PWS Enterprise Workforce Assessment for VA OIT Excellence for RFI.docx

Workforce Assessment for VA OIT Excellence

VA-26-00041415

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology

Workforce Assessment for VA OIT Excellence

Date: 02/13/2026

VA-26-00041415

PWS Version Number: 0.1

Contents

BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chief Information Officer (CIO) organization – through its Office of Information and Technology (OIT) – is responsible for integrating, securing, and modernizing the information technology that underpins VA’s delivery of care, benefits, and services to millions of Veterans. VA OIT currently staffs roughly 8,000 IT professionals, with budget authority of approximately $7.3 billion for IT systems in FY 2026. This includes significant investments in enterprise modernization programs such as Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM), Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT), and other major enterprise solutions, while also addressing cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and legacy system retirement.

As VA pursues these complex, multi-year IT transformations against a backdrop of workforce reorganization, reductions in staffing levels, and evolving technology demands, there is a clear need for structured, data-driven workforce gap analysis to inform strategic planning, risk management, and investment decisions that will help ensure mission success and continuity of services for Veterans. Specifically, VA OIT should consider acting on the following critical activities to ensure VA OIT’s ability to meet the urgent needs of current service delivery and plan for the future:

· Identify the future needs of the OIT workforce

· Identify skill areas that are lacking in OIT

· Develop solutions to support workforce improvement initiatives

· Identify needs for future hiring Below sections outline the comprehensive, multi-phase strategy required to identify and address workforce gaps for VA OIT.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

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

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

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

3. VA Directive 6500, “VA Cybersecurity Program,” February 24, 2021 (see VA NOTICE 24-18, dated September 27, 2024, “Update to VA Directive 6500 Cybersecurity Program”, and VA Notice 25-07, dated 3/18/25, “Amending VA Directive 6500 to incorporate M-24-15”)

4. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program,” February 24, 2021 (see VA Notice 25-01, dated October 15, 2024, “Update to VA Handbook 6500 Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program”, and VA Notice 25-06, dated 3/18/25, “Amending VA Directive 6500 to incorporate M-24-15”)

5. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010 (see VA Notice 24-12, dated April 22, 2024, “Update to VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security, Appendix C VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language For Inclusion Into Contracts, As Appropriate”)

6. VA Directive 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

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

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

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

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

11. “Product Line Management Transformation Playbook” version 3.1, August 2023, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall conduct a comprehensive workforce analysis of the VA OIT to assess current capabilities, identify future workforce needs, and determine gaps between supply and demand. This effort will include reviewing strategic plans, analyzing workforce data, and developing actionable recommendations to address skill and capacity gaps. The Contractor shall deliver a roadmap of human capital solutions, including reskilling, recruiting, and organizational alignment strategies, to ensure OIT can meet mission objectives and modernization priorities.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The PoP shall be for a 12 month base period. Subsequent Option Periods will be determined prior to solicitation release.

There are 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

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at Contractor facilities. The Contractor shall identify the Contractor’s place of performance in their proposal submission.

TRAVEL

There is no anticipated travel for this effort.

SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the tasks described in Sections 5.1 through 5.6 to achieve the objectives outlined in this Performance Work Statement. Each task includes a description of required activities and identifies associated deliverables that support performance outcomes and enable Government oversight. The Contractor shall ensure all deliverables are complete, accurate, and provided in accordance with the format and schedule specified in the Notes to the Contracting Officer.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall provide integrated project management and task governance to ensure timely, coherent, and transparent execution of all activities under this PWS. The Contractor shall conduct the post‑award kickoff meeting and furnish Kickoff Meeting Materials that establish the approach, roles, reporting cadence, and collaboration tools to be used across the engagement; these materials will serve as the foundational reference for stakeholders throughout performance. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Project Management Plan (PMP) that articulates scope, governance, milestones, risks, communications, and dependencies and aligns with OIT leadership expectations; the PMP shall be kept current as the authoritative baseline for managing outcomes. The Contractor shall create and maintain an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) that sequences tasks across Sections 5.2 through5.6 to drive deliverable readiness, highlight critical path items, and support oversight reporting to senior executives. To promote transparency and issue resolution, the Contractor shall provide Weekly Status Reports that summarize progress, risks/issues with mitigations, upcoming work, and Government Furnished equipment (GFE)/logistics changes, and shall prepare Executive Briefings upon Government request to synthesize decisions, options, and impacts for leadership forums.

