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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF JUNE 04, 2017 FBO #5672
DOCUMENT

U -- Training Infrastructure Support System - Attachment

Notice Date
6/2/2017
 
Notice Type
Attachment
 
NAICS
611710 — Educational Support Services
 
Contracting Office
Department of Veterans Affairs;Veterans Benefits Administration;Office of Acquisition;1800 G. Street N.W.;Washington DC 20006
 
ZIP Code
20006
 
Solicitation Number
VA101V17N0245
 
Response Due
6/15/2017
 
Archive Date
7/15/2017
 
Point of Contact
Department of Veterans Affairs
 
E-Mail Address
ct
 
Small Business Set-Aside
N/A
 
Description
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - SOURCES SOUGHT INTRODUCTION THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this Request for Information - Source Sought. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation; therefore, do not submit a quote. There is no obligation for the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in developing its acquisition strategy and to revise the Statement of Work (SOW). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Only electronic responses to this RFI will be accepted. The Government will not pay for any time expended or information submitted in response to this RFI. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice. BACKGROUND This contract is a continuation of VBA s existing training infrastructure support for all Services. The Contractor shall operate, develop and manage Employee Development & Training (ED&T) information systems in accordance with VA security and IT management and configuration control guidelines, to include VA Handbook 6500, The Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems Tier 3: VA Information Security Program. ED&T s training information system currently resides on a leased network. QUESTIONS AND CRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERESTED CONTRACTORS Responses are solely treated as information for the Government to consider. Direct or Indirect costs incurred in response to this RFI are at the expense of the vendor, not the Government. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Any contract that may be awarded will not be based on information received or derived from this RFI, but rather on the outcome of a subsequent competitive process. It is requested that all vendors interested in participating in this effort note their interest by responding to the areas identified in the Company Details", "Capabilities Statement, and General Questions sections below. COMPANY DETAILS The page limit for responses to this section is two pages. Provide company point(s) of contact information (name, email address, address, telephone, and fax numbers). Identify if your company are any of the following business concern statuses (include all that apply): Small Business (SB); Certified Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) firm; Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB); Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB); Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB); Economically Disadvantage Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB); Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB); Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HubZone) Small Business; Large Business Provide contracting vehicles your company holds, such as GSA schedules. CAPABILITIES STATEMENT The page limit for responses to this section is seven pages. Provide an overview of your firm s capabilities to fulfill the requirements of the SOW, to include organizational and staff capability and experience. Provide a brief narrative summary of your technical approach to meet VBA s high-level requirements in the attached draft SOW specifically addressing the companies experience utilizing technical tools i.e. SQL Server, ASP.NET etc. Provide an example of database server maintenance plan that you have utilized to successfully maintain, and perform server and database maintenance detailing the strengths of your approach to database server maintenance. Describe your experience in combining and assimilating multiple data sources, including VA, public use, and non-public data and development of comprehensive, combined analytic files.         Provide up to three (3) contracts that your company has performed for the same or similar requirement and of comparable size, complexity and scope. Describe scope and similarities and differences as pertinent.   Identify specifically your familiarity working with and maintaining infrastructure support systems, such as the Training Management System, databases, servers and any other infrastructure support systems you have worked with. Please be specific and provide a complete reference to include: contract number, contract title, description, period of performance, and award amount; as well as identify whether you performed as a prime contractor, sub-contractor, teaming partner, or as a project manager.       RESPONSE SUBMISSION Please submit responses via email to ross.byrne@va.gov on 15 June 2017, 3:00 p.m. (ET). VA reserves the right to not reply to any emails, responses, and/or materials submitted. ** DRAFT** STATEMENT OF WORK GENERAL INFORMATION Title of Project: Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Training Infrastructure Support. 2. Scope of Work: The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in the Statement of Work (SOW). The scope of this contract is to manage, maintain and execute a variety of data sources to manage the VBA s enterprise training infrastructure that supports more than 22,000 users. The Veterans Benefits Administration has defined requirements and expected outcomes to continue efforts for centralized management of the complex training enterprise infrastructure. The Government has a requirement for a Contractor to establish enterprise training infrastructure that will: Provide optimal service for the VBA for enterprise functionality and availability to support all VBA Services, Program and Staff offices, Ensure compliance with national federal regulations Leverage standards to ensure interoperability Facilitate access to and management of information Integrate training data exchanges between systems to include the VA Talent Management System (TMS) and its future technical enhancements or replacement Enable efficient operations through standard change, configuration, and release processes Increase efficiency through cost avoidance and return on investment The scope of work includes working with Government personnel, especially as Subject Matter Experts, and other Contractors. All products must be 508 compliant, utilize open portability and be non-proprietary. 3. Background: This contract is a continuation of VBA s existing training infrastructure support for all Services. The Contractor shall operate, develop and manage Employee Development & Training (ED&T) information systems in accordance with VA security and IT management and configuration control guidelines, to include VA Handbook 6500, The Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems Tier 3: VA Information Security Program. ED&T s training information system currently resides on a leased network. This task shall include: Maintenance Monitoring User support Developer support Network administration Interface with the leased network vendor 4. Performance Period: The period of performance is 12 months from date of award, with four option years. Work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). 