Reference_WP3 CSO Draft to Final Changes_9.27.21.pdf

Commercial Solution Opening Workplace 3.0 – Managed Solution, Defense Healthcare Management Systems

HT0038-21-S-C003

August 20September 27, 2021

Style Definition: Comment Text

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

Requiring Activity: Program Executive Office, Defense Healthcare Management Systems (PEO DHMS) 3 Opportunity Title: Workplace 3.0 – Managed Solution, Defense Healthcare Management Systems 5 Announcement Type: InitialFinal Draft Announcement 7 Solicitation Number: HT0038-21-S-C003 9 Important Dates: 11 Draft Posting Date: August 20, 2021 13 Target Final Posting Date: September 1727, 2021 14 Target Initial Abstract Submission Date: October 122, 2021, 5:00PM (ET) 15 Desired Initial Award Date: October 29December 17, 2021 16 CSO Closing Date: September 1626, 2022, 12:00 noon (ET) 17 Brief Problem Statement: PEO DHMS strives to deliver world-class technologies in the health 19 information field. Our goal is, where appropriate, for our technologies and conduct to be indistinguishable 20 from those of leading private-sector technology firms. In order to achieve this, we have undertaken 21 several transformation efforts to mature the organization’s posture, technologies, and business practices. 22 One transformation initiative is the enhancement of the digital workforce fully enabled to excel in their 23 work through a modern digital workplace. The novel coronavirus pandemic has not only demonstrated an 24 additional need to embrace this digital workplace, but it presented more barriers to achieve a 25 comprehensive and successful transformation. These barriers are especially pronounced as the PEO 26 begins to depend on close, native collaboration with the rest of its partners in the Federal and non-Federal 27 health information domain. Further, as production capacity expands, PEO DHMS must be able to attract 28 and retain the highest level of talent in its workforce. Potential members of this workforce expect and 29 demand a frictionless, seamless digital workplace experience. We are seeking to establish this digital 30 workplace through fully managed solutions that leverage innovative new technologies, processes, and/or 31 methods to enable the entire PEO DHMS workforce to deliver world-class technology products. 32 CSO Solicitation Concept: This solicitation document will provide streamlined, concise context and 34 instructions. Detailed documentation will be provided as Attachments and made available on the internet. 35 The Government will also provide direct communications and content to provide additional context and 36 clarifications for expectations. Questions and feedback are encouraged throughout the process, especially 37 early in the process. 38 Anticipated Awards: Multiple awards may be issued resulting from this solicitation. See Section VI. 40 Potential Award Types: FAR-based contracts, basic ordering agreements, blanket purchase agreements, 42 or Other Transactions (OT). 43 Potential PartnersAward Ceiling: $100M 45

Applicants: We encourage the broadest possible participation in responding to this solicitation, and will 47 seek to leverage every flexibility available in making any resulting awards. PEO DHMS is seeking the 48 most innovative solutions available. We know some traditional Government processes can be intimidating 49 or do not make business sense for some non-traditional participants. Interested partnersapplicants should 50 propose any contractual arrangement or flexibility that eliminates these barriers. If a proposed solution 51 has merit, the Government will work closely with the applicant and use its statutory flexibilities to make 52 an arrangement that benefits everyone. Further, we will provide mechanisms to ease networking in order 53 to form teaming arrangements and partnerships. More information is provided in Section III. 54 CSO Contact Email: dha.ncr.peo-ipo.mbx.dhms-enablers@mail.mil 56 CSO Solicitation Website: https://community.hive.gov/main/groups/43702/lounge 58 mailto:dha.ncr.peo-ipo.mbx.dhms-enablers@mail.mil https://community.hive.gov/main/groups/43702/lounge

