R--13 Greatest Challenges

On November 2, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Technology Acquisition Center posted Pre-Solicitation Notice VA118-10-RI-0045 announcing the process and requesting industry participation in the Department's initiative related to VA's 13 Greatest Challenges. IAW FAR 15.202, the Government issued the pre-solicitation notice in order to establish strategic partnerships with industry to conquer the challenges faced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as it transforms into a high-performing organization that is better aligned with 21st century Veterans and our responsibilities to deliver our Veterans the best possible support and services. As specified in the original notice, the period for submission of concepts described below was open for a period of 1 year up to November 2, 2010. Please be advised this amendment to the original notice specifies that the Government is not extending the period for submission of concept papers under the current competitive process described below and at VA Supplier Relationship Transformation website at http://www1.va.gov/oamm/transformation/index.cfm. Concept paper submissions must be received at the VA Virtual Office of Acquisition (VOA) web site at https://www.voa.va.gov/ by 11:59PM on November 2, 2010 in order to be considered. For those unfamiliar with the current process, the following provides the applicable details as included in the original notice. Details regarding any subsequent process and information regarding opportunities to address VA's Greatest Challenges will be combined with the VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2) program and will be addressed under a separate Pre-solicitation Notice. The following 13 Greatest Challenges identified by the Department were included in the original Pre-solicitation Notice: 1. Eliminate Veteran Homelessness 2. Enable 21st Century Benefits Delivery and Services (e.g. backlog reduction) 3. Automate GI Bill Benefits 4. Implement Virtual Lifetime Electronic Records (VLER) 5. Improve Veterans Mental Health 6. Build Veterans Relationship Management (VRM) Capability to Enable Convenient, Seamless Interactions 7. Design a Veteran-Centric Healthcare Model and Right-Sized Infrastructure to Help Veterans Navigate the Healthcare Delivery System and Receive Coordinated Care 8. Expand Healthcare Access for Veterans, Including Women and Rural Populations 9. Ensure Preparedness to Meet Emergent National Needs (e.g. hurricanes, H1N1 virus) 10. Develop Capabilities and Enabling Systems to Drive Performance and Outcomes 11. Establish Strong VA Management Infrastructure and Integrated Operating Model 12. Transform Human Capital Management 13. Perform Research and Development to Enhance the Long-Term Health and Well-Being of Veterans Each challenge is described in greater detail on the following web site: http://www.va.gov/oamm/transformation/ for more information on the VA's strategy to conquer these challenges, see the VA's Strategic Plan at http://www1.va.gov/op3/docs/VA_2006_2011_Strategic_Plan.pdf. For more information on the budget resources planned to support these initiatives, see the FY 2010 budget highlights at http://www4.va.gov/budget/summary/2010/Fast_Facts_VA_Budget_Highlights.pdf . Industry can submit their ideas as a "concept paper" as a short, three to five page document describing the proposed solution. The concept papers must present solutions to systemic challenges, not technologies or approaches that address a narrow problem. The concept papers shall be submitted electronically to the VA Virtual Office of Acquisition web portal at https://www.voa.va.gov/. Subject matter experts from the VA and technical support staff from the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research (MITRE) Corporation will conduct initial evaluations to determine which ideas/concepts have viability for further consideration. Contractors who submit concept papers that warrant further consideration will be notified by e-mail and requested to provide additional technical information through an oral presentation, inclusive of briefing slides, and a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate to support the proposed solution. The Government reserves the right to utilize any information provided by industry via concept papers and any subsequent technical proposals, ROM cost estimate and oral presentations for purposes of future competitive acquisitions. Concept papers that are not recommended for further consideration will be archived and the contractor will be notified in writing that they are unlikely to be a viable competitor on any subsequent acquisition. Bid and proposal costs will not be reimbursed by the Government. In addition to the challenges identified herein, industry is also encouraged to submit ideas for the improvement of VA processes not specifically identified above. These proposals shall be submitted to the website at https://www.voa.va.gov/ as Unsolicited Proposals and conform to the submission requirements and be evaluated in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 15.6.