DOCUMENT
76 -- MEDICAL JOURNALS - Attachment
- Notice Date
- 12/3/2015
- Notice Type
- Attachment
- NAICS
- 424920
— Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;Central Texas Veterans HCS;1901 S. 1st Street;Temple TX 76504
- ZIP Code
- 76504
- Solicitation Number
- VA25716Q0255
- Response Due
- 12/10/2015
- Archive Date
- 12/11/2015
- Point of Contact
- Jennea Augsbury
- E-Mail Address
-
th
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) A. GENERAL GUIDANCE 1. Title of Project: DALLAS MEDICAL / GENERAL JOURNAL ORDER 2016 -549-16-1-053-0003 2. Scope of Work: 3. Background: All physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other health care professionals require access to scholarly, review and research journals for diagnoses and treatment of veterans and for continuing education in order to maintain their licenses. Any good employer must offer their employees the opportunity to achieve at least some, if not all, of the requirements at no cost to the employee. 4. Performance Period: The contract will cover the calendar year 2016. 5. Type of Contract: This is a firm-fixed-price agreement. B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING In this section, standard SOW language specifies that the contractor shall commence work only when the Contracting Officer (CO) has conducted a "kick-off" meeting, or has elected to waive the meeting. This meeting is very beneficial to the success of the project. Various aspects of work details can be discussed so there is a consistent understanding among all parties. Roles and responsibilities of the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and the Project Manager/Task Manager (PM/TM) are discussed and presented in the delegation of authority letters issued by the CO at the meeting. The nature of some small projects may not require a "kick-off" meeting with the CO. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the CO. C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Vendor will provide print and/or online access to medical journals as these journals are made available for various health care professionals. Vendor shall provide access to print and electronic journals to provide medical information to support the work at VANTHCS. This year's order of journals will encompass issues published for January - December 2015, and will include everything from general reading titles to medical journals and needs for special services. Most of the journals will be renewals, but there will be a limited number of new titles also included. There are some serial titles that are usually considered books on the list. These titles are annuals or annuals plus supplements. We will need for the vendor to be willing to allow us some leeway in minor changes to the list. The Contractor shall be responsible for the management, labor and equipment necessary to provide related subscriptions services 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. D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES The Vendor will resolve online access issues between VANTHCS Library Service and the journal publishers to maintain or restore online access and/or print editions of purchased journals. E. EVALUATED OPTIONAL FEATURES Even though the contractor, at the Government's option, provides the requirements specified in this section; they are nonetheless treated with the same level of control as the mandatory specifications. The CO shall only exercise these options when requested by the COTR, and when the necessary funding is available. F. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES Access to purchased journals will be available for the entire year 2016. G. CHANGES TO THE STATEMENT OF WORK The process for making changes to the SOW is presented in this section. Making changes by any other means may require ratification of an unauthorized action requiring the approval. H. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS This section spells out to the contractor the Government's requirements for progress reporting. The report is submitted to the PM/TM who then disseminates the information to the COTR. I. TRAVEL No travel required. J. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES As applicable, following the guidance in the standard SOW, specify to the contractor what the Government will provide in support of the project. Government-furnished equipment and/or software can also be included. One crucial point to consider when stating what the Government will provide is that if the Government fails to provide any portion of the commitment, the contractor may be financially damaged and will likely file a claim with the CO. Anything specified here must be treated as a firm and legally binding contractual commitment on the part of the Government. If there is any doubt whether the Government can keep this commitment, it must be discussed with the COTR and the CO before the task order is awarded. K. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS Qualifications of Key Personnel (Standard mandatory language for all task orders) The government will determine on a SR basis what positions are considered key personnel. The contractor shall identify, by name, the key management and technical personnel who will work under this task order at the time the work is being negotiated. If a key person becomes unavailable to complete the SR, the proposed substitutions of key personnel shall be made only as approved directed by the Contracting Officer and the COTR. The government will not dictate specific experience and education requirements of the employees initially proposed to perform the work stated herein. The contractor shall submit a resume of qualifications to the COTR for key personnel and all other direct employees proposed for the project. All Contractor employees will be approved by the COTR prior to bringing on duty. If, at any time from date of award to the end of the contract, non-key Contractor personnel are no longer