Amendment_002_Attachment_I_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf

1333ND18QNB730411

Attachment I – Statement of Work Amendment 001

I. BACKGROUND

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) can be described as smart systems that encompass computational (i.e., hardware and software) and physical components, seamlessly integrated and closely interacting to sense and respond to the changing state of the real world. These systems involve a high degree of complexity at numerous spatial and temporal scales and highly networked communications integrating computational and physical components.

In particular, the smart grid is considered an example of a cyber-physical system, one in which NIST has a mandated role. Under Title XIII, Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems.”

This role provides a catalyst for a timelier deployment of a secure and reliable smart grid that upgrades the aging electrical power grid infrastructure.

II. PURPOSE

The NIST Smart Grid and Cyber Physical Systems Program Office coordinates cyber-physical systems development (including smart grid) through various activities outlined in a series of workshop reports and in the EISA 2007 legislation.

Engaging, timely communications with stakeholders for the NIST Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program is an essential necessary element for the program to achieve its goals. These stakeholders are extremely diverse and include senior-level federal officials; state and local electrical power regulators and companies; elected officials; electronic and IT equipment manufacturers; and consumers.

To ensure that stakeholders are fully informed about the very wide range of activities affecting development of standards and deployment of smart grid infrastructure components, the NIST Cyber- Physical Systems and Smart Grid program requires professional communications services from a contractor with demonstrated technical knowledge of the fields of physical science (especially energy research), electronics, and information technology, as well as proven ability to translate complex technical materials into engaging Web site content, reports, and other communications products intended for a broad public audience.

III. GENERAL

The purpose of this requirement is to obtain technical writing services for the NIST Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program. The Contractor shall attend meetings and interpret research results which describe smart grid and cyber physical systems as well as related physical sciences, engineering, physics, electronics, energy, computer science, or information technology, and to gather information in the above disciplines and to synthesize them into other written materials. These materials may include but not limited to web content, fact sheets, announcements or newsletter articles, reports…etc.

The Contractor shall produce all written materials in clear, readable, engaging, and understandable Standard English in a journalistic style appropriate for an audience of college educated laypersons.

The Contractor shall not respond to any media inquiries. The Contractor shall immediately relay any/all inquiries from the media to the Technical Information Contact and/or Contracting Officer. The Contractor

Amendment 001 shall not grant or give interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST Director of Public Affairs.

IV. SPECIFIC TASKS

Task 1: The Contractor shall develop, update, and maintain a detailed Project Plan throughout each period of performance. The purpose of the Project Plan shall be to track task progress and deliverables and include management level information as requested by the Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR).

Task 2: The Contractor shall develop content describing NIST’s Smart Grid Program activities for publication on the NIST Websites (i.e. GitHub, Jekyll, and Bootstrap collaborative sites).

Task 3: The Contractor shall provide approximately four (4) fact sheets describing specific programs or topic areas related to the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid that help the Program meet its communications and strategic goals. The Government anticipates that the total length of each fact sheet shall be approximately one-page.

Task 4: The Contractor shall provide at least twenty (20) announcements or newsletter articles that describe accomplishments of the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Office program, Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) or others involved in Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid activities to stakeholders such as policy makers, regulators, standards development organizations, manufacturers or consumers.

Task 5: The Contractor shall serve as the editor for a Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid electronic newsletter (4-6 pages) in conjunction with NIST staff. The Contractor shall be responsible for writing most of the content – with editorial guidance from NIST staff.

Task 6: The Contractor shall develop and maintain communication plans and tactics (2-5 page document) keyed to the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program’s major strategic goals. This be accomplished by having a meeting with relevant NIST staff present (i.e. on-site at NIST Gaithersburg) to understand the strategic goals and discuss proposed plans and tactics. Upon award, the Government will provide the Contractor to existing strategies. The Contractor shall provide the Government recommendations to existing strategies within its communication plans and tactics document.

Task 7: The Contractor shall provide editing for short reports or correspondence (1-2 pages) on an occasional, as-needed basis.

Task 8: The Contractor shall attend CPS and Smart Grid office status related meetings at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD or nearby the campus. NIST anticipates that each meeting shall last approximately 1-hour in duration. The purpose of each meeting is to discuss the status of tasks/deliverables and interact with NIST personnel to discuss activities that are actively ongoing within the program office relevant to the work herein. The Contractor shall gather NIST provided information from each meeting to be included in fact sheets, newsletter items, and other materials that are described in the other tasks (2, 3, 4, 5, and 10). These meetings may be conducted remotely.

