SOW - SSN26-IHS-1529828.pdf

SSN26-HIS-1529828: Technology Research and Information Consultation Services

General: This requirement is for Technology Research and Information Consultation Services to support the Indian Health Service (IHS) in obtaining objective, independent, and data-driven research, advisory services, and strategic consultation related to information technology (IT), cybersecurity, digital health, enterprise architecture, IT governance, and related operational domains.

Scope: The contractor shall provide Technology Research and Information Consultation Services, including access to subscription-based research, analyst inquiry services, advisory sessions, strategic guidance, benchmarking data, and related decision-support resources as defined in this document.

Objectives: The objective of this requirement is to provide the Indian Health Service (IHS) Office of Information Technology (OIT) with access to independent, data-driven technology research and structured advisory consultation services to support executive-level decision-making, enterprise modernization efforts, and strategic IT governance.

Specifically, the objectives of this requirement are to:

1. Support IT investment prioritization and capital planning activities by providing objective research, benchmarking data, and comparative market analysis.

2. Inform the development, refinement, and execution of enterprise architecture standards, target-state roadmaps, and technology lifecycle strategies.

3. Assist in modernization planning and sequencing through access to industry best practices, peer agency insights, and structured advisory consultations.

4. Strengthen acquisition strategy and procurement decision-making by providing market intelligence, technology trend analysis, and analyst advisory engagements in support of ongoing and planned procurements.

5. Enable cybersecurity maturity benchmarking and risk-informed strategic planning through access to research, frameworks, and comparative performance insights.

6. Support IT workforce planning and organizational capability development, including skills analysis, role benchmarking, and emerging workforce trend research.

7. Provide research and advisory resources to inform budget formulation, justification development, and executive communications related to IT modernization initiatives.

Access to services shall include tiered, named-user subscriptions that provide varying levels of research access and analyst inquiry rights, consistent with Government-defined roles and leadership responsibilities.

Services shall include access to structured diagnostic tools, maturity assessments, and benchmarking frameworks that enable leadership to measure organizational capability and track modernization progress against peer institutions.

Background: The Indian Health Service (IHS) Office of Information Technology (OIT) is responsible for planning, governing, and modernizing enterprise information technology systems that support healthcare delivery, administrative operations, and mission-critical business functions across a geographically dispersed organization. OIT leadership must continuously evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, cybersecurity risks, workforce capabilities, and investment strategies to ensure informed, data-driven decision-making.

To support these responsibilities, IHS requires access to independent technology research and structured advisory consultation services that provide objective analysis, peer benchmarking, and market intelligence. These services enable OIT leadership to strengthen strategic planning, enterprise architecture development, acquisition decision-making, cybersecurity maturity efforts, and workforce planning initiatives.

Period of Performance (PoP): The Period of Performance shall consist of one 12-month Base Year and four 12-month Option Years.

The exercise of option years is subject to the availability of funds and continued Government need.

Requirement Description

The Contractor shall provide tiered, named-user subscription-based technology research and advisory services to authorized Government personnel. Subscriptions shall include varying levels of research access, analyst inquiry rights, and advisory consultation privileges consistent with Government-defined leadership and subject-matter roles.

The Contractor shall provide subscription tiers consistent with its commercially available Executive, Advisor, Technical Professional, and Workforce advisory service offerings.

Subscription Tier Description of Services Anticipated Users

Executive Leadership Subscription

Provides senior executive-level access to technology research, strategic advisory sessions, analyst inquiry privileges, and executive-focused briefings supporting enterprise IT strategy, governance, modernization, and investment decision-making.

CIO, DCIO, Division Directors, Senior OIT Leadership

Advisor-Level Subscription

Provides access to research, structured analyst inquiry services, advisory consultations, and decision-support engagements to support program-level planning, acquisition strategy, enterprise architecture, cybersecurity strategy, and workforce planning.

OIT Program Offices, Division Leads, Senior Managers

Technical Professional Subscription (Department-Level Access)

Provides research access and advisory inquiry rights for technical staff supporting enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems engineering, application development, and related IT domains.

