Early_Childhood_Resource_Project_SOW_1.docx

PERFORMANCE-BASED WORK STATEMENT

ShakeAlert Early Childhood Learning Resource Development Project

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. Introduction

Project Goal: Empower, educate, and inspire children, school communities, and families by providing tools to make better decisions to prevent injuries during earthquake shaking emphasizing ShakeAlert earthquake early warning as a critical tool to enhance earthquake resilience.

Project Summary: Contractor will develop life safety earthquake education and training materials and resources (such as drill practice activities, classroom and at-home activities, facilitation guides for educators, and short animations) with a focus on integrating ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning into classrooms, museums, libraries, and other learning venues. All resources will be English-only emphasizing practice with and mastery of the official language of the United States of America.

B. Background

The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System (ShakeAlert System, ShakeAlert EEW, ShakeAlert), America’s only public EEW System. ShakeAlert rapidly detects earthquakes that meet certain thresholds, so that alerts can be delivered to people and infrastructure seconds before strong shaking arrives to reduce damage and injuries. The ShakeAlert System is managed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with universities and state agencies. ShakeAlert operates in California, Oregon, and Washington, thanks in part to ShakeAlert Technical Partners – independent companies and organizations who have entered into a license agreement with the USGS to provide ShakeAlert-powered products and/or services to end-users such as delivery to individuals or initiate automated actions such as slowing or stopping a train. ShakeAlert, the nation’s only public EEW System, serves over 50 million people.

The USGS’s 2018 Revised Technical Implementation Plan for the ShakeAlert System – An Earthquake Early Warning System for the West Coast of the United States (2018 Technical Implementation Plan) notes that “EEW alerts are useless if people do not know how to respond to them” and “Extensive communication, education, and outreach (CEO) for both public and institutional users is needed for ShakeAlert to have maximum beneficial impact.”

Because ShakeAlert Communication, Education, Outreach, and Technical Engagement (CEO&TE) — like the ShakeAlert EEW System itself — is a collaborative effort, the purpose of this project is to align USGS, its Principal Partners, Implementation Partners, and other key stakeholders around the design and overarching framework for ShakeAlert communication, education, and outreach. Through continued, thoughtful stakeholder engagement; a basic management, coordination, and evaluation structure; and the implementation of CEO&TE strategies founded upon social science and evidence-based approaches, this Strategic Plan provides a framework to realize the ShakeAlert CEO&TE vision: Earthquake Early Warning for All.

C. Definitions/Applicable Documents

Client: A customer of an LtO which can (1) purchase and (or) subscribe to ShakeAlert-powered products and/or services to be delivered to end-users, (2) be themselves an end-user or (3) both. An example of (1) a school that purchases ShakeAlert-powered alert delivery for its staff and students or a transportation agency that uses an LtO's products and (or) services to slow or stop trains. An example of (2) is a person who downloads and uses a ShakeAlert-powered app from an LtO. An example of (3) a rider in a train that is powered by ShakeAlert and is impacted by automated actions based on ShakeAlert data.

End-User: End-users receive ShakeAlert-powered products or services from LtO Technical Partners. End-users include people who receive these products or services directly (e.g., to their cell phones), as well as organizations that work with an LtO Partner to implement automated “machine-to-machine” actions.

Human Interface: Any mode of interaction that a person has with ShakeAlert-powered products and services based on the utilization of ShakeAlert Messages by licensed ShakeAlert technical partners. The interface can be direct, such as an alert delivered to a cell phone, indirect such as (on) a train that slows down due to an ShakeAlert-powered automated action, or a combination.

License-to-Operate (LtO): On conversion from a Pilot Partner to an LtO, the USGS grants a ShakeAlert licensee permission to distribute ShakeAlert-powered products and/or services to the public and/or to automated systems, subject to limitations set forth by the USGS for the technology and field of use identified in the License Agreement between the USGS and the LtO Technical Partner.

ShakeAlert CEO&TE: ShakeAlert Communication, Education, Outreach, and Technical Engagement

ShakeAlert CEO&TE Community: supports, provides feedback, and participates in the management of the USGS-led ShakeAlert CEO&TE effort.

Relevant Reference Documents/References:

Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21 hosted on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) - https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/ppd-21-critical-infrastructure-and-resilience-508_0.pdf

ShakeAlert CEO&TE Community Partner Website - https://www.shakealert.org/

ShakeAlert “X”- Available - @USGS_ShakeAlert

ShakeAlert Tests, Drills, and Exercises Guide - https://www.shakealert.org/toolkit/introduction/

ShakeAlert Communication, Education, Outreach, and Technical Engagement Strategic Vision, December 2023. (In preparation for publication, available upon request).

Revised technical implementation plan for the ShakeAlert system—An earthquake early warning system for the West Coast of the United States (2018) - Available: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20181155

ShakeAlert Education and Training Framework for LtO Conversion (3/2025) - https://www.shakealert.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ShakeAlert_ET_LtO_Framework_March_2025_-1.pdf

ShakeAlert Messaging Toolkit and FAQs - Available: https://www.shakealert.org/education-and-outreach/messaging_toolkit/

II. WORK REQUIREMENTS

A. Technical Requirements.

1. Work Elements

The project plan is segmented into three primary tasks with deliverable subtasks, not including Project Management. The project period of performance is April 30, 2025 - April 29, 2026.

All proposed work efforts and deliverables will support ShakeAlert CEO&TE through coordination, collaboration, and improve public safety for Americans on the West Coast of the United States. These services can be grouped into three overarching categories that reflect the need for additional public relations, strategic planning, and collateral development.

