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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF JULY 09, 2017 FBO #5707
DOCUMENT

D -- NT_NB_Non-IT Off-Site Storage of Disaster Recovery Materials - Tape Media - Attachment

Notice Date

7/7/2017
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

493190 — Other Warehousing and Storage
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;Technology Acquisition Center;23 Christopher Way;Eatontown NJ 07724
 

ZIP Code

07724
 

Solicitation Number

VA11817Q2284
 

Response Due

7/24/2017
 

Archive Date

10/31/2017
 

Point of Contact

Den-el Opuszynski, Contract Specialist
 

E-Mail Address

arrell,
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION for Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information & Technology, Enterprise Infrastructure Support has a requirement for transportation and offsite storage of disaster recovery materials. VA118-17-N-2285 Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information & Technology, Enterprise Infrastructure Support has a requirement for transportation and offsite storage of disaster recovery materials. For project planning and information gathering, the tasks included which defines requirements needed to support our mission. Information obtained from this request for information (RFI) will be used within VA and will not be disclosed outside of the agency. The planned Basis of Award is lowest price that conforms to the requirements. This is a request for information (RFI) and shall not be considered an Invitation for Bids, Request for Quotations, or a Request for Proposal. Do not submit a proposal or quote. This market research is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI. Any contract that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this market research will be the outcome of a competitive process. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competitive sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI. Please submit the following: Please respond if you are an available contractor for the services below. Please provide positive or negative feedback regarding the tasks such as recommended changes, noted exceptions, ambiguities, etc. All interested parties shall respond no later than 4:00 EST on July 24, 2017 by email to den-el.opuszynski@va.gov and iris.farrell@va.gov. Responses are requested no later than 4:00 p.m, Monday, July 24, 2017. The Points of Contact for responses is Den-el Opuszynski, Contract Specialist, phone (732) 440-9682, email, den-el.opuszynski@va.gov and Iris Farrell, Contracting Officer, email, iris.farrell@va.gov. BACKGROUND The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), Enterprise Infrastructure Support (EIS) is to provide benefits and services to Veterans of the United States.   In meeting these goals, OI&T strives to provide high quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services to those responsible for providing care to Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of the Veterans health care in an effective, timely, and compassionate manner.   VA depends on Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) systems to meet mission goals. The proposed action is for a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract for transportation and offsite storage of disaster recovery materials, in the form of backup media tapes, for EIS. The required services will enable EIS to ensure that primary mission-essential functions will continue to be performed in the event of a wide range of emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following: 44 U.S.C. § 3541,   Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002 Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-2, Security Requirements For Cryptographic Modules FIPS Pub 201-2, Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors, August 2013 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program" Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, Capability Maturity Model ® Integration for Development (CMMI-DEV), Version 1.3 November 2010; and Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, Capability Maturity Model ® Integration for Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ), Version 1.3 November 2010 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, The Privacy Act of 1974 42 U.S.C. § 2000d Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Directive 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program, May 18, 2007 VA Directive 6102, Internet/Intranet Services, July 15, 2008 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, July 1, 2003 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources, November 28, 2000 32 C.F.R. Part 199, Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) An Introductory Resource Guide for Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule, October 2008 Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220), August 7, 1998 Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12), August 27, 2004 VA Directive 6500, Managing Information Security Risk: VA Information Security Program, September 20,, 2012 VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems Tier 3: VA Information Security Program, September 20, 2012 VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization, March 22, 2010 VA Handbook 6500.2, Management of Data Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI), January 6, 2012 VA Handbook 6500.3, Assessment, Authorization, And Continuous Monitoring Of VA Information Systems, February 3, 2014 VA Handbook, 6500.5, Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development Lifecycle March 22, 2010 VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security, March 12, 2010 Project Management Accountability System (PMAS) portal (reference PWS References -Technical Library at https://www.voa.va.gov/) OI&T ProPath Process Methodology (reference PWS References -Technical Library and ProPath Library links at https://www.voa.va.gov/) NOTE: In the event of a conflict, OI&T ProPath takes precedence over other processes or methodologies. Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.voa.va.gov/) National Institute Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications (SP) VA Directive 6508, VA Privacy Impact Assessment, October 3, 2008 VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, February 26, 2009 VA Handbook, 6300.1, Records Management Procedures, March 24, 2010 OMB Memorandum, Transition to IPv6, September 28, 2010 SCOPE OF WORK The Contractor shall provide the safe and secure storage of disaster recovery materials in a storage facility. The Contractor shall provide secure transportation of the materials from the Austin Information Technology Center (AITC) to the Contractor s storage facility on a daily basis. In the event of a catastrophic event at the AITC, the Contractor shall provide secure transportation of the materials from the Contractor s storage facility to the designated location specified by Enterprise Information System s (EIS) Contracting Officer s Representative. PERFORMANCE DETAILS PERFORMANCE PERIOD The period of performance shall be 12-months from date of award, with two, 12-month option periods to be exercised at the Government s discretion. This service is required 365 days a year including weekends and holidays. There are ten Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows: Under current definitions, four are set by date: New Year's Day January 1 Independence Day July 4 Veterans Day November 11 Christmas Day December 25 If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday. The other six are set by a day of the week and month: Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January Washington's Birthday Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Thanksgiving Fourth Thursday in November PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at Contractor facilities with the only exception being the transferring of disaster recovery materials between the Contractor s storage facility and the AITC located at 1615 Woodward Street, Austin, TX 78772 or another designated location in the event of an emergency or test. The default Continuity of Operations (COOP) location for AITC is the SunGard Data Center at 8025 N Interstate Highway 35, Austin, TX 78753, although this location is subject to change at any time per AITC leadership guidance. TRAVEL The Government anticipates travel under this effort in order to transfer disaster recovery materials between the Contractor s storage facility and AITC. Include all estimated travel costs in your FFP line items. These costs will not be directly reimbursed by the Government. SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES The Contractor shall perform the following: STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION OF DISASTER RECOVERY MATERIALS The Contractor shall provide the storage of disaster recovery materials in an offsite storage facility. The Contractor shall store all VA materials in a vault in the Contractor s storage facility (refer to Section 5.5 Facility Requirements for vault and facility requirements). The disaster recovery materials consist of backup tapes and packing documentation. There are two types of backup tapes: slotted tapes and litigation tapes. Slotted tapes are allowed to be removed from their storage container and stored individually in slots at the Contractor s storage facility. The litigation tapes are stored in locked one cubic foot and three cubic foot tubs provided by VA. The litigation tapes shall remain in the locked storage containers while at the Contractor s storage facility. The volume of slotted tapes will vary during the month. The average volume of slotted tapes is 4,500 (+/- 1,500). There are approximately 68,000 (+/- 500) litigation tapes in 605 (+/- four) tubs that shall be stored at the Contractor s storage facility and a subset of the total number of tubs shall be rotated weekly. There are currently an additional 357 permanently locked tubs containing tapes which are no longer in circulation that shall be stored at the Contractor s storage facility, as well as an assortment of Red and Blue Turtle cases (one cubic foot tubs), which average 52 (+/- five) per year that shall be stored at the Contractor s storage facility and a subset of the total number of Turtle cases shall be rotated weekly. The number of slotted tapes and tubs are anticipated to grow approximately 15 percent per year. The Contractor shall provide pricing on a per tape per month storage basis for slotted tapes and per tub per month pricing for litigation tapes stored in locked tubs. INITIAL RELOCATION OF DISASTER RECOVERY MATERIALS Currently, all tapes are stored in slotted tape racks, one cubic foot locked tubs, and three cubic foot locked tubs at the incumbent contractor s facility in the Austin area. Within four days of contract award, the Contractor shall inventory all Government-owned tapes, tubs, locks, shipping containers (there are currently nine), and any other property owned by AITC and relocate them to the Contractor s storage facility and store them in the vault. PICKUP AND DELIVERY OF DISASTER RECOVERY MATERIALS The Contractor shall transport all tapes in locked storage containers. AITC will supply the containers and locks. The Contractor shall provide two copies of shipping and receiving receipts: one for AITC records and one for the Contractor s storage facility s records. The Contractor shall pick up the disaster recovery material to be stored from AITC on a daily basis, including weekends and holidays. Once picked up, the Contractor shall transport the AITC material to the Contractor s storage facility within one hour. The Contractor shall also return stored materials to AITC on a daily basis according to the return date marked on each slotted tape and tub. Pickups and deliveries shall be made at AITC's loading dock. The only exceptions to using the AITC