A05_PWS_Deployment_and_Emergency_Support_1.docx

Performance Work Statement (PWS) for OHSEPR Deployment and Emergency Support 09/13/2022

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The purpose of this requirement is to acquire professional, technical, and administrative support to provide incident management support to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR), its leadership, and OHSEPR personnel activated and deployed in support of emergency repatriation operations. The scope of work for this contract includes: (1) program management operations support (steady-state, operational readiness); (2) to include the option for activation and deployment of Emergency Response Teams (ERT), Incident Management Teams (IMT) that include Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) personnel and Case Management personnel in support of an OHSEPR emergency operation. As further outlined below, the scope includes the development of occupational health and safety plans and procedures, development of incident management plans, to include incident-specific plans, after action reports, IMT processes and plans, communication, and coordination plans to support OHSEPR.

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

ACF OHSEPR Deployment Support Services

C.1 BACKGROUND

OHSEPR is the emergency management lead for the ACF within HHS. OHSEPR leads disaster human services preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for ACF and HHS. Specifically, OHSEPR administers the Disaster Human Services Case Management Program, the U.S. Repatriation Program, and the ACF Continuity of Operations Program which direct the performance of ACF’s mission essential functions during a vast range of unexpected disruptions or emergencies.

C.1.1 U.S. Repatriation Program The U.S. Repatriation Program was established in 1935 under Section 1113 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1313) to provide temporary assistance to U.S. citizens and their dependents who have been identified by the Department of State (DOS) as having returned, or been brought from a foreign country, to the United States because of destitution, illness, war, threat of war, or a similar crisis, and because they are without resources immediately accessible to meet their needs. Congress expanded the Program in 1958 to support the needs of persons with mental illness who are returned to the United States from foreign countries (24 U.S.C. §§ 321-329). Section 801 of Executive Order 12656 (53 C.F.R 47491) as amended, designated the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the federal lead responsible to “develop plans and procedures, in coordination with the heads of Federal departments OHSEPR is the federal lead for the domestic planning, coordination, and execution of domestic repatriation plans and coordination of emergency repatriation operations to support U.S. citizens and their dependents who are returned to the United States by DOS.

OHSEPR coordinates with DOS to ensure that eligible repatriates receive temporary assistance in the state or territory of their final destination. ACF utilizes the concepts detailed in the 2021 National Emergency Repatriation Framework (NERF) to enhance coordination and ensure unity of effort across all partners when conditions overseas necessitate mass evacuations or departures coordinated by DOS.

OHSEPR Activation Response OHSEPR uses National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) principles to lead and manage its incident operations. This includes the implementation and activation of command-and-control structures that facilitate unity of effort and unified command.

OHSEPR utilizes its ERT to lead and coordinate ACF’s field operations in response to emergencies and disasters. OHSEPR’s ERT is principally operated in ACF’s Central Office, or headquarters. Based on incident complexity, OHSEPR establishes IMT(s), as needed, to execute operational objectives in the field. OHSEPR’s ERT provides the IMT(s) with operational, logistical, planning, analytical, and administrative/finance direction, and support.

Activating an ERT one or more IMTs, including the OH&S unit and case managers, will require additional personnel to augment OHSEPR’s routine capacities. During incident operations, the health and safety of its ERT and IMT members are of prime importance to OHSEPR. Ensuring that health and safety plans and procedures are developed and adhered to during the deployment of each mission is critical.

C.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall furnish all necessary personnel, materials, services, facilities, (except as otherwise specified herein), to perform the requirements as outlined for completing the tasks describe in this PWS.

The contractor shall provide:

1. Program management operations support personnel (steady state, operational readiness) providing oversight personnel who are full time and engaged with the development of the following:

a. Occupational health and safety plans and procedures; and

b. Incident management plans, to include incident-specific plans, after action reports, IMT processes and plans, communication and coordination plans to support OHSEPR

2. During emergency repatriation activations and deployments, the contractor shall provide personnel for activated ERT sections (e.g., planning, information management and analysis, logistics) and personnel to staff IMT(s) activated sections; including OH&S personnel, deployment surge case managers, resource coordinators, and support staff (including administrative and financial management personnel) to support emergency operations in facilities identified by ACF OHSEPR.

The Contractor shall provide qualified professional, administrative, and technical services and expertise in support of OHSPER’s initiatives and mission in the following tasks. Qualifications can be found in PWS Attachment A - Position Descriptions and Qualifications. The work effort shall provide the level of support necessary to enable OHSEPR to meet mission-critical functions and capabilities and enhance its ability to implement an effective emergency repatriation operations program.

