BACKGROUND - Veterans Affairs



PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRSOffice of Management Debt Management Center (DMC)Accounting Services SupportContents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 1.0BACKGROUND PAGEREF _Toc413852599 \h 32.0APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS PAGEREF _Toc413852600 \h 33.0SCOPE OF WORK PAGEREF _Toc413852601 \h 33.1ORDER TYPE PAGEREF _Toc413852602 \h 44.0PERFORMANCE DETAILS PAGEREF _Toc413852603 \h 44.1PERFORMANCE PERIOD PAGEREF _Toc413852604 \h 44.2PLACE OF PERFORMANCE PAGEREF _Toc413852605 \h 44.3TRAVEL OR SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS PAGEREF _Toc413852606 \h 44.4CONTRACT MANAGEMENT PAGEREF _Toc413852607 \h 44.5GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY PAGEREF _Toc413852608 \h 44.6SECURITY PAGEREF _Toc413852609 \h 44.6.1POSITION SENSITIVITY PAGEREF _Toc413852610 \h 55.0SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES PAGEREF _Toc413852611 \h 65.1PROJECT MANAGEMENT PAGEREF _Toc413852612 \h 65.1.1TECHNICAL KICKOFF MEETING PAGEREF _Toc413852613 \h 65.1.2CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN PAGEREF _Toc413852614 \h 65.2REMEDIATION SUPPORT PAGEREF _Toc413852615 \h 75.2.1MONTHLY REPORT PAGEREF _Toc413852616 \h 76.0GENERAL REQUIREMENTS PAGEREF _Toc413852617 \h 86.1PERFORMANCE METRICS PAGEREF _Toc413852618 \h 8 BACKGROUNDIn fiscal year 2016, VA initiated the Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT) program which is a Department-wide adoption of a modern financial management solution from a Federal Shared Service Provider. This directly supports Office of Management and Budget M13-08, Improving Financial Systems through Shared Services, and aligns to VA’s strategic objective, “Enhance Productivity and Improve the Efficiency of the Provision of Veteran Benefits and Services.” The FMBT initiative intends to provide a comprehensive financial management system that enables VA to meet the following goals: standardizing, integrating, and streamlining financial processes including budgeting, procurement, accounting, and financial reporting; facilitating effective management by providing stronger analytics and projections for planning purposes; improving customer service and support goods, supplies, and services for the Veteran; and improving the speed and reliability of communicating financial information throughout VA and providing timely, robust, and accurate financial reporting. The Accounts Receivable (AR) business line is included in FMBT’s process area “Bill to Collect”, and will be led by the Debt Management Center (DMC). In order to properly develop requirements or re-engineer inadequate processes, VA first needs to identify the universe of AR and the current business processes associated with them. Currently, the three VA administrations, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), utilize a variety of technology solutions to support AR and debt management activities. The multitude of solutions, combined with decentralized AR and debt management activities, increase the challenges VA faces in ensuring AR and debt management processes are accurate, efficient, and standardized. Identifying the universe of AR and debt management processes is a crucial first step in understanding the scope of re-engineering efforts VA will undergo as part of the FMBT initiative. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTSThe documents in Paragraph 2.0 of the Basic PWS apply to the performance of this effort; there are no additional referenced documents.SCOPE OF WORKThe purpose of this Task Order (TO) is to procure accounting services to conduct thorough documentation of existing financial reporting processes and activities as they relate to VA’s AR and debt management. These accounting services will assess financial activity and reporting to include evaluating these processes for any potential weaknesses. The contract support will consist of two (2) accountants to assist in the identification and mapping of the universe of AR and debt management processes across the three VA administrations (VBA, VHA, and NCA) and supporting units. Also, the purpose of the TO is to procure support to analyze and document similarities, differences, and deviations from current VA-wide policies and procedures and to recommend corrective actions in order to achieve consistency in business processes and financial reporting prior to migrating to the new financial management system. ORDER TYPEThis Task Order (TO) shall be performed on a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) basis. PERFORMANCE DETAILSPERFORMANCE PERIODThe period of performance shall be for six (6) months from the date of award, with an option to extend TO for an additional six (6) months. PLACE OF PERFORMANCEThe place of performance is remote/virtual or at the contractor location. TRAVELThe Government anticipates travel in order to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend program-related meetings or conferences throughout the period of performance. These costs will not be directly reimbursed by the Government.The total estimated number of trips in support of the program related meetings for this effort is four.? Anticipated locations include the following, estimated at five days for each duration:Financial Services Center 104/017600 Metropolis Drive, Bldg. 5 Austin, TX 78744CONTRACT MANAGEMENTAll requirements of Sections 7.0 and 8.0 of the Basic PWS apply to this effort. This TO shall be addressed in the Contractor’s Progress, Status, and Management Report as set forth in the Basic contract. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTYThe contractor will utilize personally owe equipment (POE) and obtain access through the Cintrix Access Gateway (CAG). These contractors will gain CAG access through FSC located in Austin, TX.In order to gain access to the VA network the contractor must:PIV Card IssuedRead/Sign Rules of BehaviorCompleted TMS 10176 Sign 0344Adjudicated fingerprints/SACIf CAG access on the contractor’s POE isn’t viable on the FSC network then they will receive government furnished equipment from FSC. In order to gain access to the VA network the contractor must:PIV Card IssuedRead/Sign Rules of BehaviorCompleted TMS 10176 Sign 0344Adjudicated fingerprints/SACSECURITYAll requirements in Section 6.0 of the Basic PWS apply to this effort.POSITION SENSITIVITYPosition SensitivityBackground Investigation (in accordance with Department of Veterans Affairs 0710 Handbook, “Personnel Security Suitability Program,” Appendix A)LowNational Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) A NACI is conducted by OPM and covers a 5-year period. It consists of a review of records contained in the OPM Security Investigations Index (SII) and the DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, FBI fingerprint check, and written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment. In VA it is used for Non-sensitive or Low Risk positions.ModerateModerate Background Investigation (MBI) A MBI is conducted by OPM and covers a 5-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check], a credit report covering a period of 5 years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment; an interview with the subject, law enforcement check; and a verification of the educational degree.High Background Investigation (BI) A BI is conducted by OPM and covers a 10-year period. It consists of a review of National Agency Check (NAC) records [OPM Security Investigations Index (SII), DOD Defense Central Investigations Index (DCII), FBI name check, and a FBI fingerprint check report], a credit report covering a period of 10 years, written inquiries to previous employers and references listed on the application for employment; an interview with the subject, spouse, neighbors, supervisor, co-workers; court records, law enforcement check, and a verification of the educational degree.The position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the Performance Work Statement (PWS) are as follows:Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation RequirementsTask NumberLow/NACIModerate/MBIHigh/BI5.1.1 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.1.2 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.1.3 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.1.4 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.1.5 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.2.1 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.2.2 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX 5.3.1 FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX FORMCHECKBOX The Tasks identified above and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The Contractor is required to pay for all the expenses pertaining to the background investigation. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal.SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLESTask 5.1 - Project Management Support. The contractor shall provide expert project management support that fully leverages relevant completed and ongoing work on the concurrent tasks as a single, integrated effort.Subtask 5.1.1 - Project kickoff meeting – The contractor shall conduct an initial kickoff meeting within three (3) business days after award to discuss administrative issues, review relevant ongoing tasks, and ensure that the contractor fully understands the requirements of the TO. The contractor shall provide the contracting officer representative (COR) with an agenda at least one (1) business day prior to the meeting and provide minutes within two (2) business days after the meeting. Subtask 5.1.2 - Schedule of deliverables – The contractor shall provide, within two (2) weeks after the kickoff meeting, proposed calendar dates for all deliverables laid out in Section 4, Deliverables and Schedule. In making its proposal, the contractor may propose reasonable changes to deliverable dates that are included in the table in Section 4 and propose the consolidation of deliverables to reduce duplication and redundancy in reporting. In no case, will the contractor propose a reduction in the work called for in this TO. Upon approval by the COR, the schedule of deliverables will be binding. Subtask 5.1.3- Project work plan – The contractor shall use appropriate techniques to ensure that all deliverables are completed on time. The contractor shall submit a proposed project work plan to the COR for approval no later than three (3) weeks after the project kickoff meeting. The work plan will include all key tasks, dependencies, and interim milestones needed to complete the deliverables on time. The work plan shall fully leverage relevant completed and ongoing work on the concurrent tasks as a single, integrated effort. Additionally, the contractor shall present proposed formats, where applicable, for the project deliverables. Upon approval by the COR, the project work plan will be the primary agenda topic of the weekly status meetings. Subtask 5.1.4 - Weekly status meetings – The contractor shall participate in weekly status meetings with the COR and the DMC Internal Controls and Process Improvement Division (ICPID) staff. Status reports will include a summary of work completed in the previous week and what work is planned for the upcoming week. Any concerns and/or potential issues that may impact meeting a deliverable date or interim milestone shall be raised immediately at the status meeting for resolution. Subtask 5.1.5 – Electronic knowledge management – The contractor shall create and maintain a SharePoint Electronic Library in the Department’s SharePoint site to house all project documentation and artifacts and facilitate access to all pertinent staff (i.e. DMC staff). Duties specific to this task include, but are not limited to, the following:Upload and maintain all documentation and artifacts (such as project plan, meeting agendas and minutes, data collection document, Visio process maps, process analysis report, and other documents developed and/or obtained as a result of this project) in the SharePoint Electronic Library,Set up special pages and sections of the SharePoint Electronic Library as necessary, and Ensure the proper filing of each document and artifact, and link documents and artifacts to one another when required.Task 5.2 – Process Documentation Subtask 5.2.1 – Data collection – The contractor shall document the AR type, applicable systems, owning organization, subsidiary account balances with associated general ledger account balances in the system of record and point of contacts for all AR across VA administrations and supporting units. The contractor shall meet with customers to gain understanding of each AR type and obtain current documented policies, procedures, process maps, other relevant supporting documentation, and financial reporting standards. The contractor shall develop a template to document the data in Microsoft Excel format. Subtask 5.2.2 – Visio process maps – The contractor shall map the “as-is” full process for each AR type from initiation, management/follow-up, and collection to write-off/closure using Microsoft Visio. After completing the mapping, the contractor shall meet with customers to verify maps are accurate and complete. Task 5.3 – Process AnalysisSubtask 5.3.1 – Process analysis – The contractor shall conduct an “as-is” process analysis consisting of “grouping” all AR types that should have similar business processes (i.e. VHA field station AR) and identify differences, deviations from current VA-wide policies and procedures, and corrective actions. As part of the analysis, the contractor shall also document which processes will change with the new financial management system and which systems will no longer be used and/or will be replaced. The contractor shall produce the process analysis report in Microsoft Word format. Task NumberDeliverable NumberName/DescriptionDue Date/Time FramePROJECT MANAGEMENTTask 5.1 - Project Management SupportSubtask 5.1.1Deliverable 1.1Project kickoff meetingWithin 3 business days of awardSubtask 5.1.2Deliverable 1.2Schedule of deliverablesWithin 2 weeks after kick-off meetingSubtask 5.1.3Deliverable 1.3Project work planWithin 3 weeks after kickoff meetingSubtask 5.1.4Deliverable 1.4Weekly status meetingsWeeklySubtask 5.1.5Deliverable 1.5Electronic Knowledge ManagementInitiate within 2 weeks of kickoff meetingPROCESS DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSISTask 5.2 – Process Documentation. Subtask 5.2.1Deliverable 2.1Data collection (Excel format)TBD based on contractor work plan, as approved by the CORSubtask 5.2.2Deliverable 2.2Process maps (Visio format)TBD based on contractor work plan, as approved by the CORTask 5.3 – Process Analysis.Subtask 5.3.1Deliverable 3.1Process analysis report (Word format)TBD based on contractor work plan, as approved by the COR5.4 Key Personnel Two contractors/accountants will be conducting the tasks outlined in this TO. All contractor personnel engaged in the project will have a basic knowledge:Have understanding of Federal laws, regulations, and guidance applicable to AR.Have understanding of the U.S. Standard General Ledger accounts related to AR.Have understanding of creating process maps using Microsoft Visio.Have sound communication skills. Be expert in creating and managing documentation.The following positions are considered key positions and shall be identified in the contract under the key personnel clause:Project Manager (PM) – The proposed personnel who will function as primary interface between the government PM and proposed staff.?The proposed personnel must have demonstrated competency in managing multiple, concurrent tasks seamlessly as outlined in the TO.Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) – The proposed personnel will provide expert advice in the critical areas of the TO.Task 5.5 Monthly ReportsThe Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) with Monthly Progress Reports in electronic form in Microsoft Word and Project formats.? The report shall include detailed instructions/explanations for each required data element, to ensure that data is accurate and consistent. These reports shall reflect data as of the last day of the preceding Month.? Monthly Progress Reports shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and work planned for the subsequent reporting period.? The report shall also identify any problems that arose and a description of how the problems were resolved.? If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including their plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. The Contractor shall monitor performance against the CPMP and report any deviations. It is expected that the Contractor will keep in communication with VA accordingly so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.Deliverables: Contractor Monthly ReportGENERAL REQUIREMENTSPERFORMANCE METRICSThe table below defines the Performance Metrics associated with this effortPerformance ObjectivePerformance StandardAcceptable Performance LevelsTechnical NeedsShows understanding of requirementsEfficient and effective in meeting requirements Meets technical needs and mission requirementsOffers quality services/productsSatisfactory or higherProject Milestones and ScheduleQuick response capabilityProducts completed, reviewed, delivered in timely mannerNotifies customer in advance of potential problemsSatisfactory or higher3. Project StaffingCurrency of expertisePersonnel possess necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform tasksSatisfactory or higher4. Value AddedProvided valuable service to GovernmentServices/products delivered were of desired qualitySatisfactory or higherThe Government will utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) throughout the life of the contract to ensure that the Contractor is performing the services required by this PWS in an acceptable manner. The Government reserves the right to alter or change the QASP at its own discretion. A Performance Based Service Assessment Survey will be used in combination with the QASP to assist the Government in determining acceptable performance levels. The COR will determine if the performance of the Contractor is below a metric standard and deem it unacceptable.? The COR will then notify the Contracting Officer. ................
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