SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Maintain BVA Research Center Catalog
- Notice Date
- 10/17/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Attn: Department of Veterans Affairs, Acquisition Operations Service, (049A3), 810 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Washington, District Of Columbia 20420
- ZIP Code
- 20420
- Solicitation Number
- 101-05-03
- Archive Date
- 11/24/2002
- Point of Contact
- Point of Contact - Charles A. McClellan, Contract Specialist, (202) 273-8763, Contracting Officer - Chris Burroughs, Contracting Officer, (202) 273-4812
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to Chris Burroughs
(chris.burroughs@mail.va.gov)
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation (RFP 101-05-03) for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The announcement constitutes the only solicitation; responses reflecting availability of the service as described are requested in the form of a proposal. A separate written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses that are in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 01-09. The NAICS Classification code is 519120. The value range of this requirement is 100,000 _ 175,000 dollars. The department of Veterans Affairs requires assistance to (1) maintain the BVA Research Center catalog with citator (VADEX/CITATOR), which is the primary index to the contents of the Research Center at the Board; (2) conduct attachment verification of dispatched Board decisions electronically attached to the Veterans Appeals Control and Locator System (VACOLS); and (3) provide other consultation and programming support as required. The VADEX is the primary index to the contents of the Research Center at the Board. It is analogous to a card catalogue in a library. The CITATOR is an index to the historical texts of VA regulations in chronological order, which are currently maintained on microfiche. The VADEX/CITATOR must be updated quarterly, and be available in an on-line format comparable to the presently used FOLIO InfoBase. Support services will include scheduled periodic pickup of material for processing and periodic delivery to the Board of processed input documents, error listings, and VADEX/CITATOR proof lists; vocabulary modification, control and maintenance; and secure archival storage of magnetic tape and film masters. Skills required for these services include expertise in the following: UNIX operating system software; Microsoft NT computer server operating system software; Microsoft Windows 3.1 and 95 PC software; Oracle SQLnet and Version 7 Oracle Database software; Powerbuilder software and C++ programming language; Folio retrieval software; Microsoft Word, Access and Excel applications software. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION: This system utilizes a thesaurus that is arranged alphabetically and contains roughly 3000 subject headings and about 705 cross-references. All documents received by the Research Center that are of interest to the Board_s professional staff are indexed. BVA personnel decide what items will be indexed. The contractor should provide personnel capable of indexing this material from its beginning to its current form. The current system permits the retrieval of the text of a regulation as it existed on its first effective date through each change of text to the present form. The package of information provided to the contractor to enter into the Citator system includes a CITATOR Development Form, a hand-drawn time-line diagram, the text of the regulation for each time period, available transmittal sheets, and a CITATOR Update Form (for changes only). The VADEX/CITATOR is cumulative and published quarterly. At six-week intervals between publishing, advance sheets must be provided showing the material indexed in the intervening period. In the past, as many as 500 incoming documents have been indexed yearly. At present, the number is closer to 300 yearly. A single change of a VA regulation may be both indexed in VADEX and updated in the CITATOR, including new pages containing regulatory text, transmittal sheets, and a new graphic representation to be filmed and added to the existing reference packet. When the most commonly used VA regulations have been entered into the CITATOR, the estimated number of changes (updates) per year is 150. VADEX Code Sheets, source documents, and CITATOR packages will be picked up weekly by the contractor. VADEX proof lists and any processed CITATOR and tree proof lists may be returned to the Board by the contractor for review and proofing prior to final inclusion in the CITATOR or microfilming of the regulation trees and text versions. It is anticipated that approximately 27,000 to 34,000 decisions will be dispatched by BVA in a year. The approximate breakdown would be between 519 and 654 attachments to be verified per week. In the past, verifications have been accomplished at a rate of between 50 and 60 decisions per hour. Weekly pick-ups from the BVA Research Center will be arranged by the contractor, with a one-week turnaround time expected. A weekly discrepancy report, deliverable to the Director of the Research Center, must list and fully describe the problems discovered with respect to individual VACOLS records, and an electronic copy of the correct Board decision in the appropriate format must be provided by the contractor. (The Board will be responsible for actually correcting the individual VACOLS records and decision attachments.) Errata included in this report must be identified by the veteran_s name, appellant_s name (if different from veteran_s name), VA file number, folder number in VACOLS, and the decision date stamped on the first page of the decision. Additional information is available and will be provided via e-mail upon request. The following provisions are incorporated by reference: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors_Commercial Items, the following instructions are added as an addendum to this clause: Submit offers in two separate volumes, one paper copy and one electronic copy (that may be sent via e-mail) as follows: Volume I, Technical Proposal_Include all technical information required for evaluation, excluding any reference to cost/price. Divide the technical volume into the following areas, Technical Approach, Past Performance, and Qualifications/Experience of staffing proposed. Demonstrate compliance with all minimum technical requirements. Past performance _ include a minimum of 3 points of reference for customers of comparable size, and whose requirements are similar in nature. Volume II, Price Proposal. Pricing should be provided in a fully loaded per action rate for the basic requirement of upgrading and indexing the system, fully loaded per hour rate using a estimated target of 500 hours (for comparison purposes) should be used for the programming support. The period of performance is 1 year. In accordance with FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation_Commercial Items, the Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: (1) Understanding of the statement of work requirements, as demonstrated in the Technical Proposal; (2) Past Performance and (3) Price. These factors are stated in their descending orders of importance. The requirement of FAR 52-212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications_Commercial Items and 52-212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions_Commercial Items and 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders_ Commercial Items must be submitted with offer. A copy of the Representations and Certifications is available at http://www.arnet.gov/far/loadmainre.html. The following FAR Clauses under FAR 52.212-5 are applicable to this acquisition: 52.203-6, 52.219-8, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, and 52.232-33. Additionally, FAR clauses, 52.217-9 (inserts to read _period of performance_ _30 days_ and _18 months_), 52.217-5, and 52.217-8 (insert to read _within the contract performance period_) are included. NOTICE TO OFFERORS_SOLICITATION OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM. It is the policy of the Dept of Veterans Affairs to issue solicitations and make contract awards in a fair and timely manner. To further this policy, the Secretary has created the position of Solicitation Ombudsman who is empowered to investigate issues raised by prospective offerors and resolve them, where possible, without expensive and time-consuming litigation. Potential offerors who believe that a Veterans Affairs solicitation is unfair or otherwise defective should first direct their concerns to the cognizant contracting officer. If the contracting officer is unable to satisfy the concerns, the offeror should then contract the Veteran_s Affairs Solicitation Ombudsman at the address below: Dept of Veteran_s Affairs (049A) 810 Vermont, NW Washington, DC 20240-0001 Telephone (202) 273-6047 Offers are due Oct 26, 2002, 2001, 2:00 p.m. to: Dept of Veteran_s Affairs (049A3F), 810 Vermont, NW, Washington, DC 20240-0001, Attn: Christopher M. Burroughs. For information regarding this solicitation, please call Ms. Burroughs at (202) 273-4812 or e-mail at Chris.Burroughs@mail.va.gov
- Web Link
-
RFP 101-05-03
(http://www.bos.oamm.va.gov/solicitation?number=101-05-03)
- Record
- SN00189458-W 20021019/021017213303 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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