Task 9: The Contractor shall attend selected meetings of the SEPA or other related meetings. The Contractor shall gather information during the meeting. The information gathering shall be summarized

Amendment 001 and included in fact sheets, newsletter items, and other materials that are described in the other tasks (2, 3, 4, 5, and 10). All meetings are anticipated to be within continental U.S.

Task 10: The Contractor shall provide at least three (3) ghost written magazine articles, op-eds, speeches or other materials for the NIST Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Office Program Office Director to help achieve Program Office communications goals.

Task 11: The Contractor shall provide advice, on an as-needed basis, pertaining to current and/or upcoming projects for Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program Managers designed to help the program meet its strategic goals. These iterations shall be summarized in a monthly report.

V. DELIVERABLES

Deliverable Number

Deliverable Due Date

1 Project Plan One-week after award 2 Text and relevant graphics for the Cyber-

Physical Systems and Smart Grid website Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

3 Fact sheets Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

4 Announcements or newsletter Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

5 Edit a Quarterly newsletter Quarterly - Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

6 Communications plans and tactics Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

7 Editing for short reports Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

8 Attend CPS and Smart Grid status related meetings to gather information

Dates/locations to be determined

9 Attend selected Meetings of the SEPA or other relevant meetings to gather information

Dates/locations to be determined

10 Ghost written magazine articles, op-eds, speeches or other materials

Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR

11 Monthly Report Due by the fifth day of the next month

Standards for Acceptance of Deliverables: The COR will provide comments on each deliverable within 5 calendars days from receipt of a given deliverable. The Contractor shall make any needed changes to the deliverables within 5 calendar days from receipt of electronic or written comments from the COR.

VI. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY

All materials prepared by the Contractor will be reviewed by the designated NIST staff experts within the NIST Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program as appropriate. Acceptable quality shall include the following measures:

a. No more than 10 percent of the written product shall be deemed factually inaccurate by subject matters experts reviewing the text.

b. No more than one rewrite is required to meet the agreed to style, format requirements, flow, and readability required for the NIST Web site, Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid newsletter or other specific formats.

Performance will be monitored by the assigned Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program COR to ensure that acceptable levels of writing quality as described above have been achieved.

VII. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Base Period: October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019

Option Period I: October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020

Option Period II: October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021

**Note: The aforementioned tasks and deliverables are required for each contract period**

VIII. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work may be accomplished at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland or at the Contractor’s facility. Normal duty hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the exception of Federal holidays.

Additionally, the locations for required travel for attendance at the SEPA meetings or other appropriate events will be determined and coordinated between the NIST COR and the Contractor.

IX. TRAVEL

The Contractor shall attend all CPS and Smart Grid related meetings held at the NIST Gaithersburg campus or nearby the campus. The Contractor shall travel to selected meetings, including those of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), which will be held in the United States, but may be on the West Coast, Mid-West, or East Coast. NIST anticipates that such travel events will occur between 3-5 times per year.

All travel engagements must be approved by the COR prior to the Contractor incurring travel expenses.

Travel shall be conducted and be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR).

X. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, DATA, AND INFORMATION

All property, data and information provided by the Government in the performance of this task remains the property of the Government and shall be surrendered to the government upon completion or termination of this requirement. Likewise, all deliverables generated under this requirement remain the property of the Government. All written material produced under this contract become the property of the U.S. Government and as such will be in the public domain.

Upon award of this requirement, the Government will provide the Contractor with all equipment needed in the performance of this requirement. In the event that the Offeror is proposing on-site services, the Government will also furnish the Contractor with an office, furnished with a desk, chair, computer and a telephone.

XI. CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Government anticipates that it will require at least one Contractor employee (i.e. Key Personnel) to complete the work described herein. The Key Personnel shall:

• Have at least five (5) years of experience in journalist writing and editing.

• Be familiar with the technical details of the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program.

• Be familiar with the energy, physics, engineering, electronics, and computer science disciplines.

Specifically, the Contractor shall have at least 5-years of experience with the aforementioned disciplines.

• Master’s Degree (preferred) in Physics, Engineering, or Computer Science.