IDIQ - SOW - NASEM SCEID - 2024_Draft.pdf

1 July 18, 2024

STATEMENT OF WORK

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

Immediate Office (IO) Office of Strategy, Policy, and Requirements (OSPR)

PROJECT TITLE

Standing Committee for Emerging Infectious Diseases (SCEID) and Other 21st Century Public Health Threats

BACKROUND

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is tasked with leading the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies.

ASPR’s mission is to assist the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies and disasters. To accomplish this lofty mission ASPR focuses on four strategic goals: Preparedness, Manage the Federal Response, Improve and Leverage Partnerships, and Ensure Workforce Readiness. As a part of leveraging partnerships, ASPR seeks to be positioned as a trusted leader and messenger of public health and medical preparedness and response communications, including risk management information for the Healthcare and Public Health Sector.

Our Nation faces diverse and evolving public health security threats that have the potential, as the COVID-19 pandemic has proven, to disrupt our public health and healthcare systems and inflict injury and loss of life on Americans. Significant progress has been made in improving capabilities to address the immediate public health and medical consequences of anticipated public health threats, such as extreme weather and infectious disease outbreaks. However, to save lives and protect Americans from emerging infectious diseases we must advance our preparedness and response capabilities to address the realities of our immediate and future threat landscapes.

Responding to pandemics and emerging infectious diseases or other emerging threats requires collaboration at the national or even global level which requires the ability to leverage subject matter expertise in the academic, public, and private sectors in the fields of virology, infectious disease genomics, genome sciences, epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, coronaviruses, emerging infections, biosecurity, global health, vaccine distribution, testing and diagnostics.

The ability to address questions and concerns to a broader impartial scientific community, as they arise, is vital to the overall federal response.

To that end, ASPR collaborates with a wide array of partners and stakeholders to improve preparedness and response capabilities. These partners include emergency management, public health practitioners, hospitals and healthcare coalitions, the private sector, biotech firms, intelligence community, law enforcement, the military, federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, academia, voluntary organizations, behavioral health and social services

2 July 18, 2024 providers, and community members across the country.

Emerging public health and national security threats are complex, often international, and impact not only the health of Americans but also the health and economic security of the Nation.

The ability of the federal government to leverage partners and stakeholders to advise on matters related to the origin, evolution, and broader impact of emerging public health threats is both necessary and critical.

SCOPE

ASPR anticipates acquiring unique consulting expertise to continue a Standing Committee for Emerging Infectious Diseases (SCEID) via an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ).

SCEID will serve as a continued source of subject matter expertise that will provide input on research requirements, policy considerations, and strategic advice on topics related to emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats.

SCEID will be a multi-disciplinary committee comprised of approximately 25 individuals selected for their professional and policymaking perspectives, as well as their scientific, technical, and/or public policy credentials. Expertise of individuals on the Standing Committee will include emerging infectious diseases, public health, public health preparedness and response, biological sciences, clinical care and crisis standards of care, risk communications, epidemiology, regulatory issues, veterinary science, One Health, ethics, social science, and community engagement. Membership may be expanded to bring in additional experts as needed.

Nominations will be sought from OSTP, HHS, members of relevant Boards within the National Academies; membership of the NAM, NAS, and NAE; and numerous experts in the relevant fields from the private, public, and academic sectors.

SCEID shall convene at least once per period of performance to discuss topics related to emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats. Topics for discussion will be informed by the sponsor (ASPR). Additionally, SCEID shall perform at least one Rapid Expert Consultation per period of performance. Additional meetings and Rapid Expert Consultations shall be optional tasks within the IDIQ.

Optional tasks to target specific questions or concerns shall be executed on an as needed basis through the ceiling of the contract and may include informal feedback and guidance, Workshops/Webinars, additional SCEID meetings with formal meeting recaps, Rapid Expert Consultations, and Short Consensus Reports.

TASKS

Required Task 1: Contract Kick-Off Meeting Both contractor project leads and ASPR representatives shall convene within one week of award to discuss contract administration, schedule, and deliverables.