Deliverables:

A. Kickoff Meeting Materials B. Project Management Plan C. Integrated Master Schedule D. Weekly Status Reports E. Executive Briefings

FUTURE WORKFORCE DEMAND ANALYSIS

The Contractor shall analyze future OIT workforce demand to meet VA mission needs, enterprise modernization, cybersecurity, cloud adoption, and legacy system retirement—explicitly considering major initiatives such as EHRM and FMBT and other enterprise solutions driving technical skills requirements. The Contractor shall review OIT strategic plans and mission documentation, identify internal/external demand drivers (e.g., program roadmaps, technology trends, regulatory mandates), and translate enterprise technical demand into future workforce roles, skills, proficiencies, and capacity by product line and function. The Contractor shall develop a quantitative Workforce Demand Profile that estimates the volume and mix of roles/skills needed under plausible planning horizons; this profile will be positioned for executive use in resourcing and budget deliberations. The Contractor shall produce a Future‑State Role and Skill Taxonomy that defines role families, core competencies, proficiency tiers, and example position profiles—standardizing terminology for downstream supply and gap analysis. To support decision flexibility, the Contractor shall produce multiple Workforce Demand Scenarios (e.g., baseline, accelerated modernization, constrained funding) with clear assumptions and sensitivity factors that enable leadership trade‑offs.

Deliverables:

A. Workforce Demand Profile B. Future State Role and Skill Taxonomy C. Workforce Demand Scenarios

CURRENT WORKFORCE SUPPLY AND CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

The Contractor shall assess OIT’s current workforce supply to determine skills, proficiencies, capacity, and risk factors that influence mission delivery across products and services. The Contractor shall collect and analyze available workforce data (e.g., HRSmart, training records, certifications), identify data gaps/limitations, and design a fit‑for‑purpose skills assessment using validated methodologies (e.g., role‑based self‑assessments corroborated by supervisor review and/or work samples) to establish current competency confidence levels. The resulting Workforce Supply Profile will quantify current capacity by role family, geography/organization, labor category, and proficiency tier, providing a baseline to compare against demand. The Contractor shall produce a Skills Inventory with Confidence Ratings that maps observed/validated skills to the taxonomy in Section 5.2, enabling rigorous analysis and reduce subjectivity in planning. In addition, the Contractor shall develop a Workforce Risk and Attrition Analysis that identifies near‑term retirement exposure, critical‑skill single‑points‑of‑failure, institutional knowledge risks, and other factors (e.g., vacancy duration, recruitment pipeline constraints) that could degrade delivery. The Contractor shall review and validate key findings with OIT leadership to ensure enterprise alignment prior to finalization.

Deliverables:

A. Workforce Supply Profile B. Skills Inventory with Confidence Ratings C. Workforce Risk and Attrition Analysis

WORKFORCE GAP AND SCENARIO ANALYSIS

The Contractor shall quantify gaps between the future workforce demand (Section 5.2) and current workforce supply (Section 5.3) across multiple scenarios to highlight where role mix, skill depth, or capacity shortfalls impede mission outcomes. The analysis shall compute gaps by role family and proficiency tier, overlay scenario assumptions (e.g., accelerated cloud migration or modernization delays), and translate differences into actionable implications for service delivery, modernization milestones, and product line readiness. The Contractor shall produce a comprehensive Workforce Gap Analysis Report that prioritizes gaps by impact and urgency, incorporates sensitivity analyses, and summarizes implications for planning windows (near‑term, mid‑term). The Contractor shall provide a Scenario Impact Assessment that shows how different modernization or budget trajectories alter the size, timing, and distribution of gaps to support leadership trade‑off decisions. The Contractor shall develop a Mission Risk Assessment that connects unresolved gaps to operational risks (e.g., cybersecurity posture, schedule slip for enterprise programs, continuity of services), offering narrative and visualizations suitable for executive decision‑making. Leadership feedback will be incorporated to finalize the analysis for governance use.

Deliverables:

A. Workforce Gap Analysis Report B. Scenario Impact Assessment C. Mission Risk Assessment

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AND HUMAN CAPITAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

The Contractor shall design practical, prioritized solutions to close identified workforce gaps and strengthen OIT’s human capital programs within operational and fiscal constraints. The Contractor shall align proposed interventions to specific gap categories (skill depth, role rebalancing, capacity) and produce Workforce Solution Recommendations that specify the “what” (solution intent), “where” (target organizations/product lines), and “how” (sequenced actions and enabling governance).

The Contractor shall develop a Human Capital Program Roadmap that integrates reskilling/upskilling pathways, competency‑based recruiting/hiring strategies, retention initiatives, leadership/succession planning, and make‑versus‑buy strategies (Federal workforce, contractor support, shared services) into time‑phased releases. The roadmap shall include change‑management, communications, and metrics to track progress against outcomes. The Contractor shall provide Implementation Cost Estimates (e.g., ROM ranges and key cost drivers) to facilitate budgeting and prioritization across scenarios, including assumptions and potential offsets (e.g., vacancy reduction, productivity gains). Solutions and program designs shall be reviewed with OIT leadership for alignment to mission needs and modernization trajectories.

