S02 - Attachment A - VHA SM and FA Support PWS FFP.pdf

VHA Resource Management Services

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC) Workforce Strategy & Standardization (WSS)

VHA Staffing Model and Functional Assessment Support

Type of Order: Firm Fixed Price

1.0 BACKGROUND

In becoming a high-reliability organization (HRO), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is empowered to lead improvement efforts that balance accountability and systems thinking within the complex and high-risk environment of providing the best care to Veterans. In overseeing the VHA Manpower Management Program, Workforce Strategy and Standardization (WSS) is responsible for carrying out the requirements identified in VA Directive 5010 to use manpower management tools and methodologies to analyze, document, and amend staffing levels and organizational structure for workforce optimization and efficient use of resources. In addition, VA Strategic Plan Business Strategy 4.1.6 VA will integrate manpower management principles into VA’s business strategies to drive cultural change, standardization, and efficiencies.

At the direction of the VHA Under Secretary for Health (USH), VHA Chief of Staff (VHACOS), and Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Operations (AUSHO), WSS is already leading or supporting numerous functional assessments to include Suicide Prevention, Workforce Violence Prevention, Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) Community Care, Veteran Child Care, Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), and the Veterans Health Administration Central Office (VHACO) Optimization Initiative that is focused on functions that are fragmented, under-supported and not optimally aligned, to achieve the best outcomes for Veterans and staff. WSS requires contract support to ensure adequate and dedicated capacity within VHA to continue these efforts, validate organizational missions, functions, and tasks, mitigate risks associated with duplicative functions, and focus on operational efficiency and effectiveness.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) also has an urgent need for staffing model support services required to develop and forecast staffing levels to ensure best care to Veterans. The additional services being acquired include support to develop supply and demand staffing models and regression staffing models. As well as workload analysis to validate existing staffing levels which may include conducting time studies. As demand for VA healthcare increases, it is critical for VHA to validate existing supply and adjust supply where needed to ensure care is delivered in the right place at the right time.

Mental Health resourcing and hiring, Human Resource (HR) operational staffing levels, VA Medical Center supply and demand, and VHA Patient Advocate forecasting are just a few of our administration’s top priorities. Multiple Office of Inspector General (OIG) findings related to staffing needs also play a role in this surge support. Time is of the essence to ensure Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC) is positioned to support VHA’s continued growth and ensuring supply is delivered in the right place at the right time. Without this support, VHA runs the risk of over or under resourced capabilities leading to delays in service delivery and employee burnout.

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The VHA is seeking a Contractor who is an expert in the areas of functional assessments, staffing models, and workload analysis. In support of this contract the contractor will provide a cadre of highly knowledgeable and experienced personnel to develop these efforts within the VHA Central Office (VHACO) and Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) Office. The functional assessments will include identification of overall missions, functions, and tasks.

Expert knowledge in staffing models and workload analysis will be critical to assist the Office of Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC). Implementation of the functional assessments, staffing models and workload analysis will be managed by the VA employees and documented changes will occur within HR Smart. As demand for VA healthcare increases, it is critical for VHA to validate existing supply and adjust supply where needed to ensure care is delivered in the right place at the right time. The Contractor shall have extensive functional assessment and staffing model experience within a large and decentralized federal agencies’ manpower to provide credible advice and recommendations necessary to achieve success. The VHA also has an urgent need for validating and forecast staffing levels to ensure best care to Veterans.

The objective of this effort is to assist and improve VA’s Department-wide manpower requirements through functional assessments and staffing models.

3.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

3.1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance (PoP) shall be one year firm-fixed price (FFP) contract.

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

There are eleven (11) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, five are set by date:

New Year's Day January 1

Juneteenth June 19

Independence Day July 4

Veterans Day November 11

Christmas Day December 25

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

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

Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January

Washington's Birthday Third Monday in February

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Labor Day First Monday in September

Columbus Day Second Monday in October

Thanksgiving Fourth Thursday in November

3.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at contractor’s facility.

3.3 TRAVEL

Approximate Number of Trips

Approximate Number of Contractor Personnel required per Trip

Approximate Number of days per Trip

Twice per Quarter 8-10 5

The contractor shall conduct travel in support of the tasks and shall be reimbursed in accordance with applicable Federal travel regulations. The Contractor shall submit all proposed travel plans to VA PM, CO and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for review and approval no less than 5 business days in advance of the anticipated departure date.

