SOW.pdf

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Contents

I. PURPOSE

II. GENERAL BACKGROUND

III. SURVEY BACKGROUND

IV. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

V. REQUIREMENTS

BASE YEAR

TASK 1: DEVELOP PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

TASK 2: KICK-OFF MEETING WITH NCA

TASK 3: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

TASK 4: SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

TASK 5: SPANISH TRANSLATION

TASK 6: WEB SURVEY

TASK 7: SURVEY COORDINATION, PREPARATION, AND PRINTING

TASK 8: SAMPLES FOR SURVEYS

TASK 9: SURVEY ADMINISTRATION

TASK 10: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND HELP LINE

TASK 11: WEEKLY FIELDING REPORT

TASK 12: SURVEY ANALYSES

TASK 13: SEMIANNUAL REPORTS

TASK 14: STRATEGIC MEASURES REPORT

TASK 15: ANNUAL NATIONAL REPORTS

TASK 16: NC ANNUAL DISTRICT REPORTS

TASK 17: STVC ANNUAL STATE REPORTS

TASK 18: NC CEMETERY REPORTS

TASK 19: STVC CEMETERY REPORTS

TASK 20: BRIEFINGS

TASK 21: ANNUAL DATA SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

OPTION YEARS 1 - 4 RE-OCCURRING TASKS

OY TASK 1: DEVELOP PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

OY TASK 2: KICK-OFF MEETING WITH NCA

OY TASK 3: UPDATE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

OY TASK 4: SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

OY TASK 5: SPANISH TRANSLATION

OY TASK 6: WEB SURVEY

OY TASK 7: SURVEY COORDINATION, PREPARATION, AND PRINTING

OY TASK 8: SAMPLES FOR SURVEYS

OY TASK 9 SURVEY ADMINISTRATION

OY TASK 10: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND HELP LINE

OY TASK 11: Weekly Fielding Report

OY TASK 12: SURVEY ANALYSES

OY TASK 13: SEMIANNUAL REPORTS

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OY TASK 14: STRATEGIC MEASURES REPORT

OY TASK 15: ANNUAL NATIONAL REPORTS

OY TASK 16: ANNUAL DISTRICT REPORTS

OY TASK 17: ANNUAL STVC STATE REPORTS

OY TASK 18: NC CEMETERY REPORTS

OY TASK 19: STVC CEMETERY REPORTS

OY TASK 20: BRIEFINGS

OY TASK 21: ANNUAL DATA SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

OPTIONAL TASKS

OPTIONAL TASK 1: RESEARCH SUPPORT

OPTIONAL TASK 2: FUNERAL DIRECTOR REDESIGN

VI. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

VII. SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

VIII. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK

X. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

XI .TRAVEL

XII. SECURITY CLAUSES

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I. PURPOSE

The NCA administers a suite of four surveys that includes:

▪ National Cemeteries Next-of-Kin/Family Member Satisfaction Survey (NC NOK

CSS)

▪ VA Memorial Products Next-of-Kin/Family Member Satisfaction Survey1 (MPS

NOK CSS)

▪ State or Tribal Veterans Cemeteries Next-of-Kin/Family Member Satisfaction

Survey (STVC NOK CSS)

▪ Funeral Director Satisfaction Survey (FD CSS)

Note: Each NCA survey is categorized as a customer satisfaction survey (CSS).

The first three surveys in the list comprise the Next-of-Kin/Family Member (NOK) survey series. Any reference to the NOK CSSs implies the three surveys in the series, NC

NOK CSS, MPS NOK CSS, and STVC NOK CSS, administered to a Next-of-Kin/Family member and not funeral directors.

NCA strives to provide the best service and to be the model of excellence for burial and memorials for our Nation's Veterans and their families.2 The data from the administration of each of the surveys helps NCA to assess its compliance with the

Agency’s mission to honor Veterans and their families with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service and sacrifice to our Nation, ensuring that no Veteran ever dies. Further, the feedback from NOK and funeral directors serves to improve NCA policy, planning, and operational efforts as it relates to the quality of the services provided to Veterans and their families.

The primary purposes of this task order are to:

1 The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is abbreviated VA throughout this document.

2 Additional information about NCA can be found at https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/about/index.asp https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/about/index.asp

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▪ Clean and prepare the sampling frame for the creation of the mailing list for the

NCA surveys.

▪ Collaborate with the Government Printing Office and provide the camera-ready versions for the print surveys in both English and Spanish and conduct the proofing for all waves of the surveys.

▪ Design, prepare, administer and capture data for NCA’s suite of online surveys.

▪ Administer and field the NCA’s suite of four surveys in a standardized protocol to yield valid, reliable, data;

▪ Ensure the quality, integrity, and completeness of the information gathered to allow actionable data for continuous improvement of the services provided by

NCA;

▪ Provide analytic support to NCA for annual reporting requirements and on an ad hoc basis; and

▪ Review and provide recommendations to enhance the existing surveys and administration protocol.

II. GENERAL BACKGROUND

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) provides burial and memorial benefits to

Veterans and their eligible beneficiaries. These benefits are earned through service to our Nation. Eligibility for burial and memorialization benefits is defined in 38 C.F.R.

§2402, with implementing regulations in 38 C.F.R. §3.1700 thru §3.1713. of the Code of

Federal Regulations.

VA operates 150 national cemeteries and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 40 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA's national cemeteries. VA also provides funding to establish, expand, improve and maintain 117 Veterans cemeteries in 48 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, and Saipan. For Veterans not buried in a

VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. In FY2019, VA honored more than 200,000 Veterans and their loved ones with memorial benefits in national, state, tribal and private cemeteries.

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The Memorial Products Service at the NCA provides headstones, markers and medallions to mark the graves of Veterans and their family members at private cemeteries, as well as Presidential Memorial Certificates.

The private cemetery headstone and marker program has three distinct headstone products and processes to measure order and delivery of bronze and stone markers;

granite and marble headstones, and medallions. The Memorial Products Service provides these products through an ordering process that requires the submission of an application with proof of eligibility. The Service also has call center personnel that answer inquiries and assist in the application process. Orders for headstones, markers and medallions are input and sent to a stone or bronze Contractor to manufacture and inscribe. The Memorial Products are sent to a private cemetery, funeral home or residence for placement on the respective gravesite.

III. SURVEY BACKGROUND

As stated in the purpose, NCA administers a family of four surveys. The surveys administered in 2020 for the 2019 interments3 and requests for MPS in the same timeframe are provided in Attachment A. The current survey questionnaires and processes are mature, having been refined over many iterations, however, the surveys and processes continue to be reviewed and enhanced to ensure that the items

(questions) are aligned with NCA’s priorities and goals and meet the information needs of the Administration. Further, the surveys and their protocol are continually reviewed to identify opportunities to increase the quality of information gathered and to incorporate advances in the field of survey science.

The survey process requires close collaboration between the NCA Contracting Officer, the NCA Contracting Representative (COR), the Government Printing Office (GPO), and the Government Printing Office’s contracted vendor.

3 The 2020 report was based on interments that occurred between February 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020.

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The sampling frame relies on data from the NCA Burial Operations Support System

(BOSS) database for National and State cemeteries and the Automated Monument

Application System (AMAS) for Memorial Products. The sample size employed for each

NOK CSS shall allow the estimates with enough power to detect statistically significant differences at a percentage to be determined at the national, district, state, and cemetery-level using a 95% confidence interval. (At present, the Funeral Director

Survey is administered to each unique funeral home that has had contact with NCA for a burial at a VA national cemetery, VA State or Tribal cemetery or requested a memorial product on behalf of a Veteran or their family .)

The survey administration protocol4 consists of 4 waves. The NOK CSSs are to be fielded semiannually while the Funeral Director Survey is fielded annually. It shall be assumed that, at minimum, this protocol will be employed for the paper surveys.5 An online survey shall be available for potential respondents throughout the fielding process.

First: Cover letter 1 and paper survey questionnaire

Second: Reminder post card 1

Third: Cover Letter 2 and second survey questionnaire

Fourth: Thank you/Focus Group Invitation

The survey administration protocol is designed to provide estimates of the views and opinions of our customers (NOK and FDs) by employing a representative sample6 and to maximize response rates. The administration protocol is reviewed on a regular basis and is modified to increase efficiency and harness new advances in the survey and

4 The 4 waves that are stated will be used in the 2020 interment fielding and beyond.

5 NCA is continually reviewing opportunities to maximize efficiency and data quality including response rates.

6 The FD survey is administered to a census and the NOK surveys are administered to a large, representative sample. This protocol is subject to change based on the direction of NCA>

7 | P a g e align with best practices.

An analysis plan and reporting templates are designed and approval by NCA is secured before use. Further, any necessary adjustments to allow the valid, reliable estimates used for informing NCA to determine policy are incorporated in the analysis plan.

While the survey is being fielded, an analysis of the preliminary data is done on an ongoing basis. The information aids in the modification of the sample size for the following fielding to meet the required power for analysis and testing. Annual reports are created for national cemeteries, state or tribal cemeteries, and memorial products that details the level of satisfaction with the burial services provided by NCA.7 The reports are used by NCA for identifying opportunities for improvements, monitoring, and policy making.8 In addition, cemeteries (national, state and tribal) receive an individual annual report that focuses on their results and provides national aggerated values for comparison. In addition, a series of briefing documents are prepared for use by NCA for briefing administration.

A brief history of the surveys administered by NCA under this SOW is provided below.

NATIONAL CEMETERIES NEXT-OF-KIN/FAMILY MEMBER SATISFACTION SURVEY

In 2001, NCA began development and testing of the national cemetery survey instrument for the annual CSS for Veterans and their families and funeral directors. The development process included focus groups with Next-of-Kin and funeral directors, cognitive interviews, and a pilot test. The surveys were designed to be comprehensive and include items related to the committal service, visitation, awareness of burial and memorial benefits, outreach and communication, cemetery appearance, revised to enhance the survey items and to address information needs. Initially the survey included both Next-of-Kin (NOK) and funeral director questions. This practice of a

7 The funeral director information is contained within the NOK CSS reports and not a separate report.

8 The annual reports can be found by accessing the following link:

https://www.accesstocare.va.gov/NCA/Satisfaction https://www.accesstocare.va.gov/NCA/Satisfaction

8 | P a g e combined survey for the two target populations ended after the 2013 administration. A separate Funeral Director Survey was implemented in 2014 that included questions on national cemeteries.

