RFQ 36C25924Q0138.docx

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

Network Contracting Office

NCO 19

6162 South Willow Drive, Suite 300 Greenwood Village CO 80111

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Specialist Blake Rowland Blake.Rowland@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

1700 North Wheeling Street

Aurora CO

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation 36C25924Q0138 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-01 effective November 14th, 2023. No telephone requests will be accepted. Only written requests received directly from the offeror are acceptable. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 561710 – Exterminating and Pest Control Services Contractors with a small business size standard of $17.5 million. This solicitation is FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. IF OFFEROR IS A GSA SCHEDULE HOLDER, ALL INFORMATION REQUESTED IN THIS NOTICE MUST BE PROVIDED, NOT JUST THE OFFEROR’S SCHEDULE NUMBER.

Base Period: March 10, 2024 – March 9, 2025

Option Year 1: March 10, 2025 – March 9, 2026

Option Year 2: March 10, 2026 – March 9, 2027

Option Year 3: March 10, 2027 – March 9, 2028

Option Year 4: March 10, 2028 – March 9, 2029

STATEMENT OF WORK PEST CONTROL

A. GENERAL:

1. The contractor shall provide all management, laboratory testing, tools, supplies, equipment, transportation, and labor to develop and implement an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan for the Eastern Colorado Healthcare System (ECHCS), Rocky Mountain Regional Campus, Aurora, in a manner that ensures the health and general well-being of patients, staff, and visitors. All infestations will be addressed until complete elimination of pests.

A. LOCATIONS OF SERVICES PROVIDED:

a. All buildings/grounds located at the Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (RMRVAMC) located at 1700 N Wheeling Street, Aurora, CO 80045 (see attachment 1)

b. The Fisher House- 1700 N Wheeling St, Aurora, CO 80045

c. PTSD Clinic- 1700 N Wheeling St, Aurora, CO 80045

d. Bio-Science East Building- 1999 N Wheeling St, Aurora, CO 80045

B. SPECIFICATIONS:

1. Contractor shall assume full responsibility for compliance with the VA’s Green Environment Management System (GEMS); Federal Insecticide Fungicide Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations; and VHA Handbook 1850.02 dated 4/14/2009, as they apply to IPM. Contractor shall also perform all work in accordance with the guidelines establish by Federal, State, and local ordinances and as shown in the National Pest Control Association’s Good Practice. The contractor shall conform to all federal, state, and local regulations governing examining and licensing of pest control operators, performance of pest control services, use of approved pest control chemicals and equipment, and proper disposal methods for all products/containers, which may be in effect for the area where the work under the contract will be performed.

2. The IPM plan requires approval by the COR prior to implementation and will be submitted for review as part of the contractor’s contract submissions.

3. Contractors IPM plan must include but is not limited to the following tasks:

a. Inspecting all areas to determine which pest management measures are appropriate and required.

b. Recommend and communicate to the COR environmental sanitation practices that restrict or eliminate food, water or harborage for pests and recommend engineering practices that limit entry of pests.

c. Selection and utilization of non-chemical control methods, which eliminate, exclude, or repel pests, i.e., insect electrocution devices, traps, caulking, air screens, etc.

d. Collection and disposal of all pests.

e. Selection and use of the most environmentally sound pesticide(s) to affect control when chemical control methods are necessary.

f. Control general structural arthropod pests (i.e., cockroaches, ants, carpet beetles, spiders, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, etc.).

g. Control flying insect pests (i.e., housefly, stable fly, blow flies, etc.).

h. Control predatory pests (i.e., lice, bedbugs, fleas, mites, ticks, bees, wasps, mosquitoes, scorpions, etc.)

i. Control stored product pests (i.e., saw tooth grain beetle, red confused flour beetle, Trogoderma beetles, grain moths etc.)

j. Control mice and rats (i.e., house mouse, field mouse, roof rat, Norway rats, etc.)

k. Control pest birds (i.e., pigeons, sparrows, blackbirds, etc.)

l. Control other vertebrate pests (i.e., dogs, cats, bats, squirrels, gophers, moles, skunks, snakes, rabbits, raccoons, etc.).

m. Control wood destroying organisms (i.e., subterranean termites, dry wood termites, fungi, wood boring beetles, etc.).

n. Control aquatic pests (i.e., mosquito larva/pupae, algae etc.).

o. Identify, remove, and clean up areas with droppings, feathers and nesting materials that are known to be a health concern in ceilings, window ledges, crawl spaces or any other public areas.

p. Continue to monitor treated areas to ensure control measures were adequate.

q. At a minimum, all food service areas will be inspected monthly, operating rooms (OR), and Sterile Processing and Distribution (SPD) areas will be inspected quarterly, all patient treatment areas semi-annually, and all other areas annually.

r. Grounds: At a minimum the exterior grounds and parking structures of the ECHCS, Denver campus, Fisher House and the RMRVAMC, Aurora campus will be treated with an appropriate pesticide at least 2 times per year, between April 1st and October 30th, focusing attention on areas where insects, birds and bats nest and breed.

