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AMENDMENT FOR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS Description 1.1 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking information from interested contractors to provide and implement ... AMENDMENT FOR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS Description 1.1 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking information from interested contractors to provide and implement a Simulation Platform for Learning and Education (SIMPLE) solution for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the VA is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Background The Simulation Learning, Evaluation, Assessment and Research Network (SimLEARN) National Simulation Center (NSC), VHA, supports the nation s largest simulation enclave within the Veterans Administration (VA). SimLEARN administers support to the SimLEARN Virtual Academy (SVA), the SimLEARN Innovation Center(s) for Education (SLICE), and the Veteran Health Administration s (VHA) 170 simulation centers writ large. However, there is no current platform that enables collaboration across the whole of simulation across the Enterprise; most of the simulation equipment is neither permitted connectivity to VA s Public Wi-Fi nor VA Enterprise Network behind the VA firewall. While nimble and creative, this leave s VA s simulation community to operate at 20th century efficiencies. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (14HIL) Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks (14), SimLEARN (14HIL2), National Simulation Center (NSC), has a need to modernize and unify the whole of VA s simulation community under one umbrella, a system-of-systems, by standing up a Simulation Platform for Learning and Education (SIMPLE), for real-time collaboration, creation, and dissemination of simulation content, scenarios, and simulation best practices. This project will enable the delivery of high value care through better adoption of simulation capabilities across the VHA. Scope of Work The contractor shall participate in the design, development, testing, and integration of and Enterprise Simulation Platform for Learning and Education (SIMPLE), to modernize healthcare simulation, education, and medical training in the VHA. SIMPLE shall be comprised of a Wi-Fi or Cellular network OR both for connecting simulation equipment; an immersive simulation virtual solution for content creation, dissemination, and storage; and a virtual, remote-meeting simulation for hosting simulation scenarios and events without geographical limitations. Given the magnitude of this RFI, it is expected that there may not be one solution that answer all the requirements and that SIMPLE will be a system-of systems. Therefore, if your system fully answers one or more of the System Requirements categories, VA will accept your RFI as partial. SimLEARN requests the SIMPLE system meet the following: System Requirements: a. FedRAMP Certified SaaS or PaaS solution. If a suitable SIMPLE solution is selected that does not have FedRAMP authorization, the SimLEARN EHTI program will serve as the Federal sponsor. The cost of FedRAMP authorization will fall to the SIMPLE solution selected. The SIMPLE s Authority-to-Operate (ATO), behind the VA Firewall, will require an internal VHA System Owner. The SimLEARN NSC will serve in the capacity of System Owner. The Contractor shall provide Project/Task Management support personnel to facilitate meetings and complete documentation for the FedRAMP Certification and VA OI&T Authority-to-Operate (ATO) processes and protocols under close supervision of the SimLEARN NSC. To the greatest extent possible, the SIMPLE solution shall have achieved FedRAMP authorization prior to VA integration. b. PART I - SIMPLE Network connectivity requirements (e.g., Wi-Fi 6, 5G, 4GLTE) that at least meets the following capabilities: Capability for your system to operate on a dedicated Wi-Fi 6 network reserved for the Simulation Platform for Learning and Education (SIMPLE) remote collaborations. Capability for your system to operation dedicated 4G LTE Cellular network reserved for the Simulation Platform for Learning and Education (SIMPLE) remote collaborations. Capability to employ Virtual Private Network (VPN)/Personal Identification Verification (PIV) to access your system. Capability for your system to operate on a Wi-Fi 6 and 4G LTE Cellular Networks that are secure, air-gapped, and non-PHI/PII. Capability for your system to hand-off consistent connections inside and outside of a building. Capability for your system to ingest IP driven, audiovisual capability for on-the-go video and streaming. Capability for your system to leverage Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) connections for simulation equipment (e.g., 3G Manikins, clinical training devices, biomedical training devices, and electronic health record) for security and maintenance purposes. Capability for your system to ingest a buildings internal connection for audio and video, to run simulations and mockup scenarios at great distance. Capability for your system to ingest external connections for audio and video, to run simultaneous simulations and mockup scenarios with Industry, Academia, and Other Government Agencies. Capability for your system to ingest mobile connectivity solutions required to promote virtual site activations as a future staple of operations. c. SIMPLE Immersive Learning Platform that at least meets the following capabilities: Capability for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) driven video analysis of Learner performance. Capability for AI and Machine Learning (ML) to recognize non-verbal cues, body language, and changes in human physiology. Capability for Non-biased AI to identify racial and gender differences in a simulation environment. Capability for Multiplayer interactive and immersive environments. Capability of being Operating System (OS) agnostic. Capability to store audio, video, and other forms of media and use it in future simulations to include blending. Capability to have Remote Control of Simulation Scenarios to provide new and innovative ways to engage the field. Capability for workflows and process mapping. Capability for interoperability OR integration with existing VA systems (API driven connections). Capability to ingest and leverage Synthetic Patient Data. Capability for expansion with other Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) simulation and learning tools that can be installed at scale, when adding technical enhancements. d. SIMPLE Remote Meeting Platform that at least meets the following capabilities: Capability to show simultaneous break