COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION AIRBORNE HAZARDS AND BURN PITS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE (AHBPCE) HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES NEW JERSEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, and FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued. (ii) This solicitation is issued as a request for quote (RFQ). Request for Quote will be submitted through beta.sam.gov on RFQ reference number 36C24223Q1060. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-04 (eff. 06/02/2023), VAAR 2008-36 (eff. 03/22/2023). (iv) This solicitation is a Total Small Business Set-Aside Open Market Solicitation. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541612- Human Resources: Consulting Services and has a small business size standard of $29 Million. The FSC/PSC is R431 Support Professional: Human Resources. (v) This is a services contract to provide Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) Human Resource Services at New Jersey Healthcare System. Below is a sample template for pricing. Contractors may provide their own pricing document, but it must be broken down to allow for price reasonableness determination and must include all option years. PRICING TABLE: Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) Human Resource Services LINE ITEM DESCRIPTION QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE 0001 Base Period: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the role of Senior Human Resources Specialist as outlined in the Statement of Work (including: organizational chart review; organizational position planning; PD/FS development; recruitment requests; project management). 2,080 HR 0002 Base Period: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the role of Process Improvement Specialist (Level 3) as outlined in the Statement of Work (including: organizational chart review; organizational position planning; PD/FS development; recruitment requests; project management). 2,080 HR Total Base Year: 1001 Option Year 1: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the role of Senior Human Resources Specialist as outlined in the Statement of Work (including: organizational chart review; organizational position planning; PD/FS development; recruitment requests; project management). 12 MO 1002 Option Year 1: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the role of Process Improvement Specialist (Level 3) as outlined in the Statement of Work (including: organizational chart review; organizational position planning; PD/FS development; recruitment requests; project management). 12 MO Total Option Year 1: 2001 Option Year 2: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the role of Senior Human Resources Specialist as outlined in the Statement of Work (including: organizational chart review; organizational position planning; PD/FS development; recruitment requests; project management). 12 MO 2002 Option Year 2: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the role of Process Improvement Specialist (Level 3) as outlined in the Statement of Work (including: organizational chart review; organizational position planning; PD/FS development; recruitment requests; project management). 12 MO Total Option Year 2: Base and All Options Total: (vi) The required work is as contained below in the Statement of Work. STATEMENT OF WORK Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence HR Services 1. Purpose: The Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) is hiring for several vacant positions and is also creating additional positions for current staffing needs. The Center requires assistance with organizational chart development, development of position descriptions/functional statements and preparation of recruitment requests. 2. Background: The AHBPCE, located at the New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, was officially recognized by Congress and the President in Public Law 115-929 as a VA Center of Excellence in May 2019. The Center focuses primarily on the following four areas: 1) Clinical and translational research related to airborne hazards and burn pits, 2) Specialized evaluations and diagnostic approaches to unexplained shortness of breath and other respiratory conditions, 3) Detection of emerging patterns in health conditions using data from the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR), and 4) Education that involves developing and disseminating best practices that can improve health outcomes for Veterans. Due to passage of the recent Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act), there is increased attention on the Center s research and an increasing volume of inquiries from Veterans who would like to participate in AHOBPR, complete clinical evaluations and better understand their respiratory conditions. In order to meet this growing demand, AHBPCE currently has an urgent need for assistance with HR processes including development of position descriptions/functional statements and preparation of recruitment requests. 3. Scope: The Vendor shall be able to perform a range of activities to support recruitment activities, including i) preparing Resource Committee requests, ii) drafting position descriptions/functional statements and further developing based on SME review, iii) preparing recruitment requests, and iv) interacting with HR to ensure that requests are in review for approvals. 4. Period of Performance: The period of performance is one 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods. Performance shall start one month following the date of award. 5. Place of Performance: Work will be performed offsite at the contractor s facility for successful completion of required deliverables. Virtual meetings will be held at least weekly, along with a project kick-off and close-out meetings, lasting approximately 60 minutes each. Any additional meetings will be scheduled as needed. Meetings will be virtual using the Microsoft Teams or similar platform. Contractor must work within the VA secured electronic environment (Teams, SharePoint, etc.) to facilitate communications. 