PWS_NIICD_Workforce_Workload_Analysis_Amend_000001.pdf

Fire and Aviation Management National Interagency Incident Communication Division

Workforce / Workload Analysis Statement of Work

AMENDMENT 000001

1.0 Background.

The Forest Service Washington Office Fire and Aviation Management (WO-FAM) is a premier leader in wildland fire management, operations, and research, while remaining dedicated to organizational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. To fulfill this mission and core value of excelling as a high-performing agency, WO-FAM must continually evaluate better ways of doing business, maintaining a highly skilled and compassionate workforce that promotes an inclusive culture, attracting and retaining top employees, and ensuring accountability. This workforce must be measured against workload to ensure long term resilience of the organization to support the agency mission and specifically wildland fire operations.

The Forest Service and interagency community face challenges meeting its collective obligations to manage wildland fire with land and mobile radio (LMR) being critical to success.

This equipment, support and staffing costs the interagency community approximately $2.0 million for staffing and could be as much as $2.2 million annually for equipment replacement.

The National Interagency Incident Communication Division (NIICD) maintains the capability to respond and support emergency communications with equipment, frequency coordination/management, and operational telecommunications personnel for Local, State, and Federal agencies responsible for fire management, law enforcement, disaster relief, and resource protection. This includes support for the aviation community through the Avionics Branch. NIICD Avionics is tasked with providing safe and reliable aircraft avionics to the national wildland firefighting community through maintenance, aircraft inspections, innovative equipment, and the creation of national standards. The NIICD's Avionics shop is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified repair station supporting national goals for wildland firefighting and homeland defense. Additionally support is provided by the infrared program which provides imagery and maps to fires which provides situational awareness of the fire’s location and where there is significant heat.

The mission of the NIICD has always been to provide safe, reliable communications equipment and personnel to the interagency fire community, as well as to support “all-risk” incidents. The scope of operations of the NIICD is National and International in nature. In conjunction with the NIICDs support of wildland fire, personnel coordinate and work with other agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) through the USDA Forest Service's International Forestry program.

While the main focus of the NIICD is wildland fire suppression and Wildfire Use Programs, they are also tasked with “all-risk” incident response. NIICD equipment and personnel have been utilized on other man-made and natural disasters such as: Three Mile Island nuclear accident, Valdez and Gulf Oil Spills, Northridge earthquake, Oklahoma City bombing, Mt. St. Helens, 9/11 World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Columbia Shuttle recovery, Summer and Winter Olympics, Special Olympics, Wright Brothers Centennial, both Republican and Democratic National conventions, Wildlife Management Roundups, various search and rescue operations, hurricanes, floods, insect eradication projects, centennial celebrations, law enforcement activities as well as the Forest Service’s Forest Health Protection events.

The NIICD has also worked with the U.S. State Department and the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Mongolia, Puerto Rico, Russia, Rwanda, and the Virgin Islands.

Workforce / Workload Analysis Statement of Work

2.0 Scope of Work

The Contractor shall perform an analysis of the National Interagency Incident Communication Division’s (NIICD) current and future workload based on historical peak emergency response needs, evaluating the workforce and technology to support the program while considering other options to provide equipment, training and support. These alternatives could be used to develop a resilient, effective and efficient workforce now and in to the future. Consideration of the interagency community shall be given and will include an evaluation of the Department of Interior’s contribution to the organization in regards funding, staffing and equipment. Historic analysis shall include the percentage of support response provided to each agency to assist with a determination of fair share cost percentages. The analysis will include USFS, DOI (BLM & BIA) employees and may involve interviews with stakeholder organizations like Communications Unit Leaders (COMLs), acquisitions, planning and budget, and dispatch organizations. The Contractor shall develop alternative courses of action that include management options that optimize the organization to address current and future LMR needs.

Where feasible, these alternatives will include organizational risks that can be considered by the government in selecting these options and implementing them.

A workforce, workload analysis must be completed considering the current NIICD organization, capacity, and functionality while reviewing the equipment and support needs to evaluate current staffing against industry standards. The program provides support to the field by shipping and receiving LMR and aviation radio equipment, testing and maintaining this equipment, providing training, and developing new technologies to support the program. Additionally the NIICD provides infrared imaging to wildland fires which includes development of latest technologies to do so. The alternative courses of action that are developed through this contract will be used as a foundation for change and will provide information that can be utilized to determine management actions and identify gaps.

This holistic approach to staffing and workload planning will provide details to develop a strategy that will anchor the workgroup to the vision and mission as well as provide a foundation for developing a transition plan for the future to maintain this resiliency.

Tasks:

Through facilitated sessions, one on one meetings, and process reviews the contractor will complete the following tasks:

Task 1 (Due October 31, 2017):

Complete a SWOT analysis with the group to gain understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the team and their work.

• What are the organizations strengths and what should be protected to keep it strong?

• Where is the organization struggling?

• What stakeholders influence the group or should be maintained/enhanced?

• What are the opportunities and future changes in position and workload management?

