Last draft out for $1.4B DHA workforce contract

On the cusp of officially starting bids for its $1.4 billion Workforce 3.0 contract, the Defense Health Agency has issued a final draft solicitation and is looking for a quick turnaround on getting last-minute feedback from industry.

Workforce 3.0 is part of an effort by the Program Executive Office – Defense Healthcare Management Systems, or PEO DHMS, to turn the agency into what they describe as a world-class technology organization.

Step one is training and maintaining a workforce that has the talent and skills around engineering, design and data science to drive innovative procurement methods and attract new technology into the government market.

Workforce 3.0 will have one multiple-award segment for a broad range of services. A second, single-award segment will be for overall program management functions.

To drive this procurement, DHA worked with Dcode to look for ways to pull in more commercial technology firms and developed the Hive.gov to foster collaboration with industry.

The final solicitation is expected April 21, but a last draft came out on Wednesday April 15. DHA's newest draft focuses on comments on changes to Factor 1, pricing and Attachment 11. They are accepting comments through 5 p.m. Monday (April 19).

Factor 1 are the gate criteria that bidders must meet including disruptive outcomes, product prowess and talent management.

Attachment 11 describes DHA’s “design to outcome” approach to ask orders including what it calls Design-to-Outcome Task Orders, Core Task Orders and Incubator Task Orders. The three types of task order relate to each other with Design to Outcome leading to Core Task Orders. While Incubator Task Orders will be used by DHA as a backup mechanism.

Solicitation documents describe them as “warm failover” or “pilot light” that will keep contractors engaged who do not hold a Core Task Order.

Comments should go directly to dha.ncr.peo-ipo.mbx.dhms-enablers@mail.mil.