6. Travel: Travel to the AHBPCE or their affiliated sites for meeting support as needed. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the contractor s and Government facility is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. 7. Other Direct Costs (ODCs): The Government does not anticipate that ODCs will be incurred. 8. General Requirements: The deliverables specified herein include organizational chart development, preparation of Resource Committee requests, development of position descriptions/functional statements, preparation of recruitment requests, assistance with focused recruitment (advertisements, events), serving as liaison with Rutgers University to develop joint recruitment offers, and conducting internal salary surveys. Efforts shall include the development of a strategic plan which builds on recruitment efforts to date and is consistent with Center priorities for staffing and four areas of focus mentioned above. The Government will provide clarification on recommendations, requirements, templates, standards, and guidelines on all deliverables when clarification is not provided in this SOW prior to any action taken by the contractor. All work products developed by the contractor (formal and informal deliverables) shall become the property of the Government. The contractor shall coordinate with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) to schedule a Project Kick-Off Meeting with key staff; the VA PM and advisory group prior to commencing work. The contractor personnel shall also complete standard administrative tasks (e.g., background investigation forms, staff roster, mandatory training) as required. The contractor shall prepare and submit progress reports to the COR and the VA PMs. Monthly status reports shall be accompanied by a copy of that month s invoice itemized by deliverable, as applicable. Progress reports shall include a narrative review of work accomplished during the reporting period itemized by project, significant events, problem areas, anticipated activity for the next reporting period, description of any travel or unique services provided, and other relevant information. The contractor shall regularly participate in contract management meetings TBD. The contractor shall work with the VA COR to prepare the meeting agenda and prepare summary notes. Meetings will also be held to gather input from subject matter experts (SME), identify their needs, and translate the strategic communication plan into action. Reports, meeting agendas, and draft/final deliverables will be saved and tracked on the VA network using SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. The contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance period of the resulting contract. An outline for each product shall be created for review prior to developing content. All content shall be provided in draft and be subject to two rounds of revisions. Once written content is approved, layout and design can proceed again with two rounds of revisions. Where a written milestone deliverable is required in draft form, the VA COR and lead technical contact will complete a review of the draft deliverable and provide feedback within ten business days from date of receipt. The VA COR will provide approval for each final deliverable, or rejection of the final deliverable with summary reasons in writing within five business days. 9 Tasks 9.1 Task Deliverables: Project Management 10.1.1. The vendor shall develop a project plan that outlines the overall strategic approach to the requested work. The plan should address: Deliverables and deadlines Resources needed Roles and responsibilities Monthly progress reports Weekly teleconferences VA will review the proposed project plan and return it to the contractor within two weeks with comments and any adjustments that might need to be made. For initial drafts of other deliverables, VA will provide comments within 10 days of draft receipt. 9.2 Task Deliverables: Organizational Chart Review 9.2.1 Review current organizational chart to understand the structure of WRIISC and AHBPCE, and how staffing aligns with the Center s priorities. 9.2.2 Collaborate with SMEs to plan for new positions based on Center s priorities and update organizational chart as needed. 9.2.3 Conduct internal salary surveys for analysis as needed. 9.3. Task Deliverables: Preparation of Resource Committee Requests 9.3.1 Assist with preparing Resource Committee requests for planned new positions, including collecting position details from SMEs and summarizing information required for approval. The Center expects to prepare such requests for up to 25 positions. 9.4 Task Deliverables: Development of Position Descriptions/Functional Statements 9.4.1 Based on the Center s needs and in collaboration with SMEs, draft Position Descriptions/Functional Statements for new positions. The Center expects to draft Position Descriptions/Functional Statements for up to 25 new positions. 9.4.2 Review HR and SME feedback to revise Position Descriptions/Functional Statements as needed, in order to meet the necessary requirements for HR s approval. 9.4 Task Deliverables: Recruitment Requests 9.4.1 Assist with preparing required forms to be submitted in the Manager Self Service (MSS) portal for recruitment requests, including Job Analysis, Rating Criteria Summary, and Recruitment Checklists. Draft language and collect SME feedback and signatures as needed. The Center expects to prepare such requests for up to 25 new positions. 9.5 Task Deliverables: Focused Recruitments 9.5.1 Plan for targeted recruitment via advertisements (e.g. flyers, emails) and events (e.g. career fairs, informational sessions). Serve as liaison with Rutgers University to develop joint recruitment offers. 