Inactive

Page 2 of 2 US Department of Veterans Affairs Request for Information/Sources Sought Modernization and Transformation Planning This is a Request for Information (RFI) only issued for conducting market... Page 2 of 2 US Department of Veterans Affairs Request for Information/Sources Sought Modernization and Transformation Planning This is a Request for Information (RFI) only issued for conducting market research. Accordingly, this RFI constitutes neither a Request for Quote (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP), nor a guarantee that one will be issued by the Government in the future; furthermore, it does not commit the Government to contract for any services described herein. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is not, at this time, seeking proposals or quotes, and therefore, will not accept, review, or evaluate unsolicited proposals or quotes received in response hereto. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted because of this request. The Government does not reimburse respondents for any costs associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred for responses to this RFI. Any contract/order that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this market research will be the outcome of the competitive process. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information on capable sources of supply, industry best practices, and input specific to the information provided. The Government is not responsible for any cost incurred by industry in furnishing this information. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested vendor's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future Request for Proposal (RFP), if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. All submissions will become Government property and will not be returned. Interested vendors are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Requirement: The purpose of this RFI is to identify qualified vendors, who are able to meet Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) Software Product Management (SPM) Benefits and Memorials Services (BAM) requirements for consulting services to advise SPM BAM in the creation of an IT modernization/transformation plan for the delivery of benefits with considerations of VBMS and the broader Benefits Platform. Simultaneously there are several modernization and transformation efforts going on across all of VA OIT as referenced in Appendix A, this requirement may include consulting services to advise on developing and improving these plans as well. The responses for this RFI should include capabilities that are relative to any major modernization or transformation effort. Background: On Aug. 10, 2022, The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act was signed into law. The PACT Act law is a monumental expansion in VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. As part of the legislation specifically under section TITLE VII Resourcing Sec. 701. (b) PLAN FOR MODERNIZATION OF VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, VA is required to submit a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Today the Benefits Platform includes various products including but not limited to: Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS): VBMS is a business transformation initiative supported by technology and designed to improve VBA service delivery. It is a holistic solution that integrates a business transformation strategy to address process and people, along with a 21st century, web-based paperless claims processing system. Benefits Integration Platform (BIP): BIP is an IT initiative intended to reduce the cost, effort, and complexity to deliver new capabilities in support of the VA's mission of administering benefits to Veterans. More specifically, it provides VA projects with the efficiency, accuracy, and security they require for seamless integration with reusable services. BIP is a common platform to enable rapid modernization of legacy applications and development of new business capabilities to deliver benefits for veterans. The platform allows teams supporting VBA and National Cemetery Administration (NCA) to quickly and easily develop, deploy, scale, and manage container-based applications in a multi-tenant Cloud environment. Corporate Database (CRP): CRP is a one-stop database for definitive Veteran records, personal information, history, and benefits-related information. The Database consists of nearly 1100 data tables, and nearly 600 reference tables that are used to process benefit claims, ratings, awards, payments, and accounting for users across VBA and Veterans Health Administration (VHA.) The CRP database is an essential component of VBA s ability to process monthly benefits to approximately 7 million Veterans valued at $10+ billion. As the corporate IT center for VA's nationwide systems, 40+ applications are supported for VA and other Federal agency customers. RFI Submission Instructions: NOTE: Please be advised that any Contractor, including its team members, that receives the award for this effort will be taking on a significant OCI which may preclude them from bidding or performing on future development, implementation/deployment, testing, and maintenance efforts associated with the Benefits Portfolio. The capability package must be clear, concise, and complete. VA is under no obligation to provide feedback to the company, or to contact the company for clarification of any information submitted in response to this RFI. Provide the following information: Generic capability statements will not be accepted or reviewed. Your response must address capabilities specific to the services to the questions below: Include the following identification information: Name of Company: Address: Point of Contact: Phone Number: Fax Number: Email address: CAGE/Unique Entity ID NAICS code(s): If a small business, what type of small business are you? Are you able to comply with FAR 52.219-6 and 52.219-14 in execution of this effort? Are you able to comply with VAAR 852.219-10, VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside and with subcontracting limitations in 13 CFR 125.6 in execution of this effort? Any Schedules held on General Services Administration (GSA), Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC) held on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP) V, or any other schedule not mentioned above to assist in determining acquisition strategy if you are included in one or more. Please also include Contract Number, expiration date, etc. Discuss capabilities, including direct experience, providing advisory and assistance services for modernizing, and transforming legacy benefit systems to include scalability, extensibility, reliability, design principles, architectural assessment capability and data management. Discuss capabilities, including direct