S--VA Employee Culinary Training and develop VHA Healthy Diet for VA Northern California Health Care System

The VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS) intends to negotiate a noncompetitive award to Miller, Don & Associates, a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), to provide VA Employee Culinary Training and develop a three week cycle Premier Patient Services Menu for multiple VISN 21 sites within VANCHCS. This procurement is a sole source award under the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 in accordance with FAR Subpart 6.302-5(b)(6) and VAAR 819.7008 Sole source awards to veteran-owned small business concerns. This is a combined synopsis solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. Sole source justification has been prepared in support of this acquisition. This notice is NOT a request for competitive proposals. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-40. The NAICS code is 722310 and the small business size standard is $20.5 million. 1. General Information: Contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, supervision, transportation and resources necessary to provide VA Employee Culinary Training and develop the Premier Patient Services Menu a collaborative project among Nutrition and Food Service operations within VISN 21, funded through Systems Redesign VHA Organizational Health Innovations Grant. Inpatient acute care and long term care health care food services at each facility are provided seven days a week, fourteen hours per day. Target population includes Veteran's of diverse cultural and age variety. VA Sites covered under this contract are: Martinez Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center 150 Muir Road Martinez, CA 94553 Site Team Leader: Stephanie Mohney Sacramento VA Medical Center 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 Site Team Leader: Michael Beday San Francisco VA Medical Center 4150 Clement Street San Francisco CA 94121 Site Team Leader: Karen Arnold Fresno VA Medical Center VA Central California Health Care System 2615 E. Clinton Avenue Fresno, CA 93703 Site Team Leader: Greg Basila Reno VA Medical Center VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System 1000 Locust Street Reno, NV 89502 Site Team Leader: Charlene Gregory 2. Scope of Work: The contractor shall be responsible for managing and providing the education and training of Veterans Health Affairs (VHA)/Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees on culinary art techniques in coordination with the site team leader and/or designated food production/service manager(s). Responsible for service menu and recipe development and oversight/implementation of prescribed culinary arts and food service based curriculum and training. Tasks 1. Review site specific results of veteran focused survey/focus group data. Perform site specific service assessment/interview to determine current kitchen space and equipment available for project. Provide suggestions regarding equipment and staffing needs. 2. Develop a three week cycle menu meeting VHA Healthy Diet guidelines; including regional, local and seasonal ingredients, incorporating veteran identified preferences and cultural desires. Include variations for the following therapeutic diets: diabetic, renal, 2 gram sodium as appropriate. 3. Provide appropriate recipes for the 3 week menu cycle including at a minimum, recipes for: the center of the plate entrée at each meal with two sides along with a 10 day salad cycle. 4. Culinary Training Provide a total of 70 days of hands on culinary cooks/food service worker training, to be divided among the five VA sites participating under this contract. The number of days for each site to be coordinated with Site Team Leaders based on service/training needs and staffing availability. Training will include preparation and presentation of 90% of the center of the plate recipes (38 recipes) and 30% of sides and salad recipes (34 recipes) for the developed three week menu cycle. Training will include classroom and on the job training with return demonstration of culinary art skills among 4-6 cooks/food service staff at each site. Instruction will include: food preparation techniques, cooking methods, plating/presentation, seasoning/flavoring, and adhering to appropriate food safety/sanitation standards. 3. Period of Performance: This contract consists of a Base Period estimated 4 months. Base Period: June 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010 (date may be adjusted based on date of award) 4. References VHA Directive 2010-007 Healthy Diet Guidelines VHA Handbook 1109.03 Nutrition and Food Service Safety 5. Requirements Contractor Requirements a) Staffing Levels. Provide adequate levels of certified and trained culinary personnel for on-site training b) Medical Clearance. Maintain documentation that certifies the individuals are suitable to work in food services. c) Personal Protection Equipment. The contractor shall ensure contract employees wear all required safety equipment and uniform requirements as defined in VHA Handbook 1109.03 Nutrition and Food Service Safety. d) Employee Conduct and Security. Ensure conduct complies with VHA laws and related standards of conduct and security operations outlined in the contractual agreement and as subsequently updated. e) Environmental Safety and Food Storage. The contractor shall maintain sanitary work environment and comply with safe food storage practices as defined in VHA Handbook 1109.03 Nutrition and Food Service Safety. f) Knowledge, Skills, and Ability: experience with healthcare food service delivery systems, quantity food production, menu recipe development, and the nutritional aspects of healthcare menu design and therapeutic implications of food preparation. 