RFI - LFO ETM Education Support_Final.docx

Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (VHA) LOGISTICS FRONT OFFICE (LFO), EDUCATION AND TALENT MANAGEMENT (ETM), EDUCATION SUPPORT 2/20/2025

Introduction:

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only issued for the purpose of conducting market research. Accordingly, this RFI constitutes neither a Request for Quote (RFQ) 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. Do not submit a Proposal. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is not, at this time, seeking proposals or formal quotes, and therefore, will not accept, review, or evaluate unsolicited proposals or quotes received in response hereto.

This notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The Government does not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with submission of the information being requested or, reimburse expenses incurred for responses to this RFI/SSN. The information provided may be used by VA in developing its acquisition strategy and requirements document. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI/SSN is strictly voluntary; however, any information received shall become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the respondent.

The draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) is provided below (feel free to make comments/questions).

Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. This is an RFI and does not obligate the Government in any way, nor does it commit the Government to any specific course of action.

Please submit the below requested information by 11:00 AM Eastern Time on 02/27/2025 via email to the Contract Specialist at Dylan.Nolz@va.gov@va.gov. VA reserves the right to not respond to any, all, or select responses or materials submitted. All VA current requirements identified herein are subject to change at any time. If you experience any problems or have any questions concerning this announcement, please contact Dylan.Nolz@va.gov.

As part of your RFI response, please provide the following information:

A. General

1. Include the following identification information:

a. Company Name

b. CAGE/Unique Identification Number under which the company is registered in SAM/VetBiz.gov

c. Company Address

d. Point of contact name

e. Telephone number

f. Email address

2. VA anticipates that this effort would fall within North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code, 611710, Educational Support Services, which has a size standard of $24.0M. Please provide any recommended NAICS if applicable.

3. The VA is seeking to determine the viability of a set-aside for a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). All Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VSOB) may respond to this requirement if SDVOSB set-aside is not found to be viable. Other small businesses may respond regarding capability in the event the SDVOSB or VSOB set-aside is found viable. Large Businesses may respond; however, no guarantee of set-aside is made, nor guarantee of a subsequent solicitation.

4. If a small business, what type of small business are you? Are you able to comply with FAR 52.219-6 and 52.219-14 in execution of this effort? Are you able to comply with VAAR 852.219-10, VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside and with subcontracting limitations in 13 CFR 125.6 in execution of this effort?

5. Identify existing contract vehicles (GSA, T4NG, etc.) in which you are a contract holder that can be utilized to procure these services.

6. With respect to the subject effort, would you be the prime contractor? As the Prime Contractor, what tasks under the Requirements would your company perform?

7. Have the PWS requirements been provided sufficient detail? If “NO”, please provide your technical comments/recommendations via track changes on the draft PWS that may contribute to a more accurate proposal submission and efficient, cost-effective effort.

______ YES _______ NO

B. Capability Statement

Please submit a capability statement describing your company’s ability to meet the requirements in the RFI. The capability statement shall be limited to 10 pages excluding the cover page and Table of Contents (TOC) and address the questions below.

1. Provide a detailed description of the requirement in your own words that demonstrates your ability to provide the complete listing of the requirements, etc. as appropriate.

2. Describe your capability to provide all required training within the Government’s timeframe. Include details on scheduling, policy on cancellation/changes, and any approval processes for courses.

3. Provide statement or other relevant information to demonstrate that your business is an authorized provider of the required materials/services.

4. Please indicate if you are a GSA or other FSS Schedule Holder that meets this requirement and include any schedule number if applicable.

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (DRAFT)DRAFT

DRAFT

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA)

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SCM)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SUPPORT AND TRAINING

1. BACKGROUND:

The Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) integrated health care system provides care at 1,380 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA Outpatient clinics), serving 9.1 million enrolled Veterans each year. The VHA Logistics Front Office (LFO) is responsible for providing oversight and management for VHA enterprise supply chain, ensuring the right product is available at the right price and at the right time to support Veteran Healthcare. LFO supports VHA with purchasing high-quality, cost-effective health care products and services. LFO also works to standardize health care supplies, equipment, and services through aggressive contracting and by monitoring logistic data, managing VHA annual expenditures of more than $15 billion and contracting staff of 2700 personnel. LFO is one of the largest procurements and supply groups within the federal government. LFO provides a full range of supply chain management services to VHA customers to include equipment program management, business and procurement planning, consumable supply procurement, life cycle and inventory management. The LFO mission area also includes providing enterprise support to meet the national Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Pandemic. LFO is building resiliency into the supply chain to enable VHA to sustain continuous services to Veterans and the resumption of normal pre-COVID-19 operations. In support of this massive and imperative undertaking LFO requires qualified and experienced personnel to support a full range of activities, including VHA supply chain operational analysis, Program and Project Management support, inventory management, new and in progress projects, program deployment and implementation, and other activities necessary to conduct the VHA Supply Chain Management Operations.

