Description
STATEMENT OF WORK Research Assistant/Coordinator - Research Department Part 1 General Information 1. GENERAL: This is a non-personnel services contract to provide for a Research Assistant/Coordinator. 1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform as a Research Coordinator as defined in this Statement of Work except for those items specified as Government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. 1.2 Background: This is an intervention pilot study directed at assessing: 1) the equivalency of Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy delivered via iPhone 4 (with video conferencing capacity) to traditional video teleconference-delivered Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy; and 2) the superiority of both forms of PE to Treatment As Usual (TAU) for veterans with PTSD who live in rural areas. The secondary aim of the study is to evaluate the equivalency of client satisfaction with services across the described modalities. The proposed study addresses the overall South Central MIRECC goal of improving the access of veterans living in rural areas to evidence-based mental health practices. It specifically intends to explore the viability of using a new and widely available technology (i.e. smart phones with interactive video) to deliver a VHA-endorsed cognitive-behavioral therapy that is not commonly available in rural and remote mental health clinics. The study proposes to build-on, and further extend, current VA-sponsored research on telemedicine outreach for PTSD. 1.3 Objectives: To contract the position of a Research Assistant/Coordinator for Dr. Laurel Franklin's Prolonged Exposure study for the period of August 1, 2012 - July 31, 2013. 1.4 Scope: " Screen potential study subjects to determine their eligibility by reviewing their medical information and assessing their condition. " Develop recruiting methods to be utilized in the study. " Create and coordinate PE therapy sessions schedules with patients, therapists and medical centers staff. " Prepare and submit regulatory documents for IRB and R&D review. " Prepare and coordinate study office and field activities. " Provide education for patients, relatives and medical centers staff regarding study activities. " Obtain and organize results in a study database. " Perform data analyses. " Participate in disseminating and publishing of study results. 1.5 General Information 1.5.1 Quality Control: Dr. Laurel Franklin will be responsible for oversight of the contractor's performance. Contractor is expected to progress in the study according to timelines in the protocol. 1.5.2 Hours of Operation: The Contractor is responsible for providing services, between the hours of [8:00 am - 4:30pm] Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential. 1.5.3 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at 3500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA and its related CBOCs. 1.5.4 Security Requirements: There are no security requirements. 1.5.4.1 Physical Security: The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all Government equipment, information and property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, Government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured. 1.5.4.2 Key Control. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys/key cards issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the Contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The Contractor shall develop procedures covering key control that shall be included in the Quality Control Plan. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The Contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicate keys/key cards to the Contracting Officer. 1.5.4.2.1. In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon notification of the Contracting Officer, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. 1.5.4.2.2. The Contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys/key cards by any persons other than the Contractor's employees. The Contractor shall prohibit the opening of locked areas by Contractor employees to permit entrance of persons other than Contractor employees engaged in the performance of assigned work in those areas, or personnel authorized entrance by the Contracting Officer. 1.5.4.3 Lock Combinations. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall ensure that lock combinations are changed when personnel having access to the combinations no longer have a need to know such combinations. These procedures shall be included in the Contractor's Quality Control Plan. 1.5.5. Special Qualifications: Must be a post-doc in psychology. A Without Compensation (WOC) appointment with the VA is preferred. 1.5.6 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor shall attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the Contractor of how the Government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government. 1.5.7 Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the Government: Dr. Laurel Franklin The Contractor shall provide a contract manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the Contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contract manager or alternate shall be available during her normal tour of duty, Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed for administrative reasons. Qualifications for all key personnel are listed below: Key personnel must be the Principal Investigator on the study. 1.5.8 Identification of Contractor Employees: All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their Contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by Contractors are suitably marked as Contractor products or that Contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. Contractor is a Without Compensation Employee of the VA and wears a badge when on premises. 1.5.9 Contractor Travel: Contractor will be required to travel to Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) during the performance of this contract. Travel costs are charged to the study budget and are not included in the cost of this contract. Contractor will submit invoices to the MIRECC budget analyst for travel. Contractor will be authorized travel expenses consistent with the provisions of FAR 31.205-46 Travel Costs and the limitation of funds specified in this contract. All travel requires Government approval/authorization and notification to the COR. 1.5.10 Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subContractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor's mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may effect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI. 1.5.11 PHASE IN /PHASE OUT PERIOD N/A ? PART 2 DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS 2. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS: 2.1. DEFINITIONS: 2.1.1. CONTRACTOR. A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the Government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime. 2.1.2. CONTRACTING OFFICER. A person with authority to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the Government. 2.1.3. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR). An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract. 2.1.4. DEFECTIVE SERVICE. A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement. 2.1.5. DELIVERABLE. Anything that can be physically delivered, but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports. 2.1.6. KEY PERSONNEL. Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract by the Key Personnel listed in the PWS. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal. 2.1.7. PHYSICAL SECURITY. Actions that prevent the loss or damage of Government property. 2.1.8. QUALITY ASSURANCE. The Government procedures to verify that services being performed by the Contractor are performed according to acceptable standards. 2.1.9. QUALITY ASSURANCE Surveillance Plan (QASP). An organized written document specifying the surveillance methodology to be used for surveillance of Contractor performance. 2.1.10. QUALITY CONTROL. All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements. 2.1.11. SUBCONTRACTOR. One that enters into a contract with a prime Contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the subContractor. 2.1.12. WORK DAY. The number of hours per day the Contractor provides services in accordance with the contract. 2.1.12. WORK WEEK. Monday through Friday, unless specified otherwise. 2.2. ACRONYMS: ACOR Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative AFARS Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement AR Army Regulation CBOC Community Based Outpatient Clinic CCE Contracting Center of Excellence CFR Code of Federal Regulations CONUS Continental United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii) COR Contracting Officer Representative COTR Contracting Officer's Technical Representative COTS Commercial-Off-the-Shelf DA Department of the Army DD250 Department of Defense Form 250 (Receiving Report) DD254 Department of Defense Contract Security Requirement List DFARS Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement DMDC Defense Manpower Data Center DOD Department of Defense FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 KO Contracting Officer MIRECC Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center OCI Organizational Conflict of Interest OCONUS Outside Continental United States (includes Alaska and Hawaii) ODC Other Direct Costs PIPO Phase In/Phase Out POC Point of Contact PRS Performance Requirements Summary PWS Performance Work Statement QA Quality Assurance QAP Quality Assurance Program QASP Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan QC Quality Control QCP Quality Control Program TE Technical Exhibit