NOTE: Fumigation treatments may require separate scheduling as approved by COR for the convenience of the facility.

C. INITIAL BUILDING INSPECTIONS:

The Contractor shall complete a thorough, initial inspection of each building or site within the first (5) working days of the starting date of the contract. The purpose of the initial inspections is for the Contractor to evaluate the pest control needs of all locations and to identify problem areas and any equipment, structural features, or management practices that are contributing to pest infestations. Access to building space shall be coordinated with the COR. The COR will inform the Contractor of any restrictions or areas requiring special scheduling.

D. WORK HOURS:

1. Normal Work Hours: The service schedule will be developed between the contractor and Contracting Officers Representative (COR) prior to any service being performed. Throughout the contract period, the Contractor will check at least one time per week with Contracting Officers Representative (COR) to determine if additional services are needed.

2. National Holidays: The ten holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.

E. CALL BACKS:

1. EMERGENCY CALL BACK: The Contractor shall within _2_ hours after receipt of notification by the Contracting Officer or his/her designee, perform Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Services to correct any emergent condition. This call back service shall be accomplished at no additional charge to the Government.

2. NON-EMERGENT CALLS: Contractor shall report within _8_ for non-scheduled services without additional charge to the Government.

3. ALL CALL BACKS: Contractor will report response time and plan of action to the COR Derrick White 303 241-7240 and the Environmental Management Service, EMS, Duty Phone 720 470-2492 upon receiving the call. All voice messages left after hours will be responded to within the timeframe allotted for the type of call received. Response time will start at the time notification is left.

F. REPORTING FOR SCHEDULED SERVICES:

Fisher House Manager Office for the Fisher House and Housekeeping Supervisor Office, room number HS-135 for the RMRVAMC, PTSD Clinic, and Bio-Science East building on scheduled days for any instructions and for location of infestations as called in by wards, clinics, etc. Contractor will follow up with the COR, Derrick White after services have been provided and will submit a written report to the COR of all activities following each visit.

G. SAFETY FACTORS:

All rodenticides or traps shall be placed only at times and in the areas approved by the COR or his/her designee. Rodenticides, and/or traps shall be replaced as necessary and per manufacturer recommendations. No pest control material or trap shall be placed where it may be recovered by patients, nor shall such material be allowed to contact food or cooking utensils.

H. STORAGE OF PEST CONTROL MATERIALS:

Storage of pest control materials or equipment on VA property is prohibited without the written approval of the COR.

I. QUALITY ASSURANCE:

J. REQUIRED CONTRATOR REPORTING:

1. After each service (scheduled or non-scheduled) contractor personnel will submit documentation including but not limited to:

a. The name and address of the individual who applied the pesticide.

b. The location (by building) and room number where each pesticide was applied.

c. The pest or pests against which the pesticide was applied.

d. The date and time of application.

e. The brand name of the pesticide applied.

f. The name of the pesticide manufacturer and the federal environmental protection agency registration number of the pesticide.

g. The rate of application or amount of the pesticide applied, and the total area treated.

2. Documentation will be provided to the COR Derrick White and his/her designee.

3. The contractor is responsible for supplying, completing, and submitting all reports required or requested by Federal, State or local ordinances which pertain to any duties contained in the contract.

4. The Contractor will furnish the COR’s office, prior to initial application the trade names (if any), and the chemical names of all approved pesticides/chemicals along with appropriate antidote information and current Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). The Contractor shall supply this information as new products are submitted for approval to the COR.

5. The contractor will supply a monthly report that will show the total amounts of insecticides and rodenticides used on all VA property. A consolidated annual report will be provided to Environmental Management Services on January 5th of each year contract is active.

K. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL ID BADGES AND PARKING:

1. The contractor shall provide the COR with a list of contractor employees expected to enter the buildings to pick up confidential documents. While on VA premises, all contractor personnel shall comply with the rules, regulations, and procedures governing the conduct of personnel and the operation of the facility.

2. An access badge will be given to the contractor’s employees after completion of a background check. The contractor employee must safeguard the access badge and immediately report any lost, stolen, or destroyed badges to the COR. All contract personnel must properly display their access badges while on the VA property. Access badges must be worn at or above the waist (facing forward.). The contractor will ensure the badges of any employees that quit or are terminated are collected and returned to the VA within 3 working days of the event.

