36C10B25R0014 | HR Smart - EHCM Modernization Subscriptions, Maintenance and Support | VA-25-00028927

Request For Information This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. In accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information on capable sources of supply, industry 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 party s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future Request for Proposals, if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Any proprietary/sensitive information must be clearly marked by the vendor. Background The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), Center for Human Resources Information Services (CEHRIS) Directorate supports and strengthens the VA s Human Resources (HR) Information Technology (IT) infrastructure by updating and replacing legacy, outdated, and/or duplicative HR-IT systems, technologies and manual processes across the VA Enterprise. CEHRIS, in collaboration with VA Office of Information & Technology (OIT) supports Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA), VA Central Office (VACO) and all VA Staff Offices by implementing modernized, automated, and standardized systems, tools, and capabilities to deliver a world-class workforce with the sole purpose of supporting our Nation s Veterans. The objective of this acquisition is to procure subscription licenses for a full lifecycle cloud based HCM platform solution to replace the current VA solution whereby the HCM platform solution will be continuously and iteratively modernized and enhanced in support of VA s goal to automate HCM functions identified in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Human Capital Management Business Reference Model (HCBRM) Map which is found at the following web site: Federal Human Capital Business Reference Model (HCBRM). Please be advised that a separate RFI and acquisition will be issued for System Integrator professional services in support of modernization. Current Environment The VA HR community consists of roughly 6,300+ HR professionals that process over one million personnel actions a year, to include approximately 487,000 employees who require mass pay change actions annually. There is an average of approximately 50,000+ personnel actions per pay period. The VA HR community also currently supports over 8,500+ Fee Basis employees, 5,000+ paid trainees, 1,000+ students, 41,000+ managers, and 100,000+ uncompensated personnel (for example, health professional trainees and researchers). Requirements In accordance with the attached Product Description (PD) the Contractor shall provide all capabilities as an integrated service environment that provides a seamless user experience with a Core HR system capability serving as the baseline requirement with the capacity to expand platform offerings. The options for expanded offerings should include, but not be limited to all include Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Human Capital Business Reference Model (HCBRM) employee lifecycle management functions inclusive of Enabling, Lifecycle and Supporting HR agency functions. The solution will provide a single portal for employee facing information, engagement, and services (for example, Benefits). HR functions encompassing US Code Title 5 and US Code Title 38, inclusive of functions for hybrid and fee basis type employees, shall be demonstrated. Functional, Technical, and Application features will be demonstrated and will comprise the Government evaluation of potential solutions. Questions for Vendors, please include your answers within your response: Does the Product Description verbiage in Attachment provide sufficient information to prepare a proposal? If not, please elaborate and also provide in response any recommendation(s) with rationale. Government intent for the competitive process is to have solution providers conduct a demonstration over a five (5) day period during the proposal process. This shall include oral briefs on product/services which cannot be demonstrated through the technology. All demonstrators would be provided the same data and would be required to demonstrate the same requirements. Below are examples of content, at a minimum, that may be part of the evaluation process: Functional demonstration Vendors may be asked to discuss and demonstrate the following: baseline HR functional areas such as personnel action processing, benefits management, position management; compensation management; also, employee self-service; manager self-service; benefit elections; manpower management; automated/configured system, transaction, data error validation; user interface front end capabilities. Technical demonstration Vendors may be asked to discuss and demonstrate the following: technology system history; architecture; personnel security; physical and environmental protection; 508 compliance; infrastructure; continuity of operations; configuration management; system information and integrity; incident response; system maintenance; network management; identification and access management (user roles and data security); history correction process (correction, cancellation, retroactive late personnel actions) audit and accountability; data integration and synchronization across the solution. Application feature demonstration Vendors may be asked to discuss and demonstrate the following: navigation; use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, built-in user aids; workflow creation, management, routing, employee initiated, manager initiated, event-initiated workflows; error handling; querying and reports; standard federal reports. What success factors/criteria would you recommend the Government use to evaluate the success of the demonstrations? The Government seeks to be in possession and control of Intellectual Property Rights for all delivered capabilities. What flexibility does your solution offer for Government Intellectual Property Rights? What are your standard agreements with regard to subscriptions? What Government vehicles would you recommend for the subscription licenses? What type of training is available for product configuration to the end customer? Is product specific implementer certification training available to end customers? If so, what are the specifics/syllabus of that training? Are there any Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses solution resellers representing your product line of cloud-based HCM solutions? If so, please identify them and under what Government contract they exist. Is your HCM cloud-based solution FedRAMP approved? If so, what is the current FISMA categorization level? Do you have plans to move to a higher impact level and is there a timeline associated with doing so? What level of support, in detail, is included in your subscription license offering? What is your standard Service Level Agreement (SLA)? Government will seek pricing for subscription licenses in multiple forms to include enterprise licenses, range of quantity (e.g., 1-5,000, 5,001-10,000), by persona, as well, because not all employees engage with the solution to the same degree of effort or time. Thus, what pricing structure and flexibility do you offer with your subscription licenses? Do you have any recommendations for a subscription/licensing price model? What information do you require from the Government to accurately price? Government will seek an annual truing up of baseline subscription licenses to accurately represent the population under management and provide additional funding as needed if there is population growth, or, conversely, Government would seek a credit based on contraction. What is your standard practice with respect to this matter of subscription license management? What number of developmental subscription licenses is recommended for configuration of the solution and all available modules to represent end-to-end lifecycle management? Is this type of license required for renewal the entire performance period of ten years? What is the vendors definition of population under management? Does it include separated, retired employees or just active employees? What is your approach to separated and retired employees? Please provide the following information with your response: Company Name CAGE/DUNS Number Company Address Point of contact name Telephone number Email address For small business concerns, indicate whether at least 50 percent of the total amount paid by the Government will be paid to firms that are similarly situated. Responses to this RFI are due by 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 12, 2024 addressed to William Waterhouse at William.Waterhouse@va.gov Next Steps: The Government will evaluate all responses to this RFI in its requirements and communication to our industry partners.

Background
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), Center for Human Resources Information Services (CEHRIS) Directorate aims to enhance the VA's Human Resources (HR) Information Technology (IT) infrastructure by updating and replacing outdated HR-IT systems and manual processes.

This initiative supports various VA components, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), with the goal of delivering modernized, automated systems to better serve Veterans.

Work Details
The objective of this acquisition is to procure subscription licenses for a full lifecycle cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) platform solution. The solution must replace the current VA system and be continuously modernized to automate HR functions as outlined in the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Human Capital Management Business Reference Model (HCBRM).

The contractor must provide an integrated service environment that includes:
- Core HR system capability as a baseline requirement.
- Options for expanded offerings covering all OPM HCBRM employee lifecycle management functions.
- A single portal for employee information, engagement, and services.
- Demonstration of HR functions under US Code Title 5 and Title 38, including hybrid and fee basis employees.

Functional demonstration areas include personnel action processing, benefits management, position management, compensation management, employee self-service, manager self-service, and automated transaction validation.

Technical demonstrations should cover system architecture, security measures, compliance with regulations like 508 compliance, and data integration capabilities. Application features should include navigation aids, AI usage, workflow management, error handling, and reporting capabilities.

Period of Performance
The specific period of performance is not detailed in the RFI; however, it is implied that the solution will be required for ongoing support over a significant duration.

Place of Performance
The place of performance is not explicitly stated but is likely to be within the facilities associated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.