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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF JUNE 21, 2015 FBO #4958
DOCUMENT

R -- NCA Pre-Need Burial Eligibility Determination Program - Attachment

Notice Date

6/19/2015
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

561110 — Office Administrative Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;NCA Contracting Service;75 Barrett Heights Rd. Suite 309;Stafford VA 22556
 

ZIP Code

22556
 

Solicitation Number

VA78615N0290
 

Response Due

6/29/2015
 

Archive Date

8/28/2015
 

Point of Contact

David Dixon
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis. This is not a Request for Quote (RFQ) or a Request for Proposal (RFP). This announcement is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the government, implied or otherwise, to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, is seeking qualified sources to furnish the following services: General Requirements 1)The contractor for the National Cemetery Scheduling Office (NCSO) Pre-Need Burial Eligibility Determination function shall provide the below services for approximately 36,000 applications including attached supporting documents per year (this may fluctuate from year to year). a)Receive and process incoming USPS or electronic mail at the National Cemetery Scheduling Office located at 4850 Lemay Ferry Road, Suite 220, St. Louis, MO 63129. b)Pick up and or deliver mail on a daily basis located at National Cemetery Scheduling Office located at 4850 Lemay Ferry Road, Suite 220, St. Louis, MO. c)Within 45 business days of receipt of mail by the contractor it shall have been: i)Opened ii)Date stamped VAF40-10007 and attached documents iii)Entered into the Eligibility Office Automation System (EOAS) Pre-Need Case File. iv)Converted into electronic images and scanned in a format compatible with the VA Information Systems being utilized v)Delivered electronically to the VA in an agreed upon manner. d)Within 45 business days of receipt of all VAF40-10007 documents at the contractor's facility it will have: i)Reviewed, researched, provided pre-decisional eligibility determination, updated pre-need case journal, emailed case to NCSO for review and final decision, receive pre-need case from NCSO to finalize approval/disapproval decision, scan and send final decision letter for electronic imaging, and mail hardcopy decision letter to customer with NCSO electronic or wet signature. e)Forward or deliver a nominal amount of original hardcopy mail, such as personal or congressional correspondence, or bulky items that cannot be scanned, to the NCSO office in St. Louis on a daily basis, and on an exception basis as needed (i.e., if it is a high priority or particularly sensitive item). f)Maintain the highest level of security requirements for all documents, whether in hardcopy or electronic form. g)Develop, obtain NCSO approval for, implementing, and maintaining a Quality Assurance and document accountability plan and reporting method. h)Establish and maintain personnel and equipment to properly and completely accomplish all of the above requirements. Administrative Requirements: 1)The contractor will determine where the work will be performed. The office must have basic security to protect the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) belonging to the Veteran, families, and their representatives. Contractor will provide credit monitoring to any applicant whose information is comprised through unsecure or poor business practices for a period of not less than one year as determined by the contracting officer. 2)The contractor shall receive, date stamp, and screen incoming applications and associated documents received by mail on a daily basis. All mail, whether by standard mail, email, or fax is to be screened and converted to acceptable electronic images within 2 working days of receipt. 3)The contractor shall provide the necessary services and qualified personnel, equipment, materials, and supplies needed to perform the requirements set forth in this statement of work. 4)The contractor shall provide the location where the work will be completed and affirm that the area meets VA standards for securing PII prior to the issuance of the contract and reaffirm VA standards each option year. Compliant shredders or shredding services shall meet VA standards for disposing of papers containing PII information. 5)The contractor shall maintain current and accurate files and records and provide VA with complete and accurate information concerning all work performed and pending upon request. 6)The contractor shall maintain sufficient trained staff and ensure equipment is working efficiently to ensure uninterrupted operations, administration, and support of services under this contract. 7)The contractor shall sort pre-need applications, include attachments and mail the approval letter within one work day from receiving the signed letter from the NCSO. 8)The contractor receives VAF 40-10007, scans any attached documents, conducts research of military records, provides pre-decisional eligibility determination, enters data into pre-need EOAS, updates pre-need case journal, e-mail case review request to NCSO, shall sort distribution documents according to the appropriate identifiers and scan into the appropriate pre-need case file cabinet. The contractor will be responsible for ensuring the correct letters are appropriately assembled, envelope addressed, franked and mailed within 45 work days from the date of receipt. Security: 1)Contractor personnel performing work under this contract shall satisfy all requirements for appropriate security eligibility in dealing with sensitive information and systems belonging to or being used on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The position sensitivity level has been designated as Low Risk. To satisfy the requirements of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) shall be conducted to perform work under this contract. The level of access required by the individual to support the contract will be the determining factor in deciding if a higher investigative requirement is needed. The contractor shall ensure that where need be, investigations for security clearances are processed immediately. 2)The investigative history for contractor personnel working under this contract shall be maintained in the databases of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Organization (DISCO). Should the contractor use a vendor other than OPM or Defense Security Service (DSS) to conduct investigations, the investigative contractor shall be certified by OPM/DSS to conduct contractor investigations. 3)All costs associated with obtaining clearances for contractor provided personnel would be the responsibility of the contractor. Further, the contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all individuals provided to work for the 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. 