance matrix/reviewer’s guide that will be excluded from the page count?

Answer 15:

Offerors may include a compliance matrix/reviewer’s guide in their submission. The inclusion of this document will count towards the 150 total page limitation of the technical package.

Question 16:

The government states that article (B.4) will prohibit or restrict the use of contract funds, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer. The following is a list of items that may be included in the resultant contract as applicable.

Is it the intent of the government that the 13 types of costs identified in this section are allowable under a resulting contract? If not, please clarify the intent of this provision.

Answer 16:

The items identified in Article B.4 Provisions Applicable to Direct Costs are generally unallowable costs, unless approved by the Contracting Officer. If approved, the costs will be included in Article B.4 of any resultant contract and will be considered allowable costs.

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Question 17:

The government states that “On an ad hoc basis the Contractor shall submit an NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Staff Acknowledgment Form.”

The NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Staff Acknowledgment Form is not an attachment to the RFP. Please provide a copy of this form or a link to it.

Answer 17:

The NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Staff Acknowledgement Form is attached to the end of this document.

Question 18:

The government states that “On an ad hoc basis, the contractor shall submit an NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Confidentiality Statement.”

The NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Confidentiality Statement is not attached to the RFP.

Please provide a copy of this form or a link to it.

Answer 18:

The NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Confidentiality Statement is attached to the end of this document.

Question 19:

Page 11 requirements state, “Service Level – percentage of calls answered within 20 seconds,” while Attachment 3 requirements state, “Notify the COR and develop a remediation plan if the Contractor does not meet the following service levels (weekly averages) on telephones - 4% or less abandoned calls, 80% answered within 60 seconds, and average speed of answer 30 seconds or less.”

Please confirm the required Service Level.

Answer 19:

The service level is 80% answered within 60 seconds.

Question 20:

The government states that, “A copy of the organization’s most recent annual report must be submitted as part of the business proposal.”

May an offeror that is a wholly owned affiliate of a publicly traded company provide the audited financial statements of the parent company to satisfy this requirement?

Answer 20:

The relationship between the affiliate and parent company is unclear. Offerors are to provide their own financial statements.

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Question 21:

Task 1 states that inquiries from the public are received through multiple channels, including

5. Postal Mail (English and Spanish)

What is the contractor’s responsibility with regard to supporting “Postal Mail?” What is the volume of Postal Mail inquiries received in English and Spanish in 2015? Please confirm the required Service Level for Postal Mail.

Answer 21:

Approximately 100 English and Spanish postal mail inquiries were handled in 2015. The Government assumes a response to postal mail clients within 4 business days or less.

Question 22:

Task 1 in Attachment 3 shows the hours of operation as 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday

– Friday, while Attachment 9 shows the current hours of operation as 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday – Friday

Can the government please confirm the hours of operation?

Answer 22:

The hours of operation for this requirement are 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Eastern Time, Monday – Friday.

Question 23:

Task 2B states that “The Contractor shall use multiple data sets and systems to operate and manage the Contact Center.”

Can the government provide a description of the NCI reporting capabilities and integration of those tools with the NCI software systems?

Answer 23:

The reporting capabilities are integrated within the NCI systems.

Question 24:

Task 3 states “The Government will provide existing NCI-approved initial training modules at the start of the contract.”

Do the training modules include training on NCI software systems, smoking cessation, and informational assets? What is the length of the initial training course?

Answer 24:

The initial training modules cover cancer content, smoking cessation, and NCI specific information.

Completion of initial training modules may take 4 to 6 weeks depending on information delivery.

Training on specific NCI software and systems will be coordinated for the Contractor by the Government.

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Question 25:

Task 8 (Pilot and Health Communications Projects) states that the Contractor shall, “Collaborate with NCI . . . in developing potential health communication projects or activities,” which may involve, “. . .

new NCI public education materials in a variety of formats.”

Can the government confirm that NCI has direct responsibility to review and approve all public education materials from a clinical perspective?

