SOW P&A.doc

Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)

Technical Assistant and Training Contract Statement of Work This requirement is to provide specialized training and technical assistance and to manage data collection for State Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) Systems. The first purpose of this contract is to provide the 57 designated State and U.S. Territorial PABSS agencies with the training and technical assistance necessary to enable them to provide protection and advocacy (P&A) services which beneficiaries with disabilities may use to secure, maintain, or regain gainful employment. Management of PABSS data collection will enable SSA to measure the effectiveness and monitor the performance of the PABSS program and to obtain information on positive employment outcomes.

Another purpose of this contract is to provide centralized administration and management of representative payee (rep payee) monitoring, in particular organizational and employer rep payees. Based on the need to expand rep payee monitoring for compliance with Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations; this contract will provide PABSS staff with the necessary training, technical assistance, and resources to mitigate the risk of organizational fraud and abuse to beneficiaries with disabilities.

The base period of performance will be from September 29, 2009 through September 28, 2010. Option years to extend services will be included through 2014 subject to availability of funds.

BACKGROUND

Established pursuant to part C of Title I of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 6041 et seq.), the State P&A Systems provide protection and advocacy for individual rights (PAIR); for individuals with mental illness (PAIMI); for assistive technology (PAAT); for developmental disabilities (PADD); for voting accessibility (PAVA); for traumatic brain injury (TBI); and for individuals with disabilities being served by the State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agency through the Client Assistance Program (CAP).

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (TWWIIA) authorized the Commissioner of SSA to fund the State PABSS Systems to provide advocacy as well as information and advice about obtaining VR and employment services to our beneficiaries with disabilities. In 2001, SSA established the PABSS grant program in every State, District of Columbia, and U.S. Territory. To support the expanded activities of PABSS Systems under TWWIIA, SSA awarded a contract to assist these grantees in the area of dispute resolution services for beneficiaries who want to work. With the existence of Employment Networks (ENs), there is a real need for PABSS training so that projects are better equipped to respond to complaints that may be lodged against these and other entities providing employment-related services to beneficiaries. Further, there is an increased demand for training and technical assistance to improve the monitoring and information gathering procedures for rep payees, with a priority on organizational rep payee in particular, those who are also the beneficiaries’ employer(s), for compliance with Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations.

For the past 9 years, the contractor has provided PABSS personnel with guidance on the policies, processes and procedures necessary to advocate on behalf of beneficiaries with disabilities who are seeking to secure or regain gainful employment. SSA will continue to rely on experts in the field of P&A for technical assistance on how to deliver services necessary within the framework of TWWIIA. In this way we will ensure that individuals receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits based on disability will have their rights protected when encountering employment barriers. Further, SSA will rely on the PABSS network to provide informational and investigative support to SSA relative to ENs and rep payee monitoring and oversight to guard against fraud, waste and abuse of SSA beneficiaries with disabilities.

Each PABSS project collects and forwards data pertinent to the services they provide and information about the individual beneficiaries served. This enables appropriate analysis of the input, focusing on outcomes of the PABSS services provided. The maintenance of this data collection shall be continued under this contract period of the PABSS program.

SCOPE OF WORK

SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

A. The contractor shall provide training and technical assistance to the 57 State, US Territorial and Native American PABSS agencies participating in the project as follows:

1.

The contractor shall identify the training and technical assistance needs of the PABSS personnel. This shall be done through observation, interaction with the individual PABSS projects, monitoring of activity associated with and related to participation in teleconferences/webinars, collaborative initiatives with partners, review of semi annual reports and topics identified at the PABSS’ Core training sessions. The contractor shall work with SSA to develop comprehensive trainings based on the identified needs. Trainings may use different formats and media to be determined by the contractor in consultation with the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). A detailed report, including summary of workshop evaluations from participants, shall be submitted to SSA following each training session.

2.

