RFI 123A9423Q0001_Relief Veterinarian Staffing Services.pdf

RFI 123A9423Q0001

Request for Information (RFI)

RELIEF VETERINARIAN STAFFING SERVICES

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS

AT THIS TIME. This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain knowledge and information for Market Research and project planning purposes and to identify potential sources that may be interested in and capable of performing the work described, and to solicit industry feedback relative to various aspects of the proposed contract effort. The NAICS for this requirement is 541940 - Veterinary Services.

A. POINT OF CONTACT/ DEADLINES

All RFI/capability statement responses must be submitted electronically no later than 3:00 PM EST on Friday, April 14, 2023 to Alexis Galloway, Contract Specialist at alexis.galloway@usda.gov and Monika Masei, Contract Officer at monika.masei@usda.gov.

Questions concerning this RFI shall be submitted via email to alexis.galloway@usda.gov and monika.masei@usda.gov no later than 3:00 PM EST on Friday, March 31, 2023.

Those questions not received within the prescribed date may not be considered. The Agency is expected to hold a virtual and in-person pre-proposal conference to answer any questions received by the deadline. More information can be found in Section J.2.

B. GENERAL BACKGROUND

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is part of a science-based national system to ensure food safety and food defense. FSIS ensures food safety through the authorities of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act, as well as humane animal handling through the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

FSIS Public Health Veterinarians (PHV) are at the nexus of animal health and food safety and enhance the Agency’s ability to reduce foodborne illness rates. FSIS PHV inspect animals at slaughter plants to help ensure the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products, and they also oversee the humane treatment of livestock during slaughter. The Agency understands that veterinarians are in high demand and the job market is stiff for veterinarians nationwide, particularly for veterinarians who have experience or education with animals raised for food, willing to serve in rural communities, and have training in food safety practice. FSIS has an increased need for veterinarians in the field to advise on and monitor the handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness.

mailto:alexis.galloway@usda.gov mailto:monika.masei@usda.gov mailto:alexis.galloway@usda.gov mailto:monika.masei@usda.gov https://fsis-dev.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/federal-meat-inspection-act https://fsis-dev.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/poultry-products-inspection-act https://fsis-dev.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/egg-products-inspection-act https://fsis-dev.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/humane-methods-livestock-slaughter-act https://fsis-dev.fsis.usda.gov/policy/food-safety-acts/humane-methods-livestock-slaughter-act https://fsis-dev.fsis.usda.gov/careers/career-profiles/public-health-veterinarian-phv

FSIS is creating the Relief Veterinary Disposition Program (RVDP) to provide relief veterinary services to the District Offices on an as-needed basis for a specified period of time when Agency personnel is unavailable to perform veterinary medical services in FSIS inspected establishments. RVDP’s mission is to ensure the availability of veterinarians to perform veterinary dispositions which will improve the health, quality, and marketability of meat, poultry, and egg products.

At this time, the focus of the program will be to enter into an Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite- Quantity (IDIQ) with guaranteed minimum number of task orders in order to facilitate the procurement of relief veterinary staffing/contract services to ensure the availability of veterinarians in locations where it may be difficult to recruit and/or retain full-time veterinarians and in locations where the veterinary workload does not support the need for a full-time veterinarian due to a lower need of veterinary dispositions. If successful, the program may be expanded to cover more establishments in different or all locations where FSIS is required to provide service. This contract can be awarded to multiple vendors to ensure coverage of all areas where contractor relief veterinary services are needed.

The current list of locations where services may be needed is:

• Idaho

• Iowa

• Minnesota

• Montana

• Oregon

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

Vendor proposals should include a list of all locations where they can provide services, including those that are not on the current list of locations.

The IDIQ will have a five-year ordering period from XXXX through XXXX. The Agency anticipates establishing a maximum of ten (10) IDIQs as a result of this solicitation, one for each District Office.

FSIS Inspected Establishments provide services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (366 days during leap years) including holidays. Inspected establishments have designated operating hours.