Answer 25:

NCI has direct responsibility to review and approve all public education materials.

Question 26:

Task 13 (Transition Planning) states that the Contractor shall, “Develop and submit a final transition plan within 15 days of contact award.”

How many days after contract award is the incoming contactor expected to begin providing contact center operational support?

Answer 26:

The incoming contractor should expect to begin providing contact center services between 30 and 90 days post contract award. It is anticipated that the incumbent contractor will remain on board for approximately 90 days post contract award.

Question 27:

The government states that “The following representations or certifications in SAM are applicable to this solicitation as indicated.”

There are no clauses checked/indicated under this section (Section K.1.(c)(1)) as being applicable. Are all 22 clauses applicable? Please clarify.

Answer 27:

All clauses are applicable unless the prescription identified in Section K.1.(c)(1) indicates otherwise.

Offeror’s may alternatively submit Representations and Certifications completed in SAM.

Question 28:

The government states that “The following certifications are applicable as indicated by the Contracting Officer [Contracting Officer check as appropriate]”

There are no clauses checked/indicated under this section (Section K.1.(c)(2) as being applicable. Are all 7 clauses applicable? Please clarify.

Answer 28:

The unchecked clauses in Section K.1.(c)(2) are not applicable. Offeror’s may alternatively submit Representations and Certifications completed in SAM.

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Question 29:

Attachment 5, page 9, Section D (Facilities, Security, Equipment, and Systems) states that, “These systems are procured by the Government and shall be utilized by the Contractor.”

Can the government please clarify which government-provided technical equipment will be located within the Contractor’s physical NIST environment (i.e., servers, switches, routers, firewalls, etc.), and where the Government-supplied systems and applications will be located/hosted?

Answer 29:

The Contractor will house a router at their physical location. All Government systems and applications will be cloud hosted.

Question 30:

Attachment 5, page 9, Section D (Facilities, Security, Equipment, and Systems) lists the systems that are procured by the government;

Does the government have a Learning Management System (i.e., a Training Environment)? If not, will the contractor be expected to provide one?

Answer 30:

The Government does not have a Learning Management System for this procurement. The Government will provide initial training modules at the start of the contract for the contractor to use. The delivery and tracking of training information is at the discretion of the Contractor.

Question 31:

The government provides a table (Attachment 9, page 4) that shows the Total Interactions Handled within the NCI Contact Center across the various access channels from 2012 through 2015.

Was there a specific change in the contact center process that drove the interaction distribution to significantly change across the Telephone, LiveHelp, and E-mail channels in 2015 vs 2014 (i.e., Telephone was 70% of the 2014 interactions vs 57% in 2015)? For example, was LiveHelp expanded to support smoking cessation in 2015, which drove that increase? Does the government expect these same trends to continue into 2016 and beyond?

Answer 31:

NCI Contact Center access channels have changed over the years based upon availability of new technologies and/or changing needs of NCI and its stakeholders. For example, changes in the quantity of NCI publications available have impacted telephone volume while the expansion of LiveHelp to serve Spanish and Smoking Cessation clients has impacted the number of chat sessions NCI receives.

The Government does expect the current trends to continue into 2017, and future adjustments may need to be made based on need.

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Question 32:

Attachment 9 Contact Center Diagram, the upper portion of the Diagram depicts two locations: UCCE Primary and UCCE Backup.

a) What are the geographic locations of the UCCE Primary and Backup platforms?

b) Who manages the systems (i.e., applications and equipment) at these locations?

c) The bottom right diagram depicts the NCI Cancer Information Service (CIS).

Does this drawing represent the systems and equipment that would be managed at the contractor site?

d) Would the contractor be expected to connect into the “PIP MPLS” Network from its facilities to gain access to the Government Information System Environment and Telecom Platform?

e) If so, will the government install Cisco SRTS (Survivable Remote Site Telephony) at the contractor site along with SIP and/or PRI Gateways “from multiple carriers” capable of handling all the Telecom traffic in the event of a failure?