Required Task 2: Form and Maintain a Standing Committee The Standing Committee, henceforth referred to as SCEID, will consist of approximately 25

3 July 18, 2024 members who shall meet at a minimum twice per period of performance or as needed to execute its charge as described in the scope. The Board on Health Sciences Policy and the Board on Global Health will administer the Standing Committee jointly, in collaboration with other National Academies programs.

SCEID will serve as a hub for the discussion of scientific, technical, and policy issues relevant to emerging infectious diseases and public health threats, and public health preparedness and response efforts and policies that may warrant detailed examination.

SCEID Responsibilities

• Provide a venue and convene subject matter experts either in person or virtually to enable science and policy discussions relevant to the federal government on emerging issues, research, and activities through in-depth knowledge of the sponsor's programs, goals, and objectives;

• Identify opportunities to integrate research and scientifically proven guidance into national preparedness and response decision making;

• Consider, identify, and discuss strategies for addressing misinformation; and

• Explore lessons learned and best practices from previous preparedness and response efforts and identify opportunities and means to communicate findings to key stakeholders.

Required Task 3: Convene SCEID SCEID will convene at least once per period of performance to discuss topics related to emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats. Topics for discussion will be informed by ASPR. Meetings shall include both open and closed sessions as necessary.

Deliverables shall include a formal summary of topics discussed during the meeting.

Topics of discussion may include but are not limited to:

• Technical assistance and/or assessment of response to emerging infectious diseases.

• Availability of and access to information, samples, and other materials to determine the origin and evolution of emerging infectious diseases.

• Technical assessment of existing testing and diagnostic tools and evaluation of information gaps emerging scientific research, policy and operational issues required to improve the Nation's medical and public health preparedness and resilience to emerging infectious diseases and public health threats.

• Technical assessment of ecological and evolutionary drivers of disease and variant emergence.

• Collateral impacts beyond public health of emerging infectious disease and pandemics.

• Application of lessons-learned to current pandemic and public health preparedness and response activities.

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• Approaches to proactive public messaging and strategies to address misinformation and possible vaccine hesitancy where applicable.

• Policy review and consultation for the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise.

Required Task 4: Rapid Expert Consultation As a required task, once per period of performance, the contractor shall deliver a formal written response from subject matter experts to address an urgent question on a specified topic. Rapid Expert Consultations shall be peer reviewed by the contractor. Experts utilized for the consultation may be standing committee or other non-committee members. Deliverable includes a report of findings.

Required Task 5: Monthly Status Meetings As needed, but at least monthly, the Project Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) shall meet to discuss status of events, projects, issues, and problem areas related to SCEID and/or Optional Tasks. The meetings shall be with contractor’s project manager and other appropriate staff. The contractor shall immediately bring problems or potential problems/issues affecting performance to the attention of the Project Officer. Verbal reports shall be followed by written reports when requested by the Project Officer and/or COR.

Required Task 6: Monthly Report The contractor shall submit a monthly report of activities prior to invoice submission to be reviewed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative and Project Lead. This report shall be a 508 compliant PDF.

Optional Tasks Optional task orders shall be executed on an as needed basis throughout the period of performance of the contract and shall target specific topics identified by ASPR. This may take the form of the following task types and are non-severable services.

Optional Task 1: Additional SCEID Meeting The contractor shall convene SCEID to address a specific topic as described by ASPR. SCEID responsibilities include all responsibilities in Required Task 1. This would be an additional meeting outside of the two required meetings.

Optional Task 2: Rapid Expert Consultation (Formal) The contractor shall deliver a formal written response from subject matter experts to address urgent questions on a specified topic. Rapid Expert Consultations shall be peer reviewed by the contractor. Experts utilized for the consultation may be standing committee or other non-committee members.

Optional Task 3: Expert Consultation (Informal) The contractor shall convene an expert in a field identified by ASPR to address a specific concern or question. The deliverable shall take the form of an email summary of the expert advice rendered to ASPR. Experts utilized for the consultation may be committee or other non-

5 July 18, 2024 committee members.

Optional Task 4: Webinar/Workshop The contractor shall convene and support a public meeting to explore a specific issue identified by ASPR. Deliverables shall include the formal Webinar/Workshop proceedings and shall include a summary of workshop presentations and/or discussions.