Travel costs shall be included as a separate, cost-reimbursable, “not to exceed” line item.

The principal place of performance for services provided in the PWS is projected to be at the Contractor’s site. However, the contractor may be required to attend meetings at the Government site location. Authorized travel shall be reflected as a separate line item and as a not-to-exceed (NTE) total expenditure. Additionally, the VA PM and COR must approve all travel requirements/requests before travel begins. Travel that occurs without pre-approval by the COR shall NOT be reimbursed (See Attachment Travel Authorization Request Form). Travel and per diem expenses shall be reimbursed on an actual expenditures' basis in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46. In order to be reimbursed for travel, the contractor shall submit supporting documentation as required by Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) with invoices. Expenses for subsistence and lodging shall be reimbursed to the contractor only to the extent where an overnight stay is necessary and authorized by Federal Travel Regulations in effect at the time of the stay for the specific location. Profit and General and Administrative (G&A) will not be an allowable reimbursement expense for travel.

4.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide support services in the following task areas:

Functional Assessments Functional Assessment Reports Functional Organizational Charts (Current & Future State) VA Functional Organization Manual Updates (FOM) Workload Analysis Supply and Demand Staffing Models

Linear/Multilinear Regression Staffing Models Reporting Staffing Plan Transition Plan

Post-Award Kick-Off Meeting The contractor shall lead a kick-off meeting no later than 10 (ten) business days after award.

The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to schedule the kick-off meeting and identify necessary attendees for the kick-off meeting, including the stakeholders, WMC Project Manager (PM) and subject matter experts (SMEs). The purpose of the kick-off meeting is to craft an understanding between WMC and the Contractor on the project approach, major actions, and schedule for key milestones and deliverables. In addition, the meeting shall serve as the means to provide the Contractor with additional details regarding required tasks. The Contractor provides meeting minutes within ten (10) business days after contract effective date (or as agreed upon between the VA PM and contractor). The contractor shall participate in a contract kick-off meeting with the program office comprised of key stakeholders and subject matter experts (SMEs) to be identified by the VA PM, including the COR and the CO. The kick-off meeting shall be conducted via video or teleconference. Prior to the Kickoff, the Contractor shall collaborate with the VA COR, then prepare and distribute the Kickoff meeting agenda to planned attendees. The Contractor shall provide a meeting agenda at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting and meeting minutes shall be provided to all attendees within three (3) business days after conclusion of the meeting. The Contractor shall invite the CO, Contract Specialist, COR, and any other necessary VA personnel. During the Kickoff meeting, the contractor shall present the details of its intended approach, work plan and project schedule, along with a staff roster. The contractor shall prepare and deliver to attendees meeting minutes captured during the Kickoff. The completion of this meeting shall result in the following outcomes:

Introduction of The Contractor and Government personnel leading the work relating to this project, A brief overview of project administration and reported by the Contractor.

Collaborate to clarify performance expectations, and Review of tasks by the Contractor to forge a common understanding of work to be performance and responsibilities and obligations of the Contractor.

Deliverables:

A: Kickoff Meeting Participation/ Presentation B: Kickoff Agenda (before) and Meeting Minutes (after)

4.1 TASK 1: FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS

4.1.1 Perform Functional Assessments (VHA Central Office)

The contractor shall perform functional assessments that identify and validate the organization or office’s Mission, Functions, and Tasks, and structure design for the following small, medium, and large organizations:

Small Organizations/Offices

Under Secretary for Health Deputy Under Secretary for Health approximately less than 50 positions per bullet

Chief Strategy Office Office of Tribal Health Women’s Health Patient Advocacy Medical Inspector

Medium Organizations/Offices approximately ranging from 50 to 500 positions per bullet

Digital Health Healthcare Transformation Office of Oversight, Risk and Ethics Quality and Patient Safety Office of Discovery, Education, and Affiliate Networks

Large Organizations/Offices approximately larger than 500 positions per bullet

Office of Integrated Veteran Care Patient Care Services Operations Finance Readjustment Counselling Service Human Capital Management VISNs

Assessments performed will involve researching, identifying, and validating work an organization is performing, authoritative documentation to perform the work, analyzing the information to identify duplication, overlap, and gaps, and making recommendations for changes to organizational structure that align VHA to deliver service to Veterans optimally. The contractor shall perform these assessments in independent teams or as members of mixed government and contractor teams. All results and briefings shall be presented to the VA Program Manager and VHA leadership for decision and approval. Once the VHA Chief of Staff, AUSH Operations, or other designated authority approves, these assessments will validate and update the Mission, Functions and Tasks, authoritative documents, and organizational design.

