Loren Data's SAM Daily™

SAMDAILY.US - ISSUE OF NOVEMBER 15, 2019 SAM #6560
SOURCES SOUGHT

R -- R--Independent Validation and Verification Request for Information

Notice Date

11/13/2019 1:15:44 PM
 

Notice Type

Sources Sought
 

NAICS

541611 — Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
 

Contracting Office

STRATEGIC ACQUISITION CENTER - FREDERICK (36C10X) FREDERICK MD 21703 USA
 

ZIP Code

21703
 

Solicitation Number

36C10X20Q0013
 

Response Due

11/22/2019 11:59:59 PM
 

Archive Date

12/22/2019
 

Point of Contact

Justin ColeContract SpecialistJustin.cole4@va.gov240-215-1751
 

E-Mail Address

Justin.Cole4@va.gov
(Justin.Cole4@va.gov)
 

Awardee

null
 

Description

PAGE 1 OF1. REQUISITION NO. 2. CONTRACT NO.3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE4. ORDER NO.5. SOLICITATION NUMBER6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATEa. NAMEb. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCALTIME9. ISSUED BYCODE10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED ORSET ASIDE: % FOR:SMALL BUSINESSHUBZONE SMALLBUSINESSSERVICE-DISABLEDVETERAN-OWNEDSMALL BUSINESSWOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNEDSMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMEDWOSB8(A)NAICS:SIZE STANDARD:11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-TION UNLESS BLOCK ISMARKEDSEE SCHEDULE12. DISCOUNT TERMS 13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER UNDERDPAS (15 CFR 700)13b. RATING14. METHOD OF SOLICITATIONRFQIFBRFP15. DELIVER TO CODE16. ADMINISTERED BYCODE17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFERORCODEFACILITY CODE18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BYCODETELEPHONE NO.DUNS:DUNS+4:PHONE:FAX:17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKEDSEE ADDENDUM19.20.21.22.23.24.ITEM NO.SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICESQUANTITYUNITUNIT PRICEAMOUNT(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDAAREARE NOT ATTACHED.27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDAAREARE NOT ATTACHED28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFERCOPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIEDSET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT)30c. DATE SIGNED31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT)31c. DATE SIGNEDAUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION(REV. 2/2012)PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLEPrescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.2127. FOR SOLICITATIONINFORMATION CALL:STANDARD FORM 1449OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS36C10X20Q001311-12-2019Justin Cole240-215-175111-22-201910 AM36C10XStrategic Acquisition Center - FrederickDepartment of Veterans Affairs5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103Frederick MD 21703X100X541611$16.5 MillionN/AX 36C10XStrategic Acquisition Center - FrederickDepartment of Veterans Affairs5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103Frederick MD 21703 VAFSCU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsFinancial Services CenterPO BOX 149971(see Section B.3 invoicing/payment)Austin TX 78714-89171-(877)-489-6135See CONTINUATION Page This is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION only for IndependentVerification and Validation services. Further informationon requested services is provided below in the draftPerformance Work Statement.See CONTINUATION PageXRoxana CepedaThis is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION only. Pursuant to FAR Part 10.002(b)(2)(iii) and (viii) (Market Research), the purpose of this notice is to:1. Determine the commercial practices of companies engaged in providing the needed service;2. Determine feasibility of use of General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Pursuant to FAR Part 8, FAR Part 12 and/or FAR Part 15; 3. Determine availability of Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and VOSB set aside pursuant to FAR Part 19This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action.Requirement:This notice is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Strategic Acquisition Center, Frederick, MD (SAC-F), to identify sources capable of providing the services described in the attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS). Additionally, vendors are requested to ask questions or provide comments on the draft PWS to address any potential vague or ambiguous language or provide insights into areas the Government has not considered. Submission of Information:All responses must be submitted to Roxana.Cepeda@va.gov and justin.cole4@va.gov by the date listed with an email titled IV&V RFI Response. Responders will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of a response, but will not receive individualized feedback on any questions. If your company has the potential capability to