Answer 32:

a) The current location of the UCCE Primary is in Englewood, Colorado. The Backup platform is located in Phoenix, Arizona. Locations of the primary and backup platforms may move based on changes to the NCI Contact Center Telecommunications infrastructure.

b) Systems will be managed by the Government.

c) No, this system diagram represents the current infrastructure of the NCI Contact Center and will not be managed by the Contractor.

d) Yes, the Contractor will be expected to connect into the PIP MPLS Network from its facilities.

e) The current infrastructure of the NCI Contact Center does not support this configuration.

Question 33:

Section 3 states that the following items shall be provided to the contractor: 6. Knowledge Base (currently using RightNow/Oracle).

Does the government intend to keep all contact center management documentation, including training materials, in the Knowledge Base? Will NCI manage the Knowledge Base content, or will the contractor be required to manage that content for the duration of the contract?

Answer 33:

The Government does not intend to keep all Contact Center Management Documentation in the Knowledge Base. The Contractor will be required to manage the Knowledge Base for the duration of the contract.

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Question 34:

The revised Attachment 1 says that “The total page limitation for the technical proposal is 50 pages and 150 pages for the entire technical proposal package including attachments. Total page count does not include: Title Page and Back Page; Table of Contents; Section Dividers that do not contain information other than title of Section; Resumes/CVs; HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template; and Summary of Related Activities forms.” Are these excluded from the total 50 pages or from the total 150 pages?

Answer 34:

These are excluded from the 50 page limit of the technical proposals. They are included in the 150 page limit of the entire technical proposal package.

Question 35:

The revised Attachment 5 requires letters of intent for all key personnel (Attachment 5, p. 8, item a.vi). The answers to questions also say that letters of commitment are required for “all proposed personnel who are not currently members of the offeror’s staff.” Are these letters of intent and letters of commitment included in the total 150 pages for the proposal package? This would seem to be a disadvantage for offerors other than the incumbent.

Answer 35:

Letters of intent and letters of commitment are excluded from the 150-page limitation of the total technical proposal package.

Question 36:

Question 16 (Amendment 1) asks about whether a few specific things are included or excluded from the page limits, and the Transition-In plan is among them. This is stipulated in the RFP as being 5 pages long and it’s only required of non-incumbents. The RFP actually says that it’s supposed to be an attachment (Attachment 5, p. 2).

The answers to questions say that this is counted toward the 50 page technical proposal. That means that non-incumbents have a different page limit for their technical proposals than the incumbent, which seems like a disadvantage. Is it possible for NCI to clarify this in such a way that incumbents & non-incumbents have the same page limit for the Technical Submission Package?

Answer 36:

The transition-in plan may be included as an attachment and will be excluded from the 150-page limitation.

Amendment 2 Page 13 of 13

Question 37:

In Amendment 001 to N02CO51028-27, dated October 4, 2016, the government’s response to question 16 (on page 11 of 16) explains that bidders must include their transition-in plans within the 50-page technical proposal. However, Attachment 5 (Additional Technical Proposal Instructions, dated September 19, 2016, on page 2 of 10) states that this requirement does not apply to the incumbent contractor.

As part of the evaluation criteria, the transition-in plans will require a thorough response from non-incumbent firms to ensure an “acceptable” rating at review. Would the government consider allowing transition-in plans to be included in the appendix so that all firms can respond to the same evaluation criteria within the 50-page limit?

Answer 37:

The transition-in plan may be included as an attachment and will be excluded from the 150-page limitation.

NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance Staff Acknowledgement Form 8/2015

National Cancer Institute’s Contact Center Quality Assurance

Staff Acknowledgement Form

The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Contact Center (CC) meets the public’s cancer information needs through various access channels, including the telephone, Live Help (Web chat), and E-mail. NCI conducts routine quality assurance of its CC. The NCI CC contractor also conducts quality assurance as part of routine operations. Quality assurance activities include call monitoring, review of LiveHelp transcripts, and review of E-mail responses. These activities are designed to continually assess, ensure and improve the quality of service provided to the public.