These assessments will inform updates to the approved system of record, HR Smart.

Deliverable:

A: Functional Assessments

4.1.2 Functional Assessment Report

The Contractor shall provide a report for each assessment outlining the mission, functions, and tasks of authoritative documents such as policies, directives, laws, and organizational structure documents. The report shall also document any fragmentation, overlap, or duplication of functions and opportunities to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

Deliverable:

A: Functional Assessment Report for each assessment area

4.1.3 Functional Organization Charts

The Contractor shall prepare functional organization charts that adhere to VHA manpower and organizational policies. These organization charts will be created twice to reflect assessed organizations' current and future state design.

Deliverable:

A: Functional Organization Charts (current and future state) for each assessment area

4.2 TASK 2: VA FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION MANUAL (FOM)

4.2.1 Updates to the VA Functional Organization Manual (FOM) (Deliverable)

Contract personnel will support written updates to the VA FOM as information is captured in the functional assessments and translated into the FOM. Updates will be made as identified. Any duplication, overlap, or gaps in service will be presented to VHA leadership for adjudication before the final FOM submission.

Deliverable:

A: FOM Updates provided upon completion of each assessment

4.3 TASK 3: WORKLOAD ANALYSIS

4.3.1 Workload Analysis is the first step in developing a Supply and Demand Model and in developing linear/multilinear staffing models.

Workload analysis (Deliverable)

The Contractor shall lead the team to extract, collect, and document tasks, duration of the tasks, and frequency of the tasks performed by the function for nine (9) staffing models. The contractor shall develop man-hour availability factors with the input of the government staffing model team members.

Deliverable:

A: Documentation of list of tasks, duration of tasks and task frequencies including documentation of all data sources.

4.4 TASK 4: STAFFING MODELS

4.4.1 Environmental Scan of VHA and VA for Staffing Models and Workload Analysis

The contractor shall perform an environmental scan of VHA, VA and DHA to understand groups within VHA and VA who are performing workload analysis, developing Supply and Demand staffing models, developing Linear/Multilinear Regression Staffing Models.

Deliverable:

A: Detailed report documenting groups who are or have performed and/or implemented workload analysis, supply and demand models and linear/multilinear staffing models.

The report shall include the names of the groups who performed the work, what type of work was performed, when it was performed and points of contact.

4.4.2 Supply and Demand Models (Deliverable)

The Contractor shall create supply and demand models to assist with supporting current and future staffing decisions within a health care setting. The Contractor shall provide necessary staffing support to WMC to develop supply and demand models during the performance period.

The Contractor shall ensure that supply and demand model support provided to WMC is delivered as defined in the staffing roster and QASP in section 7.1. The contractor shall lead staffing model team and gather input from the government participants in the staffing model team. The Contractor shall brief all supply and demand models to four to six levels of Government leadership for review, approval, and validation prior to being finalized. The Contractor shall provide a validation white paper that includes an overview of the study methodology, assumptions, a technical document describing the study approach and methodology, data analysis details, a computation summary, the model summary and impact, and a completed model validation checklist that includes a description of the process to review efficiency of organizational structure and alignment, recommended improvements, and follow-on actions. The Contractor shall review and update each supply and demand model with data updates, inclusion of new guidance released that may impact the supply and demand models, updated position descriptions and standardized work instructions, on a tri-annual basis.

Deliverables:

A: Documentation of current number of authorized positions, current number of filled positions, man-hour availability factor analysis, current demand for the specialty and calculation of required number of personnel to complete current workload. All sources of data shall be documented.

B: Supply and Demand Model briefing package for Leadership: to include details of analysis, methodology utilized, model results, and next steps.

