P01 - PWS_FY24-HIG-157_HCIdM Support_v2.docx

Healthcare Identity Management (HCIdM) Support

FY24-HIG-157

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Health Informatics (OHI) Health Information Governance (HIG)

Healthcare Identity Management (HCIdM) Support (FY24-HIG-157)

Date: 4/16/24 Revised PWS Version Number: 1.1

Contents

BACKGROUND

The Health Care Identity Management (HC IdM) Program operates within the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Data Quality Program. The HC IdM Program’s primary role is to serve as the steward of patient and beneficiary identity data, performing data integrity tasks to maintain and support the Veterans Identity, traits and their subsequent VA system records linked to the identity. The HC IdM Program ensures integrity of patient and beneficiary identity data within the VA Master Person Index (VA MPI). The VA MPI is a database that holds over 77 million unique entries and is populated from patient and beneficiary databases at VA facilities nationwide. Veteran patients and beneficiaries are matched within the VA MPI database through an assigned, unique Integration Control Number (ICN). This number is assigned based on matching of key identity traits. The VA MPI provides the mechanism for linking the patient or beneficiaries’ information, enabling an enterprise-wide view of individual and aggregate electronic healthcare records and their other beneficiary records. This ICN allows for the creation of a single longitudinal record, consisting of all the records a Veteran accumulates from the period of service, through post service care and benefits. This record will include any Department of Defense (DoD), VHA, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and National Cemetery Administration (NCA) and Joint Health Information Exchange (JHIE) (formerly known as VHIE) participant records.

VA has partnered with the DoD to share a single Electronic Health Record Management System (EHRM) based on the Oracle Health Millennium product for use in providing care to both DoD and VA patients. EHRM uses the DoD Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), as the authoritative source of identity information in Oracle Health Millennium, and the DoD's Electronic Data Interchange Personal Identifier (EDIPI) as the unique identifier for the shared system. Creating and maintaining a correlation between these records and ensuring that they all identify a single individual, relies heavily on the integrity of the data within the VA MPI. When one or more VA sites, and/or our sharing partners, have a patient identified by the same ICN or matching identity traits, the VA MPI facilitates the sharing of information, resulting in coordinated and integrated health care for Veterans and a single view of a Veterans total record for VA.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following Training Materials and Reference Materials:

1. Identity Management Toolkit (IdM TK) User Guide

2. Toolkit Request Procedures (Person Verifications and Potential Duplicates)

3. Toolkit Task Procedures

4. Toolkit Task Guidelines

5. Template-Toolkit Task Template Details & Instructions

6. Template ONLY-TK Task Details & Instructions

7. Override (OVR) Task Guidelines

8. Important Information Date of Death (DOD)_Update_12_1_2017

9. Cerner-VA MPI Data Discrepancy: Trait differences between VA MPI, DEERs or Cerner

10. Cerner-VA MPI Date of Death Discrepancy

11. Cerner-VA MPI EDIPI Issue Instructions

12. EHRM Cleanup Trait Differences Instructions

13. Catastrophic Edit (CE) and Cat Merge Guidelines

14. Identity Theft Guidelines

15. Service Now Assignment Groups

16. HC IdM Internal Non-VistA VA MPI POCs

Directives & Guidelines:

17. IdM Fact Sheet: Identity Trait Changes

18. VHA Directive 1906: Data Quality Requirements for Health Care Identity Management and Master Person Index Functions.

19. VHA Directive 1605.01, Privacy and Release of Information

20. VHA Directive 1907.01, VHA Health Information Management and Health Records

21. VHA Directive 1907.09 Identity Authentication for Health Care Services.

22. VHA Directive 1604: Data Entry Requirements for Administrative Data.

23. VHA Directive 1907.05: Repair of Catastrophic Edits to Person Identity

24. VHA Directive 1341(2): Providing Health Care for Transgender and Intersex Veterans.

25. VHA Information Access and Privacy Office’s Practice Brief: Request for Amendment of Record Under Privacy Law

26. Privacy Fact Sheet: Use of Individually Identifiable Information in Microsoft Office Applications.

27. Prevention of Catastrophic Edits to Person Identity

The Contractor shall also comply with the following:

