70FA6019I00000001_(FEMA_PTS_Vision_Draft)_FBO_-_14_November_2018.pdf

November 8, 2018

DRAFT VISION & SCOPE ELEMENTS FOR RE-COMPETE OF PTS

REQUIREMENT

VISION

The National Flood Mapping Program aspires to support a future where the conversation and perception about flood risk and mitigation has fundamentally changed, communities and individuals intrinsically care about their flood risk and make decisions to protect themselves and their interests. Presently through the Risk Mapping, Assessment, and Planning (Risk MAP) program and through continued execution of the National Flood Mapping Program, the Production and Technical Services (PTS) requirement will support the program in ensuring that flood hazard and risk information is fed, used, and served up in increasingly creative ways by a large and diverse partner ecosystem and actionable by our customers. The PTS requirement will support the program in producing widely accessible flood hazard information that is easy to understand, available when our customers need it, and served up by trusted partners in the tailored way that will drive and optimize risk-informed decisions and behaviors.

Sustained delivery of the mapping program should support the risk management lifecycle to: identify and analyze hazards; assess risks; communicate risk; identify and prioritize mitigation options; and advance mitigation and risk transfer. PTS support will apply emerging science and technology solutions to support FEMA in determining how identified flood hazards and flood risk assessments delivered by the mapping program will consistently be used to establish flood insurance rates, support sound floodplain management and inform viable flood mitigation options. By relating the reduction of risk for a flood mitigation project or floodplain management ordinance to the applicable insurance premiums through FEMA’s new risk rating model, the mapping program will serve as a sound flood risk management framework for the National Flood Insurance Program.

CATEGORIES OF SCOPE - SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL

COMPETENCIES

• NATIONAL/STATE SCALE MAPPING DATA CREATION

Leveraging open source platforms/technologies, produce high-quality, high-resolution, large-scale regulatory and non-regulatory Risk MAP products for:

graduated flood insurance risk premium rating; floodplain management; and broadened hazard and/or risk awareness and understanding across FEMA stakeholders. The purpose of this data is to compel and empower others to reduce risk and to assist FEMA in taking steps to achieve Strategic Objectives

1.1 and 1.2.

o Develop, deliver, and maintain large-scale flood data in a cost-effective and sustainable method. Specific flood data (1-D or 2-D) for flooding sources include, but are not limited to: coastal, riverine/fluvial, and rainfall/pluvial. These data should be a key input to the Natural Hazards Risk Assessment Program and Risk Rating 2.0. The purpose of the robust hazard identification is to yield a robust risk identification.

o Develop, deliver and maintain large-scale multi-hazard data in an, cost-effective, and sustainable method. Hazard data types include but are not limited to flood, wind, seismic, wildfire, and volcanic.

o Develop, deliver, and maintain large-scale flood data using multi-frequency deterministic, probabilistic, and analysis methods to assist flood and disaster risk decision support.

o Develop, deliver and maintain flood risk data using multi-frequency deterministic, probabilistic, and other geostatistical analysis methods to assist actuaries

• REGIONAL MAP PRODUCTION

Produce high-quality community-scale regulatory and non-regulatory Risk MAP products for more precise graduated risk insurance rating, local flood hazard management, local planning efforts (mitigation or other), and local mitigation priorities.

o Evolve / innovate the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) production process to leverage advances in technology and eliminate the paper FIRM inventory.

o Work with impacted stakeholders to co-develop flexible-tailored regulatory and non-regulatory Risk MAP products that support community floodplain management and/or mitigation priorities.

o Develop and deliver as-needed enhancements or refinements to regulatory or non-regulatory products related to historic flood magnitudes and drivers, environmental conditions, or requested flood data outputs such as: erosion potential, standing water depths, flood durations, velocities, or rainfall scenarios.

o Integrate building science and hazard mitigation assistance best practices and principles within data development. Hazard data types include, but are not limited to, flood, wind, seismic, wildfire, and volcanic. As needed, develop and deliver tools/data for hazard mitigation using technical support.

o Expedite data development and project completion to deliver on-time study finishes that propel communities toward resilient outcomes and behavior. Data development and project completion should be aligned with, and driven by, local stakeholder needs for the data being produced.

o Administer due process for all Risk MAP Regulatory map products, and ensure compliance with all NFIP statutes, regulations, policies and procedures.

o Ensure Risk MAP products can appropriately tie-in to nationally seamless datasets and are delivered to the Customer and Data Services (CDS) contractor in a timely manner. Coordinate with CTPs, other federal agencies (e.g. USGS, USACE), Community Engagement ad Risk Communication and legacy PTS contractor(s), as required.

o Perform 44 CFR 65.10 compliance reviews for levee system accreditation, and in accordance with current FEMA Guidance and Standards, and best practices.

o Contract Transition – Standard Operations and map production products (Headquarters and Regional work) not completed in this contract will be transitioned properly to the next vendor.

• GENERAL STANDARD OPERATIONS

Provide technical support for Risk Management Directorate priorities across internal and external stakeholders, including FEMA HQ, Regions, and state, tribal and local partners:

o Provide technical support to FEMA (Headquarters and Regions) and external stakeholders on complex technical Risk MAP issues such as levees (44 CFR 65.10 compliance), coastal, geographic information systems (GIS) data, the National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), dam safety, risk assessments, and post-preliminary processing.

