This Sources Sought/Market Survey Notice is being conducted by Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, 10700 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106 to identify all sources that are capable of providing Veteran Townhall Communications in support of Tele-Town Hall meetings for VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare Systems (VANEOHS), for the period of November 30, 2024 November 29, 2025. The applicable North American Classification System (NAICS) code is 541618. All potential bidders MUST be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database and show as Active . The registration in SAM is a requirement in order to conduct business with the Federal Government. The solicitation will be issued electronically and will be available only via the SAM website www. sam.gov. This is a set aside for SDVOSB. NOTE: No phone, fax or e-mail inquiries will be taken for this Notice. Prospective sources shall respond to this Sources Sought no later than 2:00 pm (Eastern), Monday, October 28, 2024. Send all replies to April Fawley at april.fawley@va.gov STATEMENT OF WORK 1. Contract Title Tele-Town Hall meetings for VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System (VANEOHS) 2. Background The Louis Stokes VA Medical Center is a Level 1a (the most complex) type of medical facility because of the range of available services. It is a teaching hospital with full-service patient care, blind rehabilitation, short-stay recovery program domiciliary as well as an educational & research center. Communications and External Affairs conducts informational Tele-Town Hall events numerous times a year. These include contacting up to 10,000 Veterans for each call. Connecting them to the presenter or panel and following up after the event. This procurement is for the operational aspects of those Tele-Town Hall events. 3. Scope The contractor shall provide VETERAN TOWNHALL TELECOMMUNICATIONS in support of all Veteran Townhall Events for up to 15,000 participant phone numbers IAW the performance work statement (PWS) and terms and conditions of the contract to include but not limited to the following: - PRE-EVENT: The contractor shall transmit reminder calls with a pre-recorded message of up to 60 seconds in total duration for each event. - MAIN EVENT: The contractor shall call each participant for up to 60 minutes in length which shall be supported by a minimum of two (2) call screeners for each event. In addition, the contractor shall provide polling ability during call for all participants and collect questions before they are asked during the town halls. Furthermore, the contractor shall ensure that the main event call provides the capability for Veterans to listen in on the live call, ask questions to screeners, talk live to VANEOHS panel of experts, and participate in polling questions. - POST-EVENT: The contractor shall provide post-event reports for each event IAW the PWS via secure website platform accessible to government requiring office or by encrypted email to government program manager. 4. Specific Tasks 4.1 Tele-Town Hall Events: The Contractor shall coordinate and provide Telecommunications services for Eighteen (18) Tele-Town Hall Events for the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year. Deliverables: 4.2 Telecomunications Town Hall Services The contractor shall provide VANEOHS Communications and External Affairs (C&EA) located in Ohio the capability to provide Town Hall Telecommunications. These communications are targeted for the purposes of hosting Telephone Townhall events for Veterans providing information and answering questions. Notifications with recorded messages. The contractor shall utilize telephone technology to provide a service which shall have the capability of dialing out to thousands of pre-determined Veterans phone numbers simultaneously as specified herein. The contractor shall provide several services for Telephone Townhall Veteran events. Firstly, the contractor shall call all Veteran participants on the telephone call list provided by the government prior to the event which will otherwise be known for this requirement as pre-event robocalls. For these pre-event calls, the contractor shall provide pre-recorded robocalls to all participants requested by the government Project Manager (PM) prior to each event to advertise the event and provide event date-time information. Furthermore, the vendor shall have capability to record a message of up to sixty (60) seconds in duration which will be written and voiced by a VANEOHS designated staff member. This sixty (60) second message shall be played during the pre-event calls and must be adaptable for both live answered calls and voicemail answered calls. The contractor shall utilize the phone number lists provided by VANEOHS to call up to 10,000 participate phone numbers simultaneously. For the main event, the contractor shall ensure that Veteran participants are granted access to an audio of the Townhall event by telephone scheduled for no longer than sixty (60) minutes. Moreover, the contractor shall provide a minimum of two (2) screeners to collect questions before they are asked during the town halls. In addition, the contractor shall have the capability during the Veteran Telephone Townhall main event calls to listen in on the live call, ask questions to screeners, talk live to DVAMC panel of experts, and participate in poll questions. The Veteran Telephone Townhall main event shall begin and end at the specific times designated by VANEOHS leadership. Please note that these may occur up to the not-to-exceed quantity of up to eighteen (18) per year. Government Furnished Property and Services: The government will not be providing any government furnished equipment/supplies for this contract. The government will provide the use of phone numbers provided by VANEOHS to vendor for the use with Tele Town Hall activities by way of VA form 0752 Confidentiality of Sensitive Information Non-Disclosure Agreement. The contractor shall adhere to all applicable Federal, State and Local laws, rules, regulations and procedures as required to perform services under this rotection of patient personal information in accordance with the terms and conditions established in this contract. Specific Tasks: Standards: All digital media communication messages, content, and representation is fully controlled and managed by the VANEOHS Public Affairs staff. All phone numbers and other data from Veterans and VA employees is the intellectual property of VANEOHS, which shall not be utilized by the contractor for any purpose. The contractor shall purge all phone numbers and other data associated with this contract from the contractor s information systems upon request by an authorized government representative specified bythe contracting officer in writing. 