28. 44 U.S.C. § 3541-3549, “Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002”

29. “Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014”

30. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-2, “Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules”

31. FIPS Pub 199. “Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems,” February 2004

32. FIPS Pub 200, “Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems,” March 2006

33. FIPS Pub 201-2, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 2013

34. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program"

35. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

36. Public Law 109-461, Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, Title IX, Information Security Matters

37. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

38. VA Directive 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” June 4, 2010, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

39. VA Handbook 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” May 2, 2016, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

40. VA Directive and Handbook 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

41. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” January 18, 2017

42. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Managing Federal Information as a Strategic Resource,” July 28, 2016

43. 32 C.F.R. Part 199, “Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)”

44. NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 1, “An Introductory Resource Guide for Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule,” October 2008

45. Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended, January 18, 2017

46. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12), August 27, 2004

47. VA Directive 6500, “VA Cybersecurity Program,” February 24, 2021

48. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program,” February 24, 2021

49. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI),” March 12, 2019

50. VA Handbook 6500.5, “Incorporating Security and Privacy into the System Development Lifecycle,” March 22, 2010

51. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010

52. VA Handbook 6500.8, “Information System Contingency Planning,” April 6, 2011

53. VA Handbook 6500.10, “Mobile Device Security Policy,” February 15, 2018

54. VA Handbook 6500.11, “VA Firewall Configuration,” August 22, 2017

55. OIT Process Asset Library (PAL), https://www.va.gov/process/ . Reference Process Maps at https://www.va.gov/process/maps.asp and Artifact templates at https://www.va.gov/process/artifacts.asp

56. One-VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.va.gov/trm/TRMHomePage.aspx)

57. VA Directive 6508, “Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” October 15, 2014

58. VA Handbook 6508.1, “Procedures for Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” July 30, 2015

59. VA Handbook 6510, “VA Identity and Access Management,” January 15, 2016

60. VA Directive and Handbook 6513, “Secure External Connections,” October 12, 2017

61. VA Directive 6300, “Records and Information Management,” September 21, 2018

62. VA Handbook, 6300.1, “Records Management Procedures,“ March 24, 2010

63. NIST SP 800-37 Rev 2, “Risk Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy,” December 2018

64. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, “Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations,” September 23, 2020 (includes updates as of 12/10/2020)

65. VA Directive 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” October 26, 2015

66. VA Handbook 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” March 24, 2014

67. OMB Memorandum 05-24, “Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 5, 2005

68. OMB Memorandum M-19-17, “Enabling Mission Delivery Through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management,” May 21, 2019

69. OMB Memorandum, “Guidance for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 Implementation,” May 23, 2008

70. Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) Roadmap and Implementation Guidance, December 2, 2011, (NOTE: Part A of the FICAM Roadmap and Implementation Guidance, v2.0, was replaced in 2015 with an updated Architecture (https://arch.idmanagement.gov/#what-is-the-ficam-architecture)

71. NIST SP 800-116 Rev 1, “Guidelines for the Use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credentials in Facility Access,“ June 2018

72. NIST SP 800-63-3, 800-63A, 800-63B, 800-63C, “Digital Identity Guidelines,” updated March 02, 2020

73. NIST SP 800-157, “Guidelines for Derived PIV Credentials,” December 2014

74. NIST SP 800-164, “Guidelines on Hardware-Rooted Security in Mobile Devices (Draft),” October 2012

75. Draft National Institute of Standards and Technology Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7981, “Mobile, PIV, and Authentication,” March 2014

76. VA Memorandum, VAIQ #7100147, “Continued Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12),” April 29, 2011 (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

77. IAM Identity Management Business Requirements Guidance document, May 2013, (reference Enterprise Architecture Section, PIV/IAM (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

78. VA Memorandum “Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Logical Access Policy Clarification,” July 17, 2019, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896

79. Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents

80. OMB Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative,” September 12, 2019

81. OMB Memorandum M-08-23, “Securing the Federal Government’s Domain Name System Infrastructure,” August 22, 2008

82. Sections 524 and 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, (Public Law 110–140), December 19, 2007

83. Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, (Public Law 109–58), August 8, 2005

84. Executive Order 13834, “Efficient Federal Operations,” dated May 17, 2018

85. Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” August 2, 2001

86. VA Directive 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program,” July 19, 2013

87. VA Handbook 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program,” July 19, 2013

88. Office of Information Security (OIS) VAIQ #7424808 Memorandum, “Remote Access,” January 15, 2014, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

89. Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, 40 U.S.C. §11101 and §11103

90. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 4.0,” January 2021, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

91. VA Memorandum “Proper Use of Email and Other Messaging Services,” January 2, 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

92. “DevSecOps Product Line Management Playbook” version 2.0, May 2021, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946

93. NIST SP 500-267B Revision 1, “USGv6 Profile,” November 2020

94. OMB Memorandum M-21-07, “Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6),” November 19, 2020

95. Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act of 2017

96. Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, March 23, 2018

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall identify and resolve data discrepancies, anomalies and exceptions; complete data verification/validation resolution activities; duplicate record resolutions; and daily/monthly HC IdM Contract Workload Metrics Reports containing statistics relating to the HC IdM Program workload. Tasks will originate from the VA MPI and IdM Toolkit. An IdM Toolkit request/task is a potential data anomaly identified within the VA MPI database such as potential duplicate records and identity trait changes that could impact the validity of the data and the correct matching of patient records.

The HC IdM Program Office has established policies and procedures for handling exceptions and managing the data within the VA MPI. The formal policies and procedures for use of the VA MPI and the IdM Toolkit may be found in GFI section. These procedures and guidelines define how to handle the many different exceptions, requests, and tasks, and the required documentation with details of their research, verifications, findings, and resolution. The contractor shall follow HC IdM standard policies and procedures when operating in this environment.

The VA has an established internal training program for this requirement which will be required for all initial contractors after award. In the option years, subsequent contractor staff shall be trained by the contractor lead.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The Period of Performance (PoP) shall be a 12-month base period, with four (4) 12-month option periods (if exercised).

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

There are eleven (11) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, four are set by date:

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed in VA facilities located in the Birmingham, AL, Office of Health Information Field Office and the Tuscaloosa, AL, Office of Health Information Field Office. Coverage shall be provided during the Business hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Central Time; Monday through Friday. A minimum level of support (4 contractors) must be provided during all hours of operation either remote or on site. Work may be performed at remote locations with prior concurrence from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

TRAVEL

The Government does not anticipate travel under this PWS.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following:

Task 1 - Potential Duplicate Record Requests:

A potential duplicate record task is auto-generated when a new record is added to the VA MPI, and the Threshold Score (TS) from the identity trait comparison performed by the matching algorithm is not high enough to allow the new record to auto-link to an existing record. The TS is high enough to be a potential match to the existing record but is not high enough to be an actual match, therefore it requires manual resolution. A potential duplicate record request is generated by a VA MPI POC when they discover duplicate records on the VA MPI.

The Contractor shall respond (responses shall be in the format of email, Microsoft Teams, telephone, Service Now/yourIT ticket, or IdM Toolkit software) to all routine inquiries from the user community within two (2) business days.

Deliverable Task 1:

A. Number of requests received will be documented on HC IdM Detailed Metrics Report. This documentation shall be provided in an existing VA format excel spreadsheet. Historically, a minimum of 300-350 duplicate requests/tasks per month by eight (8) experienced FTE.

Task 2 – Identity Trait Data Anomaly Resolution and Change/Verification requests:

Identity Trait Data Anomaly resolution includes resolution of all exceptions described in documents contained in this PWS (See GFI Section), with the exception of Potential Catastrophic Edits, Catastrophic Edits, Identity Theft Resolution, Potential Mismatches, and Inter-facility Consults.