II. SOLICITATION DETAILS 60

A. Background 62

As a nation, our health is one of our most critical and important resources. Whether in the context of 64 maintaining economic output, the readiness of our military to defend our national security, or paying the 65 debt we owe to those who made sacrifices to do so, a healthy, fit society is the engine for these activities. 66 The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) recently published its 2020-2025 Federal Health IT 67 Strategic Plan (Attachment 1), which lays out in detail the Federal Government’s role in healthcare and 68 how it uses Health Information Technology (Health IT) to fulfill that role. In short, the Government 69 regulates, purchases, develops, and utilizes Health IT to better enable healthcare delivery. The Plan 70 further lays out some of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare industry, and how the Government 71 plans to use technology to address these challenges and improve health outcomes. Among these are cost 72 growth, capacity in the system, and poor health outcomes, especially in areas such as obesity, substance 73 abuse, and mental health. 74 The Program Executive Office – Defense Healthcare Management Systems (PEO DHMS) is a key 76 Federal Health IT partner, and is responsible for delivering the single Electronic Health Record (EHR) 77 and other technologies for the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and the United States Coast 78 Guard (USCG). Sitting at the nexus of healthcare and defense, which together account for approximately 79 40% of that national budget, the PEO is in a unique position to make substantial national impact on the 80 challenges facing both domains. National Defense, like healthcare, faces challenges in resources, 81 capacity, and capability that can be addressed through innovative technology strategies. 82 In its official Purpose, Goals, and Strategies document (Attachment 2), the PEO lays out its vision for 84 maximizing its impact on healthcare and defense. While many tend to equate PEO DHMS with EHR, the 85 PEO, along with its subordinate and partner offices, has a considerably broader mission. Further, as its 86 various programs proceed to the next phases, they will continue to expand. According to data collected by 87 ONC, EHR adoption across the country is approaching 100%. The Federal Health IT Strategic Plan looks 88 well beyond the core EHR, and the PEO’s missions will likewise pivot to providing comprehensive health 89 management, advanced data applications, improved usability, reduced provider/patient burden, and many 90 others. These are things we know, and we know technology will make missions achievable that we have 91 not even thought of yet. 92 The PEO delivers on these missions with a strong workforce comprised of federal civilians from multiple 94 Agencies, military personnel from each Service, support contractors, and prime mission product 95 contractors. This workforce is organized into major program offices, project teams, coordinating offices, 96 and a back office/corporate team. The workforce strives to deliver world-class technologies in the health 97 information field. In order to succeed at one of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) most important 98 missions, PEO DHMS must, to the greatest extent possible, ensure its technologies and conduct are 99 indistinguishable from those of leading private-sector technology firms. This includes: 100

• Frictionless and seamless solutions and products that create the best possible user experience 101

• Quality products to drive demand from Government and non-Government users 102

• Increased competition and innovation from other Health IT developers in the private sector 103

• Attracting the best people in these fields to join and stay in the PEO DHMS workforce 104

• Changing the methods and tools we utilize to collaborate and execute 105

ForTo achieve these reasons, we have begun the migration to lofty goals, PEO DHMS must undergo a 107 digital workforce fully enabled to excelfundamental shift in their workhow it does business. In its 108 continual evolution, PEO DHMS has transitioned across three distinct operational paradigms: 109

• (2013 - 2014) The first and previous phase, PEO 1.0, was launched via the 2013 Secretary of 110 Defense (SECDEF) charter to establish an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for use by the DoD 111 and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This phase represents the “crawl” of the PEO 112 DHMS organization as operational processes were identified and initially established. 113

• (2014 - Present) The second and current phase, PEO 2.0, is anchored by the successful 114 procurement and ongoing deployment of the MHS GENESIS EHR. This phase represents the 115 “walk” of the PEO DHMS organization as operational processes entered sustainment and flagship 116 products were launched into the market to achieve initial customer value. 117

• (Present - 2026) This third and next phase, PEO 3.0, is characterized by achieving a digitally 118 transformed organization with ambitious year-over-year growth in product portfolio value and 119 customer outcomes. This phase represents the “run” of the PEO DHMS organization as focus 120 shifts from internal organizational deployment to fostering external product development. 121

PEO DHMS launched the PEO 3.0 phase in FY21 with a four-pronged strategic effort that mirrors the 123 operational strategies of leading commercial counterparts: Workforce 3.0 (“WF3”) to perform business 124 support services, Workplace 3.0 (“WP3”) to provide business infrastructure, DevMAC to provide software 125 development support services, and Federal XaaS (“XaaS”) to provide software development 126 infrastructure. This CSO focuses on WP3 and providing the modern, digital-focusedfocus workplace. to 127 fully enable our hybrid workforce. As new and innovative solutions are onboarded to the PEO DHMS 128 environment, integration and coordination with these other initiatives will be critical for success. 129 By forcing us to adopt and utilize the more virtual components of our workplace, the novel coronavirus 131 pandemic has shown us how productive we can be in a digital-focused workplace, but it has also shown 132 us that our current workplace has many capability gaps that will either impede us entirely from 133 transforming or make us considerably less productive while we do. It has also shown us how difficult it 134 can be to become one cohesive, seamless workforce when our access and ability to collaborate, share 135 information, and manage workflows is reduced according to which Agency we work for, or whether we 136 are a civilian or a contractor. Our current workforce and our desired future workforce expect and demand 137 better; a modernized solution is critical to meeting our expanding mission with our limited resources. 138

B. Description of Need 140

We are seeking a digital workplace managed solution that leverages new innovative technologies, 142 processes, and/or services to enable the entire PEO DHMS workforce to deliver world-class technology. 143 The provider of this managed solution should also serve as a catalyst for identifying new external 144 technology trends and building community with sources of innovation both outside traditional DoD and 145 Military Health System contractor communities. 146 We define a workplace as a common infrastructure that enables a modern workforce to successfully 148 complete their work. This includes logistical considerations such as physical collaboration facilities and 149 equipment, virtual and distance collaboration software, information sharing and workflow software, 150 methodologies and tools for scheduling, management of shared resource pools, administrative staffing, 151 and other enabling services to ensure success within the common infrastructure. 152