Task Area 1 – Program Management Task Area 2 – Steady-State/Operational Readiness Task Area 3 – Case Management Training/Exercising, Recruitment, and Credentialing Task Area 4 – Deployment Operations Task Area 5 – Transition-Out Support Services (Optional)

C.3 PERFORMANCE TASKS

Successful contractor delivery of these services shall include but is not limited to the following task areas:

C.3.1 Task 1 – Program Management C.3.1.1 Kickoff Meeting: The contractor shall schedule, coordinate, and host a Kick-off Meeting no later than (NLT) seven calendar days after contract award, at the location approved by the Government or via remote meeting. The meeting shall provide the opportunity to: review the requirements in the PWS, discuss required contract activities, milestones, and deliverables; discuss any questions on specific activities and procedures to be followed to meet required objectives; discuss expected outcomes and performance indicators. At a minimum, the attendees shall include key contractor personnel, key Government representatives, Program Manager (PM), Contracting Officer (CO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The contractor shall provide a Kick-Off Meeting Agenda NLT five days after contract award that will include, but not limited to the following:

· Introduction of personnel

· Overview of project tasks and contractor’s ability to staff accordingly

· Overview of organization

· Discussion of draft Program Management Plan (PMP)

· Government-furnished Equipment (GFE) Requirements

· Security requirements (Building access, badges, PIV)

· Invoice procedures

· Reporting Requirements, e.g., Monthly Status Report (MSR) and Annual Report

· POCs to include name, phone, email, and role

· Roles and Responsibilities

· Prioritization of contractor activities

· Any initial deliverables The contractor shall provide a draft copy of the agenda for review and approval by the PM, CO, and COR three days prior to finalizing. The contractor will provide presentation slides to all attendees at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

C.3.1.2 Program Management System: The contractor shall establish and maintain a program management system using its own tools and methodologies that will be subject to review by ACF OHSEPR. This program management system shall employ program control, tools, techniques, and procedures that include risk management, quality assurance, work breakdown structuring, document review and communications tracking, a personnel database, and security management. Please note that the cadre database shall be accessible by OHSEPR per Section C.3.4.1. The program management system should also include a toolbox of external control procedures, preparation tools, job aids, and templates designed to support the contract, and the ACF OHSEPR team.

The contractor’s program management system shall include, but is not limited to, the following areas:

· Contractor’s cadre database to include names, dates available for deployment, position, organization, resumes, deployment area of operation, and incident response position roles for which the individual is fully trained and qualified to perform (e.g., planning team member, travel unit assistant, etc.).

· Financial database to include invoicing, budgets, timesheets, cost control, and procedures.

· Contractor’s task management may include but are not limited to deployments, schedules, and locations.

· Training schedules may include but are not limited to trainee information, date, times, instructional personnel, locations, and type of training, for example initial, refresher, remediation, and other professional development indicators used to qualify emergency management personnel.

· Document review and communications tracking system and process to ensure revisions on documents and communications regarding outstanding products, deadlines, adjudication status by party, and associated timeframes for completion are clear and visualized for OHSEPR and contractor.

The contractor is required to develop and maintain a schedule for all work performed under the contract. The contractor shall provide sufficient detail to demonstrate that all sections of the work are appropriately resourced, thoroughly planned, and proceed according to requirements. Schedule(s) shall identify subordinate-tier activities, dependencies between activities, and milestones required to demonstrate successful completion of projects. The schedule(s) shall identify the exit criteria required to satisfy milestone requirements that enable the contractor to proceed with follow-on activities. The schedule(s) shall be baselined. Schedule updates shall be made frequently, or as designated by ACF OHSEPR leadership. Changes to scheduled baseline milestones shall be documented by the contractor and formally authorized by ACF OHSEPR or its designee.

C.3.1.3 Program Management Plan: The contractor shall provide a Program Management Plan (PMP) that fully documents its management approach for the recruitment, delivery, and execution of contracted incident management services and contracted emergency repatriation services. The contractor shall update its PMP when there are program management changes or changes to the information required. At a minimum, the contractor’s PMP shall include the below listed requirements:

· Provide information on the contractor’s management organization, internal management policies, and procedures.