Enterprise Architecture Team, Technical Leads, IT Staff

Workforce / Human Capital Advisory Subscription

Provides research and advisory services focused on IT workforce strategy, organizational design, skills benchmarking, and human capital planning.

OIT Leadership and designated Human Resources stakeholders

Subscriptions shall be assigned to named Government personnel. Access levels, inquiry privileges, and advisory engagement rights shall correspond to the assigned subscription tier.

The Contractor shall provide access to research portals, scheduled advisory consultations, analyst inquiry mechanisms, and executive briefings consistent with commercially available subscription offerings.

In addition to subscription access described above, the Contractor shall provide the following support services:

Account Management and Support

1. The Contractor shall assign a designated Account Manager to serve as the primary point of contact for contract administration, subscription management, and coordination of advisory services.

2. The Contractor shall conduct formal onboarding and orientation sessions at the start of the Base Year and at the beginning of each exercised Option Year, or as otherwise requested by the Government, to ensure authorized users understand available research resources, advisory capabilities, and access procedures.

3. The Contractor shall conduct quarterly strategic review meetings with Government leadership to discuss service utilization, emerging technology trends, modernization priorities, and alignment of advisory services with Government objectives.

4. The Contractor shall provide usage reporting, upon request or at least annually, identifying subscription utilization metrics, engagement trends, and advisory session activity for authorized users.

5. The Contractor shall notify the Government in advance of any significant changes to research platforms, advisory service structures, subscription tiers, or access models that may impact Government users during the Period of Performance.

All services provided under this contract shall be non-personal in nature. The Contractor shall not perform inherently governmental functions and shall not serve in a supervisory or decision-making role for Government personnel.

Delivery: All services under this contract shall be delivered electronically.

The Contractor shall ensure uninterrupted access to subscription-based research platforms, advisory services, and analyst inquiry capabilities beginning on the start date, and continuing throughout the Period of Performance, including any exercised Option Periods.

Access for authorized named users shall be active and fully functional at the start of each performance period. In the event of a follow-on contract for substantially similar services, the Contractor shall coordinate with the Government to ensure continuity of service and avoid disruption of access.

No physical delivery is required under this contract.

Security: The services provided under this contract consist of subscription-based access to commercially hosted research and advisory platforms. Government users shall access the platform via a web-based interface using individually assigned credentials.

No Government data, including Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), or other sensitive information, shall be stored, processed, or transmitted within the Contractor’s platform under this contract.

The Contractor shall implement commercially reasonable security safeguards to protect user account credentials and maintain the integrity and availability of the hosted platform. The Contractor shall promptly notify the Government of any security incidents that may affect Government user accounts.

This contract does not authorize the Contractor to access Government networks, connect to Government systems, or process non-public Government information.

Section 508 and Accessibility

• This product must conform to the Revised Section 508 (https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines) and WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards as outlined below.

• Solicitations for supplies and services shall require the submission of a Section 508 Product Assessment Template. The template can be found at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat.

All Information and Communication Technology (ICT) deliverables under this contract (e.g., websites, applications, electronic documents, and multimedia) must comply with the Revised Section 508 Standards (36 CFR Part 1194) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

2.1 Level AA standards. The Contractor shall ensure accessibility of all ICT deliverables and provide conformance documentation in the form of a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®) / Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), or by completing the HHS Section 508 Accessibility Checklists. The current VPAT 2.5 template includes fields for reporting conformance to WCAG 2.1 and shall be used to document accessibility. The Contractor shall remediate any identified accessibility issues at no additional cost. The Contracting Officer will include the applicable Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) clauses 352.239-73 and 352.239-74 in the solicitation and resulting contract.

https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/ https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/ https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.acquisition.gov/hhsar/part-352-solicitation-provisions-and-contract-clauses#Section_352_239_73_T48_4018362938 https://www.acquisition.gov/hhsar/part-352-solicitation-provisions-and-contract-clauses#Section_352_239_73_T48_4018362938