Contractor relief veterinarians may be required to report to work as scheduled during emergencies, disasters or during adverse weather conditions. The IDIQ Task Order will identify Mission Essential Services requirement positions.

More information on the FSIS Inspection programs can be found at: Inspection Programs | Food Safety and Inspection Service (usda.gov)

FSIS DOES NOT guarantee a specific shift to any individual(s). It will greatly depend on operational need. The respective District Office shall determine specific tour of duty.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/contactus/fsis-offices/office-field-operations-ofo https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/inspection-programs https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/inspection-programs

FSIS DOES NOT guarantee that the contractor relief veterinarian will work the number of hours ordered. The hours ordered are only estimated.

C. DESCRIPTION/ SPECIFICATIONS/ STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Relief Veterinarian Basic Qualifications

Please reference the specific Office of Personnel Management (OPM) qualifications standards for the 0701 Job Series.

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree, i.e., Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD), obtained at a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education. The AVMA web site has a listing of all AVMA-accredited veterinary medical schools.

• Or Graduates of foreign veterinary medical schools that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education must meet one of the following requirements and submit supporting documentation:

• Proof of certification of their final transcript by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) (Completion of ECFVG program)

• Possession of a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States that includes successful completion of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) or its predecessors, the National Board Examination (NBE) and the Clinical Competency Test (CCT).

• Proof that the education obtained in a foreign veterinary medical program is equivalent to that gained in a veterinary medical program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. Under this provision, equivalency is established only if an AVMA-accredited veterinary medical school or college accepts the graduate's final transcript from the foreign veterinary medical school at full value for placement into an advanced degree, postgraduate educational program, or training program (e.g.

Residency or graduate program).

• Graduates of foreign veterinary medical programs must also submit proof of proficiency in the English language by successfully completing one of the nationally and internationally recognized examinations that incorporate assessments of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Examples of examinations that assess mastery of the English language are shown below:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0700/veterinary-medical-science-series-0701/

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - Minimum scores for the TOEFL are 560 for the paper-based version; 220 for the computer-based version; or overall score of 83 for the internet-based version (including 26 or higher in speaking, 26 or higher in listening, and 17 or higher in writing). For the computer-based and paper-based test versions, applicants must also complete the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and the Test of Written English (TWE). Minimum required scores are 55 for the TSE and

5.5 for the TWE;

Academic tests (listening, writing, and speaking) offered by the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 7.0 in speaking,

6.5 in listening, and 6.0 in writing; OR

Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL). Applicants must achieve a minimum overall band score of 70, with at least 60 in speaking, 60 in listening, and 50 in writing.

• English language proficiency assessments may also be waived for qualified job applicants whose native language is English (i.e. the official or common language of an individual's country of birth is English) AND they submit a diploma or other official documentation from the school as proof of graduation from a high (secondary) school where the entire curriculum and educational programs of the school are taught in the English language for the entire three or four years of full-time attendance.

Relief veterinarians must also:

• Be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the job functions, without hazard to themselves and others.

• Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.

• Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.

• Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.

• Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.

• Must have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.

• Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (25 percent or more error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.

• Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

C.2 FSIS Specific Orientation and Training Requirements

The Relief Veterinarian shall complete all Agency-specified orientation program(s), initial and annual training requirements, and comply with all USDA and FSIS policies, procedures, productivity standards and instructions as provided by FSIS and listed in XXXXXX. Any adjustments to the training requirement will be provided to the Contractor in writing.

When commencing work under this IDIQ, Relief veterinarian shall obtain an in-processing checklist(s) from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or designated officer. All relief veterinarians are required to complete the applicable items on the checklist and return it to the designated officer. At the end of IDIQ Task Order performance, relief veterinarians shall complete an out-processing checklist and return it to the designated officer.

FSIS shall provide relief veterinarians with a paid orientation to familiarize the contractor relief veterinarian with the policies and procedures of FSIS, regulated establishments, and PHIS.

Orientation will be completed while onboarding.