5. Type of Contract: Firm Fixed-Price 6. Place of Performance: The primary place of performance shall be at the Contractor s facility. A limited amount of performance shall be at the VBA s Training Management and Performance Improvement Division (TMPI) in Orlando, Florida. There is a requirement to have certain principle work activities, to include both management and production of training-related requirements, to be conducted in these specific areas. It is permissible to have the remainder of required personnel to complete activities remotely if a robust management structure and communications plan is established that utilizes technology (i.e. Video Teleconferencing, email, Microsoft Lync) to ensure transparent management of all efforts supporting Training and Development and coordination of support personnel to this effort. Personnel required for this effort that may work remotely at the Contractor facility once sufficient management structure is established are: (1) Lead Integrator (1) Program Manager (1) Project Manager (1) Training & Performance Spec I (1) Training & Performance Spec II (1) Testing & Validation Spec (1) Sr. Programmer V (2) Graphic Designers (2) Programmer IV (2) Training Data Manager / Programmer III (1) Training Data Specialist / Programmer II (2) Systems administrator KEY POSITION Lead Integrator: Acts as system integrator manager and advisor for the overall system, across the activities in all tasks. Guide and advise VBA in strategic transformation, change management, performance management, and mission optimization activities for alignment with VA and VBA strategic vision. Identify needs and make recommendations for technical direction, and execute approved activities to support the direction. Must have excellent communication skills, and be able to explain technical issues in non-technical terms. NOTE: This position may also be the project manager for the contract. This key position should possess experience managing in at least two of the following areas: systems engineering, software engineering, database engineering, network engineering. Demonstrated experience in applying National Institute Standards and Technology (NIST) security standards. B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING The Contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this SOW until the Contracting Officer (CO) has conducted a post award conference or has advised the Contractor that a post award conference waived. C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1. The Contractor shall provide a detailed Project Management Plan (PMP) with their quote and shall update their plan as required throughout the contract period of performance. The PMP will address only the work specific to this contract. It shall define the roles and responsibilities of Contractor s program and project managers. The Contractor shall document their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for completion of the specific tasks in this SOW. The VBA Project team should be briefed on the PMP which provides the Contractors detailed plan for completing the required deliverables. The Contractor's plan shall be responsive to this SOW and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect of the contract as defined in the quote. An updated PMP and SOP are due within 30 days after contract award effective date. The PMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and special data collection reporting requests. At a minimum, the Contractor s PMP shall address: Scope Management; Requirements Management; Technical Management, including applicable compliance to Federal standards; Configuration/Change Management; Work breakdown Structure (WBS); Schedule Management, including detailed schedule; Cost Management; Resource Management ; Communications Management; Risk Management; Quality Management; and Procurement Management The Government will provide input to the PMP, review the draft document, and approve the final document. 2. The Contractor shall provide the Contract Project Manager (CPM) with Weekly Status Reports. The status reports shall include: Current status of work; Planned and actual deliverables; Schedule; Installation challenges; Updates, enhancements or code modification; Risks, issues, and mitigations. The Contractor shall brief the Project Manager on the Weekly Status Report during a scheduled meeting. The Contractor shall notify the CPM and COR, in writing, immediately if problems arise adversely impacting the performance of any systems within the training infrastructure. 3. For every task, the contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks associated costs by task, and together with associated sub-milestone dates. The Contractor's subtask structure shall be reflected in the proposal and detailed project management plan (PMP). 4. All written deliverables will be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology will not be used without providing a glossary of terms. 5. Where a written milestone deliverable is required in draft form, VBA will complete their review of the draft deliverable within 15 calendar days from date of receipt. The Contractor shall have 10 calendar days to deliver the final deliverable from date of receipt of the Government s comments. 6. All Contractor personnel who will have access to veterans claims information, for the purposes of needs assessment, job/task analysis and/or developing case-based test and practice exercises, shall complete a background investigation and sign a confidentiality statement agreeing to protect the veterans data and privacy. The VBA Contracting officer s Representative (COR) will provide the Contractor a copy of the required confidentiality statement. 7. All deliverables, except where specified otherwise, shall be provided in one electronic copy to the COR. All deliverables shall be delivered via software compatible (type and version) with that used by the VBA and shall become the sole property of the VBA, upon creation. 8. The Contractor shall not deliver to the VBA any proprietary products or information, software, tools or systems. Company financial information provided in invoices and other documents are exempted from this requirement. If the Contractor believes further exemption is required to this requirement as necessary for effective or efficient execution of this task order, the contractor shall request a specific exception in writing to the COR and shall not provide the proprietary tools or information until written approval is received from the CO. 9. The Contractor shall perform all work in compliance with Contractor s SOPs for application of government and industry best practices for IT and training systems infrastructure. The Contractor shall maintain compliance and conformance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, which requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, they shall ensure that the electronic and information technology allows Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities. Section 508 compliance with VA standards is mandatory and contractor