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We consider a managed solution to cover the full breadth of digital workplace capabilities from document 154 sharing/management to software lifecycle management to workspace design to virtual communications to 155 robotic process automation and to all other enabling areas in the virtual and physical environments. A 156 managed solution scales seamlessly and accommodates fluctuations in demand rapidly. Most importantly, 157 a managed solution enables one seamless workforce where an individual’s Agency or employment status 158 does not affect the individual’s experience with the workplace. A managed solution is an actively 159 managed “stack” of capabilities, where the burden does not fall on the Government to execute individual 160 procurement actions, license/maintenance agreements, or other agreements. A managed solution must be 161 capable of rapid evolution as the needs of the workforce or the state of the art evolve. 162 Our overarching outcome for award(s) under this CSO is that our workforce has the same or better 164 workplace experience than leading technology firms with whom we want to compete for talent. Our 165 workplace must evolve towards becoming a dynamic, accommodating environment where top talent 166 wants to work to unlock their full potential and achieve team success. It should facilitate meaningful 167 interactions between employees to enable true value creation toward Digital Transformation. We will 168 measure the results of any award(s) against the extent to which these outcomes are satisfied compared to 169 the current state of the organization and ongoing progression of industry. 170 Additionally, the Workplace 3.0 managed solution is expected to have a strategy for growth and 172 development as the workforce grows and develops. Strategic elements include on- and off-boarding of 173 technologies and physical spaces, how customer satisfaction is measured and increased over time, and 174 communications and branding strategies to market the workplace transformation within and outside the 175 organization. While we anticipate the introduction of the early workplace changes and implementations to 176 have the greatest impact, DHMS will continue to hold ongoing workplace innovations to the highest of 177 standards to continually have meaningful contributions to the productivity of the organization into the 178 future. 179 We want to emphasize, while a digital workforce and digital workplace depend heavily on technology, 181 software is NOT the only capability necessary for the PEO to attract/retain the workforce it requires. 182 Solutions should include the full “stack” of capabilities and innovative teaming arrangements are 183 encouraged to ensure the “stack” contains the best components from top to bottom. Further, any lists or 184 examples provided throughout this document are not intended to be exhaustive or scope limiting, and 185 should not be interpreted as guidance for your solution. They are merely examples intended to provide 186 context. The scope of this action will be defined by the required outcome. We are seeking unconventional 187 approaches that are outside the mainstream for the Government, challenge accepted assumptions for the 188 Government, and have the potential to radically change established practice. We do not accept that we 189 should limit our ambition or capability just because we are a government organization, and we’re excited 190 to change how we do business to achieve this outcome. 191 That said, we are a government organization and we recognize the gaps in our research and understanding 193 of leading-edge practices is often outdated or incomplete. Proposals should investigate innovative 194 approaches that enable revolutionary advances in our capabilities, where appropriate. However, 195 evolutionary and incremental improvements to the existing state will be entertained especially when those 196 evolutions result in greater speed to delivery, as long as the nexus to the ultimate outcome is clear. We are 197 relying on your expertise. We understand there may be capabilities we require to satisfy our outcome that 198 we are not even aware of today, or that new capabilities may emerge tomorrow as the workforce matures. 199

Throughout the process and leading into post-award activities, the government will utilize a “design-to-201 outcome” approach rather than specifying specific performance or capability requirements. Solution(s) 202 that receive procurement awards will be further designed through an iterative process that evolves and 203 provides an agreed upon outcome. Once a design is approved by the Government, the produced artifacts 204 will translate into requirements against which performance is measured. Change is inherent in the process 205 and adaptation/evolution is expected through each step from abstract, to proposed solution, to design, to 206 requirement, to performance. 207

C. Areas of Interest (AOIs) 209

Areas of Interest (AOIs) describe the problem space to be addressed through innovative technologies and 211 solutions. They are not detailed specifications and requirements, but rather kept broad to remain open to 212 all ideas and possibilities proposed by offerors. The solutions submitted as part of responses to the CSO 213 must be aligned to at least one of these AOIs to be considered for acceptance. 214 For this CSO, PEO DHMS is seeking innovative workplace proposals that provide comprehensive 216 solutions aligned to all or several components of the WP3 vision - technological, physical, procedural, 217 and managerial. WP3 sits at the intersection of these four primary components, integrating and interacting 218 with one another to form the ideal working environment to improve employee productivity and morale in 219 the workplace. Without the inclusion of one AOI, the workplace is incomplete and lacking a key aspect to 220 support our workforce. These components are outlined below, where the best solutions are those that span 221 all components of the WP3 vision. 222

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Figure 1: Workplace 3.0 Areas of Interest 250

1. Technology 252

New and unprecedented workplace creations are revolutionizing the way the workforce communicates 254 and collaborates with co-workers, management, and clients. By integrating communication (voice, video, 255 A/V equipment, etc.), process (seat and room reservations, security access, etc.), and additional tools 256 (enterprise software, smart devices, etc.), the employees can achieve increased productivity as well as 257 improved physical and mental work-life balance. PEO DHMS is interested in exploring the best 258 technological fittings of the workplace and the benefits they will bring to PEO DHMS and its workforce, 259 while maintaining cybersecurity compliance. (refer to Attachment 7). 260

