H--CERTIFICATION, TESTING, AND CLEANING SERVICES OF BIOLOGICAL SAFETY CABINETS AND PHARMACY CLEAN ROOM AT THE VAMC MEMPHIS

This is a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only Solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written Solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number VA249-14-Q-0668 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular. This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside requirement only qualified offerors may submit bids. The NAICS is 541380 and the small business size standard is $14.0 Million. Description of Services: Contract Type: The government anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed Price award. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforms to the solicitation requirements and will provide the best value to the government. The Memphis VA Medical Center is seeking certification, testing, and cleaning Services for Biological Safety Cabinets and a Pharmacy Clean Room for a base period (time of award), plus four (4), twelve (12) month option year contract. The contractor shall provide certifying, cleaning, and testing services for 16 Biological Safety Cabinets (8 cabinets to be inspected twice a year and 8 cabinets inspected once a year) and 1 Pharmacy Clean room to be inspected twice a year along with the collection of 5 air sample Blood Agar plates (VA furnished and tested). In addition, the contractor shall provide all maintenance, labor, materials, travel, and expertise necessary for or incidental to the performance of services for contract. See Statement of Work for complete details. Solicitation document and incorporated FAR and VAAR provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.204-9, Personnel Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (Jan 2011) 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Nov 2011) 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Dec 2013) 52.237-2, Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside 52.228-5, Insurance - Work on a Government Installation (Jan 1997) 852.203-70, Commercial Advertising (Jan 2008) 852.203-71, Display of Department of Veterans Affairs Hotline Poster (Dec 1992) 852.232-72, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (Nov 2012) 852.237-70 Contractor Responsibilities (Apr 1984) SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS In accordance with FAR 28.307-2 and FAR 52.228-5, the following minimum coverage shall apply to this contract: (a) Workers' compensation and employer's liability: Contractors are required to comply with applicable Federal and State workers' compensation and occupational disease statutes. If occupational diseases are not compensable under those statutes, they shall be covered under the employer's liability section of the insurance policy, except when contract operations are so commingled with a Contractor's commercial operations that it would not be practical to require this coverage. Employer's liability coverage of at least $100,000 is required, except in States with exclusive or monopolistic funds that do not permit workers' compensation to be written by private carriers. (b) General Liability: per occurrences. (c) Automobile liability: per person; per occurrence and property damage. (d) The successful bidder must present to the Contracting Officer, prior to award, evidence of general liability insurance without any exclusionary clauses for asbestos that would void the general liability coverage. VAAR 852.233-70 PROTEST CONTENT/ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (JAN 2008) (a) Any protest filed by an interested party shall: (1) Include the name, address, fax number, and telephone number of the protester; (2) Identify the solicitation and/or contract number; (3) Include an original signed by the protester or the protester's representative and at least one copy; (4) Set forth a detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds of the protest, including a description of resulting prejudice to the protester, and provide copies of relevant documents; (5) Specifically request a ruling of the individual upon whom the protest is served; (6) State the form of relief requested; and (7) Provide all information establishing the timeliness of the protest. (b) Failure to comply with the above may result in dismissal of the protest without further consideration. (c) Bidders/offerors and contracting officers are encouraged to use alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures to resolve protests at any stage in the protest process. If ADR is used, the Department of Veterans Affairs will not furnish any documentation in an ADR proceeding beyond what is allowed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference: This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address (es). 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference: This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address (es). Full text can be obtained at www.arnnet.gov. Submission of Quote: The Offeror shall submit their quote on company letterhead and shall include unit price, total , unit quantity, terms of any express warranty, unit price, overall total price, applicable shipping charges and item description as specified above, as offered discounts, proposed delivery time, name, address, and telephone number of the offeror, firm's DUNS# and ORCA document in SAM at www.sam.gov. Complete copy of 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items, and ORCA document. All questions should be emailed to contact@example.gov, by July 7, 2014 at 12:00pm CST. Quotes must be received by July 11, 2014 at 8:00am CST. Email your quote to contact@example.gov . The solicitation package will be posted on FedBizOpps, which can be accessed at www.fedbizopps.gov. The Government will not provide paper copies of the solicitation. Telephone, written, or