Identity Trait Change/Verification Requests/Tasks include all requests from sites to correct identity data, including legal name changes and gender changes. It also includes verification of demographic data via approved resources.

The Contractor shall follow a predefined procedure (See GFI Section) to verify and validate identity data as requests are received through the Program Office in the forms of email, Microsoft Teams, telephone, Service Now/yourIT ticket, IdM Toolkit software and web portals, internal and external to the VA, including Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), DoD and other partners.

The Contractor shall respond (responses shall be in the format of email, Microsoft Teams, telephone, Service Now/yourIT ticket, or IdM Toolkit software) to all routine inquiries from the user community within two (2) business days.

Deliverable Task 2:

A. Status of requests and actions taken will be identified on the HC IdM Detailed Metrics Report. Historically, a minimum of 1400-1600 requests/tasks per month by eight (8) experienced FTE.

Task 3 - Reporting for Tasks 1 and 2:

The Contractor shall complete the HC IdM Detailed Metrics Report and provide a monthly HC IdM Contract Workload Metrics Report.

Deliverable Task 3:

A. HC IdM Contract Workload Metrics Report. The HC IdM Contract Workload Metrics Report is distributed internally and externally. It shall provide complete and accurate statistics on resolved requests/tasks and exceptions for the appropriate month. The data for the report is generated from the VA IdM Toolkit and VA MPI Systems individually by the Contractor and then consolidated in this monthly report. The Contractor shall complete the documentation within the first ten (10) business days of the following month in an existing VA format Excel spreadsheet.

B. HC IdM Detailed Metrics Report. The HC IdM Detailed Metrics Report is an internal report documenting completely and accurately, the number of external support requests/tasks. The report shall categorize the completed work by assignment format (email, Microsoft Teams, telephone, Service Now/yourIT ticket, or IdM Toolkit software). The Contractor shall complete the documentation within the first ten (10) business days of the following month in an existing VA format Excel spreadsheet.

Task 4 – Training Plan:

The VA has an established internal training program for this requirement which will be required for all initial contractors after award. In the option years, subsequent contractor staff shall be trained by the contractor lead. The contractor shall provide a training plan that will be implemented during the option years. The training plan shall include all subject matter from training provided by the Government at onset of contract and shall follow the attached training schedule for subsequent training. Contractor shall progress thru the training by meeting the minimum level of acceptability at each level.

Deliverable Task 4:

A. Training Plan: Draft due within 120 days after contract award, final due 30 days after acceptance of the draft. Updates to the training plan shall be made as needed throughout the life of the contract.

Historical Data:

Based on historical data, the Government estimates that eight (8) experienced FTEs can process the following number of actions per month. This information is provided as information only and may not be a representation of the actual workload required.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Minimum qaulifications The following minimum standards shall apply for all personnel performing under this contract and shall be maintained throughout the life of the contract.

A. Contract Team Lead

Functional Responsibilities:

Performs analytical tasks designed to collect and analyze information. Develops briefings, presentations, training, and reports. Possesses experience in specialty areas as required by the contract; works independently and can manage the work effort of other team members.

Minimum Experience/Education:

Proposed staff should possess at least a 2-year degree in healthcare related field, with Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) degree preferred and minimum 2 years related experience.

B. Analyst

Functional Responsibilities:

Supports other project team members. Performs analytical tasks designed to collect and analyze information. Has experience in specialty areas as required by the contract and works effectively and efficiently work with limited supervision.

Minimum Experience/Education:

Proposed staff should possess at least a 2-year degree in healthcare related field, with RHIA degree preferred, or minimum 1 year experience with maintenance/validation of data within a large scale (10M+ entry) database.

ENTERPRISE AND IT FRAMEWORK

VA TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL

The Contractor shall support the VA enterprise management framework. In association with the framework, the Contractor shall comply with OIT Technical Reference Model (VA TRM). The VA TRM is one component within the overall Enterprise Architecture (EA) that establishes a common vocabulary and structure for describing the information technology used to develop, operate, and maintain enterprise applications. Moreover, the VA TRM, which includes the Standards Profile and Product List, serves as a technology roadmap and tool for supporting OIT. Architecture & Engineering Services (AES) has overall responsibility for the VA TRM.

