Attachment 1 - Sections C-M.pdf

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002 MR302, MR303 & MR305 Training Requirement

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

MR302 - Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident MR303 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transportation Accident

(One-day “On-Demand” Program) MR305 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transportation Accident

(Virtual Delivered via Zoom)

C.1 BACKGROUND

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent Federal agency charged by Congress to investigate civil aviation accidents in the United States, most public-use aircraft accidents, and significant accidents in other modes of transportation (highway, marine, rail, and pipeline), to conduct special investigations and safety studies, and to issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents. The NTSB Training Center is a major initiative of the Safety Board to improve the training and skills of its own employees and make its safety expertise and know-how more widely available to the transportation community. In addition, the Training Center fosters an environment that encourages transportation safety initiatives and technical research; and promotes uniform programs that ensure compassion, understanding and assistance for those affected by transportation tragedies. Additional information about the NTSB and its Training Center can be found at www.ntsb.gov.

C.2 SCOPE

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) intends to issue a firm-fixed price contract for one (1) base year and four (4) potential one (1) year option periods. The contract will have a potential period of performance of up to five (5) years for the delivery of the MR 302 – Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident, MR303 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transportation Accident (one day “on-demand” program), and MR305, the virtual version of the MR303 course, delivered in one full day on the Zoom platform, in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW).

The scope of this requirement involves the delivery of training of the MR302 Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident (MR302) or Incident, MR303 Managing Communications Following a Major Transportation Accident (MR303), and MR305, the virtual version of the MR303 course, delivered in one full day on the Zoom platform. Delivery of training involves the customized design, presentation, and evaluation of practical exercises for each course delivered.

C.3 TASKS

C.3.1 MR302 - Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident. The MR302 course is for one full day to include 8 hours of instruction and exercise direction. The Contractor shall train/facilitate Module 5 only as outlined in section C.4. The NTSB anticipates that this course will be delivered once per year. This training will take place in 2022 at the NTSB Training Center located in Ashburn, Virginia, and at a site to be determined in the Washington, DC, metropolitan areas in follow-on option years.

C.3.2 MR303 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transportation Accident.

The MR303 course is a streamlined version of the MR302 course, delivered in one full day. The Contractor shall, in conjunction with a Government trainer, train Modules 1 through 5 in accordance with the course outline. The NTSB anticipates that this course will be delivered up to http://www.ntsb.gov/

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002 eight (8) times per year at various locations outside the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Actual dates and locations of the courses will be provided by the Training Point of Contact (TPOC) in advance of the scheduled training.

C.3.3 MR305 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transportation Accident.

The MR305 course is the virtual version of the MR303 course, delivered in one full day on the Zoom platform. The Contractor shall train/facilitate Module 5 only as outlined in section C.4. The NTSB anticipates that this course will be delivered up to eight (8) times per year. Actual dates of the courses will be provided by the Training Point of Contact (TPOC) in advance of the scheduled training.

C.4 COURSE OUTLINE

MODULE 1: NTSB ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS

NTSB mission Notification and reporting Critical first hours after accident Major accident investigations How parties are actively involved in an investigation How an organization can prepare to be an effective party to an investigation What happens after the on-scene investigation is over How and when emergency responders become a focus of an investigation Advocating for safer transportation

MODULE 2: NTSB CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM

What to do in crisis communications before the NTSB arrives What information each of the following groups should disseminate:

o NTSB o Operator (Airline/Train/Ship/Boat/Bus/Truck/Pipeline) o Manufacturer of equipment/vehicle o Emergency Responders

Crisis communications rule of thumb: If you could have answered the question the day before the accident occurred, you can probably answer it after the accident

Responding to inaccurate information disseminated via news media Information flow between NTSB, parties, and news media.

Press briefings and special updates:

o Type o Interval o Content

Social media – Twitter, YouTube, FaceBook and Flickr One-on-one interviews National media – special considerations Photo opportunities and press pools Monitoring news stories for accuracy and other issues Vehicle recorders (data, voice and image) – characterizations and transcripts

MODULE 3: HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION DISASTER ASSISTANCE

FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES

Family assistance mission and legislative background Concerns of family members of those involved in an accident

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

Roles of NTSB, operator, emergency responders and local government Family Assistance Center

MODULE 4: PARTY MEMBER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND CASE STUDIES ON

COMMUNICATIONS LANES

This module will feature discussions supported by examples (video clips of actual press briefings, news stories, social media posts, etc.) to demonstrate – through extensive course participant interaction – the principles and techniques discussed by the presenter.