The sampling methodology for the National Cemeteries NOK CSS employs stratification by cemetery. The sample size per cemetery is proportional to the cemetery’s total number of interments with adjustment to smaller cemeteries. Sample size requirements are based on reporting requirements and are subject to change.

A multi-mode administration for the survey, web and mailed, is employed. Out of respect for the Veteran and the family, a minimum of a 90-day grieving period is used.

Currently, survey invitations are by mail only. The National Cemeteries NOK CSS

Survey is offered in both Spanish and English. Residents of Puerto Rico are mailed

Spanish language materials. A telephone Help Line is available for assistance to address any questions about the survey. The Help Desk can also be used to request a

Spanish or English Survey. Inquiries are recorded and provided to NCA.

Historically, one annual data collection with annual reporting was employed. The administration protocol for all NOK CSSs for Veterans and their families was changed from annual surveys to quarterly surveys in CY 2018 and reflected in the 2019 CSS

Reports. The change was made to allow additional monitoring of satisfaction that an annual survey could not provide. An annual fielding was done in 2020 for the 2019 interments. The fielding for the 2020 interments will be a single annual fielding.

Beginning in CY2021 for the first 6 months of CY2020 interments, the fielding period will change to a semiannual fielding. The Funeral Director Survey will remain an annual survey.

MEMORIAL PRODUCTS NEXT-OF-KIN/FAMILY MEMBER SATISFACTION SURVEY

(MPS)

The MPS assesses customer satisfaction with products and services provided by the

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Memorial Products Service and measures process performance. 9 The survey instrument includes items to determine: who assisted the Next-of-Kin with the application; the extent to which the Next-of-Kin was aware of the inscription policy; the perceived quality level of the marker and inscription; the cycle delivery time; the level of customer service for the call center; and the level of knowledge, satisfaction with, and quality of the Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) Program and certificate. The

MPS sampling frame consists of Veterans and their family members who opted to use a private cemetery and requested a memorial product as well as funeral directors.10

The MPS has been conducted annually since 2009, with the exception of 2010. The

MPS is administered to both Next-of-Kin and funeral directors. The survey protocol limits the timeframe for the NOK contact to those who interred a loved one 180 days prior to the survey fielding timeframe at a private cemetery. The NOK MPS has been fielded quarterly and its fielding period aligns with that of the CSS. A modified funeral

MPS is one of the three surveys sent to funeral directors who worked with a private cemetery. A census is used for funeral directors. The sampling frame for funeral directors is discussed further in the following paragraph.

STATE OR TRIBAL VETERANS CEMETERIES NEXT-OF-KIN/FAMILY MEMBER

SATISFACTION SURVEY (STVC CSS)

The STVC CSS development began in 2013 with a pilot and is modelled after the

National Cemetery CSS. The STVC CSS was implemented in 2014 originally administered annually but was changed to being administered quarterly.

FUNERAL DIRECTOR SATISFACTION SURVEY (FD Survey)

Currently, the FD Survey consists of three distinct surveys: (1) VA National Cemetery

CSS, (2) State and Tribal Cemetery CSS, and (3) the funeral director’s MPS. Some of

9 If the Veteran or family member was buried in a VA national, state or tribal cemetery then the individual is not in the sampling frame for the MPS.

10 An individual who contacted the VA for a PMC only would not be part of the sampling frame because the data is stored in a different database.

10 | P a g e the survey items from the NOK CSSs are tailored for use on the FD Survey while other questions from the NOK CSS are excluded from the FD Survey. A small subset of questions on the FD Survey are unique to the FD Survey only.

It is important to note that the FD Survey is not sent to each funeral director but rather each funeral home such that each individual funeral home shall have a single survey completed by one of their associated funeral directors. In other words, the unit of analysis is the business entity, the funeral home.

At present, funeral directors are requested to evaluate their experience with the national cemetery and state or tribal cemetery that they had the most contact with (greatest number of interments) during the previous 12-month period. In addition, funeral directors are asked to assess the quality and experience related to memorial products.

Some sections may not be applicable to all funeral directors and they are asked to respond to only applicable sections.

The sampling frame for funeral directors includes those who: (1) assisted with interments at VA National Cemeteries during the specified time frame; (2) assisted with interments at VA grant funded State or Tribal cemeteries during that same period; or (3) who assisted with obtaining memorial products for interments during that period. The three sampling frames have a great degree of overlap because many of the funeral directors assisted with multiple interments and multiple funeral directors are associated with a single funeral home . Consequently, files are stacked, cleaned, and duplicates within and across the three frames are eliminated. The unduplicated, cleaned frames shall be used to administer the FD Survey.

At present, the FD survey is sent as a single annual survey mailed survey segmented into the 3 delineated surveys to each funeral home and addressed to the funeral director as opposed to a specific funeral director. The FD Survey has typically been fielded during the fourth quarter and shall be for the 2020 interments. Beginning with the 2021 interments, the FD Survey shall be fielded one month after the conclusion of

11 | P a g e the calendar year.11 Currently, the data collected from the FD Survey are presented separately from NOK in the NOK CSS annual reports. In addition, common questions between the FD Survey and NOK CSSs are combined, analyzed and presented in the

NOK CSS annual reports.

IV. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

This contract has a total of a 5-year period of performance consisting of a Base Year

(BY) and 4 Option Years, (OY1 – OY4). The award is contingent of the availability of funds.

