Description
Purpose: The purpose of this Request For Information (RFI) is for market research purposes. This RFI is for information and planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. Please note that the United States Government will not pay for the preparation of any information submitted or for its use of that information. Responses will be compiled and shared internally with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Responses: All interested parties are invited to respond. All responses must be submitted to Nefertiti McDonald by 3:00 P.M. EST, August 7, 2015. Please limit responses to 5 pages using font no smaller than 10. Responders will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of a response, but will not receive individualized feedback on any submissions. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or from the Government's use of such information Disclaimer This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Contractors shall identify any proprietary information in their RFI responses. Proprietary materials will neither be distributed to nor discussed with any other vendor. The use of information submitted to the Government as a result of this RFI will be at the discretion of the Government. The information obtained from responses to this RFI will remain confidential insofar as permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. The Government is not obligated to provide comments to vendor submissions. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT A. PURPOSE. The purpose of this contract is to select a technical assistance provider (contractor) familiar with grants who will assist grantees of the Supported Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program. The technical assistance provider must be a public or non-profit private entity. B. BACKGROUND. This program is authorized by 38 U.S.C. 2044 and implemented by final rule, promulgating 38 CFR part 62 (RIN 2900-AN53) regulations implementing 38 U.S.C. 2044 by establishing an SSVF Program.75 FR 68979. Through this program, VA has offered grants to eligible entities, identified in the regulations, that provide supportive services to very low income veterans and families who are at risk for becoming homeless or who, in some cases, have recently become homeless. The SSVF program was authorized by Public Law 110-387 which defines a very low-income veteran family as a veteran who is a single person or a family in which the head of household, or the spouse of the head of household is a Veteran. VA's goals and objectives for SSVF include the provision of supportive services designed to enhance the housing stability and independent living skills of very low-income veteran families occupying permanent housing nationwide. At a minimum, grantees will be expected to provide the following supportive services to program participants: outreach services, case management services, housing counseling services, help with financial planning and credit counseling, assistance in obtaining VA benefits, assistance in obtaining child care services, assistance in obtaining legal assistance, assistance in obtaining transportation, and assistance in obtaining and coordinating other public benefits. C. TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES. The contractor will be expected to assist grantees with program implementation activities. The technical assistance provided should be designed to increase grantees' ability to establish and operate successful supportive services programs. Specific tasks are as follows: Task 1: Development of Training Curriculum and Knowledge Website (SSVF University) The contractor shall develop a training curriculum for the SSVF program. Curriculum will be built in a manner consistent with the VA's SSVF University website. The Curriculum shall allow for grantees and the public to have electronic access to training materials through the VA's internet portal or suitable alternative site approved by the COR. Training shall be cross referenced to and consistent with SSVF practice standards. Standards are currently posted on the VA's SSVF University webpage, in addition there are relevant accreditation standards used by Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and Council on Accreditation (COA) reviews of current SSVF programs. Training will include videos and written materials that are suitable to orient grantee staff to SSVF program objectives, practices, and requirements. The contractor shall work with VA to develop a list of training topics that are suitable for repetitive usage. The approved curriculum shall be used as a basis to provide training to new and existing grantees. Training topics may include, but will not be limited to best practices associated with the following: (a) General " Program requirements, rules and regulations; " VA goals and objectives for the program; " Program roles and responsibilities; (b) Program start-up activities; (c) Identification of housing resources and landlord recruitment; (d) Staff recruitment and retention; (e) Program financing and accounting; (f) Outreach strategies; " Participation in CoC's Coordinated Assessment " Coordination with VA (g) Screening and assessment tools; (h) Supportive Services delivery; " Case management; " Population-specific issues (e.g., women's issues); " Oversight of supportive services provision; " Fiduciary and representative payee responsibilities; " Administering temporary assistance payments; " Health , safety and emergency preparedness; and " Suicide prevention; (i) Services designed to support family needs, including topics such as child care and conflict resolution; (j) Obtaining services not directly provided by grantee, including mainstream benefits, legal services, credit counseling, transportation, and non-VA health services for family members; (k) Information management and security; (l) Reporting, evaluation and monitoring; " Administering participant satisfaction surveys; " Conducting effective program evaluation, setting realistic outcomes; and " Program reporting requirements (qualitative and quantitative). Task 2: In-Person Training Sessions The contractor shall be responsible for the planning, coordination and hosting twenty-seven (27) two-day, in-person training seminars at nine locations nationwide. Contractor shall also plan and coordinate 2 national post-award conferences to occur annually after the announcement of grant awards (VA will be responsible for arranging location, travel, and accommodations of attendees of the national post-award conference). The VA will identify these locations upon selection of grantees. The training sessions will utilize the materials prepared under Task 1. The contractor shall be responsible for planning and coordinating all activities associated with the in-person trainings. This includes, but is not limited to, securing training locations (except for 2 post-award conferences), working with VA to identify appropriate dates/times, inviting grantees, and coordinating all logistics in preparation for the training and also on-site at the training. The contractor shall also make arrangements to record selected elements of each of the trainings so that they can be posted to VA's website afterwards. Any associated expenses should be broken out on a line item basis and included as "other direct costs" within the contractor's firm fixed price proposal. Task 3: Grantee Technical Assistance The contractor shall be expected to provide technical assistance to all grantees through a virtual help desk and through web-based training resources. This assistance may include, but is not limited to: a) program start-up support; b) problem-solving and trouble-shooting program operations; c) identification of best or promising practices; d) guidance on reporting; e) financial management support; f) coordination of services with VA and Continuum of Care (CoC) with an emphasis on the Coordinated Assessment/Entry System In addition, the contractor shall provide virtual technical assistance (through conference calls and web based applications) to individual grantees on an "as needed" basis. Such support will generally be limited to grantees in their first year of SSVF operations. Task 4: Review of Grantees' Reports & Compilation of Summary Quarterly Reports Contractor will review grantees' reports to the Program Office to assist VA in identifying those grantees most in need of technical assistance. Contractor will aggregate and summarize the data contained in grantees' reports and produce summary quarterly financial and performance reports for VA, including a list of grantees who may require technical assistance. This summary evaluation will draw from data submitted in HMIS and must be standardized so that VA may compare the results of individual grantees' programs with other grantees' programs and similar programs funded by HUD. Task 5: Review of VA's Program Evaluation Plan & Process Contractor will work with the SSVF contractor providing monitoring of SSVF grantees and jointly review VA's program evaluation process and plan and suggest improvements as necessary throughout the contract period. The focus of the Contractor's review will be on how to best standardize grantee information to better enable VA to report on the effectiveness of the program on a quarterly and annual basis. Task 6: Annual Program Effectiveness Report Contractor will assist VA with the preparation of a report on the program's effectiveness in meeting the needs of very low-income Veteran families. The audience for this report will be senior VA staff and Congress. The report will draw on the material reviewed under Task 5. Task 7: Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Support The Contractor shall provide technical support for one-way data upload to the HMIS Repository on a monthly basis conducted during the first week of every month. The Contractor shall identify issues and resolutions for any technical issues that occur during data upload activities. The Contractor shall provide technical support and deliver a Monthly Assistance Report (MAR) that addresses the HMIS one-way data upload to VA HMIS Repository. Task 8: Program Guide Development and Updates The purpose of this Program Guide is to provide an overview of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. This Program Guide has force for oversight, auditing and program review purposes, and is to be used by applicants to the SSVF Program, grantees, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff members, and other interested third parties involved in the SSVF Program. The guidelines provided the Program Guide are intended to be consistent with SSVF Program regulations (38 CFR Part 62), information on the VA's SSVF webpage, and materials contained in the SSVF University website. The Program Guide provides the following information: 1. SSVF Program Overview 2. Supportive services grant renewal process 3. Technical assistance 4. Supportive services 5. Program operations 6. Fiscal administration 7. Evaluation and monitoring 8. Reporting requirements 9. SSVF Program resources DELIVERABLES Deliverables Quantity Due Dates Task 1 Deliverables: Development of Training Curriculum and Knowledge Website (SSVF University) 1a. Develop training curriculum that include video presentations and written materials 1b. Executive PowerPoint presentations, white papers and other materials required for training 1c. Updates to SSVF University knowledge website TBD Update semi-annually Task 2 Deliverables: In-Person Training Sessions 2a. Plan, coordinate and host twenty-seven (27) two-day in-person regional training seminars. Attendance of each regional meeting may reach 50. 2b. Plan, coordinate and host two (2) national post-award conferences. Attendance for each conference may reach 200. 2c. List of grantees in attendance at each training session. 2d. Written summaries of the presented content, questions asked by grantees and provided response. TBD 27 2 Scheduled during 3 periods: February-March, June-July, and September-October respectively Task 3 Deliverables: Grantee Technical Assistance 3a Monthly log - that details all assistance provided to individual grantees 3b. Technical assistance with web-based training resources 3c. Four conference calls per grantee per year 3d. As needed one-on-one technical assistance for first year grantees (provided virtually) 3e. A virtual help-desk for grantee questions and requests for program information/resources (help desk accessed by email only) TBD 1 4 Not to exceed 200 hours Not to exceed 200 hours Monthly logs due 10 calendar days after the end of each month Once per quarter at COR request Over course of a year Over course of a year Task 4 Deliverables: Review of Grantees' Reports & Compilation of Summary Reports 4a. Quarterly summary financial and performance reports 4 Within 30 days of the end of each quarter Task 5 Deliverables: Review of VA's Program Evaluation Plan & Process 5a. Provide a list of suggested improvements to its program evaluation process and plan 5b. Review and improve monitoring tool and reporting 5c. Bi-weekly meetings to plan and assess SSVF implementation 5d Quarterly meetings at the National Center for Homelessness 26 4 Bi-weekly Quarterly Task 6 Deliverables: Annual Program Effectiveness Outline and Report 6a. Outline of the Annual Program Effectiveness Report 6b. Draft of the Annual Program Effectiveness Report 6c. Final Annual Program Effectiveness Report 1 1 1 Outline within 21 days of the end of the Fiscal Year. Draft report within 90 days of the end of the Fiscal Year Final report due no later than 5 months after the end of the fiscal year. Task 7 Deliverable: HMIS Support 7a. Log TA provided to grantees 7b. Develop and plan HMIS training for SSVF grantees and CoC administrators 7c. Train VA staff who will access the VA Repository 7d A virtual help-desk for grantee questions and requests for assistance with HMIS and Repository uploads (help desk accessed by email only) 12 2 1 Not to exceed 400 hours Monthly Semi-annual with first training 45 days after award. Annual within 30 days of award. Over the course of the year Task 8 Deliverable: Program Guide 8a. Update program guide to reflect current operations, policies, procedures, and desired practices. Quarterly D. TRAVEL. Official overnight travel trips (from the contractor's location to locations outside of the Washington, DC area) will be required to complete tasks 2 and 6. The in-person training the contractor is expected to provide will be conducted in twenty-nine (29) locations nationwide. The exact locations will be determined once grant awards are made. In addition, the contractor shall also be required to make four (4) trips to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of task 6. E. INVOICES AND PAYMENTS. The Contractor shall invoice monthly based upon completion of the services described in the PWS. Invoices are to be submitted to the assigned contracting officer's technical representative, (COR) for approval. A. EVALUATION CRITERIA. Award will be made to the proposal that offers the best value to the government. For the purpose of evaluations, proposals shall be evaluated based on the following criteria. 1) VA will award up to 40 points for technical expertise, including key personnel (15 page limitation) 2) VA will award up to 40 points for past performance (5 page limitation) 3) VA will award up to 20 points for price SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS A. TERMS OF THE CONTRACT. Services will be provided in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and all terms, conditions, and provisions of the resulting contract for the base period of May 26, 2015 through May 25, 2016 with four (4) one-year renewable option periods to be exercised at the option of the government. The contract is effective from date of award through May 25, 2020. The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options, shall not exceed five (5) years. The contract is subject to availability of VA funds. The contractor shall perform no services after the completion of the contract year base, and each option year until the contracting officer authorizes such services in writing. B. KEY PERSONNEL. The contractor shall assign to this contract personnel that by education and training (and, when required, certification or licensure) are qualified to provide the services as denoted in the PWS. The contractor must identify each labor category to be utilized for CLIN 0001 through 0008 for this effort and provide a description of the skills and experience required per labor category, along with resumes. Contractor should have extensive experience working on a national level helping to train and evaluate programs that provide rapid re-housing and prevention services to homeless individuals and families. Contractor must have experience developing and hosting online training courses that include video components and support materials. The Contractor must also have substantial national experience working with vendors operating Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) and training end users (community-based providers) on use of HMIS. This experience must include demonstrated capability to deliver technical assistance that includes, but is not limited to, didactic training, creating written educational materials, offering web based support, and responding to individual program concerns and questions. 1. During the first ninety (90) calendar days of performance, The contractor shall make NO substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The contractor shall notify the contracting officer (CO), in writing, within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (3) below. After the initial ninety (90) calendar day period of the contract, the contractor shall submit the information required by paragraph (3) to the CO at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to making any permanent substitutions. 2. The contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the CO. Proposed substitutes shall have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The CO shall notify the contractor within fifteen (15) calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decisions on the proposed substitutes. The contract shall be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel. 3. For temporary substitutions where the key person will not be reporting to work for three (3) consecutive work days or more, the contractor shall provide a qualified replacement for the key person. This substitute shall have comparable qualifications to the key person. 4. Contractor is to have a contingency plan in place to be utilized if personnel leave contractor's employment or are unable to continue performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resulting contract. A copy of this contingency plan shall be submitted with the offer. Failure to submit contingency plan shall result in rejection of proposal. 5. The government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of contractor if personal or professional conduct jeopardizes or interferes with the regular and ordinary operation of the SSVF program. Breaches of conduct include intoxication or debilitation resulting from drug use, , dereliction or negligence in performing directed tasks, or other conduct resulting in formal complaints by staff members to designated government representatives. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. The contractor and COR shall deal with issues raised concerning contract personnel's conduct. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the CO. 6. The CO shall resolve complaints concerning contractor relations with the government employees. The CO is final authority on validating complaints. In the event that the contractor is involved and named in a validated complaint, the government reserves the right to refuse acceptance of the services of such personnel. This does not preclude refusal in the event of incidents involving physical or verbal abuse. C. Health and Human Services / Office of Inspection General (HHS/OIG) To ensure that the individuals providing services under the contract have not engaged in fraud or abuse regarding Sections 1128 and 1128A of the Social Security Act regarding federal health care programs, the contractor is required to check the HHS/OIG, list of excluded individuals/entities on the OIG website (www.hhs.gov/oig) for each person providing services under the contract. Further the contractor is required to certify in its proposal that all persons listed in the Contractor's proposal have been compared against the OIG list and are not listed. During the performance of this contract the contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business listed on the List of Excluded Individual/Entities. D. QUALIFICATIONS. 1. The contractor shall assign to this contract personnel that by education and training (and, when required, certification or licensure) are qualified to provide services in accordance with (IAW) PWS. 2. The qualifications of such personnel shall also be subject to review by the program office (PO). These qualifications are described in part in Section B. Contractors are expected to have staff with degrees in social sciences capable of performing described tasks. E. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITES. The government shall ensure that the contractor has access to reference materials, program documentation and VA websites as appropriate. F. WORK HOURS. The contractor shall provide services covered by this contract as defined herein. The following terms have the following meaning: 1. Contracted services shall be provided during normal working hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays) at intervals that are mutually agreeable to the contractor, the PO and the grantee. 2. Federal Holidays: The Federal holidays observed by the Federal Government are: New Years Day January 1 Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Third Monday in January Presidents Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4th Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th When one (1) of the holidays falls on Sunday, the following Monday shall be observed as a federal holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be observed as a federal Holiday by United States Government agencies. Also included would be any day specifically declared by the president of the United States of America as a federal holiday. G. PERSONNEL POLICY. The contractor shall assume full responsibility for the protection of its personnel furnishing services under this contract. To carry this out the contractor shall provide the following for these personnel: Worker's compensation Professional liability insurance Health examinations Income tax withholding, and Social Security payments H. MANAGEMENT, SUPERVISION AND TRAINING. Contracted agency shall be responsible for supervising the daily services provided under this contract. I. RECORD KEEPING. 1. The COR shall establish and maintain a record keeping system that will record the services performed by the contractor's employee(s). Any incidents of contractor non-compliance as evidenced by the monitoring procedure shall be forwarded immediately to the CO. 2. Documentation of services performed shall be reviewed prior to certifying payment. The COR shall pay for services actually performed and in strict accordance with schedule of supplies/services above. Contract monitoring and record-keeping procedures shall be sufficient to ensure proper payment and allow audit verification that services were provided. J. ACCESS TO ADP FILES. In performance of official duties, the contractor shall have regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data, which shall be protected under the provision of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policies. The contractor is responsible for protecting that data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion, and for following all applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc., as set out in a computer access agreement which the contractor signs. K. INFORMATION SECURITY REQUIREMENTS. 1. All contractor employees who require access to the VA computer systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement prior to contract performance. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. If the investigation is not completed prior to the start date of the contract, the contractor shall be responsible for the actions of those individuals they provide to perform work for VA: a) Position Sensitivity - The position sensitivity has been designated as Low Risk/Low Sensitivity; b) Background Investigation - The level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access is National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI); c) Electronic Fingerprinting - VHA Directive 0710 establishes a requirement that, at a minimum, a Special Agreement Check and electronic fingerprinting be performed on all appointees and health care Contractors prior to their entry on duty with a VHA facility; and d) Contractor Responsibilities i. The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. If the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) conducts the investigation, the Contractor shall reimburse VA within 30 days. The following information on any contract staff that will be performing under this contract must be submitted within 1 day after contract award. Same information must be submitted on any additional provider referred to provide services at anytime during the contract: Name, Gender, Social Security Number, Date of Birth and Address; ii. The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language; iii. The Contractor shall submit or have their employees submit the following required forms to the Program Office, Contracting Officer within 30 days of receipt; (1) Standard Form 85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions; (2) Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment; (3) SF87 (Rev 4-84), U.S. Office of Personnel Management Fingerprint Chart; and (4) VA Form 0710, Authority for Release of Information Form; iv. The contractor shall prepare and forward a listing of all contractor personnel that shall be performing services under the contract that shall have access to VA computer systems. The contractor shall inform the contract employee that when filling out Standard Form 85, that there should be no gaps in employment history. Any gaps in employment history on Standard Form 85 may result in OPM rejecting the documentation for investigation; and v. Failure to comply with the contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. e) Government Responsibilities i. The VA CO will provide the necessary forms to the contractor or to the contractor's employees after receiving a list of names and addresses; ii. Upon receipt, the VA CO will review the completed forms for accuracy and forward the forms to OPM to conduct the background investigation; iii. The VA facility shall pay for investigations conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in advance. In these instances, the Contractor shall reimburse the VA facility within 30 days. A bill of collection will be prepared by VA and forwarded to the contractor for payment. The estimated cost for a low risk level background investigation is $200; iv. The VA CO shall forward the completed background investigations to the office of security and law enforcement for adjudication. The Office of security and law enforcement shall notify the CO and contractor after adjudicating the results of the background investigations received from OPM / CO; and v. The CO shall ensure that the contractor provides evidence that investigations have been completed or are in the process of being requested. 2. The contractor may utilize a private investigating agency if such agency possesses an OPM and defense security service certification. A cage code number must be provided to the VA office of security and law enforcement, which shall verify the information and advise the CO whether contractor's access to the computer systems can be authorized. L. SECURITY TRAINING. 1. Each contractor and subcontractor assigned work under this contract are required to receive and document completion of VA training on cyber security prior to having access to the VA computer system. Security training will be accomplished annually or in accordance with office of cyber and information security requirements. The requirements for fulfilling this provision can be found at https://www.ees-learning.net 2. Contractor personnel having access to VA information systems are required to read and sign a rules of behavior statement with outlines rules of behavior related to VA automated information systems. The COR will provide the contractor, through the facility information security officer (ISO), the rules of behavior for the respective facility. 3. As VA routinely reviews and updates policies and procedures covering contractor computer access this contract may be modified to reflect new policies and procedures during the term of this agreement. This includes any new training requirements from regulatory sources. M. TRAVEL. Costs incurred by contractor personnel or official company business are allowable, subject to the limitations contained in FAR Part 31.205-46. Travel expenses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). Reimbursement of travel costs, to include per diem, shall not exceed the rates and conditions of reimbursement set forth in the FTR. Government per diem rates can be found on the website at www.gsa.gov. N. PAYMENTS. 1. Payment to the contractor shall be made monthly, in arrears, upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice. 2. Contractor employee(s) shall be actually performing the services specified in the contract in order to receive reimbursement. 3. The Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Service Center (FSC) is the designated agency office for invoice receipt in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (5 CFR Part 1315). FSC or its designated representative may contact the vendor to provide specific instructions for electronic submission of invoices. The vendor shall be responsible for any associated expenses. FSC may utilize third-party contractors to facilitate invoice processing. Prior to contact by FSC or its designated representative for electronic invoicing submissions., Payment Address: 4. Billings rendered by the contractor to the PO for services furnished under the terms of this contract shall be billings in full. Neither the beneficiary his insurer, nor any third party shall be billed. NOTE: Invoices for payment may be rejected if sufficient support information, such as deliverables and tasks completed, is not included. Invoices shall include the following information to be considered valid for payment. Invoices without the required information will be returned: " Vendor name, invoice number and date " Complete purchase order number assigned by the VA facility " Name of provider, number of hours worked, unit price. " Total dollar amount of invoice O. CONFIDENTIALITY. 1. To the extent permitted by federal privacy statutes, rules and regulations, VA shall provide the contract with access to pertinent medical information for the purpose of providing coordinated comprehensive health care to veterans. 2. The contractor acknowledges that all records are subject to the Privacy Act and that VA is the sole entity authorized to release such information and implementing regulations. 3. VA acknowledges that in receiving, storing, processing or otherwise dealing with any patient information received from the contractor, VA is fully bound by federal confidentiality statutes and implementing regulations. 4. Records created by the contractor in the course of performing under this agreement are the property of VA and shall not be accessed, released, transferred or destroyed except in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations. Upon expiration of this contract or termination of the contract, the contractor will promptly provide VA with individually identified VA patient treatment records. VA has unrestricted access to the records generated by the contractor pursuant to this contract. P. NOTICES. Contractor shall, in writing, keep the CO informed of any unusual circumstances in conjunction with the contract Q. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COR). VA shall provide the contractor with the name, title, and telephone number of the COR at the time of contract award. The COR will be the VA official responsible for verifying contract performance. R. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA. The CO is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements of this contract. The contractor shall communicate with the CO on all matters pertaining to contract administration. Only the CO is authorized to make commitments or issue changes that shall affect price, quantity or quality of performance of this contract. The COR will be responsible for the overall technical administration of this contract as outlined in the COR Delegation of Authority. IN THE EVENT THE CONTRACTOR AFFECTS ANY SUCH CHANGE AT THE DIRECTION OF ANY PERSON OTHER THAN THE CONTRACTING OFFICER WITHOUT AUTHORITY, NO ADJUSTMENT SHALL BE MADE IN THE CONTRACT PRICE TO COVER AN INCREASE IN COSTS INCURRED AS A RESULT THEREOF.