The Education & Talent Management (ETM) Team provides training and education for approximately 7,500 Supply Chain Management Employees. As a branch of the Operations, Planning and Readiness Directorate, the ETM team will take a proactive management approach securing and optimizing education and talent management to benefit the VHA Supply Chain community. The efforts of the ETM team are made to meet our workforce needs, enabling VA employees to better produce, distribute, and deliver goods and services to the Veterans and their families.

2. OBJECTIVES

ETM intends to provide training to the VHA Supply Chain Management (SCM) community to equip managerial, non-managerial, entry-level, and clinical staff, with technical and soft skills necessary for the SCM field. The training shall typically cover specific topics as they relate to the SCM field such as leadership, customer service, procurement, expendable supplies, non-expendable equipment, warehouse, mailroom, and motor vehicle operations. In addition to the planning, development, management, and delivery of such training courses, the intent is also to provide and manage tools to enable an effective SCM such as Supply Chain Fundamental Training (SCFT), Desktop Training, VA Talent Management System (TMS) training, Communication and Information Fact Sheets, and process overview guides.DRAFT

The intent is to provide training courses throughout the year as determined by course demand of VHA SCM Professionals. The Government shall have full ownership of existing training and new training content created under this contract. The purpose is to provide competency development support to enable VA’s—and specifically VHA’s—mission.

VHA’s primary goal of this effort is to enhance and retain a high-performing workforce of Supply Chain Management professionals to assure safe, available, and innovative logistics processes that provides direct patient care for our Veterans. ETM seeks to offer continuous education opportunities to its over 7,500 staff SCM workforce to positively impact the management of medical supplies, equipment, warehouse, procurement, and mailroom programs throughout VHA. The trainings provided are expected to be delivered synchronously and asynchronously via the Microsoft TEAMS online virtual platform, TMS 2.0, or in-person for certain instances to include Chief Supply Chain Officer Boot Camp and over-the-shoulder trainings, when needed. All training courses and webinars should be interactive, virtual, Instructor-led offerings that communicates the topic at hand.

3. SCOPE

The Contractor shall provide direct support for the SCM Professional Development Program via program office support, competency development, and training support for the SCM Community. The Contractor shall plan, develop, deliver, and manage required competency development offerings to enable the SCM community’s drive to provide the best patient outcomes to the Veteran community. The Contractor support shall include the purchasing and development of commercial-off- the-shelf (COTS), Government-off-the-shelf (GOTS), and tailored COTS/GOTS training and competency development products. The Contractor shall provide training development and moderation, to include Contractor-led, Government-led, and hybrid solutions. The Contractor shall provide and manage the necessary tools to enable an effective SCM Professional Development Program in support of long-range, near-term, and emergent requirements, including, but not limited to the development, management, and enhancement of the SCM Training & Education SharePoint site via short iterations such as through Agile sprints and implementing augmented analytics to better inform SCM stakeholders.

At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to:

a. Developing a management plan for organizing structures, roles, responsibilities for training, hiring, and transitioning during on-boarding and off-boarding.

b. Developing an approach for submitting deliverables pertaining to the SCM Professional Development Program.

c. Providing a plan on how SCM Trainings will be provided to the field.

d. Planning, designing, and developing new SCM courses each year to meet growing needs of the field.

e. Coordinating and delivering trainings (registration required) and virtual Lunch and Learns (no registration necessary) via online virtual Microsoft platforms to varied Supply Chain Management and clinical designee that perform Supply Chain functions audiences (number of individuals per class and webinar vary).

f. Maintaining the content of all courses listed in Appendix A to incorporate potential changes in applicable policies or content. Editing up to 50% of existing courses each year.

g. Maintaining the content of all courses listed in Appendix A to incorporate potential changes in applicable policies or content. Editing up to 50% of existing courses each year.

h. Providing a registration method via Microsoft products for students to attend courses and, upon completion of the courses, receive Continuous Learning Points (CLP) Certificates for hours completed.

i. Developing and introducing a staffing plan necessary for all trainings.

j. Providing a Training Completion Report at the completion of each delivery.

k. Providing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) training solutions and supplemental resources Travel for in-person Training in accordance with (IAW) Federal Travel Regulations.

l. Develop and implement training needs analysis system that incorporates strategic goals, guidance, and standardized position descriptions to build a prescriptive curriculum for 28Ds.

m. Experience teaching at the Veteran Affairs Acquisition Academy (VAAA)

n. Possess the following certifications:

a. TMS 2.0 administrators

b. 508 Compliance Trusted Tester

c. Project Management Institute (PMI)

d. Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)

e. Association for Supply Chain Management (APICS)

f. American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC)

g. Association of Government Accountants (AGA)

o. VHA Supply Chain Experience with doctoral-level curriculum designers.

p. Have minimum of 5 years’ experience in VHA Supply Chain Management, Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture system (VistA), Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP), and Generic Inventory Package (GIP), Automated Engineering Management System/Medical Equipment Reporting System (AEMS/MERS).

