W065--Mobile MRI Trailer Rental

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. The responses received from interested contractors will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20, is conducting market research to identify potential sources which can provide the following services: The Roseburg VA Medical Center in Roseburg Orgon requires the rental of a Mobile MRI Trailer for approximately 6 months starting October 1 2023. Statement of Work Mobile MRI Trailer Rental 1. SERVICES: Contractor shall provide all tools, equipment, maintenance and repair of all Contractor furnished equipment (including a mobile trailer/unit), in accordance with terms and conditions listed herein for Roseburg Healthcare Center VAMC, Roseburg, Or. Contractor shall be responsible to maintain all Contractor provided equipment, in good working order at all times. Every effort should be made to keep equipment down time to a minimum of 24 hours or less. This will be a limited time contract for the duration of the de-install of current MRI system, construction and installation of a new MRI system. The expected time frame for mobile MRI needs will be 180 days. We would like to reserve the right to extend this contract on a weekly basis as may be dictated by delays in construction or installation. 2. CONTRACTOR S FURNISHED EQUIPMENT: Equipment shall include but not be limited to a Contractor furnished fully equipped Mobile MRI Trailer where studies will be performed on a MRI Magnet manufactured after January 2004. All equipment to be used shall be Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved imaging equipment placed at a location designated by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on VISN 20 site. The entire offering of a MRI Mobile Trailer service shall meet all local, state, federal, industry, THE JOINT COMMISSION or equivalent standard, National Electrical Code (NEC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Veterans Administration (VA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and other regulatory standards internal or external for which the VISN 20 is currently accountable and will be kept current with all future Federal and State regulations. While on Federal property, the contractor s personnel shall abide by all policies of the site of service to include but not limited to: smoking, radiation and patient safety policies. 3. SYSTEM CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall provide an on-site Mobile MRI system that is a 1.5T system.: Express Exam Host Computer: Intel Xeon Processor 16-Channel receiver architecture HDxt ScanTools Including: 23.0 Standard Software 23.0 Advanced Software including: Express Exam: Interface includes the Modality worklist, Protocol library, Autostart, AutoVoice, Linking, and lnline processing that complete much of the work for the user Modality Worklist: Provides an automated method of obtaining exam and protocol information for a patient directly from a DICOM Worklist ProtoCopy: Enables a complete exam protocol to be shared with a click of a mouse Workflow Manager: Can fully automate image Rx, acquisition, processing, visualization, and networking Autostart: Once the landmark has been set and tech leaves the room the first acquisition will be started Image Fusion: Multiple images from separate acquisitions can be overlaid on one another Connect Pro: Enables the DICOM worklist server class making it easy to query your HIS/RIS lnhance 2.0 Suite (non-contrast MRA's) including: lnhance Inflow IR with 3D FIESTA to acquire non-contrast images of arteries lnhance 3D Velocity is designed to acquire non-contrast angio images in brain and renal arteries lnhance 3D Delta Flow is designed to acquire 3D non-contrast enhanced Peripheral Arterial Imaging lnhance 2D Inflow is designed to acquire non-contrast images of arteries that follow almost a straight path PROPELLER 3.0 ASSET Parallel Imaging (Array Spatij:11 Sensitivity Encoding Technique) Tl FLAIR & T2 FLAIR BRAVO (BRAin VOiume Imaging) Cardiac and Angiographic Functionality QuickStep 3D LAVA-Flex (Liver Acquistion with Volume Acceleration) 3D COSMIC 3D FIESTA 3D FatSat FIESTA 3D TRICKS Fluoro Triggered MRA eDWI (enhanced diffusion weighted imaging) 3DFRFSE 20&3D MERGE BrainSTAT SPECIAL (Spectral Inversion at Lipids) Auto-Calibrating Reconstruction (ARC) CUBE SWAN Coils: 16-Channel Head/Neck/Spine Array- The 29 Element Coil Serves as a: High-Resolution Brain coil High-Resolution Neuro Vascular Array Multi-element Spine Array 12-Channel Body Array (Optimized for use with ASSET breath-hold Imaging) 8-Channel Knee Array 3-Channel Shoulder Array Quad Extremity Coil lnvivo Foot/ Ankle Coil Flex Coils Quad Head Coil Med Rad Spectris Solaris EP injector AK Trailer 4. MOBILE UNIT CAPABILITIES: Contractor shall provide the following: a. Hardware and software necessary to permit interpretation of MRI Images at the site where images are obtained. b. Ability to create, store and export Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) and Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) file formats. c. The mobile unit shall be equipped with Compact Disk-Recordable CD-R/DVD-R burning capabilities as a backup to network transfer of data. d. The mobile unit shall be equipped with an Image Analysis