· Explain how the contractor will communicate and conduct regular meetings and reviews with ACF OHSEPR personnel concerning the required activities and contract deliverables (communication plan).

· Provide an organization chart of the contractor’s business for use in the performance of the contract.

· Provide a narrative describing how the contractor will fully integrate the management of the elements of this contract.

· Provide an incident management cadre recruitment plan.

· Provide information on any contractor risks or vulnerabilities that may impede timely execution or completion of deliverables outlined in contract.

If the PMP includes subcontractors, other than prime, the contractor shall:

· Provide organizational information about the subcontractor and its organizational elements in the primary contractor’s project organizational chart.

· Describe how the subcontractor(s)’ activities will be managed and documented.

· Describe the organizational relationship between the primary contractor and the subcontractor(s) and how it will be managed between the involved parties, including any potential risks or conflicts and notifications to OHSEPR.

· Describe the methods of requirement flow-down and how activity progress reporting will be delivered back to the prime contractor.

· Explain the contractor’s approach to selecting the subcontractor(s) and how you would manage the quality of deliverables provided by the subcontractors(s).

· Describe the subcontractor(s)’ role under the contract, the relationship to the contractor, and its experience over at least the past three (3) fiscal years.

· Provide the subcontractor independent verification and validation process.

· Identify the key technical and management personnel who will be assigned to the contract.

· Describe internal policies and procedures to be used in managing the contract and resources associated with the contract.

· Describe the management process for addressing workload fluctuations as work priorities and schedules change.

C.3.1.4 Contract Review Meetings: The contractor shall participate in regular meetings and discussions with ACF OHSEPR, the contract Project Manager will coordinate and oversee the contract effort. Such meetings may include, but are not limited to, meeting of the contractors to discuss operational progress, meetings with individual contractors and other Government officials to discuss the technical, regulatory, and ethical aspects of the program; and meetings with technical consultants to discuss technical data provided by the contractor.

C.3.1.5 Risk Management Plan: The contractor shall develop a risk management plan within 90 calendar days of the contract start date spotlighting potential problems or issues that may arise during the life of the contract; their impact on cost, schedule, and performance; and suggested remediation plans. This plan should reference relevant WBS elements when appropriate. Updates to this plan shall be provided at least quarterly and reported in the contractor monthly Project Status Report.

Describe the approach and method to be used in the identification, assessment, and mitigation of program risks including but not limited to:

· Provisions for identifying risk areas,

· Assessing risk factors,

· Assigning appropriate resources to reduce risk factors,

· Identifying and analyzing alternative actions available; and,

· Identifying the most promising alternatives and planning for implementation of risk reduction.

C.3.1.6 Monthly and Annual Reports The contractor shall deliver monthly Project Status Reports to ACF OHSEPR. The reports shall address the items below:

· An Executive summary of relevant activities, changes, and important issues.

· Milestone progression, variances between the planned versus actual progress during the reporting period, with explanations and corrective plans of action if necessary.

· Project Monitoring Tool(s).

· Updated Risk Management Plan (every three months).

· Estimated and actual expenses; any issues or challenges in invoicing.

· And other categories as identified by OHSEPR.

The contractor shall deliver Annual Reports on the eleventh (11th) month of the contract award. The annual report shall address the items below (in aggregate):

· An Executive summary of relevant activities, changes, and important issues.

· Milestone progression, variances between the planned versus actual progress during the reporting period, with explanations and corrective plans of action if necessary.

· Outstanding deliverables (if any) and action plan to complete over next performance period.

· Project Monitoring Tool(s).

· Updated Risk Management Plan for the subsequent performance period.

· Estimated and actual expenses.

· Other categories as identified by OHSEPR.

C.3.1.7 Devise, design, implement, maintain, and evaluate a coordinated system of plans, procedures, and processes to improve occupational health and safety and prevent injury and illness throughout an OHSEPR incident response operation. This system includes plans for steady state activities, pre-deployment, deployment, demobilization, and post deployment phases.

This comprehensive occupational health and safety program plans, and procedures developed by the contractor shall be approved by OHSEPR and cover both steady state and activation/deployment periods, and meet the appropriate department (e.g., HHS/Assistant Secretary for Administration [ASA]), federal, and industry (e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA], National Fire Protection Administration [NFPA], Office of Personnel Management [OPM]) standards. Minimum requirements include:

· Process and guidelines for Hazard Identification assessments.

· Process and guidelines for reporting of injuries, unsafe conditions, and safety violations during steady state and in periods of OHSEPR activation.