4.4.3 Linear/Multilinear Regression Staffing Models (Deliverable)

The Contractor shall develop between linear/multilinear regression models to assist with supporting current and future staffing decisions within a health care setting. The Contractor shall provide necessary staffing support to WMC to develop linear/multilinear regression models during the performance period. The Contractor shall ensure that staffing support provided to WMC is delivered as defined in the staffing roster and quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP) in Section 7.1. The Contractor shall lead the staffing model team and gather inputs from the government participants in the staffing model team. The Contractor shall brief all linear/multilinear regression models to four to six levels of Government leadership for review, approval, and validation prior to being finalized. The contractor shall, for model validation provide a validation package that includes an overview of the study methodology, assumptions, a technical document describing the study approach and methodology, assumptions, a technical document describing the study approach and methodology, data analysis details, a computation summary, the model summary and impact, and a completed model validation checklist that includes a description of the process to review efficiency of organizational structure and alignment, recommended improvements, and follow-on actions. The Contractor shall review and update all linear/multilinear regression models with data updates, inclusion of new guidance released that may impact the supply and demand models, updated position descriptions and standardized work instructions, on a tri-annual basis.

Deliverables A: Linear and/or multilinear regression model along with identification of statistically significant factors in model.

B: Linear/Multilinear Model briefing package for leadership: to include details of analysis, methodology utilized, model results, and next steps.

4.5 REPORTING

4.5.1 Monthly and Weekly Integrated Project Status Reports (Deliverable(s))

The Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Program Manager (PM) with Progress Reports in electronic form. The Progress Reports shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period.

The monthly progress report shall also identify any problems that may have arisen and an explanation of how each problem was resolved, or where not resolved, a plan for how the problem shall be resolved.

The contractor shall take minutes of all formal conference calls and/or meetings held with the Key Project Stakeholders and/or Project Manager. Copies of these minutes shall be attached to the next monthly progress report.

Monthly integrated project status reports shall contain the following information:

Status summary Change request status (new, open, closed since last report) Issue status (new, open, closed since last report) Schedule status Minutes of status meetings Contractor staff roster (providing updates as they occur, including personnel and security requirements) Status of required security investigations

Weekly integrated project status reports shall contain the following information:

Status summary Risk and Issue status (new, open, closed since last report, plans to mitigate

Risks and resolve issues) Schedule status

The contractor shall notify the Project Manager (PM), Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO), in writing, if problems arise that could adversely impact the performance of the order.

Deliverables:

A: Monthly Integrated Project Status Reports B: Weekly Integrated Project Status Reports

4.6 STAFFING ROSTER

4.6.1 Staffing Roster (Deliverable)

Within the contractor proposal and monthly following contract award, the contractor shall provide a staffing roster on the first of each month.

Deliverable:

A: Staffing Roster

4.7 TRANSITION PLAN

4.7.1 Transition Support (Deliverable)

The Contractor shall maintain all working and final documents in MS Teams. The Contractor shall provide a plan for 90 days of outgoing transition support for transitioning work from the current contract to a follow-on contract or other entity. This transition may be to a government entity or to another Contractor. In accordance with the Government-approved transition plan, the Contractor shall assist Government in implementing a complete transition from this contract to a new support provider. This shall include formal coordination with Government staff and successor staff and management.

This Transition Plan shall include:

1. Coordination with Government representatives.

2. Review, evaluation, and transition of current support services.

3. Transition of historic data to a new Contractor system.

4. Transfer of all necessary business and/or technical documentation.

5. Training of Government entities.

Deliverables A: Transition Plan B: Transition Support

5.0 DELIVERABLES OR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Formal deliverables and reports for this contract shall be consistent with the deliverables and reporting requirements included in this PWS.

A. The Contractor shall perform the tasks and provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance of period stated in this PWS. The Contractor shall provide all deliverables identified in this PWS. All deliverables, unless otherwise specified, shall use Microsoft Office compatible formats.

B. All deliverables must be Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1998 Amendments compliant according to the requirements for each such deliverable.

C. All Contractor-provided work products are to be furnished within the specified delivery dates (see below). Any changes to delivery dates must be discussed with the COR and requested in writing to the CO. If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the contractor is required to explain why in writing to the CO including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay and the impact on the overall project. The

CO shall then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations.