V. REQUIREMENTS

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the requirements of this

Statement of Work (SOW).

To the extent possible, this task order shall develop deliverables that are cost-efficient, yet maintain acceptable standards for quality. Please see Attachment 3: Schedule of

Deliverables for the due dates associated with the tasks in the Base Year and in the

Option Years.

All products of this task order shall be made available to NC and/or its Designee.

This Statement of Work (SOW) and associated tasks include the following areas for the continued successful implementation of NCA’s Customer Satisfaction Surveys:

▪ Survey item, format, and design enhancement;

▪ Updates and improvements of the surveys and sampling methodologies;

11 The 90-day grieving period does not apply to funeral directors.

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▪ Continued development of paper and online survey versions (English and

Spanish);

▪ Preparation of proofs and review and collaboration with GPO for printing needs.

▪ Survey administration and Help Desk assistance;

▪ Sampling preparation including cleaning and preparing sampling frame for sampling.

▪ Data collection (database development, testing, and validation);

▪ Results reporting and data analysis; and

▪ Secure handling and disposal of data files from NCA and collected data/responses.

The Contractor shall complete the following tasks:

BASE YEAR

TASK 1: DEVELOP PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

TASK 2: KICK-OFF MEETING WITH NCA

TASK 3: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

TASK 4: SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

TASK 5: SPANISH TRANSLATION

TASK 6: WEB SURVEY

TASK 7: SURVEY COORDINATION, PREPARATION, AND PRINTING

TASK 8: SAMPLES FOR SURVEYS

TASK 9: SURVEY ADMINISTRATION

TASK 10: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND HELP LINE

TASK 11: WEEKLY FIELDING REPORT

TASK 12: SURVEY ANALYSES

TASK 13: SEMIANNUAL REPORTS

TASK 14: STRATEGIC MEASURES REPORT

TASK 15: ANNUAL NATIONAL REPORTS

TASK 16: ANNUAL DISTRICT REPORTS

TASK 17: NC CEMETERY REPORTS

TASK 18: STVC CEMETERY REPORTS

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TASK 19: BRIEFINGS

TASK 20: ANNUAL DATA SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

OPTION YEAR 1 – 4 REOCCURRING TASKS

TASK 2: KICK-OFF MEETING WITH NCA

TASK 3: UPDATE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

TASK 4: SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

TASK 5: SPANISH TRANSLATION

TASK 6: WEB SURVEY

TASK 7: SURVEY COORDINATION, PREPARATION, AND PRINTING

TASK 8: SAMPLES FOR SURVEYS

TASK 9: SURVEY ADMINISTRATION

TASK 10: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND HELP LINE

TASK 11: WEEKLY FIELDING REPORT

TASK 12: SURVEY ANALYSES

TASK 13: SEMIANNUAL REPORTS

TASK 14: STRATEGIC MEASURES REPORT

TASK 15: ANNUAL NATIONAL REPORTS

TASK 16: ANNUAL DISTRICT REPORTS

TASK 17: NC CEMETERY REPORTS

TASK 18: STVC CEMETERY REPORTS

TASK 19: BRIEFINGS

TASK 20: ANNUAL DATA SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

OPTIONAL TASKS

OPTIONAL TASK 1: RESEARCH SUPPORT

OPTIONAL TASK 2: FUNERAL DIRECTOR REDESIGN

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General Reports Requirements:

All reports shall be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR) in Microsoft Office format. The Contractor shall submit deliverables via email unless otherwise indicated or requested by the COR. Consideration shall be given to maintaining the security and confidentiality of all deliverables. Data deliverables shall be delivered in a secure and confidential manner. The Contractor shall submit (3) copies of all data products on Computer Disc (CDs) to the COR in a format to be determined in consultation with NCA technical staff. This requirement applies to all products of this task order, unless otherwise directed within the SOW or Schedule of

Deliverables.

The Government will exercise its authority to approve all written materials produced under this task order. Unless otherwise directed, the Contractor shall submit both Draft and Final versions of all written or electronic materials required under the SOW.

Furthermore, the Contractor shall make changes to the Draft document as requested by the Government for the Final document.

The covers of all reports submitted shall contain:

▪ Contractor’s Name and Address

▪ Task Order Number

▪ Report Number and Date including Deliverable Number

▪ Title and Period Covered

TASK 1A: DEVELOP A WORK PLAN

The Contractor shall prepare a work plan to govern the performance of work under this task order and shall provide in the work plan a detailed allocation of resources and a time schedule for accomplishing the work. The work plan shall identify the key personnel needed for each principal work task for each month of the task order. If the

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Contractor is subcontracting for any of the tasks, the work plan shall clearly detail the responsibilities of the Contractor and the Subcontractor(s), the method by which the

Contractor shall coordinate work activities, and the methods by which the Contractor shall assure accountability of the Subcontractor(s). The work plan shall set start dates, completion dates, and other major milestones for each task to be shown in the form of a bar, Gantt, or PERT chart of activities over the contract period. Where there are interdependencies among the tasks, the work plan shall indicate the necessary input from one task to another.

The Contractor shall also prepare, as part of the work plan, a narrative summary of the overall expected flow of work and how each task shall be accomplished, relating this description to the allocation of staff and other resources. The work plan and the narrative summary shall be submitted to the COR in accordance with the Schedule of

Deliverables. The work plan shall be updated to reflect approved changes during the progress of the task order, and such updates shall be subject to NCA review and approval.