· A Medical Services referral and a First Aid Program.

· An Education and Training Plan for staff members.

· An Infectious Disease Control Plan.

· A Respiratory Protection and Personal Protective Equipment Plan.

· A Workplace Safety Plan i.e., Active shooter, shelter in place, evacuation plans

· Threat and risk reporting plan to inform the Incident Commander and OHSEPR leadership of OH&S threats.

· Processes for responding to accident/safety incidents, reporting, and tracking incidents, collection of incident related information, medical record management, and incident close-out and final disposition.

· Prepare plans and procedures for responding to a major medical emergency during deployment operations.

· Providing OH&S input into the planning process for mission strategy development.

· Coordinating with Safety Officers, Operations, Incident leadership, and others as identified on proper PPE and relevant safety procedures for cadre personnel.

C.3.2 Task 2 – Steady-State/Operational Readiness Scope of work for the steady state, operational readiness personnel consist of: Providing steady state personnel to support the development of standard operating procedures, job aids and tools for OHSEPR’s ERT and IMT sections and positions; developing ERT and IMT training modules and ancillary content (e.g., student guides, facilitator guides) for delivery during steady-state and the development of just-in-time training; development of information management and analytical tools and guides (e.g., reporting matrices, mission summaries, After Action Report templates and training); and the development of Occupational Health and Safety plans, templates, training, field guides, standard operating procedures for identifying hazards and threats in communities where OHSEPR is responding and/or where ACF personnel are on TDY; and active, ongoing of cadre development and maintenance.

C.3.2.1 Staffing Plan A draft Staffing Plan for all the requirements identified in the PWS shall be provided within 90 calendar days of contract award:

· Describe the contractor’s staffing and recruitment strategy. The recruitment strategy shall be inclusive geographically (e.g., East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast) and demographically (e.g., race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, language access).

· Explain the hiring process for required positions necessary to carry out the requirements.

· Describe the process and general timeframe to hire and train staff and the contractor’s contingency.

· Plan for staff turnover.

· Align with positions identified in the Figures 1 through 5 below.

Figure 1. Steady State Team/contract Key Personnel - Steady State (Full-Time Team)

The contractor will ensure that the named key personnel remain in place for the duration of the contract, barring employee turnover. In the event the contractor shall make a change to any key position, the contractor shall notify OHSEPR three weeks prior to any change.

The contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, and materials to support all recruiting, screening, credentialing, and training necessary to support and maintain five (4) steady state key personnel with the appropriate education and experience in accordance with Section H.

C.3.3 Task 3 – Case Management Training/Exercising, Recruitment, and Credentialing C.3.3.1 Credentialing and Vetting of Personnel: Credentialing is essential to the emergency management community in that it ensures and validates the identity and attributes (e.g., affiliations, skills, or privileges) of individuals or members of response teams through standards. Credentialing ensures that personnel resources match requests, and it supports effective management of deployed responders.

The terms “credentialed” and “credentialing” mean having provided, or providing, respectively, documentation that identifies personnel and authenticates and verifies the qualifications of such personnel by ensuring that such personnel possess a minimum common level of training, experience, physical and medical fitness, and capability appropriate for a particular position within an ERT, IMT, OH&S team. Each candidate should have successfully completed any role specific training for the positions they will be fulfilling on the ERT, IMT, OH&S, and deployment cadre team.

Credentialing involves providing official documentation certifying the holder’s identity and verifying the holder’s qualifications as an emergency responder in accordance to industry standards within the respective field of practice.

The contractor shall:

· Certify that they have validated and vetted the identity of all personnel serving under this requirement. The contractor shall perform a background check on all employees and notify OHSEPR of any criminal offenses within the past 10 years.

· Certify that all personnel meet industry (e.g., professional, clinical, and environmental health) standards and qualifications for the position(s) to be filled in accordance with PWS Attachment A – Position Descriptions and Qualifications.

· Ensure that all key personnel deployed in support of a this contract can obtain a contractor’s Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, Common Access Card (CAC), or similar badging card.

The contractor shall be responsible for vetting and screening their employees to ensure an appropriate level of trust in the employees’ credentials. Credentials shall be supplied upon OHSEPR request.

