Statement of Work - Journal Subscription List for JJP.docx

2.4 STATEMENT OF WORK for FY 2025 Orders

2.4.1 SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall be responsible for the management, labor and equipment necessary to provide access to (1) serial publication subscriptions (both in print and online), (2) Point of Care database subscriptions, and/ or bibliographic type databases (3) related subscription requirements to keep track of subscriptions which are likely renewal titles year to year once the subscription exists. Related subscription requirements include paying publishers, handling claims for non-receipt, processing changes in subscriptions status (renewals, new and cancelled subscriptions), facilitating the activation of online access, and submission of required reports and other service problems.

Approximately 90% of subscriptions placed by the Customers will be renewal subscriptions.

All online subscriptions are to be made available to the Primary facility James. J. Peters VA Medical Center, 130 W. Kingsbridge Rd., Bronx, NY 10468 as well as its out patient clinics and Vet Center listed below. All print subscriptions under this procurement request are to be shipped to the Primary facility : James J. Peters VA Medical Center.

These are the out patient clincis and Vet Center locations:

Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic 4701 Queens Boulevard, Suite 301 Sunnyside, NY 11104-1623

White Plains VA Clinic 23 South Broadway White Plains, NY 10601-3503

Yonkers VA Clinic 124 New Main Street Yonkers, NY 10701-4126

Bronx Vet Center 2471 Morris Avenue Suite 1A Bronx, NY 10468-5450

2.4.1.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall commence on the effective date of award during first quarter of the fiscal year. With at least a 30 day lead time, the contractor needs advanced time to place and compete the subscription orders to the varied publishers (indicated by the title list attached at the end of this statement of work). Subscriptions are to start with January of new calendar year and run through end of calendar year unless the publisher has bi-monthly publication which starts in Feb. or of a similar nature. Without this advanced work requirement, the VA may not receive timely access to the required subscriptions. Publishers require advanced payment or a PO before granting access to the VA customers. Therefore, the VA contract period of performance is allowed to begin in the first quarter of the fiscal year to ensure the calendar year subscriptions are provided to the VA without waste or gap in service from current subscription year that is ending.

POP: Dec. 01, 2024 – Nov. 30, 2025 Plus 4 option years to renew with same vendor at a fixed price with the option to delete or to add titles each year as determined is needed at the facility level.

2.4.2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

2.4.2.1 Subscription Orders. The solicitation is divided into two parts. Contractor(s) must qualify under Part 1 in order to provide requirements under Part 2. The two Parts are:

Part 1 - Basic Subscription Orders.

Part 2 - Required Support Requirements.

2.4.2.1.1 Part 1 - Basic Subscription Orders. Contractor shall provide basic subscription orders that would include all of the tasks necessary to execute and manage orders for new and renewal subscriptions to serial publication subscriptions and point of care database subscriptions. These tasks fall into the following four critical areas, described in detail elsewhere in the solicitation:

(a) Ordering subscriptions;

(b) Serving as the fiscal agent with publishers, including making timely prepayments, processing refunds, claims, supplemental and bill-later charges;

(c) Ensuring timely and complete delivery of ordered subscriptions; and,

(d) Providing reports and other administrative support for subscriptions management.

2.4.2.1.2 Part 2 - Required Support Requirements. Contractor shall provide support to cover a range of subscription-related products to the library, in addition to basic subscription orders and renewals described under Part 1.

2.4.3 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

2.4.3.1 Part One - Basic Subscription Orders and Renewals.

Contractor shall provide subscription orders for all subscriptions in all media generally available via agents from foreign and domestic publishers, if the ordering customer can supply sufficient publication information. Subscription Agent should be willing to work with customer in supplying what may be needed for online subscriptions to work from a Library Platform such as LibLynx as the VA currently uses.

2.4.3.1.1 The Contractor shall supply materials from a wide range of publishers

2.4.3.1.2 Definitions

(a) Point of Care Database. Point of Care databases are online clinical reference tools used by healthcare professionals in treating and diagnosing patients’ healthcare issues. These databases may contain e-journals, e-books, or be made up of proprietary information resources. These resources are accessible via the Internet. Other databases may consist of bibliographic review type databases used for collection development.

