Performance Work Statement.pdf
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- Attached to
- GSLDS Program Monitoring and Evaluation Support Services Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 75D30126Q79285
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Performance Work Statement Summary: GSLDS Program Monitoring and Evaluation Support Services
This is a Performance Work Statement (PWS) for monitoring and evaluation support services to the CDC's Global Surveillance, Laboratory, and Data Systems (GSLDS) Branch. The contractor shall provide subject matter expertise, analytic support, and technical assistance across 18 core tasks including: developing and refining monitoring and evaluation procedures and tools; monitoring program activities and assessing progress toward outputs and outcomes; tracking and analyzing performance indicators; evaluating effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of programs; providing findings and recommendations to branch leadership; conducting assessments of existing M&E systems; developing indicators and methodologies; analyzing and presenting data; supporting annual project reviews; coordinating M&E activities across program components; providing technical assistance on data collection and management; and ensuring compliance with federal law and HHS/CDC policies. The work encompasses three strategic focus areas: monitoring and evaluating prevention efforts (disease outbreak prevention, antimicrobial-resistant organisms, biosafety systems); detection capabilities (global biosurveillance networks, laboratory systems strengthening, diagnostics advancement); and response readiness (Emergency Operations Centers, countermeasures access, multi-sectoral coordination).
The contractor shall deliver monthly in-person or virtual meetings, trip reports following each travel event, and monthly progress reports to the Contracting Officer's Representative. Occasional non-conference travel is anticipated at a frequency of one to four trips per year, with trips generally lasting one week or less and requiring advance government approval. Government-furnished materials include a laptop, equipment, HHS-576-CDC identification badge, and CDC cardkeys for building access. All contractor personnel require background investigations at Tier 1 sensitivity level and HSPD-12 compliance. The contractor must adhere to extensive information security, privacy, encryption (FIPS 140-2 validated), incident response (reporting breaches within 1 hour of discovery), records management, and Section 508 accessibility requirements. Mandatory training includes HHS/CDC Information Security Awareness, Privacy, Records Management, and role-based training for personnel with significant security responsibilities, with annual recertification required. The contract involves government information with moderate overall risk level, no PII, and no Controlled Unclassified Information handling.
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Performance Work Statement (PWS)
Title: GSLDS Program Monitoring and Evaluation Support Services
SECTION 1 – BACKGROUND
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Global Health Center (GHC), Division of Global Health Protection’s (DGHP) mission is to prevent dangerous and costly health threats by stopping diseases at their source. In support of that mission, DGHP strengthens global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats and public health emergencies, helping protect Americans from global health threats through stronger public health systems, faster outbreak detection, and more effective response capabilities.
Within DGHP, the Global Surveillance, Laboratory, and Data Systems Branch (GSLDS) supports surveillance, laboratory, and data system activities that strengthen biosurveillance, improve public health information systems, and enhance the ability to identify and respond to emerging health threats.
This requirement supports GSLDS efforts to monitor program implementation, evaluate progress and outcomes, strengthen performance measurement, and provide technical assistance to improve program effectiveness and informed decision-making.
SECTION 2 – PURPOSE
The purpose of this requirement is to obtain contractor support to provide program monitoring and evaluation services for GSLDS programs and operations.
The contractor shall provide subject matter expertise, analytic support, technical assistance, and perform a broad range of services to support GSLDS monitoring and evaluation activities and program and operations. These services include supporting the ongoing implementation related to prevention, detection, and response capabilities associated with global health security programs.
The contractor’s support shall help GSLDS:
• Monitor implementation of program activities and progress toward intended outputs and outcomes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of program activities.
• Strengthen performance measurement and reporting.
• Improve the quality and use of data for program planning and decision-making.
• Support alignment of monitoring and evaluation activities with CDC, HHS, and other applicable requirements and frameworks.
In partnership with U.S. government sister agencies, other nations, international organizations, and both public and private stakeholders, CDC aims to foster global health security by implementing robust monitoring and evaluation practices. These efforts are essential to accelerate progress toward a safer world, protected from infectious disease threats, and to establish global health security as a priority in international security policy.
• Monitoring and Evaluating Prevention Efforts: Activities are centered on preventing and minimizing the likelihood of disease outbreaks—whether natural, accidental, or intentional. Monitoring focuses on tracking the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, zoonotic diseases, and the effectiveness of international food safety regulations. Evaluation assesses the promotion and implementation of national biosafety and biosecurity systems, as well as the reduction in the number and magnitude of infectious disease outbreaks.
• Detection Capabilities: Monitoring involves launching, strengthening, and linking global networks for real-time biosurveillance. Evaluation measures the effectiveness of rapid, transparent reporting and sample sharing, the advancement of diagnostics, and the strengthening of laboratory systems. Building a competent biosurveillance workforce is also monitored and evaluated for its impact on early threat detection and response times.
• Response Readiness: Monitoring and evaluation examine the development and connectivity of global Emergency Operations Centers and the coordination of multi-sectoral responses to biological incidents. Evaluation also focuses on improving global access to medical and non-medical countermeasures during health emergencies, ensuring timely and effective interventions.
SECTION 3 - SCOPE OF WORK
The contractor shall provide monitoring and evaluation support services to GSLDS. Services shall include planning, coordination, analysis, reporting, technical assistance, and related support necessary to strengthen monitoring and evaluation functions across GSLDS programs and activities. The completed work shall support GSLDS priorities by improving program performance measurement, promoting effective use of data, and supporting evidence-based program management.
The contractor shall perform work in a manner consistent with applicable CDC and HHS policies, procedures, information security requirements, records management requirements, and other federal requirements. The contractor shall also support efforts to improve operational efficiency by identifying opportunities to reduce redundant processes, strengthen data quality, improve reporting practices, and support secure and interoperable data and information systems.
SECTION 4 - TASKS TO BE PERFORMED
The contractor shall provide monitoring and evaluation services to DGHP/GSLDS, including but not limited to, the following tasks:
1. Develop, refine, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation procedures, tools, and approaches for GSLDS-supported activities.
2. Monitor program and project activities to assess progress toward planned outputs, milestones, and outcomes.
3. Develop, track, analyze, and report on performance indicators and other measures used to assess program success.
4. Evaluate overall progress toward the achievement of program goals and intended results.
5. Assess and report on factors affecting effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of program activities and results.
6. Provide findings, technical feedback and recommendations to Branch leadership and program staff to support program improvements and informed decision-making.
7. Identify implementation challenges, gaps, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks affecting program performance and process improvements.
8. Prepare and deliver recurring and ad hoc reports, dashboards, summaries, briefing materials, and other monitoring and evaluation products, including monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annual reporting, as requested by the Government.
9. Conduct assessments of existing monitoring and evaluation systems, processes, tools, and data collection approaches and recommend improvements.
10. Develop and refine indicators, methodologies, monitoring plans, performance measurement approaches, and related documentation.
11. Compile, analyze, and present data, findings, and supporting information for Branch leadership.
12. Support annual project reviews, planning activities, and related meetings by providing monitoring and evaluation analysis, documentation, and recommendations.
13. Establish and apply monitoring and evaluation approaches for assessing program outcomes, effects, and impact, as appropriate to the activity.
14. Coordinate monitoring and evaluation activities across program components, partners, and supported activities to ensure consistency, effective implementation, and data quality.
15. Develop or adapt monitoring and evaluation tools, templates, job aids, and guidance materials, and provide technical assistance to GSLDS personnel on their use.
16. Provide technical assistance related to data collection, data management, data quality, analysis, interpretation, and reporting to support monitoring and evaluation objectives.
17. Support the Government in identifying opportunities to strengthen the use of informatics, information resources, and data systems in monitoring and evaluation activities.
18. Ensure that all work products and support activities are performed in accordance with applicable federal law and HHS/CDC policies, procedures, standards, and regulations, including information security and records management requirements, as applicable.
Travel Considerations (Non-Conference Travel) Occasional non-conference travel may be required under this task order to support performance of work. Travel may be necessary to provide technical assistance, consultation, training, business analysis, or attendance at select DGHP/GSLDS meetings directly related to contract performance. Travel may include CDC headquarters, other CDC offices, and locations of collaborating organizations, as approved by the Government. Trips vary in length but are generally expected to be one week or less in duration. The estimated travel frequency is one to four trips per year. All travel shall be requested by the Government in advance and must receive prior approval from the COR.