10. Personnel: Certain skilled experience professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed and provide the greatest value. These are defined as key personnel and are those persons the contractor identifies and those whose résumés are submitted. The Contractor agrees that the key personnel roles shall not be removed, diverted, or replaced from work without coordination with the CO and COR. The following labor categories are defined as Key Personnel Roles: Senior Human Resources Specialist Reviews current vacant positions and staffing needs. Develops Position Descriptions/Functional Statements in accordance with staffing needs and follows HR processes for approval. Assists in submitting recruitment requests in order to fill vacancies. Process Improvement Specialist (Level III) Assists in reviewing current recruitment processes and identifies potential areas for improvement. Additional labor categories to be utilized but not identified as key personnel: Administrative Support Professional(s): The support professional may serve to facilitate meetings, prepare invoices, procure products and other associated administrative tasks. 11. Substitution of Key Personnel: All Contractor requests for approval of substitutions hereunder shall be submitted in writing to the COR and the Contracting Officer at least thirty (30) calendar days in advance of the effective date, whenever possible, and shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the Contracting Officer necessary to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. New personnel shall not commence work until resumes are provided and accepted. The COR and the Contracting Officer will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Contractor of approval or disapproval in writing. The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor contracted personnel, as well as sub-contractor efforts used in performance of this effort. The Contractor s management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure the accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained herein. 12. Information Security: The Contractor will require access to VA Information and VA Information Systems only to interact with subject matter experts, create content (e.g., VA s web, SharePoint, Teams), and facilitate communication. 13. Security: The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required 14. Government-Furnished Information, Equipment, and Facilities. The Government will provide access to information necessary for the execution of each task. 15. Security Requirements. The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required 16. Task Order Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The Government shall evaluate the contractors performance in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the government must do to ensure the contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rates. Deliverable or Requirement Performance Standard Surveillance Method Outcome Project Management, Milestones, and Schedule Notifies customer of potential problems 95% of the time. 100% Inspection of agreed upon milestones per the approved project plan Notification occurs within two business days of potential issue when known in advance or within 24 hours of urgent problems, where less than two business days exist Submits Deliverables in accordance with the deliverable schedule within (+/-) five business days with no more than five incidents of performance slippage. 100% Inspection of deliverables No more than five incidents of performance schedule slippage. 17. Organizational Conflict of Interest and non-disclosure requirements If the Contractor is currently providing support or anticipates providing support to the VHA that creates or represents an actual or potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI), the Contractor shall immediately disclose this actual or potential OCI in accordance with FAR Part 9.5. The contractor is also required to complete and sign an Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement in which the Contractor (and any sub-contractors, consultants or teaming partners) agree to disclose information concerning the actual or potential conflict with any proposal for any solicitation relating to any work in the TO. All actual or potential OCI situations shall be handled in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.5. 18. Non-Disclosure Requirements All Contractor personnel (to include sub-contractors, teaming partners, and consultants) who shall be personally and substantially involved in the performance of the TO issued which requires the contractor to act on behalf of or provide advice with respect to any phase of an agency procurement, as defined in FAR 3.104-4, shall execute and submit an Employee/Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement Form. This is required prior to the commencement of any work on such TO and whenever replacement personnel are proposed under an ongoing TO. Any information obtained or provided in the performance of this TO is only to be used in the performance of the TO. 19. GENERAL Contractors, Contractor personnel, Subcontractors, and Subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security. 20. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS a) A Contractor/Subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, Subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order. b) All Contractors, Subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for Contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. c) Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness. d) Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the Contractor/Subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor. e). The Contractor or Subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the Contractor or Subcontractor s employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the Contractor or Subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination. 21. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE a) Information made available to the Contractor or Subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor/Subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the Contractor/Subcontractors rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1). b) VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the Contractors/Subcontractor s information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the Contractor must ensure that VA s information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of Contractor and Subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements. c) Prior to termination or completion of this contract, Contractor/Subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the Contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a Contractor/Subcontractor must be done in 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, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the Contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract. d) The Contractor/Subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract. e) The Contractor/Subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on Contractor/Subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the Contractor/Subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed. f) If VA determines that the Contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the Contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12. g) If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.01, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship. h) The Contractor/Subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated. i) The Contractor/Subcontractor s firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA s minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request. j) Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the Contractor/Subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA s prior written approval. The Contractor/Subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response. k) Notwithstanding the provision above, the Contractor/Subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the Contractor/Subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that Contractor/Subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response. l) For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require C&A or an MOU-ISA for system interconnection, the Contractor/Subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COTR. 22. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION a) 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 that breaches VA security procedures. The Contractor/Subcontractor shall immediately notify the COTR 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. b) To the extent known by the Contractor/Subcontractor, the Contractor/Subcontractor s notice to VA shall identify the information involved, the circumstances surrounding the incident (including to whom, how, when, and where the VA information or assets were placed at risk or compromised), and any other information that the Contractor/Subcontractor considers relevant. c) With respect to unsecured protected health information, the business associate is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the business associate knew or should have known of a breach of such information. Upon discovery, the business associate must notify the covered entity of the breach. Notifications need to be made in accordance with the executed business associate agreement. d) In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the Contractor/Subcontractor must concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG and Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its Subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The Contractor/Subcontractor shall cooperate with VA in any civil litigation to recover VA information, obtain monetary or other compensation from a third party for damages arising from any incident, or obtain injunctive relief against any third party arising from, or related to, the incident. 23. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES FOR DATA BREACH a) Consistent with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. §5725, a contract may require access to sensitive personal information. If so, the Contractor is liable to VA for liquidated damages in the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the Contractor/Subcontractor processes or maintains under this contract. b) The Contractor/Subcontractor shall provide notice to VA of a security incident as set forth in the Security Incident Investigation section above. Upon such notification, VA must secure from a non-Department entity or the VA Office of Inspector General an independent risk analysis of the data breach to determine the level of risk associated with the data breach for the potential misuse of any sensitive personal information involved in the data breach. The term data breach means the loss, theft, or other unauthorized access, or any access other than that incidental to the scope of employment, to data containing sensitive personal information, in electronic or printed form, that results in the potential compromise of the confidentiality or integrity of the data. Contractor shall fully cooperate with the entity performing the risk analysis. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination. Each risk analysis shall address all relevant information concerning the data breach, including the following: i. Nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access); ii. Description of the event, including: iii. date of occurrence; iv. data elements involved, including any PII, such as full name, social security number, date of birth, home address, account number, disability code; v. Number of individuals affected or potentially affected; vi. Names of individuals or groups affected or potentially affected; vii. Ease of logical data access to the lost, stolen or improperly accessed data in light of the degree of protection for the data, e.g., unencrypted, plain text; viii. Amount of time the data has been out of VA control; ix. The likelihood that the sensitive personal information will or has been compromised (made accessible to and usable by unauthorized persons); x. Known misuses of data containing sensitive personal information, if any; xi. Assessment of the potential harm to the affected individuals; xii. Data breach analysis as outlined in 6500.2 Handbook, Management of Security and Privacy Incidents, as appropriate; and xiii. Whether credit protection services may assist record subjects in avoiding or mitigating the results of identity theft based on the sensitive personal information that may have been compromised. Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis, the Contractor shall be responsible for paying to the VA liquidated damages in the amount of $37.50 per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following: i. Notification; ii. One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports; iii. Data breach analysis; iv. Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution; v. One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and vi. Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories, or financial affairs. 25. TRAINING a) All Contractor employees and Subcontractor employees requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems: i. Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix D relating to access to VA information and information systems; ii. Successfully complete the VA Cyber Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training and annually complete required security training; iii. Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete required privacy training; and iv. Successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access b) The Contractor shall provide to the contracting officer and/or the COTR a copy of the training certificates and certification of signing the Contractor Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within 1 week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required. c) Failure to complete the mandatory annual training and sign the Rules of Behavior annually, within the timeframe required, is grounds for suspension or termination of all physical or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the training and documents are complete. CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS: VISN 2 Network Contracting Office Albany Stratton VA Medical Center 113 Holland Ave Albany, NY 12208 (vii) Awardee shall coordinate with the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) prior to performance. (viii) The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition: The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (NOV 2021) Solicitation number for this requirement as 36C24223Q1060; The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers; Name, address and telephone number of offeror; Technical description of services to be performed in accordance with the Statement of Work. This Technical description should address the requirement specifically. Capability statements that are merely an overview of what the contractor offers will be determined incomplete. Please address all the technical evaluation sub-factors. Failure to address all the sub-factors will result in your package being determined incomplete; Terms of any express warranty; Price should be for all services detailed in section v of this document. The pricing must be broken down in a manner that allows for price reasonableness to be determined. Failure to provide complete pricing will result in contractors package being determined to be incomplete; Remit to address, if different than mailing address; A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically); Acknowledgement of any solicitation amendments; Past performance information; A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representation or information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation will be excluded from consideration. The following solicitation provisions are included as addenda to FAR 52.212-1: 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020) 52.216-1 Type of Contract (APR 1984) The Government anticipates an award of a firm fixed-price contract from this solicitation. 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options (JUL 1990) 52.229-11 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements Notice and Representation (JUN 2020) 52.233-2 Service of Protest (SEPT 2006) 852.252-70 Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (JAN 2008) Addendum to FAR 52-212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMEMRCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021): This Request for Quote (RFQ) is issued in accordance with FAR Part 12 in conjunction with Simplified Acquisition Procedures at FAR 13.5. All instances of FAR 15 procedures in FAR 52.212-1 shall not apply to this RFQ and are hereby substituted with FAR 13 procedures. Eligibility: In order for a quote to be eligible for award, offerors submitting a quote must have the 541612- Human Resources: Consulting Services, current active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM): https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM, and current active registration as a small business under NAICS 541612- Human Resources: Consulting Services in Small Business Administration (SBA): https://www.sba.gov/. Submission Instructions: Technical packages shall be submitted to Levi.Russin@va.gov by 12:00 PM ET on 9/5/2023. The email subject shall identify Solicitation 36C24223Q1060. Offerors that do not adhere to these instructions may be determined to be incomplete and, therefore, risk being rejected without further consideration for award. Offer submissions must include: EVALUATION FACTOR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: Technical Capability: Technical capability is defined as an offeror s ability to satisfy the solicitation s requirements, providing the highest quality service to the specified facilities. Technical Capability will be determined on the basis of the qualification of the quoter that are detailed in the quoter s capability statement. Quoter must provide a technical capability statement of 15 pages or less demonstrating it has trained personnel, equipment, and working experience in the Human Resource Services