BRIC DTA Industry Day Webinar 7.12.2023 - Slides.pdf

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA)

Industry Day Webinar July 12, 2023

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Agenda

• Housekeeping

• How to Do Business with FEMA

• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) Initiative

• Vision for Successful FY2025-FY2029 Acquisition Program in Support of FEMA’s BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative

• Q&A

Purpose of Market Research

FEMA is conducting market research to:

1) solicit industry feedback on the draft Statement of Objectives,

2) understand industry capabilities to meet FEMA’s requirements as outlined in the Statement of Objectives, in whole or in part, and

3) collect information to enable the development of a future acquisition strategy.

Industry Day enables FEMA to describe technical program and answer technical questions.

No questions regarding FEMA’s acquisition strategy will be entertained at today’s event.

FEMA encourages submissions to RFI through revised deadline of July 19 at 3 PM ET.

Any new information will be made available via SAM.gov.

How To Do Business With FEMA

(FEMA) Industry Liaison Program

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration

SAM is an official website of the US Government. There is NO COST for registration or utilization.

SAM registration is a requirement to do business with the Federal Government. Register your entity at www.sam.gov. You will need the following:

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) – Request by visiting www.irs.gov

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number - SAM will issue you a UEI upon registering your entity.

Once you receive your Unique Entity ID, you can continue the registration.

Federal Service Desk – call the FSD with any questions in reference to your registration: 1-866- 606-8220.

Update/check your registration annually, to maintain eligibility.

Disaster Response Registry

What Is The Disaster Response Registry?

When national emergencies or disasters such as floods and hurricanes occur, supplies and services need to be procured and rushed to the affected area quickly. To expedite this process, the System for Award Management (SAM) contains a Disaster Response Registry in accordance with FAR Subpart

4.11 and FAR Subpart 26.2 listing those contractors who are willing to provide debris removal, distribution of supplies, reconstruction, and other disaster or emergency relief supplies and/or services.

How Do I Add My Company To The Disaster Response Registry?

Your entity must be fully registered in SAM, to be included in the Disaster Response Registry. During the registration process, you must indicate you want to participate in the Disaster Response Registry and provide the required information on the Disaster Response Information page within the Assertions module. Once your registration is active, you will be added to the Disaster Response Registry and contracting officers will be able to locate your company through the Disaster Response Registry Search.

Small Business Dynamic Search

When completing your sam.gov registration, in addition to the option to be added to the Disaster Response Registry. If your business meets Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards, you are given the option to complete an SBA Profile.

If you do not already have a General Login System (GLS) account, follow the GLS Instructions for Small Businesses link in the left navigation on the GLS Login page (https://eweb.sba.gov/gls/dsp_login.cfm).

DSBS is another tool that can be utilized by federal contracting officials to identify small businesses that can assist the government in meeting its mission.

Monitor Contracting Opportunity Sites

Federal Business Opportunities – SAM.gov (formerly fbo.gov / beta.sam.gov) (www.sam.gov) is a free web-based portal which allows vendors to review Federal Procurement Opportunities. Direct all questions regarding the use of sam.gov to the Federal Service Desk (FSD) at 1-866-606-8220.

Unison Marketplace – Formerly FedBid (www.unisonglobal.com/product-suites/acquisition/sourcing/marketplace/) a fully managed online marketplace connecting Sellers to federal and commercial opportunities. Direct all questions to (877-933-3243) or go to:

https://www.unisonglobal.com/contact/customer-support/

DHS Acquisition Planning Forecast System - Monitor the forecast of DHS contract opportunities at:

http://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov.

