Scope_of_Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Strategic Planning Workshops

DO 55 Steering Committee

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The National Park Service (NPS) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) that has been entrusted with the care of our national parks since 1916. The National Park System currently has 430 units (often referred to as parks), covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories.

The NPS also has more than 150 related areas that are linked in importance and purpose to places managed directly by the National Park Service by preserving important segments of the nation's natural and cultural heritage. They are designated by acts of Congress or by the Secretary of the Interior (affiliated areas). The majority of related areas are not units of the National Park Service and are managed by other government agencies or non-government organizations and landowners. The National Park Service is involved in related areas by directly managing the entire or sections of a related area, or by providing technical or financial assistance.

The NPS preserves unimpaired natural and cultural resources, and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The NPS cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

BACKGROUND

National Park Service Use of ICS. During the early 1980s, NPS began using ICS to manage fires and, subsequently, many parks began using ICS to manage other types of incidents. The results were successful and the use of ICS to manage emergencies and planned events was mandated by policy in Management Policies (1988).

An attempt was made to develop standard operating procedures for all the teams in 1995, although the document was never finalized. Most of the teams operated under similar procedures for recruitment, training, dispatching, and deployment.

During the mid and late 1990s, many parks developed in-house type 3 IMTs for extended incidents that did not reach type 2 complexities.

The final versions of the agency’s principal policy document, Management Policies, published in 2001 and subsequently in 2006, require the use of ICS for emergency incidents and events.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, caused NPS to reassess the protection of parks considered to be “icons” of America as well as other significant infrastructure. This action resulted in additional protection being given to these sites, especially when the terrorist alert status was raised or special events were planned.

PURPOSE

The National Park Service – WASO LESES as a requirement for a contractor to provide one (1) on-site facilitated strategic planning workshops will be in the DC region of the NPS. The primary intent of the workshops is focus on intent-based strategic planning for Incident management preparedness based on worst-case All Hazard scenarios. Guide NPS personnel with establishing strategic oversight, develops consensus within the Service regarding the program, establishes program goals, seeks needed funding, prepares standard operating procedures, and improves the overall effectiveness of the program.

TASKS/OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of this project is to provide one (1) facilitated onsite workshops focusing on Strategic Planning for the National Park Service Incident Management Steering committee.

The Contractor shall provide one (1) workshop must be at least two (2) days in length, exclusive of travel days if required. The maximum time should not exceed eight (8) hours with regular breaks and at least one (1) lunch. The contractor shall be there at least ½ hour before each day to setup and prepare for the day, and at least½ hour at the end of each day for questions or other discussion. Workshop must accommodate up to Sixteen (16) interdisciplinary participants, which may include but not limited to Park Staff, Park Partners (non-federal), Cooperators (state and local staff), etc.

The main focus of the Government of the facilitated workshops is to:

• Create a positive work environment during the workshops.

• Recognize the importance of maximizing meeting time, linking the organization’s vision, goals, initiatives and capacity, and achieving visible results.

• Help provide connectivity, maximize participation, ensure all perspectives are heard and addressed, and foster collaboration, effective interactions, and on-going communication that will assist in the development of the Strategic Plan for the DO55 Incident Management Steering Committee as a step-by-step guide in the facilitation process.

• The contractor’s approach to each workshop should include but is not limited to:

• Creation of meaningful meeting agendas

• Facilitation to accomplish established goals and objectives.

• Compile/distribute meeting minutes.

• Capture of action items

• Monitor and motivate accountability.

• Promotion of results and next steps to move forward.

• The contractor must provide all labor, participant materials, and personnel necessary to provide professional facilitation and meeting support services that ensure activities, discussions, exercises, concepts and information support session objectives and are professionally and effectively presented, integrated, and recorded.

The work that is required includes:

Kick-Off Meeting – The meeting can be either be teleconference/or video conference as agreed to by the contractor and the Government. This meeting is an introductory meeting, and may include identification of first workshop location, intended dates, general goals, strategies, etc. During this kick-off meeting the first location of the first workshop should be identified.

Pre-Work Meeting – During the Pre-Work Meeting at least the following information should be discussed and/or provided as applicable:

Location and Dates of Workshop, including any contingency locations and dates. This may include suggested lodging locations if contractor is not familiar with area for their planning purposes.

Provide any necessary background information, relevant data, and or specific issues and concerns about the NPS All Hazard Program and the Steering Committee roles. Review of existing documents and plans to support All Hazard preparedness, identification of incomplete, missing, or outdated plans and documents, and the development intent- based strategic planning to assist the Steering Committee to be prepared for future All Hazard conditions. This should allow the contractor to facilitate meetings in alignment with the Agency’s strategic goals and objectives, understand emerging issues, and assess the effectiveness of current organizational initiatives including previous initiatives.

Work plan and agenda preparation - Discuss and plan the overall meeting approach and review potential agenda items to successfully achieve the workshops objectives so the contractor can prepare the workshop agenda. The discussion should include at least the following:

Define meeting goals and outcomes.

