People Readiness Career Tracks and Program Support PWS.docx

<OPS – People Readiness Career Tracks and Program Support>

<VA-24-00058150>

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology Office of People Science People Readiness

People Readiness Program Support Services

Date: 2/27/2024

TAC-#

Task Order PWS Version Number: 1.7

Contents

BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a formidable mission: to provide quality, cost-efficient, and timely care and benefits to America’s 22 million Veterans. These benefits and services require an effective—and secure—digital infrastructure. The VA’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT) works to ensure the agency has the necessary Information Technology (IT) tools, services, and infrastructure to support our nation’s Veterans, including safeguarding the private medical and personal information they entrust with the Department. This is an increasingly difficult mandate in today’s environment where VA cyber professionals prevent or mitigate threats constantly.

The mission of the Office of People Science’s (OPS), People Readiness (PR) is to provide high quality, effective, and efficient professional development and training services to those responsible for providing care to the Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of the Veterans’ health care in an effective, timely, and compassionate manner. VA depends on Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) systems to meet mission goals.

PR developed and established Skills Based Assessments to develop and link training to work roles in VA’s Learning Management System (LMS). PR developed career development tools and created work role assignments based of the General Schedule (GS) 2210 job series and the varied IT work roles throughout OIT. The Work Roles clearly identify skills that an OIT professional should possess to do his/her job successfully which will include the relevant training content that supports the desired proficiency level of the position.

The work roles have been populated into VA’s TMS, and each role requires associated training. Continuing in its efforts to provide professional development for the entire OIT workforce and to further develop the Work Role Skills Based program, PR plans to develop new roles for the remaining OIT staff in support functions.

Workforce initiatives are complementary and are centered on skills-based assessment, proficiency identification, and training programs to fill the proficiency gaps. The continued strategic alignment within OIT will assure coordination of changes in areas such as:

1. VA policies

1. Organization

1. Staff training

1. Equipment

1. Supervisor education and incentives

1. Personnel and facilities required for full realization of the expected benefits of investing in IT solutions

Training provides a wide variety of benefits to VA. Some of these benefits are as follows:

1. Increases productivity and efficiency

1. Decreases system downtime and increases overall savings

1. Empowers staff and improves service to Veterans

1. Increases employee development to drive results

1. Improves internal customer satisfaction

1. Increases employee retention

PR works to provide training to OIT professionals and supervisors to better serve our nation’s Veterans, their families, and internal and external stakeholders by providing the services necessary in today’s electronically networked world.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

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

1. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 3.2”, December 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

1. 44 U.S.C. § 3541-3549, “Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002”

2. “Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014”

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

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

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

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

7. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program"

8. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

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

10. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

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

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

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

14. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” January 18, 2017

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

16. 32 C.F.R. Part 199, “Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

28. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

36. 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

37. 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)

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

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

40. 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

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

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

43. 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)

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

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

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

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

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

49. 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)

50. 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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide support to PR including establishing processes and providing support for the following: PR program review and evaluation, development of milestones, resource allocation, and continual monitoring of milestone progress. These tasks also include quality assurance and technical review data and status collection for PR Work Role Skills Basedtency sustainment and development, and additional work role and dashboard development.

The Contractor shall support and maintain existing work role competency’s so that levels, steps, and background/skillsets development will be uniform across VA business units. The Contractor shall provide further refinement and on-going maintenance of the work role competency initiatives required to ensure that the program is responsive to internal or external changes or stimuli, and to allow new stakeholders to receive the same outreach, communications, and benefits regarding the competency models. Additionally, the Contractor shall develop new work role competencies and workforce dashboards.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance shall be September 2, 2024 through September 1, 2025, with four 12-month option periods that may be exercised at the Government’s discretion. Additionally, this task order includes twelve optional tasks that may be exercised during the base and/or option periods at the Government’s discretion. The total period of performance shall not exceed 60 months. All optional task period of performances will not exceed the TO’s period of performance.

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

Under current definitions, five 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

All efforts under this TO shall be performed at Contractor facilities.

TRAVEL

The Government anticipates travel under this effort to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend program-related meetings or conferences throughout the period of performance. Travel shall be conducted on a Cost-Reimbursable basis.