FSIS may elect to provide unique FSIS training to relief veterinarians who are performing services under this IDIQ. If FSIS elects to provide such training, FSIS will provide such training at no additional expense to the Contractor or to the relief veterinarian. When directed by the COR or delegated representative, relief veterinarian shall attend all such training in a paid status as part of the normal services required and billed under the IDIQ. Such training shall require a performance commitment by the contractor relief veterinarian and the Contractor shall reimburse FSIS (by means of a credit on the next month’s invoice) if a contractor relief veterinarian fails to satisfy the performance commitment after the contractor relief veterinarian receives the unique FSIS training. The amount of the reimbursement shall be the prorated cost of training, calculated based on the total cost of the training and the number of months by which the relief veterinarian fails to complete the performance commitment. The length of the performance commitment will be stated in the IDIQ Task Order and be no more than 9 months.

Relief veterinarian who uses USDA and/or FSIS computer systems must receive training for the applicable system(s). The COR will coordinate the necessary computer training. The training can be completed virtually and during normal duty hours. This training will be at no cost to the Contractor. These systems include but are not limited to Public Health Information System

(PHIS).

PHIS is a web-based application that improves the way FSIS detects and responds to foodborne hazards. PHIS has four components: domestic inspection, import activities, export activities, and predictive analytics.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) currently available to all FSIS employees will be made available to relief veterinarian at no cost to the Contractor.

The relief veterinarian shall not remove any equipment from the regulated establishment and/or work site without prior written approval of the COR or his/her designated representative.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/compliance-guidance/phis https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/compliance-guidance/phis

C.3 Contractor IDIQ Requirements

The Contractor shall provide qualified relief veterinarians to fill short term or temporary (less than 11 months) positions in support of the Agency’s mission to protect the public’s health by ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled in a limited number of locations. The Contractor shall provide relief veterinarians who will be responsible for providing veterinary services to include Veterinary Dispositions (all species) and using the Animal Disposition Record (ADR) in the Public Health Information System (PHIS).

Veterinary Services must be completed by individuals who meet the basic requirements listed in the Office of Personnel Management qualifications for the 0701 Veterinary Medical Sciences Job Series.

This agreement shall govern the terms and conditions under which the supplier shall provide veterinarians for the Agency’s meat, poultry and egg products inspection and verification program. IDIQ Task Orders for relief veterinary services are for short-term fills only and will be for less than 11 months in duration. Use of the IDIQ to fill vacancies for 11 months or longer is prohibited unless approved by the contract office in writing. Either party may terminate this agreement by giving thirty (30) days written notice before the end of the IDIQ term.

This IDIQ provides for ordering of relief veterinarians (veterinary services) in the locations listed in Section B and requests received outside of the listed areas must be approved in writing by the COR with the beginning and end of this approval.

The IDIQ Task Order will specifically define the scope of the requirement, schedule of work required, and specialties required by the requesting activity. The Contractor shall ensure that relief veterinarians have the qualifications to meet the required standard of the specialty provided as defined by professional governing bodies, state, and federal agencies.

If required by the IDIQ Task Order, the Contractor shall have sufficient qualified relief veterinarians available so that all services are provided in the event a relief veterinarian scheduled to work becomes ill, resigns, is terminated, or is otherwise unavailable to work. The substitutes/replacements shall have at least the minimum qualifications required for the position.

The Contractor shall recruit/retain, review credentials/prepare credentials packages, train, and manage, quality relief veterinarians and ensure that a full spectrum of veterinary services are provided in support of the IDIQ which meets the standards of governing bodies, laws and regulations, as defined in each IDIQ Task Order.

The Contractor shall furnish supplies or services, described in general terms, if and when required by the contracting officer (or the authorized representative of the contracting officer) during the specified period and within the stipulated aggregate amount.