experience, advising and recommending modernization and transformations plans and solutions that included architectural guidelines, managing requirements, and conducting planned and unplanned requirements in an Agile environment with VA, other Government Agencies, or large companies with complex systems with comparable size and scope. Discuss your company s knowledge and experience with providing innovative approaches to transform of benefits identification and management that covers the different types of benefits that VA provides. Discuss capabilities, including direct experience, on providing advisory and assistance services on assessing business, policy, technology, and labor impacts of implementing modernization and transformation in a Federal government environment. Include experience on advising on development of major modernization and transformation road mapping and incremental implementation approaches. Discuss your capability, including direct experience, to have SMEs on technology, customer service, benefits delivery and healthcare delivery available for direct consultation. Discuss your ability, including direct experience to ensure appropriate personnel and staffing levels with the requisite programmatic, advisory, and technical expertise are on-boarded quickly. Describe the type of expertise required for advisory support and their Descriptions. What contract type and contract vehicle would best fulfil this type of effort most efficiently (FFP or T&M)? Discuss the type of resources you would leverage for a modernization planning effort to support a broad, complex, and heterogenous legacy technologies transformation? Discuss specific government contracts you have worked on that provided modernization and transformation planning? What criteria is most important and recommended for select consultants for modernization and transformation planning? What is needed from VA to make this effort a success and how do you define success for a consulting engagement on modernization and transformation planning? The Government will not review any other information or attachments included, that are in excess of the 15-page limit.  The Government will not review generic marketing materials that do not address the information contained herein or the attached documents. All interested parties shall respond no later than 12:00 PM EST on October 26, 2022 via e-mail. If you have any questions on the RFI, please submit via e-mail as well. Please note Benefits Modernization in the subject line of your response. The TAC point of contact for this RFI is Contract Specialist, David Mone, Email address: David.Mone@va.gov, and Contracting Officer, Edward Hebert, Email address: Edward.Hebert@va.gov. Appendix A Software Product Management Corporate Portfolio Acquisition and Property Management - Provides IT support for multiple VA systems that could benefit from consulting services to advise in the creation of IT modernization/transformation plans. APM manages IT systems that support acquisition services, construction, supply chain, property management, and Canteen services. Financial Management - Manages and supports applications which control funds and expenditures at the enterprise level. (Side note: while FMBT is doing the replacement of the core financial system, there are other financial management and reporting systems that are not in scope for FMBT). Human Capital Management - Supports all Human Resources (HR) and Office of Security and Preparedness (OSP) products, including enterprise products and services. Sec VA Congressional Legal Affairs - Provides IT Products and fosters strategic partnership with our business partners in the offices of the Office of the Secretary of VA, Office of General Counsel (OGC), Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Enterprise Integration (OEI), Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP), and Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA). Software Product Management Health Portfolio Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks (DEAN)- Provides IT support through education, training, and advancements in scientific research to the offices of Academic Affiliations, Human Capital Management, Research and Development and SimLearn. VHA Front Office (VFO)- Ensures advancement in the VHA healthcare systems by integrating oversight, compliance, quality, and patient safety across the organization. Provides IT support, and clinical and administrative services to the VHA offices of the Chief of Staff, Operations, Oversight, Risk and Ethics, Quality and Patient Safety. Office of Health Informatics (HI)- Supports VA s health information management ecosystem by designing and delivering innovative health information technology capabilities in patient care and clinical research, personal health management, public and population health, and translational science. VHA Finance- Provides software engineering services specific to the financial capabilities needed by VHA Business Owners that enable, enhance, or transform VHA financial business processes. Includes four sub-product lines: Analytics, Processing, Care Coordination, and Reporting. Healthcare Environment and Logistics Management (HELM)- Provides direct IT and operational support to VHA s administrations and staff offices that support Healthcare Environment and Facilities Programs, Healthcare Technology Management, Procurement and Logistics, and VA Logistics Redesign (VALOR). Patient Care Services (PCS)- Provides IT acquisition, development, sustainment, security, and operations support for the suite of products in use by VHA s own PCS program office. Includes products that provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative care, recovery, and palliative care. Also includes four sub-product lines. Office of Community Care (CC)- Collaborates with VHA to identify operational efficiencies and innovative scalable technology solutions. Includes five sub-product lines: Clinical Integration, Network Management, Delivery Operations, OCC Health Informatics and CC Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Arranges quality care in the community, coordinates benefits for family members, builds high performing networks, paying timely, and delivers world class customer service. Telehealth & Scheduling- Divided into two sub product lines, focuses on designing and delivering digital systems that seamlessly connect Veterans to their health care teams and their health information through virtual and home-based tools, mobile apps, expanded access to electronic health information, and more. Clinical Services- Provides IT support to improve the Veteran experience by delivering technology that focuses on diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing health care that includes IT support for VHA offices of primary care, diagnostics, mental health, suicide prevention, specialty care, homelessness, surgery, and dentistry.