FEDERAL IDENTITY, CREDENTIAL, AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (FICAM)

The Contractor shall ensure Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product(s), software configuration and customization, and/or new software are Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card-enabled by accepting HSPD-12 PIV credentials using VA Enterprise Technical Architecture (ETA), https://www.ea.oit.va.gov/EAOIT/VA_EA/Enterprise_Technical_Architecture.asp, and VA Identity and Access Management (IAM) approved enterprise design and integration patterns, https://www.oit.va.gov/library/recurring/edp/index.cfm. The Contractor shall ensure all Contractor delivered applications and systems comply with the VA Identity, Credential, and Access Management policies and guidelines set forth in VA Handbook 6510 VA Identity and Access Management, VA Handbook 0735 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program, and align with the Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management Roadmap and Implementation Guidance v2.0.

The Contractor shall ensure all Contractor delivered applications and systems provide user authentication services compliant with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-63-3, VA Handbook 6500 Appendix F, “VA System Security Controls”, and VA IAM enterprise requirements for direct, assertion-based authentication, and/or trust based authentication, as determined by the design and integration patterns. Direct authentication at a minimum must include Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) based authentication supportive of PIV card and/or Common Access Card (CAC), as determined by the business need.

The Contractor shall ensure all Contractor delivered applications and systems conform to the specific Identity and Access Management PIV requirements set forth in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memoranda M-05-24, M-19-17, and NIST Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-2. OMB Memoranda M-05-24 and M-19-17 can be found at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/memoranda/2005/m05-24.pdf, and https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/M-19-17.pdf respectively. Contractor delivered applications and systems shall be on the FIPS 201-2 Approved Product List (APL). If the Contractor delivered application and system is not on the APL, the Contractor shall be responsible for taking the application and system through the FIPS 201 Evaluation Program.

The Contractor shall ensure all Contractor delivered applications and systems support:

1. Automated provisioning and are able to use enterprise provisioning service.

2. Interfacing with VA’s Master Person Index (MPI) to provision identity attributes, if the solution relies on VA user identities. MPI is the authoritative source for VA user identity data.

3. The VA defined unique identity (Secure Identifier [SEC ID] / Integrated Control Number [ICN]).

4. Multiple authenticators for a given identity and authenticators at every Authenticator Assurance Level (AAL) appropriate for the solution.

5. Identity proofing for each Identity Assurance Level (IAL) appropriate for the solution.

6. Federation for each Federation Assurance Level (FAL) appropriate for the solution, if applicable.

7. Two-factor authentication (2FA) through an applicable design pattern as outlined in VA Enterprise Design Patterns.

8. A Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) implementation if the solution relies on assertion-based authentication. Additional assertion implementations, besides the required SAML assertion, may be provided as long as they are compliant with NIST SP 800-63-3 guidelines.

9. Authentication/account binding based on trusted Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) headers if the solution relies on Trust based authentication.

10. Role Based Access Control.

11. Auditing and reporting capabilities.

12. Compliance with VIEWS 00155984, PIV Logical Access Policy Clarification https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896.

The required Assurance Levels for this specific effort are Identity Assurance Level 3, Authenticator Assurance Level 3, and Federation Assurance Level 3.

INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)

The Contractor solution shall support Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) based upon the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 19, 2020 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf). IPv6 technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Program (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program/usgv6-revision-1), NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267B Revision 1 “USGv6 Profile” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Br1), and NIST SP 800-119 “Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6” (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-119), compliance shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices shall support native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g. web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall communicate using native IPv6 and dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) operations.

TRUSTED INTERNET CONNECTION (TIC)

The Contractor solution shall meet the requirements outlined in Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative“ (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/M-19-26.pdf), VA Directive 6513 “Secure External Connections”, and shall comply with the TIC 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, including all Volumes and TIC Use Cases, found at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents). Any deviations must be approved by the VA TIC 3.0 Working Group at vaoisesatic30team@va.gov.

