SOW_Info_Mgt_IITF.pdf

AG-F430-S-17-0002

STATEMENT OF WORK

Information Technology Support: Web-based information management, database development, and interactive mapping development and management.

1. DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

The USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry (Institute), headquartered in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, is a research and technology transfer institute that is dedicated to advancing tropical forestry on insular, national, and international levels, and developing and exchanging knowledge critical to sustaining benefits of tropical forests and grasslands. The

Institute has been in continuous operation since its inception as the Tropical Forest Experiment

Station in 1939.

The mission of the Institute is to develop and disseminate scientifically-based knowledge that contributes to the conservation of forests, wildlife, and watersheds of the American tropics in the context of environmental change. The Institute manages a large amount of dynamic information, communication capacity, science products and datasets that are meant to be made available to internal users and/or the public through web-based applications and social media, publications, and other outlets. The information is highly variable in terms of complexity, stability, and format. In some cases, information availability is limited or outdated or needs active management to be effective. Information includes geospatial products, field plot datasets, climate data, model output, and synthesis products gathered over many decades. To support the Institute mission there is a need to develop mechanisms to make information available via Institute and other web sites and social media whereby users can obtain information directly or by request, learn about products or data availability, access products and data, and download information directly or after a request and authorization.

Summary: This project will develop and implement standard operating procedures in order to make information available internally and to the public on Institute web sites and other social media. Contractor responsibilities will include managing content provided from a variety of users. Content will include both dynamic and archived information such as text, images, online forms, geospatial information and research generated data sets. Contractor responsibilities will include compiling and documenting datasets; preparing metadata following federal and Institute standards; uploading data to servers; programming, creating or modifying web interfaces for viewing and downloading diverse types of data; developing web tools and content to guide users and explain the data available, and tracking use of web and social media information delivery tools.

2. BACKGROUND

The Institute is a unit of the Forest Service within the US Department of Agriculture. The

Institute includes representation and functions within the Forest Service Deputy Areas of

Research and Development, State and Private Forestry, International Cooperation and

Administration. Institute personnel include scientists, technicians, program managers, and administrative personnel. Members of the broader Institute community span a wide range of knowledge and skills, including natural and social scientists, natural resource managers, education outreach and technology transfer specialists, technicians, as well as contracted professionals, students and volunteers. Together these people engage with an equally diverse network of external collaborators from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, in order to implement programs and carry out the Institute mission

The influence of the Institute stretches throughout Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, to people and organizations across the United States, and internationally to people and organizations in Latin

America and around the globe. Institute science integrates long-term scientific studies with applied investigation, quantitative modeling, and landscape analysis to better understand tropical forest systems and the effects of human-induced pressures, predict future scenarios, devise effective management and governance strategies, and promote sustainable natural resources stewardship.

The Institute Headquarters has 50,000 square feet of modern, state-of-the-art facilities that are secure, functional, accessible, and that service the scientific community of the Institute and its collaborators. The Headquarters complex houses the Institute’s Headquarters building, a Forest

Service National Library, a chemistry laboratory, a Geographic Information Systems and Remote

Sensing Laboratory, a technology transfer conference center, and a multipurpose building that houses a dormitory, a gym, general storage area, office space, and lunch area.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

The primary service to be provided by the contractor is to develop and maintain the content of the Institute internet and intranet interfaces, social media platforms, and internal research geospatial and tabular databases in such a way that information delivery critical to the Institute mission occurs, and that an expanding network of employees, collaborators, clients and the public have access to and use this information. The core framework of the product will be a variety of data structures that provide the user with a rich media experience that includes highly important information highlighted and staged with graphics, illustrations, animations and video.

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

a) Develop a reservation mechanism on the Institute website for reservation of visitors and dormitory use at the Sabana Field Research Station.

b) Make Institute research datasets available online.

c) Develop and follow a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to describe and display appropriate metadata that document data collection methods, ownership, accuracy, dates of collection, variables, associated publications, suggested citation, and other information that will help users most appropriately use the data.

d) Develop and populate interactive maps of plot or site locations, data sources and metadata and link to view and download data.

e) Develop search mechanisms to help users find data.

f) Develop and implement systems of monitoring the use of sites, downloading, and user contact or download authorizations.

g) Ensure proper maintenance and backups to the web server, database server, and geospatial data server.

h) The Contractor will maintain records of time work and work accomplished. The contractor will report on these items as an attachment to submitted invoices and include comment on issues related to communication with project managers and staff, expectations, and difficulties or breakthroughs that have arisen.

4. DELIVERABLES – FORMAT/CONTENT

a) Functioning information and data delivery and communication systems for the Institute, following all Federal communications guidelines and using existing or modified internet and intranet web infrastructure, and existing social media including but not limited to

Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram and YouTube.

b) Written Standard Operating Procedures when appropriate for internal, Institute use regarding maintaining and adding new data and information to the sites.

c) Complete and up to date metadata regarding any new geospatial or other datasets made available and following Federal metadata standards.

5. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The contractor will need familiarity and at least 4 years’ experience in the following areas:

Spatial data development for sceintific purposes, geoinformatics, web technologies, spatial data infrastructure (SDI), scientist data management and technology transfer. Skills include necessary expertise in Remote Sensing and GIS Software: ERDAS Imagine 2013, IDRISI Taiga, FUSION, SeaDAS, VISAT, eCognition Developer 64. ArcGIS 10.1 and QGIS 2.0; Web server and geospatial data publishing: GeoServer, pgAdmin 3 and PostgreSQL; Web Content Management

System: Wordpress; Online IDE and development tools: Shiftedit and ApataStudio 3; Web programming and markup languages: HTML, CSS and JAVA; Art design software: Adobe

Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator. Additional necessary skills include expertise in: Image interpretation, creating and handling metadata, satellite image pre-processing, processing, and assessment; LiDAR pre-processing and processing, geospatial data development and management; and experience with satellite imagery databases.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (BASE AND OPTIONS)

Period of Performance (PoP) is contingent upon award date (estimate 1 May 2017). It is the

Government’s intention to award a Base Year with Two Option Years

a) The period of performance of Base Period of this contract begins on May 1, 2017 and ends on April 30, 2018.

b) Pursuant to clause 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract, in the event that the Contracting Officer exercises an option, the period of performance for each option period shall be as follows:

i. Option Period I: May 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019

ii. Option Period II: May 1, 2019 – April 30, 2020

c) The exercise of any options is subject to the availability of funding and the continuing needs of the Government.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work shall be completed at the USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical

Forestry Headquarters facility, 1201 Calle Ceiba, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico 00926. The contractor will be stationed in the Institute GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory and provided with parking, computing hardware and software, access to the FS computing system, desk, phone, printing, and mailing as needed to accomplish tasks.