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FBO DAILY ISSUE OF JANUARY 09, 2013 FBO #4064
DOCUMENT

D -- Fee Basis Claims System (FBCS) - Attachment

Notice Date

1/7/2013
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

519190 — All Other Information Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;Office of Acquisition Operations;Technology Acquisition Center - Austin;1701 Directors Blvd, Suite 600;Austin TX 78744
 

ZIP Code

78744
 

Solicitation Number

VA118A13I0039
 

Response Due

1/23/2013
 

Archive Date

2/22/2013
 

Point of Contact

Ty Senour
 

E-Mail Address

1-4423<br
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

Technology Acquisition Center (TAC)-Austin is seeking information concerning the availability of capable contractors to provide software, maintenance, and technical support for the VA Fee Basis Claims System (FBCS). FBCS is in use within 134 VA Fee offices. FBCS allows Fee Claims processing departments to manage and process Fee claims in an electronic environment, which improves the ability to keep track of claims in process and to identify duplicate and non-compliant claims. In addition, this product improves the ability to report on Fee expenditures and improves accuracy and consistency of Fee authorizations. FBCS provides the ability to monitor individual and department productivity. It allows VA to communicate efficiently with the vendors and veterans about the adjudication status of their claims by providing a complete audit trail for each claim. The existing VA FBCS is provided by Document Storage Systems, Inc. VA is seeking sources capable of renewing the existing annual licenses OR implementing, training, testing, and deploying a software system with identical capabilities of the existing software system by October 1, 2013 in a way that is economically feasible to VA. The objective of this procurement will be to procure the FBCS or equivalent solution for VHA sites that are currently using claims processing software. This is a continuation of production of a major system. This procurement will be an interim solution until the planned, centralized VA-wide long term solution begins deployment in 2014 and is fully implemented by 2017. If proposing a competitive software capability, the contractor must demonstrate that its proposed system would not result in substantial duplication of system upstart costs, including, training, testing, installation, and deployment, which would not be recovered. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for informational and planning purposes only. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals, nor will any award be made as a result of this RFI. VA will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this RFI. Contact with Government personnel other than those specified in this RFI by potential offerors or their employees' regarding this project is prohibited. This is an announcement seeking market information on vendors capable of providing the services as described herein. TAC-Austin is currently conducting market research to locate interested potential sources. The information requested by this RFI will be used within the VA to facilitate decision-making and will not be disclosed outside the agency. Should a future requirement(s) evolve from this preliminary planning process, it is anticipated the period of performance will be for 5 years. If interested, please provide a capabilities statement (max 20 pages) by Wednesday, Jan 23, 2013. If additional information is required by VA to determine a contractor's capability to provide the full requirement and the economic feasibility of the information provided, additional information, to include a possible vendor demonstration, may be requested later. Do not provide any proprietary information, as any contractor questions and corresponding Government answers will be made available to all interested parties. Please note questions may not be directly answered at this time, but may be addressed in any future correspondence. A draft version of the required tasks and deliverables is below. These tasks and deliverables are based on a renewal of the current software provided by DSS. Any proposed new software must meet all of the capabilities of the existing software. The contract for the current software expires on September 30, 2013, so new software must be deployed on October 1, 2013 to avoid any break in service. In addition to describing the capability of meeting the requirement by October 1, 2013, the capabilities statement should provide the following information. 1. Please provide no more than five (5) contracts that your company has performed within the last three (3) years that are of comparable size, complexity, and scope to this requirement. Describe your effort (as either a Prime or Subcontractor). Please be specific and provide a complete reference to include at a minimum the project name, contract award amount, start and completion dates, and the project owners' contact information as this person may be contacted for further information. 2. Please identify your company's number of years in business; affiliate information, parent company, and joint venture partners. 