The NCI CC must ensure that every individual who responds to the public fully understands the quality assurance activities that will be performed by NCI and by their supervisors in the contact center. The NCI CC Manager must ensure that all Information Specialists/Smoking Cessation Counselors read and acknowledge the following information.

NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance

National Quality Assurance Program (NQAP)

NCI implements the National Quality Assurance Program, which conducts random, remote monitoring of telephone calls, LiveHelp sessions, and E-mail responses. Contacts are evaluated to ensure the quality of responses, and ensure successful attainment of NCI’s CC contractor performance standards for quality.

Results of NQAP are used to identify training needs, strengths, and opportunities for improvement in NCI’s CC responses to the public.

NCI Contact Center Quality Assurance

The NCI CIS CC is required to conduct quality assurance as outlined in the Statement of Work.

Supervisors, and/or designated monitor(s) within the contact center monitor telephone calls, LiveHelp sessions, and E-mail responses, perform routine coaching and provide regular performance feedback to Information Specialists.

Privacy NCI’s CIS telephone calls, LiveHelp sessions, and E-mail responses are routinely monitored and reviewed by the Federal Government.

• I understand and agree that I have no expectation of privacy in connection with the use of NCI telephones or any other electronic or communications equipment.

• I understand that calls, LiveHelp sessions and E-mail responses may be recorded and/or screen captured and will be monitored by NCIContact Center Supervisors, and other designated monitors in the contact center.

This document is a contract deliverable and must be signed by all Information Specialists prior to handling any NCI CC contacts.

Quality Assurance Staff Acknowledgement Form 8/2015

Information Specialist (Printed name)

Information Specialist Signature Date

NCI Contact Center Manager

For NCI Use Date Received Approval Signature Date

Confidentiality Statement for Inquiry Files 8/15

National Cancer Institute’s Contact Center Quality Assurance Confidentiality Statement

The purpose of this Confidentiality Statement is to affirm the commitment to adhere to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Contact Center (CC) policies and procedures regarding the use and protection of confidential client information. All client information contained within telephone calls, LiveHelp transcripts and E-mail is to be kept confidential.

NCI Contact Center contractor staff routinely conducts quality assurance on telephone calls, LiveHelp sessions and E-mail responses. All staff who conduct QA must understand and agree to the following:

• Performance feedback provided by the National Quality Assurance Program is to be used within the scope of the NCI CC contract, for training, quality assurance, coaching, and performance feedback purposes.

• Audio files, LiveHelp sessions and E-mail may contain information that identifies clients, either by name, contact information, or situation. This client information must be kept confidential at all times.

• Examples of audio files, LiveHelp transcripts and E-mail responses identified by the NCI may be used for training purposes with CC staff and may be used to demonstrate contact center services to external observers, with prior approval from the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). All LiveHelp and E-mail examples used for training purposes should have personal identifiers removed.

• Audio files may not be transferred onto other media or be distributed outside the CC program.

• Print or media copies of audio files may not be made.

I acknowledge I have read and agree with the requirements outlined in this document.

Printed Name: ______________________________________________

Title: ______________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________

ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

The following additional Technical Proposal instructions are meant to provide additional instructions as well as a uniform format for technical proposals. The information requested in these instructions should be used as a guide for formatting and preparing the proposal. Offerors should follow the instructions in Section L of the solicitation, plus include the information requested in this Attachment.

Offerors are advised to give careful consideration to the Statement of Work (SOW), all reference material, and attachments, the technical evaluation criteria, and the RFP as a whole, in the development of their Technical Proposal.

