SOW DHS-FEMA Global Freight 2025.pdf

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Federal Emergency Management Agency

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) FOR:

Global Freight Services

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS)

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 BACKGROUND

The Logistics Analysis Office requires actionable intelligence to support FEMA’s mission in disaster response and recovery. Freight market trends, pricing, and capacity data are essential for decision-making and strategic planning.

The required service will enhance FEMA’s ability to manage logistics effectively and meet operational objectives.

1.2 SCOPE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) seeks a contractor to provide a cloud-based freight analysis subscription service. The service must enable FEMA’s Logistics Analysis Office (LAO) to access, analyze, and monitor real-time and historical freight market data. The goal is to optimize FEMA’s logistics operations by leveraging data-driven insights across all transportation modes, including truckload, intermodal, rail, ocean, and air freight.

Through benchmarking, the system must measure freight spend and carrier service, operational efficiency, and profitability against market dynamics. The system must support analysis through access supply chain data and visualizations across all transportation modes at the global, national, and local level. The system must monitor and identify opportunities to optimize networks and see emerging market trends. The system must support forecasting by predicting rates and capacity to minimize service failures.

The system must provide access to the latest, most up-to-date freight data, collected at the point of booking, to provide the clearest insight into the freight market. This data should be aggregated from a diverse set of sources, including Electronic Tenders, Transportation Management Systems, Electronic Logging Devices, Fuel Purchasing Systems, Bills of Lading Data, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Telematics. Unlike some systems that rely on lagging indicators, this system should prioritize real-time data to provide the most accurate picture possible.

The system must be able to generate various visualizations, including:

• Nationwide Freight Volume (graphed over a selected time period)

• Freight Capacity Utilization (graphed over a selected time period)

• Outbound and Inbound Tender Volume (for nation, region, or city)

• Outbound and Inbound Tender Rejection Rates (for nation, region, or city)

• Long Haul Freight Rates (graphed over a selected time period)

• Year-on-Year Comparison (for metrics 1-5 above)

• Overall Freight Market by Region (binary heat map displaying inbound vs. outbound freight)Disaster Surge

Support (Optional) During disasters, FEMA may request that the Contractor shall provide personnel, including additional resources, to supplement the support of the system at all hours to support their system with operations and maintenance expertise on an overtime basis, during evenings and/or weekends, as requested by the COR, to support FEMA Headquarters and Project Managers with help desk support. The Contractor will be notified by the Project Manager Officer (PMO) for the help desk to be available for 24-hour support through the contractor’s call center. The Contractor shall provide costing information for this option as part of their proposal at a daily, 7-day, and 30-day rate.

1.3 OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this contract are:

• To provide 24/7 access to a cloud-based freight analysis system.

• To enable FEMA to benchmark freight spends, operational efficiency, and carrier services.

• To monitor and forecast freight market trends and capacity to minimize service disruptions.

• To integrate freight analysis capabilities with FEMA’s logistics systems for enhanced situational awareness.

1.4 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

1.4.1 COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTS

The following documents provide specifications, standards, or guidelines that must be complied with in order to meet the requirements of this contract:

The applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) sections include:

• FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Items

• FAR Part 39 – Acquisition of Information Technology

• FAR Subpart 4.13 – Personal Identity Verification

• FAR Part 52.204-21 – Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems

2.0 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS/TASKS

The Contractor shall provide licensing to a software solution, which is web-based that FEMA employees can access with a username and password. The Contractor shall provide a system that will be available to the Government via the World Wide Web 24-hours a day. The system must provide access to the latest, most up-to-date freight data, collected at the point of booking, to provide the clearest insight into the freight market by aggregating Electronic Tenders, Transportation Management Systems, Electronic Logging Devices, Fuel Purchasing Systems, Bills of Lading Data, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Telematics within the last 24 hours.

2.1 The software license must provide access to the latest, most up-to-date freight data, collected at:

a. the point of booking, to provide the clearest insight into the freight market by aggregating Electronic

Tenders

b. Transportation Management Systems

c. Electronic Logging Devices

d. Fuel Purchasing Systems

e. Bills of Lading Data

f. U.S. Customs and Border Protection

g. Telematics.

2.1.1 The system must be able to generate line charts that display data of a selected time period on the “x” axis, with the order of numeric value on the “y” axis. The system must generate regional heat maps to display binary differences by selected region.

