RFI - ELMS Transition Support and IVV.pdf

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VA Enterprise Learning Management Solution (VA ELMS) Transition

Support/Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Request for Information (RFI)

1. Introduction This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

The purpose of this RFI is to identify qualified vendors, who are able to meet Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requirements for Transition Support/Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) for an Enterprise Learning Management Solution (ELMS). Accordingly, this RFI constitutes neither a Request for Quote, Request for Proposal (RFP), nor a guarantee that one will be issued by the Government in the future; furthermore, it does not commit the Government to contract for any services described herein. Any contract/order that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this market research will be the outcome of the competitive process. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information on capable sources of supply, industry best practices, and input specific to the information provided. The Government is not responsible for any cost incurred by industry in furnishing this information. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested vendor's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. All submissions will become Government property and will not be returned. Interested vendors are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 541511.

Requirement:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Human Capital Services Center (HCSC) strives to provide high quality customer service experience and engage VA employees with products and services that will enable them to become role models in serving Veterans and their families. The HCSC believes engaged and developed VA employees will change the lives of Veterans and their families for the better. To deliver on this mission, HCSC strives to provide high-quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services to those responsible for providing care to Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of Veterans’ health care, benefits delivery, and memorial services in an effective, timely, and compassionate manner. The VA depends on Information Management/Information Technology systems to meet mission goals.

The HCSC is a catalyst for Department-wide learning initiatives and strategies that develop and sustain a high-performing workforce. As a result of the VA’s large and diverse user population, HCSC’s vision must be aligned to support and meet the VA’s mission, namely, to be recognized as a public sector leader in employee continuous learning within the Federal Government. In order to meet the VA’s strategic and operational goals and objectives, HCSC is in the process of acquiring the VA Enterprise Learning Management Solution (VA ELMS) as our new enterprise talent development solution.

VA ELMS will be a Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) solution delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) in a cloud hosting environment. It will be Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certified at the moderate level for both the environment and the solution. As part of the overall solution, software, hardware, database, hosting, licensing, and services will be available to support enterprise-wide VA talent development and learning management activities. It will include a comprehensive, modernized, and intuitive set of tools to support employees and other workforce members in their individual development planning, succession management, career development, competency assessment, skills acquisition, and training goals. VA ELMS will also be integrated with other VA human capital management and business solutions and serve as an authoritative data source to facilitate data management and data sharing across the Department.

The VA ELMS deployment schedule will be organized into a series of rollouts known as implementation phases. During the first two years of the contract, the vendor will work with HCSC to design the solution, configure capabilities, and plan for and migrate existing data from the existing VA solution to VA ELMS. The first implementation phase is scheduled during the first option period of the contract and will encompass multiple pilot site(s).

The VA Chief Learning Officer and Executive Director of HCSC is the Executive Sponsor for the VA ELMS IV&V/Transition Support contract. The IV&V Plan developed via this contract will define the planned and recommended IV&V activities to support the VA ELMS program and execute them. Throughout the VA ELMS solution design and implementation, the IV&V Plan will be reviewed and revised based on the ongoing planning, development, and delivery of other program deliverables. The IV&V Plan is a living document, periodically being revised as knowledge accumulates about the characteristics of the system, the software, and the problem areas in the solution.

2. RFI Response Instructions

NOTE: The capability package must be clear, concise, and complete. VA is under no obligation to provide feedback to the company, or to contact the company for clarification of any information submitted in response to this RFI.

Provide the following information:

(A) Provide Company Information:

1) Company Name

2) CAGE/UEI Number under which the company is registered in SAM.gov

3) Company Address

4) Point of contact name

5) Telephone number

6) Email address

7) For small business concerns, indicate whether at least 50 percent of the total amount paid by the Government will be paid to firms that are similarly situated.

8) Company Business Size and Status for NAICS (541511).

(B) Brief summary describing your company’s technical approach to meeting the requirements, to include;

1. List any existing contracting vehicles you have with the VA that you would recommend for this requirement.

2. Does the draft PWS provide sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the requirement? If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments/recommendations/questions on elements of the draft outline that may contribute to a more accurate proposal submission and efficient, cost-effective effort.

3. Does your company have prior IV&V experience for enterprise implementation of a talent development and/or learning management solution?

4. Does your company have prior experience supporting services such as

Data Quality?

5. What additional information would be needed to provide a firm-fixed-price quote for each item/task?

6. Your company’s intent and ability to meet the set aside requirement in accordance with VAAR 852.219-10 (NOV 2020) (DEVIATION) VA Notice of Total SDVOSB and 13 CFR §125.6, which states the contractor will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government to it to firms that are not SDVOSBs. Your response shall include information as to available personnel and financial resources; full names of proposed team members and the PWS requirements planned to be subcontracted to them, which must include the prime planned percentage or the names of the potential team members that may be used to fulfill the set aside requirement.

7. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)

Any vendors that are currently providing any services (program management, development, sustainment, testing, etc.) for the VA Talent Management System (TMS 2.0) or ELMS programs will likely have an OCI that will preclude it from bidding on this effort as the scope of this work includes performance analysis of current work being performed by and within each portfolio, and re-prioritization/investment recommendations for portfolios/programs/projects,. In addition, any vendors that intend to bid on future work associated with these portfolios should consider that the successful awardee of the Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) and support services for ELMS procurement will likely be excluded from bidding on that work as part of the scope of this effort is requirements management and the related deliverables, as well as other work associated with this contract, will impact the organization’s strategic planning and budget formulation efforts.. Therefore, detail if your company engaged in any VA contracted services directly or indirectly supporting the TMS 2.0 or ELMS in any capacity. If so, please describe the contracted services being provided.

Responses to this RFI shall be submitted electronically by 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time, December 16, 2024 via email the Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) point of contact Contract Specialist, Zachary Tanner at Zachary.Tanner@va.gov and Contracting Officer, Kathryn Pantages at Kathryn.Pantages@va.gov. Please note, “VA Enterprise Learning Management Solution (VA ELMS) Transition Support/Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Request for Information (RFI)” in the subject line of your response.

All proprietary/company confidential material shall be clearly marked on every page that contains such.

No more than 10 pages (excluding transmittal page)

VA will not be able to grant any extensions to this RFI.

See attached document: PWS - Draft.

mailto:Nicole.Bestreski@va.gov mailto:Kathryn.Pantages@va.gov