508Remediation_StatementOfWork_230711.pdf

CUI//SP‐PROCURE

National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities Knowledge Management Team

Statement of Work Section 508 Compliance Remediation for Scanned Historical Documents

1. Background

1.1. The Knowledge Management Team, within the National Science Foundation’s Office of Integrative Activities, seeks Section 508 compliance remediation for approximately 2,200 PDF documents. This task is part of a comprehensive knowledge management program under development at the Foundation.

1.2. The PDF files represent a collection of official issuances from 1960 through 2010, scanned from paper originals of varying quality.

1.3. The PDF files are separated into five categories, shown here:

Issuance Type Approximate Quantity

NSF Bulletins 657

Staff Memoranda 1,194

Important Notices 171

NSF Circulars 143

NSF Manuals 16

Approximate Total 2,181 (rounded up to 2,200 to account for identification of additional documents)

1.4. Each PDF contains a graphical representation of the scanned original, with an OCR-generated text layer beneath the image.

1.5. Most scanned originals are high-quality and legible. However, some – particularly the oldest – may be too degraded for effective OCR. Other scans may have handwriting and graphical artifacts (e.g., a Post-It note) that may obstruct 508 compliance.

2. Tasks

2.1. Evaluate the scan quality, underlying textual data, and any handwriting or graphical artifacts of each PDF file to assess their minimum compliance with Section 508 guidance for content creation, as described at https://www.section508.gov/create/pdfs/authoring-guides/ and https://www.access-board.gov/ict/.

2.1.1. Identify and isolate documents which cannot meet Section 508 compliance due to poor scan quality, poor OCR textual data, or other factors.

2.1.2. Report the number of documents that cannot be remediated to the NSF Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Approximately 10% of documents are suspected to be irremediable.

2.1.2.1. The report should list irremediable documents by file name, along with a short explanation (no more than two sentences per file) of why each file cannot be remediated.

2.1.3. After reviewing the report, the COR may authorize the Contractor to create plain-text versions of one or more irremediable files in accordance with “20.

Conforming Alternative Version” of the Section 508 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Testing Baseline (https://ictbaseline.access-board.gov/20AlternateVersions/).

2.1.3.1. The plain-text version will be appended at the end of each irremediable file, on a new page.

2.1.3.2. In addition to appending a plain-text version, the Contractor will label the first page of the irremediable file(s) in Arial 12-point, bold font, hex color #aa00001, in the top left corner with this text:

The original scanned PDF does not comply with Section 508 accessibility requirements. A plain-text version is available at the end of this document.

2.2. For PDF files of sufficient quality, identified in Task 2.1, the Contractor will complete

508 remediation, adding necessary metadata (e.g., document title and language), verifying and updating reading order, and other tasks to bring each PDF into compliance with Section 508, as described at https://www.section508.gov/create/pdfs/authoring-guides/ and https://www.access-board.gov/ict/.

2.2.1. For all 508-remediated PDF files, add the phrase “This document has been archived” on the first page of the document, in Arial 12-point, bold font, hex color #aa0000, in the top left corner. Figure 1, below, shows watermarking for Tasks 2.1.3.2 and 2.2).

1 Color #aa0000 meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) AA and AAA contrast standards for small text against a white background.

Figure 1. Sample watermarking for archived and irremediable document.

2.3. Save and deliver remediated files from Task 2.2, along with non-compliant files identified in Task 2.1, to the Foundation.

2.3.1. The Contractor will use secure cloud-based storage, provided by the National

Science Foundation, to upload the processed files (remediated and non-compliant).

3. Objectives

After successful completion of this task, the National Science Foundation will be able to:

3.1. Import the remediated PDF files into an online document library, where they will be accessible according to Section 508 requirements. Imported files will be searchable against the underlying PDF text layer to identify relevant documents.

4. Specifications

4.1. The National Science Foundation will provide access to the un-remediated PDF files via secure, cloud-based storage. The Contractor may download PDFs from the cloud storage, and deliver processed files using the same storage, as described in Task 2.3.1.

4.2. Remediation will proceed in three stages.

4.2.1. Stage 1 involves immediate remediation of approximately 657 NSF Bulletins.

4.2.1.1. The Contractor will remediate a sample of ten PDF files. The sample files will be delivered to NSF to assess 508 compliance.

4.2.1.2. Afterward, NSF will address any non-compliance issues with the

Contractor and then authorize continued remediation.

4.2.2. Stage 2 will remediate approximately 1,194 Staff Memoranda.

4.2.2.1. The National Science Foundation is still identifying documents in this category.

4.2.2.2. The Contractor may be asked to remediate a sample for NSF review, as a quality control measure.

4.2.3. Stage 3 will remediate Important Notices, NSF Circulars, and NSF Manuals, totaling approximately 171, 143, and 16 files, respectively.

4.2.3.1. The National Science Foundation is still identifying documents in this category.

4.2.3.2. The Contractor may be asked to remediate a sample for NSF review, as a quality control measure.

5. Deliverables and Timeline

Deliverable

Est.

Number of Files

Total Minutes (est. 25 minutes per file for remediation) Total Hours (minutes/60)

Total Work Days

(hours/8;

assuming 8 hours per work day)

Total Work Months (work days/22;

assuming 22 work days per month)

Time To Delivery*

Sample of remediated NSF Bulletins for 508 compliance assessment (4.2.1.1)

10 250 4.17 0.52 0.02 Within one week of award

NSF Bulletins (4.2.1) 657 16,425 273.75 34.22 1.56 Within two months of award

Staff Memoranda (4.2.2)

1,194 29,850 497.50 62.19 2.83 Within three months of award

Important Notices (4.2.3)

171 4,275 71.25 8.91 0.40 Within five months of award

NSF Circulars (4.2.3) 143 3,575 59.58 7.45 0.34 Within five months of award

NSF Manuals (4.2.3) 16 400 6.67 0.83 0.04 Within five months of award

Report on irremediable files (2.1.2)

Within five months of award

Irremediable files with alternate plain‐ text versions appended (2.1.3)

(about 10% of total files)

Within six months of award (negotiable based on actual number of files)

TOTALS 2,181 54,525 908.75 113.59 5.16

* Time to delivery assumes NSF does not delay in approving samples or providing files for next stage of remediation.