STANDARD COMPUTER CONFIGURATION

The Contractor IT end user solution that is developed for use on standard VA computers shall be compatible with and be supported on the standard VA operating system, currently Windows 10 (64bit), Edge (Chromium based), and 365 Apps for enterprise. Applications delivered to VA and intended to be deployed to Windows 10 workstations shall be delivered as a signed .msi package with switches for silent and unattended installation and updates shall be delivered in signed .msp file formats for easy deployment using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (CM) VA’s current desktop application deployment tool. Signing of the software code shall be through a vendor provided certificate that is trusted by VA using a code signing authority such as Verizon/Cybertrust or Symantec/VeriSign. The Contractor shall also ensure and certify that their solution functions as expected when used from a standard VA computer, with non-admin, standard user rights that have been configured using the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Secure Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) specific to the particular client operating system being used.

VETERAN FOCUSED INTEGRATION PROCESS (VIP) AND PRODUCT LINE MANAGEMENT (PLM)

The Contractor shall support VA efforts IAW the updated Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) and Product Line Management (PLM). The major focus of the new VIP is on Governance and Reporting and is less prescriptive, with a focus on outcomes and continuous delivery of value. Product Line Management (PLM) is a framework that focuses on delivering functional products that provide the highest priority work to customers while delivering simplified, reliable, and practical solutions to the business, medical staff, and our Veterans. The VIP Guide is a companion guide to the PLM Playbook and can be found at: https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371 and the PLM Playbook can be found at https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946. The PLM Playbook pivots from project-centric to product-centric delivery and contains descriptive practices that focuses on outcomes. The PLM Playbook contains a set of “plays” that implement Development, Security, and Operations (DevSecOps) principles and processes such as automated development, continuous integration/continuous delivery, and release on demand. The PLM Playbook details how product lines implement Lean-Agile principles, methods, practices, and techniques through levels of maturity. VIP and PLM are the authoritative processes that IT projects must follow to ensure development and delivery of IT products.

PROCESS ASSET LIBRARY (PAL)

The Contractor shall perform their duties consistent with the processes defined in the OIT Process Asset Library (PAL). The PAL scope includes the full spectrum of OIT functions and activities, such as VIP project management, operations, service delivery, communications, acquisition, and resource management. PAL serves as an authoritative and informative repository of searchable processes, activities or tasks, roles, artifacts, tools and applicable standards and guides to assist the OIT workforce, Government and Contractor personnel. The Contractor shall follow the PAL processes to ensure compliance with policies and regulations and to meet VA quality standards. The PAL includes the contractor onboarding process consistent with Section 6.2.2 and can be found at https://www.va.gov/PROCESS/artifacts/maps/process_CONB_ext.pdf. The main PAL can be accessed at www.va.gov/process.

AUTHORITATIVE DATA SOURCES

The VA Enterprise Architecture Repository (VEAR) is one component within the overall EA that establishes the common framework for data taxonomy for describing the data architecture used to develop, operate, and maintain enterprise applications. The Contractor shall comply with the department’s Authoritative Data Source (ADS) requirement that VA systems, services, and processes throughout the enterprise shall access VA data solely through official VA ADSs where applicable, see below. The Information Classes which compose each ADS are located in the VEAR, in the Data & Information domain. The Contractor shall ensure that all delivered applications and system solutions support:

1. Interfacing with VA’s Master Person Index (MPI) (formerly the Master Veteran Index (MVI)) to provision identity attributes, if the solution relies on VA user identities. MPI is the authoritative source for VA user identity data.

2. Interfacing with Capital Asset Inventory (CAI) to conduct real property record management actions, if the solution relies on real property records data. CAI is the authoritative source for VA real property record management data.

3. Interfacing with electronic Contract Management System (eCMS) for access to contract, contract line item, purchase requisition, offering vendor and vendor, and solicitation information above the micro-purchase threshold, if the solution relies on procurement data. ECMS is the authoritative source for VA procurement actions data.