Deliverables:

A. Workforce Solution Recommendation B. Human Capital Program Roadmap C. Implementation Cost Estimates

OIT ENTERPRISE ENGAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT ASSESSMENT

The Contractor shall assess whether OIT’s organizational structure, roles, governance, and operating model enable effective enterprise engagement with VA administrations and staff offices and support timely delivery of technical capabilities. The assessment shall examine demand intake and prioritization processes, decision authorities, cross‑organizational interfaces, and product line accountability to identify where governance or structure inhibits workforce effectiveness versus where workforce gaps are the primary constraint. The Contractor shall deliver an OIT Enterprise Engagement Assessment that maps engagement points, evaluates responsiveness and role clarity, and highlights improvement opportunities in interfaces and processes. The Contractor shall provide Organizational Alignment Findings that distinguish workforce issues from governance or operating model misalignments, with evidence drawn from interviews, artifacts, and performance data. The Contractor shall develop Organizational Alignment Recommendations that propose targeted refinements (e.g., clarifying decision rights, optimizing demand intake, aligning product lines/teams) and, where warranted, present options for organizational realignment to improve outcomes and reduce friction. Recommendations shall be framed for senior executive decision‑making and coordinated with workforce solutions from Section 5.5 to ensure coherent execution.

Deliverables:

A. OIT Enterprise Engagement Assessment B. Organizational Alignment Findings C. Organizational Alignment Recommendations

OPTIONAL TASK 1- COMPLETE WORKFORCE ANALYSIS FOR ADDITIONAL PART OF THE CIO ORGANIZATION- PHASE 2 The Contractor shall apply the approved workforce analysis methodology to additional CIO organizations outside of the base OIT analysis, ensuring consistency in approach and outputs.

If exercised, the Contractor shall complete the activities in Sections 5.2 through 5.6 for each designated CIO organization. This includes:

· Reviewing strategic plans and identifying demand drivers;

· Assessing current workforce supply and capability;

· Conducting gap and scenario analysis;

· Developing actionable workforce solutions tailored to the organization’s mission.

The Contractor shall consolidate all outputs into a single Additional Organization Workforce Analysis Report, which will include the Workforce Demand Profile, Workforce Supply Profile and Skills Inventory with Confidence Ratings, Workforce Gap Analysis Report (including Scenario Impact and Mission Risk Assessment), and Human Capital Program Recommendations. This consolidated report shall be delivered in electronic format and structured for executive decision-making.

Deliverable:

A. Additional Organization Workforce Analysis Report

OPTIONAL TASK 2- IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT FOR APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS

The Contractor shall provide structured implementation support for Government-approved workforce and organizational alignment recommendations resulting from Sections 5.5 and 5.6.

Upon Government direction, the Contractor shall execute implementation activities for approved solutions, which may include:

· Designing reskilling and upskilling programs;

· Developing strategic recruiting and hiring program recommendations;

· Updating job classifications and position descriptions;

· Creating a future-state workforce operating model;

· Developing leadership and succession planning program recommendations.

The Contractor shall consolidate all outputs into a single Implementation Support Package, which will include detailed plans, recommendations, and supporting artifacts for each approved activity. This package shall be delivered in electronic format and structured to enable execution by OIT leadership.

Deliverable:

A. Implementation Support Package

OPTIONAL TASK 3- SURGE/AD-HOC ANALYTICAL SUPPORT SPRINTS

The Contractor shall provide rapid, fixed-duration analytical support to address emergent workforce questions or critical initiatives designated by the Government. This includes urgent analysis needs tied to high-priority programs (e.g., cybersecurity posture, modernization acceleration, legislative mandates) that require executive-ready insights beyond the baseline scope.

If exercised, the Contractor shall execute a defined analytical engagement (e.g., up to four weeks) focused on a single, well-scoped question or initiative. Activities shall include targeted workforce demand/supply modeling aligned to Sections 5.2 through 5.4, scenario impact analysis for accelerated modernization or surge requirements, risk quantification and mitigation options for mission-critical initiatives, and development of actionable recommendations for leadership decisions.

As part of this effort, the Contractor shall develop and deliver the following outputs:

· An Analytical Support Plan detailing scope, assumptions, timeline, and data sources;

· A Rapid Analysis Memorandum summarizing findings, implications, and recommended actions;

· An Executive Outbrief Slide Deck (10–15 slides) presenting key insights for decision-making; and

· A Data Appendix documenting inputs, caveats, and scenario assumptions.

Each invocation constitutes a separate firm-fixed-price unit with the above deliverables; these deliverables are unique to this optional task and do not replace or duplicate deliverables in Sections 5.2 through 5.6. This optional task is 30 days in duration and cannot be exercised more than 6 times throughout the life of the task order.

Deliverables:

A. Analytical Support Plan B. Rapid Analysis Memorandum C. Executive Outbrief Slide Deck D. Data Appendix

OPTIONAL TASK 4- WORKFORCE PROGRAM PILOT DESIGN AND EVALUATION

The Contractor shall design, execute, and evaluate a single pilot program (e.g., upskilling pathway or competency‑based recruiting process) to test the feasibility and efficacy of proposed solutions in Section 5.5. The Contractor shall deliver a Pilot Design Pack, a Pilot Execution Report, and a Pilot Evaluation & Scale Recommendation. This task produces a go/modify/stop decision for scaling within the Human Capital Program Roadmap.

Deliverables:

A. Pilot Design Pack B. Pilot Execution Report C. Pilot Evaluation & Scale Recommendation

Performance Work Statement Template_MAY_16_2025_Rev.1

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