R708--Teletown Hall Recompete

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is seeking Contractor services to support VBA's teleconference outreach strategy to support VBA s three priorities: 1) Provide Veterans (and survivors, family members and service members where applicable) with the benefits they have earned in a manner that honors their service, 2) Ensure we are strong fiscal stewards of the money entrusted to us, and 3) Foster a culture of collaboration. Key communications, outreach, and areas of focus may include any of VBA s programs and services, including but not limited to those administered under the Office of Transition and Economic Development, Education Service, Compensation Service, Pension and Fiduciary Service, Loan Guaranty Service, Insurance Service, Appeals Management Office, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, and the Office of the Under Secretary for Benefits. VBA's outreach programs and activities are designed to ensure that important benefit information is provided to the right person at the right time and in the right way to improve ease of access and put Service members, Veterans, and their family members in control of how, when, and where they wish to be served. VA requires an outreach contract to meet statutory requirements under Title 38 U.S.C. §6301, which requires VA to proactively provide information to eligible Veterans and dependents and providing them with timely and appropriate assistance to assist them in understanding benefits and services so that they may achieve a rapid social and economic transition to civilian life and obtain a higher standard of living for themselves and their dependents. In its communications and outreach to various targeted populations, VBA strives to maximize the integration and efficient coordination of outreach activities, messaging, and materials to improve information flow, service delivery, and ultimately improve the experience of Veterans interacting with VA. VBA s outreach mission is operating in a period of rapid change. VA is serving a shrinking, but increasingly diverse population of Veterans. Public expectations about VA access and customer service is at the forefront of public dialogue. Furthermore, technological advances in all VBA benefit disciplines are changing the way VA communicates, learns, and interacts internally as an organization and externally with its partners and its customers. Current and future services must respond to these dynamic realities. To enhance the Veteran experience, VA requires an accessible approach to reach more Veterans where they live. Many Veterans live in areas with limited access to the Internet or with a limited skill set in terms of emerging technologies. Many refer to the relative inequality between those who have more and less access to bandwidth as the digital divide. The VA will attempt to overcome the hurdles associated with the digital divide by entering into a contract that provides virtual teletown hall teleconference (TTHs) services that respond to the concerns of Veterans. The TTHs will be hosted by senior leadership from the Department of Veterans Affairs with program management, technical support, in-call staffing, text message push notification services, media engagement support, analysis, and reporting provided by the Contractor.