VACCHCS Switchboard Operators

This document is a Past Performance Survey (Attachment #3) issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to evaluate a contract offeror's history. It contains instructions directing the offeror to submit a completed survey for each reference alongside their quote. It also instructs evaluators, whose identities will remain confidential, to rate the offeror's past performance. The survey requires evaluators to provide details on past contracts—including total amounts, performance dates, and contract numbers—and to rate the overall quality of work on a scale from Excellent to Unacceptable. Lastly, evaluators must document how any past performance issues or concerns were resolved.

This federal solicitation (36C26126Q0597) is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Network Contracting Office (NCO) 21. It seeks a contractor to provide eleven (11) telephone operator and switchboard operators for the VA Central California Health Care System (VACCHCS) in Fresno, California. The procurement is conducted as a 100% Small Business set-back under NAICS code 561421 (Telephone Answering Services), which has a size standard of $19 million. The resulting award will be a Firm-Fixed-Price contract consisting of a one-year base period (October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027) followed by four one-year option periods, potentially extending performance through September 30, 2031. Contractor personnel must provide continuous, 24/7/365 switchboard coverage, answering and routing all incoming calls within three rings and managing emergency alarms, codes, and paging systems. The government will furnish the necessary facility space, utilities, custodial services, and Cisco-based communications hardware. The contractor is responsible for personnel training, quality assurance, emergency contingency planning, and providing employee benefits. Additionally, because personnel will have access to VA information systems, the contractor must strictly adhere to comprehensive federal and VA IT security, privacy, and personnel vetting requirements, including annual cyber security training and liability for potential data breaches. Proposals are due by August 6, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT.

This document outlines the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for a federal service contract, establishing systematic methods to monitor and evaluate contractor performance. Authorized under FAR 52.212-4(a), the QASP ensures that the government receives acceptable service quality while holding the contractor fully responsible for their own quality control actions. Key government personnel roles are defined: the Contracting Officer retains final authority over contract terms, pricing, and performance adequacy, while the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) handles technical administration and direct surveillance. The primary surveillance method utilized is periodic monitoring by the COR, specifically targeting three performance objectives detailed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS): - **Answering and Processing Calls:** Ensuring incoming calls are answered in priority order, routed correctly, and emergency alarms or radio transmissions are handled with immediate, professional responses. - **Outgoing Calls and Coordination:** Assisting staff and patients with commercial or federal calls, while politely explaining any completion issues. - **Reporting Equipment Malfunctions:** Maintaining a detailed log of all telephone hardware malfunctions and service complaints. The COR is required to maintain a comprehensive quality assurance file containing all reports, evaluations, and checklists. These records must be retained for the life of the contract and forwarded to the Contracting Officer upon contract completion.

This document is a federal Service Contract Act (SCA) Wage Determination (No. 2015-5609, Revision 29, dated May 13, 2026) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor for Fresno County, California. It establishes the minimum hourly wage rates and mandatory fringe benefits for various service occupations employed on federal contracts in this geographic area. Key provisions and requirements outlined in the document include: - **Occupational Wage Rates:** Lists specific minimum hourly wages across multiple sectors, including administrative support, automotive services, food preparation, health, information technology, mechanics, and protective services. - **Fringe Benefits:** Mandates a health and welfare benefit of $5.55 per hour (or $5.09 per hour for contracts covered by Executive Order 13706 regarding paid sick leave). It also defines paid vacation structures based on length of service and establishes eleven paid federal holidays. - **Executive Orders:** References compliance requirements for Executive Order 13706 (Paid Sick Leave) and Executive Order 13658 (Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors). - **Special Pay Differentials:** Details additional compensation policies, such as night and Sunday premiums for air traffic controllers and weather observers, as well as hazardous duty pay differentials (4% or 8%) for working with ordnance or explosives. - **Uniform Allowances:** Establishes contractor responsibilities for furnishing and maintaining required work uniforms. - **Conformance Process:** Outlines the official Standard Form 1444 (SF-1444) procedure to establish wage rates for any necessary job classifications not explicitly listed in the determination.

This government "Sources Sought Notice" outlines a non-personnel services contract for remote health record coding services for the VA Central California Health Care System (VACCHCS). The contract will be a Firm Fixed Price type, with a base year from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, and four optional one-year extensions. Key tasks include operating Cisco consoles, managing calls, reporting equipment malfunctions, and handling VA sensitive information while adhering to strict security and privacy protocols. The contractor must provide all necessary equipment, personnel, and management, ensuring 24/7 coverage. All personnel will undergo VA training and background checks. The document emphasizes compliance with federal laws, VA directives on information security, data protection, and incident reporting. A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is required due to the handling of Protected Health Information (PHI).