will meet the most recently updated requirement specifications to comply (effective as of 18 January 2017) conformance to VA TMS templates and the associated standards; to include current SCORM (SCORM v1.2, 2004 edition) standards is mandatory. D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance period stated in Section A.4 of this SOW, although the components may be added or subtracted at any time by VBA in order to reflect the results of needs assessment and learning analysis and to meet changes in VBA training requirements. The Contractor shall identify all assumptions as to scope of required activities and number and type of components along with their technical approach. Task 1.0 Infrastructure Support:  This includes IT systems, databases and tools within EDT s resources. The Contractor shall support existing training applications and development activities to meet VBA training needs and reporting requirements. These applications reside on external hosting servers that ED&T has procured. These applications include and are not limited to the following: Training Performance Support System, External Hosting Server, Training metadata applications, Training materials generators (Case Generator, Test Generator), Assessment portal, Evaluation Support Platforms (UniServ, Challenge, WARTAC). SharePoint administration, Virtual School house, Challenge Registration Platform, National Training Curriculum (NTC) Progress Reporting, and Level 1 Survey Compliance: The Contractor support shall include: Application administration Executing agile sprints for new features User management and permissions Support demonstrations Develop format recommendations and solutions Ad-hoc data reports All licenses and rights procured by the contractor shall be transferred to the Government. Licenses shall be transferable without limitation and provisioned as an enterprise. The Contractor shall perform product maintenance which shall include product updates, including new versions, and security patches deemed necessary by the product vendor. The Contractor shall prepare Certification and Accreditation (C&A) documentation for the Enterprise Training Infrastructure and respond to questions during the C&A. Deliverable 1.0:  Infrastructure Support package. Task 2.0 Training Performance Support System (TPSS) Support:  The Contractor shall provide expertise and support personnel for the existing Training Performance Support System. The TPSS is a comprehensive training and performance support system based on job task analyses that includes synchronous, asynchronous, and blended learning elements. The goal of this system is to provide performance-based instruction using higher-order cognitive strategies to bring novices to journeyman-level performance standards. The Contractor shall provide support for VBA s Training Database, which is housed inside the VA firewall at the Philadelphia Information Technology Center (PITC), including; Coordinate with PITC to upload training packages Provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 support for TPSS and training products Conduct Talent Management System (TMS) item maintenance Maintain the TMS/TPSS interface Provide Ad-hoc data reports Interface and collaborate with PITC during internal security reviews and similar requirements Provide technical support for the TMS Interface Deliverable 2.0:  Training Performance Support System support package. Task 2.1 Talent Management Systems (TMS) / TPSS Interface Updates Support: The Contractor shall provide expertise and support personnel to maintain and sustain VBA s Training Performance Support System (TPSS) with VA s enterprise-wide learning management system called the Talent Management System (TMS). The TMS is the VA s official repository of training records for its employees. The Contractor shall provide administration support for web services and modify web services as required. Level of effort includes but is not be limited to two Life Cycle Maintenance (LCM) deployments and 10 support requests annually. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: SQL Server 2012, ASP.NET, and Visual Basic Deliverable 2.1:  TMS / TPSS Interface Updates Support package. Task 2.2 TMS Training Database Interface Support Updates: The Contractor shall provide expertise and support personnel to maintain update and ensure continuous integration and collaboration between VBA s training systems databases and the VA TMS allowing continuous data exchange for the Government to utilize. The Contractor shall provide Technical and User support to ensure that accurate data is reflected and to provide web services to VBA s servers. The Contractor shall provide administration support for web services and modify web services as required. Level of effort includes but may not be limited to (2) LCM deployments and ten (10) support requests annually. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following Technologies: SQL Server 2012, and SQL Server Integration Service Deliverable 2.2:  TMS Training Database Interface Support/Updates package Task 3.0 Training Performance Support System - Helpdesk: Provide ongoing support to all VBA personnel to include students, Regional Office Training Managers, seven business lines training staff, and the VA Central Office accessing VBA s training systems. The Contractor shall resolve issues related to registration, log-on, reporting, and access. The contractor shall provide Technical and User support troubleshooting and helpdesk related support to VBA personnel. Level of effort based on historic information would include providing: Level 1 support Filters Help Desk calls and provides basic support and troubleshooting, such as password resets, printer configurations, break/fix instructions,  ticket routing and escalation to Level 2 and Level 3 support. (60%of one FTE). Level 2 support Generally reserved for desktop,  laptop, and other user device  support and handles break/fix, configuration issues, troubleshooting, software installations, hardware repair they  handle escalated issues that Level 1 support is not equipped to handle. (50% of one FTE). Level 3 support Troubleshooting, configuration, database administration, and repair for server, network, infrastructure, Data Center,  email, file shares, and other infrastructure issues. (5% of one FTE). Deliverable 3.0:   Training Performance Support System Helpdesk package; Document number of users and types of helpdesk requests requiring support each month. Task 4.0 TPSS Deployments Support: Continuation of updates and modifications are required to ensure that TPSS is current and accurate and reflects changes as directed by legislation, policies, and procedures or processes. VBA relies on this training product to support its Compensation benefits delivery to Veterans and their families. The contractor shall provide personnel with expertise to provide IT support for internal and external training courseware.  