The Contractor shall meet performance quality standards throughout the life of the IDIQ. The Contractor shall ensure services provided to inspected establishments through management of performance issues or problems. The Contractor shall provide documentation, records maintenance, and reporting of quality related problems to the COR upon request.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/compliance-guidance/phis https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0700/veterinary-medical-science-series-0701/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0700/veterinary-medical-science-series-0701/

The Contractor shall provide pre-performance screening of all relief veterinarians prior to beginning performance at any inspected establishment that will include the verification of each relief veterinarian qualifications/certifications. The Contractor’s shall have a process that ensures 100% of all contractor relief veterinarian employment requirements (license, certification, etc.)

remain current throughout the term of employment on an IDIQ Task Order. The Contractor shall ensure contractor relief veterinarian have knowledge of and maintain compliance with all requirements for the following: continuing education; USDA/FSIS specific training; security requirements, and other mandates of the licensing, certification, and/or registration authority at the appropriate intervals during the contractor relief veterinarian performance on an IDIQ Task Order.

The Contractor shall provide complete credentials packages within the time frames stated in the IDIQ Task Order.

The Contractor shall ensure that all contractor relief veterinarian, providing services under this IDIQ, are able to read, write, and speak English well enough to effectively communicate with all parties and establishment personnel. In addition, the relief veterinarian shall be computer literate.

The Contractor shall not use an individual who is the subject of a current or pending hearing or appeal brought by any credentialing body, public or private, anywhere in the world, which may result in the limitation, suspension, or revocation of the individual’s ability to fully fulfill the terms of an IDIQ Task Order.

If the Contractor chooses to contact relief veterinarians at an inspected establishment via phone, contact must be made outside duty hours. Phone contact during business hours is an unacceptable business practice and is prohibited. Contractors must coordinate with appropriate officials and follow FSIS policy regarding Contractors conducting business at an inspected establishment. Failure to follow these instructions will reflect negatively on Business Relations in the past performance report.

It is acceptable for a Contractor to contact relief veterinarians at an inspected establishment via email.

The Contractor shall offer compensation packages sufficient to recruit qualified contractor relief veterinarian and to minimize personnel loss due to inadequate incentives. For most IDIQ Task Orders, FSIS will require a full time equivalent for the duration of the period of performance, not a succession of temporary contractor locum tenens. To facilitate, IDIQ Task Orders may identify an acceptable fill rate and turnover rate. Turnover rate is the number of times a different contractor relief veterinarian is provided for the same requirement.

The Contractor shall ensure that timely replacement of contractor relief veterinarian is provided to reduce any interruption of the requesting activities mission.

The Contractor shall ensure that fill-rates for each IDIQ Task Orders are met.

The Contractor shall ensure that relief veterinarian have met all pre-performance requirements and are prepared to begin performance at the location, time and date stated in the IDIQ Task Orders.

Following IDIQ Task Order award, the Contractor shall provide a complete contractor relief veterinarian credentials package, within the timeframe specified in the IDIQ Task Order to the requesting location that contains the following:

• Contractor chain of command for the relief veterinarian (supervisor, manager, etc.) along with emergency contact information and outline of personnel availability schedule.

• Résumé that demonstrates the individuals meet the qualification requirements.

• Contractor internal validation results (i.e., completed verifications, orientations checklist, and FSIS approval of equivalency request, if applicable).

• Proof of other requirements (health, certifications, training).

• Security investigation appointment schedule and any other pertinent information regarding the individual, schedule, and performance start.

• The Contractor may have an electronic qualifying documentation package; however, it must be a single scanned file that FSIS can easily view, recognize, and store.

The use of non-compete conditions in employment agreements or in subcontracts (to prevent loss of personnel by the Contractor) effective only during the period of the IDIQ performance is acceptable. However, the use of non-compete conditions in employment agreements and/or in subcontracts that prevent employees and/or subcontractors of the incumbent from being interviewed by, employed, or accepting offers of employment and/or subcontracts by the new Contractor on the follow-on IDIQ or FSIS is unacceptable. It hinders FSIS’s ability to accomplish the mission of providing services to inspected establishments. Inclusion of such conditions in an employer’s employment agreement and/or subcontracts will result in an offeror’s proposal being unacceptable. Awardee, and their subcontractors, may not include such conditions in employment agreements and/or subcontracts while performing under this IDIQ.