perform these contract services, please respond to this Request for Information by providing a capability statement. The number of pages is limited to a total of 20 pages; size shall be no greater than 8 1/2"" x 11"". The top, bottom, left and right margins shall be a minimum of one inch each. Font size shall be no smaller than 12-point. Times New Roman fonts are required. Samples in item 12 below are exempt from page and font requirements and size limitations. The capabilities statement must include the following information: Disclaimer:This Request for Information is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Quotation. It is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract nor will the Government pay for any information provided. No basis for a claim against the Government shall arise from a response to this Request for Information or Government use of any information provided. Failure to submit information in sufficient detail may result in considering a company as not a viable source and may influence competition and set-aside decisions. Regardless of the information obtained from this Request for Information, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as deemed appropriated for this requirement. Respondents are advised, the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this Request for Information.IV&V PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS) VBA Compensation Service | Audit Activity Services for Compensation Service Medical Disability Examination (MDE) Program1.0 BACKGROUNDThe Medical Disability Examination (MDE) Program Office (PO) was established in 2016 to provide oversight for the Contract examinations supporting Veteran s benefits determination. The MDEPO manages 6 Regions/Districts that support distinct populations of Veterans based on geographical areas or special mission, to include the continental United States, Pre-Discharge/IDES (military discharge sites) and foreign locations. MDEPO is responsible for 14 contracts and 4 Vendors.Performance Metrics are delineated by VA within the MDE Vendor Contracts. Depending on the type of examination required and location of the Veteran, MDE Vendors have either 20 days or 30 days to complete all appointments and report results. These timeliness performance standards are measured from the point that the MDE Vendor automatically acknowledges the examination request submitted by the VA until the time in which the examination results are certified and submitted by MDE Vendors to VBMS via DAS. MDE Vendors have their own proprietary IT systems that interface to VBMS Examination Management System (EMS) via the Data Access Services (DAS). The IV&V Contractor would need to access Government IT systems and repositories supporting MDE. EMS handles approximately 60,000 inbound/outbound event transactions daily, on average. The Contractor shall independently evaluate EMS data to determine if they are meeting required performance metrics. Collaboration may be required with MDE Vendors by the IV&V Contractor to support analyses. In addition, any potential issues that impact data or delivery of examination results shall be identified. Based on the analyses, the IV&V Vendor shall also identify any suggested enhancements concerning data/processes that they determine would potentially improve MDE Vendor performance.2.0 OBJECTIVEThe VA is looking for an entity to perform independent validation and verification (IV&V) in support of the Medical Disability Examination (MDE) Program Office (PO). The Contractor shall be independent of all entities and systems currently involved in contract examinations and the MDEPO.The Contractor shall develop a plan, implement, oversee, and execute the IV&V program to provide independent analyses and feedback to the VA regarding the performance metrics of examinations conducted by MDE Vendors. The Contractor shall utilize the IT events and data available to MDEPO from DAS and VBMS to evaluate Vendor performance against the requirements. The MDE Vendor performance requirements are defined within the technical documentation provided within the MDE Contracts. The overall objective is to ensure the MDE workflow and work products meet the technical requirements and that MDE Vendors meet the established performance metrics. TASK STATEMENT Services performed shall be of a non-personal nature. Compensation Service will not provide supervision of contract personnel. Contractors shall not perform inherently government functions including decision-making, supervision of government employees, supervision of other contractors and activities that create the appearance of performing such functions. The contractor shall perform the following: Identify & Gather Data/DeliverablesContractors shall familiarize themselves with the data available to them to analyze MDE performance. Structured reports have been developed