as listed in the Statement of Work. Documentation must include proof of providing work on at least three (3) contracts of similar nature, scope, complexity, difficulty, and size to that which will be supplied to the work detailed in the PWS for this requirement. Quoter must provide proof/certification that it is a licensed business to conduct the Human Resource Services as listed in the Statement of Work, including necessary insurance, licenses and/or permits required to perform the services required. (2) Past performance: Quoter will be evaluated on how well their past performance information supports that they are a capable vendor who can adequately perform services of this scope and complexity without issues with performance. Relevant past performance information shall include key personnel who have relevant experience, predecessor companies, and subcontractors who will perform major or critical elements of this solicitation. The contractors Past Performance shall also be reviewed in PPIRs; Individuals with no past performance shall receive a neutral rating for this evaluation factor. Quoter must provide at least three (3) past performances references for contracts of similar nature, scope, complexity, difficulty, and size to that which will be supplied to the work detailed in the PWS for this requirement. (3) Price: The government will evaluate quotes for award purposes based on the pricing for the total requirement. Quotes for partial requirement will not be evaluated and will be deemed non-responsive upon receipt. END OF ADDENDUM (ix) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Items (November 2021), applies to this acquisition. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the government, considering technical capability, past performance, and price. A Technical Evaluation Team comprised of representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs will evaluate the proposals. The identities of the Technical Evaluation Team are confidential, and any attempt by the offerors to contact these individuals is prohibited. The evaluation will be based on the content of the proposal and any subsequent discussions, if necessary, as well as information obtained from other sources, e.g. past performance information. Quoters are advised that the technical evaluation and rating of proposals will be conducted in strict confidence in that technical and past performance proposals are reviewed and rated without knowledge of the price offered. During deliberation, the number and identities of quoters are not revealed to anyone who is not involved in the evaluation and award process or to other quoters. Quotes will be evaluated based on the factors described herein, and award will be made to the responsive responsible quoter whose offer in conformance with this solicitation, results in the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. The evaluation process essentially consists of two parts: Technical/Past Performance Evaluation and Price Evaluation. 1. Technical/Past Performance Evaluation: Proposals shall be evaluated against the Evaluation Factors and Criteria. 2. Price Evaluation: The CO will evaluate price proposals independent of the technical/past performance evaluation. The Technical Evaluation Team will not have access to price information until completion of the technical/quality evaluation. NOTE: Price/Technical Trade-off Analysis: Once above evaluations are complete, the Technical Evaluation Team will compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of technical proposals and weigh against the prices. Technical Approach and Past Performance are equal and when combined are significantly more important than Price. The Technical Evaluation Team will then consider all factors and recommend an awardee to the CO, the quote offering the best value to the Government. The CO s decision shall be based on a comparative assessment of proposals against all source selection criteria in the solicitation. The government shall evaluate information based on the following evaluation criteria. Evaluation Factors: Technical Capability: Technical capability is defined as a quoter s ability to satisfy the solicitation s requirements, providing the highest quality service to the specified facilities. Contractor shall provide a maximum 15-page capability statement demonstrating it has trained personnel, equipment and working experience and ability to meet all the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). A) Technical Proficiency: Quoter shall submit a proposal that verifies it is a firm that specializes in the Human Resource Services as listed in the Statement of Work. The proposal shall be comprehensive and demonstrates its understanding of the requirement, including preparing Resource Committee requests, drafting position descriptions/functional statements and further developing on SME review, preparing recruitment request, and interacting with HR to ensure requests are in review for approvals. This must exceed a simple copy and paste of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements. It shall outline the contractor s ability to perform these services adequately and satisfactorily in accordance with the PWS and the extent to which potential risks are identified and mitigated. This must include any partners or subcontractors. B) Contractor Experience: The quoter shall provide three (3) instances of past-experience similar in nature, scope, complexity, difficulty, and size to that which will be supplied under the Statement of Work of the prospective contract contemplated by this solicitation. The experience shall reflect of no less than three (3) years of Human Resource Services comparable to the services required in this solicitation. This must include any partners or subcontractors. Past performance: Quoter must provide three references for contract of similar scope and magnitude to be evaluated. Relevant past performance information shall include key personnel who have relevant experience, predecessor companies, and subcontractors who will perform major or