P03 - 516-22 LSJ FAR 8 over SAT - Modern Claims Processing (MCP) BRB reviewed 09222023_AD Signed.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

FAR 8.405‐6 – Limited Sources Justification (LSJ) >SAT

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C10D‐23‐AP‐0073

(1) Agency and Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits

Administration (VBA), Office of Mission Support (OMS), Acquisition Directorate on behalf of the

Office of Automated Benefit Delivery (ABD).

(2) Description of Action: This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple‐

Award Schedule Program (41 U.S.C. 152(3) and 40 U.S.C. 501). This request is for a one (1) year period of performance, for a follow‐on order to the incumbent Amida Technology Solutions, against their GSA contract 47QTCA18D00CN. The associated NAICS Code and size standard for this procurement are 541511 and $24.5M, which the incumbent is registered as a small business under. IAW FAR 8.405‐6 (a)(1)(i)(C), in the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow‐on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order or BPA must not have been previously issued under sole‐source or limited‐sources procedures.

Name of Proposed Contractor: Amida Technology Solutions, Inc.

FSS Contract Number: 47QTCA18D00CN

Address: 1720 I St. NW STE 700

City, State, Zip: Washington, DC 20006

Phone/Email: 617‐314‐7509

(3) Description of Supplies or Services:

The MCP program is intended to provide a comprehensive modernization of the Disability

Compensation Program through the utilization of modern technologies. These technologies will be used to automate administrative tasks and workflows to assist claims processors in making fast, accurate, consistent, and equitable claim decisions for Veterans.

All applicable statutes and regulations specific to the adjudication of a claim are broken down into component parts and VBA’s rules‐based automation system is developed to provide precise parity to the law. As the automation of various tasks and workflows are accomplished, evidence pertinent to the claim is compiled and intelligently indexed as part of an evidence summary document that’s presented to the adjudicator for review and validation. This validation provides claims processors full adjudicative discretion, while presenting relevant evidence in an intuitive manner that allows for well‐informed, fast, and reliable decisions.

This continued modernization effort identifies areas where automation can assist to reduce claim processing time, increase standardization, and improve the accuracy of claims processing to address increased claims receipts associated with year‐over‐year growth and the passage of new legislations.

As VBA continues to modernize the claims process, the following three (3) areas are central to that effort:

1. Enhance the digital experience for Veterans and employees.

2. Leverage data to modernize operations.

3. Deliver decision support capabilities through automation.

This task order specifically seeks to:

1. Assist the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in modernizing the claims process by using data and human‐centered design to develop insights into current process strengths and inefficiencies.

2. Develop and refine hospitalization reporting capabilities and associated benefit entitlement reviews and decisions.

3. Assist with integrating automation capabilities for disability claims into the Virtual

Regional Offices (VRO).

4. Continue to expand VA’s data‐mapping effort associated with the utilization of Disability

Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) data in association with regulatory adjudication criteria

(Title 38 CFR Part 4) in support of the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) modernization.

5. Develop logic and code set for automated ingestion (ADI).

6. Conduct studies of current disability compensation operations to simplify the claims adjudication process for VA employees.

7. Provide integration of automated data ingestion capabilities into VBMS Rating

Calculator.

8. Provide high level application technical needs review / evaluation documentation.

9. Provide prototype design of functional capabilities for optimizing Veteran’s and adjudicator’s experience with the claims process.

10. Provide Business Process Improvement Technical Assistance and functional prototypes.

The total estimated value of the proposed action is $ 14,993,466.24

(4) Identify the Authority and Supporting Rationale (see below and if applicable, describe the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

FAR 8.405‐6(a)(1)(A): An urgent and compelling need exists and following the ordering procedures would result in unacceptable delays:

FAR 8.405‐6(a)(1)(B): Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized;

FAR 8.405‐6(a)(1)(C): In the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow‐on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order must not have been previously issued under sole source or limited source procedures.

The incumbent small business vendor Amida Technology Solutions, Inc., holds current task order number 36C10E20F0149, for MCP support services for VBA with a POP from 08‐19‐2020 to 08‐18‐2023. The original award was awarded on a competitive basis.

The follow‐on order being requested is for one (1) year of support services. This one (1) year time frame will allow the program office to provide contracting with a procurement package for long term services, which will be solicited via competitive means. This request is for a logical follow‐on order which will allow VBA to leverage the knowledge and expertise of the current contractor for a one (1) year period of performance.