In many cases, such as coastal and levees, support will need to be innovative and poised to orient the program around empowering and compelling others to reduce risk; achieving Strategic Objectives 1.1 and 1.2; and driving towards a more resilient and prepare nation.

o Develop and maintain FEMA policy, guidance, standards, and best practices for flood risk mapping to ensure technical credibility of the mapping program.

o Provide support for short notice ad-hoc mapping related inquiries, such as congressional and media inquiries, and rapid response reports.

o Process MT-2s in a cost efficient and timely manner with as-needed training, appeals support, and support to Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) Delegation Partners.

o Provide technical assistance in coordination with the MT-1 provider for complex Letters of Map Change.

o Provide mission support that is tailored to the specific needs of each Region.

o Provide Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) support services though engineering studies, evaluation/design/mitigation of electrical systems, transportation systems, water systems, and various other engineered structure/systems.

o Provide nationally and/or regionally recognized subject matter expertise for performing building science statistical and forensic analysis, research and problem-focused studies, assessment and modeling, tool development and maintenance, field investigations and reporting related to building and infrastructure performance, building codes and standards, and adoption tracking.

o Support, advise, pilot and implement recommendations from the Technical Mapping Advisory Council (TMAC) and/or other Risk MAP evolution and NFIP reform efforts.

o Coordinate with CTPs, other federal agencies (e.g. USGS, USACE), Community Engagement ad Risk Communication and legacy PTS contractor(s), as required.

o At FEMA’s direction, engage other federal agencies (ex. USACE, USGS, etc.) to improve interagency collaboration, data sharing, and identification of hazards and associated risks.

o Perform Quality Assurance on all mapping partners’ Risk MAP products (regulatory & non-regulatory), coordinating with legacy PTS contractor(s) and CTPs as needed.

o Provide technical support to FEMA HQ on complex flood risk assessment issues including risk quantification, visualization, reduction, as well as qualitative assessments.

o Actively participate in FEMA’s Community of Practices and Integrated Project Teams to inform, update, and develop best practices, guidance, policies, and procedures to improve programmatic and operational delivery of Risk MAP o Maintain FEMA’s systems of record for accurate and timely data archiving, project management, and program risk management.

• DISASTER SUPPORT

Provide field-based and back-office technical support for disaster and/or “rapid response” tasks and activities. Operational technical support: To maintain continuity of Standard Operations and map production services, along with surge support for additional disaster-related tasks as needed. Disaster-related tasks are often ad-hoc with short request timeframes. Various disaster-related support tasks may include, but not be limited to:

o Rapidly deploy teams of subject matter experts to field upon short notice.

Expertise to include site inspection, damage estimation, recovery advisories, structural performance experts, mitigation assessment and prioritization expertise.

o Establish back-office operations to support field-based assessments, documentation and reporting.

o Rapidly develop advisory data, analysis, or mapping.

o Cost-effectively assess and perform structural damage assessments.

o Identify mitigation opportunities and guidance for repairing damaged infrastructure.

o Perform field-based mitigation assessment research to evaluate building code performance.

o Prepare advisories to support preferred approaches for recovery.

• PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Provide National/Regional-scale program and project administration, coordination and performance management.

o Implement sound program management practices to enable reliable and efficient contract operations.

o Apply best-practice program management principals, compliance, and controls for contract administration, performance monitoring, and reporting o Enable and implement streamlined coordination and communication methods to enhance and expedite daily management and application of evolving standards, guidance, best practices or preferences.

o Data inventory and data management (project management) currently lacking ensuring products produced are being delivered and warehoused in the appropriate FEMA defined repository.

ADAPTIVE SUPPORT AND INTEGRATED DELIVERY

• REGIONAL SERVICE

Provide technical services and support to Regional operations and customer needs including CTPs and program partners.

• INNOVATION

Identify, evaluate and apply emerging science and technology solutions to support risk assessment, awareness, insurance take-up and mitigation decision-making at local, state and Federal levels. Provide continuous process improvement, and deliver significant efficiencies, innovation, and quality throughout the life of the contract for all production and technical services, including engineering mapping, and Risk MAP products (regulatory and/or non-regulatory) and MT-2/Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) services.

Identify and implement innovations to be incorporated into the FEMA databases that support near-term and long-term business requirements.

• RISK MAP EVOLUTION. (Future implantation of the national flood mapping program) Manage the contract transition, and approach to incorporate broad program and policy impacts associated with evolving Risk MAP, including the methods and techniques used to balance the Government’s strategic priorities.

• CONTINUITY DURING DISASTERS and/or HIGH FUNDING YEARS Provide effective risk management, quality management and continuity of operations while supporting competing priorities, such as post-disaster assignments. Maintain level of Standard Operations and map production support before, during, and post-disaster. For varying levels of appropriated Fiscal Year NFIP mapping funding, maintain cost/schedule and scalability of support given various annual NFIP mapping budgets.

• FOSTERING STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Partner and coordinate with professional organizations and societies, academic and industry entities to maximize effectiveness of products and services supporting community resilience, mitigation investment, and insurance penetration.

o Expand interoperability of technical data for stakeholder usability, adaptation, and customization.

VISION