2. Processes 262

Future innovation in workplace design is less about space and more about strategies for using the space 264 and maintaining service level agreements. Frequent variations in capacity, maintenance, and access 265 requirements will demand clear protocols to ensure employees are able to efficiently and securely interact 266 with the workplace. PEO DHMS is interested in understanding both processes the workforce will engage 267 in to utilize the space as well as the management plan to maintain it. Additionally, how established 268 processes can seamlessly recruit, hire, onboard, and orient new members of the workforce to the 269 workplace. 270

3. Physical Space 272

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Physical space and its design are critical influencers on the quality and proficiency of employee work, as 274 well as engagement and retention. By providing access to a variety of central (cafés, lounges, kitchens, 275 etc.), individual (work pods, privacy rooms, singular work stations, etc.), multi-purpose (training rooms, 276 conference rooms, etc.), and unconventional (gyms, break rooms, etc.) zones, the physical space can help 277 shape a flexible work environment for every kind of task, preference, and daily routine. PEO DHMS is 278 interested in understanding space design and how it benefits its workforce in focus, collaboration, 279 learning, and socializing. Ignoring space design can lead to stagnant work conditions, which lower 280 employee engagement, decrease performance, and have an overall negative impact on the organization. 281

4. Management 283

To maintain and operate a workplace requires a variety of services to ensure the workforce remains 285 comfortable and functional, whether virtually or in office. By incorporating the right staff throughout the 286 workplace such as maintenance, security, reception, and general customer success staff who can 287 accommodate travel and workplace requests, users of the building can be directly supported and 288 accommodated to execute their daily functions. PEO DHMS is interested in optimizing personnel services 289 in the workplace as well as understanding the impact of these positions on the workforce. 290 The examples provided above for each of the AOIs are not requirements for a modern workplace and are 292 provided solely for understanding topic areas. PEO DHMS understands solutions bearing from 293 partnerships between building owners and building tenant service providers could provide the optimal 294 solution and welcomes these partnerships to form as part of submissions. 295

D. Eligibility Information 297

1. Eligible Applicants 299

The Government strongly encourages engagement from all responsible sources capable of satisfying the 301 Government's needs, including academia (colleges and universities), businesses, and other organizations 302 (including non-profit). Contractors who have not previously supported the Government, the Department 303 of Defense, or the Defense Health Agency are strongly encouraged to engage, as prior experience with 304 our organizations is neithernot required nor desired. 305

2. Special Categories 307

a. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) 309 While the CSO pilot is intended to borrow heavily from the structure of Broad Agency Announcements, 311 where FFRDCs are permitted to compete when in compliance with the appropriate regulations, the CSO 312 is applied to different outcomes. The Government has determined that the exception to competition 313 limitations at DFARS 235.017-1 does not apply, because the solicitation seeks new private sector 314 commercial products or new applications of those products. 315

b. Government Entities 317

The Government has determined that the work is otherwise available from the private sector and 319 Government entities are therefore precluded from competing under this CSO. 320

c. Participation 322 If a prime applicant proposes to utilize an FFRDC and/or Government entity as a partner or subcontractor, 324 the Government will entertain submissions on a case-by-case basis; however, the burden to prove 325 eligibility for all team members rests solely with the Applicant. The Government strongly recommends 326 that these potential partnerships be identified in the abstract or otherwise as early in the proposal process 327 as possible. Notwithstanding the above limitations, FFRDCs and Government entities are welcome to 328 provide feedback about the solicitation if they are so inclined. 329

3. Foreign Participation 331

Non-U.S. organizations and/or individuals may participate to the extent that such participants comply 333 with any necessary nondisclosure agreements, security regulations, export control laws, and other 334 governing statutes applicable under the circumstances. The burden to prove eligibility for all team 335 members rests solely with the applicant. Potential applicants are advised that any solution will likely be 336 required to contain controlled unclassified information and personally identifiable information. 337

III. CSO PROCESS 339

The Government will utilize an interactive, high-engagement solicitation process to seek and evaluate 341 proposals. Communication is encouraged through any step of the process for the entire duration of the 342 CSO. The Government strongly encourages interested parties not to hesitate to provide any feedback or 343 questions. 344 At the release of the CSO, the Government is specifying initial desired due dates for the first iteration of 346 activities. After the initial iteration, the Government will conduct additional iterations on an ad hoc or 347 scheduled basis (in batches) throughout the open period if funding is available to do so, and encourages 348 interested parties to continue providing feedback, questions, or abstracts after the initial due dates. 349