Optional Task 5: Short Consensus Report The contractor shall deliver a formal report prepared by committee members specifically appointed for the identified topic. This report shall include both formal conclusions and/or recommendations. Publishing of Short Consensus Reports shall include briefings to ASPR and other specified stakeholders. ASPR shall receive ten (10) printed copies of completed Short Consensus Reports.

DELIVERABLES

Task Schedule Deliverable Required 1: Contract Kick-Off Meeting

Within one week of contract award Scheduled Meeting

Required 2: Form and Maintain a Standing Committee

Duration of Contract Committee requirements as detailed with Required Task 2.

Required 3: Convene

SCEID

At least once per period of performance

Formal summary of topics discussed during the meeting.

Required 4: Rapid Expert Consultation

Once per period of performance – schedule determined by requirement

Formal written response summarizing the expert advice. Response shall be delivered electronically in a 508 compliant pdf.

Required 5: Monthly Status Meetings Monthly Basis

Meeting of COR, Project Lead, and contractor staff to discuss contract administration.

Required 6: Monthly Report Monthly Basis

Monthly report of contract activities and milestones and shall be delivered electronically as a 508 compliant pdf.

Optional 1:

Additional SCEID Meetings

To be identified at task order level

Formal summary of topics discussed during the meeting.

Optional 2: Rapid Expert Consultation

To be identified at task order level

Formal written response summarizing the expert advice. Response shall be delivered electronically in a 508 compliant pdf.

Optional 3: Expert Consultation

To be identified at task order level

Informal email summary of the expert advice rendered to ASPR.

Optional 4:

Webinar/Workshop

To be identified at task order level

Formal Webinar/Workshop proceedings that shall include a summary of workshop presentations

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Task Schedule Deliverable and/or discussions. Deliverable shall be sent electronically in a 508 compliant pdf.

Optional Task 5:

Short Consensus Report

To be identified at task order level

Report shall include both formal conclusions and/or recommendations.

Publishing of Short Consensus Reports shall include briefings to ASPR and other specified stakeholders. ASPR shall receive ten (10) printed copies of completed Short Consensus Reports.

Unless otherwise specified, the Contractor shall deliver all written documents in 508-compliant electronic form, using a software format appropriate to the document (MS Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Excel, and/or email attachments where appropriate).

Deliverables will be specified on each individual task.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

Contracting Officer To be determined at award.

The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds. No person other than the Contracting Officer can make any changes to the terms, conditions, general provisions or other stipulations of this contract. Any other commitment, either explicit or implied, is invalid.

The CO is the only person with authority to act as an agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor for any prices incurred during the performance of this contract; (5) obligate or de-obligate funds into the contract; or

(6) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract.

No information, other than that which may be contained in an authorized modification to this contract duly issued by the Contracting Officer, which may be received from any person employed by the United States Government, or otherwise, shall be considered grounds for deviation from any stipulation of this contract.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) To be determined at award.

As delegated by the CO, the COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor’s technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) assisting the CO in interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance.

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Project Officer To be determined at award.

TRAVEL

Contractor personnel may be required to travel to accomplish work under the resulting contract.

Travel costs must be included in the contractors’ proposed cost for each Task as applicable.

Travel will be approved in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations.

FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (FACA) COMPLIANCE

The contractor shall adhere to Section l5 of FACA, (5 U.S.C.). The contractor shall submit to ASPR following delivery of each applicable report, certification that the policies, procedures, performance of the contract, and the final report are compliant with Section 15 of FACA.

WORKING MEALS FOR ACADEMY MEETINGS

In order to optimize the volunteer committee members’ time, the committee works through most meal times and; therefore, meals will be provided to the committee, participants and contractor staff.

By conducting business in this way, the contractor is able to ensure continued engagement by the committee members for the maximum amount of time during each meeting. If instead, members were forced to break off discussions to have meals elsewhere, the continuity of the process would be broken, the committee work disrupted, and the group's ability to reach a consensus significantly impaired.