available, HES/HIS reserves the right to review qualifications of proposed replacement personnel and to reject individuals who do not meet the qualifications set forth in the TLO. Team personnel proposed by the contractor should possess some of the following knowledge and/or skills: The contractor must notify VHA in advance and we will approve or reject proposed contractor key personnel for the performance of this contract. The contractor shall submit a resume of qualifications to the COTR for key personnel and all other direct employees proposed for the project. All Contractor employees will be approved by the COTR prior to bringing on duty. If, at any time from date of award to the end of the contract, Contractor personnel are no longer available, the VHA will approve the qualifications of proposed replacement personnel and will reject individuals who do not meet the qualifications set forth herein. The contractor must inform the VHA COTR, Project Manager and/or Task Manager when personnel are removed from the contract for any reason. The Contractor shall remove any employee from the performance of this contract within five (5) workdays of receiving notice from the Contracting Officer that the employee's performance is unsatisfactory. All Contractor employees are subject to immediate removal from performance of this contract when they are involved in a violation of the law, VA security, confidentiality requirements and/or other disciplinary reasons. "The contractor must inform the VHA COTR, and Project Manager/Task Manager when personnel are removed from the contract for any reason. "If a key person becomes unavailable to complete the SR, the proposed substitutions of key personnel shall be made only if approved by the COTR and Project Manager. "The contractor shall submit a resume of qualifications to the COTR for all direct employees proposed for the project. All Contractor employees will be approved by the COTR prior to bringing on duty. The VHA shall not be liable for further payment of any Contractor employee that VHA requires the Contractor to remove from the performance of this contract. VHA's payment liability, for unsuitable Contractor employees, ends five working days after Contractor's receipt of "removal request" for unsatisfactory performance and immediately for any violation of law, VA security, confidentiality requirements and/or other disciplinary action. Time and Materials Task Orders When anticipating a time and materials task order, describe the level of expertise that is required of contractor personnel. Take care only to require expertise that is commensurate with the current functional requirement. Also, ask the contractor to provide references of all work underway and completed over the last few years; that is of the same nature and level of effort as the anticipated work. Notice that it is recommended that references be sought for all work over the past few years. By requesting references from all of the contractor's clients, past and present, you remove the contractor's ability to eliminate bad references. This is a way to weed-out contractors who lack the needed expertise for your project. Firm-Fixed-Price Task Orders Typically, the Government does not mandate a particular level of expertise for firm-fixed-price task orders. The reason is that the Government specifies a functional end result for which the contractor proposes a firm-fixed-price. The contractor assumes all risk to provide the specified deliverable by the due date, with the proposed technical team, or may be charged liquidated damages. The better approach is to require the contractor to provide details of the proposed personnel's experience so that the Government can make a judgment as to whether the contractor has adequately staffed the project. Then, if the Government's evaluation team has an issue with the proposed team, the issue can be raised with the contractor during the pre-award phase of the acquisition process. If the Government concludes that the contractor's workforce is lacking the appropriate experience, we can reject the proposal. L. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE Standard mandatory language for all task orders. M. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS New contractor personnel security requirements, which facilitate the security programs for computer systems and automated information systems implemented by the Office of Security and Law Enforcement and Veterans Health Administration. STATEMENT OF WORK TEMPLATE A.GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Project: [DALLAS MEDICAL / GENERAL JOURNAL ORDER] 2. Scope of Work: The contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this statement of work (SOW), except as may otherwise be specified. 3. Background: EBSCO provides the most comprehensive delivery and claiming of missing issues system. Their online technical support is second to none. We have used EBSCO for the last 9 years with little or no problems and would like to continue using their service. 4. Performance Period: Firm-Fixed Price] The contractor shall complete the work required under this SOW in _10__ calendar days or less from date of award, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). If the contractor proposes an earlier completion date, and the Government accepts the contractor's proposal, the contractor's proposed completion date shall prevail. [Time and materials] The work shall begin within ___ calendar days of award, unless otherwise specified. [Both] Work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the CO. 5. Type of Contract: [Firm-Fixed-Price]. [Refer to the guidance that accompanies this SOW to determine the appropriate contract.] B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING The contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this SOW until the CO has conducted a kick off meeting, or has advised the contractor that a kick off meeting is