A. Teaming Phase 351

By the release of this document, the Teaming Phase is expected to be well under way. In this phase, 353 Applicants will be highly encouraged to form teams ahead of submitting abstracts to collaboratively pitch 354 uniquely combined solutions that address multiple AOIs. This early coordination will increase the 355 probability of success through the implementation and integration of multiple solutions. Formation of 356 teams can be achieved through existing networks and partnerships, but the Government will also facilitate 357 industry interactions to promote new connections, especially with non-traditional organizations. The high-358 level process for this facilitation is outlined below and will be initiated through the HIVE WP3 359 Community (https://community.hive.gov/main/groups/43702/lounge). 360

Applicants should be aware that form responses will be posted for public consumption and must NOT 364 include proprietary information, personally identifiable information, trade secrets, or other competitively 365 harmful information. 366 As Applicants proceed through the Evaluation Phases, Government may identify potentially viable 368 solutions that may not cover the full breadth of AOIs. In such cases and with the permission of the 369 Applicant, Government may communicate through HIVE an opportunity to team with a vendor that has a 370 potentially viable solution. Whether or not the vendor’s name is shared and the extent of the solution 371 communicated will be up to the Applicant. As additional vendors express interest in teaming with this 372 Applicant, the Applicant can freely make connections and form teaming relationships for a future 373 https://community.hive.gov/main/groups/43702/lounge

Abstract submission. While the Government may identify potentially viable vendor solutions, the 374 Government is not bound to ultimately select this particular Applicant as more proposed solutions come 375 through the CSO process. 376

B. Feedback Phase 378

With the posting of the draft of this document on 20 August, the Government has opened the Feedback 380 Phase. Feedback may consist of comments, suggestions for clarifications, questions, or suggested 381 information. Parties should be aware that submitted questions, and the answers to the questions, will be 382 posted for public consumption and must NOT include proprietary information, personally identifiable 383 information, trade secrets, or other competitively harmful information. The Government may, at its 384 discretion, attempt to rephrase or redact a question to remove such information, but if it cannot do so, a 385 question may be rejected without an answer. Instructions for feedback submission can be seen in Section 386

IV. 387

In addition to direct digital feedback, the Government will also facilitate office calls. These will consist of 389 30-minute time blocks for industry to directly engage Government through 1-on-1, virtual conversations. 390 Government will not accept product pitches during this time. Rather, they are an opportunity for potential 391 Applicants to gain further clarity around WP3 expectations, communicate anticipated challenges, and 392 provide insights around innovation trends and successes in the workplace to shape the finalization of the 393

CSO. 394

In order to be considered in the first iteration, initial feedback must be submitted by 3 September, 2021. 396 Depending on the nature of the feedback received, the Government may provide additional verbal 397 supplementation along with written answers to any questions. Initial answers and/or modifications to the 398 CSO will be posted no later thanapproximately 2 weeks after this date. The opportunity for feedback, 399 questions, and modifications will remain open past this date, but the Government will begin accepting 400 abstract submissions after the first iteration of updates and answers. 401 The fundamental outcome of this phase is a mutual understanding of the required outcomes and the 403 problem areas to be addressed. 404

C. Abstract Phase 406

The Abstract Phase will begin after the Government respondsreleases the final CSO in response to the 408 first batch of feedback received by September 3. Given the timeline and workload required to respond to 409 the initial feedback and to ensure a strong mutual understanding between the Government and potential 410 partnersApplicants, the Government will not accept abstracts prior to the opening of the abstract 411 phaseAbstract Phase. Detailed requirements and formatting for abstracts is contained in Section IV below. 412 For the purposes of this solicitation, only submissions deemed relevant will receiveThe Government will 414 conduct a detailed review. Relevance primarily requires that submissions clearly describe a managed 415 solution with a “stack” of capabilities that address significant portions or all of the capabilities needed to 416 satisfy the WP3 vision. Further, an abstract must conclusively show an innovation, as defined in DPAP 417 Class Deviation 2018-O0016 (Attachment 3). More details about howmerit-based assessment on abstracts 418 will be evaluated and how a determination of relevance is made is according to evaluation criteria 419 delineated in Section VI below. 420