The contractor shall conduct a 4-day training seminar a minimum of 3 times annually for new PABSS personnel using material previously developed by SSA and the contractor to address policies, processes and procedures that PABSS personnel will need in order to advocate on behalf of beneficiaries with disabilities. The training seminar shall consist of instruction on work incentives, SSA programs for beneficiaries with disabilities and related material, and instruction on employment and related law. The contractor may schedule each training seminar to include 2 working lunch sessions within the 4-day training seminar. SSA personnel will attend each training seminar to provide the Welcome Address on behalf of the agency.

The contractor shall provide a detailed report which includes participants’ evaluations for each training activity.

3. The contractor shall act as a liaison for the flow of communication between SSA and the PABSS agencies as well as the PABSS and Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects. This includes disseminating information to all of the participant PABSS projects at the request of SSA, as well as conveying information to SSA and the WIPA projects on behalf of the PABSS projects. The contractor shall develop and disseminate strategies to improve coordination and collaboration between the PABSS and the WIPA projects.

4. The contractor shall develop new materials for the PABSS projects as needed and shall obtain SSA’s prior approval on any materials and documents prior to dissemination to the PABSS network.

5.

The contractor shall coordinate a minimum of six (6) teleconferences or web calls per contract year, open to the entire network of SSA-funded PABSS projects, on emerging policy and legal issues including systemic issues about VR, employment and support services, dynamic monitoring of ENs and organizational representative payees in particular, representative payees who are also the beneficiary’s employer. Technical assistance materials shall be produced in response to the expressed needs of participants and shall be approved by the COTR prior to dissemination. Materials shall be posted to the contractor’s website and shall be accessible to all users.

6.

The contractor shall plan for a minimum of 6 trips each contract year to provide technical assistance to PABSS projects by 1 contract staff person for a maximum of 2 days, each trip. The location for this technical assistance will be determined by the contractor's assessment of PABSS’ project needs in consultation with the COTR. There is no maximum number of site visits an individual PABSS project may receive.

7.

The contractor shall facilitate, implement and support monthly web calls, webinars, web-based materials, web-based trainings and listservs regarding employment-related issues relevant to SSA-funded PABSS advocates and attorneys. All materials shall be posted on the contractor’s website in a manner that is accessible to all PABSS staff.

B. The contractor shall develop as part of the existing 4-day PABSS Work Incentive and Employment Law CORE training a written case file procedure and tool that summarizes each beneficiary’s current status and how the services provided by PABSS will impact the overall work efforts.

The contractor shall provide a case file management process for PABSS projects so that file contents are uniform and consistent. This process should include a description of the required information needed to reach a positive employment outcome. The contractor shall provide a detailed list of elements required for each case file and describe the process of gathering data to ensure that planning services are provided to the beneficiary in a timely manner. From time to time, the PABSS grantees’ Project Officers may request assistance from the contractor to review PABSS case files for completeness, accuracy and to ensure that all applicable laws and regulations are noted. The contractor shall provide a detailed analysis of the case files within 10 days after the Project Officer submits the request to the contractor. The contractor shall provide ongoing technical support to the PABSS for case file development and management to ensure that the required elements are included and properly documented.

C. The contractor shall provide technical support and guidance to PABSS projects on identifying and reporting to SSA any questionable business practices by ENs. SSA will assist the contractor in developing guidance to the PABSS on identifying ENs and targeting those for further examination.