loading dock are after hour (4:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m. Central Time (CT)) recalls with delivery of one tub or less, then the AITC West entrance may be used. The Contractor shall call an AITC point of contact upon arrival for pickups and deliveries. The Contractor shall call in the following order: Computer Operations Tape pool telephone number: 512-326-6526 PM Jason Wescott telephone number: 512-981-4845 COR Todd Davis telephone number: 215-842-2000 X4495 AITC Service Desk telephone number: 512-326-6780 For procedural changes, the Contractor shall contact the COR. If the COR is not available, the Contractor shall contact the Chief,  Tape Management Operations, Jason Wescott at telephone number 512-981-4845. Whenever motorized transportation is used to transport the material, the Contractor shall secure the material with straps to minimize shifting of the containers and damage to AITC materials. All AITC materials shall be transported in environmentally controlled vehicles. Pickup and delivery schedule The Contractor shall pick up the material from AITC between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. CT each day (Sunday through Saturday). This time frame may change depending on the availability of the materials for pickup. If the materials will not be available until after 2:00 p.m. CT, AITC personnel will notify the Contractor by 12:00 p.m. CT of the delay and provide an approximate time they will be ready. Materials may be picked up earlier than the three hour time frame when coordinated between AITC and the Contractor. 1. Monday: The Contractor shall perform two pickups from AITC and one delivery to AITC every Monday. The first pickup shall be between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. CT with no delivery of returning tapes from the Sunday processing. The Contractor shall make the second pickup and deliver the tubs containing the tapes picked up on the previous Sunday to AITC between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. CT. 2. Tuesday: The Contractor shall pick up tubs containing tapes from AITC and deliver the previous Monday s tapes to AITC. In addition, the Contractor shall return the tubs containing the tapes from the prior week to AITC. 3. Wednesday through Sunday: The Contractor shall pick up tubs containing tapes from AITC and deliver the previous day s tapes to AITC. PROCESSING OF DISASTER RECOVERY MATERIALS The slotted tapes shall be processed daily in order to keep the inventory current. The following three listings will be provided by AITC for the Contractor to manage these slotted tapes. Picking List for Vault (Slotted Tapes) This list contains the tapes that the Contractor shall return to AITC the next day. The list indicates Volume Serial (VOLSER) number, which is also indicated on the front of each tape, and the return date of the tape(s) which is identified on the label on top of the tape. The Contractor shall load the tapes on the Picking List into tubs, placing them in order from the oldest date to the most recent date, and return them to AITC the following day. (This does not apply with litigation tapes stored in locked tubs.) Distribution List for Vault (Slotted Tapes) This list contains the tapes AITC is giving to the Contractor for storage. The list shows the VOLSER number, which is also denoted on the front of each tape, and return date indicating when the tape shall be returned to AITC. The Contractor shall pick up the Distribution List and the tapes on the list from AITC daily and shall store them in the vault of the Contractor s storage facility. Note: If for some reason there is more than one day s worth of tapes to be processed, it shall be processed in sequence starting with the earliest day first: Monday s Picking and Distribution lists first, then Tuesday s Picking and Distribution lists second, etc. (This does not apply with litigation tapes stored in locked tubs.) Inventory List (Slotted Tapes) This list is an inventory of the entire library of slotted tapes sorted by VOLSER. No processing is necessary from the Inventory List. This list shall be used for inventory control by the Contractor and for locating tapes requested to be returned to AITC by authorized personnel. (This does not apply with litigation tapes stored in locked tubs.) INVENTORY A complete inventory will be conducted at least semi-annually by AITC. This is to ensure the accuracy of the current inventory at the Contractor s storage facility. Additional inventories will be conducted by AITC s COR as needed. The Contractor shall support these inventories by allowing AITC personnel access to the inventory in the Contractor s storage facility. RECALL OF DISASTER RECOVERY MATERIALS RECALL RESPONSE TIME During an emergency, VA may request disaster recovery materials be recalled to AITC. The Contractor shall deliver the disaster recovery materials to AITC within the following response times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. VA will provide the priority level/response time when requesting a recall. Priority Response Time High Two hours Medium Four hours Low Next day RECALL OF TAPES In the event of system failures, a request will be made for tapes to be returned to AITC. These recall requests are authorized by the personnel listed on the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter. These are the only personnel with authority to recall tapes from the Contractor s storage facility. A password shall also be required for any tape recall. The password will be provided to the Contractor on the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter. The Contractor shall provide the recall to AITC only if the recall request is received from personnel listed on the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter and the requestor provides a valid password. The Contractor shall notify AITC s COR or AITC service desk if personnel not authorized to recall tapes request tapes to be returned or a password is