waived. C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1. For every task, the contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), associated costs by task, along with associated sub-milestone dates. The contractor's subtask structure shall be reflected in the technical proposal and detailed work plan. 2. All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms. 3. Where a written milestone deliverable is required in draft form, the VA will complete their review of the draft deliverable within ___ calendar days from the date of receipt. The contractor shall have ___ calendar days to deliver the final deliverable from date of receipt of the Government's comments. D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: The contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance period stated in Section A.4 of this SOW. [For most requirements, concentrate on describing functionally the final end product. Allow the contractor to devise and propose one or more solutions to satisfy the requirements. VERY IMPORTANT: NEVER DICTATE TO THE CONTRACTOR IN THIS STATEMENT OF WORK, OR WHILE THE CONTRACTOR IS PERFORMING THE WORK, HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THE DELIVERABLE(S). ONLY DESCRIBE WHAT IS DESIRED WHEN THE CONTRACTOR IS FINISHED.] Task One: The contractor shall provide a detailed work plan and briefing for the VA project team, which presents the contractor's plan for completing the task order. The contractor's plan shall be responsive with this SOW and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect of the task order as defined in the technical proposal. Deliverable One: A detailed work plan and briefing. Task Two: Deliverable Two: E. EVALUATED OPTIONAL TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES [If applicable] Optional Task One: [List tasks here that are required; but maybe you don't have funds for right now. or enhancements that would be justified if funds become available. Then, as funds become available, the CO can quickly exercise these options. NOTE: SUBJECT TO IRM APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS.] Optional Deliverable One: F. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES 1. The contractor shall complete the Delivery Date column in Attachment A for each deliverable specified. 2. Unless otherwise specified, the number of draft copies and the number of final copies shall be the same. 3. If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the contractor is required to explain why in writing to the CO, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response, in accordance with applicable regulations. G. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the contractor. H. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 1. The contractor shall provide the PM/TM with monthly [frequency determined by project's duration] written progress reports (original plus ___ copies). These are due to the PM/TM by the second workday following the end of each calendar month, throughout the project's duration. The PM/TM is required to provide monthly progress reports to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) by the fifth workday of the new calendar month. 2. The progress report shall cover all work completed during the preceding month and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month. This report shall also identify any problems that arose, along with a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved, with an explanation. I. TRAVEL [If applicable] NONE [Discuss any anticipated travel. Include the VA site locations, number of trips and duration of travel anticipated.] [When travel is applicable include the following language] "Travel and per diem shall be reimbursed in accordance with VA/Federal Travel Regulations." J. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES [If applicable] [Tells what the Government will provide; for example: office space, telephone service, Government-furnished equipment; procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation.] K. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS (Standard mandatory language for all task orders) The government will determine on a SR basis what positions are considered key personnel. The contractor shall identify, by name, the key management and technical personnel who will work under this task order at the time the work is being negotiated. If a key person becomes unavailable to complete the SR, the proposed Substitutions of key personnel shall be made only as approved directed by the Contracting Officer and the COTR. The government will not dictate specific experience and education requirements of the employees initially proposed to perform the work stated herein. The contractor shall submit a resume of qualifications for the COTR and all other direct employees proposed for the project. All Contractor employees will be approved by the COTR prior to bringing on duty. If, at any time from date of award to the end of the contract, non-key personnel Contractor personnel are no longer available, HES/HIS reserves the right to review the qualifications of the proposed replacement personnel and to reject individuals who do not meet the qualifications set forth in the TLO. Team personnel proposed by the contractor should possess some of the following knowledge and/or skills: The contractor must notify VHA in advance and we will approve or reject proposed contractor key personnel for the performance of this contract. The contractor shall submit a resume of qualifications to the COTR for key personnel and all other direct employees proposed for the project. All Contractor employees will be approved by the COTR prior to bringing on duty. If, at any time from date of award to the end of the contract, Contractor personnel are no longer available, the VHA will approve the qualifications of proposed replacement personnel and will reject individuals who do not meet qualifications set forth herein. The contractor must inform the