QASP.docx

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

For: Transitional Housing and Support Services for Homeless Veterans Beneficiaries

Contract Number: <Government will enter contract number upon award>

Contract Description: Contractor shall provide Transitional Housing and Support Services to Homeless Veteran Beneficiaries referred by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), North Texas Veterans Health Care System. Services shall be provided in the Dallas, Texas area. Services will only be furnished to Veteran beneficiaries for whom such care is specifically authorized by the VA.

Contractor’s name: <Enter your company name.> (hereafter referred to as the contractor).

1. PURPOSE:

a. This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the above-stated contract. This QASP explains the following:

· What will be monitored?

· How monitoring will take place.

· Who will conduct the monitoring?

· How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

b. This QASP does not detail how the contractor accomplishes the work. Rather, the QASP is created with the premise that the contractor is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. It is the Government’s responsibility to be objective, fair, and consistent in evaluating performance.

c. This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis. However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the contractor. Copies of the original QASP and revisions shall be provided to the contractor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities.

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

a. Contracting Officer (CO) – The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also assure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the contractor’s performance.

Assigned CO: <Government will enter name upon award> Organization or Agency:

b. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – The COR is responsible for technical administration of the contract and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the contractor’s performance. The COR shall keep a quality assurance file. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf.

Assigned COR: <Government will enter name upon award> Organization or Agency:

c. Other Key Government Personnel - <Upon award Government will enter name, if applicable. This may include Performance Monitors, Clinical Quality experts, etc. who act on behalf of the COR to monitor performance>

3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES:

The following employees of the contractor serve as the contractor’s program manager for this contract.

a. Program Manager - <Offeror will enter name upon award> Title: <Enter title(s) or delete these lines if not applicable.>

b. Other Contractor Personnel - <Offeror will enter name(s) upon award, if applicable> Title: <Enter title(s) or delete these lines if not applicable.>

c. Contractor will be held to the same standard as VA personnel through quality assurance and performance monitoring to ensure compliance under this contract. The Quality Assurance and Performance Monitoring will be governed by the appointed COR who will be responsible for verifying compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract. After the contract is awarded, any incidents as evidenced by the monitoring procedures will be forwarded immediately to the Contracting Officer. In addition, the COR will forward the summary evaluation of the contractor performance to the Contracting Officer once performance ends.

Performance Requirements Summary Matrix

DISINCENTIVE

Weekly Bed Census Submitted on Time

PWS B.3.4.3

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Submission of HCHV Service Plan within three(3) business days of Admission

PWS B.3.1.4

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Monthly Submission of Veterans Status of Progress Toward Meeting Goals

PWS B.3.4.1

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Timely Incident Reporting

PWS B.3.1.8

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Staffing

PWS B.3.1.2

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Qualifications of Key Personnel

PWS B.3.2.1

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Dietary The dietary needs of all veterans shall be met in accordance with sound nutritional and medical standards.

PWS B.3.8.

Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Transportation PWS B.3.1.2 and B.3.1.5.12.

Positive Past Performance and/or exercise of option period; Timely processing of payment/ Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

Facility Clean and sanitary housing shall be provided to all veterans.

PWS B.3.1.2

Positive Past Performance and/or exercise of option period; Timely processing of payment/ Negative Past Performance and Payment held until submitted

5. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE:

Various methods exist to monitor performance. The PM shall use the following surveillance methods in the administration of this QASP:

a. PERIODIC INSPECTION. Periodic and/or monthly inspections to be conducted by the VA HCHV Case Manager and COR. Random, unannounced visits.

· All deficiencies will be corrected in an agreed upon timeframe.

b. USER SURVEY. Completed upon discharge from Facility regarding satisfaction of facility and case management received.

· Satisfaction is expected to be at or above the average rating based on survey format/ranking.

c. VALIDATED USER/CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. Relies on the patient to identify deficiencies. Complaints are then investigated and validated within three (3) business days.

(1) Complaints Handling: The COR shall monitor the services provided. Contractor shall cooperate with the COR in providing information and answering questions in a timely manner when requested. The Contractor shall refer complaints received directly from the customer(s) to the COR. All complaints received by the COR and forwarded to the Contractor shall be investigated promptly. After investigation and disposition, Contractor shall respond to the COR with the written outcome of resolution within five (5) working days after receipt of complaint by the Contractor.

e. 100% INSPECTION. (Evaluates all outcomes.) The VA will monitor the Contractor weekly by audit of the daily bed census reports submitted weekly on Monday or next business day if a Federal Holiday. Invoices provided by the Contractor will be verified against the daily bed census reports weekly for accuracy.

(1) When a non-compliance item is identified, the VA HCHV Case Manager/COR will provide a written notice to the Contractor in efforts to first correct errors, then forward on to the CO on a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) as needed to resolve.

(2) Contactor payment for services may be withheld if the service is provided or authorized by uncertified personnel, without regard to whether such services were medically necessary and appropriate.

f. Period of observation is from the 1st of each month through the end of the observation month.

g. Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). Metrics and methods are designed to determine rating for a given standard and acceptable quality level. The following ratings shall be used (Reference: CPARS User Manual https://www.cpars.gov/documents/CPARS-Guidance.pdf):

Note: To justify an Exceptional rating, you should identify multiple significant events in each category and state how it was a benefit to the GOVERNMENT. However, a singular event could be of such magnitude that it alone constitutes an Exceptional rating. Also, there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

Note: To justify a Very Good rating, you should identify a significant event in each category and state how it was a benefit to the GOVERNMENT. Also, there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

Note: To justify a Satisfactory rating, there should have been only minor problems, or major problems the contractor recovered from without impact to the contract. Also, there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

Note: To justify an Unsatisfactory rating, you should identify multiple significant events in each category that the contractor had trouble overcoming and state how it impacted the GOVERNMENT. However, a singular problem could be of such serious magnitude that it alone constitutes an unsatisfactory rating. An Unsatisfactory rating should be supported by referencing the management tools used to notify the contractor of the contractual deficiencies (e.g., Management, Quality, Safety or Environmental Deficiency Reports, or letters).

6. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE

a. ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE The Government shall document positive performance. Any report may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action and preparing annual past performance using CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CPAR).

b. UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE When unacceptable performance occurs and contractor performance does not meet Acceptable Quality level, the CO will inform the contractor of the unacceptable performance. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the COR shall document the discussion and place it in the COR file.

When the CO and/or COR determines formal written communication is required, the CO will prepare a Contract Report (CR) and present it to the contractor’s program manager.

The contractor shall acknowledge receipt of the CR in writing. The CR will specify if the contractor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the contractor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CR will also state how long after receipt the contractor has to present this corrective action plan to the CO and COR. The Government shall review the contractor’s corrective action plan to determine acceptability.

Any CRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO. In addition, any performance that is below the standards set-forth in Section 4 may subject the contractor to the termination for default provision or result in non-exercise of any future option periods.

7. FREQUENCY OF SURVEILLANCE:

Frequency of Surveillance. During contract performance, the COR, and the VA HCHV Case Manager will periodically analyze whether the negotiated frequency of surveillance is appropriate for the work being performed.

Performance Assessment Meetings. The VA HCHV Case Manager/COR shall meet with the contractor quarterly to assess performance and shall provide a written assessment.

<This document shall be signed at contract award>

Printed Name/Signature – Contractor Representative

Printed Name/Signature – Contracting Officer’s Representative

SAMPLE QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM

SERVICE or STANDARD:

SURVEY PERIOD:

SURVEILLANCE METHOD (check):

Random Sampling 100% Inspection Periodic Inspection Customer Complaint LEVEL OF SURVEILLANCE (check):

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS:

Observed Service Provider Performance Measurement Rate: ______%

Narrative of Performance During Survey Period:

PREPARED BY: ___________________________________ DATE: _________________