If this short‐term order, at this point in time, were to be awarded via a competitive strategy, and the award was not to the current contractor, the following may potentially occur:

‐ An estimated delay of twelve months’ worth of work. The current incumbent has the knowledge and skills to continue the program for the next year. Award to a new contractor would negatively impact the processing of over one million PACT Act claims received over the next twelve months.

‐ The services for this program produces key deliverables that are tied to VA’s strategic plan aimed at automation, customer service improvement and claims decision timelines that would not be achieved, resulting in a significant number of

Veterans and their families receiving a negative customer service experience. A transfer of services to a new contractor could result in a delay of up to two (2) to three (3) months.

‐ Onboarding new employees under a new contractor could result in significant delays to the requested services. It is estimated that an award to a new contractor would take approximately 125 days for recruitment and onboarding. The timeframe is inclusive of the following: 21 days for background investigations, 90 days for transition of services and 14 days for processing and issuance of a PIV badge.

‐ The new employees of the contractor would need to be trained; this could take a few months. The current incumbent has trained employees available which would eliminate a learning curve to training new contractor employees, if a new contractor was selected.

‐ Duplication of effort with work already completed and delays in delivery of work products.

Based on the above, the apparent advantages to continue work with Amida Technology

Solutions, Inc., for the proposed one (1) year follow on task order includes a familiarity with the current and continued MCP support services coupled with possessing expert knowledge on in support of this effort.

(5) Describe Why You Determined the Order Represents the Best Value consistent with FAR

8.404(d):

The award of this logical follow on allows VBA to have pricing and operational consistency; this will allow VBA to avoid a possible need for additional funding, operational delays, time delays related to limited onboarding, and eliminate a learning curve to train the new contractor employees. This is all beneficial to VBA as the need under this requirement is for one (1) year of services.

The contractor under task order 36C10E20F0149 provided VBA with a 3.5% discount off of their

GSA schedule 47QTCA18D00CN. It is expected that the contractor will continue to provide these same discounted rates from their current schedule pricing. A very detailed Independent

Government Cost Estimate has been developed and VBA has already determined the appropriate labor categories and levels of effort for the base and optional deliverables. It is expected, and will be requested, that Amida Technology Solutions, Inc., provide discounted rates for the labor categories, given the value of this order. VBA will negotiate levels of effort, if necessary. Therefore, it is anticipated that the pricing quoted by Amida Technology Solutions, Inc., will be fair and reasonable.

The contracting officer (CO) has also taken into consideration the past performance, current performance, and technical skills of the of the incumbent vendor in determining that this proposed follow‐on action is the best value to the government. Thus, this follow‐on award provides fewer risks and is more advantageous to the government. Based on these reasons, it is more efficient and logical to continue MCP support services with Amida Technology

Solutions, Inc., which represents the best value to the Government.

(6) Describe the Market Research Conducted among schedule holders and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

VBA queried the following sites for market research: Ability One, Vet Cert Query, General

Services Administration (GSA) Best in Class, GSA MAS and the SBA small business dynamic search. VBA has determined that there are other vendors who could provide the requested services; and the results of the competitive procurement accomplished for 36C10E20F0149 supports that statement. Additionally, the CO has determined that the Rule of Two could be met with SDVOSB concerns. This is all important market research that could aide in the long‐ term procurement that will be accomplished in fiscal year (FY) 2024; which will follow on this requested one (1) year order. The FY 2024, long term procurement will be issued for MCP services, and will be done via competitive means.

(7) Any Other Facts Supporting the Justification:

None.

(8) A Statement of the Actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made:

The VBA will strive to ensure that future acquisitions for MCP support services will be awarded via competitive procedures.

(9) Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a

Bona Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Frank Kush for Paul Shute

Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Automated Benefits Delivery

Office of Automated Benefit Delivery

(10) Approvals:

a. Contracting Officer’s Certification (required): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

John A. Player VBA, Contracting Officer

Office of Mission Support (OMS), Acquisition Directorate

b. Supervisory Contract Specialist (required for actions valued >SAT‐$750K): I certify that the foregoing justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief and approve.

Alyssa M. Dark, VBA, Supervisory Contracting Officer

Office of Mission Support (OMS), Acquisition Directorate

HIGHER LEVEL APPROVAL (required for actions over $750K):

c. VBA’s Competition Advocate (delegated to the Head of Contracting Activity) / Head of

Procuring Activity Approval: (>$750K to $75M): I have reviewed the foregoing justification and find it to be complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief and approve.

Matthew J. Manning

Competition Advocate and

Head of Contracting Activity

Veterans Benefits Administration