3.1 Task Order Type

Firm Fixed Price (FFP)

3.2 Period of Performance

The period of performance shall be for a base and four option periods:

Base: September 7, 2025 – September 6, 2026 Option Period 1: September 7, 2026 – September 6, 2027 Option Period 2: September 7, 2027 – September 6, 2028 Option Period 3: September 7, 2028 – September 6, 2029 Option Period 4: September 7, 2029 – September 6, 2030

There are 11 Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103). Under current definitions, four are set by date:

Under current definitions, four are set by date:

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

No instructor led or virtual classroom training will occur on these days.

The Contractor shall provide the services of this task order on days in which the Government facility is open.

3.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The deliveries will be conducted off-site and virtually from the Contractor’s approved facilities. Additionally, the design, development, build of the content shall be conducted off-site in the Contractor’s approved facility or using the Contractor’s technology, as applicable.

3.4 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION, EQUIPMENT, AND FACILITIES

The curriculum materials will be provided as Government Furnished Information (GFI) for this contract. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), for this contract consist of the VA-TMS system and access to the Government owned Microsoft Teams and SharePoint sites. Government will provide Contractor with Personal Identity Verification (PIV) badges, PIV readers and content material. All procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation for the project and other Government applications will also be provided on an as-needed basis.

The Contractor shall request other Government documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the Government PPOC. The Contractor shall consider the COR as the final source for needed Government documentation when the Contractor fails to secure the documents from the PPOC The Contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work.

4. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

4.1 TASK 1: KICK-OFF MEETING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (Base Period Only)

The Contractor shall host a Kick-off Meeting (Deliverable 1) within five business days of contract award and provide a Final Comprehensive Program Report (Deliverable 2) within five business days of the contract expiration date. The contractor shall provide the Project Managers (PMs) with Monthly Executive level briefings (Deliverable 3) that accompany the monthly Program Review. The Monthly Program Reviews (Deliverable 5) shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period. The review shall also identify any problems that arose and a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the previous month’s approved Monthly Program Review and report any deviations. It is expected that the Contractor shall maintain communication with VHA accordingly so that any arising issues are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues. The Monthly Program Review Executive Level Briefings shall document coordination between all the interrelated aspects of Supply Chain Modernization & 2018-2024 VA Secretary Strategic Plan. The contractor shall host Weekly Progress Meetings (Deliverable 6) that include Meeting Agendas, Presentation Material, Meeting Minutes, and Action Item Tracking from all the week’s activities. Weekly Progress Reports are to be submitted in electronic form in Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Project to accompany the weekly progress meeting. The Contractor shall also Submit a Project Management Plan (PMP) (Deliverable 7) draft within 30 business days of contract award, and it shall be updated monthly thereafter. The PMP shall include but not be limited to action tracker, project roadmap, course delivery schedule/timeline). The Contractor shall provide the Project Managers (PMs) with Training Need & Curriculum Analysis (Deliverable 8) document for each of the 11 standardized position descriptions to be updated monthly. The Contractor shall develop and provide the Project Managers (PMs) with Monthly Comprehensive Course Content Tracker (Deliverable 9) updates through Microsoft Excel or Project. The monthly comprehensive course content tracker shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent.

The contractor shall:

• Host a kick-off meeting within five business days of contract award

• Provide a final comprehensive close-out report within a week of the contract end date

• Provide Executive Level Briefings for Monthly Program Review

• Host Monthly Program Review

• Provide Weekly Progress Meeting with Meeting Agendas, Presentation Material, Meeting Minutes, and Action Item Tracking

• Provide weekly progress reports to include each individual project

• Submit a Project Management Plan (PMP) draft within 30 business days of contract award and it shall be updated monthly thereafter

• Develop Training Need & Curriculum Analysis document for each of the 11 standardized position descriptions to be updated monthly

• Develop Comprehensive Course Content tracker to be updated monthly

DELIVERABLES:

1. Kick-off Meeting

2. Final Comprehensive Program Report

3. Executive Level Briefings for Monthly Program Review

4. Monthly Program Review

5. Weekly Progress Meeting with Meeting Agendas, Presentation Materials, Meeting Minutes, and Action Item Tracking

6. Weekly Progress Reports

7. Project Management Plan (PMP)

8. Training Needs & Curriculum Analysis

9. Comprehensive Course Content Tracker

4.2. TASK 2: COMMUNICATIONS

The contractor shall develop an effective communications and engagement strategy outlined in a Communications Plan (Deliverable 10) to inform and interact with stakeholders throughout the journey of this training initiative. The contractor shall provide Strategic Communication (Deliverable 11) products that create a continuous communications stream with internal and external stakeholders. The communication products shall be targeted in a manner that manifests progress of the training program. The contractor shall facilitate Lunch & Learns (Deliverable 12) and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (Deliverable 13) targeted toward strategic Supply Chain initiatives or concepts. Additionally, the contractor shall provide Maintenance and Operations Support for Microsoft SharePoint (Deliverable 14).