All travel shall be subject to Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) approval in compliance with the contract terms agreed upon by the Contractor as listed below:
1. The Contractor may determine during task order performance that certain locations are too dangerous to deploy employees and as such may delay or turn down assignments to dangerous areas if it deems the US Government support is not adequate in those areas and will not be in default in accordance with FAR 52.212 (f). Prompt notification to the CO and COR will be provided. Contractor will work with the Government to seek an alternate, safer location.
2. If at any time during the period of performance the Contractor, in its good faith judgment, believes that the security provided by the Government is not adequate, the Contractor may give notice of its concerns regarding the adequacy of security to the Government CO. If, after 72 hours which may be shortened pursuant to the severity of the danger after receiving such notice from the Contractor, the adequacy of the security remains uncorrected, the Contractor may, after determining in good faith that additional actions are required, take steps to ensure the safety of its personnel, including temporary withdrawal of its personnel from the area(s) of concern, until such time as the US Government and Contractor agrees to corrective measures for the security of the Contractor personnel, and will not be in default for having done so. Prompt notification (within seven business days) to the CO and COR will be provided.
3. Contractor personnel will be included in the US government Emergency and Evacuation plans as US Government Civilians.
All travel shall be requested by the Government in advance and must receive prior approval from the COR in accordance with contract terms and the travel CLIN. Conference-related travel is not authorized under this PWS. Any conference-related travel would require separate Government approval and contract modification, as applicable. Travel costs shall be limited to allowable transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses, and other authorized travel-related costs in accordance with the contract and applicable federal travel requirements.
SECTION 5 – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS
The Government will provide the contractor with a laptop and relevant equipment necessary to perform program monitoring and reporting services. All Government-furnished property will be made available at the start of the contract performance period, and the contractor will be responsible for proper use, maintenance, and return of the equipment in accordance with FAR
45.102 and contract terms.
The government will provide contract personnel with an identification badge (HHS-576-CDC) and CDC cardkeys to gain entrance to designated CDC buildings and CDC user accounts (which consist of user IDs and passwords and are required to gain access to CDC LAN/WAN computer environments). Issuance of identification badges to contract personnel is contingent upon successful completion of a NACI or Federal investigative process as required in accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12). Contractors will be required to use secure CDC IT systems to complete work such as working over VPN, through CITGO, or accessing programs via M365 tools.
SECTION 6 – DELIVERABLE/REPORTING SCHEDULE
Task/Deliverable Format Quantity Due Date Deliver To
Monthly in-person or virtual meetings to review activity reports
In person meeting or virtual 1 Monthly COR
Trip reports Electronic in MS Word 1
After each trip COR
Monthly progress reports Electronic in MS Word 1 Monthly COR
Information Security and/or Physical Access Security
A. Baseline Security Requirements
1) Applicability. The requirements herein apply whether the entire contract or order (hereafter “contract”), or portion thereof, includes either or both of the following:
a. Access (Physical or Logical) to Government Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will have or will be given the ability to have, routine physical (entry) or logical (electronic) access to government information.
b. Operate a Federal System Containing Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will operate a federal system and information technology containing data that supports the HHS mission. In addition to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 2.1 definition of “information technology” (IT), the term as used in this section includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.
2) Safeguarding Information and Information Systems. In accordance with the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS) 199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:
a. Protect government information and information systems in order to ensure:
• Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, based on the security terms found in this contract, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information;
• Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and ensuring information non-repudiation and authenticity;
and
• Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.
b. Provide security for any Contractor systems, and information contained therein, connected to an HHS network or operated by the Contractor on behalf of HHS regardless of location. In addition, if new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either the agency or contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately, within one (1) hour or less, bring the situation to the attention of the other party.
c. Adopt and implement the policies, procedures, controls, and standards required by the HHS Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government information and government information systems for which the Contractor is responsible under this contract or to which the Contractor may otherwise have access under this contract. Obtain the HHS Information Security Program security requirements, outlined in the HHS Information Security and Privacy Policy (IS2P), by contacting the CO/COR or emailing fisma@hhs.gov.
d. Comply with the Privacy Act requirements and tailor FAR clauses as needed.