The Contractor shall not respond to any media inquiries. All inquiries and complaints from the media, third parties, private or public agencies shall be immediately relayed to the COR. There shall be no interviews, comments, or any other response without the prior knowledge and written approval of FSIS.

Neither the contractor and/or the relief veterinarian shall not bill the inspected establishment for services rendered under this IDIQ. The contractor and/or relief veterinarian shall not request or accept compensation of any kind for services rendered, or any other actions performed, except under the terms and conditions of this IDIQ, at the rate specified.

Effective contract surveillance relies on the COR identifying and documenting discrepancies during performance of routine daily services, or through the contractor’s quality control program.

The COR will report discrepancies to the contractor for timely resolution. Surveillance may consist of periodic reports, and customer feedback and timeliness of contract deliverables/reports.

Documented surveillance will consist of inspections performed by the COR or delegated authority. Examples of documentation that supports contract surveillance consist of details of inspections or data gathering, conversations or meetings with the Contractor, notes and comments that support inspection paperwork, to include quality assurance surveillance reports. If performance is deemed unacceptable, the COR will inform the contractor about possible solutions. Disagreements or disputes will be referred to the appropriate authority for review.

The Contractor will be provided the opportunity to submit proposed corrective action to resolve the discrepancy. The COR will review proposed corrective action and determine whether or not it is acceptable and whether or not the discrepancy has been corrected. If the discrepancy has been resolved, the COR will notify the contractor and document the quality assurance surveillance checklist.

The COR will notify the contracting officer of unacceptable performance if any services do not conform to contract requirements. The contracting officer may require the contractor to re-perform the services to conform with contract requirements at no additional cost to the government.

When unacceptable performance cannot be corrected by re-performance, the government may require the contractor to take action necessary to ensure future performance conforms with contract requirements.

The government may, by separate contract or otherwise, perform the services and charge the contractor any cost incurred that is directly related to the performance of such service, or issue:

• Cure Notice

• Show Cause

• Terminate the contract for convenience of the government

• Terminate the contract for cause

The Contractor shall ensure that one (1) relief veterinarian, in accordance with the technical requirements of the contract, will be assigned to standby duty each week during the contract’s period of performance. Standby duty consists of a contractor relief veterinarian within reach of a telephone or email so that a contractor relief veterinarian on standby may be notified to report for work in cases of emergency outside of regularly scheduled working hours. Standby duty does not require any interruption of personnel’s normal life except to the extent of planning so that the personnel can be reached by telephone or email within a reasonable driving time from the place the employee normally reports for work. The standby personnel are expected to report to work within 24 hours from the time the personnel were notified if in the local commuting area.

Employees outside of the local commuting area are expected to report to work within 96 hours from the time the personnel were notified. COR would approve the on-call or standby list on a monthly basis.

D. TRAVEL

Based on the location of the inspected establishment and services required in the IDIQ Task Orders, there will be situations when travelers fill the positions and travel expenses will be incurred. Travel will not be reimbursed for trips within a 50-mile radius of the place of performance stated in the IDIQ Task Order. Exceptions to this can be approved by the COR or their designated representative.

Arrangement for and costs of all travel, transportation, meals, lodging, and incidentals are the responsibility of the Contractor.

All travel and transportation shall utilize commercial sources and carriers provided the methods used for the appropriate geographical area results in reasonable charges to the government. The government will not pay for business class or first class.

Lodging and meals shall be reimbursed in accordance with the standard per diem rates.

Travel must be authorized in advance by the Contracting Officer Representative in accordance with 41 CFR §301-11. If travel is authorized, travel is subject to the limitations established in Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) 41 CFR §300 & 41 CFR §301. The Contractor shall be paid for travel expenses based on actual cost but not exceeding the FTR per diem rates.

E. INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION

IDIQ Task Orders issued under this IDIQ may be for personal services which are intended to create an employer-employee relationship between FSIS and the contractor/contractor relief veterinarian only to the extent necessary for providing the relief veterinary services required under the IDIQ Task Order. The performance of veterinary services by the individual relief veterinarians under a personal services IDIQ Task Order are subject to day-to-day supervision and control by FSIS personnel comparable to that exercised over FSIS personnel engaged in comparable veterinary services. Any personal injury claims alleging negligence by the individual contract relief veterinary within the scope of their performance of the personal services shall be processed by Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the same manner as claims alleging negligence by any FSIS employee. IDIQ Task Orders for personal services do not create an employer-employee relationship between FSIS and any corporation, partnership, business association or other party or legal entity with which the contractor relief veterinarian may be associated. The authority for personal services under this IDIQ is 10 United States Code 1089 and 10 United States Code 1091. The contractor/contractor relief veterinarian is not required to maintain medical malpractice liability insurance, and the Government will not reimburse or otherwise pay for such insurance should any be purchased.

Unless otherwise specified, all financial, statistical, personnel, and/or technical data, which is furnished, produced or otherwise available to the Contractor during the performance of this IDIQ are considered confidential business information and shall not be used for purposes other than performance of staffing of relief veterinary services under this IDIQ. The contractor shall not release any of the above information without prior written consent of FSIS. The https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-travel-regulation-ftr/i1206091#i1204040 https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-travel-regulation-ftr/Chapter%20300 https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-travel-regulation-ftr/Chapter%20301 contractor/contactor relief veterinarian shall not use any information or data rendered pursuant to this IDIQ as part of a study, research project, or publication. The contractor relief veterinarian shall prepare records, forms and documents as required, IAW the regulations and established guidelines listed in the IDIQ.

F. DATA RESTRICTIONS

Unless otherwise specified, all financial, statistical, personnel, and/or technical data, which is furnished, produced or otherwise available to the Contractor during the performance of this IDIQ are considered confidential business information and shall not be used for purposes other than performance of staffing of relief veterinary services under this IDIQ. The contractor shall not release any of the above information without prior written consent of FSIS. The contractor/contactor relief veterinarian shall not use any information or data rendered pursuant to this IDIQ as part of a study, research project, or publication. The contractor relief veterinarian shall prepare records, forms and documents as required, IAW the regulations and established guidelines listed in the IDIQ.

The contractor/contactor relief veterinarian shall abide by federal, establishment, Department, and Agency regulations and requirements concerning the nature of limited privileged communication between establishments and the contractor relief veterinarian as may be necessary for Agency and Establishment operations. They shall also abide by federal and establishment, Department, and Agency regulations concerning the confidentiality or propriety nature of HACCP or other proprietary or confidential commercial data in PHIS or received as part of daily activities. All personnel are required to treat such information as proprietary and confidential in accordance with current Agency standards, thus ensuring that contractor/contractor relief veterinarian safeguard establishment information from intentional or accidental exposure to non-FSIS personnel at other establishments or the public.

Contractor/contractor relief veterinarian personnel are to follow the guidelines in FSIS Directive

1300.7 Managing Information Technology (IT) Resources, Revision one, part three that addresses computer equipment use.

The unauthorized disclosure of information, including photos and videos, may lead to possible civil and/or criminal penalties for those found responsible.

G. INVOICES

FSIS uses the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) for electronic submission and tracking of invoices and payment information to its suppliers of goods and services. Invoices shall be submitted electronically to the IPP invoicing system. The contractor must enroll at https://ipp.gov

Invoices must be prepared in accordance with FAR 52.212-4 (g). Invoices which include travel costs must include receipts for lodging and transportation. Invoices must include supporting documentation which provides a breakdown on the type of personnel provided and the number of https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmedia_file%2F2020-07%2F1300.7.pdf&data=04%7C01%7C%7C282a6dd8875c43de154e08d8f37d059d%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%7C637527065618160624%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=zu%2BOYQze4x0PMsTJfD9JZ%2FjEFSsPePr1g6RGBjqvDPo%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fsis.usda.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmedia_file%2F2020-07%2F1300.7.pdf&data=04%7C01%7C%7C282a6dd8875c43de154e08d8f37d059d%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%7C637527065618160624%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=zu%2BOYQze4x0PMsTJfD9JZ%2FjEFSsPePr1g6RGBjqvDPo%3D&reserved=0 https://ipp.gov/ labor hours for each contractor employee. Invoices that do not include this supporting documentation to verify the invoices will be rejected.