Offerors who propose subcontracts to perform portions of the Statement of Work should clearly identify the specific sections for which they plan to utilize subcontractors, as well as the method and level of integration between the prime and subcontractor(s), and the expected advantages of such an approach.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL – TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Instructions – Please ensure all evaluation criteria are addressed. The proposal shall demonstrate your understanding of the following:

a. A management approach that addresses Task 2 of the Statement of Work;

b. How the offeror will ensure that all quality assurance standards of the contract are met;

c. How the offeror will ensure the confidentiality of client interactions;

d. How the offeror will take into consideration the hiring and training of

Managers and Supervisors;

e. Staff retention approaches; and

f. Understanding of budget/cost implications.

SECTION 1

1. PROPOSAL TITLE PAGE. Include RFP title and number, name of organization, DUNS number, proposal part, and identify if the proposal is an original or a copy.

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 2: TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS

A. Understanding of the Work/Technical Approach

Offerors should provide a detailed work plan indicating how each area of the Statement of Work is to be accomplished. The technical approach should be sufficient in detail to full explain the proposed technical approach or method.

Page 1 of 10 RFP No. N02CO51028-27 Attachment 5

Amendment No. 2

1. Describe how the project is to be organized, staffed and managed and demonstrate an understanding of management challenges, and time frames for planning and accomplishing the work to be performed.

2. Organize the proposal by the four evaluation criteria. The proposal should be formatted according to the following major headings: 1) Understanding of the Work/Technical Approach, 2) Experience and Capabilities of Key Staff and Additional Personnel, 3) Organizational Experience, 4) Facilities, Security, Equipment, and Systems, and 5) Transition Plans.

3. Demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to meet the objectives of NCI Contact Center (CC), ability to deliver service on all access channels included in the solicitation and ability to provide service in English and Spanish.

a. Demonstrate an understanding and plan for the execution of the Statement of Work.

b. Transition In Plan to new contract (Task 13) which includes:

i. Timeline and approach for hiring and training staff;

ii. Description of how access channels will be staffed;

iii. Estimated number of staff to be hired and trained for each position;

iv. Timeline and description of renovations and preparation of office space, including: build out, installation of telecommunication and computer wiring, installation of desks and additional furniture, installation of phones and computers;

v. Plan for reporting status of transition and;

vi. Include as attachment, not to exceed 5 pages.

c. Adequacy of the response to Two Scenarios (not to exceed 4 pages for each scenario)

The scenarios described below provide examples of actual situations that the contractor may encounter in the course of performing the Statement of Work.

Responses to these scenarios should demonstrate understanding of quality management, training and ability to manage a program with changing staffing requirements. Pertinent issues related to performing the task or solving the problem should be presented.

Scenario A: Training Plan on Palliative Care - In daily interactions with clients, Information Specialists (IS) must frequently discuss palliative care as a key concept in the cancer continuum. Develop a training plan designed for Information Specialists on the topic of palliative care.

Scenario B: Video Chat Pilot Project – NCI wishes to explore the use of Video Chat in operations of the Contact Center. During this pilot, clients would be able to schedule a time to Video Chat with an Information Specialist (IS). Initially, Page 2 of 10 RFP No. N02CO51028-27 these chat sessions would be limited to Clinical Trials Searches and Referral Information. Describe how you would implement, manage, and evaluate Video Chat performance. Address challenges and opportunities of this alternative approach in staffing the Contact Center. It is assumed that ¼ of Contact Center agents would be skilled for Video Chat, with no more than 15 Video Chat session scheduled per business day.

B. Experience and Capabilities of Key Staff and Additional Personnel

See end of Technical Proposal Instructions for a description of Key Staff and Additional Personnel required for the proposal.

Key Staff

Key Staff will consist of the following: Program Director (PD), Contact Center Manager (CCM), Oncology Certified Nurses (OCN), and Training Manager(TM).

The following describes the Key Staff positions, the number of key personnel required on the contract, and required qualifications:

1. Program Director

Describe the education, training, experience, expertise, qualifications and percentage of effort of the proposed Program Director(s) to lead and direct activities to be carried out, including: overall management, budget management, and day-to-day operations of the contract. The PD will be the primary contact for the Government regarding contract implementation and is responsible for staffing NCI’s CC to ensure overall program management and attainment of performance standards.

