B08_SOL__Attachment_1_-_Performance_Work_Statement_0001.pdf

DENALI COMMISSION

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

STRATEGIC PLANNING REPORT

JANUARY 21, 2026

1.0 OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

In 1998, Senator Ted Stevens focused national attention on the infrastructure and economic challenges faced by rural Alaska communities with the passage of the Denali Commission Act.

The Act was signed into law on October 21, 1998, becoming Title III of Public Law 105-277, 42

USC 3121.

The Denali Commission (Commission) is a small independent federal agency, an innovative federal-state partnership designed to provide critical utilities, infrastructure, and support for economic development in Alaska by delivering federal services in the most cost-effective manner possible. With the creation of the Commission, Congress acknowledged the need for increased inter-agency cooperation in addressing the unique infrastructure and economic challenges faced by America’s most remote communities.

The Arctic may seem distant from the lower 48, but strategic location, and shifting climate is making our region more active, more dynamic, and the United States is falling far behind other Arctic countries in protecting and utilizing its Arctic territories. The land mass of Alaska is 1/5th the size of the entire United States. Further, the United States is a four-ocean nation, and Alaska has 6,640 miles of coastline including islands, and 33,904 miles of shoreline. Alaska’s coastline is longer than all the other 49 states combined.

The shifting global balance, the return of great power competition, are once again reminding us that the world is not flat, it is round, and in a round world, Alaska’s location is critical. Re-looking at the world through the round view of airpower rather than the flat view of sea power shows that the United States is not so isolated from the challenges in Russia and China.

During this period, federal priorities included homeland security, participation in the global economy, and resource development in Alaska. Domain awareness requires gathering critical information, synthesizing it and utilizing it to advance our country’s interests. Russia occupies 53% of the land mass of the Arctic and cannot be ignored. China and other non-Arctic nations are looking to internationalize Arctic governance. Discussions with DoD Alaska Command and the Alaska National Guard place an emphasis on the next 18months and increased readiness and preparedness for increased activity in Alaska due to uncertainty over China’s assertion that 2027 is when they would retake Taiwan. The breakdown of the Arctic Council and the expansion of NATO (with Sweden and Finland) are testing the Arctic governance models in place following the end of the Cold War. Russia has suspended its participation in the New Start nuclear reduction treaty, which raises the possibilities of resumed nuclear testing. Russian leader Vladimar Putin has recently announced he has ordered up plans for resuming nuclear testing.

Alaska and the entire Arctic is not immune from raised risks. You just have to look at a map of the nuclear testing site of Russia to see the vast number is in the Arctic. This example of potential start-up of testing drives home the vulnerabilities we have in our land, air and sea.

Fishing and whaling would be impacted. Clouds of radioactive elements would sweep over our waters and land. This is not hypothetical. It is real.

In this changing environment, US coordination with its Arctic counterparts is critical. The United States has a unique resource that it is underutilizing – the cultural, linguistic, and ethnic connections between the Native communities across the Arctic. The growing capabilities of the Native communities and their institutional development and presence in the global economy are vastly underestimated. Alaska Native people are the largest private landowners in Alaska, resource owners and have institutional capabilities which have grown over the last fifty years. An example is the Red Dog mine, the largest lead and zinc mine in the world which is owned by NANA Regional Corporation (an Alaska Native company). The Alaska Native corporations are also major government contractors to the DoD and contribute to our nation’s capabilities. Other critical mineral sites and natural resources are owned in fee simple title by Alaska Native corporations across the entire state.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

Alaska is unique in that it is the only state with a national strategy for the Arctic in ten-year increments. No other state has the challenges and opportunities Alaska has because of our strategic location, wealth of natural resources, and the evolvement of governance over vast distances. For the Denali Commission to remain relevant, it must be aligned with the administration’s priorities, able to pull other federal agencies together on discrete priority missions, support public-private partnerships, remain agile and informed.

The Commission requires a subscription-based Geopolitical Intelligence service with analyst level access for at least 2 authorized users to support strategic planning, situational awareness, and mission execution in Alaska, the Arctic, and other areas of national interest. The service must provide timely, expert analysis of global geopolitical developments, emerging threats, and strategic trends relevant to the Commission’s operational environment.