Abstracts may be submitted in conjunction with a proposal, but submission of abstracts in advance of full 422 proposals is strongly encouraged prior to expending substantial resources.V. The Government will 423 provide a positive or negative response to each abstract as to whether they desirethe Applicant is selected 424 to provide a pitch presentation of the proposed solution. 425 In order to be considered in the first iteration, initial abstracts must be submitted by 5:00PM (ET), 22 426 October 2021. The Government intends to respond to abstracts within 2 weeks, but the rate of response 427 will depend on the volume of abstracts that are received. After the first iteration of Abstracts are 428 reviewed, all Abstracts submitted after 5:00PM (ET), 22 October, 2021 will be evaluated on a rolling 429 basis. 430 Applicants who are the prime submitter of the abstract may only submit one abstract at a time. If a second 432 abstract is submitted by an Applicant prior to notification of selection or non-selection, it will be 433 dismissed and not reviewed. If an Applicant is a prime submitter of an abstract, it does not prevent them 434 from being a sub-teaming member of another prime Applicant submission. There is no limit on the 435 number of Abstracts sub-teaming members can be a part of. 436 Resubmission of rejected abstracts will not be re-evaluated until after the first iteration of received 438 submissions received by 22 October 2021 are reviewed, and they must be provided decisions. All 439 resubmitted withabstracts must contain substantial differences that address any gaps provided in the non-440 selection notice. The Government reserves the right to implement and enforce a set waiting period after a 441 rejected abstract to limit the level of burden on the evaluating teams. internal evaluators. 442 In order to be considered in the first iteration, initial abstracts must be submitted by 1 October 2021. The 444 Government intends to respond to abstracts within 2 weeks, but the rate of response will largely depend 445 on the rate at which abstracts are received. 446 The fundamental outcome of this phase is to maximize efficiency for the Government and industry 448 partners. We do not want our industry partnersApplicants to waste time or bid and proposal resources 449 developing solutions that do not address the necessary outcomes, and the Government will not be able 450 towants to use its resources to evaluate meritorious solutions and make timely awards by spending time 451 evaluating solutions that are not relevant. 452

D. Pitch Phase 454

If your abstract is accepted, the Government will invite the Applicant to prepare and deliver an oral pitch 456 presentation of the proposed solution. These presentations will be conducted through either live, virtual or 457 in-person settings. During the initial iteration, the Government will assign presentation slots on a first-458 come-first-served basis. 459 After the initial iteration, standing slots will be allocated each month, and these will be allocated on a 461 first-come-first-served basis once an abstract is accepted for full evaluation. After an initial award, and if 462 subsequent awards are made, fewer slots may be allocated, and the timing of standing slots may be 463 modified (e.g., quarterly, semi-annually) at the Government’s discretion, and may be stopped if funding is 464 no longer available to make additional awards. 465

Presentations will consist of a “receive” session and an “interactive” session. During the receive session, 467 the Government will listen to presentations without interrupting the presenters. During the interactive 468 session, the Government will ask questions and obtain clarifications regarding any areas where it did not 469 fully understand the proposed solution. The receive session will be one hour, followed by a twenty-470 minute break for each party to hold separate discussions, and then a forty-minute interactive session. 471 Once the presentations are concluded, the Government may submit additional written follow-up questions 472 or request further clarification to assist in its evaluation. The goal of the presentation is for the 473 Government to have a full and complete understanding of the solution to support a written assessment, 474 not to evaluate, provide feedback, or alter the solution in the room. Once the presentations are concluded, 475 the Government may submit additional written follow-up questions or request further clarification to 476 assist in its evaluation. The Government will conduct a merit-based assessment on pitches according to 477 evaluation criteria delineated in Section V. 478

E. Full Proposal Phase 480

If the pitch is accepted, the Government will invite the Applicant to submit a final written proposal. The 482 proposal is expected to capture and formalize everything presented and accepted through the Abstract and 483 Pitch Phases. While additional details will be expected as part of this submission (including more defined 484 costs and schedules), it is intended for content delivered in the previous phases to seamlessly feed into 485 this submission. Detailed requirements and formatting for proposals is contained in Section IV below. 486 The goal of the proposal is for Government to receive all required documentation and information from 487 the Applicant to proceed into open discussion for the Negotiation Phase. The set of exit criteria for 488 Applicants to proceed past the Proposal Phase is delineated in Section V. 489 If additional information is required from the Government for the Applicant to finalize details of the 491 proposal, the Applicant may request this information directly. While Government cannot guarantee all 492 information can be shared upon request, there will be earnest effort made to provide additional context. 493 As such, the Government reserves the right to modify or correct any information provided in this phase 494 through the Negotiation and Post-Award Design Phase. Instructions for engagement will be provided 495 once the Proposal Phase is reached. 496 Please note the Government will NOT utilize the procedures of FAR Subpart 15.3 or the definitions of 498 terms contained therein. Nothing in this solicitation is meant to imply the use of these procedures, and no 499 section is meant to constitute the formal processes required by FAR 15.3 such as establishment of a 500 competitive range, discussions, or other communications. 501

F. Evaluation Phase 503

The Government will conduct a full merit evaluation on the proposal and develop a written report. The 505 Government will assess merit based on the criteria delineated in Section V below. It is intended for a most 506 of the content to be familiar to the evaluators at this stage, and Applicants will be quickly notified of a 507 successful or unsuccessful decision following the submission of the proposal. 508 If an offer is successful, the Government will provide notice and provide a request for any information 510 necessary to support the Negotiation Phase. If an offer is unsuccessful, the offeror may resubmit with 511 updates that clearly address the reasons for an unsuccessful selection from the previous submission. The 512