1. Nationwide Freight Volume. Graph freight volume level over a selected time period with end point within the last 24 hours. Provide non-proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

2. Freight Capacity Utilization (driver to truck usage ratio, 1:1 equal full capacity, anything less indicates less than full capacity). Graph Freight Capacity Utilization over a selected time period with the end point within last 24 hours. Provide non-proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

3. Outbound and Inbound Tender Volume. Graph Outbound and Inbound Tender volumes for the Nation, selected region, or city, with the end point withing last 24 hours. Provide non-proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

4. Outbound and Inbound Tender Rejection Rates. Graph Outbound and Inbound Tender Rejection Rates for the nation, a selected region, or a city, over a selected time period with the end point within the last 24 hours. Provide non- proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

5. Long Haul Freight Rates. Graph Long Haul Freight Rates over a selected time period with an end point within the last 24 hours. Provide non-proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

6. Year-on-Year Comparison. For 1 through 5 above, the system must also provide another line that displays the previous year to provide a year-on-year comparison. Provide non-proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

7. Overall Freight Market by Region. Provide a binary heat map of the United States broken down by regions that displays regions with more inbound freight than outbound in one color, and more outbound than inbound freight in the second color. Data displayed must be within the last 24 hours.

Provide non-proprietary data sets used for the product upon request.

NOTE: See Attachment 1: Global Freight Data Heat Map Visualization

2.2 Software/License Help Desk Support

The contractor shall provide support Monday through Friday during the hours of (9am to 5pm EST). The call center personnel shall prioritize critical issues that include but are not limited to full or partial outages. The Contractor shall provide help desk service support with a 95% or higher availability rate that is capable of the following:

2.2.1 The Contractor must be able to support the collection and manipulation of data sets that are requested by the client(s) via download functionality.

a. Troubleshoot reports

b. Download reports for the data need of the client(s)

c. Provide graphs that support the data request from client(s)

2.2.2 The contractor shall identify and configure real-time application monitoring and associated alerting to proactively identify and avoid production issues. The contractor shall conduct ongoing application health checks to proactively identify and avoid production issues.

2.3 Software/License Training

The Contractor must provide a training plan and software user guide that includes the complete functionality for the Commercial-Off- The-Shelf (COTS) software.

2.3.1 Onboarding training will be conducted within a week of award.

2.3.2 Retraining/subsequent onboarding/retraining shall be offered once quarterly at the discretion of the government.

2.3.3 All trainings will be conducted virtually. All training material shall be provided electronically in a format that are useable by the government. All training material shall be 508 compliant.

2.3.4 The Contractor shall provide training services to the Government on an as needed basis between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm EST, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays).

2.4 Software/License Quantity

2.4.1 The Contractor shall provide seven (7) annual licenses for use by the government.

2.4.2 The Contractor shall provide a schedule of pricing for any additional licensing at a monthly rate which will coincide with the end of the period of performance of the contract.

3.0 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

3.1 Qualified Personnel

The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel to perform all requirements specified in this SOW. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel with expertise in global logistics, transportation management, and regulatory compliance.

3.2 Continuity of Support

The Contractor shall ensure continuity of operations, including maintaining adequate staffing levels during personnel absences.

3.3 Key Personnel

The Project Manager shall be designated as Key Personnel. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer at least 15 business days before replacing Key Personnel.

3.3.1 CONTRACTOR Key personnel shall not be assigned by the Contractor to more than one key position for this requirement.

3.4 Project Manager

• The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager to serve as the single point of contact for FEMA. The Project

Manager shall have:Experience with cloud-based freight analytics tools.

• Strong project management skills and preferably a PMP certification.

• Familiarity with federal logistics operations.

3.4.1 The Project Manager shall be available to the COR via telephone between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm EST, Monday through Friday, and shall respond to a request for discussion or resolution of technical problems within 2 hours of notification.

3.5 Employee Identification

This requirement is not applicable, as no contractor personnel will perform work on-site. All services will be provided remotely.

3.6 Employee Conduct

The Project Manager shall ensure Contractor employees understand and abide by Department of Homeland Security established rules, regulations and policies concerning safety and security.

3.7 Removing Employees for Misconduct or Security Reasons

The Government may, at its sole discretion (via the Contracting Officer*), direct the Contractor to remove any Contractor employee from DHS facilities for misconduct or security reasons. Removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to continue providing the services required under the contract. The Contracting Officer will provide the Contractor with a written explanation to support any request to remove an employee.