D. Delivery Schedule

Task Deliverable Quantity Unit Due Date

4.0 A Kickoff Meeting

Participation/Presentation

1 JB Within Ten (10) business days of the start of period of performance

4.0 B Kickoff Agenda (before)

and Meeting Minutes (after)

1 JB Kickoff Agenda and Meeting Minutes

4.1.1 A Functional Assessments 12 EA According to

assessment schedule

4.1.2 A Functional Assessment

Reports

12 EA Completion of each functional assessment

4.1.3 A Functional Org Chart (1 for

current, 1 for future)

24 EA Org chart for current and future state (2 total) per functional assessment

4.2.1 A FOM Updates 12 EA Updates for

Functional Organization Manual needed upon completion of each assessment

4.3.1 A Workload Analysis 9 EA According to

project schedule developed for each Workload Analysis

4.4.1 A Environmental Scan of VHA

and VA for Staffing Models and Workload Analysis

1 EA 45 days after award

4.4.2 A, B Supply and Demand Models 6 EA According to

project schedule developed for each Supply and Demand Model

4.4.3 A, B Linear/Multilinear

Regression Models

3 EA According to project schedule developed for each Linear/multilinear Regression Models

4.5.1 A Monthly Integrated Project

Status Reports

12 MO Monthly by the 5th business day of each month

4.5.1 B Weekly Integrated Project

Status Reports

52 EA Weekly by Friday at noon

EST

4.6.1 A Staffing Plan 12 EA 15 days after

award, updated monthly

4.7.1 A Transition Plan 1 EA Ninety (90)

business days prior to contract end date (if exercised)

4.7.1 B Transition Support (per

month as required)

3 MO On-going monthly during the final 90 days of Contract by the 5th business day of each month

6. Section 508 Acceptance Criteria: Supplies or services delivered as a result of this solicitation shall be accepted based in part on satisfaction of identified Section 508 requirements for accessibility. If the deliverable includes features and functions in addition to those identified as requirements, these features and functions also need to conform to relevant Section 508 technical provisions, functional performance criteria, and information, documentation and support.

NOTE FOR DELIVERABLE ACCEPTANCE / QUALITY ASSURRANCE: Generally accepted inspection and test methods corresponding to the identified Section 508 standards is reflected in the attached Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Acceptance Guide. This guide may be used to assist in the inspection and testing of supplies and services provided as contract deliverables corresponding to this solicitation.

All deliverables must be 508 Compliant, when required. Additional information regarding 508 Compliance can be found at: http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?fuseAction=stdsSum

7. Changes to the Statement of Work: Only the Contracting Officer (CO) is authorized to make any changes to this PWS; and the Contract Specialist (CS) shall authorize such changes only through written correspondence. The Contract Specialist shall keep a copy of each change in a project folder along with all other products of the project. The contractor shall bear any, and all costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer.

8. The COR and PM representative or any other individual (including VA or other Government agency employees or employees of other contractors) other than the VA Contracting Officer are not authorized to make any changes of a contractually binding nature to the period of performance, funding, and/or any other terms and conditions of any award or order resulting from this solicitation.

Any information and/or materials given to the Contractor to accomplish the work shall remain the property of VHA and must be returned upon expiration of the Contract, or at the request of the Contracting Officer, whichever is earlier. All deliverables shall become property of the Government.

All contractor provided work products are to be furnished within the specified delivery dates.

Any changes to delivery dates must be discussed with the COR and requested in writing to the Contract Officer (CO). If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the Contractor is required to explain why in writing to the CO including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. If the contractor is in default of the delivery date, the contracting officer shall assess consideration as part of the decision whether to revise the schedule. This notice to the CO shall site the reasons for the delay and the impact on the overall project. The CO shall then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations.

6.0 GENERAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

6.1 General

Contractor staff shall be fully qualified and have the level of experience necessary to accomplish the requirements of this PWS, as well meeting the requirements outlined in section 6.2., below.

In addition, Contractor personnel will be acceptable to the Government in terms of personal and professional conduct, and in technical knowledge. Furthermore, Contractor personnel are expected to be proficient using office automation equipment and software, and have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to support VA. Contractor personnel will be skilled at consulting with a customer to ensure staffing models accurately reflect the customer’s need and able to negotiate agreement on an effective and efficient solution when necessary. Should any Contractor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable personal conduct while on-site or while working on contract activities, the Contracting Officer (CO) shall advise the contractor and the contractor shall develop a corrective action plan. In the event the corrective action plan does not resolve the situation, the government may require the removal of the employee from the VA on-site support. Contractor personnel are to serve in a support role; final decisions regarding VA business will always be made by Government personnel.

6.2 Estimated Workload

The following information and labor categories are based on anticipated workload. The information is provided as an estimate only.