The PD should have background and experience in managing complex budgets, human, and other administrative resources concerned with the operation of a major communications program. This position is responsible for effective communications with NCI. The PD is responsible for effective communication with the contracting organization to ensure support for the program and a positive relationship with the contracting organization. A chief obligation of the PD is to ensure that contract staff is fully informed of communications from the Government in a timely way and that management systems ensure that all contract deliverables are met.

2. Contact Center Manager

Describe the education, training, experience, expertise, qualifications and percentage of effort of the proposed Contact Center Manager(s) (CCM). Document relevant qualifications for: the day-to-day operations of a multi-channel CC including, but not limited to: telephone (cancer information and smoking cessation inquiries), LiveHelp, and Cancer.gov E-mail. The CCM should have extensive experience in managing a multi-channel contact center and

Page 3 of 10 RFP No. N02CO51028-27 must have strong knowledge of performance and quality management. The CCM shall have the ability to mobilize staff to adapt to new technologies and program priorities.

The primary responsibilities of the CCM are:

a. Ensure staffing for all access channels consistent with performance measures;

b. Ensure adherence to schedules, real time management of staffing and contact queues and provide all needed information to ensure successful operation of the Government’s workforce management system;

c. Manage organizational performance;

d. Ensure that a comprehensive training plan is implemented in the CC for all staff;

e. Ensure a comprehensive quality assurance process is implemented in the CC;

f. Ensure that staff have adequate supervision, resources and equipment needed to perform their work; and

g. Ensure effective planning and implementation of research activities to be performed in the Contact Center.

3. Training Manager

Describe the education, training, experience, expertise, qualifications, role in the project and percentage of effort of the proposed Training Manager to perform the following tasks:

overseeing and implementing the CC training program as described in the Statement of Work, Task 3. Describe how the Training Manager will adhere to Government policies and guidelines related to training and program operations. Describe the Training Manager’s relevant training experience, relevant training certification, and/or an advanced degree with a concentration in education or related field.

Describe the Training Manager’s competency in: training curriculum design and development, assessment of learning needs, implementation of a comprehensive training program that includes all aspects of training outlined in Task 3, development of professional development plans, and assessment of training results. The Training Manager integrates results of training with other contact center processes including hiring, quality monitoring and performance management. Describe the Training Manager’s Cancer knowledge, organizational management, and communications experience.

The primary responsibilities of the Training Manager are:

a. Ensure quality of training for all staff, including training on all access channels;

b. Track outcomes of training on performance;

c. Collaborate with CCM, supervisors and Oncology Certified Nurses in delivery of training and coaching Information Specialists;

d. Ensure that staff serving as trainers are competent and knowledgeable about training topics and content within the modules; and

e. Ensure training resources are available to staff.

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4. Oncology Certified Nurses

The Oncology Certified Nurses (OCN) will staff the Contact Center. They will maintain at least one of the following certifications OCN®, CPON®, AOCNP® and/or AOCNS®.

Describe the OCN’s cancer content expertise and how they will play a key role in all aspects of training as defined in the Statement of Work. Describe how the OCN will assist in coaching/mentoring Information Specialists to attain additional knowledge and skills in their roles, and as defined in the Statement of Work (Task 3). Describe how the OCN will assist CCM in mentoring supervisors and contribute to training curriculum development and the delivery of components of initial training and CE (see Task 3) and provide expertise to other trainers.

Demonstrate the OCN’s expertise in cancer clinical trials and how they will mentor Information Specialists and Supervisors in handling clinical trials inquiries through all access channels. Because cancer research is a principal activity of the NCI, strong fundamental understanding of clinical trials is paramount for this position. Describe any recent clinical experience or work in academic research.

Additional Personnel

The following positions are considered additional personnel, meaning that the Government does not specify the number of staff for each of these positions or need to approve curriculum vitae or resumes for these positions. Additional Personnel may serve multiple roles on the contract.

