How to Win the HUMAN SYSTEMS SERVICES FOR THE OFFICE OF HEALTH INFORMATICS Contract

Introduction

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a contractor to provide human systems services for the Office of Health Informatics (OHI), which is responsible for developing and implementing health informatics tools, solutions, and expertise that enhance, transform, and sustain FDA’s ability to protect and promote the public health. The contractor will support OHI in various tasks such as data analysis, data visualization, data quality, data governance, data standards, data exchange, data science, knowledge management, and research and development. The solicitation number is 36C10X23Q0100 and the duration of the term is 5 years with an estimated value of TBD.

Historical Background

This is the first time that VA has issued a solicitation for human systems services for OHI. However, OHI has been involved in several initiatives and projects that require human systems services in the past. Some of these include:

• FDA Data Standards Advisory Board: OHI established this board to provide recommendations on data standards development and implementation for FDA-regulated products.
• FDA’s Global Substance Registration System: OHI developed this system to provide a unique identification for substances used in FDA-regulated products.
• openFDA: OHI launched this platform to provide easy access to public FDA data through application programming interfaces (APIs)¹.
• PrecisionFDA: OHI created this community platform to advance the use of genomic data in precision medicine.
• Structured Product Labeling: OHI implemented this standard to provide consistent information on drug products.
• Vocabulary and Terminology Services: OHI provided these services to harmonize controlled vocabularies and data across FDA.

RFP Description

The RFP for human systems services for OHI is divided into two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A consists of the following sections:

• Section A: Solicitation/Contract Form
• Section B: Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs
• Section C: Description/Specifications/Statement of Work
• Section D: Packaging and Marking
• Section E: Inspection and Acceptance
• Section F: Deliveries or Performance
• Section G: Contract Administration Data
• Section H: Special Contract Requirements

Part B consists of the following sections:

• Section I: Contract Clauses
• Section J: List of Attachments
• Section K: Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Offerors
• Section L: Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors
• Section M: Evaluation Factors for Award

The RFP requires offerors to submit a technical proposal, a past performance proposal, a price proposal, and a small business subcontracting plan. The technical proposal should demonstrate the offeror’s understanding of the requirements, approach, staffing plan, management plan, quality control plan, transition plan, and risk mitigation plan. The past performance proposal should provide evidence of the offeror’s relevant experience in providing human systems services for similar projects. The price proposal should include a detailed breakdown of the offeror’s proposed costs for labor, travel, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and other direct costs. The small business subcontracting plan should indicate the offeror’s goals and strategies for subcontracting with small businesses.

Who Should Participate

The RFP is open to all contractors who have the capability and experience to provide human systems services for OHI. However, some factors that may give an edge to potential offerors are:

• Having a strong track record of providing human systems services for federal agencies, especially VA or FDA.
• Having a deep understanding of the health informatics domain and the challenges and opportunities it presents.
• Having a team of qualified and experienced professionals who have relevant certifications and credentials in health informatics, data science, data analysis, data visualization, data quality, data governance, data standards, data exchange, knowledge management, and research and development.
• Having access to state-of-the-art tools and technologies that can support OHI’s initiatives and projects.
• Having a competitive price that reflects the value and quality of the proposed services.

Challenges

Some of the challenges that offerors may face in pursuing this contract are:

• Meeting the stringent technical requirements and evaluation criteria set by VA.
• Demonstrating innovation and creativity in proposing solutions that can address OHI’s needs and expectations.
• Providing adequate staffing and resources to ensure timely and satisfactory delivery of services.
• Managing risks and uncertainties associated with complex and dynamic health informatics projects.
• Complying with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines related to health informatics.

Conclusion

The RFP for human systems services for OHI is a great opportunity for contractors who have the expertise and experience in providing health informatics solutions. The contract will enable the contractor to contribute to OHI’s mission of enhancing, transforming, and sustaining FDA’s ability to protect and promote the public health. However, the contract also poses significant challenges that require careful planning, preparation, and execution. Therefore, contractors who are interested in bidding for this contract should start working on their proposals as soon as possible and seek professional help from experts like GDI Consulting. GDI Consulting is a leading provider of capture and proposal services for government contractors. GDI Consulting has a proven track record of winning federal contracts worth billions of dollars for its clients. GDI Consulting can help contractors with market research, opportunity sourcing, competitor analysis, bid-no bid decision, proposal development, proposal writing, color team reviews, price-to-win analysis, and more. GDI Consulting can also provide training and coaching for contractors who want to improve their capture and proposal skills. If you want to win the human systems services for OHI contract, contact GDI Consulting today at www.gdicwins.com and let us help you achieve your goals.