RFR 257030 Certified Oncology Data Specialist~1.docx

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of public health Office of Population Health

Address: 250 Washington Street 6th Floor Boston

Contact Name: Nancy Klein

Email: Nancy.Klein@mass.gov

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Oncology Data Specialist- Certified

COMMBUYS BID Number: BD-25-1031-OFFIC-OPH-113346

DPH RFR Document Number: RFR 257030

March 6, 2025

Key RFR Information All Potential Bidders must read

COMMBUYS REGISTRATION

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering. To register review the COMMBUYS Job Aide COMMBUYS Vendor Registration or go to www.COMMBUYS.com.

QUOTE SUBMISSION

This BID requires the submission of electronic quotes. All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission of their quotes by considering potential online impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

SMALL BUSINESS PURCHASING PROGRAM

The Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) was established pursuant to Executive Order 599 to increase state contracting opportunities with small businesses having their principal place of business within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Pursuant to the SBPP, it is the intention of the issuing department to award this Small Procurement to one or more SBPP participating business as described below. Small Procurements are defined as procurements with an estimated annual value equal to or less than $250,000. While all businesses, no matter the size or principal place of business, may submit responses to this solicitation, should an SBPP participant respond and meet the best value criteria as described in this solicitation, the SBPP participant shall be awarded the contract. The review team will not evaluate submissions from non-SBPP participants unless no SBPP Bidder meets the RFR’s best value evaluation criteria.

Section A: Procurement Overview

A1: Procurement Scope and Description

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health seeks independent contractors/organizations to provide Oncology Data Specialists-C, to process case reports submitted to the Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR) in accordance with the guidelines that follow standards set by cancer registry standard setters. Scope of work may include abstract reviews, case finding, pathology screening for reportability and quality assurance activities.

Strict adherence to MCR data confidentiality requirements is required along with the execution of a confidentiality agreement.

Section B: Procurement Information B1: Applicable Procurement Law

B2: Whether Single or Multiple Contractors Are Required For Contract(s)

Check One (“X”):

B3: Calendar Rule Type

B4: Acquisition Method:

B5: Use of a Procurement by a Single or Multiple Departments

· Identify additional Eligible Entities by name or type.

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to add or remove additional authorized users during the contract term.

B6: Expected Duration of Contract

month(s)

year(s)

B7: Anticipated Expenditures, Funding Or Compensation For Expected Duration

Dollar Amount

Estimated annualized amount $ 100,000 - $125,000 per year

Check One (“X”):

Will Federal Funds be used to fund any part of Contract(s)?

*Additional information for contracts with Federal Dollars:

Sub-Recipient: receiving federal grant funds will be considered sub-recipients for federal grant purposes and will be required to comply with applicable federal requirements, including but not limited to sub-recipient audit requirements under OMB Circular A-133.

Unique Entity Identifier: On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID also known as UEI or SAMS number. Any entity that wants to apply for federal contracts or wants to receive federal funds must register with SAM. Entities that use SAM include for profit businesses, nonprofits, government contractors or subcontractors, as well as state and local governments.

Registering with SAM.gov is free and is required for your organization to receive federal funds. Your organization can submit an application to this RFR without being registered on SAM, however if awarded your organization will need to have an active SAM account prior to contract execution.

Unspent Funds: Any funds from Capital, Trust and/or Federal Accounts designated in the budget that are unspent in any fiscal year will not be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year.

Section C: Performance and Contract Specifications

C1: Eligibility – Bidder Qualifications

· Qualifies as an Independent Contractor under the Massachusetts definition.

· Provide Certified Oncology Data Specialists (ODS) - having a minimum of two (2) years of professional institutional cancer registry coding experience.

· Provides three (3) relevant references.

· Provide company issued computers/laptops

· Highlight importance of data protection and confidentiality

C2: Scope of Services

Contractor(s):

· will conduct case-finding activities to ensure completeness of reporting to the Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR)

· will follow security and confidentiality regulations of the Department of Public Health and that of MCR’s database.

· will conduct quality control activities on MCR data, including assessment of validity and accuracy of data fields such as race/Hispanic origin, stage at diagnosis and first course of treatments

· will perform abstract reviews, case consolidations, audits and analyses involving detailed cancer data collected by MCR. May correspond with hospital medical records personnel, physicians and other providers to clarify coded information to ensure collected data are accurate, complete and in accordance with established national cancer data standards.

· Quality-controlled data will be used in studies related to cancer control, such as analysis of stage at diagnosis and treatment patterns.

· may search for missing demographic information with resources such as obituaries, anywho.com, etc.

