20241205_Drafted_Performance_Work_Statement.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT FOR

Benavidez Leader Development Program at Teachers College of Columbia University

1. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES: In Academic Year 2025 Teachers College (TC), Columbia University (the contractor) shall provide a Certificate in Organizational Psychology (Leader Development), which is a variant of its Master of Arts (MA) degree program in Organizational Psychology. This executive education certificate program is designed specifically to support and facilitate the attendance of Department of Defense (DoD) and related personnel in that program. The participation of USMA personnel is a funded component of USMA’s Benavidez Leadership Development Program (BLDP). The BLDP program is a three week program in total, but the portion provided by the contractor is two weeks in duration and it is provided at Teachers College. TC will provide academic credit for the one week portion provided by the USMA. The BLDP was jointly developed by TC and USMA and is specifically designed to support and align with the Eisenhower Leader Development Program to maximize the leader and leadership development knowledge and skills supporting the leader development system at USMA. The most recent agreement between the Army and the contractor that outlines a larger year-long Eisenhower Leader Development Program is provided. That agreement clearly demonstrates the relationship between USMA and the contractor for graduate education for tactical officers. It also outlines the program that the shorter BLDP program must support and align with. This performance work statement for BLDP services specifically deals with a three-week education service for tactical noncommissioned officers (NCOs). The contractor shall provide all management, tools, supplies, equipment, and labor necessary to operate and maintain the two week portion of the BLDP at TC and provide academic credit for the week of instruction provided at USMA. The specific academic content included in this contract are detailed below.

2. PROGRAM:

a. TC, through the program in Organizational Psychology within the TC Department of Organization and Leadership, currently offers a graduate degree program registered with New York State Department of Education (NYSED) which leads to a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Organizational Psychology. TC offers a variant of this program called the Eisenhower Leader Development Program that is designed to prepare USMA tactical officers and faculty to be effective leader and leadership developers. This program is maintained through a separate agreement. For this contract, the contractor will offer a variant of their MA program for USMA tactical NCOs designed to prepare them in the fields of organizational psychology, coaching/counseling, and leadership development for their assignment as cadet company tactical NCOs at USMA. This specific certificate program will be called the Benavidez Leader Development Program (BLDP) and has been jointly developed by TC and USMA’s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership to meet the educational objectives outlined by USMA. The program is a subcomponent of the Eisenhower Leader Development Program. This certificate will be earned with a total duration of coursework not to exceed three weeks with two weeks of instruction physically provided at TC.

b. The BLDP is intended to facilitate the education and abilities of the personnel that completed the Eisenhower Leader Development Program for the benefit of the USMA and the Army. USMA, the Army Human Resources Command, and TC maintain an active memorandum of agreement for services for the Eisenhower Leader Development Program, a 45 graduate credit, masters degree generating program for Tactical Officers serving within the Corps of Cadets. Maintaining this partnership guarantee’s continuity of shared understanding regarding the lessons obtained across the courses listed below. These courses offered by TC and USMA are intended to be nested within the Eisenhower Leader Development Program curriculum with most of the same instructors teaching those courses both in the Eisenhower Leader Development Program and in this BLDP for tactical NCOs.

c. Consistent with the Eisenhower Leader Development Program that the BLDP is designed to support, USMA will teach four classes and TC will teach a total of four academic courses as a part of this certificate program. The USMA taught courses include LD750 Future of Leader Development, RS102 Speed Reading, RS 103 Information Literacy & Critical Thinking, and PL361 Research Methods. The contractor shall authorize up to two approved USMA-taught courses (2 graduate credits) to be placed on the transcript of BLDP students. LD750, Future of Leader Development, and RS103, Information Literacy & Critical Thinking, are the USMA courses that will be listed on the transcript of BLDP students.

d. The courses the contractor will teach include ORLJ 5005x Leadership and Supervision, ORLJ 4010x Executive Coaching, ORLJ 4005x Organizational Psychology, and ORLJ 5045x/5055x Group and Organizational Dynamics and Change. These courses are intended to teach the skills of coaching techniques, organizational change management, leadership development, mentorship, and counseling. In total, TC will validate two graduate credits (equivalent to 3 undergraduate credits) for the USMA taught courses and 8 graduate credits (equivalent to 12 undergraduate credits) for the TC taught courses in the BLDP.

3. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The performance period for this contract will begin no more than 5 days from the date of award. The timing of the two weeks of direct instruction provided at TC during the year of the award will occur at a time mutually agreed by the Director of the Eisenhower Leader Development Program at USMA and TC. The target dates for the first cohort are 3 February to 14 February 2025. Future cohort dates will be determined at the time the contract is renewed annually and by mutual agreement between TC and USMA. The contract is a one year contract with the option for up to four more years upon written consent of both parties.

4. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: The following provisions that are intended to facilitate the attendance of DoD personnel participating in the certificate program in Organizational Psychology (Leader Development) offered by TC.

a. TC will offer a certificate-granting program in the field of Organizational Psychology within TC’s Department of Organization and Leadership. BLDP candidates are not required to apply formally for admission to this program. Instead, USMA will identify NCOs that minimally possess a high school diploma or GED who are serving as tactical NCOs at USMA or the US Military Academy Preparatory School or are selected by the Director of the Benavidez Leader Development Program at USMA.

b. The program consists of 10 graduate credits jointly taught by the contractor and USMA, with the contractor responsible for teaching 8 credits and USMA responsible for teaching 2 credits. The USMA Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership will coordinated this instruction with TC, pursuant to approval by the officers of TC. The TC Department of Organization and Leadership with the USMA Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (in concert with the Department of History and USMA) reviews, designs instruction, awards academic grades and credits for this instruction, and maintains an official TC transcript. A passing grade is required for all courses completed as part of the certificate program. TC agrees to place USMA-taught BLDP courses on the official transcript as an addendum provided the following conditions are followed:

(1) TC shall authorize up to two approved USMA-taught courses (2 graduate credits) to be placed on the transcript of BLDP students. This academic credit will reflect considerable course work that the student may apply toward this certificate program. Only DoD or Coast Guard Academy personnel may participate as students in BLDP. USMA agrees to provide TC with a complete syllabus and description of coursework provided by USMA faculty. While TC cannot direct USMA to change BLDP coursework, they can offer potential improvements. If TC believes that particular coursework, is not substantial enough to warrant waiving credit hours, they can so inform USMA. The USMA two courses that will be included on the transcript include LD750 Future of Leader Development and PL361 Research Methods.

(2) Students will not be charged TC registration and/or fees for any courses taught by USMA faculty.

5. TRANSCRIPT AND GRADES: TC will establish an official transcript for each participant in the BLDP certificate program. Upon completion of the program, students may request a copy of their official transcript indicating work completed in the BLDP, including both the portions provided at TC and USMA. Other than pass/fail, students will not receive grades at the conclusion of the program. Grading procedures will follow the standard system utilized for other certificate programs at TC in that all coursework will be pass/fail. The notation of the nomenclature “Psychology: Organizational” in the Department of Organization and Leadership will be entered on the official student record of each student duly enrolled pursuant to the terms of this performance work statement.

6. FACULTY: The program (not including the instruction provided through USMA faculty members) is staffed, managed and evaluated by full-time TC faculty in the Department of Organization and Leadership. Qualified adjunct professors may be used on a limited basis. Faculty will select texts and establish course requirements in accordance with their standard practices. Faculty teaching at off-campus facilities will retain the same rights of academic freedom they hold when teaching at any of the TC locations.

7. CLASSROOM FACILITIES: Eight credit hours provided under this agreement will be taught by TC, primarily at facilities provided by TC in New York City, NY. Two credit hours will be taught by USMA, primarily at facilities provided by USMA in West Point, NY. BLDP students should travel to TC’s campus for 10 total days over a 12 day period. Course offerings at TC will be scheduled to follow a week of instruction at USMA and in conjunction with other scheduling priorities at USMA.

8. COST PER STUDENT: Consistent with the memorandum of agreement for the Eisenhower Leader Development Program, costs for the BLDP will be charged on a per credit basis based on the cost per academic credit for the credits taught by TC faculty. The contractor shall discount the USMA-paid tuition for all BLDP students (minimum of 18; maximum of 26). The signatories recognize the possibility of enrolling additional BLDP students at the request of USMA pursuant to agreement of all parties without the negotiation of a new MOA. USMA guarantees that the minimum number of students will be 18. Consistent with the memorandum of agreement for the Eisenhower Leader Development Program, the BLDP per student cost for the program will be 70% of the prevailing credit hour tuition rate for the 8 credit hours taught by TC. Students will not be charged additional mandatory fees. If they participate in the BLDP program, separate services (for example, the US Coast Guard Academy, US Naval Academy or the Special Operations Command) will be billed separately for their participation. In addition to the costs per student for academic credit, the contractor may charge $380 per student for books and materials used in the execution of the coursework described in this performance work statement.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

a. The contractor and USMA will have formal meetings to assess the program no less than twice a year at a mutually agreed location. The program will be assessed immediately following instruction and a second time at the same time as the Eisenhower Leader Development Program to ensure that both programs are meeting program and leader development objectives.

b. The contractor shall award credit on the basis of contact hours in accordance with the regulations of the NYSED, pursuant to section 501(o) of the Commissioner’s Regulations.

c. The contractor shall utilize its internet to facilitate linkages with faculty and students at USMA on a 24 hour a day, seven day a week (as necessary) basis.