ITEM LABOR CATEGORY

Primary PWS

Support Areas Key

Personnel

1 Senior Program Manager 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7

Y

2 Senior Process Engineer 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,

4.4 Y

3 Senior Statistician 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,

4.4 Y

6.3 Formal Acceptance or Rejection of Deliverables:

The Government will have ten (10) business days to review each deliverable and provide feedback/ comments. If the contractor does not receive Government comments within ten

(10) business days, the deliverable is deemed acceptable. The contractor will have five (5) business days to incorporate each deliverable to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and VA Program Manager (VA PM). The COR will review and determine final acceptance by the Government. The COR will notify the contractor of final acceptance within five (5) business days. Failure to receive the COR notification within this time will not serve as and/or be construed as final acceptance.

The contractor will be responsible for adhering to all pertinent VA standards including but not limited to ensuring that all documentation and deliverables are stored on appropriate VA servers within one (1) week of their completion. The contractor will use Microsoft Teams for all pertinent conference calls, and the VA Exchange server for all pertinent email. Upon assignment of VA email accounts, use of external email accounts for the purpose of VA communications and business will be prohibited. The contractor will be responsible for adhering to all pertinent VA information technology policies and procedures, which will be made available at the contractor’s request on award.

6.4 Method and Distribution of Deliverables

The Contractor will deliver documentation in electronic format. Acceptable electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include the latest version of the following software, but no earlier than 2016: Microsoft (MS) 365, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Project, MS Visio, AutoCAD, and Adobe Postscript Data Format (PDF).

The contractor shall adhere to all pertinent Veterans Affairs (VA) policy standards including but not limited to ensuring that all documentation and deliverables are stored on appropriate VA servers within one week of their completion. The contractor shall use Microsoft Teams for all pertinent conference calls, and the VA Exchange server for all pertinent email. Upon assignment of VA email accounts, use of external email accounts for the purpose of VA communications and business will be prohibited. The contractor shall be responsible for adhering to all pertinent VA information technology policies and procedures, which are discussed in Section 8 of this PWS.

6.5 Government Furnished Property

The Government has determined that remote access solutions involving VA’s virtual private network (VPN) are necessary to complete the tasks on this specific contract. The Government also understands that government furnished equipment (GFE) is limited to Contractors requiring direct access to the network.

Based on the Government assessment of the possibility for remote access and the requirements of this contract, the Government estimates that the following GFE will be required:

One (1) standard laptop per contract team member as needed.

The Government will not provide IT accessories including but not limited to Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots/wireless access points, cell phones, additional or specialized keyboards or mice, laptop bags, extra charging cables, extra PIV readers, peripheral devices, additional RAM, etc. The Contractor is responsible for providing these types of IT accessories in support of the contract as necessary and any VA installation required for these IT accessories will be coordinated with the COR.

VHA will provide the software and application licenses required to support all tasks in section 4.

6.6 Key Personnel

The contractor shall provide a sufficient number of highly qualified expert key personnel in the development and implementation functional assessments staffing models and workload analysis large health care organizations similar to the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) which has a mix of clinical (Title 38 and Title 38 Hybrid), administrative (Title 5), and contract personnel. The Contractor shall provide effective management of all personnel, to include the selection, retention, training, support, and replacement, when necessary (e.g., employee is not qualified to perform assigned tasks, or if disruptive personality conflicts and/or behavioral problems arise). Contractor support staff shall include a mixture of staff with Industrial Engineer, Statistician, and management analysts support experience in a federal or state government environment.

KEY PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall provide resumes for any individual(s) whom the Contractor proposes to fill the Key Personnel positions identified above. For those individuals proposed as Key Personnel who are not current employees of your company, a signed letter of intent will be required.

During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Contractor shall not replace or substitute Key Personnel who Contractor proposed pre-award unless the replacement is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer within fifteen (15) calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution and shall demonstrate that the proposed replacement personnel are of at least substantially equal ability and qualifications as the individual originally proposed for that position.

After the initial ninety (90) days, any personnel the Contractor offers as substitutes for the above identified key personnel positions shall have the ability and qualifications equal to or better than the key personnel which are being replaced and shall meet or exceed the qualifications designated for that Key Personnel position. If any change to a key personnel position becomes necessary, the Contractor shall immediately notify the VA PM and COR in writing, but whenever possible Contractor shall notify the VA PM of substitutions in personnel in writing thirty (30) calendar days prior to making any change in key personnel, and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution and shall demonstrate that the proposed replacement personnel are of at least substantially equal ability and qualifications as the individual originally proposed for that position and that the proposed replacement meets or exceeds the qualifications designated for that Key Personnel position.