5. Performance Requirements Summary The performance requirements are the thresholds of minimum acceptable levels of service critical to successful performance of this contract which are summarized as follows: Performance Objectives Performance Standard Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) Method of Monitoring 1) Performance Metric TOWNHALL TELECOMMUNICATIONS (1 TO 10K PHONE CALLS) · Vendor shall all TOWNHALL TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS for 1 to 10,000 participants · Vendor shall have capability to record voice message of up to sixty (60) seconds. · Vendor shall transmit reminder calls up to 60 second with pre recorded message. · Vendor shall call each participant for up to 60 minutes in length. · Vendor shall have minimum two (2) call screeners. · Vendor shall provide polling ability during calls for all telephone townhall participants. · Vendor shall comply with all other requirements for veteran townhall telecommunications in accordance with the PRICE/COST SCHEDULE, the PWS and the overall terms and conditions established in the contract. 100% Compliance The PM or government representative designated in writing by the CO will conduct random checks to ensure compliance with this performance standard. 6. Security Requirements VA ACQUISITION REGULATION SOLICITATION PROVISION AND CONTRACT CLAUSE 1. SUBPART 839.2 INFORMATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY REQUIREMENTS 839.201 Contract clause for Information and Information Technology Security: a. Due to the threat of data breach, compromise or loss of information that resides on either VA-owned or contractor-owned systems, and to comply with Federal laws and regulations, VA has developed an Information and Information Technology Security clause to be used when VA sensitive information is accessed, used, stored, generated, transmitted, or exchanged by and between VA and a contractor, subcontractor or a third party in any format (e.g., paper, microfiche, electronic or magnetic portable media). b. In solicitations and contracts where VA Sensitive Information or Information Technology will be accessed or utilized, the CO shall insert the clause found at 852.273-75, Security Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources. 2. 852.273-75 - SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES (INTERIM- OCTOBER 2008) As prescribed in 839.201, insert the following clause: The contractor, their personnel, and their subcontractors shall be subject to the Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks regarding information and information system security as delineated in this contract. (END OF CLAUSE) VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE FOR INCLUSION INTO CONTRACTS, AS APPROPRIATE 1. 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. 2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS a. A contractor/subcontrator 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. 3. 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/subcontractor's 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. c. Each risk analysis shall address all relevant information concerning the data breach, including the following: (1) Nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access); (2) Description of the event, including: (a) date of occurrence; (b) data elements involved, including any PII, such as full name, social security number, date of birth, home address, account number, disability code; (3) Number of individuals affected or potentially affected; (4) Names of individuals or groups affected or potentially affected; (5) 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; (6) Amount of time the data has been out of VA control; (7) The likelihood that the sensitive personal information will or has been compromised (made accessible to and usable by unauthorized persons); (8) Known misuses of data containing sensitive personal information, if any; (9) Assessment of the potential harm to the affected individuals; (10) Data breach analysis as outlined in 6500.2 Handbook, Management of Security and Privacy Incidents, as appropriate; and (11) 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. d. 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 $______ per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following: (1) Notification; (2) One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports; (3) Data breach analysis; (4) Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution; (5) One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and (6) Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories, or financial affairs. 9. 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: (1) Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix E relating to access to VA information and information systems; (2) Successfully complete the VA Cyber Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training and annually complete required security training; (3) Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete required privacy training; and (4) Successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access [to be defined by the VA program official and provided to the contracting officer for inclusion in the solicitation document e.g., any role-based information security training required in accordance with NIST Special Publication 800-16, Information Technology Security Training Requirements.] 