Statement of Work.docx

Draft

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR

SOUTH TEXAS VETERANS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

1. Scope: The VA South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) requires expert research services from their educational affiliate University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine (UT Health-HospMed) in support of multiple VA-funded research projects. Conference Travel; Graphic and Printing Services; Publication Services. UT Health-HospMed will provide subject matter expertise; technical skill and knowledge; and academic, clinical and research capabilities to provide the below-detailed services and deliverables.

2. Summary of Work Requirements:

The objective of this contract is to obtain efficient and effective support for the writing of grant submissions for health services research studies and the execution of those studies to support the STVHCS RESEARCH SERVICE in its above stated mission and goals. Examples of research projects the contractor will be required to investigate and research under the terms of this contract include research projects from Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D), Clinical Services Research and Development (CSR&D), Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D), Office of Rural Health (ORH), Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) and other Veteran Affairs funded research.

5. Packaging, Packing and Labeling: Preservation, packaging and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents under normal shipping conditions, handling, etc. and shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations involving shipment from the Contractor to the receiving activity for storage. Shipping containers shall follow National Motor Freight classification and Uniform Freight classification in effect at the time of shipment.

All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling.

6. Product availability: Should any product under this contract become unavailable or available on a limited basis, either temporarily or permanently, the Contractor shall provide the Government with sufficient notification thereof (no less than 3 days), offering possible substitutions and/or alternative sources, to afford the Government adequate opportunity to approve or reject offered substitution and/or make other procurement arrangements.

7. Procurement from another source: The Contracting Officer shall make every effort to ensure that offered substitutions are given fair and reasonable consideration and that procurement from an alternate source is made only if necessary. If procurement from an alternate source is required due to the Contractor's fault, the Contractor is responsible for any price difference and any other additional charges.

7. Delivery Locations:

Designated Research project performance site/s as approved on the Protocol by the Internal Review Board(IRB).

8. Invoices and Payment: Payment to be made monthly, in arrears, following satisfactory performance by Contractor’s personnel and upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice.

Contractor shall be required to invoice through the Tungsten System at http://www.tungsten-network.com/us/en/veterans-affairs/.

Additional information regarding Tungsten shall be provided upon award.

The contract shall have current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) for this solicitation; URL: www.sam.gov

The invoice MUST be itemized to include the following information. Any information listed below, and not provided on an invoice, will render that invoice incomplete and the invoice will be returned for immediate correction.

Time period being invoiced for.

Description of services performed.

Unit Cost billed.

Extended amount due.

Invoice number, date Contract and obligation numbers.

Publication Services:

Publication costs for scientific articles that are published in open-access journals that do not have subscription charges.

Graphic and Printing Services:

This item in the contract includes the printing of posters for display at professional and/or scientific meetings. Size may vary slightly by conference, but typically must be of sufficient size for presentation on a display board approximately 4’H x 6’W. Exact specifications will be provided with each request. This also includes the creation of camera-ready figures and tables for articles as required by scientific journals. Exact specifications will be provided with each request.

Conference Travel:

Personnel assigned to this contract will have the opportunity to present research at conferences and annual meetings to which they have been invited to attend. All travel must be approved by the COR. Travel expenses and reimbursement must follow GSA government approved travel rates not to exceed established per diem rates, airfare, mileage etc. VA ORD travel policy related to VA Research Appropriations must be followed and monitored by the COR. This item in the contract is for the provision of registration or conference costs for technical training or upgrading of expertise in use of software for data management and/or statistical analysis. Training must be provided at local or regional conferences and provide workshops or tutorials that are skills-based or that provide hands-on demonstrations.

The contractor will not have access to VA Desktop computers nor will they have access to online resources belonging to the government while conducting services. If removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage devices, such as hard drives, solid state drives and non-volatile memory units will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody.

The contractor will not have access to protected Patient Health Information (PHI) nor will they have the capability of accessing patient information during the services provided to the VA and if removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage devices, such as hard drives, solid state drives and non-volatile memory units will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody. All research data available for Contractor analyses is de-identified.

1. Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.

2. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.

3. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.

4. STVHCS and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of STVHCS or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701.

In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to STVHCS. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.

5. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government’s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to STVHCS control or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).

6. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and STVHCS guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

7. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with STVHCS policy.

8. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public STVHCS information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.

9. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.

10. The STVHCS owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which STVHCS shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.

11. Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise handle records are required to take VHA-provided records management training, Talent Management System (TMS) Item #10176, Privacy and Information Security, Rules of Behavior. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training.

11. Program Office Points of Contact:

a. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): Dennis Bryan, Administrative Officer, Research and Development Service (210)617-5300 ext. 15538 Dennis.Bryan@va.gov