Station for image registration quality assurance. e. The mobile unit shall be equipped with an Intravenous (IV) contrast injector and warmer. f. The mobile unit shall be equipped with a programmable injector with pressure monitor having the following capabilities (example unit would be the Medrad Stellant Single Syringe Injector): Scan delay Multiphase option Protocol storing Pause hold functionality g. Data/Image Transfer: Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 3.0 system shall be used to export images from Contractor mobile unit to the facilities PACS system. VA will provide an Access Control List (ACL) for a secure port for imaging connection. - - - - - - Minimum security requirements: Up-to-date Microsoft (MS) patches and anti-virus software at the vendor mobile unit Any workstation configuration must be compatible with VA supplied anti-virus (currently McAfee Enterprise) Medical Device Isolation Architecture (MDIA) security to be provided by VA No patient identifiers such as name and Social Security Number shall reside on the mobile unit and images shall have an identifier which does not disclose Personally Identifiable Information (PII). 5. MOBILE UNIT ACCESSORIES: Accessory equipment that shall be provided by the Contractor: a. Handicap/Gurney/Hospital Bed accessibility. b. Intercom system between the control room and scanning room. 6. MOBILE UNIT EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS: The following minimum performance characteristics of the equipment are required: a. The MRI shall provide images with consistently high technical quality to be approved by VA employed experts. Poor image quality will be considered non-performance under this contract and must be remedied within 7 days of notification or incurred default. b. The Mobile MRI unit shall be ready for use regardless of outside environmental conditions. c. The Mobile MRI unit shall maintain a temperature to assure proper operation of the scanner without frequent calibration and provide for patient comfort. d. The MRI unit shall meet all federal, state and local fire and safety requirements. e. Telecommunications: The mobile unit shall be equipped with outlet jack s connections capable of transmitting data and voice through Government provided category five (5) cable and dual pair phone cable. The Government will provide the connection required for the transmission of images, data and voice. f. The mobile unit shall support DICOM Modality Work list (DMWL), for future use. g. The mobile unit shall be able to export DICOM images to at least one destination. h. System shall have been approved by the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) and meets or exceeds minimal standards for the type of equipment being provided as defined herein. The Roseburg Healthcare Center SHALL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING UTILITIES/SERVICES UP TO THE DOCKING PAD (IF NECESSARY) FOR OPERATION OF THE MRI MOBILE UNIT. Pad (12 X 52 X 8 thick concrete (3000psi) with air entrainment, broom finish, reinforcing steel to be ASI-615 Grade 60, #4 bars @ 8 each way, top of steel to be 2 from the top of the concrete surface.) Electricity (150 amp panel breaker, 3 phase, 480v), (200 amp receptacle, 5 wire, Russelstoll #DF 2504 Frabo)* Telephone Line(s) ** Data Port *** Restroom Facilities * In accordance to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) electrical specifications. ** Three (3) telephone lines. Use of telephone extension while mobile unit is on site shall be in order to permit personnel of the unit to make and receive telephone calls, and to facilitate the movement of patients to and from the unit. Telephone calls placed and received by the personnel of the unit on the extension shall be restricted to the appropriate free dialing areas. Long distance calls shall be made with calling cards, reverse charges or to toll free numbers provided by and paid for by the vendor. *** Three (3) data lines. Data Port requirements are for the support of Data/Image transfer support 7. EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE: Equipment provided shall be in good working order at all times in order to provide high quality scans required under this requirement and any resulting contract. Contractor shall be completely responsible for the preventive maintenance, emergency and general repairs, safety, cleaning, and upkeep of all equipment furnished by the Contractor. Preventative maintenance/repairs on the Mobile MRI unit and all associated equipment shall be performed in accordance with the Conformance Standards and manufacturer s recommendations. 8. SITE PREPARATION: The Roseburg Healthcare Center site participating in this contract will provide a docking site for the contractors MRI mobile unit. The Contractor or designee shall perform a site visit at the Roseburg location after notification of contract award and prior to commencement of work to coordinate with the COR in order to confirm site conditions for trailer/mobile unit docking. 