3. Provide company business size and status as designated by the NAICS 519190 and the U.S. Small Business Administration (i.e., Large Business, Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned Small Business, Hub Zone Small Business, etc.). SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES (DRAFT) The Contractor shall perform the following: 5.1PROJECT MANAGEMENT 5.1.1PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN (PMP) AND OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE PLAN (OMP) The Contractor shall deliver a PMP that lays out the Contractor's approach, timeline and tools to be used in execution of this Task Order effort. The PMP shall take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the risks, resource support, and an Operations and Maintenance Plan. The initial baseline PMP shall be concurred upon and updated monthly thereafter. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA PM approved PMP throughout the period of performance. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the PMP and report any deviations. It is expected that the Contractor will keep in communication with the VA to ensure that issues that arise are transparent to both parties and are being addressed in a timely manner. The Contractor shall immediately notify the VA Program Manager (VAPM), COR and CO by phone and in writing if problems arise adversely impacting the performance of the PWS. The Contractor shall provide an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manual for the infrastructure and software solution. The manual shall be sufficient to support ongoing operations by trained VA personnel, system administrator and Contractors/SMEs providing sustainment with responsibility clearly shown in an O&M responsibility matrix. The O&M manual shall be written in a manner in which the VA site personnel can startup, configure, operate, shutdown, and apply firmware and software upgrades to individual devices and applications without the need for technical support from the Contractor. The O&M manual shall be written to allow the VA site personnel to troubleshoot, repair, or replace equipment down to the box level consistent with the original equipment manufacturer specifications. The OMP shall include a table delineating Responsible/Accountable/Consulted/Informed (RACI) assignments for system functionality. The Contractor shall deliver application and system architecture diagrams reflecting the VA installation with any updates as required. Deliverables: A.Project Management Plan B.Operations and Maintenance Plan C.Application and System Architecture Diagrams 5.1.2KICKOFF MEETING The Contractor shall conduct a project kickoff meeting no more than ten (10) days after contract award to introduce the Government team to the Contractor's overall operating plans and approach to this work. The Contractor shall present and be prepared to discuss the content of the Project PMP. The Contractor shall deliver kickoff meeting minutes no later than one (1) week after the meeting and shall identify all the discussion points, agreements and action items. The Contractor shall present the PMP including staffing, quality and risk plans, overall work plans, and integrated schedules for this project. The Contractor shall present known risk areas and shall review its detailed PMOMP approach. 5.1.3REPORTING AND RESPONSIVENESS The Contractor's project manager and appropriate technical staff shall attend weekly status meetings with the VA Project Manager (PM) to discuss the progress of all contract-related activities. The Contractor shall provide a bi-weekly (every other week) report reflecting products delivered, deliverables in progress, known exceptions to performance standards, as well as any issues or risks relevant to the interests of the Contractor or the government. The VA Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) may require more frequent meetings or reports as needed. The Contractor shall provide timely responses to questions, written requests and inquiries regarding technical aspects of project management artifacts within five (5) workdays of the initial request. Deliverables: A.Bi-weekly Progress Reports 5.2SOFTWARE LICENSE, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS VA requires continuation of existing FBCS licenses, maintenance, and support of Purchased Care claims management and adjudication. FBCS software functionality includes: a.Referral Management b.Claims Processing c.Document Management d.Appeals Management e.Financial Management f.Correspondence g.Revenue Management h.Reporting i.Interfaces j.User Management k.Work Management Definitions. (a)Licensee. The term "licensee" shall mean the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") and is synonymous with "Government." (b)Licensor. The term "licensor" shall mean the software manufacturer of the computer software being acquired. The term "Contractor" is the company identified in Block 17a on the SF1449. (c)Software. The term "software" shall mean the licensed computer software product(s) cited in the Schedule of Supplies / Services. (SF1449, Block 20). (d)Release or Update. The term "release" or "update" are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains defect corrections, minor enhancements or improvements of the software's functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the right of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.3 to 5.4). An example of an update is the addition of new hardware. (e)Version or Upgrade. The term "version" or "upgrade" are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains new or improved functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.4 to 6). 