See Attachment for full Solicitation.
West Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care System (WTVAHCS)
Veteran and Employee Wellness Services
1. Background.
The West Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care System (WTVAHCS), 300 Veterans Blvd, Big Spring TX, 79720, is seeking to purchase a product that provides wellness activities and educational opportunities for both veterans and staff. The service must provide virtual classes and wellness tools for living a healthier life and may empower veterans and employees to engage in a variety of activities, that safely inspire results toward personal health and wellness goals. While many programs and platforms focus predominantly on fitness, this service must support:
- well-being for the body and the mind by offering a wider variety of exercise, meditation, yoga, and especially those requirements outlined in HR23539 Whole Health Act and VHA Directive 1137.
- Veteran and employee engagement and learning where classes are available through various modalities.
- Both the classes and overall platform interface must address the capabilities related to all ages, interests, body types, and ability levels engaging in wellness activities.
- All services are to be performed in accordance with the regulations, codes and or laws established by local, State and/or Federal agencies.
2. Scope.
Education-based wellness classes are to be led by certified, diverse, and relatable instructors, and with continuous content that gives members fresh ways to enjoy their wellness journeys.
Implementation should be efficient and user-friendly and should include streamlined Single Sign-On (SSO) and Application Program Interface (API) integration. Offerings should be widely and globally accessible through IOS, Android, Windows devices, and web browsers.
WTVAHCS is seeking to secure 1,000 licenses for Base Year, plus 4 option years that can be used by either veterans or staff. The WTVAHCS also needs the option to escalate the number of licenses secured during each Option Year up to 5000.
3. Schedule/Hours of Operation and Federal Holidays observed by the WTVAHCS are:
On-demand and self-paced offerings shall be available during all hours to WTVAHCS veterans and staff who have signed up for an account using locally established guidance/support/procedures.
Federal holidays (below, dates are published in advance on the Office of Personnel Management website), or other low-use hours/days, may be most effective for implementing changes or updates that will temporarily limit accessibility to on-demand offerings.
New Years' Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans’ Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
4. Security Requirements
There are no security requirements, as the platform will not access any VA/Veteran information. The platform will not connect to VA LAN connections at all.
5. Other Pertinent Information or Special Considerations.
- Company will provide on-demand access to well-being activities and educational materials.
- Company may provide personalized content by recommending content through a search engine to guide members based on their well-being goals and interest, and social community features allowed them to invite others to scheduled classes.
- Company will provide implementation, eligibility file setup, and ongoing support, and must be complaint with HIPAA, SOC2, GDPR, and WCAG 2.1.
- Includes VA specific education.
6. Software Installation and Access to Licenses/Accounts
The service provider will provide an Implementation Manager to serve as a single point of contact for implementation – this includes a scheduled kickoff meeting to review the following items:
- Customized and co-brand welcome email campaign
- Instructions for account registration
- Instructions/resources for troubleshooting
- Eligibility file specifications and file upload process
- Safe listing instructions
- Review of the client marketing resources
7. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY
The is no need for the government to furnish the company with any property, as specified in FAR 45, government property, and related agency policy.
8. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS
Contractor employees will need to get access badges from the VA Police Service located on the ground floor, main facility prior to conducting business, installation, or training functions. Contractors are required to abide by all facility requirements in regard to screening and masking requirements.
All Contractor personnel are required to wear I.D. badges during the entire time he/she is on Government property. I.D. badges must have an identification picture and shall state the name of the individual and the company he/she represents. The Contractor is to coordinate with the COR to obtain the I.D. badge from the Police Service. The Contractor is to provide a list of personnel who shall be performing the service
9. INFORMATION SECURITY AND PRIVACY:
Vendor will not have access to information deemed to be “VA sensitive information” or any Veteran records; the company may have basic personal information (e.g. name, email) that is shared willingly by veterans and staff who create accounts in order to access services. The certification and accreditation (C&A) do not apply.
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.
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. However, it is the policy of VA to forgo collection of liquidated damages in the event the contractor provides payment of actual damages in an amount determined to be adequate by the agency.
10. RECORDS
NARA Records Management Language for Contracts
Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.
In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.
In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.
West Texas VA health Care System and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of WTVAHCS or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to WTVAHCS. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.
The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government’s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to WTVAHCS control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).
The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and WTVAHCS guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.
The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with WTVAHCS policy.
The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public WTVAHCS information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.
The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.
WTVAHCS owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which WTVAHCS shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.
Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise handle records are required to take WTVAHCS provided records management training. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training.
References:
- VHA Directive 6300, Records Management
- VHA Directive 6300.01, Records Management Continuous Readiness Review and Remediation
- VHA Records Control Schedule (RCS) 10-1
NARA Facility Standards for Records Storage, 36 CFR 1234