3) Information Security Categorization. In accordance with FIPS 199 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-60, Volume II:
Appendices to Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Appendix C, and based on information provided by the ISSO, CISO, or other security representative, the risk level for each Security Objective and the Overall Risk Level, which is the highest watermark of the three factors (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) of the information or information system are the following:
Confidentiality: [X] Low [] Moderate [ ] High Integrity: [] Low [X] Moderate [ ] High Availability: [X] Low [] Moderate [ ] High Overall Risk Level: [] Low [X] Moderate [ ] High
Based on information provided by the ISSO, Privacy Office, system/data owner, or other security or privacy representative, it has been determined that this solicitation/contract involves:
[X] No PII [] Yes PII
4) Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Per the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” Examples of PII include, but are not limited to the following: social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, biometric records, etc.
PII Confidentiality Impact Level has been determined to be: [ ] Low [] Moderate [ ] High
5) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined as “information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information.” The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must comply with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, (implemented at 32 CFR, part 2002) when handling CUI. 32 C.F.R. 2002.4(aa) As implemented the term “handling” refers to “…any use of CUI, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re-using, and disposing of the information.” 81 Fed. Reg. 63323. All sensitive information that has been identified as CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, shall be:
a. marked appropriately;
b. disclosed to authorized personnel on a Need-To-Know basis;
c. protected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline if handled by a Contractor system operated on behalf of the agency, or NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations if handled by internal Contractor system; and
d. returned to HHS control, destroyed when no longer needed, or held until otherwise directed.
Destruction of information and/or data shall be accomplished in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.
6) Protection of Sensitive Information. For security purposes, information is or may be sensitive because it requires security to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall protect all government information that is or may be sensitive in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information by securing it with a FIPS 140-2 validated solution.
7) Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information. Any information provided to the contractor (and/or any subcontractor) by HHS or collected by the contractor on behalf of HHS shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract and shall not be disclosed or made known in any manner to any persons except as may be necessary in the performance of the contract. The Contractor assumes responsibility for protection of the confidentiality of Government records and shall ensure that all work performed by its employees and subcontractors shall be under the supervision of the Contractor. Each Contractor employee or any of its subcontractors to whom any HHS records may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that information disclosed to such employee or subcontractor can be used only for that purpose and to the extent authorized herein.
The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of such information shall be protected in accordance with HHS and [CDC] policies. Unauthorized disclosure of information will be subject to the HHS/[CDC] sanction policies and/or governed by the following laws and regulations:
a. 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records);
b. 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information); and
c. 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, Subchapter I (Paperwork Reduction Act).
8) Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). All procurements using Internet Protocol shall comply with OMB Memorandum M-05-22, Transition Planning for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
9) Government Websites. All new and existing public-facing government websites must be securely configured with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) using the most recent version of Transport Layer Security (TLS). In addition, HTTPS shall enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to instruct compliant browsers to assume HTTPS at all times to reduce the number of insecure redirects and protect against attacks that attempt to downgrade connections to plain HTTP. For internal-facing websites, the HTTPS is not required, but it is highly recommended.
10) Contract Documentation. The Contractor shall use provided templates, policies, forms and other agency documents to comply with contract deliverables as appropriate.
Document Deliverable Title/Description Due Date Roster Roster By effective date of this contract Contractor Employee Non- Disclosure Agreement
(NDA)
Contractor Employee Non- Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Prior to performing any work on behalf of HHS
Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/ Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)
Assist in the completion of a PTA/PIA form
In conjunction with contract award
Training Records Copy of training records for all mandatory training
In conjunction with contract award and annually thereafter or upon request
Rules of Behavior Signed ROB for all employees Initiation of contract and at least annually thereafter
Incident Response Incident Report (as incidents or breaches occur)
As soon as possible and without reasonable delay and no later than 1 hour of discovery
Incident Response Incident and Breach Response Plan
Upon request from government
Personnel Security Responsibilities
List of Personnel with defined roles and responsibilities
Prior to performing any work on behalf of HHS
Personnel Security Responsibilities
Off-boarding documentation, equipment and badge when leaving contract
Prior to performing any work on behalf of HHS
11) Standard for Encryption. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:
a. Comply with the HHS Standard for Encryption of Computing Devices and Information to prevent unauthorized access to government information.
b. Encrypt all sensitive federal data and information (i.e., PII, protected health information [PHI], proprietary information, etc.) in transit (i.e., email, network connections, etc.) and at rest (i.e., servers, storage devices, mobile devices, backup media, etc.) with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption solution.
c. Secure all devices (i.e.: desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc.) that store and process government information and ensure devices meet HHS and CDC-specific encryption standard requirements. Maintain a complete and current inventory of all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive government information (including PII).
d. Verify that the encryption solutions in use have been validated under the Cryptographic Module Validation Program to confirm compliance with FIPS 140-2. The Contractor shall provide a written copy of the validation documentation to the COR.
e. Use the Key Management system on the HHS personal identification verification (PIV) card or establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to encrypt/decrypt information and recover encryption keys. Encryption keys shall be provided to CDC Office of Chief Information Security Officer (OCISO).
12) Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Each Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee having access to non-public government information under this contract shall complete the CDC non-disclosure agreement, as applicable. A copy of each signed and
Background Investigation Onboarding documentation when beginning contract
Prior to performing any work on behalf of HHS
Certification of Sanitization of Government and Government Activity- Related Files, Information, and Devices
Form or deliverables required by
CDC
At contract expiration
Contract Initiation and Expiration
If the procurement involves a system or cloud service, additional documentation will be required, such as Disposition/Decommission Plan
At contract expiration witnessed NDA shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO) and/or CO Representative (COR) prior to performing any work under this acquisition.
13) Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) – The Contractor shall assist the CDC Senior Official for Privacy (SOP) or designee with conducting a PTA for the information system and/or information handled under this contract in accordance with HHS policy and OMB M-03-22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E- Government Act of 2002.
a. The Contractor shall assist the CDC SOP or designee in reviewing the PIA at least every three years throughout the system development lifecycle (SDLC)/information lifecycle, or when determined by the CDC SOP that a review is required based on a major change to the system (e.g., new uses of information collected, changes to the way information is shared or disclosed and for what purpose, or when new types of PII are collected that could introduce new or increased privacy risks), whichever comes first.
B. Training
1) Mandatory Training for All Contractor Staff. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees assigned to work on this contract shall complete the applicable HHS/CDC Contractor Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management training (provided upon contract award) before performing any work under this contract. Thereafter, the employees shall complete CDC Security Awareness Training (SAT), Privacy, and Records Management training at least annually, during the life of this contract. All provided training shall be compliant with HHS training policies.
2) Role-based Training. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees with significant security responsibilities (as determined by the program manager) must complete role-based training (RBT) within 60 days of assuming their new responsibilities. Thereafter, they shall complete RBT at least annually in accordance with HHS policy and the HHS Role-Based Training (RBT) of Personnel with Significant Security Responsibilities Memorandum.
All HHS employees and contractors with SSR who have not completed the required training within the mandated timeframes shall have their user accounts disabled until they have met their RBT requirement.
3) Training Records. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain training records for all its employees working under this contract in accordance with HHS policy.
A copy of the training records shall be provided to the CO and/or COR within 30 days after contract award and annually thereafter or upon request.
C. Rules of Behavior
1) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall ensure that all employees performing on the contract comply with the HHS Information Technology General Rules of Behavior.
2) All Contractor employees performing on the contract must read and adhere to the Rules of Behavior before accessing Department data or other information, systems, and/or networks that store/process government information, initially at the beginning of the contract and at least annually thereafter, which may be done as part of annual CDC Security Awareness Training. If the training is provided by the contractor, the signed ROB must be provided as a separate deliverable to the CO and/or COR per defined timelines above.
D. Incident Response
FISMA defines an incident as “an occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies. The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines incidents as events involving cybersecurity and privacy threats, such as viruses, malicious user activity, loss of, unauthorized disclosure or destruction of data, and so on.
A privacy breach is a type of incident and is defined by Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) as the loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or
(2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.
OMB Memorandum M-17-12, “Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information” (03 January 2017) states:
Definition of an Incident:
An occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.
Definition of a Breach:
The loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.
It further adds:
A breach is not limited to an occurrence where a person other than an authorized user potentially accesses PII by means of a network intrusion, a targeted attack that exploits website vulnerabilities, or an attack executed through an email message or attachment.
A breach may also include the loss or theft of physical documents that include PII and portable electronic storage media that store PII, the inadvertent disclosure of PII on a public website, or an oral disclosure of PII to a person who is not authorized to receive that information. It may also include an authorized user accessing PII for an other than authorized purpose.
The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines a breach as “a suspected or confirmed incident involving PII”.