The Contractor agrees that it has a contractual obligation to mitigate the consequences of the loss of Key Personnel and shall promptly secure any necessary replacements in accordance with (IAW) this PWS section. Failure to replace a Key Personnel pursuant to this requirement and without a break in performance of the key personnel at issue shall be considered a condition endangering contract performance and may provide grounds for default termination.

The contractor shall provide key personnel that understand the development and implementation of staffing models and workload analysis in large health care organizations similar to the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) which has a mix of clinical (Title 38 and Title 38 Hybrid), administrative (Title 5), and contract personnel. Certain skilled experience professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as “Key Personnel” whose résumés will be submitted and marked by the contractor as “Key Personnel.” Resumes will be used to determine qualifications of proposed key personnel. Substitutions will only be accepted if in compliance with the “Substitution of Key Personnel” provision identified below.

The contractor shall complete the tasks described in Sections 4.0 through Section 5.0 and ensure successful completion of contract scope on time and within budget. The Contractor will be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all contractor personnel, as well as subcontractor efforts, used in performance of this effort. Contractor management responsibilities will include activities necessary to ensure the accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the PWS.

Contractor will at a minimum the following key personnel with skills and experience as described below:

6.6.1 Senior Program Manager

Minimum education: Master’s degree: Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, Human Resources, or related discipline from an accredited college or university. Minimum experience: 15 years.

Substituting Experience for Education: Five years additional experience adds one-degree level – e.g., a bachelor’s degree and twenty (20) years of management and supervisory experience will satisfy the requirement for a master’s degree.

Manager for multi-project programs for consulting services, acquisition management, or program/project management services. Directly supervises contract personnel and is responsible for all projects being performed for VHA. Responsible for all deliveries for all projects assigned ensuring that performance of each project is on-schedule, on time, on-budget, and meets all performance requirements.

6.6.2 Senior Process Engineer

Minimum education: bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, systems engineering, operations research, data science, analytics or another engineering discipline. Minimum experience: 10 years.

Provides comprehensive business requirements analysis and management for enterprise-level initiatives undertaken to plan, engineer, validate, review, and support the implementation of staffing models. Performs workflow analysis. Develops study methodology, data collection plans. Facilitates the effective exchange of information between stakeholders and all interested parties by sponsoring and facilitating meetings, teleconferences and coordinating sessions to ensure that all critical parties are informed of, and involved in, key requirements development and validation activities. Lead in meetings and briefings and brainstorming sessions with other staff members to discuss and develop resolutions to VHA operational and program implementation problems.

6.6.3 Senior Statistician

Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Analytics, Data Science, Operations Research. Minimum experience: 7 years.

Analyzes and interprets data from various sources. Compiles reports, charts, and tables based on established statistical methods. A specialist on complex technical and business matters. Work is highly independent.

6.6.4 Substitution of Key Personnel

All contractor requests for approval of substitutions hereunder will be submitted in writing to the COR, or Authorized Designee, and the CO at least 15 calendar days in advance of the effective date, whenever possible, and will provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, and a complete assessment of the proposed substitution's qualifications per the requirements of the PWS or the contractor's proposal if incorporated into the contract. New personnel will not commence work until all necessary security requirements have been fulfilled. Government will respond within five business days of the receipt of the contractor request for approval, or the contractor can assume that the qualifications are acceptable to the government. The COR and the CO will evaluate such requests and, within five business days, notify the Contractor that the contractor employee selection meets the requirements of the PWS in writing. Any proposed replacement personnel shall meet or exceed the requirements of the PWS or the proposal standards if it exceeded qualification required by the PWS.

7 SPECIFIC CONTACT PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Performance Levels for Objectives associated with all tasks outlined in this PWS.

7.1 Quality of Service and Work Products

Required Service/Tas k

Performance Standard

Acceptable Performanc e Levels

Method(s) of Surveillance

Incentive (Positive and/or Negative)

Kickoff Meeting Participatio n/

Presentation

Demonstrates understanding of requirements.

Efficient and effective in meeting requirements

Meets technical needs and mission requirements.