The Commission’s objective is to have the contractor attend 1-hour weekly Strategic Planning Sessions to address:

• The data related to the National Strategy for the Arctic and identification of components within the annual implementation plan where the Commission’s capabilities may provide support.

• Raise the urgency of prioritizing and resourcing critical infrastructure, resilience, and preparedness, economic activity, transportation, energy, and food security.

• The appropriated funding data and identification of areas where prioritization could accelerate efforts to address critical infrastructure needs.

• The opportunities for collaboration among Alaska Native communities, federal and state officials, military entities responsible for Alaska, and private sector organizations to leverage capabilities for innovation and support.

These objectives will include the critical topics listed below:

1) Provide data-driven assessments of partnerships with Alaska’s indigenous communities and international counterparts in Canada, Greenland, and Russia to assist the customer in evaluating options for capability development.

2) Provide data-driven reports on cooperative efforts between Alaska Native communities and the military, focusing on strategies for addressing environmental challenges, to assist in decision-making.

3) Proactively prepare to address emerging threats and capitalize on new opportunities driven by evolving global dynamics and advancing technologies. These efforts are critical to supporting national interests and security, particularly from Alaska and the Arctic’s strategic position.

Examples of areas of focus to socialize and build support include:

• Deployment of small-scale nuclear and expeditionary life-support systems (e.g., redundant communications, energy for heat and electricity)

• Innovative housing solutions in remote, rural areas to meet the housing shortages and extreme weather conditions, including rapid melting permafrost which creates unstable structures

• Support unique transportation models of both building gravel and ice roads, and supporting new technology to overcome challenges of melting permafrost.

• Pre-positioned support networks to enhance resilience and readiness

These rural infrastructure advancements can also serve as scalable models to support broader federal missions and interagency collaboration.

4) Provide data-driven assessments to identify the need for greater resources to address real impacts of the changing climate especially on our infrastructure (homes, schools, hospitals, airports, facilities), erosion of our shores and continuing melting of the permafrost, scientific collaborations which are strained because of the situation with Russia, and support for more science and innovative efforts to further food security and the health of our fish and marine mammals in this changing environment.

5) Provide data-driven assessments to identify new and innovative deep collaboration and partnerships to effectively address threats, rapid change and create new opportunities.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work is to define on behalf of the Commission to the Administration the need for strategical reports as it relates to the following categories:

• Based on current Geopolitical Intelligence, provide practical and actionable recommendations to support implementation of the President’s National Strategy for the Arctic and Executive Orders. These recommendations must address, at a minimum, the critical topics outlined in Section 2, while also considering broader strategic implications.

• Bulk fuel program, energy security, and resilience in energy grids, with a focus on the coastal communities.

• Transportation, roads, airports, railway, use of FAA systems to control air traffic and tracking drones.

• Energy – oil, gas, small scale nuclear; Testing opportunities – What are people doing now?

What is awaiting approval? Sense of urgency.

• Focus on Technology & Innovation – overall, what innovation is happening now in small-scale independent data centers, what is needed, pending opportunities, developing uses of Artificial intelligence, and projects of its impacts within the next couple of years

• Focus on Technology & Innovation – synergy of expansion of broadband, free space optics (moving data by laser) uses and adaptation, opportunities & challenges.

The contractor will support the Commission’s internal efforts to build on its model of efficiency. The Contractor will be familiar with the Commission’s model of efficiency – review of statute, unique aspects, underutilized authorities i.e. provide input into suggested new tools which would be helpful i.e. compacting authority both individual tribal compacts, inter-tribal compacts, larger multi-purpose compacts which include the municipalities.

4.0 TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

Weekly Meetings: The contractor will be available to the client for a one-hour call once a week, at a mutually agreed upon time, to engage with the client’s team on any issues of concern.

Strategic Planning/Advisory Reports: Contractor will deliver seven (7) detailed reports, with graphics, on the issues addressed above. Each report will be comprehensive with approximately 15-25 pages in length, with final deliverable metrics to be set in agreement with the client. The first report is due no later than (NLT) 60 days after the contract award. The six (6) future reports will be determined during the weekly meetings; once timeline is established the contractor shall have 45 to 60 days to complete each report.