Meeting expenses are allowable as “conference” costs under the OMB Circular A-122 and Code of Federal Regulations, Title 2 – Grants and Agreements, 2 CFR §200.432. These costs are not associated with per diem. The contractor will ensure that committee members who are provided working meals cannot also be reimbursed for the same meal when submitting their Travel Expense Reimbursement (TER) voucher.

Working meals must meet the following requirements:

• Service of the meal must be integrated into and not separate from the continuing work of the committee.

• Attendance at the time the meal is served is mandatory for committee members.

• The per-person cost of the meal must be reasonable and based on the contractor’s food pricing guide..

• Alcoholic beverages are unallowable and may not be included in the cost of the meal.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance shall be at the contractor’s facilities or in virtual spaces as necessary.

The specific locations will be identified at task order level.

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PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for the IDIQ is anticipated to be a base year of 12 months and three

(3) 12-month option years from the effective date of contract award. Each subsequent task order will identify a specific period of performance, which may be different from the IDIQ.

TYPE OF CONTRACT

The anticipated contract type is a hybrid IDIQ with the potential of cost reimbursement and firm fixed priced task orders.

REQUIREMENTS FOR HANDLING SENSITIVE/PROPRIETARY

INFORMATION

Use of sensitive or proprietary information is not anticipated. If however, sensitive or proprietary information is required to complete the contract or if they require access to other restricted/controlled unclassified information that is exempt from public disclosure as described in the Freedom of Information Act, title 5 U.S.C. § 552(b), ASPR will coordinate with HHS security, the Office of General Council, and contractor staff to ensure all relevant policies are followed.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

The Government will provide no facilities, supplies, or services for this requirement.

ASPR specific information will be transmitted to the contractor based on task order level requirements .

HOURS OF OPERATION AND FEDERAL HOLIDAYS

The HHS’s normal working hours 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST/EDT Monday through Friday.

Contractor staff should be available during these hours to consult with the Government as needed.

Federal Holidays. The HHS will be closed, for the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day

• Martin Luther King’s Birthday

• President’s Day

• Memorial Day

• Juneteenth Day

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Columbus Day

• Veteran’s Day

• Thanksgiving

• Christmas

• Inauguration Day (every 4th Year, Washington, DC)

When one of the above-designated holidays falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed as a legal holiday. When one of the above designated holidays falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday.

https://www.justice.gov/oip/freedom-information-act-5-usc-552

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The President may designate other days as federal holidays. In the event that this occurs, Government employees may not be available.

ACCEPTANCE OF INVOICES AND DELIVERABLES

The contractor’s performance and the quality of services provided shall be subject to final inspection and acceptance by the Government designated Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and the Contracting Officer (CO). The COR will review all requirements/deliverable to assure they are in compliant with the SOW.

The Government has the right to inspect and evaluate the work performed or being performed under the contract, and the premises where the work is being performed, at all reasonable times and in a manner that will not unduly delay the work. ASPR reserves the right to review and inspect invoices prior to payment and to ensure that all deliverables are received prior to the close of the contract.

The Contractor shall deliver invoices electronically and simultaneously in IPP to the COR and Contracting Officer.

Unless otherwise specified by the Contracting Officer, all invoices shall be addressed as follows:

• Contractor’s Name & Address

• Contractor’s Banking Information (where payment is to be remitted) Contractor’s

• Tax Identification Number (TIN)

• Contract Number

• Requisition Number

• Invoice Number

• Invoice Date

• Contract Line Item,

• Unit Price & Extended Amount for each line item

• Total Amount of Invoice (to include the accumulative total(s), the period of performance of the contract and the period of performance of the billing period)

• Name, title and telephone number of person to be notified in the event of a defective invoice Payment Address, if different from the information in (b) (1).

• The invoice shall be signed by a person authorized to bind the Contractor. The Contractor shall not submit an invoice prior to delivery of goods or services.