facsimile, requests, for the solicitation package will not be honored. All interested parties MUST be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) Database and have completed On-Line Representation and Certifications Application (ORCA) in order to receive a contract award. If you are not registered with SAM, you may request an application via phone at +1 (555) 000-0000 or register on-line at https://www.sam.gov. There will be no automated email notification of amendments. To keep informed of changes: Check www.fedbizopps.gov frequently. The quote/proposal should be broken down as follows: Base Year Time of Award - 09-30-2014 $ Option Year 1: 10-01-2014 - 09-30-2015 $ Option Year 2: 10-01-2015 - 09-30-2016 $ Option Year 3: 10-01-2016 - 09-30-2017 $ Option Year 4: 10-01-2017 - 09-30-2018 $ Total For Base & Option Years $ DISCLAIMER AND IMPORTANT NOTES: The government is in no way obligated to do business with or enter into the award a contract to any firm or its affiliates or otherwise pay for the information provided in this synopsis. STATEMENT OF WORK 1. INTRODUCTION: The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Memphis located at 1030 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38104 has a requirement for certification, testing, and cleaning of Biological Safety Cabinets and a Pharmacy Clean Room. 2. SCOPE: The contractor shall provide certifying, cleaning, and testing services for 16 Biological Safety Cabinets (8 cabinets to be inspected twice a year and 8 cabinets inspected once a year) and 1 Pharmacy Clean room to be inspected twice a year along with the collection of 5 air sample Blood Agar plates (VA furnished and tested). The contractor shall provide all maintenance, labor, materials, travel, and expertise necessary for or incidental to the performance of services for the contract. 3. REQUIREMENTS: " The contractor shall provide testing and certification on the Biological Safety Cabinets twice a year (every 6 months). " Only fully trained and qualified personnel/technicians shall be employed in the performance of any and all work performed under this contract. " Upon request, the contractor shall provide training certificates (or notarized copies) to the Biomedical Engineering Department for verification. " The highest standard of professional capability and workmanship is to be maintained throughout the life of this contract. " All testing equipment must be in current calibration meeting traceable standards. " All units shall be certified to comply with the NSF/ANSI Standard 49 Class II (laminar flow) biosafety cabinetry certification standards. " The contractor shall perform the five containment tests recommended for field certification for each of the Safety Cabinets. 4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS: A. Down flow velocity profile test B. Inflow velocity test C. Airflow smoke patterns D. HEPA filter leak test E. Cabinet leak test (when a cabinet is newly installed, relocated, or after panels were removed during maintenance procedures) F. Site installation assessment testing including alarm calibration, as applicable G. Cabinet integrity testing, A1 cabinets only, as applicable H. The contractor shall complete the five worker comfort and safety tests recommended by NSF International I. Electrical leakage test J. Ground circuit resistance and polarity test 5. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance is base (time of award) plus four (4) option years. Contractor must be available to carry out work as soon as possible after time of award. 6. DOCUMENTATION/FIELD SERVICE REPORT: The contractor or the contractor representative shall furnish to the VAMC Biomedical Engineering Department legible hard copies of test results, certification certificates, and field service reports upon completion of all work. 7. HOURS OF OPERATION: The contractor will perform services required during the hours of 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday or as directed by the designated VAMC Memphis Point of Contact or Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) 8. U.S LEGAL HOLIDAYS: The following is a list of U.S. Government holidays. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the proceeding Friday is observed as the holiday; if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the holiday. HOLIDAY DATE New Year's Day Jan 1 Martin Luther King's Birthday 3rd Monday in Jan President's Day 3rd Monday in Feb Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day 1st Monday in Sep Columbus Day 2nd Monday in Oct Veterans Day Nov 11 Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in Nov Christmas Day Dec 25 9. SECURITY/ IDENTIFICATION: The contractor's employees shall check in and out with the VA Police obtain visitor identification each day. Employees must have a valid state or government identification. All contractor/vendor personnel shall display a VAMC Memphis issued identification badge while performing work on any VAMC property. Smoking is not prohibited on property except in designated areas. Possession of weapons is prohibited (in vehicle or on person). Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of the VA regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court. Contractor employees (crew) when on VAMC Memphis grounds; shall not bring visitors into the facility; shall not bring into the facility, any form of weapons or contraband; shall not bring in any alcohol or drugs or be under the influence of alcohol/drugs; shall conduct themselves in a professional and polite manner at all times; shall not cause any disturbances in the facility, are subject to all the rules and regulations of the VAMC Memphis. Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance and be easily recognized. Contractor shall furnish and require every on-site company employee to wear a company shirt and safety shoes. All company workers while on duty shall be identified by uniform shirt or blouse indicating the company logo. The print should be large enough to be easily read. In addition all company staff assigned to work at the VAMC Memphis. 10. SITE REGULATIONS: All work shall be performed in accordance with VAMC Memphis rules & regulations. 11. TRAVEL: The Contractor is responsible for all of their travel, accommodations, meals, rental cars, etc. 12. INFORMATION SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS: " GENERAL Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security. " ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS a. A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order. b. All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness. d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the contractor/subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor. e. The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor's employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination. " VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE a. Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1). b. VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor's information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA's information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA's sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on-site inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements. c. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/ subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/ created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract. d. The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract. e. The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on contractor/subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the contractor/subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed. f. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12. g. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.01, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship. h. The contractor/subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated. i. The contractor/subcontractor's firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA's minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request. j. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA's prior written approval. The contractor/subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response. k. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor/subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the contractor/subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that contractor/subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response. l. For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require C&A or an MOU-ISA for system interconnection, the contractor/subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COR. " INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT a. Information systems that are designed or developed for or on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities shall comply with all VA directives developed in accordance with FISMA, HIPAA, NIST, and related VA security and privacy control requirements for Federal information systems. This includes standards for the protection of electronic PHI, outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C, information and system security categorization level designations in accordance with FIPS 199 and FIPS 200 with implementation of all baseline security controls commensurate with the FIPS 199 system security categorization (reference Appendix D of VA Handbook 6500, VA Information Security Program). During the development cycle a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must be completed, provided to the COR, and approved by the VA Privacy Service in accordance with Directive 6507, VA Privacy Impact Assessment. b. The contractor/subcontractor shall certify to the COR that applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the VA Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC), and the common security configuration guidelines provided by NIST or the VA. This includes Internet Explorer 7 configured to operate on Windows XP and Vista (in Protected Mode on Vista) and future versions, as required. c. The standard installation, operation, maintenance, updating, and patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the VA approved and FDCC configuration. Information technology staff must also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default "program files" directory and silently install and uninstall. d. Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges. e. The security controls must be designed, developed, approved by VA, and implemented in accordance with the provisions of VA security system development life cycle as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems, VA Handbook 6500, Information Security Program and VA Handbook 6500.5, Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development Lifecycle. f. The contractor/subcontractor is required to design, develop, or operate a System of Records Notice (SOR) on individuals to accomplish an agency function subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (as amended), Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Privacy Act may involve the imposition of criminal and civil penalties. g. The contractor/subcontractor agrees to: (1) Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically identifies: (a) The Systems of Records (SOR); and (b) The design, development, or operation work that the contractor/ subcontractor is to perform; (1) Include the Privacy Act notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation, when the work statement in the proposed subcontract requires