3. The contractor shall be required to comply with all security policies/requirements of the facility. All security policies/requirements must be met, and employees cleared prior to the contractor performing work under this contract. Employees that cannot meet the security and clearance requirements shall not be allowed to perform work under this contract.

4. It is the responsibility of the contractor’s personnel to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Parking information shall be coordinated with each facility COR.

5. The VA does not validate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the contractor’s personnel under any circumstance.

L. INTERFERENCE TO NORMAL FUNCTION:

Contractor may be required to interrupt their work at any time so as not to interfere with the normal functioning of the facility, including utility services, fire protection systems, and passage of facility patients, personnel, equipment, and carts.

1. In the event of an emergency, contractor services may be stopped and rescheduled at no additional cost to the government.

2. Contractor personnel shall inform the COR or the designee of the need to gain access to secured areas. If access is required to secure areas, prearranged scheduling will be made with COR or designee.

3. Contractor will provide COR and his/her designee with a contingency plan if the contractors are unable to perform or provide services.

ATTACHMENT 1 – LIST OF AREA/BUILDINGS TO BE SERVICED

BI-WEEKLY (Twice Monthly) SERVICE:

Fisher House Building and outside perimeter.

WEEKLY SERVICE:

VA Medical Center – Rocky Mountain VA Medical Center (All buildings and outside perimeters)

RECORDS MANAGEMENT OBLIGATIONS

1. Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws, and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act, (44 U.S.C. chs, 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transportation, or state of completion.

2. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)(5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.

3. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created while performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.

4. Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of ECHCS or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage, or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701.

In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to ECHCS. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.

5. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the contract. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government’s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to ECHCS control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the Contract. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).

6. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer’s approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating co, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and ECHCS guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

7. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contractor and in accordance with ECHCS policy.

8. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public ECHCS information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.

9. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.

10. ECHCS owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of the contract. All deliverables under the contract are property of the U.S. Government for which ECHCS shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.

11. TRAINING: All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise handle records are required to take VHA provided records management training. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training.

FLOWDOWN OF REQUIREMENTS TO SUBCONTRACTORS

1. The Contractor shall incorporate the substance of this clause, its terms and requirements including this paragraph, in all subcontracts under this contract, and require written subcontractor acknowledgement of same.

2. Violation by a subcontractor of any provision set forth in this clause will be attributed to the Contractor.

The provision at FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (NOV 2021), applies to this acquisition. (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Contract award will be made based on the solicitation response that represents the best value to the Government using a Contracting Officer’s Comparative Analysis. Since the Contracting Officer is considering price and other factors, the CO may award to other than the lowest-priced offer. The information below explains the evaluation approach:

The Contracting Officer will make a comparative analysis of all offers against the solicitation, using the following factors to decide which offer(s) represent the best value to the Government:

The provision at FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION -- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (NOV 2021), applies to this acquisition. (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Contract award will be made based on the solicitation response that represents the best value to the Government using a Contracting Officer’s Comparative Analysis. Since the Contracting Officer is considering price and other factors, the CO may award to other than the lowest-priced offer. The information below explains the evaluation approach:

The Contracting Officer will make a comparative analysis of all offers against the solicitation, using the following factors to decide which offer(s) represent the best value to the Government:

Factor 1: Technical Proposal The offer shall be evaluated on the conformance to the requirements listed in the Statement of Work. The offeror shall submit a technical proposal, that describes the means and methods of successfully performing all work detailed in the SOW to include the personnel being proposed to perform the work. Any safety training or certifications for the services should be permitted with proposal.

Factor 2: Past Performance Offeror shall provide no more than three references of relatively the same size and complexity. Include the following information for each contract: Name and address of contracting activity (company name), contract number, type of contract, total contract amount, and status, date of award and completion, description and location of contract work, list of major subcontractors if any, Contracting Officer or individual responsible for signing the contract, and their telephone and fax number, and the COR’s/Administrator’s name, telephone and fax numbers. Offerors may provide information on problems encountered on identified contracts and the offeror’s corrective action. Searches in CPARS (Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System), PPIRs (Past Performance Information Retrieval System), as well as Past Performance Questionnaires may be utilized.

Factor 3: Price – Offerors shall provide one copy of the fully completed Price Schedule in the format listed above. Proposed prices will be evaluated for reasonableness.