4.0 Other Applicable Conditions

The contractor must provide a platform that incorporates the following features:

Real-time freight data access

• Predictive analytics for rates and capacity forecasting

• Benchmarking tools for freight spend and carrier performance

• Heat map visualization for regional freight market analysis

• Automated reporting capabilities

4.1 Security

Contractor employees shall safeguard all FEMA information and comply with DHS security policies. Access to sensitive information requires prior approval.

4.2 Period of Performance

The period of performance for this contract is a one-year base period with three one-year option periods as follows:

Base Period May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026 Option Period One May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027 Option Period Two May 1, 2027 through April 30, 2028

Option Period Three May 1, 2028 through April 30, 2029

4.3 Place of Performance

The primary place of performance will be the Contractor’s facilities with frequent coordination with FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

4.4 Hours of Operation

Contractor employees shall perform work during FEMA’s standard operating hours, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Surge support may require extended hours.

4.5 Travel

Contractor travel shall not be required for this requirement.

4.6 Post Award Conference

A Post Award Conference shall be held within 10 business days following the contract award. The purpose of the conference is to review contract requirements, clarify roles and responsibilities, and address any initial questions to ensure alignment between the Contractor and the Government.

4.7 Project Plan

15 business days after award.

The Draft Contractor Project Plan should include the following:

• Introduction and Objectives: Overview of the project goals and alignment with FEMA’s disaster response and recovery mission.

• Scope of Work: Detailed description of tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities.

• Milestones and Timeline: Key project milestones, deliverables, and corresponding deadlines.

• Resource Allocation: Staffing plan, including roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of personnel.

• Risk Management Plan: Identification of potential risks and mitigation strategies.

• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Metrics for evaluating progress and regular reporting schedule.

• Training and Support Plan: Training schedule, materials, and ongoing support availability.

• Compliance and Quality Assurance: Adherence to applicable regulations and strategies for delivering high-quality outcomes.

4.8 Business Continuity Plan

The Contractor shall prepare and submit a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to the Government. The BCP Plan shall be due 30 business days after the date of award and will be updated on an annual basis. The BCP shall document Contractor plans and procedures to maintain support during an emergency, including natural disasters and acts of terrorism. The BCP, at a minimum, shall include the following:

A description of the Contractor’s emergency management procedures and policy

A description of how the Contractor will account for their employees during an emergency

How the Contractor will communicate with the Government during emergencies

A list of primary and alternate Contractor points of contact, each with primary and alternate:

o Telephone numbers o E-mail addresses

4.8.1 Individual BCPs shall be activated immediately after determining that an emergency has occurred, shall be operational within two hours of activation or as directed by the Government, and shall be sustainable until the emergency is resolved and normal conditions are restored or the contract is terminated, whichever comes first.

In case of a life-threatening emergency, the COR shall immediately make contact with the Contractor Project Manager to ascertain the status of any Contractor personnel who were located in Government controlled space affected by the emergency. When any disruption of normal, daily operations occur, the Contractor Project Manager and the COR shall promptly open an effective means of communication and verify:

Key points of contact (Government and contractor) Temporary work locations (alternate office spaces, telework, virtual offices, etc.)

Means of communication available under the circumstances (e.g. email, webmail, telephone, FAX, courier, etc.)

Essential Contractor work products expected to be continued, by priority

4.8.2 The Government and Contractor Project Manager shall make use of the resources and tools available to continue contracted functions to the maximum extent possible under emergency circumstances.

Contractors shall obtain approval from the Contracting Officer prior to incurring costs over and above those allowed for under the terms of this contract. Regardless of contract type, and of work location, Contractors performing work in support of authorized tasks within the scope of their contract shall charge those hours accurately in accordance with the terms of this contract.

4.9 Progress Reports

Since this is a cloud-based subscription service, formal progress reports are not required. However, the contractor should provide system uptime metrics, incident reports, and performance analytics upon request or in case of significant service disruptions.

4.10 Progress Meetings

The Project Manager shall be available to meet with the COR upon request to present deliverables, discuss progress, exchange information, and resolve emergent technical problems and issues. These meetings shall take place via phone, Microsoft Teams, email, or virtual meeting. Progress meetings are not required on a recurring basis.

Meetings will only be scheduled as needed, such as when performance issues arise, system updates impact operations, or FEMA requires a service review.

4.11 General Report Requirements

For cloud-based subscriptions, traditional compatibility requirements for Windows XP and Microsoft Office applications are not applicable. Instead, if needed, the Contractor shall ensure that all reports generated by the cloud-based system are accessible in widely accepted electronic formats (e.g., PDF, CSV, Excel) that can be downloaded, viewed, and edited by FEMA personnel using standard DHS-approved software.

