Survey Intake Architecture · Task 4 (4A–4B)
How VHA salary-survey data is collected, certified, and entered.
The Sources Sought asks for a cloud database that handles “reformatting and entry of data” from employee records and survey findings. This is the working mechanism: three intake streams feed the Task 4 enclave, the human-submitted stream runs on a structured, §7451-anchored instrument, and an admin console manages distribution end-to-end with a FedRAMP-aligned security posture. Everything here is a live demonstration — explore it.
Who responds
Primary respondent
VAMC / VISN compensation coordinators
38 U.S.C. §7451 requires each facility to survey its local labor market annually; §7431 facility Compensation Panels validate physician market pay. The designated coordinator submits on the facility's behalf.
Definitive respondent roles and required data elements are specified in the P01 DRAFT PWS; this instrument is reconciled to that document at award.
Respondent roles
- VAMC Human Resources / Compensation Officer
- Nurse Locality Pay Survey coordinator (§7451)
- VISN-level compensation lead (multi-facility rollup)
- Facility Compensation Panel recorder (§7431 physician pay)
Three intake streams
The Task 4 database reformats and enters data from three sources. This portal demonstrates the third — the human-submitted facility stream — but the database governs all three.
VA-furnished employee data
- Source:
- VA HR & payroll systems (HR Smart / USA Staffing extracts)
- Mechanism:
- Secure system feed / encrypted bulk upload into the Task 4 enclave
- Sensitivity:
- CUI / PII — minimized to counts, grades, and rates (no SSNs)
RFI: “analyzing employee data” — the as-is workforce the survey is priced against.
Purchased commercial survey findings
- Source:
- SullivanCotter, MGMA, AMGA, ECRI, Mercer, BLS OEWS
- Mechanism:
- Licensed survey files normalized to a common schema (4C)
- Sensitivity:
- Proprietary / licensed — redistribution governed by license terms
RFI: “salary survey identification and purchasing” + “survey findings.”
Facility-collected local market data
- Source:
- VAMC / VISN compensation coordinators (the survey instrument)
- Mechanism:
- Structured online instrument — the submission architecture below
- Sensitivity:
- CUI — local comparator wages, rosters, vacancy indicators
RFI: cloud database for “entry of data” — the human-submitted stream this portal demonstrates.
The facility instrument
Five sections specific to a §7451 local labor-market survey. No SSNs or employee names are ever collected — the roster captures counts and rates only.
Facility identification
Identify the reporting facility and the certifying compensation coordinator. This binds …
9 fields · ~3 min
Covered-occupation roster
For each covered Title 38 / Hybrid occupation at your facility, report authorized vs. fi…
6 columns · ~12 min
Local market comparators
List the local employers surveyed for your §7451 labor-market analysis and the source/me…
5 columns · ~10 min
Recruitment & retention indicators
Report the facility's recruitment and retention pressures. These drive shortage flags an…
6 fields · ~6 min
Certification & attestation
The certifying official attests to the accuracy of the submitted data. Certification loc…
5 fields · ~2 min
The distribution lifecycle
Seven admin-managed stages take a facility from invitation to certified data in the benchmarking pipeline. Each stage carries its own control.
Build distribution list
AdminAdmin selects facilities/VISNs in scope and assigns each a coordinator of record bound to a station number.
Authenticate & invite
Admin → CoordinatorEach coordinator receives a single-use, expiring invitation; they authenticate via VA PIV/CAC SSO — no local passwords.
Open collection window
CoordinatorThe instrument opens for the cycle with a due date; coordinators save drafts and resume across sessions.
Monitor & remind
AdminAdmin watches the live status board and sends targeted reminders to not-started / overdue facilities.
Validate & QA
Analyst / QASubmissions hit automated range/outlier checks; analysts review and return facilities for revision when flags fire.
Certify & lock
CoordinatorThe certifying official attests under §7451; certification locks the record and timestamps it. Re-auth required.
Export to Task 4
Admin / Data OpsCertified data flows into the benchmarking pipeline (4C–4F) with full source-to-recommendation lineage.
Security, by design
10 controls across 6 families, mapped to the collection flow and aligned to NIST 800-53 / 800-171 and FedRAMP Moderate. The full matrix and a live audit feed live in the admin console.
Identity
- VA PIV / CAC single sign-on
- Multi-factor authentication
Access
- Role-based access, least privilege
- Tokenized, single-use invitations
Data
- CUI marking & PII minimization
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+)
- Encryption at rest (AES-256)
Isolation
- Single-tenant VA enclave
Audit
- Immutable audit logging
Lifecycle
- Session timeout & disposition
Who builds and runs it
House Strategies Group and Riley McGuire Partners (SDVOSB) anchor delivery; Emax adds WOSB analytical surge. Depending on VA's set-aside, the team fields an SDVOSB joint venture (RMP managing venturer) or an HSG 8(a) prime — the full set-aside analysis is on the team page.
Illustrative delivery split · 8(a)-prime lane
SBA 8(a) · Small Disadvantaged Business
8(a) SDB prime; single point of accountability to PCAC
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
Survey operations + VHA access; veteran-owned participation
Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
Analytical surge to HSG; additive to the self-performed majority
Manage the whole cycle from one console.
16 facilities in flight · 44% responded · 19% certified. The admin console is where distribution, reminders, validation, roles, and the audit trail come together for the Contracting Officer's Representative — under 36C77626Q0191.