out rooms and video inputs with audio, and at low latency. Capability to delineate, display, and account for participant enrollment. Capability for multiple forms of participant engagement. Capability to host multiple instructors and moderators in the same simulation scenario. Capability to have multiple presentation views, data gathering, and file sharing. Capability to switch video between multiple physical spaces across disparate demographics OR spaces within the same building. Microsoft Teams compatibility. Capability to capture real time data collection after hosted meetings. Capability to provision of dedicated Service and Management Team. Capability for Dolby HD audio quality during remote simulations with automated background sound dampening. Capability to ingest augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and holographic telepresence (device agnostic). Capability for expansion with other Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) simulation and learning tools that can be installed at scale, when adding technical enhancements. Capability to be accessible inside and outside of the VA firewall. 4.0 Capabilities Statement and Market Information Please respond to capability checklist referenced in section 5.3.6 and Immersive Technology Summit questions at the bottom of section 6.0. 5.0 Responses 5.1 Inclusive of completing the capability checklist, all potential sources are invited to submit, in writing, a capability statement with sufficient information to substantiate your business is reasonably capable of performing the work. The capability statement must clearly demonstrate a business s ability to fulfill the requirement. The burden of proof rests with the contractor; therefore, written responses must provide clear and unambiguous evidence to substantiate capabilities appropriate to satisfy this need. 5.2 Responses shall be in Microsoft Word compatible format and are due no later than Friday, April 1, 2022 5:00 PM EST. Responses shall be limited to 20 pages, 12 pt. font min. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Any questions that you may have will be due on March 1, 2022. Responses/questions shall be sent to David Rupert at David.Rupert@va.gov. 5.3. Responses shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: 5.3.1 Company Name(s), DUNs number, Company mailing address, phone number, fax number, name of designated point of contact and e-mail of designated point of contact. 5.3.2 Recommended contracting strategy. Specifically, propose from the industry s perspective what the most appropriate contract type is for this acquisition as well as what you believe the appropriate North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) should be used for this procurement based on the scope identified above. 5.3.3 Either 1) copies of executed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the contractors supporting VA and VA-supported PEOs in technical evaluations or 2) a statement that the responder will not allow the Government to release its proprietary data to the Government support contractors. In the absence of either of the foregoing, the Government will assume that the responder does NOT agree to the release of its submission to Government support contractors. 5.3.4 Company business size and status (i.e., Large Business, Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Women-Owned Small Business, etc.), the number of years in business, affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners, and potential teaming partners. 5.3.5 If you are on GSA Schedule to provide this product or service, provide GSA Contract Number. 5.3.6 Responses to the Capability Checklist. 6.0 Industry Discussions Upon receipt of all RFI responses, VA representatives will review and invite those that appear to meet all the VA needs to attend a SIMLEARN Immersive Technology Summit June 27-30, in Orlando, FL. At this time, the vendors will be invited to set up their system for VA staff to demo. The VA will host an Immersive Technology Summit at the SimLEARN NSC, located in the heart of Lake Nona Medical City, in Orlando, FL, June 27-30, 2022 for VA employees that are innovators and early adopters of immersive technologies in the VHA and members of VHA s Extended Reality (XR) Network. June 27th and July 1st are travel days for VHA participants. Capable Offerors will be invited to demonstrate the full capability of their systems at the SimLEARN NSC Immersive Technology Summit exhibit hall. However, directly after the summit, the capable offerors are asked and expected to leave their systems at the SimLEARN NSC for a total of 45 workdays, to undergo a simulation-based assessment of their system s capability. SimLEARN s Emerging Healthcare Technology Integration (EHTI) program uses simulation to assess emerging technologies prior to integration and to assist VA in making informed purchases. EHTI will schedule 1:1 simulation assessment session with each capable offeror, in person, or virtually if a second travel engagement is not desired by the offeror and the offeror prefers to attend the simulation assessment of their system in a virtual capacity. Capable offerors shall provide return shipping boxes and shipping labels for SimLEARN to return their systems, after the simulation assessment of their systems, if they are not attending their system s simulation assessment in person. Upon completion of each simulation assessment of offeror s capable systems, offerors will receive a Capability Review Report of their systems with recommendations on how to become more ready for VA consumption, if applicable. Would you have any issues participating in the SimLEARN Immersive Technology Summit (Yes/No). If you answered yes, please explain why. Would you have any issues participating in the SimLEARN Immersive Technology Summit with other competitive offerors present? (Yes/No). If you answered yes, please explain why. Would you have any issues leaving your solution at the SimLEARN NSC for 45 days after the SimLEARN Immersive Technology Summit so that SimLEARN s EHTI program may assess your system? (Yes/No). If you answered yes, please explain why. The VA is considering a 5-year contract, would you have any issues pricing a rough order of magnitude (ROM) for this effort out over a 5-year period? (Yes/No). If you answered yes, please explain why. 6.1 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to provide and implement a Simulation Platform for Learning and Education (SIMPLE) solution. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The VA has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Attachments: SimLEARN SIMPLE Requirements and Examples_021622.pdf SIMPLE Capability Checklist