Deliverable 1A: Work Plan

The Contractor shall prepare a draft work plan. After receiving comments regarding a draft work plan from NCA, the Contractor shall make revisions and submit the final project work plan to NCA for review and approval.

Deliverable 1B: Monthly Progress Reports

The Contractor shall provide monthly progress reports to the COR, and Contract

Specialist (CS) regarding the status of all tasks in accordance with Report Requirements of this SOW.

The detailed Monthly Progress Report shall be submitted by the 5th day (calendar day) of each month for the previous month’s effort. If the 5th day of the month occurs on a

Federal holiday or a weekend, the report is due the next working day. One (1) electronic version shall be submitted to the COR and CS. Each report shall include, at a minimum, the following information organized by task:

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▪ A summary of the current month’s project activities plans for the subsequent month and information about problems with budgets or schedules;

▪ Status update on each requirement which specifically addresses progress to date, upcoming steps for task completion, and key dates. Report shall also address, as relevant, the Contractor’s ongoing technical assistance, and technical data problems.

▪ Status of the VA-required training on privacy for the Contractor’s and sub-contractor(s)’ personnel;

▪ Discussion of significant problems encountered or anticipated and their impact on work plan, project schedule, and the Contractor’s including Subcontractor’s overall ability to accomplish the project goals;

▪ The Contractor’s plans to deal with any identified significant problem and, if appropriate, new delivery or completion dates shall be proposed are to be included.

Changes to the project plan require NCA approval;

Deliverable 1C: Annual Contracting Project Report12

The Annual Contracting Project Report shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

▪ Display the Title, Deliverable Number and Date, Contractor’s Name and Address, NCA Task Order Number, and Time Period, on the Report Cover;

▪ Provide an Executive Summary of the full report;

▪ Present a detailed narrative and evaluation of the work performed or the completed phases of the project to date;

▪ Discuss accomplishments, challenges and lessons learned;

▪ Present negative, as well as positive findings;

▪ Include any charts, tables, or diagrams relevant to the subject matter;

▪ Discuss research findings in summary with detailed results being addressed;

▪ Present conclusions and recommendations drawn from the results to date for each survey, and identify any other innovations and general advances of special interest;

and

12 The Annual Contracting Report is used for internal purposes. This report is not the same as Tasks 14 -

17: Annual Survey Reports that are released to the public.

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▪ Present conclusions and recommendations disaggregated by NOK and funeral directors.

Deliverable 1C.A: Annual Report: The Contractor shall submit one (1) electronic version of a Draft Report in Microsoft Word to the COR, by the due date in the Schedule of Deliverables. Once the Contractor receives comments from NCA and incorporates the requested changes, the Contractor shall submit another draft for NCA review.

Additional revisions may be required as per the direction of the COR. Once NCA approves the draft report, the Contractor shall submit one (1) electronic version in

Microsoft Word of the Final Annual Contracting Report and (3) Hard copies of the report well-organized in a binder with tabs to the COR, with a copy of the cover letter to the

COR, by the due date.

Deliverable 1C.B Compilation of Deliverables:13 Further, the Contractor shall provide an electronic compilation of every deliverable under the task order in a well-organized fashion of folders and subfolders. The electronic version shall be mailed to the COR and

CO on the last day of the period of performance. The Contractor shall provide proof of the mailing and mailing tracking information on the day it is sent.

WEEKLY CONFERENCE CALLS AND AGENDAS

The Contractor shall expect to hold at minimum weekly conference calls with the COR with one meeting per week focusing on data preparation and analysis and the other for updates, goal setting, and other topics suggested by contractor (agreed to by COR) or requested by COR. The time of the weekly meetings are subject to change based on the needs of the COR. The Contractor shall be available for additional ad hoc meetings with minimal advance notice if requested by the COR if issues arise with the completion of the tasks in terms of quality, progress, and maintaining the timeframe outlined in the SOD.

13 A complimentary data component of the annual report is covered under Task 16 of the SOW.

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Deliverable 1D: Weekly Agenda: The Contractor shall provide conference agendas and/or any appropriate materials to the COR at least two business days prior to the conference call. Although not all inclusive, the agenda(s) shall include, at a minimum, the topics to be discussed and any pertinent information or documents that each member should have for each conference call. The COR retains the right to change the agenda no later than 48 hours before the meeting.

Deliverable 1E: Minutes of Weekly Conference Calls

The Contractor shall provide meeting/teleconference minutes to the COR, and all meeting/teleconference attendees within 3 days after the meeting. The minutes shall include, at a minimum, a list of all attendees, a summary of the discussion, conclusions, decisions, action items, and status of each deliverable for the relevant period of performance. The format of the minutes shall be designed in consultation with the COR and shall include both an Excel tracker and a Word document. The minutes shall be done in a format that maximizes efficiency in the review and approachability of the document. The tracker will have multiple tabs and will include project staff and contact info, deliverables with due dates and status, actions items, decision log, and a sandbox of ideas, The Word document will be a bulleted list with short, concise points. The document shall not exceed 2 pages in length. The Contractor shall establish a mechanism to ensure that each participant has an opportunity to correct or comment on the minutes. Any requests for revisions by NCA shall be incorporated in the minutes and the Contractor shall send revised minutes within 3 days of receiving NCA comments.