C3: Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring

Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring

The Department of Public Health is endeavoring to deliver the best value to facilitate our needs. However, it is important to measure the contractor’s performance to ensure the contract is in compliance with what has been requested and what the contractor has offered in this RFR. The following performance areas will be subject to measurement:

1. Timely Delivery (Commodities, Services, Reports, Billing, etc.)

2. Responsiveness to Departmental Inquiries

3. Quality of Deliverables (Commodities, Services, Reports, etc.)

4. Performance Targets/Benchmarks (Quantities, Outcomes, etc.)

5. Attendance at scheduled meetings and trainings

The PMT shall negotiate with contractors any requirements not set forth in the RFR

C4: Contract Invoicing Invoicing needs to occur monthly within 35 days of the end of each month, accompanied by supporting activity report.

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation. If awarded a contract bidders not already enrolled will be required to sign up for EFT as a contract requirement by completing and submitting the Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Form to the Department. Additional information will be sent at the time of contract.

Section D: RFR Evaluation

D1: Evaluation Criteria

· Number of staff with status as an Oncology Data Specialist-C with an active accreditation and membership with NCRA plus the equivalent of at least two years of full-time hospital cancer registry and or central cancer registry experience.

· Three relevant professional references

· Ability to provide company issued computers/laptops

· With remote work environment, contractor must verify a working area that protects computer access and confidentially for each assigned staff person

· Verify knowledge of the established quality assurance and data standards and procedures established by national cancer registry standards setters.

· Hourly rate is consistent with the estimated value of the service.

· Contracted staff must be able to work professionally and cooperatively both independently and with a diverse group of individuals.

· Other factors further demonstrating or describing cancer registry/ODS service delivery expertise/competences.

All proposals will be scored on the following criteria:

· D1 Evaluation Criteria specified above

· Hourly rate for contracted services

· Small Business Purchasing Program: The department intends to award a contract to a Massachusetts based Small Business if a response from an eligible SBPP participant is received and meets the department’s best value criteria.

Section E: Estimated Procurement Calendar

Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Q&A for Procurement Calendar updates.

RFR Release Date March 6, 2025

Deadline for Submission of RFR Q&A.1

April 4, 2025, 5:00 pm EST Comment by Pavlova-Plotnik, Rumi (DPH): We do need a contract in place by July 1, but since this is indicated as a rolling RFR, please let us know if this timeline makes sense .

Nancy.klein@mass.gov

Deadline for Submission of Responses Also known as the BID Opening Date in COMMBUYS

June 30, 2030, 5:00 pm EST

Anticipated Contract Start Date

July 1, 2025

1All Questions must be received in writing. Questions can be sent by email no later than the date and time indicated in the Procurement Calendar. All questions should be sent to the email listed in the calendar and should include the RFR title and number in the subject of the email. All Questions with answers will be posted on the COMMBUYS Attachment section for this procurement.

Section F: Instructions for Submission of Responses

F1: Bidder Response Requirements

Respond to criteria in the order listed in D.1 – limit of 2 single-spaced pages.

Provide price rate information (hourly rate(s)) and proposed COLA adjustments for each of 5 years rate(s) on a separate page with respondent’s name, date and titled Cost Proposal – Oncology Data Specialist-C.

F2: Prompt Payment Discounts (PPD)

All bidders responding to this procurement are strongly encouraged to participate in the Commonwealth Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative for receiving early and/or on-time payments. PPD benefits both contractors and the Commonwealth. Contractors benefit by increased, usable cash flow as a result of fast and efficient payments for commodities or services rendered. Participation in the Electronic Funds Transfer initiative further maximizes the benefits with payments directed to designated accounts, thus eliminating the impact of check clearance policies and traditional mail lead time or delays. The Commonwealth benefits because contractors reduce the cost of products and services through the applied discount. Payments that are processed electronically can be tracked and verified through the Comptroller’s Vendor Web system. The PPD form can be found on the OSD Forms page and in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

F3: COMMBUYS Submission Instructions All responses are to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to Vendors registered in COMMBUYS. There is no charge to register in COMMBUYS. To Register go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page. COMMBUYS Vendor Registration Job Aide is also available.

All Quotes must be received by the Department of Public Health before the specified date, month, year and time of the Bid Opening Date displayed on COMMBUYS. Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as applicable.

All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission by considering potential online submission impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

Bidders are encouraged to upload attachments well in advance of the Bid Opening Date. This will help to reduce disqualified submissions that can occur if upload is not fully completed or if an attachment is missing at the deadline. Prior to the Bid Opening Date listed in the Procurement Calendar above, documents can easily be deleted and revised versions can be uploaded. If you wish to revise or delete a quote after submission, you may do so prior to the bid opening date. Please review the Withdraw, Reopen, and Resubmit a Quote in COMMBUYS Job Aide for additional instructions.