incorrect or not given. With litigation tapes stored in locked tubs, the entire tub shall be recalled and the Contractor shall deliver the tub to AITC. Recalled tapes shall be delivered to AITC. The Contractor shall only release the recalled tapes to an individual listed on the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter personnel list. DECLARED DISASTER PROCEDURES In the event of a disaster, VA will notify the Contractor of a disaster and the Contractor shall prepare the tapes which AITC deems necessary for delivery to AITC provided hot site within four hours of notification. The Contractor shall not prepare AITC recovery tapes for shipment until the authorization to declare a disaster has been verified as outlined in the procedures below. The Contractor shall provide secure transportation of the materials from the Contractor s storage facility to the designated location specified by AITC s COR. If a location specified by AITC is more than 20 miles from AITC, transportation shall be provided by FedEx White Glove Service at the expense of AITC. FedEx White Glove Service pickup and delivery will be coordinated by AITC. Declaration of Disaster An authorization list to declare a disaster will be provided upon contract award. Only AITC management personnel listed on the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter authorization list can declare a disaster. The Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter will also contain the password. Disaster Notification Telephone Call If a telephone call is received from someone indicating a declaration of disaster, the Contractor shall record the following: Name of person making call Phone number they can be reached Time and date call received Any characteristics of caller i.e. male, female, young, middle age, older, race, origin, if identifiable, excited, calm, etc. Note: These characteristics need only be recorded if the password is not provided or an incorrect password is provided from the calling party. Password The Contractor shall perform the disaster procedures only after receiving a declaration of disaster from a person on the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter and after receiving a valid password from the person declaring the disaster. Under no circumstances shall procedures for preparing AITC recovery tapes for shipment be executed until the proper password is received from the party calling. No amount of coercion, persuasion, or pleading from the caller shall be reason for not receiving the correct password from the caller. If the correct password is not provided (either lack of password or incorrect password), the Contractor shall terminate these procedures and document in writing and report the information gathered to the Contractor employee s management. The Contractor s management shall immediately notify AITC Disaster Recovery Procedure Coordinator during normal duty hours (8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday. If the call is received during other than normal duty hours, the Contractor s management shall notify AITC Service Desk and shall make a follow up call the next normal working day to AITC Tape Coordinator. Should AITC be destroyed, the Contractor shall contact AITC Tape Management Operations Chief or the COR immediately. AITC Tape Management Operations Chief and COR contact information will be supplied to the Contractor after contract award. The password associated with the Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter will be updated every 90 days or when any AITC personnel listed retires from or leaves AITC. This new Director Authorized Tape Recall Letter, with new passwords, will be forwarded to the Contractor. Verification Return Call If the correct password is obtained from the caller, the Contractor shall issue a return call within five minutes after termination of the original call. The Contractor shall request to speak to the person who made the original call to verify they did indeed make a request to declare a disaster. If for some reason that person is not available, the Contractor shall request that person return their call as soon as possible to verify the declaration of a disaster. If after one hour no return call has been received, the Contractor shall notify AITC Tape Coordinator. Preparation for Shipment When verification of a disaster declaration has been completed, the Contractor shall precede with the procedures for shipment of AITC s recovery tapes. Hot Site Location/Shipping Information The current hot site for AITC is SunGard Availability Services, 8025 N Interstate Highway 35, Austin, TX 78753, (512) 518-6244. Procedures Once an authorized declaration of disaster has been verified by the Contractor, the Contractor shall perform the procedures for preparing AITC recovery tapes for shipment to the hot site location as follows: Litigation Tapes in Locked Tubs Inventory The Contractor shall load the tubs into shipping containers designed to hold these tubs. Slotted Tape Inventory The Contractor shall pull the entire slotted tape inventory and place them in tubs for shipment. The Contractor shall load all tubs for shipment in the shipping containers. Since AITC will be in a disaster situation, no special listing can be provided. The Contractor shall pull all slotted tapes in sequence starting with rack one and load them into tubs; this will enable the hot site to find tapes when they arrive at the hot site. The Contractor shall place these tubs of tapes in the seven shipping containers designed for shipping of these tubs. Return of Files: Depending on the extent of disaster, the return and disposition of all files from the hot site will be made by the COR. FACILITY REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall provide the safe and secure storage of AITC s disaster recovery materials in a facility that meets the following requirements. Certification The facility shall have a National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) certification. General