DELIVERABLES:

10. Communications Plan

11. Strategic Communications Products

12. Lunch & Learns content and facilitation

13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

14. Maintenance and Operations Support for Microsoft SharePoint

4.3 TASK 3: COURSE DEVELOPMENT

4.3.1 The contractor shall develop and deliver Desktop Training (Deliverable 15) and Supply Chain Fundamental Training (SCFT) Courses (Deliverable 16) that meet 508 Compliance requirements for Institute for Learning and Education (ILEAD) include computer animation, video, narration/voiceover narration and graphic design. The contractor shall deliver Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) compliant courses. The contractor shall have knowledge in the following areas to develop course content: Industry Supply Chain Concepts, Healthcare Supply Chain Management Standards, VA/VHA Policy Compliance and VHA Supply Chain Management Systems to include Inventory Management (VistA, GIP, AEMS/MERS, Supply Chain Common Operating Picture (SCCOP)/Supply Chain Data Informatics Office (SCDIO), Undelivered Orders (UDOs), Leadership Trainings (Emergency Management, COR Certificate Management), and Procurement knowledge (Federal Operations Resource Coordination and Execution (FORCE), Strategic Equipment Training Guide/Electronic Equipment Request (SEPG/EER)).

4.3.2 For each of the newly developed courses, the Contractor shall collaborate with the Government to provide a Course Design Documents (CDD) (Deliverable 17) which outlines the course content with the support of Government SMEs knowledgeable on the VA’s requirements. The Course Design Documents shall include:

· Course title

· Course objective

· Course overview/description

· Course length

· Relevant Course Materials (i.e. external resources, etc.)

· Learning objectives

· Course content broken into lessons and sub-topics for each lesson

· Resources and additional learning for course

4.3.3 The Contractor shall provide a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Platform (Deliverable 18) which tracks and reports platform KPIs for HTM Training and Education. The Contractor shall utilize a platform such as PowerBI to compile and display relevant KPIs to the COR and designated HTM staff. The KPI data shall be continuously gathered, and the Platform shall be refreshed on a daily basis (at a minimum).

The KPI Platform (Deliverable 19) shall display, at a minimum:

· Course contact hours

· Course attendance

· Webinar attendance

· Webinar contact hours

· Number of offerings per course title

· Total number of enrolled students and total number completed

· Average course ratings (from post-course surveys)

4.3.4 Contractor shall create a Course Flyer (Deliverable 20) for each course which, includes, but is not limited to:

· Course title

· Course overview/description

· Course expectations

· Course pre-requisites (if applicable)

· Class date(s) and location

· General course objectives

4.3.5 Post-Course Surveys (Deliverable 21) shall be administered virtually to participants to gain feedback on content and course structure. The surveys shall be provided via Microsoft platform to all participants who successfully complete courses and capture information regarding overall success of the course and feedback from participants. The surveys shall include, but are not limited to:

The Post-Course surveys shall include multiple choice and free-text questions about:

· Course method and class materials

· Relevance and effectiveness of course

· Instructor impact

· Recommendations

· Overall comments/suggestions

DELIVERABLES:

15. Desktop Training Courses

16. Supply Chain Fundamentals Training (SCFT) Courses

17. Course Design Documents

18. KPI Platform

19. CLP Certificates

20. Course Flyers

21. Post-Course Surveys

5. TRAVEL

The Government anticipates travel under this effort. Travel must be pre-approved in writing by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations. Each Contractor invoice must include copies of all receipts that support the travel costs claimed in the invoice. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the contractor’s facility is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. This includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time. Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the Contractor’s facility will not be reimbursed. Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the Contractor’s facility are authorized for reimbursement on a case-by-case basis and must be preapproved by the COR and must be planned and executed according to Federal Travel Regulations. General and Administrative expenses will not be reimbursed.

The FTR can be referenced at: Federal travel regulation | GSA

Appendix A – Course List

Current Course Catalog

Course Title

Target Audience Delivery Method

32 ea. Information Fact Sheets (IFS) 31 ea. PDFs / 1 ea. Word Document

VA 4636873 VHA SCFT: Supply Chain 101 Module 2

VA 4366874 VHA SCFT: Supply Chain 101 Module 3

Suspense Actions Administrative Officers Training.pptx

Understanding Your PD - Supply Technician EX

VA 4556042 Enterprise Mail Management: Mail Center Operations