KEY PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

Certain skilled, experienced, professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful

10 July 18, 2024 accomplishment of the work to be performed under the resulting contract. These are defined as “Key Personnel” and are those persons whose resumes are to be submitted as part of the contractor’s quotation.

The following personnel should be designated as Key Personnel for the resulting contract:

Project Manager

The contractor agrees to use all key personnel during the performance of the resultant award and shall not remove them from the contract work, replace them, or supplement them with additional personnel, unless authorized in accordance with the following provisions:

The contractor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to perform work under this contract without prior approval of the CO. Requests for approval of substitutions shall be in writing and shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution(s). Requests must contain a complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information as requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutions must have qualifications that are equal to or higher than the key personnel being augmented. The Contracting Officer or his authorized representative shall evaluate such requests and promptly notify the contractor in writing whether the proposed substitution is acceptable.

If the Contracting Officer determines that: (1) suitable and timely replacement of key personnel who are to be or have been reassigned, terminated, or have otherwise become unavailable for the contract work is not reasonable forthcoming, or (2) the resultant substitution would be so substantial as to impair the successful completion of the contract in accordance with the proposal accepted by the Government at the time of contract award, the Contracting Officer may (I) terminate the contract for cause or for the convenience of the Government, in whole or in part, as appropriate, or (ii) in his/her discretion, if he/she finds the Contractor at fault for the condition, equitably adjust the contract price downward to compensate the Government for any resultant delay, loss, or damage.

These provisions shall be fully applicable to any subcontract and shall flow down to subcontracts.

SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE

Section 508 – Accessibility of Electronic and Information Technology This SOW is subject to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) as amended by the workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). Specifically, subsection 508:

(a)(1) Requires that when the Federal Government procures Electronic and Information Technology (EIT), the EIT must allow Federal employees and individuals of the public with disabilities comparable access to and use of information and data that is provided to Federal employees and individuals of the public without disabilities.

The EIT accessibility standards at 36 CFR Part 1194 were developed by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board ("Access Board") and apply to contracts and task/delivery orders, awarded under indefinite quantity contracts on or after June 25, 2001.

Each EIT product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Electronic and

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Information Technology Accessibility Standards (36 CFR 1194), as specified in the contract, as a minimum. If the Contracting Officer determines any furnished product or service is not in compliance with the contract, the Contracting Officer will promptly inform the contractor in writing. The contractor shall, without charge to the Government, repair or replace the noncompliant products or services within the period of time to be specified by the Government in writing. If such repair or replacement is not completed within the time specified, the Government shall have the following recourses:

Cancellation of the contract, delivery or task order, purchase or line item without termination liabilities; or in the case of custom EIT being developed by a contractor for the Government, the Government shall have the right to have any necessary changes made or repairs performed by itself or by another firm for the noncompliant EIT, with the contractor liable for reimbursement to the Government for any expenses incurred thereby.

The Contractor must ensure that all EIT products that are less than fully compliant with the accessibility standards are provided pursuant to extensive market research and are the most current compliant products or services available to satisfy the contract requirements.

For every EIT product or service accepted under this contact by the Government that does not comply with 36 CFR 1194, the Contractor shall, at the discretion of the Government, make every effort to replace or upgrade it with a compliant equivalent product or service, if commercially available and cost neutral, on either a contract specified refresh cycle for the product or service, or on a contract effective option/renewal date; whichever shall occur first.

Section 508 Compliance for Communications The Contractor shall comply with the standards, policies, and procedures below. In the event of conflicts between the referenced documents and this SOW the SOW shall take precedence. In addition, all contract deliverables are subject to these 508 standards as applicable. Regardless of format, all Web content or communications materials produced, including text, audio or video

- must conform to applicable Section 508 standards to allow federal employees and members of the public with disabilities to access information that is comparable to information provided to persons without disabilities. All contractors (including subcontractors) or consultants responsible for preparing or posting content must comply with applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and where applicable, those set forth in the referenced policy or standards documents above. Remediation of any materials that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 36 CFR Part 1194 as set forth in the SOW, shall be the responsibility of the contractor or consultant.