5.2.1LICENSE AND GRANT OF LICENSE (a)The Contractor shall deliver the software to VA in accordance with the Schedule, and it shall perform according to its advertised terms and the requirements stated in this PWS and BRD. The software license provided to the Government under this Contract is an irrevocable, nonexclusive license to use the software. The Contractor shall provide additional licenses for testing and training purposes. (b)If the licensed software requires a password (or license key) to be operational, it shall be delivered with the software media and have no expiration date. (c)If the Government decides to outsource or contract its services, the Government may allow the outsourcer to use the licensed software solely to provide the services on its behalf. The outsourcer shall be bound by the provisions of this Contract relating to the use of the software. (d)VA may use the software in a networked environment. (e)Any dispute regarding the license grant or usage limitations shall be resolved in accordance with the Disputes Clause incorporated in FAR 52.212-4(d). (f)If for any reason the Contractor is unable to complete performance under this Contract or, if following the completion of this Contract, the Contractor ceases to provide support for any software described in this Contract, the Contractor agrees to provide to Government any proprietary software or documentation that is relevant to the work performed under this Contract. This provision applies to any data that would be necessary for the maintenance and continued development of any automated information systems, including at a minimum: system source and object codes, supporting system software and all relevant documentation and source listings. This data shall be provided to the Government at no additional cost within thirty (30) calendar days following work stoppage. (g)The Government may install the software on hardware with multi-core processor chips at no additional cost. The Government may also upgrade the hardware that the software is installed on at any time at no additional licensing cost. (h)The Department of Veterans Affairs has the right to move and use the software to any VA location at no additional licensing cost. (i)The Contractor shall deliver all source code and data developed by Contractor under this Contract to VA upon request at no additional cost to the Government. (j)All limitations of software usage are expressly stated in the SF 1449 and Sections A, B, C & D. 5.2.2SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT The Contractor shall provide software maintenance and technical support services, which include periodic updates, enhancements and corrections to the software, so as to cause the software to perform according to its specifications, documentation or demonstrated claims and as required by this PWS. Maintenance and support includes software bug fixes; telephone and e-mail support of the COTS product; and interfaces supported by VA Interface Control Registrations (ICRs). VA will notify the Contractor as soon as changes affecting an interface are approved. The Contractor must similarly coordinate any changes to their software that might impact VA systems. The Government requires delivery of computer software that does not contain any code that will, upon the occurrence or the nonoccurrence of any event, disable the software. Such code includes at a minimum a computer virus, restrictive key, node lock, time-out or other function, whether implemented by electronic, mechanical, or other means, which limits or hinders the use or access to any computer software based on residency on a specific hardware configuration, frequency of duration or use, or other limiting criteria. If any such code is present, the Contractor agrees to indemnify the Government for all damages suffered as a result of a disabling caused by such code, and the Contractor agrees to remove such code upon the Government's request at no extra cost to the Government. Inability of the Contractor to remove the disabling software code will be considered an inexcusable delay and a material breach of the Contract, and the Government may exercise its right to terminate for cause. In addition, the Government is permitted to remove the code as it deems appropriate and charge the Contractor for consideration for the time and effort in removing the code. 5.2.2.1 HELP DESK SUPPORT The Contractor shall provide help desk support to the FBCS application. The Contractor shall operate a help desk and provide help desk staffing located in Contractor facilities. The Contractor shall provide: oSupport for all hours of operation (8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)- Monday through Friday (excluding Federal Holidays) and after hours emergency coverage as required. oOn-call support for emergencies such as application unavailability. The Contractor shall provide application support to resolve FBCS user questions, issues, and problems. Documentation supporting all issues shall be maintained in the Help Desk ticket tracking tool. The Help Desk shall provide notification to the COR of issues impacting more than one site or impacting any single site for longer than one business day. Contractor agrees to use VA's Remedy system for reporting of trouble tickets by VA users. Contractor will document problem resolution so that the VA solutions database can be updated. 1.Email Support: oA Help Desk email mailbox shall be provided for reporting problems by electronic mail. oThe Contractor shall monitor the FBCS Help Desk email account and respond via email or telephone, as appropriate, based on the priority of the ticket. oFor all tickets, the user will be sent an automated email notification of the ticket number and priority. 