4.12 Intellectual Property

The Contractor retains ownership of the proprietary software, datasets, and tools provided under this contract. FEMA shall have the right to access and utilize the licensed services and data outputs as described in the scope of work.

The Contractor must ensure that any intellectual property used in delivering the services does not infringe on third-party rights and provide FEMA with sufficient rights to access and use deliverables, including reports, data, and dashboards, for internal purposes during and after the contract period. Any disputes regarding intellectual property rights shall be resolved in coordination with the Contracting Officer and DHS General Law Attorney.

4.13 Protection of Information

If the Contractor will have access to Privacy Act information and/or proprietary information, the following requirements apply:

Contractor access to information protected under the Privacy Act is required under this SOW. Contractor employees shall safeguard this information against unauthorized disclosure or dissemination in accordance with the law and Government policy and regulation.

Contractor access to proprietary information is required under this SOW. Contractor employees shall safeguard this information against unauthorized disclosure or dissemination in accordance with the law and Government policy and regulation.

Contractor access to proprietary information is required under this SOW. Contractor employees shall safeguard this information against unauthorized disclosure or dissemination in accordance with DHS MD 11042.1, Safeguarding Sensitive But Unclassified (For Official Use Only) Information. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor personnel having access to business or procurement sensitive information sign a non-disclosure agreement (DHS Form 11000-6).

4.14 Section 508 Compliance

http://dhsconnect.dhs.gov/org/comp/mgmt/cio/oast/Documents/DART1_5_2_strict.html

Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) as amended by P.L. 105-220 under Title IV (Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998) all Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) developed, procured, maintained and/or used under this contract shall be in compliance with the “Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards” set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the “Access Board”) in 36 CFR Part 1194. The complete text of Section 508 Standards can be accessed at http://www.access-board.gov/ or at http://www.section508.gov.

5.0 Government Terms & Definitions

5.1 COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative

5.2 DHS - Department of Homeland Security

6.0 Government Furnished Resources

The Government will provide:

• Access to FEMA systems as necessary.

• Relevant data and documentation to support contract performance.

7.0 Contractor Furnished Property

The Contractor shall furnish all facilities, materials, equipment and services necessary to fulfill the requirements of this contract, except for the Government Furnished Resources specified in SOW 2.0 and SOW 6.0.

http://dhsconnect.dhs.gov/org/comp/mgmt/cio/oast/Documents/DART1_5_2_strict.html http://www.access-board.gov/ http://www.section508.gov/

8.0 Government Acceptance Period

The COR will review deliverables prior to acceptance and provide the contractor with an e-mail that provides documented reasons for non-acceptance. If the deliverable is acceptable, the COR will send an e-mail to the Contractor notifying it that the deliverable has been accepted.

8.1 The COR will have the right to reject or require correction of any deficiencies found in the deliverables that are contrary to the information contained in the Contractor’s accepted proposal.

In the event of a rejected deliverable, the Contractor will be notified in writing by the COR of the specific reasons for rejection. The Contractor may have an opportunity to correct the rejected deliverable and return it per delivery instructions.

8.2 The COR will have 3 business days to review deliverables and make comments.

The Contractor shall have 3 business days to make corrections and redeliver.

8.3 All other review times and schedules for deliverables shall be agreed upon by the parties based on the final approved Project Plan.

The Contractor shall be responsible for timely delivery to Government personnel in the agreed upon review chain, at each stage of the review. The Contractor shall work with personnel reviewing the deliverables to assure that the established schedule is maintained.

9.0 Deliverables

The Contractor shall consider items in BOLD as having mandatory due dates. Items in italics are deliverables or events that must be reviewed and/or approved by the COR prior to proceeding to next deliverable or event in this

SOW.

Item SOW Reference

Deliverable/Event Due By Distribution

1 4.6 Post Award Conference 10 business days after award

N/A

2 4.6, 4.7 Draft Contractor Project Plan 15 business days after award

COR, Contracting Officer

3 4.7 Final Contractor Project Plan 30 business days after award

COR, Contracting Officer

Item SOW Reference

Deliverable/Event Due By Distribution

4 4.8 Original Business Continuity Plan

45 business days after award

COR, Contracting Officer

5 4.8 Updated Business Continuity Plan

Annually COR, Contracting Officer

6 4.9 Progress Reports As Required COR, Contracting Officer

7 2.2 Real-Time Tracking System Access

Upon contract award COR

8 2.5 Training Sessions and User Guide

As Required COR

9 4.11 Electronic Reports As Required COR, Contracting Officer