ocsq39320130509SOW2..docx

Statement of Work

Expert Clinical, Psychosocial, and Coverage Consultant for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Program, Survey & Certification

Purpose and Requirements Overview

The purpose of this procurement is to acquire the services of a subject matter expert/consultant to assist in refining and driving the ESRD Core Survey Process to achieve its dual goals of identifying and achieving correction of the most meaningful deficiencies in dialysis providers and reducing the cost of survey. This will incorporate training, communication of expectations to all dialysis stakeholders, analysis of survey findings and revision of tools and training materials as necessary. The selected consultant must have substantial experience in delivery of psychosocial services to people with ESRD, writing, editing, and public speaking, and developing user-friendly Section 508-compliant educational and training materials. This contract will provide clinical, psychosocial, coverage, and document analysis consultation for the ESRD Program during the implementation of the new ESRD Core Survey Process.

The requirements in this contract include:

· Consultation with the COR on new evidence-based professionally-accepted clinical practice standards for care of persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD) for review and approval for inclusion in surveyor materials as well as any areas where lack of consensus is identified;

· Development of ESRD Core Survey materials that are Section 508-compliant for posting on the CMS Dialysis Survey & Certification Web site;

· Development of STAR training materials that are Section 508-compliant;

· Participation in up to 4 ESRD Basic Technical Core Surveyor Trainings, 4 ESRD Core Conversion Survey Trainings, and 1 ESRD Annual Update Training for ESRD surveyors;

· Consultation with the COR and the SCG, as needed, on psychosocial issues and their implications for the quality of ESRD care, the ESRD Core Survey process, and STAR;

· Revising the content of the automated ESRD Surveyor Technical Assistant for Renal Disease (STAR) to be consistent with the ESRD Core Survey process;

· Providing expert opinion to the CORE on frequently asked questions.

The selected consultant must possess in-depth knowledge of the ESRD Medicare program and the ESRD survey process. The selected consultant’s experiences must reflect extensive knowledge of the ESRD Program as well as document management, and collaboration skills. The selected consultant must demonstrate:

· Extensive knowledge and advanced clinical experience in hospital-based and independent ESRD facilities providing psychosocial services to transplant as well as in-center and home dialysis patients;

· Advanced understanding of adult learning theory and experience in developing educational materials for consumers and professionals as well as training materials to help ESRD surveyors use the traditional and ESRD Core Survey process and STAR;

· Advanced skills in developing user-friendly 508-compliant surveyor training materials for print and electronic media, including posting on the CMS Dialysis Survey & Certification Web site;

· In-depth experience in revising the content of the tablet-based STAR software program to be consistent with the ESRD Core Survey process;

· Extensive experience in public speaking, including training surveyors and renal professionals on the administration and use of physical and mental functioning surveys, including the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) for patient plan of care and quality assessment and performance improvement;

· In depth understanding of Medicare reimbursement policies and experience explaining how those policies impact quality of care and the ESRD survey process;

· Extensive experience addressing and presenting on psychosocial issues in ESRD;

· Expert skills in technical writing and editing the ESRD State Operations Manual, ESRD Survey & Certification letters, position papers, articles, etc.

· Extensive experience responding to inquiries from ESRD patients and personnel to a national hotline as well as developing written responses to internal and external inquiries, including CMS Central Office and State Survey Agency personnel, renal professionals and ESRD consumers;

· Advanced experience with MS Office applications (Access, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, PowerPoint, and Word), Adobe Acrobat, and other software as required.

All respondents to this effort must provide current credentials and are subject to state and federal background check investigation.

The Deliverables table presents a summary of all deliverables addressed in this procurement.

Tasks to Be Performed

The selected consultant shall provide the resources necessary to perform the tasks of the procurement. The selected consultant shall provide the resources necessary to perform the tasks of this procurement. No diversion from this Statement of Work (SOW) shall be made by the selected consultant without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

Task 1: Surveyor Training

The selected consultant will plan, implement, and participate in the following ESRD surveyor trainings: up to 4 ESRD Basic Technical Core Surveyor Trainings, 4 ESRD Core Conversion Survey Trainings, and 1 ESRD Annual Update.