D. The contractor shall provide all centralized administration and act as the principal provider in a major SSA effort to expand rep payee monitoring with an emphasis on organizational and employer rep payees. SSA’s immediate goal is to mitigate the risk of organizational fraud and abuse to beneficiaries whose rep payees are also their employers. The contractor shall provide financial administration, operational and organizational management, and staff resources to administer this effort. The contractor shall conduct training and technical assistance for the PABSS staff and P&A Directors in consultation with SSA and the COTR on organizational rep payee oversight and monitoring as well as investigation techniques and approaches. In collaboration with individual State P&A agencies, the contractor will organize and manage through small subcontracts, all aspects of site reviews as indicated when rep payees engaging in questionable practices are identified by SSA in a particular State. Working in collaboration with the State P&A, the services and responsibilities of the site visit teams shall include but are not limited to: on site inspection, record review, beneficiary interviews, follow up and beneficiary referrals to employment and related services including the WIPA, VR, One-Stop, PABSS and local ENs, and other information, referral and service providers. The contractor shall develop, implement and disseminate training materials and tools including an electronic rep payee reporting system that facilitates the timely reporting of any abusive or questionable practices uncovered and; any other documents, publications, or guidance as determined by the contractor in consultation with SSA and the COTR. The contractor in consultation with SSA and the COTR shall develop a process and report template for reporting the results of each site review and procedures for ongoing monitoring follow up and referral E.

The contractor shall manage and maintain a web-based data collection system for the SSA-funded PABSS program as follows:

1. Host the web location for which this web-based application will reside. This includes providing all Information Technology needs for the data collection service: an adequate internet connection, the server hardware and software licensing (including security certificates and any other web service necessary), a daily backup solution that includes a disaster recovery option, daily updates and patches as deemed necessary by the manufacturers of the software, firewall, virus, and other security protection as current industry solutions allow, and proper operation facilities including redundant power through the use of battery backup equipment.

2. Manage user accounts for the data collection application as well as the reporting application. This includes managing the usernames and passwords necessary to use the web-based data collection system.

3. Manage any changes to the data elements requirements including the collection of Social Security Numbers (SSNs). SSA requires the collection of SSNs in order to investigate the employment outcomes of beneficiaries served by the PABSS. The contractor shall collect data from PABSS agencies on complaints of abuses of Social Security’s beneficiaries by representative payees, employers or ENs and the resolution of such complaints. Further, the contractor is responsible for making the application compatible with any additional enhancements to the reporting required of the PABSS awardees as needed.

F. The contractor shall provide ongoing training and technical support for the use of the web-based data collection system. This includes providing email-based, and phone-based support for the system shall there be a need by a PABSS or by SSA. This support is required a minimum of 2-3 hours per day during normal business operations, 5 days per week.

G. The contractor shall develop a detailed systems security plan (SSP) of how beneficiaries’ Sensitive Personal Identifiable Information (PII) will be collected and secured on paper as well as secured electronically and include security and clearance measures for all contractor personnel. SSA will provide guidance to the contractor on developing the SSP and may provide a template as part of this guidance. The contractor shall submit the SSP within 90 days after the effective date of the contract award.

H. The contractor shall attend meetings as follows:

1. Attend a Project Orientation meeting with the Contracting Officer, COTR and SSA’s Office of Employment and Support Programs’ (OESP) personnel at SSA Headquarters to discuss the implementation plan within 14 days after the effective date of the contract.

2. Meet with COTR at a minimum of three times during each budget year and once with OESP management during each contracted period of performance. Meetings with management are to be held at SSA Headquarters in Baltimore, MD and shall focus on accomplishments, activities, and contractual issues requiring discussion.

3. The contract shall: (1) assist SSA in planning SSA’s quarterly teleconferences with all PABSS projects, (2) participate in the teleconferences, and (3) serve as the note taker for the teleconferences. The contractor shall provide topical suggestions and questions and issues to be clarified by SSA during the quarterly teleconferences. The meeting notes shall include a list of participants and shall be submitted to SSA’s COTR within 5 business days following each teleconference for the initial review. The COTR will review and submit revisions or approval to the contractor within 3 days. The contractor will submit finalized version to COTR within 3 days of receipt as necessary. The contractor will provide meeting notes to the PABSS projects electronically within 3 days of receipt of approved final version.