Structure The facility shall be constructed with non-combustible materials and building elements, including roof, walls, columns, and floors. The building shall be located a minimum of five feet above and 100 feet from any 100 year flood plain area, or be protected by an appropriate flood wall. The facility shall be in accordance with current regional building codes to provide protection from building collapse or failure from a wind load. The facility shall be located a minimum of 10 miles from AITC. The fire resistive rating of the building roof assembly shall be a minimum of one hour. The building shall be constructed in compliance with all national and local building codes (National Electrical Code (NEC), Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), Uniform Building Code (UBC), and National Fire Code (NFC)). The facility shall contain a vault that shall be made of concrete and shall have a roof independent of the building roof. The Contractor shall store all of AITC disaster recovery materials in the vault. Openings in the vault envelope shall be minimal and protected by fire door/dampers and security devices. Within the vault, there shall be no strong electromagnetic fields present, such as electrical bus bars and transformers. Fire Protection System The facility shall be protected by a fully supervised wet sprinkler and fire alarm system designed and installed by a certified/licensed company. In addition, the vault shall be protected by a disaster recovery type fire protection system. The Contractor s storage facility shall have an automatic notification system to a 24-hour per day, seven days per week, offsite monitoring company, which notifies local fire/police response units in the event of an alarm. The fire alarm system shall have a backup power source. The Contractor shall have the fire monitoring systems checked monthly for proper operation by licensed fire technicians or technicians trained by the system manufacturer. The Contractor shall provide copies of inspection test reports on request to verify the systems are maintained per local codes and manufacturer guidelines. Environmental The vault storage shall be thermostatically controlled. The Contractor shall store the disaster recovery materials at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus five degrees Fahrenheit and at or below 55 percent relative humidity. The Contractor shall check the temperature and humidity of the area daily. The Contractor shall notify VA immediately in the event that the temperature or humidity is out of the acceptable ranges. The environmental monitoring system shall have a backup power source. The Contractor shall have the environmental monitoring system checked monthly for proper operation by licensed technicians trained by the system manufacturer. Facility Maintenance The Contractor shall not store hazardous materials in any part of the Contractor s storage facility. The building shall be maintained in compliance with all national and local building codes (NEC, UMC, UBC, and NFC). The Contractor shall have an effective pest control program in place. All grass areas around the perimeter of the building shall be mowed as necessary to achieve an unobstructed view of all building lines. Exterior lighting shall be maintained at all times. The Contractor shall provide proof of compliance with these requirements upon request. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS The Contractor s storage facility shall have an active security program including required access cards for entrance to the vault, ability to alert personnel that the vault door is not closed, and the ability to retrieve historical entry data of the vault, intrusion detection with 24 hour per day monitoring, surveillance cameras, physical intrusion barriers, and an access auditing method. The security systems shall have a backup power source and be checked semi-annually for proper operation by trained technicians. The Contractor shall ensure that all visitors to the Contractor s facility present valid Government-issued photo identification (such as a state issued driver s license). The Contractor shall escort visitors authorized by the Contractor to enter the area where AITC's materials are stored. The Contractor shall issue authorized visitors an access badge and each visitor s name shall be logged on a separate log sheet when they enter and leave the facility. The person escorting the visitor(s) shall maintain constant observation of the visitor(s) to ensure they do not access AITC s materials. The Contractor shall not move AITC's materials to another location without specific authorization from an authorized AITC person, except in an emergency, in which case the Contractor shall notify AITC of the location within four hours of the material being moved. Emergency examples include fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, etc. The Contractor shall be available by phone or pager 24 hours per day to facilitate declaration of an emergency. The Contractor shall perform background checks on all Contractor personnel who will have access to AITC's materials. The Contractor shall use a commercially available service to solicit relevant background information. Background checks shall review the past five years of each person's criminal, financial, and living history. Any personnel having a Class A or B misdemeanor, or any felony conviction, or with obvious financial difficulties (such as excessive debts, failure to pay, and bankruptcy) shall not be permitted access to AITC's materials. Additionally, any personnel with any moving traffic violation during the previous three years shall not be permitted to transport AITC's materials via motor vehicle. The Contractor shall retain all information discovered during their background check for the duration of the contract and allow review by AITC security personnel when requested. The Contractor employees shall be required to provide verification