Set agendas - Design meeting activities, exercises and formats (e.g., if virtual audience is possibility, electronic/printed materials, etc.) (if applicable) Delivery location for any materials provided by contractor for workshop

Active meeting facilitation - Park specific issues and challenges, building consensus, and structuring recommendations for approval. Establish workshop outcomes, assignments, and next steps. Any specific reporting or debriefing requirements (if applicable)

Facilitated Workshops – The contractor must stick to the approved agenda as best as possible, but still allow meaningful off-topic subjects as they come up. Further the contractor must also be capable of the following when applicable:

Group interactions - Group interactions pose special challenges in session design for maximum individual participation and interaction as well as effective communication. The contractor must use facilitators who are trained to avoid the problem of information overload commonly found in large group situations and be highly experienced in facilitating small group meetings. The facilitators must be capable of adapting from those with highly technical agendas to those with concrete objectives and deliverables but a loosely defined and flexible meeting process. The agenda design must incorporate multiple information delivery mechanisms including visual, auditory, and experiential, to address participants’ varying adult learning styles and move them toward success.

Identify set of core values while clarifying roles, responsibilities and inter-dependencies. The contractor must work with the DO 55 Steering Committee chair to help focus on strategic items, strategic thinking and enhance decision-making and enable the teams to move the organization closer to its mission and key goals in the development of the Emergency Operation Plan. The facilitator must be capable of conducting exercises and group activities during the meeting process that are designed to lead to an understanding of the workshop for all key participants, and will challenge the team to use the agenda, meeting goals, and best practice facilitation techniques to move forward.

Resolving disputes, disagreements and divergent views - Disagreements between individuals in a team setting have the potential for disrupting group process and potentially shutting down productive work.

The facilitators must be experts in tactfully preserving a safe group atmosphere that is conducive to the constructive raising of issues, where the team values diversity of opinion.

Recording discussion content – The contractor must be able to use a variety of specialized techniques to provide accurate group memory, recording proceedings without bias or influence. The contractor must be able to capture discussion clearly using notes, charts and other media so that it is represented in a meaningful way both during and after each session. The facilitator and/or note taker may be responsible for recording meeting activities, progress, decisions and action steps.

Action planning - All facilitated sessions the contractor participates in should close with the development of action plans and/or actions items. The new action plan and/or action items should be incorporated into existing “to do” lists for participants and bridging to facilitate execution of action steps in the workplace will ensure achievable results.

After Workshop – After each workshop the contractor may be required to provide the following:

Reporting and Debriefing – The contractor may be required to provide meeting debriefings, compile summary documents and the final project notes and materials. This information may include a review of the proceedings and action steps and the facilitator’s recommendations for future actions for each group and the organization. A draft report will be completed as needed and will be approved for final submission to the designated Committee representative and designated COR.

DELIVERABLES

• Arrange initial Kick-Off meeting within ten (10) business days after award.

• Arrange pre-work meetings for each workshop:

• First pre-work meeting shall be arranged within ten (10) business days.

• Remaining pre-work meetings shall be scheduled within ten (10) business days after the completion of the previous workshop or once the Contractor is in notified of the tentative dates of the next workshop.

After each Pre-Workshop Meeting, the contractor shall:

• Submit within ten (10) business days a draft agenda to the COR for review and approval. The Government shall then have ten (10) business days after receipt of draft agenda, to review and provide comments back to contractor.

• The final agenda with corrections and other issues addressed, shall be provided at least five (5) business days before the first day or the workshop.

• Any required materials for the workshop that require shipment, shall be shipped at contractor expense to location designated during pre-work meeting so it arrives at least one (1) day prior to first day of the workshop. If materials are being transported by the facilitators, the contractor must make sure they a provided with all the required materials on the day they arrive to workshop.

• Within two (2) business days after each workshop the contractor shall submit a summary document to the COR, that at least: captures meeting key actions, decisions, assignments, etc.

• Within five (5) business days after each workshop the contractor shall arrange and conduct a meeting debrief with designated leadership.

Note – As it is difficult to know the actual dates of each workshop in advance the number of calendar days stated above are set as guidelines but may be adjusted as mutually agreed to by the COR and Contractor as necessary to align with the actual workshop schedules, Government schedules or Contractor schedules for the planning and implementation of each workshop. Any changes must be documented in writing and mutually agreed to by the COR and Contractor and shall not be considered a change or change order resulting in additional costs to the Government.

Recognized Holidays:

The contractor is not required to perform services on the U.S. holidays listed below.

• New Year’s Day

• Labor Day

• Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday

• Columbus Day

• President’s Day

• Veteran’s Day

• Memorial Day

• Thanksgiving Day

• Independence Day

• Christmas Day

Period of Performance:

April 9, 2025 to September 30, 2025

STATEMENT OF WORK