to support program metrics which yield performance. These reports focus on key areas where known issues. Additional structured reports shall be identified by the Contractor if analyses uncover additional key data points that require monitoring. These would be added to the list of data to be expected to be reviewed by the Contractor.Contractors shall utilize the technical specifications in the MDE Contract to evaluate vendor processes and performance. These include the IEPDs, Specifications, and other technical documentation provided by the VA to the MDE Vendors in order to build out their interfaces to VBMS EMS via DAS. Develop Review ScheduleContractors will propose a review/audit schedule based on the desired metrics and priority of the data. Contractors will develop a plan to implement the review/audit schedule. In addition, the plan will include how and when the data will be reported and reviewed with the customer. Upon customer approval, the plan will be implemented.Deliverables:Review/Audit ScheduleImplementation Plan Analyze Data/Deliverables, Metrics, and FindingsContractors shall follow their Implementation Plan and conduct an analysis of the data/deliverables associated with VBMS EMS transactions to determine MDE Vendor performance health. Contractors shall perform analyses on the MDE data and compare against the performance metrics set forth in the MDE contract. To measure performance metrics, Contractors shall create complex queries (e.g., SQL) in order to analyze and create reports, charts, and dashboards using BI tools such as OBIEE, Tableau, MS Excel.Analyses shall be performed to review MDE data and performance metrics by Vendor, by Region/District, Regional Office (RO) (for Station of Jurisdiction (SOJ)). The MDEPO requires analyses to be summarized in addition to detailed reports. The reports shall be detailed as follows to aid in the trend analysis of each vendor, such as: 1) By Contract, 2) By Region/District, 3) By RO.� Reports may further be required to be broken down by Exam type or other criteria based on MDEPO needs. These reports shall be broken out by calendar month and able to be rolled up by quarter and fiscal years.� The reports shall then continue through the Period of Performance of this contract. Quarterly reports shall include a compilation of associated monthly reports and summarize findings for the quarter to include trend analysis. Fiscal Year reports shall include a compilation of associated quarterly reports and summarized findings for the FY to include trend analysis. Contractors shall work with Vendors and the MDEPO to assist in data validation and causal analyses, if VA data is not consistent with Vendor.Any potential issues that impact data or delivery of examination results shall be identified and documented as part of the analyses. Based on the analyses, the IV&V Vendor shall also identify any suggested enhancements concerning data/processes that they determine would potentially improve MDE Vendor performance.Contractors will compile the findings from each analysis and report those findings to the customer in a single report. Contractors shall develop dashboards to summarize the performance health for VBA leadership and MDEPO in addition to providing detailed reports. Findings that are found to be IT or User issues will be documented and provided to MDEPO in a timely manner for follow-up with interfacing organizations. Trends for Vendors, Regions/Districts, Regional Office shall be evaluated and provided as part of the findings.Deliverables:Executive Level Dashboards (Monthly, Quarterly, Fiscal Year)MDEPO Brief (Monthly)Detailed Report (Monthly)Raw SQL Queries and XML Files4.0 DELIVERABLES TABLEDeliverablePWS ReferenceQuantityScheduleReview/Audit Schedule130 Calendar DAC AwardImplementation Plan145 Calendar DAC AwardRaw SQL Queries and XML Files1 per Month after completion/ acceptance of Schedule and Implementation Plan10 Calendar Days after the initial Reporting Month (Calendar) endsExecutive Level Dashboards (Monthly)1 per Month after completion/acceptance of Schedule and Implementation Plan10 Calendar Days after Reporting Month (Calendar) endsExecutive Level Dashboards (Quarterly)1 per FY Quarter15 Calendar Days after Reporting Quarter endsExecutive Level Dashboards (Yearly)1 per FY15 Calendar Days after Reporting Year (Fiscal) endsMDEPO Brief (Monthly)1 per Month15 Calendar Days after the end of the reporting periodDetailed Report1 per Month, Roll-Up per FY Quarter, Roll-Up per FY10 Calendar Days after Reporting Month, 15 Calendar Days after Reporting Year (Fiscal) endsKey Personnel Program Manager: 10 years relevant experience, managing IV&V contracts, VBA experience a plusBusiness Analyst, Sr.: 8 -10 years relevant experience, IV&V contract experienceDatabase Developer (Sr.) (Oracle, OBIEE, other tools): 8-10 years relevant experience Period of PerformanceThe base period of performance is one year. There will be two six-month option periods. Place of Performance The contractor shall perform all services at 1800 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. Government Furnished Equipment Contractor employees will be furnished Government laptops to utilize during performance of this contract. 