APEX Accelerators (PTAC)

The Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) is now under the management of the

Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) and has changed its name to APEX Accelerators

They are a nationwide network of dedicated procurement professionals

They provide education and training to help businesses become ready to successfully compete for

Federal, State, and Local government contracts

Seek your local APEX Accelerators for assistance in presenting your company’s capabilities to the

Federal Government. Find a APEX Accelerators (PTAC) in your area (www.aptac-us.org, https://www.apexaccelerators.us/#/ )

Website: www.fema.gov/business-industry/doing-business

Email: FEMA-Industry@fema.dhs.gov

Small Business: FEMA-SB@fema.dhs.gov

Contact Us Industry Liaison Program

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) Initiative

• Overview of Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program

• Overview of BRIC Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) Initiative

• Initiative Goal

• Eligibility and Eligible Activities

• Lifecycle and Selection Criteria

• Service Delivery Model

• Scale and Reach

• Case Studies

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program

Federal Emergency Management Agency 13

A FEMA grant program launched in 2020 -- and named a covered program in the White House’s Justice40 Initiative* to advance environmental justice – that supports states, local communities, tribal nations, and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards.

Vision: A nation of communities resilient to natural hazard events.

Mission: Empowering communities through partnerships and mitigation investments to advance natural hazards resilience.

* Please see https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/

BRIC Program:

Guiding Principles

Support Community Capability & Capacity Building

Encourage and Enable Innovation

Promote Partnerships

Enable Large Infrastructure Projects

Maintain Flexibility

Provide Consistency

BRIC Program: Four Components

1. State/Territorial Allocations

2. Tribal Set-Aside

3. National Competition

4. Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) up to $50 million/year

FEMA shares this figure for illustrative purpose only. Funding is subject to change without notice.

BRIC Program: Eligibility

Federal Emergency Management Agency 16 Source: FEMA

BRIC Program: Eligible Activities

Federal Emergency Management Agency 17

Hazard Mitigation Activities

Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act authorizes FEMA to provide non-financial technical assistance to complement the BRIC grant program.

Underserved communities are often disproportionately impacted by disasters.

Working hand-in-hand, BRIC DTA partners with communities and tribal nations to develop capacity for implementing holistic, equitable, climate adaptation solutions.

BRIC Non-financial DTA: An Initiative Under the BRIC Program

Federal Emergency Management Agency 18

BRIC Non-Financial DTA Initiative: Goal

Federal Emergency Management Agency 19

To increase the climate and hazard resilience of underserved and/disadvantaged communities and tribal nations through technical assistance that focuses on holistic community planning, and project development, and by facilitating access to multiple hazard mitigation funding sources and leveraging partnerships.

BRIC Non-Financial DTA Initiative: Values

Equity

Building Community

Capacity

Trust

Community Engagement Community

Context & Cultural

Awareness

Mutual Learning &

Collaboration Flexibility

BRIC Non-Financial DTA Initiative: Eligibility

Federal Emergency Management Agency 21

Cities Towns/townships Municipalities Counties Parishes Special District Governments Territories Federally recognized tribal governments Groups of two or more communities that fit the above criteria

NOT REQUIRED!

X A BRIC grant subapplication or award under the state/territory allocation, tribal set-aside, or national competition.

X An approved hazard mitigation plan

Holistic hazard mitigating planning and project support from the earliest stages, tailored to the needs and priorities of communities and tribal nations interested in FEMA partnership.

Activities can include:

broad planning and capacity-building support • community engagement •strategic communications • partnership building • hazard mitigation plan development • benefit cost analysis • mitigation alternatives development •project scoping •project design • project implementation for BRIC-funded projects • grant applications and grants management • other requested non-financial technical assistance activities within scope of BRIC program authority

BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative: Eligible Activities

Needs of community or tribal nation drive DTA Action Plan

BRIC Non-Financial DTA Initiative: Lifecycle

Federal Emergency Management Agency 23

• The timing of key BRIC DTA milestones is standardized at the beginning of the lifecycle.

• FEMA supports community/tribal nation to develop a BRIC DTA Action Plan.

• Delivery of technical assistance is intended to remain flexible and reflect community-and tribal nation-driven priorities.