I. The Contractor shall prepare the following reports:

1. Progress and Final Reports

These reports shall include the progress toward completion of contract tasks and shall alert SSA to any problems encountered, describing the resolution or proposed resolution of each problem. They shall be submitted within 10 days after the first 4 months of the contract year, within 10 days after 8 months and within 15 days of the conclusion of each contract year. After the June 30th and December 31st PABSS grantees’ reporting periods, the contractor shall also include cumulative national totals for every data element in the database in the subsequent report. Each report shall contain a special section devoted to the efforts described under Task D and shall include copies of each site report and incorporate resolution, follow up and referrals provided. The final report shall include a summary of the contract year’s activities, tasks, accomplishments and outcomes and include an extensive section on findings and results related to Task D.

These reports shall be submitted to SSA within 15 days after the end of each 4-month period. The reports shall be submitted electronically and include scanned reports and attachments as indicated.

Reports shall follow a standard format, as follows:

Front Cover:

· Report Title

· Period of Performance

· Date of Report

· Contract Number

· Contractor's Name and Phone Number

Body of Report:

· Description of Progress and Accomplishments

· Description of Activities and Events including but not limited to: meetings, Work Incentives Seminar Events (WISE) or other outreach events, teleconferences, mediation, negotiations

· Relevant Meeting Reports, WISE events, other collaborations

· Training and Technical Assistance Summaries and Reports including reports from individual Technical Assistance visits

· Problems Encountered and Resolutions

· Representative Payee Section and Summaries of Site Investigations

· Copies of Site Review Reports

· Planned Actions and Future Events

· Glossary of any technical terms used in the report

· Additional Information according to contractor’s discretion including references, citations and contact information.

2. Meeting Reports (to be included in the tri-annual reports) These reports shall cover meetings described in paragraph H.,1 through 3. above and any other meetings with SSA and/or PABSS project personnel. They shall follow the front cover format described in paragraph I. 1. above and contain the following information and be supplemented with additional information as appropriate:

· Date/Time

· Meeting Site

· Attendees:

Name(s), Title(s), and location of attendees

· Topics: A complete description of the issues discussed

· Decisions: A clear statement of all resolutions

· Actions: All actions that the contractor or SSA is to take following the meetings and expected due dates.

3. Training and Technical Assistance Report (to be included in the tri-annual reports) Report on results of training and technical assistance including a summary of individual technical assistance visits; topics covered in training sessions; a list of the State and Territorial PABSS Systems that participated in larger sessions; and a summary of the participant evaluations received.

J. Responses to Public Inquiries

The contractor shall provide information to SSA, when requested, to enable SSA to respond to public inquiries. Upon receipt of an inquiry from an elected official or representative, and/or the press, the contractor shall not respond directly, but shall notify SSA and gather information regarding the nature of the inquiry to support SSA in creating a response. The contractor shall submit requested information to SSA within 5 days of request, unless otherwise directed by SSA.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

A. The base period of performance for this contract shall be one (1) year from September 29, 2009 through September 28, 2010.

B. The period of performance for Option Period I, if exercised, shall be one (1) year from the expiration of the base period of performance, September 29, 2010 through September 28, 2011.

C. The period of performance for Option Period II, if exercised, shall be one (1) year from the expiration of Option Year I, September 29, 2011 through September 28, 2012.

D. The period of performance for Option Period III, if exercised, shall be one (1) year from the expiration of Option Year II, September 29, 2012 through September 28, 2013.

E. The period of performance for Option Period IV, if exercised, shall be one (1) year from the expiration of Option Year III, September 29, 2013 through September 28, 2014.

The total duration of this contract shall not exceed 60 months.

SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

Unless otherwise stated, all deliverables are to be provided to the government by electronic transmission and one paper copy to each of the following:

COTR

Contracting Officer Carol G. Cohen carol.cohen@ssa.gov

SSA, OESP

Office of Acquisition and Grants 107 Altmeyer Bldg., 1st Floor Rear Entrance 6401 Security Blvd

7111 Security Blvd Baltimore, Maryland 21235

Baltimore, Maryland 21244