2.Telephone Support oCalls must be answered within 30 seconds. oFor all tickets, an e-mail to the user will be sent notifying the user of the ticket number and priority. oThe Help Desk shall generate a ticket for each call as required. oCallers shall have the option to leave a voice mail. Voice mail messages received during duty hours must be responded to within 30 minutes. oVoice mail messages received after duty hours shall be answered by 8:30 AM EST the next work day. 3.Ticket Priorities o Critical (Emergency) Priority - user is experiencing fatal system error, loss of data or a system outage is occurring impacting multiple sites. Immediate notification to VA is required for any critical priority. oHigh Priority - system issue causing improper payment. High priority tickets require notification to VA within one business day oMedium Priority - user is experiencing inability to perform specific functionality but not experiencing fatal error or loss of data. oLow Priority - user has normal inquiries for changes in configuration or questions on how to perform specific system functions. 4.Resolution Time to Ticket Priorities oCritical (Emergency) Priority Resolution -The request shall be resolved within 2 hours. If the issue has not been resolved after 2 hours, then the Contractor shall provide hourly progress reporting to VA. The Contractor shall provide a Bi-weekly Help Desk Activity Report to the COR with a copy to the VA PM. The report shall be submitted via email and is due with the bi-weekly status report. Highlights of this report will be discussed at the weekly status meeting. This report shall contain the following information: Telephone/Email Support: 1.Period covered by report 2.Call volume statistics 3.Statistics on average wait times for initial responses 4.Documentation of unresolved requests 5.Documentation of Frequently Asked Questions 6.Lessons learned The contractor shall create an incident ticket for any issue that is not immediately resolved. The Contractor shall provide a Bi-weekly Incident Ticket Report containing a synopsis of all tickets open longer than 30 days. The report shall be submitted via email and is due with the bi-weekly status report. Highlights of this report will be discussed at the weekly status meeting. This report shall contain the following information: Incident Tickets: 1. Period covered by report 2. Ticket priority (Critical, High, Medium, Low) 3. Date received 4. Facility 5. Ticket number 6. Summary of issue 7. Current status 8. Anticipated resolution date The Contractor shall adhere to the Service Level Agreement (SLA) incorporated as Attachment B. Deliverables: A.Bi-Weekly Help Desk Activity Report B.Bi-Weekly Incident Ticket Report 5.3. TRAINING AND DOCUMENTATION 5.3.1. TRAINING The Contractor shall provide training within 30 days of implementation of new releases when enhanced functionality is introduced; this training may be provided via distance learning. Costs for this maintenance training at all implemented sites will be included in the Maintenance CLINs. Due to conflict of interest concerns, the Contractor shall not contract with sites for additional FBCS training without approval by the Chief Business Office. 5.3.2. DOCUMENTATION All system and user documentation listed below must be delivered to VA and shall be provided in electronic format (either Word or pdf.). If developed at Government expense, VA shall have unlimited rights in all data and documentation in accordance with FAR 52.227-14. Proprietary information must be marked as such. The Contractor shall deliver updated documentation within 30 days of implementation of any modifications to the software. Costs for documentation will be included in the Software License CLINs. 5.3.2.1 TRAINING MATERIALS At a minimum, training materials shall include student and trainer guides, user manuals, and quick reference sheets. 5.3.2.2 TECHNICAL MATERIALS At a minimum, technical material shall include system configuration documentation, technical manuals, installation guides, and any documentation dealing with system set up and maintenance. Deliverables: A.Updated Training Materials B.Updated Technical Materials 5.4TESTING AND RELEASE The Contractor shall follow OIT testing and release processes for all FBCS components. VA must approve/disapprove any proposed alternate testing processes. The Contractor shall perform regression testing as operating systems or hardware is upgraded. As aging hardware is refreshed, the Contractor shall install and/or regression test the FBCS application. Deliverables shall include, at a minimum, an updated master test plan for interfaces and a test analysis results report. Deliverables: A.Updated Master Test Plan B.Test Analysis Results Report 5.5ADDITION OF VISN 6 TO FBCS (OPTIONAL TASK) The Contractor shall support transition of VISN 6 from the 3M Scrubber claims processing software to FBCS. This support shall consist of -the provision and installation of FBCS licenses to replace 3M Scrubber -and all support activities identified in the tasks above for continuing FBCS support of existing installations.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/f32686bfe19e1a800d6d7ff277b62f19)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: VA118A-13-I-0039 VA118A-13-I-0039_1.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=575699&FileName=VA118A-13-I-0039-001.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=575699&FileName=VA118A-13-I-0039-001.docx

 

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Record

SN02960229-W 20130109/130107234131-f32686bfe19e1a800d6d7ff277b62f19 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

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