Level of effort is approximately 73 major deployments (courseware required extensive testing and database support) and 340 minor deployments (minor testing, little or no database support) Deliverable 4.0:  TPSS Deployments Support Package which documents and reports major and minor deployments. Task 5.0 External Hosting Servers: The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining and managing secure external servers capable of hosting multiple applications and training for the VBA workforce. External Hosting server must adhere to all Federal regulations, and Contractor shall ensure continuous compliance to these regulations. The Contractor shall maintain and sustain existing hosting servers and the ability to add capabilities to existing external hosting servers that support multiple applications and training products. The Contractor shall maintain a redundant system to ensure continuity of operations for VBA workforce to access the multiple applications and training products. Operations should be restored within two hours if minor interrupts occur and within 24 - 48 hours for major interruptions. Specific requirements include but are not limited to: Four production servers (2 Apache, 2 IIS), Two database servers (SQL), A domain controller server, A file share server, and A test server (IIS). Deliverable 5.0:   External Hosting Server support Task 6.0 Training Application Support Package Task 6.1 Training metadata application: Perform user and administration support for several database applications which house training development traceability information.   Each application houses multiple VBA positions and program of instruction information to include competencies, behavioral indicators, tasks, and objectives.   The applications provide custom interfaces into a common database to support distinct training development workflow activities.   The application user base includes VBA personnel and training development teams. Task 6.2 electronic Job Task Analysis (eJTA): The Contractor shall maintain and update the existing electronic Job Task Analysis application. A job task analysis is identification of job duties and major tasks of a specific job position. This application allows VBA to maintain the electronic versions of job task analysis data. Identification of the underlying tasks and sub-tasks, corresponding knowledge-skills-abilities and attitudes, and process flow diagrams linked to technical competencies of VBA critical positions.   Task 6.3 Training Material Generators: The Contractor shall provide application development, updates, administration, and user support for training case and testing material generators. Task 6.4 Case Generator: The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing Case Generator application and associated databases. This product can produce realistic, internally consistent, non-PII training material for six Services, thereby saving significant government time and increasing training effectiveness. This application houses hundreds of government forms which have been modified to allow population from the generator database. The generators also include ability to replicate multiple cases utilizing fictional Veteran profile demographics utilized for training application. The Contractor shall maintain, sustain and if required by the Government to expand the capabilities of the case generator database. Sustainment may include adding new VA or other government forms as needed, training new users, and providing user support. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: SQL Server 2012, and SQL Server Integration Service. Task 6.5 Test Generator: The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing Test Generator application and associated databases. The Test Generator develops a wide variety of tests with varying levels of customization, from simple, linear tests to more complex, adaptive tests that shift and change based on how the test-taker responds. The Contractor shall maintain, sustain and if required by the Government expand the capabilities of the test generator database. Sustainment may include adding new VA or other government forms as needed, training new users, and providing user support. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: SQL Server 2012, and SQL Server Integration Service. Task 6.6 Assessment Portal: The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing Assessment Portal and provide administration and user support. The Assessment portal is an application used to serve tests and surveys to VBA students. The application is linked to the Case and Test Generators to retrieve training materials to create robust, relevant testing experiences. The Contractor shall maintain and sustain this assessment portal. The Contractor shall perform application development, and updates based upon validated requirements. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: HTML, ASP.NET, DevExpress, JavaScript, Visual Basic, SQL Server 2012, Task 6.7 Evaluation Support Platforms (UniServ, Challenge/WARTAC): The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing Evaluation support platforms and provide administration and user support. The Evaluation Support Platforms includes but is not limited to supporting UniServe, Challenge (VSR and RVSR) and WARTAC training programs. These applications serve 6000+ surveys and 300+ tests to students and instructors and are used in conjunction with the TMS and VBA Virtual Schoolhouse. The Contractor shall provide evaluation results on VBA training programs. The Contractor shall provide daily, weekly, monthly and yearly evaluation reports on surveys, tests, and other training activities as directed. The Contractor shall provide application development, perform platform updates as directed by the Government, administration, generate dashboards, reporting, perform data analysis and deliver user support. Level of effort based on historic information is up to four (4) new Level 1 survey deployments daily and eight (8) new Level 2 assessments bi-monthly.   The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: HTML, Classic ASP, ASP.NET, JavaScript, and SQL Server 2012 Deliverable 6.0:   Training Application Support for Sub-tasks 6.1 6.7 Task 7.0 SharePoint Administration and Website Management Support Task 7.1 SharePoint Administration: The Contractor shall provide technical expertise to support current and ongoing application development, programming coding, and software version updates as required on multiple SharePoint sites. Daily maintenance and content updates are performed under separate Task Order. Task 7.2 Training Center of Excellence Portal: The Contractor shall provide application development to maintain and sustain the existing Training Center of Excellence (TCOE) Portal. The TCOE portal supports the VBA training community as community of practice and provides information on VBA s training management framework. The portal provides VBA training members training, resources, templates and tools, as well as guidance and best practices in managing their training systems and programs. The Contractor shall provide SharePoint 2013 administration, site maintenance, and user support for anonymous access Center of Excellence SharePoint site. The site must be accessible to VBA domain users only.  Certain circumstances may dictate additional IP addresses are allowed access. Level of effort includes maintaining up to six lists and three subsites Currently use SharePoint 2013 Enterprise Version, and monthly statistical reporting. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013 enterprise, HTML, JavaScript Task 7.3 VBA Service Website Maintenance: The Contractor shall provide application development, content and media (e.g., documents, presentations and video) updates and user support to 3 VBA Services (Compensation, VRE and Education). Levelof effort based on historical information include up to eight (8) requests for (new content or media) weekly and monthly statistical reporting. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013 enterprise, HTML, JavaScript Deliverable 7.0:   SharePoint Administration and Website Management Support for Sub-tasks 7.1 7.3 Task 8.0 VBA Virtual Schoolhouse: The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing VBA Virtual Schoolhouse and provide application administration, end user support, and management of the portal platform. The Virtual Schoolhouse is a portal that supports training activities accessed by VBA employees throughout the year. Level of effort includes current user base of over 5,000 VBA employees, however the Government anticipates an approximate 20% growth in utilization of this capability. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: Moodle, Apache, and SQL Server 2012 The Contractor shall provide expertise and support for newly acquired Learning Management System (LMS) based in the Adobe Captivate Prime Platform. The Adobe Captivate Prime is an additional LMS platform used for VBA national training. All responsibilities under Task 9.0 for Virtual Schoolhouse shall be similar in scope and function once the Adobe Captivate Prime LMS is put into place. Task 8.1 Challenge Registration Platform: The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing application utilized for Challenge Registration. This registration platform/portal supports Compensation Services Challenge training for newly hired Veterans Service Representatives (VSR) and Rating Veterans Service Representatives (RVSR). The registration platforms support a minimum of five VSR virtual and residential courses and five RVSR virtual and residential courses throughout the year. The length of one course runs between eight to 12 weeks. The total number of participants can range from 150 participants to 400 participants when courses offerings overlap. The Contractor shall maintain and sustain this capability to register, record, and report through the various stages of registration. Sustainment includes user support during the entire registration process, and monthly reports on the number of participants, registrations, etc. that supports multiple Challenge training sessions. The Contractor shall provide application administration as required by the Government, provide user support, generate reports, produce training materials used for Challenge courses that may include but not be limited to certificates of completion, student name shields, name tents and class rosters. Levels of effort based on historical information anticipate one new session deployment monthly. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: HTML, Classic ASP, JavaScript, Visual Basic, and SQL Server 2012 Task 8.2 National Training Curriculum (NTC) Progress Reporting: The contractor shall maintain and support the existing application and its associated support database. The application enables VBA to measure progress of over 20,000 VBA employees in meeting their specific training requirements as identified by their respective business line. This reporting feature is used by Training Managers in the Regional Offices and by the business lines training staff to measure compliance in meeting mandatory training needs on an annual basis. The Contractor shall provide application development, updates, administration and reporting capability to allow VBA Training Managers in the field and within Services to run quarterly or ad hoc NTC Progress reports. The Contractor shall maintain and sustain the currency of data and information in the National Training Curriculum application and provide monthly completions and compliance reports for VBA s business lines. Level of effort includes providing application support to the Compensation Service, Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment, Education and Fiduciary and Pension Services. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: HTML, ASP.NET, JavaScript, Visual Basic, and SQL Server 2012 Task 8.3 Level 1 Survey Compliance: The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing application which allows VBA the ability to track completions of Level 1 surveys completed by participants for both online and classroom training events. This application supports Compensation Service s and other business lines requirement for completion of Level 1 surveys to receive course credit. The Contractor shall provide application development, updates, administration, and generate reports. The contractor shall provide monthly reporting on the number of Level 1 survey completions and compliance percentage with participant s completing the Level 1 surveys. Level of effort is based on historical information of approximately 5,000 completions of Level 1 surveys completed on a monthly basis. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: HTML, ASP.NET, JavaScript, Visual Basic, and SQL Server 2012 Deliverable 8.0:   Virtual School house Administration, Registration, and reporting support 8.0 8.3 Task 9.0: The Competency Based Training System (CBTS): The Contractor shall maintain and support the existing Competency Based Training System (CBTS). CBTS allows traceability from competencies, duties and tasks, learning objectives and associated content, and test items for critical positions within VBA Services. This capability enables training practitioners to identify training for a specific competency and also provides a mechanism to locate and update information when changes to regulation or processes are promulgated. The Contractor shall provide expertise and perform support for integrating training development and competency data into an existing data warehouse. The contractor shall provide user support and populating database with training development information such as competencies, tasks, and objectives. The Contractor shall provide personnel with expertise in the following technologies: HTML, ASP, ASP.NET, DevExpress, JavaScript, Visual Basic, SQL Server 2012, and SQL Server Reporting Services Deliverable 9.0: Competency Based Training System (CBTS) Support Package Task 10.0: Infrastructure Applications Support Documentation for Training and Knowledge Transfer: The Contractor shall provide application and systems documentation and develop pertinent materials used for knowledge transfer to Government employees. Task 10.1: Infrastructure Applications Support Documentation: The Contractor shall develop documentation for the government to provide information and record for daily operation and maintenance of the Enterprise Training Infrastructure Systems and Applications as outlined in this Task Order. The Contractor shall provide documentation in electronic format of all materials, manuals, and worksheets used for maintenance and ongoing sustainment and implementation of each Task and subtask applications identified in this contract. All system and application documentation materials shall be the property of the VBA. Deliverable 10.0: Infrastructure Applications Support Documentation Support Package 10.0 10.1 Task 11.0 Alternative Technical Solutions: Veterans Benefits Administration has defined requirements and expected outcomes to continue efforts for centralized management of the complex training enterprise infrastructure. The Government is seeking viable Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) solutions to update its technologies, enhance functionality, increase Government personnel ownership and knowledge of products, and deliver capabilities in a more efficient cost-effective manner. VBA is open to replace major components of existing applications, systems, and associated databases within its current enterprise training infrastructure. The COTS solutions will keep to the prior stated Government expectations. Recommended solution(s) shall: Provide optimal service for the VBA for enterprise functionality and availability to support all VBA Services, Program and Staff offices, Ensure compliance with national federal regulations Leverage standards to ensure interoperability Facilitate access to and management of information Integrate training data exchanges between systems to include the VA Talent Management System (TMS) and/or its future technical enhancements/replacement Enable efficient operations through standard change, configuration, and release processes Increase efficiency through cost avoidance and return on investment The Contractor shall provide the Government competitive and deliver well researched recommendations for COTS solutions as potential replacements for any and all of the applications and systems outlined in this contract. The Contractor shall provide a logical and physical architecture design for any COTS based solution being recommended that could meet the Enterprise Training Infrastructure requirements. Deliverable 11.0:  Alternative Technical Solutions Support Package E. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES 1. The Contractor shall complete the Delivery Date column in Attachment A for each deliverable specified. 2. Unless otherwise specified, the number of draft copies and the number of final copies shall be the same. 3. If for any reason the scheduled time for a deliverable cannot be met, the Contractor is required to explain why (include the original deliverable due date) in writing to the COR and CO, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the COR and CO shall cite the reasons for the delay, the impact on the overall contract and provide a corrective plan of action. The COR and CO will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations. F. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the Contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the Contractor. G. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 1. The Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) with monthly written progress reports. Monthly reports are due to the COR no later than the 5th business day of the month. The Program Management Review (PMR), unless otherwise specified by the COR will be held the second Tuesday or Wednesday of each month as designated by the COR throughout the contracts period of performance. The PMR slides are due to the COR no later than 3 business days prior to the scheduled monthly PMR. 2. The Contractor shall provide the COR and with the following reports initially within 15 business days after completion of the kickoff meeting, and thereafter biweekly delivered via email. Required biweekly documentation consists of: Work Breakdown Structure and Schedule updated and submitted to include task breakdown to the fourth level of detail, milestones, ODC pre-approval dates, and travel pre-approval dates. The WBSS shall delivered to the COR in Microsoft Project format and a PowerPoint format. 3. The progress report shall cover all work completed during the preceding month and will present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month. This report shall also identify any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved with an explanation. The report shall also provide complete, detailed financial reports. H. TRAVEL Travel is required for the completion of the work addressed in this Statement of Work. The Government estimates two trips for four contractors each for Adobe Captivate Prime LMS Administrator training. For estimation purposes the trips typically range from two five days and will be held at either the Denver, CO or Baltimore, MD Professional Development Academy. Travel requirements may change due to a number of factors, such as project requirements resulting from analysis and test results, or changes in location of travel due to VBA operational requirements. Travel and per diem shall be reimbursed in accordance with Federal acquisition Regulations 31.205-46. Each Contractor invoice must include copies of all receipts that support the travel costs claimed in the invoice. Travel must be pre-approved by the COR prior to schedule actual travel arrangements. Travel must be priced separately in the price schedule. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the Contractor s facility is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. This includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time. Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the contractor s facility will not be reimbursed. Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the contractor s facility are authorized on a case-by-case basis and must be pre-approved by the COR I. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES The Government will provide access to VBA procedural guides, reference materials, field sites, and subject matter experts and trainee personnel required for analysis, design, development, evaluation, and implementation. If required, the Government may provide Government Furnished Equipment such office space, desks, printer, telephone and access to VBA training content servers. J. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS KEY PERSONNEL Skilled experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful contractor accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract and subsequent task orders and options. The Program Manager, Lead Integrator, and Senior Programmer are designated as Key Personnel and shall not be removed, diverted, or replaced from work without approval of the CO and COR. Any personnel the contractor offers as substitutes shall have the ability and qualifications equal to or better than the key personnel who are being replaced. Requests to substitute personnel shall be approved by the COR and the CO. All requests for approval of substitutions in personnel shall be submitted to the COR and the CO at least 30 calendar days prior to making any change in key personnel. The request shall be written and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution. The contractor shall submit a complete rĂ©sumĂ© for the proposed substitute, any changes to the rate specified in the order (as applicable) and any other information requested by the CO needed to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the contractor of approval or disapproval thereof in writing. K. SECURITY VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Requirements General All Contractors and Contractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal security and privacy laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA, including the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. §552a, and VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. Contractors must follow policies and procedures outlined in VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program; and VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs and its handbooks to ensure appropriate security controls are in place. Access to VA Information and VA Information Systems VA will supply the Contractor with the minimum logical (technical) and/or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for employees, sub-contractors: (1) to perform the services specified in the contract, (2) to perform necessary maintenance functions for electronic storage or transmission media necessary for performance of the contract, and (3) for individuals who first satisfy the same conditions, requirements, and restrictions that comparable VA employees must meet to have access to the same type of VA information. All Contractors and subcontractors working with VA Sensitive Information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of regular VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710, Handbook 0710, which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs, and VHA Directive 0710 and Implementation Handbook 0710.01, which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/index.cfm. Contractors are responsible for screening their employees. VA Information Custodial Requirements VA information provided to the Contractor for either the performance or administration of this contract shall only be used for those purposes. No other use is permitted without the CO s express written authorization. This clause expressly limits the Contractor s rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d)(1). The Government shall retain the rights to all data and records produced in the execution or administration of this contract. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, Contractor will not destroy information received from VA or gathered or created by the Contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the CO. A Contractor destroying data on VA s behalf must do so accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, and applicable VA Records Control Schedules. All data and reports shall be transferred to VBA upon contract completion. The Contractor shall not make copies of VA information, electronic or otherwise, except as necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on Contractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the Contractor needs to be restored to an operating state. The Contractor shall not use technologies banned in VA in meeting the requirements of the contract (e.g., Bluetooth-enabled devices). Training All Contractor and subcontractor personnel requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and networks: Sign and acknowledge understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the National Rules of Behavior related to access to VA information and information systems Successfully complete VA Information Security Awareness training and annual refresher training as required Successfully complete VA Privacy Awareness training and annual refresher training as required Successfully complete any additional Information Security or Privacy training as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access The Contractor shall provide to the COR a copy of the training certificates for each applicable employee within 1 week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required. These online courses are located at www.tms.va.gov. To self-enroll, click the Create New User button on the red bar and complete the assigned training.  The COR will provide the contractor with the appropriate information to complete self-enrollment. Technical issues with TMS should be directed to the TMS help desk at vatmshelp@va.gov or 1.866.496.0463. Failure to complete this mandatory training within the timeframe required will be grounds for suspension or termination of all physical and/or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the training is completed. Contractor Personnel Security All contract employees who require access to the VA site(s) and/or access to VA local area network (LAN) systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Security and Investigations Center (SIC). These requirements are applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same level of Background Investigation. The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710 dated September 10, 2004 and is available at http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=487&FType=2 Background Investigation The contract employee level of background investigation required for this effort is: NACI. Contractor Responsibilities 1. The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations or reciprocals of previous investigations held that meet or exceed the required investigation level. The cost of background investigations is based on the current Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rate at the time the application is processed at OPM. Fiscal Year 2017 rates are as follows: Low Risk (NACI) $381, Moderate Risk (MBI) $1,730, High Risk (BI) $4,431 or Reciprocals are $62. VA will pay for investigations or reciprocals processed through the VA SIC and conducted by OPM in advance; however, the Contractor shall reimburse the full cost of background investigations/reciprocals to VA within 30 days of Bill of Collections received from VA. VA shall send up to three plus one final delinquent notice to the Contractor. If the Contractor does not adhere to the Bill of Collections, future invoices may be subject to be offset by VA to recoup background investigation/reciprocal costs. 2. Immediately after contract or task order award, the COR will provide the Contractor with the following background investigation documents to be completed by the Contractor and returned to the COR to begin the background investigation process for all contract employees working on the contract who will have access to VA facilities, VA systems, or privacy data: Background Investigation Request Worksheet Optional Form 306 Declaration of Federal Employment Fingerprint Request Form 3. Upon receipt of the above-stated documents from the COR, the VSC will perform preliminary onboarding review and process the request through the SIC. Upon notification of favorable fingerprint results by the VSC, the contractor may begin work while the background investigation is ongoing. Thereafter, the Contractor will receive an email notification from the SIC identifying the website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the background clearance application process in the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system. E-QIP is an online, Internet accessible system where the contractor employee shall complete the security questionnaire required for OPM to process the background investigation. 4. Contractors who have a current favorable background investigation previously conducted by OPM or Defense Security Service (DSS) may be accepted through reciprocation. When a previous clearance is currently held, it does not preclude the vendor from submitting a complete Background Investigation Package as stated above to the COR immediately after contract or task order award for all contract employees who will be working on the contract. 5. The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel who require access to VA site(s) and/or access to VA LAN systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship or Alien Registration that authorizes them to work in the U.S. and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language. 6. Contract performance shall not commence before: The VSC has confirmed favorable fingerprint results, or SIC confirms that it has received the Contractor s investigative documents, the documents are complete, and that the investigation information has been released to OPM for scheduling of the background investigation, or VSC or the SIC has confirmed that the verified investigation will be reciprocated. 7. The COR will notify and forward the Contractor a copy of the Certificate of Eligibility (Form 4236) if the investigation has been reciprocated. The Contractor, if notified of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract. Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. 8. The Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of those contract and subcontract employees they provide to perform work for VA. In the event damage arises from work performed by Contractor personnel, under the auspices of the contract, the Contractor will be responsible for resources necessary to remedy the incident. 9. Should the Contractor use a vendor other than OPM or DSS to conduct investigations, the investigative company must be certified by OPM/DSS to conduct Contractor investigations. The Vendor Cage Code number must be provided to the VA SIC, which will verify the information and conclude whether access to the Government s site(s) and/or VA LAN systems can be granted. 10. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the databases of either OPM or the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Organization (DISCO). Government Responsibilities 1. After the SIC has adjudicated the background investigation package from the Contractor, the SIC will send an e-mail notification to the Contractor and their POC identifying the e-QIP website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the background clearance application process and the level of background that was requested. 2. Upon receipt of required investigative documents, SIC will review the investigative documents for completion and initiate the background investigation by forwarding the investigative documents to OPM to conduct the background investigation. If the investigative documents are not complete, the SIC will notify the vendor of deficiencies and include corrective instructions.   3. VA will pay for investigations and reciprocals processed through the VA SIC and conducted by OPM in advance, however, the Contractor shall reimburse the full cost of background investigations/reciprocals to VA within 30 days of Bill of Collections from VA. VA shall send up to three plus one final delinquent notice to the Contractor. If the Contractor does not adhere to the Bill of Collections, future invoices may be subject to be offset by VA to recoup background investigation costs and may be considered grounds for default. 4. The COR will notify and forward the Contractor a copy of the Certificate of Investigation when the background investigation has been favorably adjudicated or a Certificate of Eligibility (Form 4236) if the investigation has been reciprocated. The COR will also notify the Contractor of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government. Security Incident Investigation The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action the breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify the COR and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/subcontractor has access. M. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES This SOW is further subject to the statutory requirement to assess liquidated damages against contractors and/or subcontractors under 38 U.S.C. §5725 in the event of a breach of Sensitive Personal Information (SPI)/Personally Identifiable Information (PII).   Said liquidated damages shall be assessed at $37.50 per affected Veteran or beneficiary.   A breach in this context includes the unauthorized acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of VA SPI which compromises not only the information s security or privacy but that of the Veteran or beneficiary as well as the potential exposure or wrongful disclosure of such information as a result of a failure to follow proper data security controls and protocols. N. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE It is agreed that: 1. The preliminary and final deliverables and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by the VA which has been generated by the contractor in the performance of this task order are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the COR at the conclusion of the task order. 2. The CO will 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 task order presented to the contractor shall be submitted to the CO for response. 3. 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 CO. ATTACHMENT A SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES Deliverable No. Item Quantity Delivery Date Task 1.0 Infrastructure Support Package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 2.0 Training Performance Support System Support Package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 2.1 TMS / TPSS Interface Updates Support One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 2.2 TMS Training Database Interface Support / Updates One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 3.0 (a) Training Performance Support System Helpdesk Support (b) Helpdesk Usage Report One Monthly As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 4.0 TPSS Instructional Systems Design and Human Performance Support Package. One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 5.0 Instructors for Training Delivery support package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 6.0 -6.7 Training Administration and Project Support package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 7.0 -7.3 SharePoint Administration and Website Management Support One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 8.0 8.3 Virtual Schoolhouse Administration, Registration and Reporting Support One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 9.0 Competency Based Training System Support Package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 10.0 10.1 Infrastructure Applications Support Documentation Package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP Task 11.0 Alternative Technical Solutions Support Package One As determined in the Government-approved PMP
 
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File Name: VA101V-17-N-0245 VA101V-17-N-0245.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546837&FileName=VA101V-17-N-0245-000.docx)
Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546837&FileName=VA101V-17-N-0245-000.docx

 
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Record
SN04531200-W 20170604/170602234912-c86cf427a66b251700f4a48ec90a57a8 (fbodaily.com)
 
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