H. INFORMATION SOUGHT/CAPABILITY STATEMENT

Any interested respondents with the specialized capabilities to meet the above requirement should submit a capability statement indicating the ability to perform aspects of the effort described herein. Respondents shall discuss the proposed options or technologies it believes would benefit FSIS and provide answers to some of the following questions:

1) What is the maximum distance one is willing to travel for this proposed job?

2) What is the frequency one would travel?

3) What is the preferred duration of each assignment (keep in mind assignments will not last more than 11 months)?

4) Indicate any overall questions your organization may have regarding this requirement.

5) Are there any roadblocks you foresee with this project that might prevent it from being successful?

6) If there are roadblocks that you can identify, what are some suggested solutions to help reduce the overall risk of this project?

The capability statement should contain enough sufficient detail for the Government to make an informed decision regarding an entity’s capacity and potential. The capability statement should not exceed ten (10) 8 ½ x 11 pages exclusive of the cover page and letter, table of contents, and appendices.

After a review of the submitted data, parties may be invited to submit more detailed information to discuss their information further.

I. HOW TO RESPOND TO THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The capability statement should include references, key personnel, and any teaming arrangements needed to fulfill the requirements. It must identify:

1) The responder’s name and address of business

2) Contact and phone number (includes technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses)

3) Size of business (large or small) and any associative categories (small-disadvantaged business, 8(a) business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, Historically Black College or University, and/or service-disabled veteran-owned small business)

4) DUNS number, NAICS code(s), and Unique Entity ID (UEI) (if available)

The capability statement, answers to the questions in Section H (if applicable), and any questions the interested Contractor may have should be submitted to alexis.galloway@usda.gov and monika.masei@usda.gov in accordance with the dates in Section A. Please refer to the RFI number 123A9423Q0001 in the subject or body of the email for reference.

J. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

J.1 System for Award Management (SAM)

To be eligible for contract award, Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and must also complete Representations and Certifications at http://www.sam.gov, per FAR 52.204-7. SAM is a system that all companies/individuals interested in doing business with the Government must register with. It is recommended that any interested party begin the registration process for SAM as soon as possible to account for unexpected delays. An UEI will be provided with your SAM registration.

Small businesses can be provided additional assistance with registering to SAM through a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at https://www.aptac-us.org/. These centers provide advising on all aspects of selling to the federal, state, and local governments at no-cost to the recipient.

All payments by the Government under any associated task order shall be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT), per FAR 52.232-33.

J.2 Industry Day

An Industry Day for Relief Veterinarians will be held in late February/early March 2023 as a pre-proposal conference through a virtual meeting on Microsoft Teams and in-person. The in-person meeting will be in the DC Metro Area. This will allow interested parties to ask questions and provide feedback in a face-to-face setting. A date has not yet been set but additional information will be provided closer to the event. A Save the Date notice will be posted to SAM.

All questions must be submitted in writing a week before the event date to the following e-mail addresses: alexis.galloway@usda.gov and monika.masei@usda.gov.

Individual meetings with interested vendors may be requested prior to this event.

mailto:alexis.galloway@usda.gov mailto:monika.masei@usda.gov http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.aptac-us.org/ mailto:alexis.galloway@usda.gov mailto:monika.masei@usda.gov

DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES

This RFI notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this RFI. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Information provided will be used by FSIS to assess capable sources, tradeoff, and alternatives available for the potential requirement which may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published on https://sam.gov/. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

All information contained in the RFI is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. FAR clause 52.215-3, “Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes”, is incorporated by reference in this RFI. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received in this RFI that is marked “Proprietary” will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed.

https://sam.gov/