4. Interfacing with HRSmart Human Resources Information System to conduct personnel action processing, on-boarding, benefits management, and compensation management, if the solution relies on personnel data. HRSmart is the authoritative source for VA personnel information data.

5. Interfacing with Vet360 to access personal contact information, if the solution relies on VA Veteran personal contact information data. Vet360 is the authoritative source for VA Veteran Personal Contact Data.

6. Interfacing with VA/Department of Defense (DoD) Identity Repository (VADIR) for determining eligibility for VA benefits under Title 38, if the solution relies on qualifying active duty military service data. VADIR is the authoritative source for Qualifying Active Duty military service in VA.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) REDUCTION

The Contractor solution shall support the Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act (FPA) of 2017 which prohibits the inclusion of SSNs on any document sent by mail. The Contractor support shall also be performed in accordance with Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, enacted March 23, 2018, which mandates VA to discontinue using SSNs to identify individuals in all VA information systems as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor shall ensure that any new IT solution discontinues the use of SSN as the Primary Identifier to replace the SSN with the ICN in all VA information systems for all individuals. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor delivered applications and systems integrate with the VA Master Person Index (MPI) for identity traits to include the use of the ICN as the Primary Identifier. The Contractor solution may only use a Social Security Number to identify an individual in an information system if and only if the use of such number is required to obtain information VA requires from an information system that is not under the jurisdiction of VA.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

It has been determined that protected health information may be disclosed or accessed and a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) shall be required. The Contractor shall adhere to the requirements set forth within the BAA, referenced in Section D of the contract, and shall comply with VA Directive 6066.

POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

The PDT Tool is located at the following US Office of Personnel Management Website: https://www.opm.gov/investigations/suitability-executive-agent/position-designation-tool/)

In accordance with VA Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program, the position sensitivity, and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the PWS are:

Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements by Task

The Tasks identified above, and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal.

CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Contractor Responsibilities:

1. The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain the appropriate Background Investigation, and are able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.

Within 3 business days after award, the Contractor shall provide a roster of Contractor and Subcontractor employees to the COR to begin their background investigations in accordance with the PAL template artifact. The Contractor Staff Roster shall contain the Contractor’s Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, individual background investigation level requirement (based upon Section 6.2 Tasks), etc. The Contractor shall submit full Social Security Numbers either within the Contractor Staff Roster or under separate cover to the COR. The Contractor Staff Roster shall be updated and provided to VA within 1 day of any changes in employee status, training certification completion status, Background Investigation level status, additions/removal of employees, etc. throughout the Period of Performance. The Contractor Staff Roster shall remain a historical document indicating all past information and the Contractor shall indicate in the Comment field, employees no longer supporting this contract. The preferred method to send the Contractor Staff Roster or Social Security Number is by encrypted e-mail. If unable to send encrypted e-mail, other methods which comply with FIPS 140-2 are to encrypt the file, use a secure fax, or use a traceable mail service.

1. The Contractor should coordinate with the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized. The Contractor shall bring their completed Security and Investigations Center (SIC) Fingerprint request form with them (see paragraph d.4. below) when getting fingerprints taken.

b. The Contractor shall ensure the following required forms are submitted to the COR within 5 days after contract award:

1) Optional Form 306

2) Self-Certification of Continuous Service

3) VA Form 0710

4) Completed SIC Fingerprint Request Form The Contractor personnel shall submit all required information related to their background investigations (completion of the investigation documents (SF85, SF85P, or SF 86) utilizing the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) after receiving an email notification from the Security and Investigation Center (SIC).

The Contractor employee shall certify and release the e-QIP document, print, and sign the signature pages, and send them encrypted to the COR for electronic submission to the SIC. These documents shall be submitted to the COR within 3 business days of receipt of the e-QIP notification email. (Note: OPM is moving towards a “click to sign” process. If click to sign is used, the Contractor employee should notify the COR within 3 business days that documents were signed via e-QIP).