The Government encourages maximum utilization of teleconferencing and video conferencing for meetings. Travel shall be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and requires advanced concurrence and approval by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Travel and per diem shall be reimbursed in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations. Each Contractor invoice must include copies of all receipts that support the travel costs claimed in the invoice. Contractor travel within the local commuting area is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed; this includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time. Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the Contractor’s facility will not be reimbursed. Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the Place of Performance, or Contractor’s facility, are authorized on a case-by-case basis and must be pre-approved by the COR. Travel will not be authorized to the PR National Training Academy facility in Shepherdstown, WV as that is the primary place of performance.

The Government anticipates travel under this effort to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend program-related meetings or conferences throughout the PoP. Include all estimated travel costs in your firm-fixed price line items. These costs will not be directly reimbursed by the Government.

The total estimated number of trips in support of the program related meetings for this effort is 2 trips per year. Anticipated locations include the following, estimated at 2 days in duration:

1. 811 Vermont Ave, Washington D.C.

Travel shall be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and requires advanced concurrence by the COR. Contractor travel within the local commuting area will not be reimbursed.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide the COR with Monthly Progress Reports in electronic form in Microsoft PowerPoint. The report shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent. These reports shall reflect data as of the last day of the preceding month.

The Monthly Progress Reports shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period. The report shall also identify any problems that arose and a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. The report shall also include an itemized list of all Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) deliverables and their current Section 508 conformance status. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the CPMP and report any deviations. It is expected that the Contractor will keep in communication with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.

Monthly reports shall include the following items:

0. Description of actions completed in the reporting period.

0. Actual and Projected staffing.

0. Description of actions planned for the next reporting period.

0. Status of activities as represented on the project plan for this task order.

0. Current assessment of risks and recommendations on risk mitigation.

0. Recommendations for future activities and changes to plans, milestones, schedules, and resources.

0. Program accomplishments and relevant statistics.

0. Lessons learned for improvement of the CCB, Executive Steering Committee, and other processes.

The Contractor shall conduct weekly project management meetings with the Government to review system operations and maintenance, updates, enhancements, risks, design and processing problems, and all other factors that affect daily system operations and future system upgrades and enhancements.

Deliverable:

1. Monthly Progress Report

TECHNICAL KICKOFF MEETING

A technical kickoff meeting shall be held within 10 days after Contract award. The Contractor shall coordinate the date, time, and location (can be virtual) with the Contracting Officer (CO), the VA PM, the Contract Specialist (CS), and the COR. During the kickoff-meeting, the Contractor shall present, for review and approval by the Government, the details of the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule for each effort via a Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation. The Contractor shall obtain distribute meeting minutes three days after the kickoff.

Deliverables:

A. Kickoff Presentation B. Kickoff Meeting Minutes

PR TRAINING PROCESS SUPPORT

The Contractor shall provide ongoing business process support for VA’s IT Professional Development Programs, including work role competency modeling, training development programs, and support for the following: conducting PR program reviews, developing program milestones, and continually monitoring milestone progress. This task includes business, administrative, and Learning Management System support.

PR TRAINING BUSINESS OFFICE SUPPORT

The Contractor shall provide support PR programs.

The Contractor shall:

1. Provide input to and update the Office of People Science (OPS) and PR Leadership Briefing presentations to include data gathering on all elements of PR programs. This task requires the time-sensitive gathering of data and analysis of each data element’s impact on the program. Historically, this task occurs monthly.

1. Collect and organize data to draft responses to data requests from requestors such as the Inspector General (IG), Government Accountability Office (GAO), senior VA leadership, and other Government reporting agencies. Historically, approximately two (2) data requests are received in a month, and several can occur simultaneously. This task requires the immediate shifting of resources in a short amount of time and can often take multiple days to a week to complete each data call. Draft responses shall be submitted within five (5) business days of notification by the COR that a response is required.

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (lms) SUPPORT The Contractor shall provide LMS administrative support for the OIT population (estimated at 8,000 employees and 8,000 contractor partners). The Contractor shall provide support to the PR Domain Manager for OIT who is responsible for all OIT-wide training initiatives and LMS administrators.

The Contractor shall:

1. Review, and maintain operational functionality of a minimum of 40 work roles as defined by the NICE framework, including competencies (140+), competency profiles (130+), and learning activity mappings (12,500+), in the LMS. Provide status updates in the form of email correspondence, as needed.