• Where are the threats, how real are they and what is the impact to the organization if they are not mitigated?

Deliverable: Documentation of the SWOT analysis.

Task 2:

Workforce / Workload Analysis Statement of Work

Through a workforce analysis gain understanding of the workload, workforce, and team effectiveness that can be utilized in developing a strategy for workforce and workload resiliency.

• Evaluate workload.

o What is happening now and what needs to happen.

o Gather and analyze existing employee data as it relates to the current staffing.

Identify current workforce Identify the primary functions of the group and identify how many people are performing each function.

Identify what the current employee/supervisor ratio for each function. Evaluate if it needs to be changed.

Appointment status (PFT, WAE, Temp, Contractor) Current vacancies (if any) at what grade level, position and title.

Evaluate and estimate potential retirements and consider this in workforce planning.

o Determine organizational competencies that can be measured and developed.

Determine what knowledge, skills, competencies and abilities (KSA) are needed to perform anticipated position functions.

Identify which functional competencies are needed across the portfolio and by every position.

Verify which technical competencies are required for effective performance in a specific set of work outputs.

Identify how many people are needed in the future to perform each position.

Determine what position functions, if any, could be consolidated.

Evaluate leadership competencies for all supervisors, program leads and managers with the portfolio.

• Gaps – determine gaps in the following areas based on the workload analysis.

o Knowledge, skills and abilities o Staffing o Training needs o Perform a gap analysis to identify the number of staff and competencies needed now and in the future by comparing current workforce (staffing and competencies) to the current and future demands of the organization.

Identify the Workforce = Number of employees and employee competencies Identify the Demand = Current and future staffing and competency needs based on current and future needs.

Identify the current and future workforce gaps.

Identify excess staff.

Deliverable: Documentation summarizing findings which may be included as part of the final report in Task 4.

Task 3:

Based on the workload analysis, develop information regarding current processes, their effectiveness and possible alternatives for improving them.

• Process Effectiveness (what can be fixed by efficient processes vs more people) o What processes are in place and documented that are effective?

o Where processes are missing that can create effectiveness?

o What processes are more burdensome than effective?

Workforce / Workload Analysis Statement of Work

Deliverable: Provide a document defining alternatives and efficiencies that can be gained. This may be included in the Task 4 deliverable report.

Task 4: (Due December 15, 2017) In a report, define key findings from tasks 1-3, alternatives, and next steps.

• Develop alternatives for workforce planning for current and future organizations.

o key functions and competencies o core training to ensure competency

• Develop a list of risks for each alternative to help prioritize strategy development.

o Leadership risks currently and in the future.

o Identify if it is possible to match competencies for declining functions to new functions or shortage areas.

o Identify outcomes that will not be met if gaps are not addressed.

• Report findings on process evaluation to include what is currently available and what was identified by the team as needed for clarity in meeting the mission and vision.

Deliverable: A report summarizing key findings from Tasks 1-3 including information as described in Task 4.

• Information about the current organization, where the workforce and process gaps were found, what the current and future impact to mission is without resolution.

• Organizational trends specific to the type of work NIICD is responsible for.

• Workforce alternatives that address current and future workload while considering functions and competencies.

• Information regarding the impacts if no action is taken in the above alternatives.

• Findings from the process reviews and any recommendations on gaps for consideration.

• Core training for function/competency or recommendations in employee development to build a resilient workforce that can be considered in the future.

3.0 Schedule of Items

0001 Fire and Aviation Management National Interagency Incident Communication Division

(NIICD) workforce/workload analysis and development of alternatives/options to develop a resilient, effective and efficient workforce. Includes all associated management, personnel, and travel to complete tasks.

4.0 Personnel

The Contractor shall provide a workforce possessing the skills, knowledge, and training to satisfactorily perform the services required by this contract. Personnel performing work under this PWS shall remain employees of the Contractor and shall not be considered employees of the Government. Upon award, the principle must remain consistent throughout the life of the contract.

5.0 Place of Performance

The Contractor shall perform tasks under this contract at Government-owned facilities in Boise, Idaho or at other associated locations identified by the Government or the Contractor shall perform tasks under this contract at the Contractor-owned facilities.

Workforce / Workload Analysis Statement of Work

The Contractor shall perform tasks under this PWS during typical business hours 0800-1700 MST Monday thru Friday or as identified by virtual employee time zones.

6.0 Reports

The Government will review all reports and provide comments within ten (10) days. The Contractor shall incorporate Government comments and provide revised reports within ten (10) days after receiving Government comments.

7.0 Services and Support / Government Furnished Property, Facilities, and Equipment The government will provide the use of teleconferencing and video conferencing bridges to facilitate project team interactions and conference calls. Government conference rooms and facilities will be used when possible to reduce project expenses. Specific support and services may include: provision of office space and government security clearances and identification.

8.0 Point of Contact

Program Lead: Kim McCutchan, 208-387-5856

COR: TBD

Period of Performance: September 15, 2017 – December 15, 2017

4.0 Personnel