9. CONTRACTOR S STAFF: MRI Mobile Unit Driver shall be licensed as applicable to operate and drive the mobile vehicle in which the unit is housed 10. CONTRACTOR S RESPONSIBILITIES: Contractor shall be responsible for the timely delivery and pick up of the MRI trailer. DATA/IMAGE TRANSFER SUPPORT: Contractor shall provide IT Technical Support while the MRI mobile unit is located on-site. Technical Support personnel must have complete knowledge of all Transmission Control Protocols/Internet Protocols (TCP/IP) modification required to interface with the VA network and the Contractor shall provide IT Technical Support to facilitate data transfer to the VA network. The Contractor will be provided an IP address for Source Data, Default Gateway, and Subnet Mask from the VI OI&T personnel. The Contractor shall be responsible for implementation of data transfer to the VA network with the assistance of VA OI&T personnel. The mobile truck s IP address (es) cannot be part of the VA network. The IP range for the workstation/equipment must be in a range supplied by the Government. It should allow for the IP address to be changed locally. The VA will create an Access Control List (ACL) to address security controls. The Contractor shall ensure all IT devices located in the MRI mobile unit be cleansed of all Virus and Malware prior to connecting to the VA network. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED FACILITIES, SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT: The Contractor s Vehicle shall be parked and leveled no more than 12 from docking pad ramp. Contractor shall be responsible for leveling of the vehicle at location designed by the Roseburg Healthcare Center. Contractor shall contact the COR to make the necessary arrangements for a site visit where the actual location of the mobile trailer shall be located so that precise measurements etc. can be taken by the Contractor who shall be responsible to confirm compatibility of the docking pad and connections as noted herein. Any additional costs as a result of the Contractor s failure to confirm the above shall be the responsibility of the successful Contractor. Contractor shall be held responsible for any damages, which may be done to the Roseburg Healthcare Center property during delivery, hookup and/or removal of equipment at the site. Any damages caused by the Contractor shall be repaired at the Contractor s expense to the satisfaction of the facility Chief of Engineering. Proper installation/staging of the Contractor s furnished equipment including the mobile trailer must be completed in accordance with industry standards, all OSHA regulations and applicable manufacturer s recommendations. The above must be completed prior to commencement of services. Dates and time for completion of the above shall be mutually agreed upon between the Roseburg Healthcare Center and the Contractor. NON-CONFORMING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES: Non conforming products or services will be rejected. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, deficiencies shall be corrected within seven (7) days of the rejection notice. If the deficiencies cannot be corrected within seven (7) days, the Contractor shall immediately notify the COR and the Contracting Officer of the reason for the delay and provide a proposed corrective action plan within seven (7) working days. EMERGENCY REPAIRS: Emergency service: Contractor shall provide, at no cost to the Roseburg Healthcare Center, all emergency service to include all required personnel, parts and labor, and preventive maintenance/repairs of MRI mobile structure and equipment to maintain a safe environment as recommended by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) recommendations/specifications in accordance with the agreed upon schedule with the COR. Response Time: In the event of an equipment failure during normal working hours while in the performance of the Contractor s services, the Contractor shall notify the COR or designee immediately after discovery of equipment failure while on site. Every effort should be made to keep equipment down time to a minimum of 24 hours or less. If repair services are required to be performed on site after the normal working hours, the Contractor must notify the COR and the VA Police that services will be performed on-site. All emergency repairs are the responsibility of the contractor and only qualified service engineers shall perform emergency repairs. Replacement Unit: In the event that the equipment fails and the failed equipment is un-repairable, the Contractor must obtain an alternate unit which shall be available on the next scheduled day and which meets all of the requirements of the resulting contract to ensure that schedule services shall be performed as agreed upon under this agreement. DOCUMENTATION/REPORTS: The Contractor shall provide equipment and maintenance reports to the COR if requested during the duration of the contact. The Contractor shall also provide system pre-check and associated documentation at the time the unit is set up at the site where services are to be performed. This is to ensure safety of equipment utilized by the Roseburg Healthcare Center personnel/beneficiaries. The Contractor shall permit onsite inspection by personnel selected by the Roseburg Healthcare Center without prior notice to ensure the Contractor s equipment is operated in accordance with appropriate safety guidelines and/or regulations as applicable. Additional Reports/Documentation required by the successful Contractor prior