1. The Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all personnel provided to work for VA under this contract. In the event that damages arise from work performed by Contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this contract, the Contractor shall be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident.

1. A Contractor may be granted unescorted access to VA facilities and/or access to VA Information Technology resources (network and/or protected data) with a favorably adjudicated Special Agreement Check (SAC), completed training delineated in VA Handbook 6500.6 (Appendix C, Section 9), signed “Contractor Rules of Behavior”, and with a valid, operational PIV credential for PIV-only logical access to VA’s network. A PIV card credential can be issued once your SAC has been favorably adjudicated and your background investigation has been scheduled by OPM. However, the Contractor will be responsible for the actions of the Contractor personnel they provide to perform work for VA. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the database of OPM.

1. The Contractor, when notified of an unfavorably adjudicated background investigation on a Contractor employee as determined by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration in working under the contract.

Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security investigative requirements may result in loss of physical and/or logical access to VA facilities and systems by Contractor and Subcontractor employees and/or termination of the contract for default.

Identity Credential Holders must follow all HSPD-12 policies and procedures as well as use and protect their assigned identity credentials in accordance with VA policies and procedures, displaying their badges at all times, and returning the identity credentials upon termination of their relationship with VA.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Staff Roster

METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include: Microsoft 365, MS Word 2000/2003/2007/2010/2019, MS Excel 2000/2003/2007/2010/2019, MS PowerPoint 2000/2003/2007/2010/2019, MS Project 2000/2003/2007/2010/2019, MS Access 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Visio 2000/2002/2003/2007/2010/2019, AutoCAD 2002/2004/2007/2010, and Adobe Postscript Data Format (PDF).

PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Levels of Performance associated with this effort.

Standard Surveillance Method Outcome

The COR will utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) throughout the life of the contract to ensure that the Contractor is performing the services required by this PWS in an acceptable level of performance. The Government reserves the right to alter or change the surveillance methods in the QASP at its own discretion.

FACILITY/RESOURCE PROVISIONS

The Government will provide office space, telephone service and system access when authorized contract staff work at a Government location as required in order to accomplish the Tasks associated with this PWS. All procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation for the project and other Government applications will also be provided on an as-needed basis.

The Contractor shall request other Government documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the Government officials with whom the Contractor has contact. The Contractor shall consider the COR as the final source for needed Government documentation when the Contractor fails to secure the documents by other means. The Contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work.

VA may provide remote access to VA specific systems/network in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, which requires the use of a VA approved method to connect external equipment/systems to VA’s network. Citrix Access Gateway (CAG) is the current and only VA approved method for remote access users when using or manipulating VA information for official VA Business. VA permits CAG remote access through approved Personally Owned Equipment (POE) and Other Equipment (OE) provided the equipment meets all applicable 6500 Handbook requirements for POE/OE. All of the security controls required for Government furnished equipment (GFE) must be utilized in approved POE or OE. The Contractor shall provide proof to the COR for review and approval that their POE or OE meets the VA Handbook 6500 requirements and VA Handbook 6500.6 Appendix C, herein incorporated as Addendum B, before use. CAG authorized users shall not be permitted to copy, print, or save any VA information accessed via CAG at any time. VA prohibits remote access to VA’s network from non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. The exception to this are countries where VA has approved operations established (e.g. Philippines and South Korea). Exceptions are determined by the COR in coordination with the Information Security Officer (ISO) and Privacy Officer (PO).

This remote access may provide access to VA specific software such as Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA), ClearQuest, PAL, Primavera, and Remedy, including appropriate seat management and user licenses, depending upon the level of access granted. The Contractor shall utilize government-provided software development and test accounts, documents, and requirements repositories, etc. as required for the development, storage, maintenance, and delivery of products within the scope of this effort. The Contractor shall not transmit, store, or otherwise maintain sensitive data or products in Contractor systems (or media) within the VA firewall IAW VA Handbook 6500.6 dated March 12, 2010. All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, local security field office System Security Plans (SSP’s) and Authority to Operate (ATO)’s for all systems/LAN’s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this PWS.