DTA request relates to community-wide natural hazard risk reduction and/or climate resilience

Federal Emergency Management Agency 24

Quantitative Tools

Social Vulnerability: CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Natural Hazards Risk: FEMA National Risk Index Estimated Annualized Losses (NRI - EAL) Climate Change Impacts: NOAA Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) Environmental Justice: EPA Environmental Justice Screening Tool

Qualitative Factors

Technical and capacity challenges Commitment to community engagement Interest in building partnerships Openness to nature-based solutions

Process

BRIC Non-Financial DTA Initiative: FY 2022 Selection Criteria

Past Current/Future HQ-Led Delivery

• Heavy reliance on reservist cadre

• Limited regional engagement

Regional Field Delivery Model

• Regions lead

• Regions & HQ dedicated staffing

Limited Contract Support

Robust Contract Support

Limited TA Partnerships

Broad TA Partnership Network

Narrower Focus

Comprehensive Needs Assessments

Limited Services Multi-disciplinary Technical Assistance

Limited Community Engagement

Early, Inclusive Community Engagement

BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative: Evolution of Service Delivery Model

BRIC Non-financial DTA: Operational Structure

Federal Emergency Management Agency 26

Team Lead

PartnershipsProgrammingContracting

HQ Support Model

Headquarters

Initiative Design Creating and maintaining contract resources Establish national partnerships Set quality standards Orienting staff, contractors, and partners Resilience impact reporting and program evaluation Continuous improvement

Regions

Relationship management with BRIC DTA communities and tribal nations

Collaborate to determine assistance needed

Identify most fitting services

Leverage national, regional, and local partnerships

Facilitate community services from contractors, other federal agencies, technical partners

Ensure quality technical assistance that meets community needs

BRIC Non-financial DTA: Operational Roles and Responsibilities

Deliberate Cross-Engagement

Regional BRIC DTA Coordinator

BRIC DTA

Facilitator

BRIC DTA Community or Tribal Nation

BRIC DTA ContractorsBRIC DTA Partners

BRIC DTA HQ Staff

Key:

Coordination Engagement Service delivery

Other Regional Team Members

BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative: Resource Coordination Model

BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative: Current Contractor Support Services

Community Outreach

Communications and Strategic Coordination

Partnerships

Plan development

Project planning and scoping

Technical feasibility

Grant application assistance

Assess capabilities of universities to deliver hazard mitigation assistance & create network of DTA providers

Research by minority-serving colleges and universities to support community-driven

DTA needs

Community Engagement and Risk Communication (CERC)

Hazard Mitigation Technical Assistance Program (HMTAP)

Interagency Agreement Army/MSRDC

Interagency Agreement DHS/UNC-Chapel Hill

BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative: Growth

• Rapid scaling between CY 2021 and CY 2023

• Continued scaling anticipated into future, leveling off at annual average of 300 communities and tribal nations by CY

2026 / FY 2025

NOTE: Figures for CY 2024-CY 2026 are illustrative only and do NOT represent any commitment on FEMA’s part.

8 28

8 20

CY 2021 CY 2022 CY 2023 CY 2024 CY 2025 CY 2026

Anticipated Growth of BRIC DTA

Existing recipients New recipients Expected recipients

BRIC Non-financial DTA Initiative: Case Studies

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Jamestown, New York

(0.8 SVI)

Chippewa Cree (Tribal Nation)

Microgrid Energy Resiliency

Project Scoping Application

Subject-Matter Expertise – DOE

Tribal Utility Authority

Funding Coordination

Independence from REC Protect "The Corridor"

Eastwick, Philadelphia

(0.8 SVI)

Comprehensive Flood Mitigation

Interagency Coordination Lead

GIS Risk Parcel Tool

Project Scoping Application

Outreach/Training Non-profit

H & H and EHP Front-loading

Community-Led, Many Options

Climate Resilience Framework

Intergovernmental Coordination

Infrastructure Asset Inventory

Stakeholder Engagement

Long-term Capacity Building

Climate Refuge Haven

Image from Google, obtained at https://www.phila.gov/; no ownership is implied. Image from Google, obtained at https://www.jamestownny.gov/; no ownership is implied. Image from Google, obtained at https://www.cciha.org/; no ownership is implied.