1. Information Specialists

Describe the Information Specialists’ (IS) ability to respond to inquiries in English and/or Spanish. IS are trained on multiple access channels, including telephone (1-800-4-CANCER and 1-877-44U-QUIT), LiveHelp, and Cancer.gov E-mail. Describe how IS will complete the NCI Initial Training Program prior to responding to contacts. IS shall be trained on access channels based upon the staffing needs on each channel and public usage of each access channel. Training will likely include cross training on multiple access channels.

Describe IS’s proficiency and ability to:

a. Identify the information needs of clients;

b. Provide information that meets the needs of clients;

c. Provide information in accordance with quality standards, and according to NCI policies and procedures;

d. Collect data on each interaction using the tools provided by NCI;

e. Conduct appropriate follow-up activities;

f. Meet all key performance indicators of the contract;

g. Participate in NCI-directed projects;

h. Use of Microsoft Office;

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i. Speak and write using plain language and knowledge management databases and provide responses using NCI information resources;

j. Develop responses using standard templates; and

k. Utilize systems and technology for each access channel.

2. Supervisors

Describe the Supervisors’ education, training, experience, expertise qualifications, role in the project and percentage of effort. Document relevant experience and qualifications for:

the daily supervision of Information Specialists, quality assurance on all access channels, and performance feedback and coaching of all IS. Describe the Supervisors’ knowledgeable about contact center operations, including workforce management, training, and cancer information resources. Show the Supervisors depth of knowledge of cancer content and NCI information resources used to respond to contacts on all access channels. Demonstrate the supervisors’ communication skills, their ability to work cohesively in teams, mentor IS, and provide exemplary service in the CC. Supervisors must demonstrate understanding of the Statement of Work. The Supervisor position description described applies to English and Spanish language supervisory tasks.

Demonstrate the supervisors’ competency and proficiency in:

a. Interpersonal communication;

b. Knowledge of cancer across the cancer continuum, from prevention to survivorship;

c. Knowledge of the CC quality assurance process;

d. Performing accurate quality assurance on all access channels (interpreting quality standards, calibrating with other Supervisors and NCI);

e. Communicating performance feedback to IS;

f. Coaching/mentoring IS;

g. Tracking, analyzing, and reporting performance results to IS and CC management;

h. Providing real time support in the CC, assisting IS with questions, problems, resource retrieval; and

i. Training IS on CC operations and/or other areas as directed by the CCM.

3. Resource Specialist

Describe the education, training, experience, expertise and qualifications of the Resource Specialist (RS) as an expert on cancer information resources used in the CC. Describe the Resource Specialist’s in-depth knowledge of cancer information, cancer clinical trials, cancer information resources and databases of the NCI, and other resources designated for use by the CC. Describe how the RS will coordinate the integration of resources into the CC;

maintain all resources, including knowledge databases and standard language repositories;

serve as the liaison to NCI on resource and content needs in the Center, and serve as a reviewer of NCI publications. The Resource Specialist will work closely with the management team to support the training of all program staff according to the Statement of Work, Task 3. The RS functions apply to English and Spanish language needs of the CC.

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Key Staff for Additional Services

Describe how the Contractor shall ensure the VA quitline is managed by experienced personnel who are qualified to conduct of similar skill for a Contact Center and who have a proven background and level of experience for the work required. Key project personnel include only those persons who will be assigned to this project and who will be the actual personnel responsible for management and or performance of this Task. These skilled, experienced and professional personnel are essential for successful accomplishment of the work to be performed.

1. Training Manager

Describe the education, experience, expertise, qualifications and hours proposed for the Training Manager. Document relevant qualifications for: overseeing and implementing the Contact Center (CC) training program as described in Options for Additional Services.