The selected consultant will provide clinical and technical expertise in the development of 508-compliant training materials (slides, worksheets, “laminates,” etc.) for ESRD Core Survey for surveyor training and STAR training in both print and electronic formats for dissemination at trainings and on the CMS Dialysis Survey & Certification Web site, and to research and recommend inclusion of revised evidence-based professionally-accepted clinical practice guidelines and reference materials to help support the ESRD survey process. Delivery of training materials for STAR and ESRD Surveyor Training are required prior to the designated print date for each STAR and ESRD Surveyor Training course.

Task 2: Development and Preparation of ESRD Support Documents

The selected consultant will develop and maintain such support documents for the ESRD Program as lists of ESRD and STAR-trained surveyors, ESRD Regional Office personnel, Master Account Holders for Dialysis Facility Reports, ESRD waivers, etc. as defined during the performance period to help monitor ESRD resources, training needs of surveyors, and the status of ESRD facility waivers. Updated versions of the documents required to support the ESRD Program will be delivered to the COR as new information is available. The selected consultant will deliver the list of Master Account Holders to UM-KECC and ESRD Facility Waivers for the CMS Providing Data Quickly (PDQ) site within 15 days of approvals and 508 compliance testing. The selected consultant will deliver other documents as requested.

Task 3: Psychosocial & Coverage Issues Related to ESRD

The selected consultant will provide reports and analysis on psychosocial and coverage issues related to ESRD as available and needed by the ESRD Survey and Certification Program.

Task 4: Responding to Internal and External Inquiries

The selected consultant will provide written responses to inquiries to CMS Central Office and Regional Office personnel, surveyors, and ESRD facility personnel that will be reviewed and approved by other SMEs and the COR.

Task 5: Communication and Reporting

To ensure the expenditure of resources is consistent with and will lead to successful completion of all tasks within this procurement, the selected candidate and the COR will routinely meet (telephonically) daily, weekly, and monthly to discuss current SOW activities at the discretion of the COR and selected candidate. In addition, the selected candidate will submit to the COR a monthly written activity report of all work under the SOW conducted, inclusive of work completed, in progress, and problems or issues encountered, by the 10th day of the month following performance.

Task 6: Final Reporting

The selected consultant shall provide a final report summarizing the work performed and deliverables created under this SOW. The final report shall include but not be limited to:

· Identification of all deliverables;

· Relevance of deliverables to the SOW;

· Challenges and barriers to producing SOW deliverables and implemented solutions;

· Suggestions for SOW implementation improvement; and

· Suggestions for future ESRD regulation and policy activities.

Meetings and Travel

The selected consultant is required to be accessible to the COR by email and telephone and available to participate (in person and telephonically) in CMS meetings as designated by the COR. The selected consultant may be required to travel to up to four (4) Basic ESRD Core Surveyor Trainings, four (4) ESRD Core Conversion Survey Trainings, and one ESRD Annual Update Training courses, and up to two in person meetings with the COR and other CMS ESRD staff and contractors as requested by the COR. All local and non-local meeting and travel costs for the selected consultant will be funded through the procurement. The selected consultant cannot request additional funding for meetings and travel.

Place of Performance

The selected consultant is not required to reside in the greater Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area; however, the selected consultant may be required to travel within the Continental United States and be telephonically available as directed by the COR.

Period of Performance

The period of performance is July 8, 2013 through July 7, 2014.

Requirements

All work performed under this procurement shall be performed under the general guidance and monitoring of the CMS COR. All purchase order deliverables are subject to CMS approval. Deliverables which do not meet the requirements and specifications of the COR will be not be accepted. The selected consultant is responsible for deliverable re-submission. Repeated non-acceptable deliverables is a breach of this agreement.

Key Personnel

This SOW requires the expert services of a person with knowledge of ESRD care and treatment, ESRD Conditions for Coverage and Medicare policy, ESRD survey processes and psychosocial needs of people with ESRD. The selected consultant will be fluent in the use of MS Office Suite, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, and other software as required to fulfill deliverables.

Government Furnished Property and Information

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the selected consultant will furnish the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the requirements of this SOW. There is no Government Furnished Property (GFP) provided for this procurement. The selected consultant will supply his/her own software, such as Microsoft Office, and have access to a telephone and an email account.