Vision for Successful FY2025-FY2029 Acquisition Program in Support of FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) Initiative

• Overview of Draft Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Non-financial Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) Statement of Objectives (SOO)

• BRIC DTA Request for Information (RFI)

• Answers to Select Questions Regarding Draft BRIC DTA SOO

• Q&A

Draft BRIC DTA Statement of Objectives

Task 1: Contract Administration

Task 2: Strategic Coordination

Task 3: Branding, Marketing, and Strategic Communication

Task 4: Research and Analytical Support

Task 5: Partnership Development

Task 6: Capability and Capacity Building

Task 7: Community Outreach

Task 8: Project Support

Task 9: Grants Application and Management Support

For more details, please see Request for Information (Sources Sought Notice) at https://sam.gov/opp/dbe167e45816440898d27cddb5e9f076/view

Services for FEMA

Task 1: Contract Administration Task 2: Strategic Coordination Task 3: Branding, Marketing, and Strategic Communication

Services for FEMA + Communities and Tribal Nations

Task 4: Research and Analytical Support Task 5: Partnership Development Task 7: Community Outreach

Services for Communities and Tribal Nations

Task 6: Capability and Capacity Building Task 8: Project Support Task 9: Grants Application and Management Support

Period of Performance:

One-year Base Period and four one-year Option Periods anticipated to start in FY

2025.

To commence upon award of contract.

Place of Performance:

Primary place of performance: Contractor’s facility and FEMA HQ and Regional

Offices

Travel required to locations with United States, territories, and within Tribal Nations.

Meetings and direct technical assistance may be conducted virtually, should conditions warrant.

• The deadline for RFI responses was extended to July 19.

• Through RFI Questions 7 - 13, we are seeking input on ways FEMA can:

Advance equity and remove barriers through the design of this procurement by:

Fostering a diverse and inclusive contracting workforce

Promoting a rich landscape of partners

Understand the capabilities of firms/organizations to work on community-led initiatives as part of a collaborative effort.

BRIC DTA Request for Information (RFI)

Answers to Select Questions Regarding

Question 1:

What is the approximate anticipated size of this opportunity in dollars?

Answer:

FEMA currently anticipates the BRIC DTA annual budget will be approximately $50 million during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025- FY 2029 period. Importantly, this budget is notional and subject to change. BRIC DTA funding flows from BRIC funding.

BRIC funding is equivalent to six percent of the Disaster Relief Fund and is calculated 180 days after a disaster declaration, and therefore fluctuates in line with total disaster spending based on the number and severity of disasters. BRIC currently reserves approximately ten percent of the BRIC program funding per year for its Non-financial DTA Initiative.

Q&A - Draft BRIC DTA Statement of Objectives

Question 2:

Does an implementation roadmap exist, or will that be part of the SOO?

Answer:

FEMA has a BRIC DTA Operational Framework, a Resource Coordination Model, and associated documentation to describe the current implementation framework. FEMA will consider incorporating relevant information into a revised requirements document to be posted on SAM.gov at a later date.

Question 3:

Will there be government Points of Contact (POCs) assigned to the project who will be responsible for overseeing outreach activities and fostering connections with tribal and local communities or are these tasks the sole responsibility of the contractor?

Answer:

There will be FEMA staff responsible for overseeing outreach activities and fostering connections with tribal and local communities. Contractors will play an important role in providing services to tribal and local communities under the guidance and in coordination with FEMA staff. The division of labor between FEMA staff and contractors will vary by Region and by community or tribal nation.

Question 4:

Will the Government please clarify if DTA will be directed primarily at the Regional level or from Headquarters (HQ)?