C.3.3.2 Training Plan and Training Modules:

A Training Plan is essential in providing all contract staff with the necessary training and skills to serve the OHSEPR mission. Within 45 calendar days of the contract being awarded, the contractor shall develop a training plan and curriculum guide to be approved by ACF OHSEPR. The contractor shall incorporate all feedback from ACF OHSEPR into the training plan within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of feedback. Upon final approval, the contractor shall implement the training plan to all contract staff to ensure application of training.

The contractor shall submit all training modules for review and approval to OHSEPR in advance of conducting training. All OHSEPR edits and comments shall be successfully adjudicated, and final versions of training modules shall be provided to OHSEPR prior to the commencement of training. The training modules shall be reviewed and approved by ACF OHSEPR 30 calendar days prior to delivery of training.

C.3.3.3 Required National Incident Management System, Incident Command System, and Independent Study Courses:

All contract staff are required to complete the following Incident Command System (ICS) courses:

· IS-100.C: Introduction to the Incident Command System

· IS-200: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response

· IS-240.c: Leadership and Influence

· IS-241.c: Decision Making and Problem Solving

· IS-242.c: Effective Communication

· IS-700.B: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System

· IS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction

· IS-2200 Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions

· IS-2901 Introduction to Community Lifelines

· IS-405: Overview of Mass Care/Emergency Assistance

· IS-366.A: Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters

· IS-368: Including People with Disabilities & Others with Access & Functional Needs in Disaster Operations

· IS-1153: Blue Campaign First Responder Training

ERT and IMT personnel designated for Planning sections shall complete:

· IS-235.C: Emergency Planning

· IS-2002: Introduction to FEMA Operational Planning

All IMT Occupational Health and Safety, Case Manager, and Resource Coordinator personnel shall complete the following courses in order to be considered credentialed and deployment-ready:

· HHS - Cultural Competency Program for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response, courses 1 through 4

· HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Creating Safe Scenes Training Course

· SAMHSA National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN): Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online course

· SAMHSA NCTSN Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Online course

· National Human Trafficking SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Modules:

· SOAR to Health and Wellness

· Trauma-Informed Care

· Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services

· Disaster Management: Preventing and Responding to Human Trafficking

All IMT Occupational Health and Safety personnel shall demonstrate completion of the following:

· Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER) Awareness Level Program Manager shall provide proof of completion (i.e., certificates) within 90 days of contract start.

Contract staff in supervisory capacity will be required to complete additional training and validate prior operational experience as required by OHSEPR.

Emergency Management position-specific trainings (i.e., FEMA G-series courses) shall be successfully completed prior to qualification for position.

In addition to the training requirements, contractors shall meet the experience, education, and additional training requirements as indicated in the PWS.

Contractor personnel may be required to take additional courses as identified by OHSEPR.

C.3.3.4 OHSEPR Repatriation Training and Exercise:

The contractor will be required to participate in OHSEPR-identified training and discussion-based, tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises for repatriation operations.

C.3.4 Task 4 – Operations C.3.4.1 Cadre Recruiting and Screening The contractor shall submit a deployment roster to ACF OHSEPR monthly and provide access to a live, real-time personnel management dashboard. This roster and the dashboard shall include candidate names, organizations, locations, and positions in which the individual is qualified to perform duties. Readily deployable cadres are screened and trained as required in accordance with ACF OHSEPR’s standards. Contractor staff who have not been trained as described in Section C.3.3 of the Performance Work Statement will not qualify as deployment ready and therefore, do not satisfy the PWS requirements. Consequently, they shall not be deployed.

C.3.4.2 Repatriation Case Management Operations:

Under OHSEPR’s direction, the contractor will be required to provide case managers who will:

· Conduct intake assessments to support OHSEPR’s program eligibility determinations and identify unmet needs of eligible repatriates;

· Triage repatriates and their dependents by level of need;

· Connect repatriates to a broad range of services and resources; and,

· Provide interpreter services, as needed Under OHSEPR’s direction, the contractor will be required to provide resource coordinators who will:

· Support operations by identifying and validating availability of community resources that can support repatriate’s unmet needs

· Develop, update, and maintain resource referral lists that are sortable by resource category type Under OHSEPR’s direction, the contractor will be required to provide personnel who will:

· Provide administrative and financial management support.

While deployed, case managers, resource coordinators, and support staff (including administrative and financial management personnel) may operate from fixed or mobile locations or provide remote support, as directed by OHSEPR.

To engage repatriates directly, case managers may work in Emergency Repatriation Centers or other facilities identified by ACF OHSEPR.