TASK 2: KICK-OFF MEETING WITH NCA

The Contractor shall meet with task leads, key personnel, and program manager(s) virtually to discuss the goals of the SOW including, but are not limited to, project objectives and tasks, timing, and due dates in the Schedule of Deliverables since issuance of this SOW.

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Deliverable 2A: Kick-Off Agenda

The Contractor shall prepare an agenda for the meeting and submit it to the COR by the due date as specified in the Schedule of Deliverables (SOD) for approval. The final agenda shall be distributed to all potential attendees as directed by the COR.

Deliverable 2B: Kick-Off Summary Report

The Contractor shall prepare a draft summary report for the meeting for review and approval of the COR. The summary shall accurately capture the salient points discussed in the Kick of meeting. The final report that incorporates the requested changes shall be provided within 3 days after the draft is approved by the COR.

TASK 3: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The Technical Specifications (Tech Specs) serve as a valuable resource to the history of the NCA surveys and documentation of all processes for the preparation, fielding, administration, and analysis of the suite of surveys.

The Contractor shall provide a well-organized, approachable document that includes an introduction and overview to the NCA CSS surveys and all processes for the administration, analysis, and reporting of the NCA surveys and associated data.

Further, this document shall include the quality assurance and validation checks of the data and results that will take place. In addition, the specs serve as a resource for trending because it contains changes in survey items and order.

The document shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: survey instrument preparation and translation protocol, proofs and printing processes, data specification and coding, responses rate definitions, identification and data table structure, sampling frame preparation and cleaning, sample methodology, survey administration protocol, survey scanning and respondent data capture, cleaning and preparation of survey data for analysis, analysis of survey data, technical assistance, semiannual reports, annual reports, and cemetery reports. The document shall be detailed and well-organized. The document shall include a glossary of terms in the appendix for ease of use.

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Deliverable 3A: Review of Technical Specifications

The Contractor shall review the Technical Specifications that are available and make recommendations for changes in the processes and/or ways to enhance the document including content and layout . A report shall be issued with the recommendations and their impact on the data quality and timeline for the fielding.

Deliverable 3B: Technical Specifications

A completed document with all changes that were accepted in the recommendations shall be prepared. The Technical Specifications shall be used as a guide for the administration of the surveys. The document is considered a living document and shall be updated if changes occur with any aspect of the work that deviates from this document.

NOTE: The schedule for the administration of the surveys shall be approved by the

NCA COR before implementation.

TASK 4: SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

The Contractor shall review the survey instruments, to ensure the clarity, accuracy and quality of the data generated by its use. The Contractor shall provide suggestions and opportunities to further enhance the survey instrument. The survey instrument must contain at least two open-ended question. The respondent shall be able to select the category/topic pertaining to his or her comment, then provide a free-text response.

This survey review process shall be accomplished under the direction from and in conjunction with the NCA COR. All survey questions and guidance available to participants must comply with applicable directives from the U.S. Office of Personnel

Management, including (but not exclusively) Guidance on Agency Survey and Statistical

Information Collections.

Deliverable 4A: Survey Review: Review and revise survey instruments (NOK CSSs and FDS) as required through meetings and direction of COR. The survey revisions will be accomplished in 2 phases with the first phase focusing on the MPS and the NOK

21 | P a g e surveys (NC and STVC ) and the second phase focusing on the FD survey. For each phase, a draft and final version will be delivered.

Deliverable 4A.1: Survey Review for NOK NC, STVC, and MPS

Deliverable 4A.2: Survey Review for FD

Deliverable 4B: Comprehensive Cemetery Lists: The Contractor shall update the list of national cemeteries for the NC CSS and a state or tribal cemetery list for the STVC

CSS that are used with the FD survey and displayed as a page for the web FD survey.

The format and design of the list shall be directed and must be approved by the NCA

COR before its use. The lists need to be current and updated each year.

Note: All necessary programming associated with revisions of the survey including templates will be made ready such that when annual data is available, the data can be quickly added to create a finished report.

TASK 5: SPANISH TRANSLATION

The Contractor shall review and update as necessary the Puerto Rican idiomatic

Spanish language versions of all surveys as well as all cover letters and reminder post cards. The Spanish version of the surveys shall directly align with the layout, format and items of the English versions for the same fielding periods. The updating of the Spanish survey shall include, but is not limited to, both forward and backwards translations for quality assistance.

Deliverable 5: Spanish Surveys: Update and provide the Spanish language version of the survey questionnaire and all cover letters and reminder post cards for each survey.

Deliverable 5.1: Spanish for NC, STVC, MPs

Deliverable 5.2: Spanish for FD

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TASK 6: WEB SURVEY

The Contractor shall create and maintain online web surveys for the administration of the suite of the NCA surveys that are optimized for use with electronic devices other than a desktop. The online surveys shall be designed using best practices and the direction of NCA. The surveys shall be created on a platform that allows changes, thus eliminating the inability to incorporate the features requested by NCA. Deadlines for the subtasks under this requirement can be found in the Schedule of Deliverables.

The Contractor shall host the individual survey web sites that involves setting up a web site, programming the survey to ensure compliance with the Section 508 Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (508 compliance), and capability to aggregate web survey responses into a survey database. A unique web address, password and access/identification code shall be required for completion of the survey on the web. An access/identification code shall also be required for completion of the mail-in option.