Offers quality services/produc ts

Deliverables will be free of grammatical and typographic al errors 95% of the time (See Note 1)

100% inspection/revie w, direct observation. The COR will review each Deliverable for quality/ timeliness according to criteria established in this contract.

The PM and COR shall review and accept deliverables.

Contractor shall re-accomplish products found to be unacceptable or not meeting the intent of the task and the work within five

(5) business days.

Contractor shall receive payment once deliverable is accepted by the Government (See Note 2)

Failure to meet the Minimum Acceptable Performan ce Levels may result

Workload Analysis Supply and Demand Models

Project Milestones and Schedule

Quick respon se capabili ty

Products completed, reviewed, delivered in timely manner.

Notifies customer in advance of potential

100% on time delivery.

(See Note 1)

100% inspection/revie w, direct observation.

The COR will review each Deliverable for quality/ timeliness according to criteria established in this contract.

problems, recommends solutions in issuance of a contractor Discrepanc y Report

(CDR).

The contractor’s performance on this TO will be reported to the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) on an annual basis. The CO and COR will make use of information from CDRs, as well as any additional knowledge and information available to them with respect to the contractor’s performance, to complete the CPARS.

The Government will not pay for services that do not conform or do not meet performance standards or have not been properly rendered.

The contractor will be given an opportunity to correct non-conforming services at no cost to the Government if the services are non-conforming or the contract requirement is unacceptable.

Staffing Currency of Expertise

Personnel possess necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform tasks

100% qualified personnel.

(See Note 1)

100% inspection/revie w, direct observation.

Continuous monitoring by

COR/ PM

Government may request a removal of unqualified personnel.

* Note 1: Significant errors or omissions are defined as deliverables not meeting the intent of the task and work considered to be within scope of this order.

** Note 2: Continued repetitive errors may result in an unacceptable rating on performance report to be used as part of the evaluation criteria on future order competitions.

Types of Surveillance:

- Random sampling: Appropriate for frequently recurring tasks. Evaluate randomly selected samples of the lot to determine the acceptability of the entire lot (random inspection guide, method of surveillance, lot size, sample size, performance requirement, sampling procedure, and inspection procedure).

- One hundred percent inspection: Appropriate for tasks that occur infrequently. Inspect and evaluate performance each time task is performed.

Periodic surveillance: Evaluation of samples selected on other than a 100 percent or statistically random basis (such as monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually).

The Government intends to utilize a QASP consistent with the table above throughout the life of the contract to ensure that the contractor is performing the services required by this PWS in an acceptable manner. The Government reserves the right to alter or change the surveillance methods in the QASP at its own discretion. The contractor will be promptly notified when changes occur.

8.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

8.1 Position/Task Risk Designation Level(S) and Contractor Personnel Security Requirements

The Federal Government will be the sole owner and have all rights to use, copy, and distribute all deliverables, and the research and data behind the deliverables developed under this effort, except for Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) materials. The contractor has no rights in these deliverables, data, and research, and may not disseminate them to any party other than the WMC.

In accordance with VA policy, contractors’ storage, generation, transmission or exchanging of VA sensitive information requires appropriate security controls to be in place. The VA Information Security Program policy – VA Directive and Handbook 6500 and additional 6500 series directives and handbooks - provide the framework for security within VA.

POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

Position Sensitivity

Background Investigation (in accordance with Department of Veterans Affairs 0710 Handbook, “Personnel Security Suitability Program,” Appendix A)

Low

National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) A NACI is conducted by OPM and covers a 5-year period. It consists of a review of records contained in the OPM Security Investigations Index (SII) and the DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, FBI fingerprint check, and written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment. In VA it is used for Non-sensitive or Low Risk positions.

Moderate

Moderate Background Investigation (MBI) An MBI is conducted by OPM and covers a 5-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check], a credit report covering a period of 5 years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment;

an interview with the subject, law enforcement check; and a verification of the educational degree.

High

Background Investigation (BI) A BI is conducted by OPM and covers a 10-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check report], a credit report covering a period of 10 years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment; an interview with the subject, spouse, neighbors, supervisor, co-workers; court records, law enforcement check, and a verification of the educational degree.

The position sensitivity and the level of background investigation (BI) commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the Performance Work Statement (PWS) are:

Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements

Task Number Low/NACI Moderate/MBI High/BI

ALL TASKS

Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel will 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.

8.2 ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS

a. A Contractor/subcontractor will 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.

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.

The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or…