6. Sub-Tasks The contractor shall conduct the following tasks: a) Task 1- Site Assessment: Obtain site specific data; perform food service operational assessment to determine current staffing, kitchen space and equipment available for project. Utilize this assessment data in the development of an appropriate menu cycle and recipes for the VA sites. Provide suggestions/recommendations for further site development/opportunities for change at completion of the contract to further advance future food service operations. Completion Date: 2 weeks after award of contract. b) Task 2 - Menu Development: The contractor will develop a three week menu cycle that incorporates VHA Healthy Diet guidelines; including regional, local and seasonal ingredients, incorporating veteran identified preferences and cultural desires. Including as needed variations for diabetic, renal and 2 gram sodium therapeutic diets along with menu alternatives as needed to adapt for site variations in tray delivery systems. Completion Date: Draft to Site Team Leaders two weeks after completion of Task 1. c) Task 3 - Recipes: The contractor shall use tested recipes and shall consider regional food flavors, Veteran preferences, texture, temperature, appearance, palatability and plating needs in selecting recipes. All recipes shall be for 50 servings, including standard recipe components such as serving size, ingredients list, process steps, nutritional breakdown (calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate, sodium and potassium) and plating instructions. The contractor will provide a sample recipe format in advance for approval by the Site Team Leaders. Completion Date: Draft to Site Team Leaders two weeks after completion of Task 1. d) Task 4 - Culinary Training: (70 calendar days to be scheduled between 5 sites) i. Instruction will be scheduled during normal work hours to be determined by the Site Team Leaders (Monday-Saturday) excluding Federal holidays, in VA kitchen sites at Reno Nevada, and Fresno, San Francisco, Martinez, and Mather California. Instruction will include a combination of on the job training/return demonstration and classroom instruction. ii. The number of employees to be trained at each site will be mutually agreed upon between the contractor and the site team leader. Levels of training will be determined based on employee work assignment. Level one: food preparation, plating/presentation, safety/sanitation Level two: food preparation, cooking methods, seasoning/flavoring, plating/ presentation, safety/sanitation iii. VA host site will provide training room and all food/kitchen supplies needed for purposes of training. iv. Contractor will provide specific hands on training on 90% of the center of the plate recipes (38 recipes) and 30% of sides and salad recipes (34 recipes) for the developed three week menu cycle. v. Contractor will issue Culinary Training Certificates for each employee trained indicating the training hours completed and topics covered upon successful completion of the on-site training. Completion Date: September 30, 2010 7. End Results/Deliverables a) The following final documents will be provided in an electronic file as well as 10 printed copies (2 copies per VA site) each by September 30, 2010. i. Weekly Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner menu cycle, suitable for posting ii. Daily large font "At a Glance Menu", suitable for posting b) An electronic file of the recipe database associated with the 3 week cycle menu will be submitted by September 30, 2010. c) Individualized training certificates for VA employees at each VA site with documentation of completed training to be submitted to the Site Team Leader within 2 weeks of culinary training completion. d) Brief narrative summary of further opportunities/enhancements recommended for future food service operational improvements to be considered at each VA site. This final summary is due September 30, 2010. 8. Progress/Compliance The contractor shall maintain a single project schedule that includes updates on task timeframes to be sent electronically each week to site team leaders and discussed during weekly status meetings and/or teleconferences in order to monitor progress. 9. Transmittal/Delivery/Accessibility The electronic versions of the menu cycle and recipes will be provided in a program that is accessible and editable to all VA sites. Two copies of the printed deliverables shall be provided to each VA site. (End of Statement of Work) The provisions 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors (JUN 2008), as modified, applies to this acquisition. In your proposal, please provide: company name, address, telephone number, date of proposal, proposal price; Tax ID #, additionally your company shall be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database and your online Representations and Certifications shall be completed at the following website: http://orca.bpn.gov/publicsearch.aspx. If Offeror is not registered in the Online Representations and Certifications application, they shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certification -Commercial Items (Aug 2009) with their proposal. Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 includes VAAR 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers (Jan 2008). The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (Mar 2009) with addendum is applicable to this acquisition. Addendum to 52.212-4: 52.228-5 Insurance - Work on a Government Installation (Jan 1997); 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising (Jan 2008); 852.237-70 Contractor Responsibilities (Apr 1984). 852.273-76 Electronic invoice Submission (Interim - October 2008) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Apr 2010) with the following cited clauses applicable to this acquisition: 52.219-28 Post Award Business Program Rerepresentation (Apr 2009); 52.222-3 Convict Labor (Jun 2003); 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999); 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007); 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sept 2006); 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers With Disabilities (Jun 1998); 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006); 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (Jun 2008); 52.222-41 Service Contract Act of 1965 (Nov 2007); 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (May 1989); 52.222-44 Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act-Price Adjustment (Sep 2009); 52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Other than Central Contractor Registration (May 1999); VAAR 852.219-11 VA Notice of Total Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-aside (Dec 2009). The full text of any clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html and http://www.va.gov/oamm/oa/ars/policyreg/vaar/.