Contracts with entities that collect, maintain, use, or operate Federal information or information systems on behalf of CDC shall include the following requirements:
1) The contractor shall cooperate with and exchange information with CDC officials, as deemed necessary by the CDC Breach Response Team, to report and manage a suspected or confirmed breach.
2) All contractors and subcontractors shall properly encrypt PII in accordance with OMB Circular A-130 and other applicable policies, including CDC-specific policies, and comply with HHS-specific policies for protecting PII. To this end, all contractors and subcontractors shall protect all sensitive information, including any PII created, stored, or transmitted in the performance of this contract so as to avoid a secondary sensitive information incident with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.
3) All contractors and subcontractors shall participate in regular training on how to identify and report a breach.
4) All contractors and subcontractors shall report a suspected or confirmed breach in any medium as soon as possible and no later than 1 hour of discovery, consistent with applicable CDC IT acquisitions guidance, HHS/CDC and incident management policy, and United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) notification guidelines. To this end, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall respond to all alerts/Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) provided by HHS Computer Security Incident Response Center (CSIRC) or CDC Computer Incident Response Team (CSIRT) within 24 hours via email at csirt@cdc.gov or telephone at 866-655-2245, whether the response is positive or negative.
5) All contractors and subcontractors shall be able to determine what Federal information was or could have been accessed and by whom, construct a timeline of user activity, determine methods and techniques used to access Federal information, and identify the initial attack vector.
6) All contractors and subcontractors shall allow for an inspection, investigation, forensic analysis, and any other action necessary to ensure compliance with HHS/CDC Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan and to assist with responding to a breach.
7) Cloud service providers shall use guidance provided in the FedRAMP Incident Communications Procedures when deciding when to report directly to US-CERT first or notify CDC first.
8) Identify roles and responsibilities, in accordance with HHS/CDC Breach Response Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan. To this end, the Contractor shall NOT notify affected individuals unless and until so instructed by the Contracting Officer or designated representative. If so instructed by the Contracting Officer or representative, all notifications must be pre-approved by the appropriate CDC officials, consistent with HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan, and the Contractor shall then send CDC- approved notifications to affected individuals; and,
9) Acknowledge that CDC will not interpret report of a breach, by itself, as conclusive evidence that the contractor or its subcontractor failed to provide adequate safeguards for PII.
E. Position Sensitivity Designations All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees must obtain a background investigation commensurate with their position sensitivity designation that complies with Parts 1400 and 731 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The following position sensitivity designation levels apply to this solicitation/contract: Tier 1
F. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12
The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) and its employees shall comply with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors; OMB M-05-24; FIPS 201, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors; HHS HSPD-12 policy;
and Executive Order 13467, Part 1 §1.2.
For additional information, see HSPD-12 policy at: https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-presidential-directive-12) https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-presidential-directive-12 https://www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-presidential-directive-12
Roster. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall submit a roster by name, position, e-mail address, phone number and responsibility of all staff working under this acquisition where the Contractor will develop, have the ability to access, or host and/or maintain a government information system(s). The roster shall be submitted to the COR and/or CO by the effective date of this contract. Any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted immediately upon change. The COR will notify the Contractor of the appropriate level of investigation required for each staff member.
If the employee is filling a new position, the Contractor shall provide a position description and the Government will determine the appropriate suitability level.
G. Contract Initiation and Expiration
1) General Security Requirements. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall comply with information security and privacy requirements, Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) processes, HHS Enterprise Architecture requirements to ensure information is appropriately protected from initiation to expiration of the contract. All information systems development or enhancement tasks supported by the contractor shall follow the HHS EPLC framework and methodology and in accordance with the HHS Contract Closeout Guide (2012).
HHS EA requirements may be located here:
https://www.hhs.gov/ocio/ea/documents/proplans.html CDC EPC Requirements: https://www2a.cdc.gov/CDCup/library/other/eplc.htm
2) System Documentation. Contractors (and/or any subcontractors) must follow and adhere to NIST SP 800-64, Security Considerations in the System Development Life Cycle, at a minimum, for system development and provide system documentation at designated intervals (specifically, at the expiration of the contract) within the EPLC that require artifact review and approval.
3) Sanitization of Government Files and Information. As part of contract closeout and at expiration of the contract, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide all required documentation to the CO and/or COR to certify that, at the government’s direction, all electronic and paper records are appropriately disposed of and all devices and media are sanitized in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.