The URL and password shall be provided that minimize respondent burden, for example, the URL length shall be minimized and simplified to the extent possible. The

Contractor shall generate and include unique QR codes for the cover letters and postcards. The Contractor shall have the ability and skills to incorporate shortened

URLs and QR codes in the cover letter.

The online surveys shall be designed to capture responses while the respondent is completing the survey. Soft prompts shall be incorporated into the design of the survey administration protocol. The ability to return to the survey if not completed shall be part of the protocol. The ability to capture paradata shall be incorporated in the design and the ability to detect the type of device used by the respondent (smart phone, desktop, reader or tablet).

Task 6 work will be completed in 2 distinct phases, the first phase focusing on the MPS and NOK surveys (NC and STVC) and the second phase focusing on the FD survey.

Deliverable 6A: Web Survey Design: The Contractor shall propose an initial design of the web surveys for the report year that is guided by the best practices of survey design

23 | P a g e and that meets the requirements set forth by NCA during the initial discussions regarding the web survey. The initial design shall be revised as per NCA direction.

The web surveys shall be prepared and programed as per the features deemed necessary in consultation with the Contractor and NCA. The data shall be captured following government guidelines in a secure database. The survey shall be tested and revised based on the usability testing by NCA and the Contractor. Further, the data capture features of the online survey shall result in useable, high quality, real-time data, in a format that is easily downloadable and merged with the paper survey database.

Deliverable 6A.1: Web survey design for the NOK NC, STVC and MPS

Deliverable 6A.2: Web survey design for the FD.

Deliverable 6B: Survey Demonstration, Testing, and Refinement

The web surveys shall be developed and then demonstrated, tested, and further enhanced and refined during the usability testing phase of the web survey that will be conducted by both NCA and the Contractor on a variety of electronic devices at a minimum desktop, smartphone and tablet. The online survey must be available for the fielding period of the surveys.

Deliverable 6B.1: Web survey design and demonstration for the NOK NC, STVC and

MPS

Deliverable 6B.2: Web survey design and demonstration for the FD.

Please see note on page 10. From this point forward, the clarification of Part I and Part II will not be stated but is implied by the structure of this document including the name of the deliverable.

TASK 7: SURVEY COORDINATION, PREPARATION, AND PRINTING

Printing of the mailing materials will be completed by the GPO contracted vendor. The

Contractor will collaborate with the VA GPO liasion to ensure that the quality and format of all end products are correct prior to administration of the survey. The Contractor will test the scanning and data collection of test paper surveys prior to the survey

24 | P a g e administration. Evidence of the scanning and data capture of the respondent data shall be provided before the first wave mailing for the fielding for the interments of the first-half of the year (Deliverable 7A). Additionally, the Contractor will communicate the schedule, or any updates as needed on a continual basis to the COR to avoid scheduling delays.

The Contractor shall create and provide NCA with a camera-ready copy (that is, type matter ready to be photographed for plate-making without further alteration) of the

English and Spanish version of the National and State or Tribal cemeteries, and

Memorial Products survey questionnaires. Each of the questionnaires shall be scan-ready, measure 8.5 by 11 inches and include an identification number on the front and back cover. The mailed surveys shall be differentiable as a Wave 1 survey or a Wave survey when returned. Each questionnaire may have a unique color for differentiation purposes. The Contractor is responsible for scanning and tabulating the survey results however; the Government Printing Office will contract for print services. Printing and postage fees will be paid directly by the government unless otherwise noted.

Deliverable 7B: NCA Surveys-Electronic: The Contractor shall provide NCA with an electronic version of all mailing materials along with a CD of the address database for

Next-of-Kin and family members. The final mailing instruments shall include the layout specifications associated with administering the survey. The COR will electronically provide VA approved letterhead and logo files for the Contractor to place on mailing instruments that will include the Contractor’s return address.

Deliverable 7B.1: Electronic Surveys for NC, STVC and MPS

Deliverable 7B.2: Electronic Surveys for FD

Deliverable 7C: Camera-Ready Surveys: Create and provide (through the COR) to the GPO Contractor camera-ready copy of the English and Spanish version of each questionnaire and the accompanying mailing materials using the address database.

Deliverable 7C.1: Camera-Ready Surveys for NC, STVC and MPS

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Deliverable 7C.2: Camera-Ready Surveys for FD

TASK 8: SAMPLES FOR SURVEYS

The three NOK surveys (National Cemeteries, State or Tribal, and MPSS) shall be administered to a representative sample of Veterans and Next-of-Kin to allow valid, reliable national, district and cemetery-level estimates.14 The Funeral Director Survey shall use a census unless directed otherwise by the COR.15

Deliverable 8A: Sampling Plan: The Contractor shall review the Tech Specs Chapter prepared under Task 3 and propose options and receive NCA approval for the semiannual sampling plan for the three NOK surveys.16 The sampling plan options shall include any necessary adjustments in subsequent quarters to allow the needed sample size to allow estimates with enough power to detect statistically significant differences of a given percentage at the national, district or state, and cemetery-level to be determined at award using a 95% confidence interval. The Contractor shall be responsible for implementing the final approved plan and drawing a valid random sample from the NCA

Burial Operations Support System (BOSS) database for National and State cemeteries and the Automated Monument Application System (AMAS) for Memorial Products.