4)The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract. 5)The contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer's Representative when a new employee will begin employment under this contract so that the security clearance process can begin as quickly as possible. Each employee, after successfully obtaining their clearance, shall be issued a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card which must be worn whenever they are performing work at the facility. 6)The contractor or subcontractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor's employ. The Contracting Officer shall also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an employee termination for cause. 7)In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the contractor/subcontractor shall concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG and Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The contractor/subcontractor shall cooperate with VA in any civil litigation to recover VA information, obtain monetary or other compensation from a third party for damages arising from any incident, or obtain injunctive relief against any third party arising from, or related to, the incident. 8)Failure to comply with the contractor personnel security requirements shall result in termination of the contract for default. 9)The contractor shall ensure that the highest level of security is maintained for all operational processes. All staff shall be trained on security procedures, as well as relevant aspects of the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act. The contractor shall ensure at a minimum: a)Privacy and confidentiality of the Veteran, family members and other representatives is protected. b)Documents and work products that include personal information or other information that could be used for fraud-related activities are not accessible to the general public and when not in use are properly secured. c)Only the contractor's employees and authorized VA employees have access to files, computers, and other documents and materials related to the contract activities. d)Safeguard mechanisms are provided to ensure that all documents are protected from natural and/or man-made disasters such as fire, storm, or water damage. e)Backup files for all electronic images are maintained in a separate and secure location for a period of not less than 36 months as determined by VA. The purpose of this notice is to determine interest and capability of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small-Businesses (VOSB), and Small Businesses relative to the North American Industry Classification code (NAICS) 561110 Office Administrative Services. The Small Business Size Standard is $7.5 million. VOSB/SDVOSB offerors interested in submitting a quote for this project, if it is formally advertised, must be registered and be verified in the www.vip.vetbiz.gov website and must provide the correct NAICS code to include the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) number, name of the firm, address, phone and point of contact. To make an appropriate acquisition decision for this requirement, the Government will use responses to this sources sought synopsis. The type of solicitation issued and the manner of advertisement will also depend on the response to this sources sought synopsis. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS: All responsible parties interested in responding to this notice are invited to submit a capability statement that provides sufficient details for consideration by the Government. Responses must be received by Monday, June 29, 2015, 2:00 PM ET. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice and telephone inquiries will not be accepted. All responses must be submitted through the Department of Veterans Affairs - Electronic Management System (eCMS) Vendor Portal website in order to be considered. Please go to the VA eCMS Vendor Portal website at https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov to register. Once on the webpage, proceed to the Vendor Portal Login section located on the far left side of the webpage and click on 'Request a user account' to register. In the event an Offeror is unable to submit a response through the Vendor Portal domain, prior to the due date, contact the VAAS helpdesk at 1-877-634-3739, or via email at VA.Acquisition.Systems@va.gov. Submission through email will not be accepted. Transmission/uploads must be completed by the date/time specified. Late or incomplete responses will not be considered. If Offerors are still unable to submit a response through VA eCMS Vendor Portal, the Offerors may submit a CD version of their response package as long as VA eCMS Vendor Portal registration requirements have been fulfilled and Offerors have contacted the VAAS helpdesk for assistance in their submission. A copy of the email correspondence with the VAAS helpdesk will be forwarded to the Contracting Officer, David Dixon at david.dixon2@va.gov as proof of email correspondence. If a phone conversation with the VAAS helpdesk proves unsuccessful in an Offeror's ability to submit a response prior to the due date via Vendor Portal, the Offeror shall submit to the Contracting Officer correspondence that contains the date, time, and name of helpdesk representative the Offeror contacted to include the reasons why the Offeror could not submit a response via the Portal. This document will be submitted together with the CD version of the response. In the event an Offeror has not requested submission assistance to the VAAS help desk prior to the due date, nor has submitted correspondence that identifies reasons why the Offeror could not submit a response via Vendor Portal, the CD version of the response will not be accepted. If a CD version of the response is accepted by the Contracting Officer, the CD version of the response may be submitted as an MS Word document or PDF. The CD shall be categorized in a manner where it is easy to ascertain. Offers who meet stated requirements will be provided the address to submit a CD version by email from the Contracting Officer. All offerors shall include the following information with each response: "Legal Business/Company Name (as it is indicated in www.sam.gov) "DUNS Number "Point of Contact Name "Telephone number "E-Mail Address "Capability statement Responses must be received by Monday, June 29, 2015, 2:00 PM ET. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice and telephone inquiries will not be accepted.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/VA/VANCA/VANCA/VA78615N0290/listing.html)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: VA786-15-N-0290 VA786-15-N-0290.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2119011&FileName=VA786-15-N-0290-000.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=2119011&FileName=VA786-15-N-0290-000.docx

 

Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
 

Place of Performance

Address: NCA National Scheduling Office;4850 Lemay Ferry Road, Suite 220;St. Louis, MO

Zip Code: 63129
 

Record

SN03770762-W 20150621/150619235233-8570808324c55eb7457e16c461ec3c29 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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