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. CONTRACTOR RULES OF BEHAVIOR This User Agreement contains rights and authorizations regarding my access to and use of any information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This User Agreement covers my access to all VA data whether electronic or hard copy ("Data"), VA information systems and resources ("Systems"), and VA sites ("Sites"). This User Agreement incorporates Rules of Behavior for using VA, and other information systems and resources under the contract. 1. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ALL ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES UNDER THE CONTRACT: a. I understand and agree that I have no reasonable expectation of privacy in accessing or using any VA, or other Federal Government information systems. b. I consent to reviews and actions by the Office of Information & Technology (OI&T) staff designated and authorized by the VA Chief Information Officer (CIO) and to the VA OIG regarding my access to and use of any information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with the VA. These actions may include monitoring, recording, copying, inspecting, restricting access, blocking, tracking, and disclosing to all authorized OI&T, VA, and law enforcement personnel as directed by the VA CIO without my prior consent or notification. c. I consent to reviews and actions by authorized VA systems administrators and Information Security Officers solely for protection of the VA infrastructure, including, but not limited to monitoring, recording, auditing, inspecting, investigating, restricting access, blocking, tracking, disclosing to authorized personnel, or any other authorized actions by all authorized OI&T, VA, and law enforcement personnel. d. I understand and accept that unauthorized attempts or acts to access, upload, change, or delete information on Federal Government systems; modify Federal government systems; deny access to Federal government systems; accrue resources for unauthorized use on Federal government systems; or otherwise misuse Federal government systems or resources are prohibited. e. I understand that such unauthorized attempts or acts are subject to action that may result in criminal, civil, or administrative penalties. This includes penalties for violations of Federal laws including, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §1030 (fraud and related activity in connection with computers) and 18 U.S.C. §2701 (unlawful access to stored communications). f. I agree that OI&T staff, in the course of obtaining access to information or systems on my behalf for performance under the contract, may provide information about me including, but not limited to, appropriate unique personal identifiers such as date of birth and social security number to other system administrators, Information Security Officers (ISOs), or other authorized staff without further notifying me or obtaining additional written or verbal permission from me. g. I understand I must comply with VA s security and data privacy directives and handbooks. I understand that copies of those directives and handbooks can be obtained from the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). If the contractor believes the policies and guidance provided by the COTR is a material unilateral change to the contract, the contractor must elevate such concerns to the Contracting Officer for resolution. h. I will report suspected or identified information security/privacy incidents to the COTR and to the local ISO or Privacy Officer as appropriate. 2. GENERAL RULES OF BEHAVIOR a. Rules of Behavior are part of a comprehensive program to provide complete information security. These rules establish standards of behavior in recognition of the fact that knowledgeable users are the foundation of a successful security program. Users must understand that taking personal responsibility for the security of their computer and the information it contains is an essential part of their job. b. The following rules apply to all VA contractors. I agree to: (1) Follow established procedures for requesting, accessing, and closing user accounts and access. I will not request or obtain access beyond what is normally granted to users or by what is outlined in the contract. (2) Use only systems, software, databases, and data which I am authorized to use, including any copyright restrictions. (3) I will not use other equipment (OE) (non-contractor owned) for the storage, transfer, or processing of VA sensitive information without a VA CIO approved waiver, unless it has been reviewed and approved by local management and is included in the language of the contract. If authorized to use OE IT equipment, I must ensure that the system meets all applicable 6500 Handbook requirements for OE. (4) Not use my position of trust and access rights to exploit system controls or access information for any reason other than in the performance of the contract. (5) Not attempt to override or disable security, technical, or management controls unless expressly permitted to do so as an explicit requirement under the contract or at the direction of the COTR or ISO. If I am allowed or required to have a local administrator account on a government-owned computer, that local administrative account does not confer me unrestricted access or use, nor the authority to bypass security or other controlsexcept as expressly permitted by the VA CIO or CIO's designee. (6) Contractors use of systems, information, or sites is strictly limited to fulfill the terms of the contract. I understand no personal use is authorized. I will only use other Federal government information systems as expressly authorized by the terms of those systems. I accept that the restrictions under ethics regulations and criminal law still apply. (7) Grant access to systems and information only to those who have an official need to know. (8) Protect passwords from access by other individuals. (9) Create and change passwords in accordance with VA Handbook 6500 on systems and any devices protecting VA information as well as the rules of behavior and security settings for the particular system in question. (10) Protect information and