To accomplish the tasks outlined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS), the contractor shall ensure personnel meet the qualifications for the position in which they serve and shall be able to demonstrate knowledge of the National Emergency Repatriation Framework, and psycho-social case management as defined by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Given the direct, client-based nature of OHSEPR’s work, the contractor will ensure that any key positions identified in the requirement meet with OHSEPR at a minimum of once per month to discuss readiness and deployment capabilities.

The contractor shall have no less than sixty (60) trained emergency repatriation case managers available and ready at any given time for deployment throughout the Continental United States and Outside the Continental United States when activated by ACF OHSEPR upon notification of a deployment. In addition, the contractor shall be able to surge up to one hundred and eighty (180) total case managers to staff three (3) possible concurrent operations. The contractor shall deploy screened, trained, credentialed, deployment-ready case managers to field locations identified by OHSEPR leadership within 72 hours of deployment notification.

The contractor shall provide the initial triage and case management services for a specified period, generally up to 180 days or longer as specified by the TO following a program activation. The contractor shall notify the COR, PM, and OHSEPR leadership immediately if they are unable to provide requested services for the emergency repatriation incident request.

All contractor staff supporting program administration and operations shall comply with requirements established in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a and work to prevent and mitigate the occurrence of any privacy incidents, such as breaches, as prescribed by the applicable portions of OMB Memorandum M-17-12 “Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information” and OMB Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource. The contractor shall ensure and affirm that all staff supporting emergency repatriation administration and implementation have completed privacy and security training and understand the importance of protecting personally identifiable information of emergency repatriates.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that permits the identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including other information that is linked or linkable to an individual. PII constitutes “Controlled Unclassified Information”.

Privacy Incident refers to the loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where:

1) a person other than the authorized user accesses or potentially accesses PII or

2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses PII for an unauthorized purpose. The term encompasses both suspected and confirmed incidents involving PII, whether intentional or inadvertent, which raises a reasonable risk of harm.

C.3.4.3 ERT, IMT and OH&S Cadre in support of activation/deployment of repatriation:

The contractor is responsible for providing a minimum of one ERT of seven (7) personnel, surging up to one high complexity ERT (9) personnel, and one high complexity IMT of fourteen (15) for a total of twenty four (24) personnel pre-trained, OHSEPR approved, and experienced cadre personnel for short notice activations with the requirement to deploy within 72 hours of receipt of a TO, and follow-on case management support personnel within 48 hours of receipt of deployment notification from OHSEPR. Additional staffing requirements will be communicated by OHSEPR leadership over the course of the mission operations. The contractor will be expected to deploy any additional personnel within 72 hours of subsequent requests.

Under OHSEPR’s direction, contractor personnel will fill a variety of roles to support incident management efforts. This may include members of both the steady state team and the Incident Management (see Figures 1 through 5). Please note that these configurations represent potential options and not necessarily all potential configurations for the resource requirement.

The contractor shall be prepared to deploy personnel up to a maximum 180-day mission. Rotations of personnel during an operation shall be approved by OHSEPR. Once approved by OHSEPR, there shall be a minimum of three (3) working days where outgoing and incoming personnel in the same position overlap to ensure a successful transition and uptake of the current mission, accomplishments to date, and required actions. Individuals should be prepared to perform duties on a command post or in an alternate safe zone near a disaster environment and shall be prepared to work a maximum of 12.5 hours per day (including 30 minutes for lunch break). The contractor shall furnish all the necessary personnel, equipment, materials, services, facilities, (except as otherwise specified), and shall satisfy all requirements of the tasks as set forth in each mission tasking from OHSEPR.

Figure 2. Example of an ERT staffing configuration if the ERT is activated at the outset of an operation, prior to the deployment of an IMT to the field.

Example of Emergency Response Team, Low Complexity Mission

Behavioral Health Specialist (1)

Figure 3. Example of an ERT staffing configuration if the ERT is activated to support an OHSEPR IMT in the field.

Example of Emergency Response Team, High Complexity Mission

Behavioral Health Specialist (1)

Figure 4. Example of an IMT staffing configuration if an IMT is activated for a low complexity deployment.

Example of Incident Management Team, Low Complexity Mission Assignment

Case Management Group Supervisor (1) Case Managers (5)

Behavioral Health Specialist (1)

Figure 5. Example of an IMT staffing configuration if an IMT is activated for a high complex deployment.

