36C24519Q0536-001.docx

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Project: VHA Communications Satellite/Radio Media Tour (SMT/RMT)

2. Scope of Work: The contractor shall include all labor, resources, rentals, travel, materials and all expenses necessary to accomplish this requirement described in the statement of work (SOW). Scope of work shall include satellite and radio media tour production to assist in explaining VHA’s recent milestones and how to access VA healthcare. On camera interview talent will include VHA program office spokespersons and VA success stories.

3. Background: The VHA Communications team is charged with communicating to a wide variety of stakeholders the changes to VA healthcare and services, including access milestones, community care and new technology. In addition to creating key messages for each new initiative and working to promote the health care offered by VA, VHA works with the Department of Veterans Affairs to create and distribute media materials and work with national media on stories about VA health care. Satellite and radio media tours have frequently shown to be a successful tool in reaching local markets and national media through live on-air radio and TV interviews, often scheduled in conjunction with a press release or media event.

A satellite media tour (SMT) is used to provide spokespersons to local television news broadcasts for live interviews, with multiple live interviews occurring at the same time, on site in D.C. or at the event location. Radio interviews are often booked during the satellite window to create a combo SMT/RMT.

4. Performance Period: One base year (12 months) with 3, 12-month option years from award date. Work at the government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

5. Type of Contract: Firm-Fixed Price

6. Place of Performance: Washington, D.C. Most work will take place off-site.

B. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

Project Management Plan (PMP) and Briefing: The contractor shall provide a detailed PMP and briefing for the project team, which presents the contractor's plan for completing the task order. The contractor's plan shall be responsive to this Statement of Work (SOW) and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect of this requirement. The contractor shall keep the PMP up-to-date throughout the period of performance.

The contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), together with associated sub-milestone dates. All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology will not be used without providing a glossary of terms. VHA Communications will review of the draft deliverable within 10 calendar days from date of receipt. The contractor shall have 10 calendar days to deliver the final deliverable from date of receipt of the government’s comments.

Satellite/Radio Media Tour (SMT/RMT): The contractor shall provide four SMT/RMT events for VHA, each with support and pitching services and one (1) canned interview. The agency identifies a need for four SMTs – one per season/quarter, and one optional SMT in the event case of a crisis. The optional SMT shall be added through bi-lateral modification at the current period of performance per event cost.

The satellite media tour consists of four one-day interview sessions held at roughly three-month intervals with national and regional radio and/or television outlets, with the primary focus targeting the areas with the largest concentration of veterans. The contractor shall secure a studio within the Washington D.C. area from which the satellite media tour will be conducted and arrange all details, including set design, b-roll, and day-of logistics.

The contractor shall prepare for the VHA Satellite Media Tours by gaining an understanding of the topic being discussed. The VHA point of contact (POC) and the contractor create a 1-page media advisory which will be used when pitching media outlets. The contractor will target appropriate outlets, producers and reporters around the country in consultation with VHA. The contractor will pitch media outlets with the interview opportunity and provide SMT schedule updates to VHA contacts on a regular basis during the pre-SMT process. They provide all pertinent details to the SMT schedule, which typically consists of 20-25+ interviews, including detailed station information. Interviews are scheduled nearly back-to-back, maximizing the spokesperson’s time. See Attachment A for sample schedule.

Each event shall consist of no less than 20 radio and satellite T.V. interviews, combined, booked with media markets across the country, with a minimum of 15 satellite T.V. interviews. The majority of the T.V. interviews shall be scheduled with national or regional stations. The contractor shall coordinate with VHA staff to schedule event dates, advise on best practices regarding pitching and execution, and create all day-of materials needed for each event. The Contractor will pitch media markets and schedule the run-of-show for each event. The Contractor shall track media hits, website airings and links to web stories. The Contractor shall conduct all media pitching using VHA-approved media content and advisories, in preparation for each event. VHA shall supply contractor with materials conveying an understanding of the subject matter to assist with its pitching. The contractor is not expected to develop ancillary written materials such as news releases, fact sheets, Q&A, nor social media content beyond the media advisory material necessary to pitch to media targets.