of identity by state issued driver s license at AITC before materials will be released to them. The Contractor shall provide the names, dates of birth, and social security numbers of all Contractor employees who will have access to AITC's materials to AITC before allowing them access to the materials. Access cards shall be required for Contractor employees to access the area in which AITC materials are stored. The Contractor shall only issue access cards to Contractor employees whom the Contractor determines are suitable following a background check. To ensure individual accountability, access cards shall not be shared, loaned, or given to any other person. Persons authorized to access the area where AITC materials are stored shall not allow another person to enter the area during the time they have the door open (also known as tailgating ), except for authorized visitors. The Contractor shall ensure that a control/logging system is implemented to document the transfer of the materials between all parties. The Contractor shall provide chain-of-custody signatures to/from AITC and the Contractor s storage facility. In the event of a mechanical failure of a transport vehicle, the driver shall remain with the vehicle until the Contractor transfers the materials to another vehicle. Drivers shall be provided with a means to summon assistance (e.g. two-way radio, cellular phone, etc.) and a portable fire extinguisher. The access control system shall have the capability for generating reports listing each person who entered the vault area during any specified time period. The Contractor shall provide such reports to AITC security personnel within 24 hours of request. Access control through the main entrance into the facility shall be maintained by a two tier access policy. Materials stored at the Contractor s storage facility will include Federal Tax Information (FTI). This FTI media shall be shipped to the Contractor s storage facility in double locked containers. Therefore, the Contractor s storage facility shall comply with all applicable requirements of the most recent issue of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 1075. This document is available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf. The Contractor shall not use any reference to VA such as "Department of Veterans Affairs", "VA", Veterans Administration, Austin Information Technology Center", or "AITC" in any advertising materials. The Contractor shall carry insurance/bonding in the amount to cover damage or loss of AITC materials (i.e. tapes, tape racks, and all other material provided by AITC) plus the cost of recreating damaged computer files. (This insurance/bonding would typically be in amounts of $500,000 - $750,000). GENERAL REQUIREMENTS POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S) AND CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S) Position Sensitivity Background Investigation (in accordance with Department of Veterans Affairs 0710 Handbook, Personnel Security Suitability Program, Appendix A) Low National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) A NACI is conducted by OPM and covers a 5-year period. It consists of a review of records contained in the OPM Security Investigations Index (SII) and the DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, FBI fingerprint check, and written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment. In VA it is used for Non-sensitive or Low Risk positions. Moderate Moderate Background Investigation (MBI) A MBI is conducted by OPM and covers a 5-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check], a credit report covering a period of 5 years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment; an interview with the subject, law enforcement check; and a verification of the educational degree. High Background Investigation (BI) A BI is conducted by OPM and covers a 10-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check report], a credit report covering a period of 10 years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment; an interview with the subject, spouse, neighbors, supervisor, co-workers; court records, law enforcement check, and a verification of the educational degree. The position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the Performance Work Statement are: Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements Task Number Low/NACI Moderate/MBI High/BI 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 The Tasks identified above and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS Contractor Responsibilities: The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain the appropriate Background Investigation, and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language. The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. Within 3 business days after award, the Contractor shall provide a roster of Contractor and Subcontractor employees to the COR to begin their background investigations. The roster shall contain the Contractor s Full Name, Full Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, and individual background investigation level requirement (based upon Section 6.2 Tasks). The Contractor should coordinate the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized. For a Low Risk designation the following forms are required to be completed: 1.OF-306 and 2. DVA Memorandum Electronic Fingerprints. For Moderate or High Risk the following forms are required to be completed: 1. VA Form 0710 and 2. DVA Memorandum Electronic Fingerprints. These should be submitted to the COR within 5 business days after award. The Contractor personnel will receive an email notification from the Security and Investigation Center (SIC), through the Electronics Questionnaire for Investigations Processes (e-QIP) identifying the website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the investigation documents (SF85, SF85P, or SF 86). The Contractor personnel shall submit all required