Example of Incident Management Team, High Complexity mission Assignment

Planning Specialist (1)

Case Management Group Supervisor (1) Case Managers (10)

Behavioral Health Specialist (1)

The contractor will ensure that all personnel are able to:

· Coordinate with functional areas in accordance with ICS structure.

· Demonstrate at least an intermediate level of knowledge of ICS principles and ICS forms as evidenced by course completion certificates and previous written examples of application in real incidents.

· Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the National Response Framework (NRF) and the structure of the nation’s response structure based on the NRF and the Emergency Support Functions (ESF) (particularly ESF #6- Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Housing, and Human Services).

· Establish and maintain positive interpersonal and interagency working relationships.

· Create a work environment that provides mutual respect and equal opportunity for all personnel assigned to the incident.

· Create understandable and accurate reports and presentations that are 508-compliant using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint.

· Retrieve information from databases and online knowledge management systems.

C.3.4.4 Occupational Health and Safety Program, plans and procedures The contractor shall develop an Occupational Health and Safety Program, plans and procedures to include an action plan for its development. Additionally, the following documents shall be developed:

· Process and guidelines for Hazard Identification assessments.

· Process and guidelines for reporting of injuries, unsafe conditions, and safety violations during steady state and in periods of OHSEPR activation.

· A Medical Services referral and a First Aid Program.

· An Education and Training Plan for staff members.

· An Infectious Disease Control Plan.

· A Respiratory Protection and Personal Protective Equipment Plan.

· A Workplace Safety Plan i.e., Active shooter, shelter in place, evacuation plans

· Threat and risk reporting plan to inform the Incident Commander and OHSEPR leadership of OH&S threats.

· Processes for responding to accident/safety incidents, reporting and tracking incidents, collection of incident related information, medical record management, and incident close-out and final disposition.

· Prepare plans and procedures for responding to a major medical emergency during deployment operations.

· Providing OH&S input into the planning process for mission strategy development.

· Coordinating with Safety Officers, Operations, Incident leadership, and others as identified on proper PPE and relevant safety procedures for cadre personnel.

· Additional documents, as identified by OHSEPR’s continuous improvement processes.

C.3.4.5 ERT and IMT Incident Response Tools The contractor shall develop products to support the ERT and IMT Sections and positions, to include:

· Templates for Incident-specific documents.

· Standard Operating Procedures, job action sheets, checklists, and other tools identified by OHSEPR.

· Training modules based on OHSEPR’s Incident Management Framework, the National Emergency Repatriation Framework, and other operational doctrine identified by OHSEPR.

· Just-in-time training modules for ERT and IMT sections and positions. Note that in-person, just-in-time emergency deployment training travel requires OHSEPR’s approval and shall be coordinated with OHSEPR leadership.

· Standard Operating Procedure for After Action Reviews, template for After Action Reports, Corrective Action and Implementation Plans.

C.3.5 Task 5 – Transition-Out Plan The contractor shall provide transition-out support when requested by the Government. The contractor shall deliver a Transition-Out Plan and shall facilitate the accomplishment of a seamless transition from the incumbent to incoming contractor/Government personnel at the expiration or termination of the contract. The Government will work with the contractor to finalize the Transition-Out Plan. At a minimum, the Transition-Out Plan shall be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Additionally, the Transition-Out Plan shall be reviewed and updated quarterly during the final contract option year. In the Transition-Out Plan, the contractor shall identify how it will coordinate with the incoming contractor and/or Government personnel to transfer knowledge regarding the following:

· Project management processes.

· Points of contact.

· Location of technical and project management documentation/deliverables.

· Status of ongoing technical initiatives.

· Appropriate vendor to vendor coordination to ensure a seamless transition.

· Transition of Key Personnel.

· Schedules and milestones.

· Actions required of the Government.

· Coordination of IT related programs.

The contractor shall also establish and maintain effective communication with the incoming contractor/Government personnel for the period of the transition via weekly status meetings or as often as necessary to ensure a seamless transition-out. Additionally, the contractor shall cooperate fully with the Government and the succeeding contractor to include:

· Permitting employees to be interviewed for possible employment by a succeeding contractor(s).

· Releasing any employee who chooses to be employed by a succeeding contractor.

· Orienting assigned employees of the succeeding contractor during the last 90 calendar days of the period of this contract if directed by the CO.

C.4 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP)

The Government will provide each key personnel an HHS issued laptop and Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Cards if applicable. Property furnished to the contractor will be in accordance with FAR Part 45.