Government reserves the right to implement and enforce a set waiting period after a rejected proposal to 513 limit the level of burden on the evaluating teams. 514 Please note the Government will NOT utilize the procedures of FAR Subpart 15.3 or the definitions of 516 terms contained therein. Nothing in this solicitation is meant to imply the use of these procedures, and no 517 section is meant to constitute the formal processes required by FAR 15.3 such as debriefings. If an offer is 518 unsuccessful, the Government will provide its evaluation report and the basis for the rejection of the 519 proposal. 520

G.F. Negotiation Phase 522

The fundamental outcome of the Negotiation Phase will be to develop a procurement arrangement that 524 defines the relationship to deliver the best possible solution to the Government’s requirementsAOIs while 525 aligning the contractor’s success with that of the Government. Negotiations will be in an iterative, 526 interactive process using mixed modes, including either live virtual or in-person discussions. The final 527 results of negotiations will be presented to the internal decision authority, who will assess the outcomes 528 before making a decision to finalize the proposal for award. 529 The Government reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject a proposal at any point, and end 531 negotiations, whether because 1) no agreement is reached,; 2) a better proposalthe desired set of 532 solution(s) is submitted, accepted, and negotiated,reached; 3) no further funding is available,; or 4) any 533 other reason. 534 Prior to rejecting a proposal, the Government may advise the applicant of the aspects of its proposal 536 preventing agreement and request that the applicant revise or clarify the proposal as appropriate. This may 537 include suggestions to improve the approach/solution, including incorporating efforts/capabilities the 538 Government believes integral to its required outcomes that were not included in the original proposal. The 539 Government expects that these discussions will require “back and forth”, discussion of tradeoffs, and 540 counter-offers. The Government expects the discussion will generate continued thinking and may spur 541 new ideas, and encourages revisions throughout the process. There is also opportunity for Government to 542 encourage additional teaming with other Applicants with potentially viable solutions that have been 543 identified through the CSO process. 544 Each iteration of the negotiation process should begin to layer in the appropriate contract/agreement terms 546 and conditions, as well as pricing arrangements. Final terms, conditions, and pricing will be requested and 547 finalized as quickly as possible after the solution is agreed, so applicants are strongly encouraged to 548 consider these business elements as the solution is developed, rather than starting from scratch after the 549 solution is finalized. The Government will provide business suggestions or concepts for consideration 550 throughout the process. 551

H.G. Compliance Phase 555

If agreement is reached, the Government will notify the applicant that it is proceeding to awarding the 557 negotiated instrument (e.g., FAR contract, OT, BPA, BOA, etc.). Depending on the instrument, the 558 Government will check the appropriate registrations, representations, and certifications. 559

Additionally, the Government will move to execute any necessary license agreement for data, software, or 561 anything else required, as well as any applicable Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) mitigations. 562 Finally, the Government will conduct a responsibility determination, which may require the submission of 564 financial information to substantiate the representations and certifications. Additionally, the Government 565 reserves the right to use any internal or external information to make a responsibility determination. 566 The Government desires to complete the compliance process within 48 hours of moving into the 568 compliance phase, so given some systems require up to a month for registration, applicants are strongly 569 encouraged to register and complete any representations and certifications as early as possible in the 570 process (in many cases these things can be completed before an abstract is even delivered) and keep any 571 draft agreements or OCI documentation up to date as the process matures. 572

I.H. Post-Award Design Phase 574

Once a procurement instrument is awarded, the Government will request the agreed upon initial design 576 and will work iteratively with the contractor to refine a design to maximize the satisfaction of the required 577 outcome. Once a design is approved, the design will be utilized to measure performance and the 578 satisfaction of “requirements” derived from the agreed upon design. The Government expects that the 579 design will be different from the proposed solution in a way that considers the evolution of available 580 information, circumstances, and decisions made by the Government. 581

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 583

This document and its attachments contain all information required to submit a response to this 585 solicitation. No additional forms, kits, or other materials are needed except as referenced herein. No 586 request for proposal (RFP) or additional solicitation regarding this opportunity will be issued, nor is 587 additional information available except as provided at HIVE.gov or under Contract Opportunities at 588 SAM.gov. 589 Note: The cost of preparing abstracts, presentations, and proposals in response to this CSO is not 591 considered a direct charge to any resulting AOI award or any other contract. Proposal preparation costs 592 are not recoverable. 593

A. Feedback Submission 595

Feedback and questions will be accepted immediately following the release of the initial draft of this 597 CSO. All feedback and questions should be consolidated according to the instructions provided in the 598 WP3 CSP Feedback Form (Attachment 4). Once complete, send the attachment to dha.ncr.peo-599 ipo.mbx.dhms-enablers@mail.mil with Subject Title: “WP3 CSO Feedback”. Please note that failure to 600 use this Subject Title may result in your feedback being misrouted or otherwise not seen. 601 The Government will consolidate everything received and provide summarized responses back to industry 603 through the HIVE WP3 Community and SAM.gov. 604