No Bid in COMMBUYS Quote If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

COMMBUYS Electronic Signatures Quotes submitted via COMMBUYS must be signed electronically by the Bidder or the Bidder’s Agent by accepting the terms and conditions of the bid on the “Terms & Conditions” tab in COMMBUYS. Bidders do this by selecting “Save & Continue” on the “Terms and Conditions” tab after accepting the terms and conditions of the bid. By agreeing to this the submitter attests that s/he is an agent of the Bidder with authority to sign on the Bidder’s behalf, and that s/he has read and assented to each document’s terms.

File Format and Naming Conventions Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 81/2” x 11” paper, unless otherwise specified. Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file.

DPH is requiring that all response attachments that are uploaded in COMMBUYS include the company name of the Bidder, the RFR number and the name of the document. (e.g. Company Name _ RFR Number _Doc Name).

File Size Limits COMMBUYS will not accept files that approach or exceed 10 MB. If a large file fails to upload, the Bidder must save the contents as multiple files.

F4: RFR Attachments

To assist bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; some of the standard forms posted on the COMMBUYS attachment section have a prefix according to the following chart:

F5: COMMBUYS Support A link to a job aid on How to Submit a Quote on COMMBUYS COMMBUYS Resource Information at www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys Email: Send inquiries to the COMMBUYS OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov Telephone: Call the COMMBUYS Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Technical assistance is available during the procurement process. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one business day.

Bidders are advised that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours of which all users will be notified.

Section G: Other Requirements Pertaining to this RFR

Additional RFR requirements can be found in the document “Standard Required Information” found in the in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

Amendments to BID MDPH reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after the initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. MDPH and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

Acceptable Forms of Signature: for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e. contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2. Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3. Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.

CORI Requirements: In accordance with EOHHS policy, an individual's background, including any CORI and other relevant information, must be carefully considered so that the vulnerable populations served by EOHHS are protected. It is also EOHHS policy that qualified rehabilitated offenders are given a fair opportunity to be employed and successfully reintegrated into the workforce. In accordance with this policy, prior to any work engagement, the awarded Contractor shall obtain a Standard (Employer) Access Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check on any and all individual employees who are to enter public offices of the Commonwealth or provide services to any Hiring Entity of the Commonwealth. The awarded Contractor must 1) utilize the Internet-Accessible CORI (iCORI) system maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) to request and receive CORI in accordance with 801 CMR 2.00 et seq. and 2) comply with the EOHHS CORI check regulations, 101 CMR 15.00 et seq. in reviewing CORI and in documenting its hiring determination as set forth in 101 CMR 15.09. Any associated costs are the responsibility of the awarded Contractor.

Public Records: All information, documents, and attachments submitted as a response to this RFR are considered a public document subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Please be aware that checking the “confidential” box in COMMBUYS does not bar these documents from being released as a public record pursuant to these statutes once the procurement is awarded, unless statutorily exempt from disclosure.

· SBPP Award Preference: While all businesses, no matter the size or principal place of business, may submit responses to this solicitation, should an SBPP participant respond and meet the best value criteria as described in this solicitation, the SBPP participant shall be awarded the contract. The SST will not evaluate submissions from non-SBPP participants unless no SBPP Bidder meets the SST’s best value evaluation criteria.

· SBPP Participation Eligibility: To be eligible to participate in this procurement as an SBPP participant, an entity must meet the following criteria, and be marked as an SBPP registered business in COMMBUYS:

1. Have its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

1. Been in business for at least one year

1. Employ a combined total of 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees in all locations, or employees work less than a combined total of 26,000 hours per quarter; and

1. Have gross revenues, as reported on appropriate tax forms, of $15 million or less, based on a three-year average.

Non-profit firms must additionally be registered as a non-profit or charitable organization with the MA Attorney General’s Office and be up to date with all filings required by that office and by tax exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

· SBPP Compliance Requirements: It is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that their SBPP status is current at the time of submitting a response and throughout the life of any resulting contract. Misrepresentation of SBPP status by Bidders and Contractors will result in disqualification from consideration, and could result in debarment, contract termination, and other actions. To learn more about SBPP, including how to apply, visit the SBPP Webpage.

· Program Resources and Assistance: Bidders and Contractors seeking assistance regarding SBPP may visit the SBPP webpage, http://www.mass.gov/sbpp, or contact the SBPP Help Desk at sbpp@mass.gov.

Vendor Activation Requirements: To receive a contract with state a vendor must be active in The Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). MMARS is the official accounting system of the Commonwealth and once registered a vendor will be issued a Vendor Code number or a “VC” number. This VC number is used for all contracts that a vendor has with state agencies. An organization with existing state contracts or a vendor who has had state contracts with any state agency in the past has been registered in MMARS and does not need to re-submit paperwork again unless existing information in MMARS will need to be updated. Upon notification of a contract award to this RFR, vendors not already registered in MMARS will be sent the required paperwork to be completed before a contract will be awarded which includes a W-9 form, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing.

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