systems from unauthorized disclosure, use, modification, or destruction. I will only use encryption that is FIPS 140-2 validated to safeguard VA sensitive information, both safeguarding VA sensitive information in storage and in transit regarding my access to and use of any information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with the VA. (11) Follow VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization to protect VA information. I will contact the COTR for policies and guidance on complying with this requirement and will follow the COTR's orders. (12) Ensure that the COTR has previously approved VA information for public dissemination, including e-mail communications outside of the VA as appropriate. I will not make any unauthorized disclosure of any VA sensitive information through the use of any means of communication including but not limited to e-mail, instant messaging, online chat, and web bulletin boards or logs. (13) Not host, set up, administer, or run an Internet server related to my access to and use of any information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with the VA unless explicitly authorized under the contract or in writing by the COTR. (14) Protect government property from theft, destruction, or misuse. I will follow VA directives and handbooks on handling Federal government IT equipment, information, and systems. I will not take VA sensitive information from the workplace without authorization from the COTR. (15) Only use anti-virus software, antispyware, and firewall/intrusion detection software authorized by VA. I will contact the COTR for policies and guidance on complying with this requirement and will follow the COTR's orders regarding my access to and use of any information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with VA. (16) Not disable or degrade the standard anti-virus software, antispyware, and/or firewall/intrusion detection software on the computer I use to access and use information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with VA. I will report anti-virus, antispyware, firewall or intrusion detection software errors, or significant alert messages to the COTR. (17) Understand that restoration of service of any VA system is a concern of all users of the system. (18) Complete required information security and privacy training, and complete required training for the particular systems to which I require access. 3. ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS FOR USE OF NON- VA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES a. When required to complete work under the contract, I will directly connect to the VA network whenever possible. If a direct connection to the VA network is not possible, then I will use VA approved remote access software and services. b. Remote access to non-public VA information technology resources is rohibited from publicly-available IT computers, such as remotely connecting to the internal VA network from computers in a public library. c. I will not have both a VA network line and any kind of non-VA network line including a wireless network card, modem with phone line, or other network device physically connected to my computer at the same time, unless the dual connection is explicitly authorized by the COTR. d. I understand that I may not obviate or evade my responsibility to adhere to VA security requirements by subcontracting any work under any given contract or agreement with VA, and that any subcontractor(s) I engage shall likewise be bound by the same security requirements and penalties for violating the same. CONTRACTOR RULES OF BEHAVIOR This User Agreement contains rights and authorizations regarding my access to and use of any information assets or resources associated with my performance of services under the contract terms with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This User Agreement covers my access to all VA data whether electronic or hard copy ("Data"), VA information systems and resources ("Systems"), and VA sites ("Sites"). This User Agreement incorporates Rules of Behavior for using VA, and other information systems and resources under the contract. The Contractor shall adhere to and comply with VA Directive 6102 and VA Handbook 6102, Internet/Intranet Services, including applicable amendments and changes, if the Contractor s work includes managing, maintaining, establishing and presenting information on VA s Internet/Intranet Service Sites. This pertains, but is not limited to: creating announcements; collecting information; databases to be accessed, graphics and links to external sites. Internet/Intranet Services Directive 6102 is posted at (copy and paste the following URL to browser): http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=409&FType=2 Internet/Intranet Services Handbook 6102 is posted at (copy and paste following URL to browser): http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=410&FType=2 The Contractor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security in accordance with VA standard operating procedures and standard PWS language, conditions, laws, and regulations. The Contractor s firewall and web server shall meet or exceed VA minimum requirements for security. All VA data shall be protected behind an approved firewall. Any security violations or attempted violations shall be reported to the VA Program Manager and VA Information Security Officer as soon as possible. The Contractor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security, especially those that pertain to certification and accreditation. Each documented initiative under this contract incorporates VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security, March 12, 2010 by reference as though fully set forth therein. VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security shall also be included in every related agreement, contract or order. VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix C, is included in this document as Addendum B. Training requirements: The Contractor shall complete all mandatory training courses identified on the current external VA training site, the Employee Education System (EES), and will be tracked therein. The EES may be accessed at https://www.ees-learning.net/librix/loginhtml.asp?v=librix. If the decision is made by the local Program Office to provide the Contractor a VA Talent Management System (TMS) account, the Contractor shall use VA TMS to complete their mandatory training, accessed at http://www.insidetms.va.gov/ Contractor employees shall complete a VA Systems Access Agreement if they are provided access privileges as an authorized user of the computer system of VA. 10. Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE)/Government-Furnished Information (GFI) Contractor supplied equipment, PCs of all types, equipment with hard drives, etc. for contract services must meet all security requirements that apply to Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Owned Equipment (GOE). Security Requirements include: a) VA Approved Encryption Software must be installed on all laptops or mobile devices before placed into operation, b) Bluetooth equipped devices are prohibited within VA; Bluetooth must be permanently disabled or removed from the device, c) VA approved anti-virus and firewall software, d) Equipment must meet all VA sanitization requirements and procedures before disposal. The COR, CO, the Project Manager, and the Information Security Officer (ISO) must be notified and verify all security requirements have been adhered to. 11. Other Pertinent Information or Special Considerations The government will not be responsible for travel expenses for project site surveys, operational maintenance or repair within the LSCVAMC footprint. All on-site Installation and Basic Administrative costs should be included with the cost of this maintenance agreement. a. Identification of Possible Follow-on Work. This maintenance service agreement does not include additional resources, time and materials needed for future projects due to new installations or medical center requirements for additional equipment or audio visual solution identified by medical center staff. b. Identification of Potential Conflicts of Interest (COI). FAR 9.502 states that an organization COI may result when factors create an actual or potential conflict of interest on an instant contract, or when the nature of the work to be performed on the instant contract creates an actual or potential COI on a future acquisition. An organizational COI exists when the nature of the work to be performed may, without some restriction on future activities, (1) result in an unfair competitive advantage to the contractor or (2) impair the contractor s objectivity in performing the contract work. In services contracts, it is the latter which may most often occur because of a contractor s access to proprietary information, the evaluation and analysis of products which it may produce, and/or its role as an advocate in contract performance or other situations. c. Identification of Non-Disclosure Requirements. Contractors must execute non-disclosure agreements when they work with sensitive and/or proprietary information. There is no sensitive or proprietary information to which the contractor will have access during contract performance so the non-disclosure agreements does not apply in this instance. d Packaging, Packing and Shipping Instructions. Louis Stokes VA Medical Center Attn: Kent Shellko 10701 East Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44106 e. Inspection and Acceptance Criteria. The Contract Office Representative (COR) will be responsible for certifying that the work done under the contract is performed to time and standard requirements, they are also responsible to assure the inspection and acceptance of products provided incidental to services. 12. Risk Control Characterizing an IT system establishes the scope of the risk assessment effort, delineates the operational authorization (or accreditation) boundaries, and provides information (e.g., hardware, software, system connectivity, and responsible division or support personnel) essential to defining the risk. The enterprise faxing solution will encompass hardware equipment and software solutions sanctioned by the Office of Information (OIT) and provide implementation plans to partner with OIT for installation and integration of hardware, software, system connectivity and support by OIT personnel within established guidelines governed by Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Veteran Affairs Continuous Readiness in Information Security Program (CRISP) compliance and standards. 13. Place of Performance VANEOHS 10701 East Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44106 Contact Kent Shellko office (216) 791-2300 x43407 or cell (216) 701-3560 14. Period of Performance Contract award till November 29, 2025. 15. Delivery Schedule Describe the items to be delivered throughout the period of performance and at completion of the contract, if applicable. The delivery schedule format is as follows: SOW Task# Deliverable Title Format Number Calendar Days After CO Start 1 Contract kick off meeting Contractor-Determined Format Standard Distribution* Within 30 days of award 2 Commissioning Report Contract Officer-Determined Format 2 Copies to COR; Letter Only to CO 180 * Standard Distribution: 1 copy of the transmittal letter without the deliverable to the Contracting Officer shall be Emailed. SOW Task# - State the task from Paragraph 4 of the SOW that requires this deliverable. Deliverable Title - State the title of the deliverable (e.g., Assessment Report, Integration Plan). Format - You may either provide Government-specified format or contractor-determined format. If no format is specified for a deliverable, that item will be delivered in contractor-determined format. Number - If you require a number of copies over and above that shown in the standard distribution, specify in this column (e.g., one electronic copy in Microsoft Word Office 2000 Version and one hard copy ). Calendar Days After Contract Start - For items that have a frequency, state the appropriate frequency (e.g., monthly on the 10th work day, or 10 calendar days after draft plan approved. Do Not use as required as a deliverable due date).
