The Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) posted three notices on fbo.gov in 2013 regarding the agency’s intent to purchase appointment scheduling software to correct problems with preparation and delivery of appointment notices to veterans for the VA’s compensation and pension clinics. The set-aside contract for software was awarded on September 26, 2013 for $395,949 to Tridec Technologies, LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) located in Dayton, Ohio. However, the contract award was not listed online at fbo.gov, the online government contracting website. According to an email response from the VA press office, the missing contract award notice was due to an oversight.
The VA’s compensation and pension clinics evaluate veterans for eligibility for disability claims, both physical- and mental-health related. The contract solicitation noted that the clinics “have a mandate to schedule and complete any examinations requested within 30 days.” The VA faced several problems with the scheduling process as the documents accompanying the solicitation indicate:
