AG-3198-S-16-166P_-_Attachment_I_-_PWS.pdf

RFQ #AG-3198-S-16-166P

Attachment 1

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA). The mission of FNS is to provide children and needy families’ better access to food and a more healthful diet through its nutrition assistance programs. Among these programs are the Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program

(NSLP), Afterschool Snack Program, School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and the Child and

Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The Child Nutrition Programs provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals and snacks.

Team Nutrition is a FNS initiative that supports the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity.

2.0 BACKGROUND

FNS developed a series of five cooking-based nutrition education modules to be used by afterschool and out-of-school-time programs participating in USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs. This series, known as Team Nutrition Cooks!, is intended to facilitate the adoption of healthy eating habits among low-income (<185% federal poverty guidelines) children that are 8-12 years old and their caregivers, as food preparation activities are an important way to help children learn how to incorporate nutritious foods in their diet and are a fun and interactive way to motivate children to taste new foods. Each of the five modules focuses on a different recipe and contains an

Activity Guide for the program site operator to follow, a Family Handout for the parents/caregivers of the children who participate in the program, and a Skills Video showing key cooking skills. It is estimated that each module takes about 1.5 hours to complete.

FNS is seeking a contactor with experience in conducting formative research and food preparation activities with kids, to assess if the developed materials are appropriate for use with 8-12 year old children in the Afterschool Snack Program and CACFP and to identify and make changes to the materials to improve their effectiveness, appeal, and usability.

Attachment I

3.0 SCOPE

FNS is seeking a contractor to conduct research on Team Nutrition Cooks! Activity modules and collateral materials to include:

Implementation of all 5 Team Nutrition Cooks! modules in at least 3 settings participating in the Afterschool Snacks Program or CACFP and serving 8-12 year old children.

Preparation of a data collection package to be submitted by FNS to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval to conduct formative research under the Agency’s generic clearance.

Conducting formative research with program operators, parent/caregivers, and children regarding the activities, recipes, and materials.

Modification of Team Nutrition Cooks! materials to increase their usability, effectiveness and appeal to the target audience based upon findings from the formative research and as agreed upon by FNS.

The Contractor shall schedule a Kick-Off Meeting with the Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR) at a date not later than 5 work days from the date of contract award.

4.0 APPLICABLE DIRECTIVES

All portions of this document pertain to the required task.

5.0 REQUIREMENTS

5.1Target Audience

The nutrition education materials will be tested on at least three FNS Afterschool Snack Program sites http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/AfterschoolFactSheet.pdf and/or out-of-school programs that participate in CACFP.

Afterschool Snack and/or CACFP program operators and children (8-12 years old) and their parents/caregivers will participate in the activities and formative research.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/AfterschoolFactSheet.pdf

5.2 Description of Work

5.2.1 Conduct formative research on Activity Guides, Family Handouts and Skills Videos

The contractor shall collect quantitative and qualitative data to answer evaluation questions related to the impact and the process of the

Team Nutrition Cooks! implementation, as a result of participating in the cooking activities. The evaluation questions address the behavioral constructs related to Social Cognitive Theory. The constructs applied include: environment, outcome expectations, behavioral capacity, observational learning, self-efficacy, consumption, preference, and knowledge. Team Nutrition Cooks!

implementation will be assessed on variables, including ease-of-use, clarity, lesson quality, feasibility, and perceived student receptiveness.

The implementation pilot will take place in at least three afterschool/out-of-school settings, each located in a different USDA FNS region, and representing a different size community (rural, urban, and suburban). The program settings must participate in the

Afterschool Snack Program or CACFP and serve 8-12 year old children. Each site must have adequate equipment and resources to implement the Team Nutrition Cooks! modules, such as a hand-washing sink. A list of equipment needed is listed in each Team

Nutrition Cooks! module. It is not necessary that sites have a full kitchen.

Pilot testing and data collection must begin and be completed during the regular school year, and must not run into summer vacation or other scheduled holidays. Pilot testing sessions must occur on a regularly scheduled school day, not a holiday or weekend where attendance of afterschool programs may be affected.

Evaluation questions include:

Impact:

Do more children have the self-efficacy to prepare basic recipes after the curriculum than before?

Are children able to correctly identify basic kitchen equipment and their uses after the curriculum activities?

Are children able to demonstrate basic cooking skills after the curriculum?

To what extent did the students like (enjoy) the curriculum activities and foods prepared?

Are more children willing to taste the featured foods after the curriculum than before?

Do more students prefer the featured foods after the curriculum than before?

Do more students eat featured foods after the curriculum than before?

Do children prepare more recipes at home following the curriculum?

Are children more likely to correctly identify the MyPlate icon and the five MyPlate food groups after the curriculum?

Curriculum implementation:

What activities were successful and unsuccessful?

What were the key challenges to curriculum implementation?