2. Criteria for acceptance of Product or Service

The contractor is responsible for performing the tasks and delivering the outputs described in Section B. Upon commencement of the project, the contractor’s primary points of contact will be the Project Leads. The Project Leads are responsible for the direction of the project, oversight of contract activities, and liaising with others in the ShakeAlert community who will provide input and feedback on deliverable outcomes. Any such feedback on work will be solicited and managed exclusively by the Project Leads.

The USGS will be the lead agency for this project and will be responsible for making all final decisions regarding the acceptance of the project deliverables. The USGS Office of Communications and Office of Policy and Analysis will conduct an extensive review of all project outputs to ensure compliance with USGS Communications and Technology Transfer. To ensure broad CEO&TE stakeholder involvement and input, a CEO&TE Focus Team (made up of representatives from the three ShakeAlert states, the Project Leads, and USGS Management) will be established, and members will serve during the entire period of performance. The Focus Team will be in place before the project commences in April 2025.

Project Management Plan Upon launching the project, the contractor will develop a Project Management Plan (PMP), which incorporates the project goals and deliverable completion dates, along with project communication and risk management strategies. This will be the primary document the Contractor uses to plan, coordinate, and manage the project. The PMP will show task elements completed and those left to complete, and will explain successes, challenges, and resolutions. The PMP will be developed in draft and finalized form in consultation with the Project Leads and USGS Management.

Weekly Project Management Check-In Calls Throughout the project performance period, the Contractor will facilitate weekly project management check-ins with the Project Leads and USGS Management to ensure regular communications on project status and next steps, and to discuss the status of deliverables, among other topics.

Monthly Written Project Status Reports The contractor will provide the USGS with monthly written project status reports, which will accompany monthly invoices. Status on project-specific goals, milestones, tasks, and deliverables will be discussed in these written reports. The contractor will also provide a brief, bulleted monthly status report for the CEO&TE; the latter will be distributed by the USGS. Monthly invoices will not be processed until the monthly reports are reviewed and amended (if needed).

Deliverable Review and Feedback Process Each member of a project Focus Team will serve an important role in the review of materials developed as part of task completion. Feedback on deliverables will be communicated from the Project Leads and USGS Management to Contractor through collaborative documents that reside on a shared drive.

Deliverable Quality Control/Quality Assurance A mutually agreed upon Quality Assurance/Quality Control process throughout the project performance period is indispensable. Most successful projects are those with precisely, clearly, and completely defined scopes, and with agreement and buy-in from project managers, subject-matter experts, advisers, and key stakeholders from the onset. All materials produced will be subject to a robust quality assurance/quality control review for accuracy in content and composition. As deliverables and materials are completed, their quality will be assured through audits against quality requirements and previously defined evaluation criteria.

Project Close-out Meeting and Recommended Next Steps On completion of all tasks, the contractor will meet with the Project Leads and USGS Management to discuss the project’s progression, outcomes, and recommend next steps. Any materials that require sign-off, return, or archiving will be identified at that time.

B. Tasks and Deliverables

1. Characteristics for work product identified by name and quantity.

The project plan is segmented into primary tasks with deliverable subtasks (not including Project Management.

Task A: Student Resources:

Develop a state standards-aligned, English only, lesson package for use in school communities by students, teachers, administrators, staff, families in grades K-5 which emphasize overall situational awareness with a focus on how to protect oneself in the event they experience shaking from an earthquake. There is demonstrated great need for these resources for our youngest learners.

The lessons will include how school communities can use ShakeAlert earthquake early warning technology to enhance earthquake safety before (practice), during (while the ground is shaking), and after (recovery).

Students will learn how to protect themselves during shaking by dropping, covering, and holding on while at school and at home.

Content covered (adjusted for learners at different grade levels) will also cover the basics on how earthquake early warning works including that it can also power automated such as slowing train, setting off a public address system, or other application. The lessons should also empower learners to share what they learned with their family/home community providing an opportunity for them to practice using the English language for the betterment of public safety.

Grade divisions (consistent with other ShakeAlert educational resources): K-1, 2-3, 4-5

Each grade division will have its own lesson package with 5-7 short lessons on topics including:

· Situational awareness with a focus on earthquakes

· How to protect yourself when you feel shaking or get an earthquake alert

· Learn learner age-appropriate concepts on how ShakeAlert EEW works to protect Americans on the West Coast of the USA.

Task B: Educator Resources

Educator resources will support the facilitation of the activities developed for students

Task C: Multimedia Resources

2. Delivery dates for work/product to be completed and point of delivery 4/29/2026.

III. SUPPORTING INFORMATION

A. Place of Performance.

Work will be conducted by contractor from their office and will work with the Project Leads and USGS Management primarily virtually (via phone, web conference, via email, and/or other online collaborative activities. However, in-person gatherings for planning and work groups are desired but not required.

B. Period of Performance: 4/30/2025 – 4/29/2026

C. Government Furnished Property (GFP): list property and its value.

None

D. Special Considerations.

1. Key personnel qualifications

At least 5 years of experience with developing safety education curriculum resources for children in kindergarten to early elementary grades. Contractor must have a degree in education or related field or at least 5 years classroom experience or working in a free-choice learning environment (e.g. museum) that serves learners ages 5 - 10. Experience with developing and teaching earthquake preparedness and response is highly desired.

2. Data Rights, Safety, Environment.

None

3. Security/Privacy issues (ingress to Federal buildings, personnel clearances, computer security).

None

ShakeAlert Early Childhood Learning Resource Development Project 2025