Attachment_01_SOW.pdf

Purchase Order no.

Attachment 1, Statement of Work

NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE

GAULEY RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

BLUESTONE NATIONAL SCENIC RIVER

Statement of Work

Development of Five-year Strategic Action Plan

1. BACKGROUND

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (NERI), Gauley River National Recreation area (GARI), and Bluestone National Scenic River are units of the National Park Service (NPS). The units are referred to as NERI, GARI, and BLUE respectively, in this document. The three NPS sites are administratively managed by one management team located at NERI.

NERI was established as a unit of the NPS in 1978 as a national river and redesignated in 2020, the park and preserve stretches for 53 miles, approximately 70,000 acres from just downstream of Hinton, WV to Hawks Nest State Park near Ansted, WV.

GARI is located near Summersville, West Virginia and protects a portion of the Gauley River and a segment of the Meadow River in southern West Virginia. GARI was added to the NPS in 1988 to protect and preserve 25 miles of Gauley River and six miles of the Meadow River.

BLUE was established as a unit of the National Park Service in 1988 and protects a 10.5-mile section of the Bluestone River in Summers and Mercer counties of southern West Virginia. It was created 26 October 1988 under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

NERI requires a contractor to facilitate development a five-year strategic action plan that includes-

• Clear set of overarching priorities for the three units

• Site specific issues and opportunities

NERI has undergone significant structural changes and transitions and is looking to develop a strategic action plan that includes a clear set of overarching priorities for all three units and integrated with site specific issues and opportunities.

Transition dynamics include:

• Redesignation from National River to National Park and Preserve occurred on December 27, 2020 resulting in significant operational impacts with increased visitation

• New permanent Superintendent position filled January 2023 and Deputy Superintendent position re-established and filled in June 2023

• Four different Acting Superintendents guided the park units between 2021 and 2022

• Division Manager turnover has occurred and planning for future change

• Significant upheaval of park operations occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic

The parks are looking for assistance to develop a clear set of overarching priorities for all three units to provide focus and cohesiveness for park staff. Site specific issues and opportunities need to be recognized within the framework of the larger plan.

2. PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide external facilitation with the input of and feedback from park management and staff, in developing a comprehensive strategic plan for management of the three park units. Goals include:

• Develop a Vision Statement for the three parks based on input from park staff and Management Team.

• Translate the Vision Statement into goals that can be measured, tracked, and incorporated into divisional work plans based on input from the park staff and management team

• Create a working timeline for the following five years that balances specific new strategic action plan objectives against existing and anticipated workload.

• Provide finalized Strategic Action Plan and debrief management team on final contents and implementation plan.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall provide the National Park Service with a series of strategic planning sessions, both in-person and remote. The series shall consist of three sessions with park staff. Between each planning session the contractor will provide detailed guidance to park leadership for purposes of review and vetting of session work with park staff and tribal partners that could not attend sessions. The contractor will provide the park with notes of each session. In instances where meeting attendees participate remotely NPS will provide virtual meeting access via Microsoft Teams.

The contractor shall structure a milestone plan after award that shall be collaborated with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), that aligns with the following sessions:

Milestone Task #1 - Session One: Development of Draft of Vision Statement

December 2024: Hold a 3.5 day in-person session, at NERI to solicit input from park staff and the Management Team on values, themes, opportunities, and challenges. From this input, develop an initial draft vision statement. After the planning session, the initial draft Vision Statement will be provided to staff and tribal partners to review and respond

to. Staff feedback will be incorporated into the Vision Statement before the third planning session.

Contractor shall allocate time during the planning session to work directly with the Management Team on effective management team practices.

Milestone Task #2 - Session Two: Development of Goals, Objectives, and Strategic Action Plan

March 2025: Hold a 3.5 day in-person session, at NERI with park staff and Management Team to formulate a Strategic Action Plan that translates the Vision Statement vetted in Session One and Session Two into practical goals and objectives that can be measured, tracked, and incorporated into division work plans and programming. The draft goals will be presented to all staff for discussion and feedback.

Milestone Task #3– Session Three: Development of Working Timeline

June 2025: Hold a 3.5 day in-person session, at NERI HQ with park staff and Management Team to create a working timeline of Vision Statement and Strategic Action Plan implementation for FY26-31. The timeline will consider existing and anticipated workloads alongside the Strategic Action Plan developed in Session Two.

Optional Additional Meetings. The project may require the contractor to plan and facilitate additional in-person meetings.

4. DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall submit documents (inclusive of meeting notes, Vision Statement, and Strategic Action Plan) produced in Sessions One, Two, Three, Remote Staff Sessions, and Optional Additional Meetings to the park Management Team and COR review and written approval before proceeding onto the next task/session.

The contractor shall submit all document submittals to the parks via upload to a dedicated Microsoft Teams file sharing site provided by NERI.

5. ADDITIONAL WORK/OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL MEETINGS

Should additional meeting(s) or additional work within scope need to occur contractor shall provide to the Contracting Officer (CO) a written change order request for the additional meeting(s) that shall include a written explanation of circumstances that warrant the additional meeting(s) or additional work within scope, timeframe for meeting(s) or completing additional work within scope – if requesting contract completion date be extended, and all associated costs.

Only the CO has the authority to agree to any additional meetings or additional work within scope. Should a change order request be approved, COR shall be responsible for ensuring funds are provided via a new FBMS purchase request in the agreed upon change order amount. Upon receipt of the approved purchase request, the CO will prepare and route for signature a bilateral modification, per mutual agreement of the parties.

6. TRAVEL

The contractor shall be responsible for all travel necessary to successfully perform the work outlined herein, specifically a minimum of three trips to:

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve 104 Main Street, Glen Jean, WV 25846

Travel costs (air travel, rental car fuel, insurance, mileage, lodging, meals & incidentals):

Prices shall be calculated in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. Prices shall be calculated based upon anticipated commercial rates at the time and location of travel.

See policy at Federal Travel Regulation | GSA and published per diem rates at Per Diem Rates | GSA.

Contractor shall include copies of travel receipts as part of request for payment (submittal of invoice) for invoices that include billing amounts for any travel that occurred.

Government shall only pay for travel costs in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.

https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-travel-regulation https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

All work, including review and approval shall be completed on or before December 31, 2025.

8. PERFORMANCE BASED PAYMENTS PER PROJECT MILESTONES

Contract allows for performance-based payments in accordance with FAR 32.1004 (https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-32#FAR_32_1003). Contractor shall submit invoiced only for actual work performed and accepted by the COR. Invoices shall be prepared with sufficient detail to show phases of the work/tasks per the following established project milestones:

Payment # Description of Work Payment Amount 1 Submittal of draft Vision Statement and session notes following Session One:

Development of Draft Vision Statement

25%

2 Submittal of session notes following Session Two

25%

3 Submittal of session notes and draft Strategic Action Plan following Session Three: Development of Goals, Objectives, and Strategic Action Plan

25%

4 Submittal of session notes and Working Timeline following Session Four:

Development of Working Timeline

25%

9. ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 2 – Foundation Document: NERI

Attachment 3 - Foundation Document: GARI

Attachment 4 - Foundation Document: BLUE https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-32#FAR_32_1003