Answer:

The BRIC DTA initiative is designed around a complementary relationship between HQ and Regions. Region staff lead on community and tribal nation engagement and service delivery. HQ has a responsibility for support, oversight, consistency, and quality assurance, while Regions are tasked with leading implementation. At present, Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) are based at HQ and overall technical direction comes from HQ.

Question 5:

Will FEMA add to the Statement of Objectives (SOO) support for developing hazard mitigation plans?

Answer:

The draft SOO includes support for developing a hazard mitigation plan. Task 9 includes the following subtask 2:

Assist with preparation of any required analysis, plans and other documentation necessary or useful for grant applications, including but not limited to environmental and historic preservation review, benefit cost analysis, and hazard mitigation plans (p12).

Question 6:

As the government works to get to a full and steady-state scale for the BRIC DTA program, what success measures do you anticipate using for the success of the communities BRIC DTA supports?

For example:

Measures related to the effective and efficient delivery of contract services.

Outcome measures, such as resulting in future grant awards through BRIC or other funding sources.

Progress measures that show increases in capacity over time.

Answer:

BRIC DTA currently uses a set of output indicators to measure initiative success. These focus on numbers of communities served and awards received. Additional information will be incorporated into a revised requirements document, as appropriate.

Question 7:

Is direct peer-to-peer learning or engagement between state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government officials facilitated by FEMA currently?

Answer:

Direct peer-to-peer learning between state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials is not currently included in the implementation design. The current BRIC DTA project plan includes development of a peer exchange model in late 2023/2024.

Question 8:

How does the government envision long-term capacity building? Is the goal to see a downturn in the amount of DTA contract support at the state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) level while maintaining the same levels of participation over time?

Answer:

Capability and capacity building activities are a critical component of the BRIC program and the BRIC DTA initiative. Those programmatic design choices reflect FEMA’s intention to build the short-and long-term capacities of communities and tribal nations to enhance the knowledge, skills, and expertise of the community or tribal nation to drive their own resilience journeys. FEMA’s vision is to tailor BRIC DTA to meet the unique needs of communities and tribal nations by providing a range of services and facilitating partnerships over time. The breadth and depth of technical assistance requested by a community or tribal nation will vary depending on their needs and priorities.

Question 9:

Will there be an emphasis on training to ensure that local entities develop the capabilities to participate in grant application and management without the need for support or DTA assistance?

Answer:

FEMA (with contractor support) will support each community and tribal nation to conduct a needs assessment and subsequently a BRIC DTA Action Plan. As needed, this Action Plan may include a complete learning agenda and is not limited to one-off trainings. See especially Statement of Objectives Task 6: Capability and Capacity Building. The vision of the initiative is to build long-term sustainability for communities and tribal nations to lead their climate resilience planning and hazard mitigation efforts, as well as develop and maintain external partnerships to this end.

Question 10:

Has the government determined specific mechanisms and tools that it anticipates leveraging to ensure that User Experience (UX) concerns are systematically incorporated into the design and refinement of the approach to scale and deliver BRIC DTA services?

Answer:

The BRIC program is in the process of standing up a Continuous Improvement and Program Evaluation Team. The BRIC DTA Team is in the process of developing a Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation Plan. Additional details regarding relevant mechanisms and/or tools will be incorporated into revised requirements documents, as appropriate.

Question 11:

Has the government evaluated other models either within FEMA or at other Government Agencies such as the Department of Energy where Justice40 is being implemented?

Answer:

FEMA is aware and working in partnership with other federal agencies to coordinate place-based technical assistance efforts around resilience planning.

Question 12:

When discussing the tasks related to research and analytical support for the BRIC DTA initiative, we seek the following insights and clarifications: How will FEMA expect the contractor to gather background material on a DTA community or tribal nation? What specific insights and information will need to be included in the package?

Answer:

FEMA’s expectation is that contractors would provide information based on publicly available materials, and that specific information needs and resources would be coordinated with FEMA Region staff. Details regarding the types of information likely to be needed will be incorporated into a revised requirements document, as appropriate.

Industry Day Webinar Q&A

Break

Thank you!