Department of Veterans Affairs, Acquisition Opeations Service (93A), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420

R -- QUALITY REPORT CARD SOL 101-03-99 DUE 120798 POC Paris Brush (202)273-8768 E-MAIL: Contracting Officer, Paris.brush@mail.va.gov. As a result of increased attention to the Healthcare Bill of Rights, the Department of Veterans Affairs is soliciting offers for a firm-fixed price contract to design and develop a Quality Report Card for the use of the consumer to retrieve information on their Healthcare Institutions. The Quality Report Card, written in plan language, provides key information for consumers to use in determining where to receive healthcare services. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) already has a sophisticated performance measurement system that covers a wide array of health care initiatives. This quality report card shall contain results of key performance measures by organization. The contractor shall develop an overall approach and a conceptual model of the VHA Quality Report Card. The contractor shall then develop a plan that focuses on the users and purposes of the report card. The contractor will conduct appropriate tests as needed and will weave VA staff into the project as needed. A methodology will be created that interfaces VA data into an appropriate template and establishes specifications for using the report card. Term of the Contract: The contractor shall complete this task within 270 calendar days or less from date of the award. Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: Interaction with VHA officials shall be ongoing, and regular status reviews shall determine if the contractor is meeting the requirements of this task order. TASK ONE: Write a quality information report card strategy for the VHA that addresses communication, accountability, and options. Deliverable One: VA Quality Report Card Strategy TASK TWO: Develop a VA consumer information framework which will serve as the conceptual model for a veterans quality report card using the FAACT quality domains. The framework should integrate VA medical facility and network accreditation strategy and document definitions and sampling requirements. Deliverable Two: VA Consumer Information Framework TASK Three. Develop a veterans/user test plan designed to learn which audiences would use a VA quality report card. The plan would determine demographics of user audience(s), define test objectives, and address a prototype of quality information guide contents to be tested. Deliverable Three: Veterans/User Report Card Needs Test Plan TASK Four. Test the VA quality report card using interviews and focus groups. Prepare a report assessing the quality frameworks suitability to meet the audience's needs and revise as needed. Deliverable Four: Conduct Veterans/User Report Card Needs Testing TASK Five. Quality Performance Scoring Methodology for Veterans/Consumer Use. Deliverable Six: Develop the technical specifications for each performance indicator included in the report card. Performance indicator criteria will be adopted to serve as minimum requirements for any performance indicator to be included in the report card. TASK Seven. Produce a prototype report card based on the framework and the scoring methodology that is adopted for actual VA quality results in the prototype. The components of the prototype include a consumer information guide; quality performance indicator labels; definitions and explanatory text; print format and graphics; and an information guide mock-up with the actual performance data. Deliverable Seven: Development of a Prototype Quality Report Card TASK Eight. Test the quality report card effectiveness and usefulness using focus groups and interviews. Prepare a written assessment and make needed revisions. Deliverable Eight: Testing of a Prototype Quality Report Card TASK Nine. Develop an operations plan to support for the report card service including service performance requirements, work flows, data sources and quality mechanisms, analyses and scoring tasks, communications medium, assumptions and process, and reference materials that document the definitions and calculations. Deliverable Nine: VA Quality Report Card Operations Plan Schedule for Deliverables. The contractor shall provide a schedule for deliverables that meets the 270-day time frame set for the project. If the Contractor believes that a different time frame should be set, this new time frame should be indicated in the contractor's technical proposal and detailed work plan. All written deliverables will include two sets, suitable for photocopying. Unless otherwise indicated, VA will have seven work days in which to prepare consolidated comments to the contractor. The contractor will have seven workdays in which to prepare and deliver the final version. The contractor's technical proposal shall contain a detailed work plan for accomplishment of the requirements of this task order, to include the methodology to be used for each aspect of the project and the proposed staffing to be used. C. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE 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 solicitation are the exclusive property of the U.S./Government and shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer at the conclusion of the contract. The Contracting Officer shall be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the 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 solicitation presented to the contractor shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer for response. 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 Contracting Officer. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS Interested Offerors shall submit their proposals, no later than 2:00pm, December 7, to: Paris Nicole Brush (93A2), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 765, Washington, DC 20420. Your proposal shall include: (1) A cover letter, on company letterhead, describing the company to include its size, primary point of contact for this effort, principal product or service provided by that company. In addition, the Offeror must agree, in writing to perform the work identified by this synopsis. (2) A fixed-price to complete this task, including work breakdown structure. (3) The Offeror shall address each task and demonstrate how they will perform the work to meet the deliverables as stated to be considered responsive. OFFERORS THAT FAIL TO CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE EACH OF THE TASK'S REQUIREMENTS WILL BE DETERMINED NON-RESPONSIVE, AND NOT BE FURTHER EVALUATED. The Government will notify each Offeror to inform them whether or not they have been determined to be responsive to this request. The Contracting Officer shall schedule oral presentations within ten (10) days after receipt of the proposals. Those offerors that clearly demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated on the following: (1) Past Performance and (2)Technical solution. Award will be based on a best value determination. Technical scores are paramount to price, although price is not separately scored, as technical scores become closer, the price becomes more important. Posted 11/20/98 (W-SN273673). (0324)

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