Attachment 1 - Scope of Work_Specifications Manureshed Action Network v5.pdf

Attachment 1 ‐ Scope of Work/Specifications

United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Service

Jornada Experimental Range

Facilitation Support Services

Manureshed Action Networks

A. Background

Managing manure and fertilizer nutrients sustainably is a pressing challenge for modern agriculture. A

“manureshed” comprises the lands connected to animal feeding operations where surplus manure from the operations can be recycled to meet environmental, economic and social goals. A manureshed is a geographic unit as well as a management approach designed to identify and minimize barriers to coordinated manure management among farms or regions. The USDA Manureshed Action Network

Project seeks planning support for focus groups, and facilitation support services for 3 summits, to be held in 2023 and 2024 in major manuresheds in New Mexico, Colorado, and Minnesota. The focus groups then summits will convene animal farmers, crop farmers, manure professionals, and ecosystem service market brokers. The purpose of the events will be to understand the experiences and insights on opportunities and barriers related to coordinated manureshed management. The overall Project

Team spans New Mexico, Colorado, and Minnesota and includes several scientists (rangeland management specialists, soil scientists, geographers, ag economists, social scientists), one postdoc

(social scientist), manure extension specialists, and graduate students.

B. Scope

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) seeks support for the design and implementation of 15 focus groups (5‐10 people each) and 3 summits (30‐50 people each) in New Mexico (Chavez County /

Eddy County), Colorado (Weld County / Larimer County), and Minnesota (Morrison County / Benton

County). Planning of focus groups and summits will take place in virtual meetings; travel and in‐person attendance is required only to the three 4‐hour summits.

C. Tasks

Participating in regular project planning meetings to guide event planning and agenda design.

(virtual)

Collaborating with the Project Team to identify focus group and summit participants. (virtual)

Guiding the project’s logistics team that manages outreach, communications, venue set up, and other related needs. (virtual)

Leading the co‐development and design of agendas, invitations, and handouts. (virtual)

Facilitating the 3 summit events with support from the Project Team. Summits are the only travel requirement for in‐person attendance.

o Note: At the 3 summits the vendor will attend in person, ARS will cover the costs of the venues and meeting supplies and provide 5‐6 small group facilitators/note takers.

Support and guide focus group summit synthesis and reporting. (virtual) o Note: ARS will draft syntheses of qualitative data collected by Project Team scientists;

vendor will guide and support the synthesis reports.

D. Knowledge and Experience

ARS seeks a contractor with a minimum of five (5) years or more of experience in planning and facilitation of events centered on agriculture, landscape management, or natural resource conservation. Experience with groups working toward collaborative resource management is a plus.

E. Deliverables

1. Planning the focus groups with the Project team, including agenda development. (virtual)

a. Due January 1, 2024

2. Planning the summits with the Project team incorporating focus group results. Includes agenda development and other relevant pre‐work. (virtual)

a. Due December 13, 2024

3. Facilitation of three 4‐hour summits in collaboration with the Project Team. Notetaking by the

Project Team with coordination by vendor. (travel required for in‐person facilitation)

a. Due March 31, 2025

4. Guide and support the synthesis of scientists’ results/research from the focus groups and summits.

(virtual)

a. Due May 30, 2025