critical elements of this solicitation. The quoters Past Performance shall also be reviewed in PPIRs; Quoter s with no past performance shall receive a neutral rating for this evaluation factor. This must include any partners or subcontractors. Price: The government will evaluate quotes for award purposes based on the pricing for the total requirement. Quotes for partial requirement will not be evaluated and will be deemed non-responsive upon receipt. Options: The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). A written notice of award or acceptance of a quote, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful quoter within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the quote s specified expiration in time, the Government may accept a quote (or part of a quote), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. Failure to provide the information requested in the evaluation criteria may result in being found non-responsive. (End of Provision) (x) The provisions at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (OCT 2022) applies to this acquisition. * All firms or individuals submitting a quote shall include a completed copy of this provision OR have current Representations and Certifications in the System for Award Management (SAM - https://www.sam.gov). Representations, Certifications, and SAM must be current at award. IF NOT CURRENT AND/OR YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A COMPLETED COPY OF THIS PROVISION, YOUR QUOTE WILL BE CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE. (xi) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Products and Services November 2021 applies to this acquisition. The following clauses are incorporated into Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) 52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest (JUN 2020) 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (JUN 2020) 52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (JAN 2011) 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018) 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020) 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000) a) Within 30 days; written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days; c) shall not exceed 5 years 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013) 852.212-70 Provisions and Clauses Applicable to VA Acquisition of Commercial Items (APR 2020) - 852.201-70 Contracting Officer s Representative (DEC 2022) - 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising. - 852.204-70 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (MAY 2020) - 852.211-76 Liquidated Damages-Reimbursement for Data Breach Costs (FEB 2023) - 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests - 852.233-71 Alternate Protest Procedure (OCT 2018) - 852.237-75 Key Personnel (OCT 2019) - 852.242-71 Administrative Contracting Officer (OCT 2020) - 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers. (xii) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (OCT 2022) (JUL 2021) (DEVIATION) The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable: 52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (JUN 2020), 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation & First-Tier Subcontract Awards (JUN 2020) 52.209-6 Protecting the Government s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (NOV 2021) 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020) 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns (OCT 2022) 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (OCT 2022) 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022) 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (SEP 2021) 52.219-32 Orders Issued Directly Under Small Business Reserves (MAR 2020) 52.222-3 Convict Labor (JUN 2003) 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015) 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (SEP 2016) 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans (JUN 2020) 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN 2020) 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Veterans (JUN 2020) 52.222-40 Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (DEC 2010) 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (NOV 2021) 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification (MAY 2022) 52.222-55 Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 14026 (JAN 2022) 52.222-62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2022) 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (JUN 2020) 52.224-3 Privacy Training (JAN 2017) 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.242-5 Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (JAN 2017) (xiii) The Service Contract Act of 1965 does apply to this procurement. See attached Wage Determination (xiv) All quoters shall submit the following: one copy of technical capability and pricing, and an additional redacted copy. All quotations shall be sent ONLY to Levi Russin at Levi.Russin@va.gov. This is a Total Small Business Set Aside for Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE) Human Resource Services at New Jersey Healthcare System. The government intends to award a contract as a result of this combined synopsis/solicitation that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. To facilitate the award process, all quotes must include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:" Quoter shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s). Submission shall be received not later than 12:00 PM ET on 9/5/2023 at Levi.Russin@va.gov. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). Faxed or postal mailed quotes will NOT be accepted. Request for information (RFI) shall be received no later than 12:00 PM ET on 8/29/2023. Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the Contracting Officer Levi Russin at Levi.Russin@va.gov. All communication shall have RFQ number and requirement title in the subject line. Point of Contact Levi Russin, Contracting Officer Levi.Russin@va.gov

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