B. Abstract Submission 606

Proposers are highly encouraged to submit an abstract in advance of a proposal to minimize effort and 608 reduce the potential expense of preparing an out-of-scope proposal. If an abstract is not approved in 609 advance of the submission of a proposal, an abstract must be submitted with the proposal. The abstract 610 provides a synopsis of the proposed solution. It should demonstrate a high potential to succeed during the 611 proposal evaluation period. For more information about how the abstracts will be graded, see Section V 612 below. 613

1. Abstract Format 615

Abstracts shall not exceed five pages, including the cover sheet and all figures, tables, and charts. The 617 page limit does not include a submission letter (optional). Submissions are permitted one additional page 618 for each additional teaming partner as part of the submission (e.g., a three-company team can submit 619 seven pages), where the max submission shall not exceed eight pages. Alternatively, abstracts may be 620 submitted in the form of a deck that shall not exceed eight slides, including the cover slide and all figures, 621 tables and charts. Submissions are permitted one additional slide for each additional teaming partner as 622 part of the submission (e.g., a 3-company team can submit ten slides), where the max submission shall not 623 exceed twelve slides. 624 All pages shall be formatted for printing on 8-1/2 by 11-inch pages with 1-inch margins and font size not 626 smaller than 11-point. Alternatively, slides shall be formatted on 13.33 by 7.5-inch (16:9 widescreen) 627 slides and font size not smaller than 11-point font. Font sizes of 8- or 10-point may be used for figures, 628 tables, and charts. All files must be in .PDF formats. Submissions must be written in English. All pages 629 and slides should be numbered. 630 Abstracts must include the following components: 632

• Cover Sheet: Provide the administrative and technical points of contact (name, address, phone, 634 email, lead organization). Include the CSO number (HT0038-21-S-C003), CSO version (e.g., 635 WP3 CSO_9.27.21 v2), title of the proposed project, primary partners, rough order of magnitude 636 price, and rough order of magnitude duration of the project. The rough orders of magnitudes are 637 not intended to be binding or limiting, and should be submitted as “ballpark” ranges. AOI 638 alignment. 639

• Restatement of the Problem: State your understanding, in your words (responses that simply 641 mirror the text of this announcement or other Government materials will not be accepted), of the 642 outcome being sought by the Government, including an overview of the current state of PEO 643 DHMS, the differences between what the PEO and its programs produce now, and what they 644 should be producing as a leading-edge technology organization. Describe suspected workplace 645 barriers preventing the PEO and its programs from producing world-class technology. Outline 646 your theory as to why its workplace stands in the way of the PEO attracting and keeping the best 647 technology workforce available. Please note that the Government understands applicants will not 648 have access to the specific PEO DHMS workplace or workforce, and the Government is not 649 seeking factual “correctness” in this assessment, but rather a well-researched hypothetical based 650 on an assessment of common workplace and workforce hindrances in the technology sector. As a 651 starting point, please refer to the User Personas and Stories (Attachment 5) that give a sense of 652 the type of employees and workplace scenarios that should be accommodated as part of relevant 653 proposed solutions. 654

• Solution Overview: Describe your vision of a fully digitally enabled workplace that attracts and 656 retains the best technology workforce. Outline and address your approach and possible solution 657 areas for addressing the AOIs described above. Ensure that technological and non-technological 658 aspects of the solution are addressed and identified. List each of the solution areas being 659 addressed. If you are partnering with other entities as part of your submission, describe the 660 teaming construct and the synergies that will be realized through introduction of the solutions 661 together. 662

• Analysis Plan: Describe your philosophy and approach to determining what components are 664 necessary to deliver a world-class workplace, how to identify and select the best components, and 665 how to determine innovative methods to manage the suite of components as a seamless solution. 666 Describe your long-term vision on how to adapt-and-adjust to an evolving workforce in order to 667 maximize user satisfaction. Solutions should not also only be striving to meet the needs of DHMS 668 today, but must be thinking about DHMS of the future and establishing a foundation for long-669 term success. 670

• Benefits/Value: Describe what is being proposed and what difference it will make (qualitatively 672 and quantitatively), if successful. Describe the innovative aspects of the project in the context of 673 existing capabilities and approaches. Clearly show how the proposed workplace would lead to the 674 recruitment of a better workforce and how that workforce would be enabled to deliver better 675 technology products. Responses can range anywhere from specific amenities in the 676 collaboration space, enhanced user experiences through workplace logistics management, 677 increased productivity toward short and long-term goals, positive impact on employee well-being, 678 or overall operational resilience of the workforce. 679

2. Abstract Submission Instructions: 682

Abstracts shall be submitted directly as a PDF attachment to dha.ncr.peo-ipo.mbx.dhms-684 enablers@mail.mil with Subject Title: “WP3 CSO Abstract”. Please note that failure to use this Subject 685 Title may result in your question being misrouted or otherwise not seen. 686

C. Pitch Submission 689

While the pitches will be presented live to a panel of evaluators, whether virtual or in-person, we request 691 the delivery ofApplicant must deliver the content 48 hours in advance as a read ahead.