Government Furnished Information (GFI) will be provided in conjunction with required performance under this SOW as determined by CMS. The selected consultant shall become familiar with CMS-provided background materials and shall identify any additional information required from CMS within ten business days of the award of this procurement. All documents and materials pertaining to ESRD policy are confidential, unless otherwise specified by the COR. As such, any outside party granted access to the confidential materials must have prior written approval from the CMS contracting office (CO) and the granted access party must sign a non-disclosure statement. A signed original copy of an approval document must be on file with the CMS Office of Acquisition and Grants Management and the CCSQ SCG prior to the review of any related materials. All materials created subsequent to this SOW are and remain the property of CMS.

Acceptance Criteria

The selected consultant will deliver all products to the COR, or other designees as directed by the COR, in a timely fashion according to the need of the task of this procurement. This may include quick turn-around situations where emergent issues are under a tight deadline. Electronic transmission will be the primary deliverable delivery mechanism; however, the selected consultant will also provide hard copies as directed by the COR/designee to CMS. This SOW requires the selected consultant as directed by the COR to be available for consultation with SCG staff and designees as necessary to complete work assigned. The COR will notify the selected consultant of deliverable acceptance and provide written comments within ten (10) business days of receipt of a deliverable. Within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the COR’s written comments, the selected consultant will resubmit the deliverable to the COR.

SECTION 508 - ACCESSIBILITY OF ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(a) This task order is subject to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) as amended by the workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). Specifically, subsection 508(a)(1) requires that when the Federal Government procures Electronic and Information Technology (EIT), the EIT must allow Federal employees and individuals of the public with disabilities comparable access to and use of information and data that is provided to Federal employees and individuals of the public without disabilities.

(b) The EIT accessibility standards at 36 CFR Part 1194 were developed by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board ("Access Board") and apply to contracts and task/delivery orders, awarded under indefinite quantity contracts on or after June 25, 2001.

(c) Each Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (36 CFR 1194), as specified in the contract, as a minimum. If the Contracting Officer determines any furnished product or service is not in compliance with the contract, the Contracting Officer will promptly inform the Contractor in writing. The Contractor shall, without charge to the Government, repair or replace the non-compliant products or services within the period of time to be specified by the Government in writing. If such repair or replacement is not completed within the time specified, the Government shall have the following recourses:

1. Cancellation of the contract, delivery or task order, purchase or line item without termination liabilities; or

2. In the case of custom Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) being developed by a contractor for the Government, the Government shall have the right to have any necessary changes made or repairs performed by itself or by another firm for the noncompliant EIT, with the contractor liable for reimbursement to the Government for any expenses incurred thereby.

(d) The contractor must ensure that all EIT products that are less than fully compliant with the accessibility standards are provided pursuant to extensive market research and are the most current compliant products or services available to satisfy the contract requirements.

(e) For every EIT product or service accepted under this contact by the Government that does not comply with 36 CFR 1194, the contractor shall, at the discretion of the Government, make every effort to replace or upgrade it with a compliant equivalent product or service, if commercially available and cost neutral, on either a contract specified refresh cycle for the product or service, or on a contract effective option/renewal date; whichever shall occur first.

Section 508 Compliance for Communications

The (Contractor name goes here) shall comply with the standards, policies, and procedures below. In the event of conflicts between the referenced documents and this SOW, PWS, or TO, the SOW, PWS, or TO shall take precedence.

Rehabilitation Act, Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1. 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2. 36 CFR 1194 (508 Standards)

3. www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm (508 standards)

4. FAR 39.2 (Section 508)

5. CMS/HHS Standards, policies and procedures (Section 508)

In addition, all contract deliverables are subject to these 508 standards as applicable.

Regardless of format, all Web content or communications materials produced, including text, audio or video - must conform to applicable Section 508 standards to allow federal employees and members of the public with disabilities to access information that is comparable to information provided to persons without disabilities. All contractors (including subcontractors) or consultants responsible for preparing or posting content must comply with applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and where applicable, those set forth in the referenced policy or standards documents above. Remediation of any materials that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 36 CFR Part 1194 as set forth in the SOW, PWS, or TO, shall be the responsibility of the contractor or consultant.

The following Section 508 provisions apply to the content or communications material identified in this SOW, PWS, or TO:

36 CFR Part 1194.21 a - l 36 CFR Part 1194.22 a - p 36 CFR Part 1194.31 a - f

Points of Contact

Deliverables

Sub-Task Number

· 4 ESRD Basic Technical Core

· 4 ESRD Core Conversion

· 1 ESRD Annual Update Per CMS training schedule for FY 2014

Monthly Activity Report At discretion of COR and contractor

By 10th day of following month