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SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
Sources Sought: This is NOT a solicitation for a proposal, proposal abstract, or quote. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding qualified business sources. The responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method.
OVERVIEW
The vendor shall work with the Director of HSR&D Service at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR) and study. Investigators are to conduct and manage longitudinal survey activities for the Long-Term Outcomes study of the COVID-19 Observational Research Collaboratory (CORC).

The vendor shall assign a long-term outcomes survey team to perform the tasks as outlined in this Statement of Work. The survey team shall have access to the requirements listed in Resources Required section of this statement of work. The tasks to be completed fall into two areas: survey management and survey conduct. These tasks shall be performed for the purpose of conducting long-term outcomes research on COVID-19 among Veterans.

Survey management tasks shall include:
Coordinate logistical details required to secure and maintained access to VA networks and study databases
Coordinate and maintain all IRB materials required for research conduct
Supervise Johns Hopkins University research personnel
Coordinate data collection from multiple sources
Weekly reporting to CORC PI s
Developing protocols and Standard Operating Procedures necessary to perform research tasks
Managing survey budgets and budget justifications
Consult with CORC PIs on survey research best-practices
Meet weekly with CORC PI to strategize and review survey data
Conduct daily quality checks on survey data
Support investigators in manuscript development
Train Johns Hopkins University research personnel on study procedures, including proper survey conduct, protection of privacy, cohort recruitment and retention, and suicide referral strategies
Support Ann Arbor CORC survey team by ensuring:
Accurate and appropriate regulatory documents are filed
Proper maintenance of study databases
Accurate and timely reporting of survey data
Development of any needed survey remediation plans
Other tasks, including modification of the details of this task list, as necessary to ensure the success of CORC s long-term outcomes survey aim

Survey conduct tasks shall include:
Consent and survey eligible study participants
Maintain accurate consent documentation and storage of consent materials
Manage current list of eligible and consented participants in study databases
Monitor participant windows to ensure timely survey completion
Ensure survey documentation is accurate and reliable
Maintain participant privacy and confidentiality throughout the study
Utilize VA systems, including EMR systems like Joint Legacy Viewer (JLV) to review participant information
Ensure participant contact information is kept up to date
Manage participant proxy requests and proxy contact information
Conduct proxy surveys when Veterans are unable to complete surveys
Provide suicide referrals to appropriate study investigators when needed
Ensure appropriate and timely follow-ups with study participants
Support Ann Arbor CORC survey team by:
Ensuring participant mailed survey requests are kept up to date
Communicating any technical or participant related issues to project managers
Ensuring accurate and reliable data collection

Deliverables:
The primary mission of the vendor is to support the management and conduct of the CORC Long-Term Outcomes survey aim, and so the primary deliverable by which the vendor will be evaluated is the CORC s success in that aim.

Secondary deliverables include:
Collection of survey data by the LTO survey management team
Weekly and annual survey reports
Other deliverables as needed to accomplish the tasks laid out above, as jointly agreed upon by the vendor and the Director of HSR&D Service at CCMR and/or their delegate

Resources Required:
The vendor and VA shall provide access to specific resources to complete the tasks required in this contract. These resources include:

Facilitating Resources from the Vendor:
Necessary office space, communication, and computing resources
Email access consistent with standard vendor access provided to staff

Specific Expertise from the Vendor. Because the work to be done is conducting and managing an ongoing longitudinal survey study of the COVID-19 epidemic for which immediate ability to contribute is needed, the assigned employee shall have proven experience and expertise in:
Department of Veteran s Affairs systems, including:
Electronic Medical Records and associated databases, including JLV and the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW)
VA REDCap
Jabber computer phone software
Research Development Committee, Institutional Review Board, Privacy Office and Information Security Office rules, regulations, and reporting requirements
Administration of surveys to Veterans recovering from critical illness, with high response rates
Veteran suicide referral strategies and utilization of hotline numbers
Maintaining participant privacy and confidentiality
the administration of surveys to COVID-19 survivors
the administration of the EQ-5D, ADL, IADL, PHQ-9 and other specific survey instruments being used by the CORC project
the disbursal of reimbursements and incentives to Veterans using gift cards abiding by the VA s regulations about how these funds flows
the use of VA electronic health records to identify candidates eligible for research survey administration
the linkage of VA electronic health records to survey data implementing the VA s distinctive rules about documentation of consent
integration of Access and Redcap-based surveys in the VA computing and information protection environment
management of VA-privacy and security restrictions about which data can be stored in which program
respect for and operationalization of the VA s distinctive approaches to documenting proxy consent for research studies
navigation of VINCI s data sharing requirements between VA HSR&D sites

From VA:
Access to VA e-mail system
A VA laptop
Access to VA electronic study materials and folders
Access to VA systems: JLV, VINCI, IRB platform, Jabber, REDCap

Data Security
The survey team assigned by the vendor to perform the tasks in this Statement of Work shall secure Work without Compensation (WOC) status and use a VA computer to log-on to the VA computer system and have a VA e-mail account. They will have the minimum necessary access to individual Veteran data as needed to accomplish the tasks laid out above, consonant with regulatory approvals by the VA Ann Arbor RDC, IRB, and other governing committees, and consistent with best practice.

SUMMARY:
This is a Sources Sought notice and not a request for quotes. This request is solely for the purpose of conducting market research to enhance VHA s understanding of the market s offered products, services and capabilities. The Government will not pay any costs for responses submitted in response to this Sources Sought.
This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their notice of ability, and their available products and services in response to the requirement. Vendors are being invited to submit information relative to their potential of fulfilling this requirement in the form of a capability response that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought.
This Sources Sought is to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy.
RESPONSE COMMITMENT
I. Response:
A. Capability statement with general understanding of the industry and current knowledge and subcontract networks that would be used to support the requirement as identified herein. Information should suggest, NACIS Code, provide the socioeconomic status for your company and your subcontractors if you are planning on supporting this service with subcontractors. Submittals furnished will not be returned to the sender. No debriefs will be conducted. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice.
B. Proprietary information is neither requested nor desired. If such information is submitted, it must clearly be marked "proprietary" on every sheet containing such information, and the proprietary information must be segregated to the maximum extent practicable from other portions of the response (e.g., use an attachment or exhibit).
Submit responses email only you annmarie.stewart@va.gov
II. Timeline:
A. This request will close on stated date within the Government Point of Entry (GPE).
Notes:
1. This Sources Sought is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement action will follow. The Department of Veterans Affairs will use the information submitted in response to this notice at its discretion and will not provide comments to any submission; however, The Department of Veterans Affairs reserves the right to contact any respondent to this notice for the sole purpose of enhancing The Department of Veteran Affairs understanding of the notice submission.
2. The content of any responses to this notice may be reflected in any subsequent solicitation, except for content marked or designated as business confidential or proprietary which will be fully protected from release outside the government.
The Department of Veteran Affairs Contracting Office POC:
Ann Marie Stewart
Contracting Officer
annmarie.stewart@va.gov

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