8.0 Access to Data and RepositoriesUpon award, Contractors shall be required to obtain VA PIV cards to acquire access to the VA data tools available to support analyses. This contract will require the use of Government computers (GFE). Contractors are required to work onsite in a VA Office. QuestionsProvide a brief corporate profile of your company to include the following:Organization's official name and dba name, if applicable;Length of time the Organization has been in business;Types of services provided by your Organization;Types of clients by industry (i.e. Federal, Commercial, Local Government, etc.);Whether the Organization is U.S. based or International;If the Organization is a subsidiary of another Organization;DUNS number and CAGE number;Organization's website address;Main point of contact name, phone number, and email address;SBA size designation information and small business concern type (if applicable);Number of employees in the organization;Organization's most recent annual receipts amount as defined by the SBA.Tax Identification NumberAny applicable Socio-Economical Classification(s): 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-owned, Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned and Small Disadvantaged Business.What contract vehicle do you recommend for this requirement?GSA Single Award BPAMultiple Single Award BPAsGSA Multiple Award BPASingle Award IDIQMultiple Single Award IDIQs.�Multiple Award IDIQOther: Please explainDoes your organization have an existing GSA schedule for these types of?���What NAICS codes would your company recommend for this action?Draft PWS Questions:Do you feel the objectives and tasking are clearly defined in the draft documentation provided? What information needs to be added, changed and/or reworded within the draft documentation provided to support the acquisition? What key questions do you need to see answered in a future RFP before you decide to respond to the solicitation?In what format and what kind of supporting documents would be most helpful to include as exhibits in a future RFP?Describe what factors would affect your pricing model based on the in-scope services for this initiative. Which type of resources would be required to support this task and which of these resources would you consider Key?Can you provide a rough estimated price for the work as demonstrated in the draft PWS? Offeror s Solution Questions:Has your company currently or in the recent past provided similar services, to include, but not limited to: IV&V Services - Review of Vendor performance through independent evaluation of the Vendor against PWS requirementsData Queries/Reports - Development of complex queries and reports used to analyze performanceVA Toolsets - Utilization of Oracle, OBIEE, Tableau to create and run complex reportingBusiness Analysis Analyses of business processes and large data sets to identify metrics, trends, and potential issuesExecutive Dashboards and Briefings Development of dashboards, reports and briefings summarizing results of analysesQuality Assurance Ensuring Project work activities and products are accurate and meet the requirements within the PWSIf so, please provide details on the nature of the services provided including, at a minimum, length of time; the name(s) of the organization(s); specific contractor citation and your role (prime vs/ sub). If the role was a sub-contractor, please provide your area(s) of responsibility on the contract.What percentage of the capabilities and expertise are resident in the contractor's organization? What percentage of the capabilities and expertise would require the aid of a subcontractor? Describe your experience and approach to responding to legislative changes/directives resulting in business process and functionality changes. Describe assumptions that you are having to make that might present challenges to your service delivery, why, and how you will overcome these challenges? What do you foresee as the biggest risks in performing the tasks in the draft documentation to meet our objectives?Describe your VBA business acumen? What areas within VBA does your company have business knowledge in? Do you have any experience/understanding of the disability examination process?
 

Web Link

SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/5a70ad3b5ae34aa0a8bb5f2ff99b355e/view)
 

Record

SN05493508-F 20191115/191117154918 (samdaily.us)
 

Source

SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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