NCA shall provide the names and addresses of NOK. Although there shall be a single annual fielding for the 2020 interments in CY 2021, the semiannual sampling plan shall be developed.

The Funeral Director Survey shall use a census unless otherwise specified by the COR.

Deliverable 8B: Sampling Frame Preparation: The Contractor shall examine the sampling frame for each NCA NOK survey and prepare the frame for sampling. To do so, the Contractor shall standardize fields and format. In addition, duplicate names and

14 It can be assumed that the approximate number of surveys that will be in the sample and mailed for the

NOK CSSs will be approximately 80,000 for the year. All surveys returned will be processed and included in the analytic set for reporting purposes.

15 It can be assumed that approximately 12,750 Funeral Director surveys will be mailed. All surveys returned will be processed and included in the analytic set for reporting purposes.

16 For the 2021 report, the data from interments for January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 shall be used

26 | P a g e addresses shall be removed following the procedure agreed to in the associated Task 3 chapter on frame preparation. The Contractor shall also eliminate addresses that are not individuals, (e.g. medical centers, trustees) and implement strategies to maximize the percentage of useable observations in the initial files. The cleaning of the sampling frame shall include the cleaning and updating of addresses and the frame of the addresses of NOK and funeral homes using CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) and NCOA (National Change of Addresses.).

Deliverable 8B.1: Sampling Frame Prep for NC, STVC, and MPS

Deliverable 8B.2: Sampling Frame Prep for FD

Deliverable 8C: Sampling: The Contractor shall implement the NCA approved sampling methodology to create the sample lists which will be used for the basis of the mailing list for each survey. (The sampling list shall be available upon request at any time after completed and is a requirement of the annual data submission.)

Further, the Contractor shall evaluate the representativeness of potential respondents in the sample to ensure that they are representative of the target population under investigation for each of the four NCA surveys. The Contractor shall provide the results of the analysis of the representativeness during the weekly meetings and provide summary results of the testing sent with the agenda during the meetings that samples will be discussed.

All samples must be reviewed and approved by the COR before being provided to the

GPO.

TASK 9: SURVEY ADMINISTRATION

The Contractor shall review the approved, associated chapter in the Tech Specs developed in Task 3 and provide a proposed schedule to mail the National, State or

Tribal cemeteries and Memorial Products surveys questionnaire to respondents via the

United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) using first class postage or equivalent for NCA

27 | P a g e approval (Deliverable 9A). All undelivered mail will be returned to the Contractor. At any point in the process where a respondent requests to be removed from the survey, the Contractor shall ensure that no additional mailings are sent to the respondent. The

Contractor shall also review and update the mailing and receipt process to reduce the number of second surveys mailed to respondents. During the survey period, the

Contractor shall also provide weekly fielding reports to the COR via email for each of the surveys as required by Task 11 Fielding Report.

A four-step survey administration approach will be used requiring the following printed materials:

▪ Cover letter with the survey

▪ Reminder postcard

▪ Follow-up letter with the second survey mailing

▪ Thank you note with Focus Group Invite

Deliverable 9B: Respondent File: The selected Contractor will provide a respondent file for each of the mailings below. (The respondent file is also referred to as the mailing list. ) The layout and format of the file shall be approved by the COR and shall include fields to allow tracking and analysis of interest to NCA. The lithocode numbers assigned to the records in the file must be in the same identical order as the lithocode numbers printed on the surveys. Surveys mailed to Funeral Directors will be sent in separate files or separated but in the same data file.

The list provided for the Wave 1 Surveys and the Wave 2 Reminder Postcard can use the same list. Respondents who returned a Wave 1 Survey will be taken out of the file provided for the Wave 3 Survey mailing. The Wave 4 Thank you and Focus Group participation shall include only those individuals who returned the survey by means of paper or web.17

17 This list shall exclude any individual who returned a survey and requested to be removed from any future mailings directly or indirectly in the returned survey.

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Wave 1 Surveys (2 Versions of Cover Letters18)

The GPO vendor will laser print on one side of the Wave 1 Cover letters the body text, and name/address and lithocode ID of the respondent. Letters will be matched to the survey booklet and inserted with a folded 9 x 12 Business Reply Envelope into a 9 x 12 window envelope for Funeral Directors. Next-of-Kin surveys will be mailed in a 6 x 9.5 envelope.

Surveys will be mailed First Class. Completed mailings will be delivered to and accepted by the U.S.P.S. for mailing within two business data of the completion of printing and preparation for mailing.

Wave 2 Reminder Postcards (2 Versions)

GPO vendor will laser print the names and addresses of the respondents onto the reminder postcards and prepare them for First Class mail. Completed mailings will be delivered to and accepted by the U.S.P.S. for mailing within two business data of the completion of printing and preparation for mailing.

Wave 3 Surveys (2 Versions of Cover Letters)

Upon receipt of the updated non-respondent file from the Contractor the GPO vendor will laser print on one side of the Wave 2 Cover letters the body text (assumes different text than on wave 1 letters), and name/address and lithocode ID of the respondent.

Letters will be matched to the survey booklet and inserted with a folded 9 x 12 Business

Reply Envelope into a 9 x 12 window envelope for Funeral Directors. Funeral directors will also receive a Self-Select Survey Stuffer code sheet, containing the…