Describe how the Training Manager will adhere to NCI’s Government policies and guidelines related to training and program operations. Document the experience of the Training Manager including relevant training certifications, and/or any advanced degrees with a concentration in education or related field. Document the Training Manager’s competency in: training curriculum design and development, assessment of learning needs, implementation of a comprehensive training program that includes all aspects of training development and assessment of training results. Show how the Training Manager integrates results of training with other Contact Center processes, including hiring, quality monitoring and performance management. Demonstrate cancer knowledge, organizational management, and communications experience

Demonstrate the Training Manager’s ability to perform the following primary responsibilities:

a. Ensure quality of training for all staff, including training on all access channels;

b. Track outcomes of training on performance;

c. Collaborate with CCM, supervisors and Oncology Certified Nurses in delivery of training and coaching Information Specialists;

d. Ensure that staff serving as trainers are competent and knowledgeable about training topics and content within the modules;

e. Ensure training resources are available to staff; and

f. Ensure experienced quitline staff provides all subsequent training.

The Technical Proposal should include all information relevant to document individual training, education, experience, qualifications and expertise necessary for the successful completion of all contract requirements. The proposal shall demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to employ and retain competent, qualified personnel to perform the tasks of this contract. The Government assumes that the Offeror will determine the number of staff needed to perform the work within a budget based on the principles of cost reasonableness and the uniform cost assumptions. Offerors should carefully consider the number and type of staff necessary to fulfill the tasks in the Statement of Work.

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a. Resumes for proposed Key Staff, including:

i. Educational background;

ii. Recent and prior experience related to Contact Center operations;

iii. Experience applicable to tasks in the Statement of Work;

iv. Names, dates of previous employers;

v. Percentage of time proposed for each key personnel;

vi. Availability of key personnel named in the proposal with letters of intent; and

b. Organizational Chart

i. Structure of Contact Center management team, including staff/supervisory relationships.

c. Staffing Plan

i. Rationale for number of staff in relation to all aspects of the Contact

Center operations; and

ii. If staff are unknown at time of proposal, indicate which positions are “To Be Named” (TBN).

d. Additional staff (if proposed by offeror)

i. Names, titles, proposed duties;

ii. Letter of commitment/availability of all additional personnel;

iii. Letters of commitment letters must include:

1. Expertise that will be provided;

2. Availability to the contract/number of hours personnel will commit; and

3. Resumes do not satisfy this requirement alone.

C. Organizational Experience

Demonstrate the Offeror’s organizational experience in operating and managing a contact center, related to the specific tasks outlined in the Statement of Work. Address qualifications specific to the objectives of the NCI Contact Center in providing cancer information to the public.

D. Facilities, Security, Equipment and Systems

Offerors should describe their facility, security and equipment and show their ability to work with the following systems:

i. Cisco software based phones – currently using Cisco IP Communicator;

ii. CTI toolbar;

iii. Workforce Management System (currently using Calabrio);

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iv. Call Management System (CMS- currently using Teletech) Real-time (CUIS);

& Historical (OneView) Reporting (currently using TeleTech);

v. LiveHelp system (currently using RightNow/Oracle);

vi. Knowledge Base (currently using RightNow/Oracle);

vii. Electronic Contact Record Form (ECRF) database (for tracking data about inquiries) (currently using RightNOW/Oracle);

viii. Work In Progress (WIP) database (for tracking e-mail correspondence, currently using RightNOW/Oracle); and

ix. Calabrio, or other Government-furnished call recording system.

These systems are procured by the Government and shall be utilized by the Contractor.

Currently, the NCI Contact Center operates using Verizon Business Interactive Voice Response (IVR) with Enhanced Call Routing which routes all toll-free call center calls to a Verizon telephony solution with a combination of a hosted TeleTech contact center technologies that are integrated with RightNOW/Oracle’s Customer Experience (CX) CRM application. This end-to-end technology solution is hosted on Verizon, TeleTech, and RightNow/Oracle infrastructures, respectively. (see diagram in Reference Materials).

The current solution is designed using TeleTech’s Cisco Unified Contact Center…