How was the curriculum customized?

How could the curriculum be improved?

How much time was spent teaching the curriculum?

How many children participated in the pilot test of the curriculum?

What was the staff to child ratio in implementing the curriculum?

Parent/Caregiver:

How many parents/caregivers received the family handouts?

How many recipes did parents/caregivers make at home with their child?

Did the parents/caregivers find the family handouts useful, interesting, and easy-to-read?

Do parents/caregivers perceive that children are more interested in cooking now than before the curriculum was implemented?

Do parents/caregivers perceive that students eat more of the featured foods now than before the curriculum was implemented?

The Contractor shall identify and recruit the sites and participants for the formative research.

The pilot testing must include tasting and evaluation of the curriculum recipes among program operators and children.

The Contractor shall provide a description of the research methodology including recruitment, segmentation, number of participants, analysis of results, and methods to gather feedback, and how they plan to recruit a diverse group of participants (race, ethnicity, and gender). The Contractor shall provide methods for data collection that do not include the provision of incentives to formative research participants. See White House guidance on improving response rates consistent with section 69 of this document:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/pmc_survey_guidance_2006.pdf. A small stipend may be included for site operators to cover the cost of food ingredients and cooking equipment (as listed on the Team Nutrition Cooks! modules). The

Contractor shall obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/pmc_survey_guidance_2006.pdf

The Contractor shall prepare a draft and final version of a data collection request package under FNS’s generic clearance to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that includes all data collection instruments (e.g., surveys, moderator’s guides, screeners, etc.). The Contractor shall assist FNS in preparing responses to questions from OMB regarding the data collection (i.e., pilot testing and formative research).

The Contractor shall provide copies of the OMB packages to FNS in a microcomputer word processing format agreeable to FNS

(currently Microsoft Word 2010 for Windows).

The Contractor shall allow three months for OMB approval and make changes to the OMB package as required by FNS or OMB.

The Contractor shall provide a draft and final report to FNS that includes the research and pilot testing methodology, findings, limitations, and recommendations for Team Nutrition Cooks! revisions and transcripts of any focus group sessions.

5.2.2 Modify five (5) Activity Guides for Program Operators and five (5) Family Handouts based on feedback from focus groups and pilot testing

The Contractor shall modify the Team Nutrition Cooks! materials based on the research findings from Section 5.2.1, as agreed upon by FNS. If recipes are revised based upon the research findings and taste testing results, the revised recipes must still meet Smart

Snack nutrition standards (http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/smart-snacks-school) unless otherwise agreed upon by FNS. Recipes may not include alcoholic beverages or non-nutritive sweeteners as ingredients. The contractor shall provide a nutrient analysis of the revised recipe to document compliance with the Smart Snacks standards.

The revised materials must:

Include the Team Nutrition and USDA logos and EEO/civil rights statement, publication date, and FNS number.

Use a magazine-style design that is visually appealing to both adults and children.

Be designed to allow for clear printing in black and white, if needed.

Be accurate and consistent with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate

(http://www.choosemyplate.gov).

Be free of misspellings and grammatical errors.

Use illustrations or photographs in the print publications to successfully convey the desired information.

Refrain from using name branded products in graphics or text.

The publication may not include links to non-governmental Web sites.

Document references and sources of data or statistics, if provided.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/smart-snacks-school

Maintain a design with a common “look-and-feel” and utilize similar colors, graphics, layout and fonts to reflect that each module is part of a collection of cooking-based nutrition education activities for afterschool programs.

The Contractor shall provide a proposed summary of changes, two drafts and a final deliverable of the revised materials. The proposed summary of changes must:

Provide a full description of alterations to the content and design of the materials.

Describe how changes to the printed instructions or recipes will be made consistent with the videos.

Drafts Schedule:

Draft 1: Revised Content and Design, based upon findings from pilot testing, focus groups and approved look- and-feel concepts and sample layout

Draft 2: Office of Communications Clearance Drafts (Text only and designed version)

Final Activity Guides and Family Handouts

FNS requires that Draft 2 of the Activity Guides and Family Handout be provided as a double-spaced Microsoft Word text document as well as a PDF file showing the layout and design. FNS will require 15 business days to review drafts. Drafts cleared through the

USDA Office of Communications (OC) require at least 50 calendar days for review.

For final deliverables, the Contractor shall:

Follow specifications from the USDA Office of Communications (OC) and the Broadcast Media and Technology

Center, or other USDA OC components, as provided by FNS. Must conform with requirements stated in the USDA

Visual Standards Guide (2013) http://www.usda.gov/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf.

Follow specification stated in the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) Style Manual http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/content-detail.html.

Use cross-platform TrueType fonts.

Use a serif font that is at least an 11 point font.

Use materials free from name brands in graphics and videos.

Verify that all written content is original and has no existing trademarks or copyright.