the redesign, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals that is subject to the Privacy Act; and (2) Include this Privacy Act clause, including this subparagraph (3), in all subcontracts awarded under this contract which requires the design, development, or operation of such a SOR. h. In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the violation concerns the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of the Act, when the contract is for the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the contractor/subcontractor is considered to be an employee of the agency. (1) "Operation of a System of Records" means performance of any of the activities associated with maintaining the SOR, including the collection, use, maintenance, and dissemination of records. (2) "Record" means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and contains the person's name, or identifying number, symbol, or any other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a fingerprint or voiceprint, or a photograph. (3) "System of Records" means a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual. i. The vendor shall ensure the security of all procured or developed systems and technologies, including their subcomponents (hereinafter referred to as "Systems"), throughout the life of this contract and any extension, warranty, or maintenance periods. This includes, but is not limited to workarounds, patches, hotfixes, upgrades, and any physical components (hereafter referred to as Security Fixes) which may be necessary to fix all security vulnerabilities published or known to the vendor anywhere in the Systems, including Operating Systems and firmware. The vendor shall ensure that Security Fixes shall not negatively impact the Systems. j. The vendor shall notify VA within 24 hours of the discovery or disclosure of successful exploits of the vulnerability which can compromise the security of the Systems (including the confidentiality or integrity of its data and operations, or the availability of the system). Such issues shall be remediated as quickly as is practical, but in no event longer than 5 days. k. When the Security Fixes involve installing third party patches (such as Microsoft OS patches or Adobe Acrobat), the vendor will provide written notice to the VA that the patch has been validated as not affecting the Systems within 10 working days. When the vendor is responsible for operations or maintenance of the Systems, they shall apply the Security Fixes within 15 days. l. All other vulnerabilities shall be remediated as specified in this paragraph in a timely manner based on risk, but within 60 days of discovery or disclosure. Exceptions to this paragraph (e.g. for the convenience of VA) shall only be granted with approval of the contracting officer and the VA Assistant Secretary for Office of Information and Technology. " INFORMATION SYSTEM HOSTING, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, OR USE a. For information systems that are hosted, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities, contractors/subcontractors are fully responsible and accountable for ensuring compliance with all HIPAA, Privacy Act, FISMA, NIST, FIPS, and VA security and privacy directives and handbooks. This includes conducting compliant risk assessments, routine vulnerability scanning, system patching and change management procedures, and the completion of an acceptable contingency plan for each system. The contractor's security control procedures must be equivalent, to those procedures used to secure VA systems. A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must also be provided to the COR and approved by VA Privacy Service prior to operational approval. All external Internet connections to VA's network involving VA information must be reviewed and approved by VA prior to implementation. b. Adequate security controls for collecting, processing, transmitting, and storing of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as determined by the VA Privacy Service, must be in place, tested, and approved by VA prior to hosting, operation, maintenance, or use of the information system, or systems by or on behalf of VA. These security controls are to be assessed and stated within the PIA and if these controls are determined not to be in place, or inadequate, a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) must be submitted and approved prior to the collection of PII. c. Outsourcing (contractor facility, contractor equipment or contractor staff) of systems or network operations, telecommunications services, or other managed services requires certification and accreditation (authorization) (C&A) of the contractor's systems in accordance with VA Handbook 6500.3, Certification and Accreditation and/or the VA OCS Certification Program Office. Government- owned (government facility or government equipment) contractor-operated systems, third party or business partner networks require memorandums of understanding and interconnection agreements (MOU-ISA) which detail what data types are shared, who has access, and the appropriate level of security controls for all systems connected to VA networks. d. The contractor/subcontractor's system must adhere to all FISMA, FIPS, and NIST standards related to the annual FISMA security controls assessment and review and update the PIA. Any deficiencies noted during this assessment must be provided to the VA contracting officer and the ISO for entry into VA's POA&M management process. The contractor/subcontractor must use VA's POA&M process to document planned remedial actions to address any deficiencies in information security policies, procedures, and practices, and the completion of those activities. Security deficiencies must be corrected within the timeframes approved by the government. Contractor/subcontractor procedure...