2.4.3.1.3 Subscription Periods.

(a) Publisher permitting, the Contractor shall be required to place subscriptions at any time during the year, to provide common expiration dates for initial subscription and renewals whenever possible, and to assist in prorating for common expiration dates, as required by individual stations.

(b) The Contractor shall provide administrative and other requirements for each subscription placed until three months after its expiration or for the life of the subscription.

2.4.3.1.4 Direct Orders.

(a) Listing of any "direct only" subscriptions, meaning subscriptions which the Contractor cannot supply due to publishers licensing requirements, where privity of contract is required by the Publisher to be directly between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Publisher. The doctrine of privity in the common law of contracts provides that a contract cannot confer rights or impose obligations arising under it on any person or agent except the parties to it. Without VA Contracting Officer approval and that comply with the Publishers’ requirements, these orders cannot be placed through this contract action.

2.4.3.1.5 Payment.

(a) The Contractor shall pay all regular subscription orders in advance, prior to submission of first invoice.

(b) The Contractor shall make additional payments as necessary and be required to adjust for unforeseen contingencies, such as currency fluctuations, additional volumes but done through the approval of the contract modification when cost has not been factored in the annual quote.

(c) The Contractor shall maintain complete records of all bibliographic and financial transactions of each Station for up to three years. The Contractor shall provide to the VA immediate access to these records on demand. If required by the VA, the Contractor shall provide copies of these documents at no cost. The Contractor shall retain the original records on-site.

2.4.3.1.6 Administrative Services. The Contractor shall provide the following administrative services to support subscription ordering services:

(a) Claims for missing, defective or mutilated issues. The Contractor shall be the contract liaison for all VA Stations in obtaining from the publisher replacement copies of periodicals found to be defective, mutilated, lost in transit, or otherwise missing, provided the loss is reported within sixty calendar days. Contractor shall provide back issue ordering if requested. Contractor shall respond to Stations' claims within ten (10) calendar days of the claim. The Contractor shall offer electronic claims services at no additional charge. The Contractor shall, upon request of the government, demonstrate or make available for review its electronic claims system prior to contract award.

(i) The Contractor shall provide each Station with the necessary training and written documentation to enable each Station to effectively use the electronic claiming system if preferred over contractor being notified by email for making the claims.

(ii) The Contractor shall supply the VA and all "ship-to" addressees with full service assistance in claiming missing issues.

(iii) The Contractor shall handle claims for any subscription for up to three months after the life of the subscription.

(b) Personal Representative. The Contractor shall assign a representative by name to provide personalized in-house assistance for VA Station account.

(c) Library Management Reports

(i) Claims Lists. The Contractor shall provide to the station a monthly listing of all outstanding claims and any responses received from the publishers. The report shall be cumulative, by title, for all unresolved claims.

2.4.3.1.7 Licenses

Contractor and publishers frequently have license agreements for their electronic publications, systems and software products. Licenses may be for the subscription agent’s proprietary products, or publisher’s proprietary products. All license agreements will be between the VA library and the Contractor/Publishers but under the purview of VA contracting. Such individual licenses shall only pertain to the VA library for whom they were negotiated. License agreements will be reviewed, approved, signed and enforced by according to local procedures. Contractor’s proposals must contain copies of all Contractor proprietary licenses for all items offered.

2.4.3.1.8 Past Performance

Past Performance will be highly factored into contract determination. As Contractor must have a history of good past performance as not all contractors have publisher agreements for being able to fill requests quickly or who do this work exclusively.

LIST OF TITLES: (Medical Library and Patient List- but separate funding) Medical List of Titles: FCP 045

Journal of Infectious Diseases

EISSN 1537-6613 ONLINE only

ISSN: 1551-7489 (Linking) Print + Online

2688-5115 (Electronic) 2688-5115 (Linking) Print + Online

1536-0288 (Print) 1536-0539 (Electronic) Print + Online

1499-2752 (Electronic) Print + Online

Patient List of Titles: FCP 553

NY TIMES

NY Edition; Hand delivry, Metro area; Print