Provide releases that state that FNS has royalty-free, unlimited rights to the use of any photographs or illustrations.

Provide FNS with electronic files (.PDF or other format approved by FNS) of all materials suitable for downloading by the public from the FNS Web site. All deliverables 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. The Contractor shall provide a completed Section 508 Product Assessment Template and shall state exactly how deliverables meet or do not meet the applicable standards.

http://www.usda.gov/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/content-detail.html

Provide FNS with .JPEG or .GIF files of all illustrations and graphics in addition to files for professional printing.

Provide 2 electronic file print masters (i.e., 2 disks) of the final deliverable that meet all USDA specifications for reproduction by a printer (Adobe InDesign files and all links and fonts). The Contractor shall provide printer specifications requested on GPO Form 952.

Provide FNS with five printed copies of each Activity Guide and five printed copies of each Family Handout.

5.2.3 Option - Modify five (5) Skills Videos based on feedback from focus groups and pilot testing

The Contractor shall modify the existing Skills Videos to reflect the updated recipes and activities in the Activity Guide and Family

Handouts, including reshoots if needed. The Contractor shall provide two drafts and one final deliverable of each Skills Video.

• Draft 1 Video concepts and scripts updates, based on feedback

• Draft 2 Office of Communications Creative Media and Broadcast Center Clearance Drafts

• Final Skills Videos

The videos shall be closed captioned and in a format that allows for posting and viewing via FNS’s YouTube channel. The Contactor shall consult with FNS, USDA OC, Creative Media and Broadcast Center, or other OC components regarding deliverables. The

Contractor shall follow specifications from USDA OC and the Creative Media and Broadcast Center, or other USDA OC components, as provided by FNS, for all materials, productions, and final products. The contractor shall be responsible for:

Development of a time table that provides sufficient time for FNS and USDA OC review, approval, and clearance of deliverables:

Consultation with USDA OC as needed on talent or production, if needed;

Procurement of all talent (actors/narrators/voice actors) or negotiation of talent fees for video, production, technical and support crew and procuring studio and necessary equipment, if needed.

6.0 DELIVERABLES

Task Deliverable Description Quantity Due Date*

(Calendar Days)

5.2.1 Conduct formative

research on Activity

Guides, Family

Handouts and Skills

Videos

OMB Package for formative research and pilot

Report of formative research and pilot findings and all transcripts

1 Draft

1 Final

1 Final

1 month after award

2 months after award

OMB approval of package

3 months after package

5.2.2 Modify five (5)

Activity Guides for

Program Operators and five (5) Family

Handouts based on feedback from focus groups and pilot testing

Summary of Proposed Changes

Revised Content and Design of Activity Guides and Family Handouts

Office of Communications Clearance Drafts of Activity Guides and

Family Handouts

Activity Guides and Family Handouts

Final

(5 printed copies of each Activity

Guide

5 printed copies

3 months post package

10 months after

11.5 months after

13 months after of each Family

Handout)

5.2.3 Option - Modify five

(5) Skills Videos based on feedback from focus groups and pilot - provide two drafts and one final deliverable of each

Skills Video

Video Concepts and Script Updates

Office of Communications Creative Media and Broadcast Center

Clearance Drafts

Skills Videos

Draft 1

Draft 2

1 Final of each

Skills Videos

1 month after exercise of option exercise of option

3 months after exercise of option

The Period of Performance for this requirement is anticipated to be from August 2016 through October 2017.

* Please note the period of performance is inclusive of days for the Government to review and provide feedback, as indicated in each Task Section.

7.0 PERFORMANCE SUMMARY REQUIREMENTS

PERORMANCE

REQUIREMENTS

APPLICABILITY PERFORMANCE

STANDARD

AQL

SURVEILLANCE

FREQUENCY

SURVEILLANCE

METHODS

Quality of Products or Services

PWS, Sections 5.2.1, 5.2.2, and 5.2.3

Timeliness & Quality Complete & accurate

95% of all deliverables are error free (grammar, formatting, content)

Monthly Semi monthly Weekly quarterly

100% inspection (Random Sample, Customer feedback, Periodic Inspection, amongst other feasible surveillance techniques)

Schedule As stipulated within the PWS

Timeliness No margin for error

Monthly Semi monthly

100% inspection

Cost Control (working within budget or reducing waste)

PWS Cost effectiveness If an AQL isn’t specified, then there is no margin for error. The contractor MUST uphold and conform to contract requirements at a 100%

Monthly Semi monthly

100% Inspection

Business Relations PWS Professionalism 98% of verified customer feedback are positive

No more than 4 valid customer complaints per yr.

Monthly Semi monthly

Customer feedback/complaints

Management of Key Personnel

PWS Professionalism Timeliness & Quality

98% of verified customer feedback are positive

Monthly Semi monthly

Customer feedback/complaints