The contractor is responsible for staffing both the studio and the control room to ensure a seamless operation on the day of the SMT/RMT event. The Satellite Media Tour is a team effort connecting the spokesperson to broadcast outlets across the country, from make-up and catering to technical directors and phone producers.

One generic ‘canned’ interview (Q&A style) shall be conducted by the contractor, during each SMT event, to be recorded and provided to VHA in high broadcast resolution via disc (e.g. 50 GB XDCAM disc) and via a downloadable link, such as Hightail or similar service provided by the contractor, for products such as videos. VHA will provide the contractor with questions for the canned interview.

For each interview event, basic logistics will be coordinated by the contractor and executed accordingly. This includes:

· Correspondence with VA staff as assigned

· Securing a studio location in downtown Washington, D.C., unless alternate location is mutually agreed upon

· Providing hair and make-up services for interviewee

· Providing hot breakfast and refreshments

· An after-action analysis of each event

The contractor must have the capacity and availability to respond to a crisis communication situation, should one arise. In the event of a crisis, the COR may require the contractor to execute an optional SMT/RMT event within an appropriate but reasonable response time, as few as 3-7 days, give or take, depending on the nature of the crisis. The contractor shall work with VHA staff to schedule the crisis response event and using best industry practices, pitch and execute the event in the condensed time frame. The optional SMT/RMT shall be added through bi-lateral modification at the current period of performance per event cost.

Basic Logistics and Preliminary/Final Analysis Reports: The contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) with monthly written progress reports. These are due to the COR by the second workday following the end of each calendar month throughout the project's duration.

The progress report shall cover all work completed during the preceding month and will present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month. This report will also identify any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report will also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved with an explanation.

The after-action analysis shall consist of two reports, a preliminary report and a final report.

These after-action reports shall detail the reach of each event, to include viewer demographics, stations (specifically, the cities of each affiliate and feeder station, including local and national stations) and quantitative analysis. The preliminary report shall be provided to the COR in hard and electronic copy, no later than seven (7) calendar days after each SMT/RMT event. Final report shall provide metrics and appropriate links to or disc of media stories, sample media interview and 3-4 minute elevator speech/infomercial of key messages used during the media interviews, and b-roll. The final report, along with a DVD, shall be provided to the COR no later than 30 days after each SMT/RMT event.

Once the SMT is conducted, the contractor tracks all airplay and usage through Critical Mention and personal follow-up. The contractor provides airchecks and all metrics needed to help gauge the success of each SMT including number of interviews conducted, total airplays and impressions. The final analysis report for each SMT/RMT event shall contain all (but not limited to) the following information for television, radio interviews, as well as the combined total for all interviews conducted during an event:

· Event name and background information

· Interview breakdown – location, time, outlet, format, interviewer’s name, spokesperson name, live/taped, and station/outlet profile for each scheduled interview.

· Interviews arranged by audience size

· Number of interviews

· Number of station hits

· Overall impressions

· Social media and web coverage

· Web links to stories and or videos or audio segments posted by the media outlets reflecting their SMT/RMT coverage

This report and DVD is due to the COR in hard and electronic copy no later than 30 days after the SMT/RMT event. The DVD shall contain video and audio recordings of the news reports as edited and aired by media. Where references to “DVD” appear herein, an acceptable alternative is to provide links to a private website or ftp location of such recordings made available for VHA’s download.

The contractor shall complete the Delivery Date column in Attachment B for each deliverable specified. Unless otherwise specified, the number of draft copies and the number of final copies shall be the same.

If for any reason the scheduled time for a deliverable cannot be met, the contractor is required to explain why (include the original deliverable due date) in writing to the CO and the COR, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice shall cite the reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations.

Media Coaching/SME Preparation: Contractor shall assist spokespersons on the day of the event in preparing for the interviews. Contractor shall provide in-studio coaching to VA spokesperson, COR, and subject matter expert (SME) throughout the duration of each SMT/RMT event. This includes approximately a half hour of media coaching, practices, technical assistance, on-camera presence, on-site assistance, putting SME at ease in front of the camera, etc.

C. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

The preliminary and final deliverables generated by the contractor in the performance of this task requirement becomes property of the Government. The COR will be the sole authorized official to provide written authorization to release any data, draft or final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this requirement outside of the scope of this SOW. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this requirement presented to the contractor shall be submitted to the COR for response. Press releases, marketing material or any other printed or electronic documentation shall not be publicized without the written approval of the COR.

D. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK

Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the contractor.

E. TRAVEL

The Government does not authorize travel to interview sites outside of a 50-mile radius of 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the contractor’s facility is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. This includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time. Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the contractor’s facility will not be reimbursed. Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the contractor’s facility may be authorized on a case-by-case basis and must be pre-approved by the COR.

F. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS – KEY PERSONNEL

These skilled experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful contractor accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract and subsequent task orders and options. These are defined as key personnel and are those persons whose resumes were submitted. The contractor agrees that the key personnel shall not be removed, diverted, or replaced from work without approval of the CO and COR. Any personnel the contractor offers as substitutes shall have the ability and qualifications equal to or better than the key personnel who are being replaced. Requests to substitute personnel shall be approved by the COR and the CO. All requests for approval of substitutions in personnel shall be submitted to the COR and the CO within 30 calendar days prior to making any change in key personnel. The request shall be written and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution. The contractor shall submit a complete resume for the proposed substitute, any changes to the rate specified in the order (as applicable) and any other information requested by the CO needed to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the contractor of approval or disapproval thereof in writing.

Attachment A VA/VHA Satellite Media Tour Schedule Date: Tuesday, August 28th, 2019 Topic: Telehealth Initiatives Spokesperson: XXXXXXXXXXXXX, Director of VHA’s Telemedicine Office Location: National Press Club Studio, Washington DC

TIME

All Times

ET

(TV/radio) (Live or Taped)

REPORTER*

Subject to change

7:45- 7:55a

XXXXXX

(FOX)

(Live)

(NBC)

(Live to Tape)

8:15a- 8:25a

XXXXXX

(FOX)

(Live)

8:30- 8:40a

XXXXXX

(Ind)

8:40- 8:50a

XXXXXX

(FOX)

(Taped)

9:00- 9:10a

XXXXXX

(NBC)

Youngstown, OH

9:20- 9:30a

XXXXXX

(NBC)

9:40- 9:50a

XXXXXX

(ABC)

9:45- 9:55a

XXXXXX

(Sirius XM)

~Break~

10:10a- 10:20a

XXXXXX

(CBS)

10:20- 10:25a

XXXXXX

(CBS)

10:25- 10:35a

XXXXXX

(IND)

10:45- 10:55

XXXXXX

(CBS)

11:00- 11:05a

XXXXXX

11:10- 11:15a

XXXXXX

(ABC)

11:20- 11:30a

XXXXXX

(NPR)

11:30- 11:40a

XXXXXX

(FOX)

11:40- 11:50

XXXXXX

(Radio)

11:50- 12:00p

XXXXXX

(ABC)

12:00- 12:10p

XXXXXX

(NBC)

12:15- 12:20p

XXXXXX

(NBC)

12:20- 12:30p

XXXXXX

(ABC)

12:30 p.m.

~Off Satellite~ (Record Canned Interview)

Attachment B

SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

Base-Year Deliverables

Deliverable No.

One

Two

Three

Four

Item

A detailed PMP and briefing

Four (4) SMT/RMT events

Basic Logistics and Preliminary, Final Analysis Reports

Media Training/Preparation.

Quantity

1-2

Delivery Date

Within 10 calendar days after award.

All within 12 months, base year period of performance.

The preliminary report:

no later than 7 calendar days after each SMT/RMT event.

The final report, along with the DVD, no later than 30 days after each SMT/RMT event.

Within 12 months, base year