VHA COTR, and Project Manager/Task Manager when personnel are removed from the contract for any reason. The Contractor shall remove any employee from the performance of this contract within five (5) workdays of receiving notice from the Contracting Officer that the employee's performance is unsatisfactory. All Contractor employees are subject to immediate removal from performance of this contract when they are involved in a violation of the law, VA security, confidentiality requirements and/or other disciplinary reasons. "The contractor must inform the VHA COTR, and Project Manager/Task Manager when personnel are removed from the contract for any reason. "If a key person becomes unavailable to complete the SR, proposed Substitutions of key personnel shall be made only if approved by the COTR and Project Manager. "The contractor shall submit a resume of qualifications to the COTR for all direct employees proposed for the project. All Contractor employees will be approved by the COTR prior to bringing on duty. L. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE It is agreed that: 1. The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by VA which have been generated by the contractor in the performance of this task order, are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the task order. 2. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this task order. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this task order, presented to the contractor, shall be submitted to the CO for response. 3. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO. M.CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS 1.All contractor employees who DO NOT require access to the Department of Veterans Affairs' computer systems or Data, tailor the following to best meet your needs. Otherwise proceed to item 2: Language to be put in the SOW/Description (vendor needs to agree they can complete this contract without access to the system) and on the last page of the 6500.6 Appendix A section 3. The 6500.6 Appendix A Checklist Sections 2 (checklist table rows 1-7) is not applicable to this contract. Section 3 Signatures shall be signed. Sensitive VA information is contained within the system covered by this contract. This contract is only for software which will be installed by a VA IT Employee. The vendor shall not be given access to this system under the terms of this contract. The COTR is responsible for maintaining the security under the terms of this contract and shall immediately report security & privacy violations to Information Security Officer and Privacy Officer. The COTR and the Contractor will assure that- A.No other information except what is in this contract will be shared with the contractor in any follow up communication. B.None of the information in this contract includes Protected Health Information (PHI) or Individually Identifiable Information (III). 2.All contractor employees who require access to the Department of Veterans Affairs' computer systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement prior to contract performance. This requirement is applicable to subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. 1.Position Sensitivity - The position sensitivity has been designated as ____________________ (Insert High Risk, Moderate Risk or Low Risk.) 2.Background Investigation - The level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access is ____________ (Insert Background Investigation, Minimum Background Investigation or National Agency Check with Written Inquiries). 3.Contractor Responsibilities a.The contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship, and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language. b.The contractor shall submit or have their employees submit the required forms (SF 86 or SF 85P, SF 85P-S, FD 258, Contractor Fingerprint Chart, VA Form 0710, Authority for Release of Information Form, and Optional Forms 306 and 612) to the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement within 30 days of receipt. c.The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, shall withdraw the affected employee from working under the contract. d.Failure to comply with contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. 4. Government Responsibilities a.The VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will provide the necessary forms to the contractor, or to the contractor's employees, after receiving a list of names and addresses. b.Upon receipt, the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will review completed forms for accuracy, and forward the forms to the office of Personnel Management (OPM) to conduct background investigations. c.The VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement will notify the CO, and contractor, of adjudication results received from OMB. d.Upon being notified about a favorable determination, the CO may issue a notice to proceed to the contractor. Attachment A to the Statement of Work Schedule of Deliverables Deliverable No. OneItem A detailed work plan and briefing for the VA project team Quantity Delivery Date Within ___ calendar days after award Twoetc..
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/VA/VACTHCS674/VACTHCS674/VA25716Q0255/listing.html)
- Document(s)
- Attachment
- File Name: VA257-16-Q-0255 VA257-16-Q-0255.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2445311&FileName=VA257-16-Q-0255-000.docx)
- Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2445311&FileName=VA257-16-Q-0255-000.docx
- Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
- File Name: VA257-16-Q-0255 VA257-16-Q-0255.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2445311&FileName=VA257-16-Q-0255-000.docx)
- Place of Performance
- Address: VA North Texas Health Care System;Dallas, TX
- Zip Code: 75216
- Zip Code: 75216
- Record
- SN03960220-W 20151205/151203234627-c1ce14b943c6b160c02b6574546fa090 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |