Page 2 of 2 The Network 22 Contracting Office intends to negotiate a sole source procurement in accordance with FAR 12 with Theodore K Gideonse. The NAICS code is 541990 All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services with a size standard of $15 million. Theodore K. Gideonse will conduct and analysis of interviews with VA providers to assess usability of tools intended for use in the care of high utilizers for the VA Los Angeles HSR&D Center of Innovation (COIN) also called the Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP) at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS). The contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, travel, lodging and any other supplies or equipment necessary to perform the requirements as outlined in this SOW. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements by submitting their request in writing with complete name, address, telephone, email address, and a point of contact. The Government will consider all quotes received by 12:00 PM PST, July 3, 2020. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquires will only be accepted in writing by email only at
[email protected] . INTRODUCTION The purpose of this Statement of Work (SOW) is to outline the tasks and responsibilities of the contractor in relation to the conduct and analysis of interviews with VA providers to assess usability of tools intended for use in the care of high utilizers for the VA Los Angeles HSR&D Center of Innovation (COIN) also called the Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP) at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS). The contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, travel, lodging and any other supplies or equipment necessary to perform the requirements as outlined in this SOW. Background: The Testing an Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Approach to Improve Implementation of Comprehensive Women s Health Care in Low Performing VA Facilities (hereafter, EBQI Evaluation ) project represents a partnered effort to evaluate 1) barriers and facilitators to achieving delivery of comprehensive women s health care; 2) impacts of an evidence-based quality improvement approach to supporting facilities to achieve comprehensive women s health care; and 3) contextual factors, local process, and organizational changes that related to comprehensive women s health care. The evaluation uses qualitative interviews with VA stakeholders at the identified facilities. Stakeholders to be interviewed include VA providers, VA researchers, and VA administrators and leaders. Scope: The purpose of this contract is to obtain a qualitative methods expert who can provide services in support of the EBQI Evaluation, building on the expertise of a researcher with extensive research experience on women Veterans health and health care as well as stakeholder engagement in research. The contractor will code and analyze qualitative interview data, summarize and disseminate results (e.g., manuscripts, executive summaries, briefings, presentations), and provide consultation to inform data collection and analysis processes. The Vendor will work solely with the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation leadership and staff on the tasks below. The Vendor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this SOW, except as otherwise specified. Performance Period: The contractor shall complete the work required under this SOW in 365 calendar days or less from date of award, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer. If the contractor proposes an earlier completion date, and the Government accepts the contractor s proposal, the contractor s proposed completion date shall prevail. Work at the government site shall not take place on federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer. TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES B.1. Task One: Conduct and help disseminate a detailed, comparative analysis of qualitative interview data collected for Women's Health Services (WHS)-partnered projects. Deliverable One: At least 50 de-identified interview transcripts will be thoroughly and systematically coded using established, team-based qualitative analysis methods Deliverable Two: Summarize coding output from analysis of at least 50 de-identified interview transcripts to support the formulation of manuscript outlines Deliverable Three: Complete and submit (and revise if necessary) at least one academic manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, using the qualitative data to describe Women's Health provider and staff experiences of providing care to women Veterans. Deliverable Four: Co-design at least two dissemination products (e.g., executive summaries, briefings, presentations) for stakeholder audiences (e.g., VACO partners, participants) B.2. Task Two: Consult with project staff regarding the ongoing conduct of and methods underlying the WHS-partnered projects Deliverable Five: Attend meetings and conference calls and answer emails to inform data collection and analysis processes Task should be completed between August 24, 2020 (or ASAP) August 23, 2021 (or 365 days after the start date). Total Deliverable 1 $17,000.00 Deliverable 2 $12,750.00 Deliverable 3 $5,950.00 Deliverable 4 $2,550.00 Deliverable 5 $1,275.00 Total $39,525.00 Hours of Operation Normal tour-of-duty hours at the VAGLAHS are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. There may be instances in which the vendor s workday may be outside of this period. The vendor is required to coordinate these times with the designated Program Manager. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 6103, Executive Order 11582 and Public Law 94-97 the following national holidays are observed and for the purpose of this contract are defined as Legal Federal official holidays . New Year s Day January 1st Martin Luther King s Birthday Third Monday in January President s Day Last Monday in January Memorial Day Last Monday in January Independence Day July 4th Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veteran s Day November 11th Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a National Holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a National Holiday by U.S. Government Agencies. C. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the contractor is required to explain why in writing to the Contracting Officer, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the Contracting Officer shall cite the reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The Contracting Officer will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations. D. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the Contracting Officer. 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 Contracting Officer shall be borne by the contractor. E. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES Government will provide contractor with all documents for review and comment at least two weeks prior to deliverable date. F. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS Contractor must have experience with conducting qualitative, semi-structured interviews with professionals in a variety of roles, as well as patients. Contractor must have experience with interviewing VA providers and providers who provide care for women Veterans. Contractor must have experience working as a member of a research team evaluating engagement in research. Contractor must have experience serving as a Site Lead in a practice-based research network. G. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE It is agreed that: 1. The preliminary and final deliverables and other material deemed relevant by VA which have 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 Contracting Officer at the conclusion of the task order. 2. The Contracting Officer 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 Contracting Officer 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 Contracting Officer. VENDOR RESPONSIBILITIES The vendor shall be responsible for any and all liability actions or suits when the vendor is at fault or negligent in the performance of installation and testing activities. Pecuniary liability is also included for any and all damages to VA buildings and equipment caused by installation activities. The vendor shall comply with all local building and fire codes in addition to VA policy and procedures at the site. The vendor shall operate under, but not limited, to the following national codes, telecommunications industry standards and practices: National Electric Code (NEC), Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI), all standards, Electronic Industries Association/Telecommunications Industry Association EIA/TIA, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), ITU and IETF and all applicable audio, video, communication, data and control standards. All travel shall be responsibility of the vendor. Whenever possible, conference calls and video conferencing should be used. VAGLA Responsibilities A Project Manager assigned by HSR&D COIN shall provide access to the appropriate personnel (management, technical, subject matter expertise, etc.) necessary to fulfill the vendor s requirements in a timely fashion. J. SECURITY The vendor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security in accordance with VA standard operating procedures and standard contract language, conditions laws, and regulations. The vendor s firewall and web server shall meet or exceed the government minimum requirements for security. All government data shall be protected behind an approved firewall. Any security violations or attempted violations shall be reported to the VA Project Manager and the VBA Headquarters Information Security Officer as soon as possible. The vendor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security, especially those that pertain to certification accreditation. The contractor shall follow The Veterans Affair Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) security clause VAAR- 852.273-75 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES sited in section C. Contract Clauses (a) The contractor and their personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. These include, but are not limited to Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), Appendix III of OMB Circular A-130, and guidance and standards, available from the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This also includes the use of common security configurations available from NIST's Web site at: http://checklists.nist.gov (b) To ensure that appropriate security controls are in place, Contractors must follow the procedures set forth in "VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Requirements for IT Contracts" located at the following Web site: http://www.iprm.oit.va.gov (c) The contractor shall adhere to regulation 44 U.S.C Chapter 21, 29, and 33. (d) The contractor and their personal agree to comply with Agency Records management policies, including those policies associated with the safe guarding of the records covered by the Privacy Act 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created regardless of format (Paper, electronic, etc.) or mode of transmission (E-mail, Fax, etc.). All contractor employees who require access to the Department of Veterans Affairs' computer systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Security and Investigations Center (07C). The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710 dated September 10, 2004 and is available at: http://www.va.gov/pubs/asp/edsdirec.asp (VA Handbook 0710, Appendix A, Tables 1 - 3). Appropriate Background Investigation (BI) forms will be provided upon contract (or task order) award, and are to be completed and returned to the VA Security and Investigations Center (07C) within 30 days for processing. Contractors will be notified by 07C when the BI has been completed and adjudicated. These requirements are applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. If the security clearance investigation is not completed prior to the start date of the contract, the employee may work on the contract while the security clearance is being processed, but the contractor will be responsible for the actions of those individuals they provide to perform work for the VA. In the event that 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. K. 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within thirty (30) days. L. COMPLETION DATE The vendor shall have all services rendered and all deliverables must be received no later than 12 months from the date of Contract Award and receipt of Contract Award. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements by submitting their request in writing with complete name, address, telephone, email address, and a point of contact. Interested parties shall be accredited with the state of Illinois Colleges and Universities. The Government will consider all quotes received by 12:00 PM PST, June 22, 2020. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquires will only be accepted in writing by email only at
[email protected] .