1. Implement and maintain learning activities, including LMS ID assignment, in the LMS. Historically, there have been approximately 16 new courses per month, and an average course library size over 1,800.

1. Manually record LMS item completions for all live webinar, instructor-led, and virtual instructor-led training events. Historically, there are over 80 completions per month.

1. Provide daily LMS user support to employees and Contractors within OIT. Most user support requests are resolved within an hour, and the most common issues are login assistance, competency profile adjustments, course inquiries, course completion errors, and user computer browser incompatibility. There are approximately 1,500 requests per month.

1. Attend and contribute to the VA LMS Core Integration team meetings, which occur at a minimum weekly but also on an ongoing and ad hoc basis. These meetings can sometimes include configuration meetings, business requirements documentation, action item tracking, system testing, workshops, and more.

1. Support LMS User Acceptance testing for system upgrades and patches as requested; this may include after hours and weekend participation.

1. Gather and analyze data used to conduct the OIT Work Role Competency and Goal Analysis Reports, formerly called Skill Gap reports. Create, define, and combine multiple reports from the LMS, and conduct an accurate analysis of the workforce and provide analysis for use by the competency operations team for full briefings and report deliverables.

1. Serve as LMS SMEs for OIT personnel, PR Leadership, Training teams, and Work Role skill teams to identify solutions to field requests and deliverables.

1. Prepare the annual Training Mapping Gap Analysis Report which lists the mapping gaps for all work roles and OIT. The information displayed shows an overall heat map for all work roles and their associated number of mappings and a breakout for each work role type.

Deliverables:

A. OIT Work Role Competency and Goal Analysis Reports B. Training Mapping Gap Analysis Report

WORK ROLE SKILLS BASED COMPETENCY SUSTAINMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

The Contractor shall approach the Workforce Management strategy in three design elements: Policy, Processes, and Training. Through its support, Contractor will be responsible for:

1. Conducting ongoing analysis of current workforce processes, policies and plans. For example, at VA lead request, will develop a workforce health diagnostic (i.e. attrition, net gains, employee engagements, employee satisfaction, hiring, etc.), including review of documents and information related to workforce management practices as well as budgeting/planning processes. By completing a structured diagnostic, VA will be able to look holistically at a picture of the current OIT workforce and identify high-level areas for remediation.

1. Completing workforce research and trend analysis. At VA request, Contractor will research and provide analyses of common specialty areas and functions which can provide a clearer picture of VA’s mission needs based on agile and dynamic building blocks of talent.

1. Supporting development of a workforce plan and strategy. Plan development would include review of recruiting sources, methods, incentives, targets, and policy guidance needed to attract/hire quality technology professionals at varying levels of education, experience levels, and certifications – including, the utilization of existing federal hiring and compensation flexibilities. The plan will also include in coordination with the VA the development of new processes, documented in a Concept of Operations and a Standard Operation Procedure, that reflect initial understanding of the cross-functional roles in establishing a new Talent Capability model.

1. Development of recommended solutions on how best to provide training and education. This will include recommendations for the use of simulation-based tools for assessment of critical needs, employing realistic simulations and scenarios based on the National Initiative for Cyber Education (NICE) Framework.

1. Identification of critical job functions, skills, and knowledge for technology professionals, including medical technology professionals, aligned to the NICE Framework as possible. This will include collection and analysis of workforce requirements (i.e., specific positions, quantity, and workforce characteristics) to inform workforce decision making around key workforce risks and organizational structure requirements regarding grade distribution, workforce composition, and redundancies – or lack – of positions.

1. Definition of qualifications to meet requirements of each job function, skill, and knowledge. This will be conducted by Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychologists and provide Role Alignment which outlines the qualifications for the specific tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities that characterize each aligned cybersecurity role.

1. Mapping of existing professional developmental programs (i.e., Trainings, Assessments, Rotations, etc) to workforce job functions role alignment qualifications and development of a training framework and delivery strategy to fill gaps, as necessary. The list of relevant and industry-recognized certifications segmented by NICE and Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Workforce Frameworks will be composed of certifications (not certificates) that comport with DoD Manual 8570 (part of the broader DoD Directive 8140), such as the GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner or the (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

1. Supporting reviews of relevant VA Directives other policy issuances on the development and maintenance Workforce strategy. As requested by VA, the Contractor will also include the development of guidelines on the use of employee development programs for using certification and training (i.e. such as cohort learning, simulation-based ranges, on-the-job training/detail assignments, cross-functional training) and to set expectations around the establishment, tracking, and execution of an employee development plan which tie opportunities to different levels, roles and mission needs.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS

The Contractor shall develop Workforce Development Tools and analyze training needs. The Contractor shall:

0. Develop and provide Workforce Development Tools (ex: Career Development Portal) which shall include:

0. Strategic, long-term career path resources highlighting critical knowledge and experiences from entry through senior roles, ensuring linkage to organization strategy and goals.