information related to their background investigations utilizing the Office of Personnel Management s (OPM) Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP). The Contractor is to certify and release the e-QIP document, print and sign the signature pages, and send them to the COR for electronic submission to the SIC. These should be submitted to the COR within 3 business days of receipt of the e-QIP notification email. The Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all personnel provided to work for VA under this contract. In the event that damages arise from work performed by Contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this contract, the Contractor shall be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident. A Contractor may be granted unescorted access to VA facilities and/or access to VA Information Technology resources (network and/or protected data) with a favorably adjudicated Special Agreement Check (SAC) or Closed, No Issues (SAC) finger print results, training delineated in VA Handbook 6500.6 (Appendix C, Section 9), and, the signed Contractor Rules of Behavior. However, the Contractor will be responsible for the actions of the Contractor personnel they provide to perform work for VA. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the database of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Contractor, when notified of an unfavorably adjudicated background investigation on a Contractor employee as determined by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration in working under the contract. Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security investigative requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include: MS Word 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Excel 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS PowerPoint 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Project 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Access 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Visio 2000/2002/2003/2007/2010, AutoCAD 2002/2004/2007/2010, and Adobe Postscript Data Format (PDF). PERFORMANCE METRICS The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Performance Levels for Objectives associated with this effort. Performance Objective Performance Standard Acceptable Performance Levels Technical Needs Shows understanding of requirements Efficient and effective in meeting requirements Meets technical needs and mission requirements Offers quality services/products Satisfactory or higher Project Milestones and Schedule Quick response capability Products completed, reviewed, delivered in timely manner Notifies customer in advance of potential problems Satisfactory or higher Project Staffing Currency of expertise Personnel possess necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform tasks Satisfactory or higher Value Added Provided valuable service to Government Services/products delivered were of desired quality Satisfactory or higher The Government will utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) throughout the life of the contract to ensure that the Contractor is performing the services required by this PWS in an acceptable manner. The Government reserves the right to alter or change the surveillance methods in the QASP at its own discretion. A Performance Based Service Assessment Survey will be used in combination with the QASP to assist the Government in determining acceptable performance levels. FACILITY/RESOURCE PROVISIONS All procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation for the project and other Government applications will be provided on an as-needed basis. The Contractor shall request other Government documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the Government officials with whom the Contractor has contact. The Contractor shall consider the COR as the final source for needed Government documentation when the Contractor fails to secure the documents by other means. The Contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work. VA will provide access to VA specific systems/network as required for execution of the task via remote access technology (e.g. Citrix Access Gateway (CAG), site-to-site VPN, or VA Remote Access Security Compliance Update Environment (RESCUE)). This remote access will provide access to VA specific software such as Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA), ClearQuest, ProPath, Primavera, and Remedy, including appropriate seat management and user licenses. The Contractor shall utilize Government-provided software development and test accounts, document and requirements repositories, etc. as required for the development, storage, maintenance and delivery of products within the scope of this effort.   The Contractor shall not transmit, store or otherwise maintain sensitive data or products in Contractor systems (or media) within the VA firewall IAW VA Handbook 6500.6 dated March 12, 2010. All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with local security field office System Security Plans (SSP s) and Authority to Operate (ATO) s for all systems/LAN s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this PWS. For detailed Security and Privacy Requirements refer to ADDENDUM A and ADDENDUM B. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY The Government will provide all tapes, storage containers, locks, and shipping containers.
 

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Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: VA118-17-Q-2284 VA118-17-Q-2284.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3644423&FileName=VA118-17-Q-2284-000.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3644423&FileName=VA118-17-Q-2284-000.docx

 

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Record

SN04570550-W 20170709/170707234649-f48e5917843da18a6edf620b5fe3b20c (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

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