C.5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for one (1) 12-month base period and four (4) 12-month option periods.

C.6 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance will be at the vendor’s location for steady-state operations.

During incident responses (i.e., emergency repatriation operations), the place of performance for the IMT (including case managers, and occupational health and safety unit) would be in Emergency Repatriation Centers (ERCs) in Port of Entry which will be designated at contract award.

C.7 IT SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

The Standard Security, Privacy, and Task language is designed to provide ACF and its contractors with a baseline set of requirements and task language to be used in its procurements. Specifically, this relates to procurements involving IT services or access to personally identifiable information (PII) or Federal IT systems.

A. Baseline Security Requirements

1) Applicability. The requirements herein apply whether the entire contract or order (hereafter “contract”), or portion thereof, includes either or both of the following:

a. Access (Physical or Logical) to Government Information: A contractor (and any subcontractor) employee will have or will be given the ability to have, routine physical (entry) or logical (electronic) access to Government information as required to perform their work. Access is contingent upon positive adjudication of background check.

b. Operate a Federal System Containing Information: A contractor (and any subcontractor) will operate a federal system and information technology containing data that supports the ACF mission. In addition to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 2.1 definition of “information technology” (IT), the term as used in this section includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.

2) Safeguarding Information and Information Systems. In accordance with the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS) 199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the contractor (and any subcontractor) shall:

a. Protect Government information and information systems in order to ensure:

· Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, based on the security terms found in this contract, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information.

· Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and ensuring information non-repudiation and authenticity; and

· Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.

b. Provide security for any contractor systems, and information contained therein, connected to an HHS network or operated by the contractor on behalf of ACF regardless of location.

c. Adopt and implement the policies, procedures, controls, and standards required by the HHS Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Government information and Government information systems for which the contractor is responsible under this contract or to which the contractor may otherwise have access under this contract.

d. Comply with the Privacy Act requirements and tailor FAR clauses as needed.

3) Information Security Categorization. In accordance with FIPS 199 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-60, Volume II: Appendices to Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Appendix C, and based on information provided by the ISSO, CISO, or other security representative, the risk level for each Security Objective and the Overall Risk Level, which is the highest watermark of the three factors (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) of the information or information system. The contractor shall work with the ACF security team to categorize information or information systems. The categorization can change at any time throughout the lifecycle of the system. The contractor shall ensure proper controls are implemented based on the categorization.

4) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined as “information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information.” The contractor (and any subcontractor) shall comply with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, (implemented at 3 CFR, part 2002) when handling CUI. 32 C.F.R. 2002.4(aa) As implemented the term “handling” refers to “…any use of CUI, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re-using, and disposing of the information.” 81 Fed. Reg. 63323. All sensitive information that has been identified as CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, shall be:

a. marked appropriately.

b. disclosed to authorized personnel on a Need-To-Know basis.

c. protected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline if handled by a contractor system operated on behalf of the agency, or NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations if handled by internal contractor system; and

d. returned to ACF control, destroyed when no longer needed, or held until otherwise directed. Destruction of information and/or data shall be accomplished in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.

5) Protection of Sensitive Information. For security purposes, information is or may be sensitive because it requires security to protect its confidentiality, integrity, or availability. The contractor (and any subcontractor) shall protect all Government information that is or may be sensitive in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information by securing it with a FIPS 140-2 validated solution.

6) Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information. Any information provided to the contractor (and any subcontractor) by ACF or collected by the contractor on behalf of ACF shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract and shall not be disclosed or made known in any manner to any persons except as may be necessary in the performance of the contract. The contractor assumes responsibility for protection of the confidentiality of Government records and shall ensure that all work performed by its employees and subcontractors shall be under the supervision of the contractor. Each contractor employee or any of its subcontractors to whom any ACF records may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the contractor that information disclosed to such employee or subcontractor can be used only for that purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of such information shall be protected in accordance with HHS and ACF policies. Unauthorized disclosure of information will be subject to the HHS/ACF sanction policies or governed by the following laws and regulations:

a. 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records);

b. 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information); and

c. 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, Subchapter I (Paperwork Reduction Act).

7) Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). All procurements using Internet Protocol shall comply with OMB Memorandum M-05-22, Transition Planning for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

8) Websites and Digital Services. All new and existing public-facing Government websites shall comply with the Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA).

9) Government Websites. All new and existing public-facing Government websites shall be…