Technical and past performance factors when combined are more significant than price. Offers will be evaluated to determine which offer provides the best value to the Government, all factors considered.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (End of Provision)

A completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (DEC 2022) shall be submitted with the offer.

The clause at FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS -- COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (DEC 2022), applies to this acquisition, with the following addendum:

FAR 52.204-9, Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (JAN 2011);

FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018);

FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within fifteen (15) days of the expiration date of the current contract period.

For the purposes of the award of this Contract, the Government intends to evaluate the option to extend services under FAR 52.217-8 as follows:

The evaluation will consider the possibility that the option can be exercised at any time, and can be exercised in increments of one to six months, but not for more than a total of six months during the life of the contract. The evaluation will assume that the prices for any option exercised under FAR 52.217-8 will be at the same rates as those in effect under the contract at the time the option is exercised. The evaluation will therefore assume that the addition of the price or prices of any possible extension or extensions under FAR 52.217-8 to the total price for the basic requirement and the total price for the priced options has the same effect on the total price of all proposals relative to each other, and will not affect the ranking of proposals based on price, unless, after reviewing the proposals, the Government determines that there is a basis for finding otherwise. This evaluation will not obligate the Government to exercise any option under FAR 52.217-8. The `specified' rates under this clause will be those rates in effect under the contract each time an option is exercised under this clause. (End of Clause) FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 1 days; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 5 Years. (End of Clause) FAR 52.223-6 Drug-Free Workplace (MAY 2001);

FAR 52.228-5 Insurance—Work On A Government Installation (JAN 1997);

CL 120 - Supplemental Insurance Requirements: In accordance with FAR 28.307-2 and FAR 52.228-5, the following minimum coverage shall apply to this contract:

(a) Workers' compensation and employers liability: Contractors are required to comply with applicable Federal and State workers' compensation and occupational disease statutes. If occupational diseases are not compensable under those statutes, they shall be covered under the employer's liability section of the insurance policy, except when contract operations are so commingled with a Contractor's commercial operations that it would not be practical to require this coverage. Employer's liability coverage of at least $100,000 is required, except in States with exclusive or monopolistic funds that do not permit workers' compensation to be written by private carriers.

(b) General Liability: $500,000.00 per occurrences.

(c) Automobile liability: $200,000.00 per person; $500,000.00 per occurrence and $20,000.00 property damage.

(d) The successful bidder must present to the Contracting Officer, prior to award, evidence of general liability insurance without any exclusionary clauses for asbestos that would void the general liability coverage. (End of Clause)

52.232-19 Availability Of Funds For The Next Fiscal Year (APR 1984) Funds are not presently available for performance under this contract beyond SEPTEMBER 30TH OF ANY FISCAL YEAR. The Government’s obligation for performance of this contract beyond that date is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise for performance under this contract beyond SEPTEMBER 30TH OF ANY FISCAL YEAR, until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for performance and until the Contractor receives notice of availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. (End of Clause)

FAR 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR 2023);

FAR 52.237-2, Protection of government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation (APR 1984);

FAR 52.237-3, Continuity of Services (JAN 1991);

VAAR, 852.201-70, Contracting Officer’s Representative (DEC 2022);

VAAR 852.203-70, Commercial Advertising (MAY 2008);

VAAR 852.204-70, Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (MAY 2020);

VAAR 852.215-70, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business Evaluation Factors (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION);

VAAR 852.215-71, Evaluation Factor Commitments (OCT 2019);

VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY

1. GENERAL

Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS

a. A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.

b. All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the contractor/subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor.

e. The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor's employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.

3. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

a. Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).

b. VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor's information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA's information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA's sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements.

c. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/ subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/ created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract.

d. The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.

e. The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on contractor/subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the contractor/subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed.

f. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12.

g. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.01, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship.

h. The contractor/subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated.

i. The contractor/subcontractor's firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA's minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request.

j. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA's prior written approval. The contractor/subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response.

k. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor/subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the contractor/subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that contractor/subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response.

l. For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require C&A or an MOU-ISA for system interconnection, the contractor/subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COR.

4. INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

a. Information systems that are designed or developed for or on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities shall comply with all VA directives developed in accordance with FISMA, HIPAA, NIST, and related VA security and privacy control requirements for Federal information systems. This includes standards for the protection of electronic PHI, outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C, information and system security categorization level designations in accordance with FIPS 199 and FIPS 200 with implementation of all baseline security controls commensurate with the FIPS 199 system security categorization (reference Appendix D of VA Handbook 6500, VA Information Security Program). During the development cycle a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must be completed, provided to the COR, and approved by the VA Privacy Service in accordance with Directive 6507, VA Privacy Impact Assessment.

b. The contractor/subcontractor shall certify to the COR that applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the VA Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC), and the common security configuration guidelines provided by NIST or the VA. This includes Internet Explorer 7 configured to operate on Windows XP and Vista (in Protected Mode on Vista) and future versions, as required.

c. The standard installation, operation, maintenance, updating, and patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the VA approved and FDCC configuration. Information technology staff must also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default "program files" directory and silently install and uninstall.

d. Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges.

e. The security controls must be designed, developed, approved by VA, and implemented in accordance with the provisions of VA security system development life cycle as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems, VA Handbook 6500, Information Security Program and VA Handbook 6500.5, Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development Lifecycle.

f. The contractor/subcontractor is required to design, develop, or operate a System of Records Notice (SOR) on individuals to accomplish an agency function subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (as amended), Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Privacy Act may involve the imposition of criminal and civil penalties.

g. The contractor/subcontractor agrees to:

(1) Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically identifies:

(a) The Systems of Records (SOR); and

(b) The design, development, or operation work that the contractor/ subcontractor is to perform;

(1) Include the Privacy Act notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation, when the work statement in the proposed subcontract requires the redesign, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals that is subject to the Privacy Act; and

(2) Include this Privacy Act clause, including this subparagraph (3), in all subcontracts awarded under this contract which requires the design, development, or operation of such a SOR.

h. In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the violation concerns the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of the Act, when the contract is for the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the contractor/subcontractor is considered to be an employee of the agency.

(1) "Operation of a System of Records" means performance of any of the activities associated with maintaining the SOR, including the collection, use, maintenance, and dissemination of records.

(2) "Record" means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and contains the person's name, or identifying number, symbol, or any other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a fingerprint or voiceprint, or a photograph.

(3) "System of Records" means a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.

i. The vendor shall ensure the security of all procured or developed systems and technologies, including their subcomponents (hereinafter referred to as "Systems"), throughout the life of this contract and any extension, warranty, or maintenance periods. This includes, but is not limited to workarounds, patches, hotfixes, upgrades, and any physical components (hereafter referred to as Security Fixes) which may be necessary to fix all security vulnerabilities published or known to the vendor anywhere in the Systems, including Operating Systems and firmware. The vendor shall ensure that Security Fixes shall not negatively impact the Systems.

j. The vendor shall notify VA within 24 hours of the discovery or disclosure of successful exploits of the vulnerability which can compromise the security of the Systems (including the confidentiality or integrity of its data and operations, or the availability of the system). Such issues shall be remediated as quickly as is practical, but in no event longer than seven days.

k. When the Security Fixes involve installing third party patches (such as Microsoft OS patches or Adobe Acrobat), the vendor will provide written notice to the VA that the patch has been validated as not affecting the Systems within 10 working days. When the vendor is responsible for operations or maintenance of the Systems, they shall apply the Security Fixes within seven days.

l. All other vulnerabilities shall be remediated as specified in this paragraph in a timely manner based on risk, but within 60 days of discovery or disclosure. Exceptions to this paragraph (e.g. for the convenience of VA) shall only be granted with approval of the contracting officer and the VA Assistant Secretary for Office of Information and Technology.

5. INFORMATION SYSTEM HOSTING, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, OR USE

a. For information systems that are hosted, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities, contractors/subcontractors are fully responsible and accountable for ensuring compliance with all HIPAA, Privacy Act, FISMA, NIST, FIPS, and VA security and privacy directives and handbooks. This includes conducting compliant risk assessments, routine vulnerablity scanning, system patching and change management procedures, and the completion of an acceptable contingency plan for each system. The contractor's security control procedures must be equivalent, to those procedures used to secure VA systems. A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must also be provided to the COR and approved by VA Privacy Service prior to operational approval. All external Internet connections to VA's network involving VA information must be reviewed and approved by VA prior to implementation.

b. Adequate security controls for collecting, processing, transmitting, and storing of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as determined by the VA Privacy Service, must be in place, tested, and approved by VA prior to hosting, operation, maintenance, or use of the information system, or systems by or on behalf of VA. These security controls are to be assessed and stated within the PIA and if these controls are determined not to be in place, or inadequate, a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) must be submitted and approved prior to the collection of PII.

c. Outsourcing (contractor facility, contractor equipment or contractor staff) of systems or network operations, telecommunications services, or other managed services requires certification and accreditation (authorization) (C&A) of the contractor's systems in accordance with VA Handbook 6500.3, Certification and Accreditation and/or the VA OCS Certification Program Office.