to commencement of services of Preventive Maintenance (PM) / Repair services, unless otherwise stated. This VISN may require specialized documentation to satisfy the requirements of local state and federal government agencies, and independent consultants such as THE JOINT COMMISSION, as well as for services rendered verification for payment of monthly statement. At a minimum, the following information shall be maintained by the Contractor and be available for inspection by a duly authorized VA representative: Certificate of Insurance not limited to but, includes liability and property insurance of Contractor s furnished equipment which shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of notification of award. It is agreed upon and understood that the Roseburg Healthcare Center or VISN 20 shall not be held responsible for any damage or vandalism, which may be caused to the Contractor s equipment while on Roseburg Healthcare Center premises. Required Federal, State and local licenses. DELIVERY/ SETUP AND REMOVAL OF CONTRACTOR S EQUIPMENT: Contractor shall be responsible for the timely removal of the MRI trailer from the Roseburg Healthcare Center as agreed upon with the COR not to exceed a 24-hour period after completion of the last procedure. Ensure the Mobile Trailer is delivered and hooked up by 7:30 AM Monday. Removal of Mobile Trailer in a timely manner at the completion of Contract. 11. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES, SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT: a. The VA facility shall provide all patient services and MRI Technologists. Retain full medical responsibility for its patients and shall be responsible for patient upon pickup at the Roseburg Healthcare Center designated waiting area, while on the Mobile unit and during the entire scanning procedure until patient is returned to the designated waiting area. The facility will be responsible for transporting patients to and from the Contractor furnished Mobile Trailer. The VA facility shall ensure each patient arriving for the MRI scans has a written physician order to receive services and such other forms or information as required. The VA facility will designate in writing one or more qualified physicians who will review orders for appropriateness, interpret MRI reports and take such other steps as may be medically necessary. b. The Roseburg Healthcare Center facilities will provide the following services, supplies and facilities: All medical supplies, facilities, personnel and physicians required to provide patients with such emergency medical care as may be required, including oxygen, aspirator and defibrillator when deemed necessary. The successful Contactor shall provide during the Post Award Orientation a reasonable list of incidental supplies which may be necessary. (Excluding those which are defined as the Contractor s responsibility). 12. COMMENCEMENT OF SERVICES: Commencement of service date is to be coordinated with the COR. Unit must be ready for patient services no later than 30 days after contract award unless otherwise agreed to in writing with the Contracting Officer. 13. PLACE OF INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: Delivery location of MRI Mobile Trailer site shall be coordinated with the COR. 14. SCOPE OF INSPECTION: a. Compliance with Statement of Work will be inspected for content, completeness, and accuracy and conformance to contract requirements by the COR or his/her designee. Inspection will include validation of information or software through the use of automated tools and/or testing of the deliverables, as specified in the contract order. The scope and nature of this testing must be negotiated prior to the contract award and will be sufficiently comprehensive to ensure the completeness, quality and adequacy of all deliverables. b. In the event that rework of a Scan is required due to no fault of the Veteran Administration or the Veteran beneficiary, the contractor agrees to remake or replace the scan at no cost to the Veteran Administration or to the Veteran beneficiary. c. Reports, documents and narrative type deliverables shall only be accepted when all discrepancies, errors or other deficiencies identified in writing by the government have been corrected. Maintenance logs shall be available upon request. Payment Reconciliation will be accomplished by the Government monthly. The COR or Designated Ordering Office or Officer will validate invoices by reconciliation. If issues occur the COR or Designated Ordering Officer will contact the contractor for clarification and/or correction. 15. VA HANDBOOK 6500.6: Appendix B Security Clause 852.273-75 - SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES (INTERIM- OCTOBER 2008) As prescribed in 839.201, insert the following clause: The contractor, their personnel, and their subcontractors shall be subject to the Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks regarding information and information system security as delineated in this contract. (END OF CLAUSE) 16. VA HANDB OOK 6500.6: VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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 onsite 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. 4. 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...