0. Conduct comprehensive and in-depth training needs analyses for prioritized OIT populations based on discussions with senior leadership and stakeholders to understand key objectives and drivers of learning needs as well as a complete list of required training program components.

0. Analyze needs of the current workforce and provide that analysis in the New Workforce Development Program Recommendation Report. Work with VA to design multi-faceted workforce development programs for division and/or role-specific audiences that best meet the needs of the audience and larger organization. Create individual program tools and resources to maximize learning.

0. Provide ad hoc, time sensitive surge support in the form of workforce analysis to verify PR workforce development initiatives are aligned with critical or changing OIT, VA, and larger federal priorities related to Office of People Science (OPS). This can include quick turnaround, in-depth analysis efforts and development of various tools to mitigate critical risks.

0. Perform workforce analysis and development evaluations by assessing roles that exist today, conducting future-focused assessments, and detailing future roles and workforce development needs driven by major OIT modernization, transformation, and reorganization efforts. Develop and provide that information in the Workforce Analysis Report and Recommendations. Analysis efforts shall consider complex factors impacting a population and result in detailed dashboards and recommendations to help drive workforce transformation strategies and workforce development initiatives. The contractor shall understand the organization and goals associated with major transformation efforts and incorporate workforce development, change management, and communications recommendations to deliver a comprehensive solution to meet transformation priorities.

Deliverables:

A. Workforce Development Program Recommendation Report B. Workforce Analysis Report

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

5.6.1 Environmental Scanning and Strategy Development:

Conduct comprehensive environmental scanning to identify emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities within the technology and cybersecurity workforce at the VA, federal government, and national level. The contractor shall analyze market dynamics, legislative and policy changes, technological advancements, discussions and ideation sessions with internal and external partners, and other external factors that could impact the federal workforce. The contractor shall develop a Workforce Strategy Report based on these insights where they shall include developed workforce strategies, initiatives, and action plans aimed at addressing identified gaps and leveraging opportunities for skill development, talent acquisition, and retention. These plans will be data-driven, aligning with VA OIT/Office of People Science goals while also supportive of broader strategy, policy, and initiatives at the federal level, ensuring a proactive approach to workforce planning and development. The contractor shall also be responsible for regularly updating these strategies to reflect the fast-paced changes in the environment, ensuring the agency remains at the forefront of workforce innovation.

Deliverable:

A. Workforce Strategy Report

0. Federal Partnerships and Coalition Building:

Contractor shall support VA OIT/Office of People Science in fostering and maintaining robust partnerships with other federal agencies, industry leaders, academic institutions, and other relevant technology and cybersecurity workforce stakeholders. The contractor shall identify potential partners, support interagency dialogues, and establish collaborative frameworks for interagency collaboration or joint workforce development programs, aligned with strategic workforce objectives. Furthermore, the contractor shall support VA OIT/People Science in various federal working groups and initiatives that contribute to the development of VA OIT initiatives that promote federal workforce policies, standards, and practices.

0. Design and Development of Workforce Initiatives:

The contractor shall design, develop, and prototype innovative workforce initiatives, best practices, and tools. This work will focus on delivering high-value solutions that can be quickly implemented to advance the VA OIT workforce while also contributing to broader federal government objectives. Projects shall include the development of work role-driven skills-based hiring selection assessment instruments, technology and cybersecurity aptitude assessments, development and monitoring of impactful talent acquisition and retention strategies, development of workforce capability constructs for emerging areas of technology and cybersecurity, or strategic engagement campaigns that attract high performing talent to VA OIT. The contractor shall employ a lean, agile methodology to move from concept to prototype to implementation, ensuring that new initiatives can be adapted and scaled effectively across VA OIT, with potential for adoption as a best practice amongst federal partners.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

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

POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

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.