5.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The contractor may work remotely and attend meetings virtually. The contractor must adhere to all government required policy and regulations for remote and virtual work.

6.0 TRAVEL

Travel may be required in support of this requirement; however, it is not guaranteed. The Government anticipates the potential need for in-person participation at the following events:

• Up to two (2) in-person meetings in Alaska, anticipated to occur in May/June

• Up to two (2) in-person meetings in Washington, DC, anticipated to occur in March/April

All travel must be pre-approved in writing by the Government, and the Contractor shall submit estimated travel costs for review and approval prior to incurring any expenses. Travel shall be conducted in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) and applicable agency policies.

7.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

12-month Base with two 12-month Option Years

8.0 ACQUISITION TYPE

This is anticipated to be a firm-fixed-price award.

9.0 KEY PERSONNEL CONTACT(S) AND QUALIFICATIONS

For the purposes of this contract, the contractor’s key personnel shall consist of subject matter experts in the specific field of reporting and consultation determined by the Contractor.

10.0 SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL

Key personnel may, with the consent of the contracting parties, be amended from time to time during the course of the contract to add or remove key personnel. A formal modification is only required when the key personnel are specifically named in the contract. This process only applies to the extent that the contract does not otherwise specify notice or personnel replacement obligations.

Government Request:

The Government may require replacement of key personnel in the instance of non-performance, misconduct, or alleged misconduct whose continued use under a contract is contrary to the best interests of the Government. Circumstances that support a request for replacement include but are not limited to performance that is inconsistent with the contract performance work statement (PWS), terms and conditions, or violations of Federal laws, regulations, or agency conduct standards. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will give written notice to the Contractor of the need for substitution, including the circumstances surrounding the request for replacement. In accordance with FAR Part 1.602- 2(b), the Contracting Officer (CO) will ensure the Contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment; however, the CO is not required to investigate or validate allegations or wait until a final resolution of the circumstances surrounding the request for replacement before requiring substitution of key personnel.

Within one business day of receiving notice, the Contractor shall respond to the Government’s request to replace key personnel and provide key personnel replacement resume(s) to the COR(s).

The resume(s) shall demonstrate that the qualifications of proposed replacement key personnel meet the qualifications stated in the PWS. The COR will notify the Contractor, in writing, within two business days of receiving key personnel replacement resume(s) if the Contractor provided replacement personnel is acceptable. The Government reserves the right to disapprove of the proposed substitute(s) and negotiate with the Contractor for other key personnel replacement(s).

Any Contractor replacement of key personnel must be done in consultation with the COR. The process for replacing key personnel as described above does not suspend the Contractor’s obligation to continue performance under the contract.

Contractor Request:

If the Contractor must substitute key personnel, the Contractor shall provide written notice to the COR and the CO two (2) calendar weeks before the proposed replacement date, whenever possible. At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide the Government two business day notice before replacement. The only exception to the two-business day notice is death, incapacitation, abrupt termination, or resignation from employment of key personnel where the Contractor’s notice was less than two business days. If the deadline for providing notice falls on Friday after 5:00 pm, a weekend, or on a Federal Holiday, the Contractor shall provide notice the next business day if more than two business days

The notice shall state the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution of the key personnel and shall provide resume(s) of proposed replacement key personnel for review and consultation. The Contractor shall demonstrate that the qualifications of the proposed substitute(s) meet the qualifications stated in the PWS. The Government reserves the right to disapprove of the proposed substitute(s) and negotiate with the Contractor for other key personnel replacement(s). Assignment of key personnel must be done in consultation with the

COR.

11.0 CONTRACTING OFFICER AUTHORITY

In no event shall any understanding or agreement between the contractor and any Government employee other than the CO on any order modifications, change orders, letter or verbal direction to the contractor be effective or binding upon the Government. All such actions shall be formalized by the proper contractual document executed by the appointed CO. The contractor hereby put on notice that if a Government employee other than the CO directs a change in the work to be performed or increases the scope of work to be performed, it is the contractor’s responsibility to make inquiry of the CO before making the deviation. Payments will not be made without being authorized by the appointed CO with the legal authority to bind the Government.