4) Notification. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall notify the CO and/or COR and system ISSO before an employee stops working under this contract.
5) Contractor Responsibilities Upon Physical Completion of the Contract. The contractor (and/or any subcontractors) shall return all government information and IT resources (i.e., government information in non-government-owned systems, media, and backup systems) acquired during the term of this contract to the CO and/or COR.
https://www.hhs.gov/ocio/ea/documents/proplans.html https://www2a.cdc.gov/CDCup/library/other/eplc.htm
Additionally, the Contractor shall provide a certification that all government information has been properly sanitized and purged from Contractor-owned systems, including backup systems and media used during contract performance, in accordance with HHS and/or CDC policies.
6) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall perform and document the actions identified in the CDC Out-Processing Checklist (http://intranet.cdc.gov/od/hcrmo/pdfs/hr/Out_Processing_Checklist.pdf) when an employee terminates work under this contract. All documentation shall be made available to the CO and/or COR upon request.
H. Records Management and Retention The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain all information in accordance with Executive Order 13556 -- Controlled Unclassified Information, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records retention policies and schedules and HHS policies and shall not dispose of any records unless authorized by HHS.
In the event that a contractor (and/or any subcontractor) accidentally disposes of or destroys a record without proper authorization, it shall be documented and reported as an incident in accordance with HHS policies.
Section 508 and Accessibility Requirements
Part A – Provision Reference HHSAR 352.239-73[8] Electronic Information and [Communication] Technology Accessibility Notice.
[(Deviation)]
[(a) Any offeror responding to this solicitation must comply with established HHS Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html.
(b) The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are stated in the clause at 352.239-79 Information and Communication Technology Accessibility. In order to facilitate the Government’s determination whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an appropriate HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), in accordance with the completion instructions.
The purpose of the checklists and conformance reports are to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, and documentation conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards.
Checklists and ACRs evaluate—in detail—whether the ICT conforms to specific Section 508 accessibility standards and identifies remediation efforts needed to address conformance issues.
(c) If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.
(d) In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed ICT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an Accessibility Conformance Report, in accordance with its completion instructions and tailored to the requirements in the solicitation. The purpose of the Report is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed ICT supplies conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. The template allows offerors or developers to self-evaluate their supplies and document, in detail, whether they conform to a specific Section 508 accessibility standard, and any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues. Instructions for preparing the Template are available at https://www.section508.gov/.
https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat https://www.section508.gov/
(e) Additionally, offerors must provide enough information to assist the Government in determining that the ICT services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards, including any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues.
(f) Respondents to this solicitation must identify any inability to conform to Section 508 requirements. If an offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.
(g) Items delivered as electronic content must be accessible to HHS acceptance criteria.
Checklist for various formats are available at http://508.hhs.gov/. Materials, other than items incidental to contract management, that are final items for delivery should be accompanied by the appropriate checklist, except upon approval of the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s Representative.
(End of provision)]
Part B - Clause 352.239-74[9] Electronic, Information, and Communication Technology Accessibility.
[(Deviation)]
(a) Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all information and communication technology (ICT) supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services, or support developed, acquired, maintained or delivered under this contract or order must comply with the Revised 508 Standards, which are located at 36 C.F.R.
1194.1 and Appendices A, B, and C, and are available at https://www.access-board.gov/ict/. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html.
(b) Additional Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this contract or order are identified as follows:
205 WCAG 2.0 Level A & AA Success Criteria 302 Functional Performance Criteria 502 Inoperability with Assistive Technology 504 Authoring Tools 602 Support Documentation 603 Support Services
If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support provided by the Contractor do not conform to the http://508.hhs.gov/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.access-board.gov/ict/ https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/index.html described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.
(c) In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new ICT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support, the Contracting Officer shall require that the Contractor submit a completed HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) (based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, and services support provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.
(d) If this is an Indefinite-Delivery type contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a Basic Ordering Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order. In those cases, the Contractor shall be required to provide a completed HHS Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Checklist (see https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html) or an ACR (based on the VPAT see https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat), and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the ICT supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. If it is determined by the Government that ICT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the provided documentation, remediation of the supplies, products, platforms, information, documentation, or services support to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.
(e) The contractor shall identify to the Contracting Officer any perceived exception or exemption to Section 508 requirements for review by the agency Section 508 Program.
https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html
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