Establish predefined content boundaries for organizations participating in NTSB investigations (transportation and facility operators, manufacturers, first responders).

Case studies of appropriate and inappropriate information releases (provided verbally, in written email or statements and in social media content) by organizations involved in recent NTSB investigations. The section will include extensive discussion with course participants of why each of the examples used is appropriate or inappropriate.

Coordinating external communications with the NTSB.

MODULE 5: ACCIDENT SCENARIO WORKSHOP – PUTTING THE TRAINING INTO ACTION

This module will begin with a review of major principles and techniques discussed in preparation for the practical exercise.

Practical exercise: The class will be divided into smaller groups and given pieces of information from an accident scenario (based on an actual accident investigated by the NTSB). With the information provided, each group will strategize on how to respond, what roles each group member will play, what to say, how to say it, and how to use any recourses that may be available.

The exercise will culminate with each group presenting messaging for social media, an email to employees and holding a media briefing to relay information to members of the print and broadcast news media. Other course participants will play members of the news media and ask questions during the Q&A session of the briefing.

C.5 INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS

The Instructor(s) shall have the necessary training, experience and knowledge of the subject matter to adequately develop and present course material, provide demonstration and instruction, answer participant questions, and design and facilitate the accident scenario workshop (Module

5) in accordance with the SOW. The Instructor(s) are considered Key Personnel in accordance with NTSB-005, Key Personnel.

C.6 DELIVERABLES

C.6.1 Research the organization that has arranged for the delivery of the MR302 or MR305 course with the NTSB. The Contractor shall gather information about the organization's structure, the scope of their transportation and business operations (to include routes, equipment, infrastructure and regulatory environment), past history of interactions with the NTSB as well as state and federal regulatory agencies, the job roles of those attending the training, the challenges/issues in internal and external crisis communications the organization wishes to address, and any other information that would be relevant to enhancing the value of the training course. This research can be done using publicly available information as well as communication (both verbally and by email) with representatives of the organization.

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

C.6.2 With the information gathered as detailed in C.6.1 above, the Contractor will design an accident scenario workshop as referenced in Module 5. The accident scenario will be primarily based on an actual NTSB accident report involving the mode and type of transportation of the organization for which the course is being delivered. For example, in the case of a U.S.-based international freight railroad, an accident scenario would be designed with key components drawn from an NTSB accident report of an investigation involving another U.S.-based international freight railroad. To customize the course, the particular equipment (freight cars carrying dry goods instead of freight containers carrying liquid hazardous materials, for example), location, and operational details would be changed to accommodate the circumstances of the organization's operations.

The same approach would apply to the other modes of transportation -- aviation, highway, marine and pipeline.

The Contractor will design and facilitate the accident scenario workshop to demonstrate the principles detailed in the course material. The Contractor should provide guidance and direction for the participants to develop a news media briefing, a statement or video message for their organization's employees and onsite contractors, and messaging and content for the social media platforms the organization currently uses or plans to use.

C.6.3 The Contractor will provide expert-level feedback on how the course participants performed the various aspects of the workshop, and when appropriate, will offer suggestions for improvement in a constructive and supportive manner.

C.6.4 For the MR302 course, the Contractor will provide the same deliverables as detailed in C.6.1 through C.6.3 but since MR302 is focused exclusively on aviation, research and design of the course will be primarily focused on that transportation mode with additional direction provided by the NTSB course manager.

C.6.5 With the assistance of the NTSB course manager, the Contractor will research the NTSB mission, organizational structure, history, advocacy work, investigative processes and other related agency information in order to authoritatively provide instruction for Modules 1 through 5 for the MR303 course only.

C.7 TRAINING LOCATION

C.7.1 The MR302 – Managing Communications Following an Aircraft Accident or Incident course shall be delivered at the NTSB Training Center located at the following addressin October 2022:

National Transportation Safety Board Training Center 45065 Riverside Parkway Ashburn, VA 20147

After the NTSB Training Center closes at the end of the 2022 calendar year, courses will be held in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area at a site to be determined at a later date.

C.7.2 The MR303 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transpiration Accident course shall be delivered at various locations to be determined at the time of scheduling each course.

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

C.7.3 The MR305 – Managing Communications Following a Major Transpiration Accident virtual course presented on the Zoom platform shall be delivered at dates to be determined at the time of scheduling each course.

C.8 SERVICES PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Base Year: January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 Option Year 1: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 Option Year 2: January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Option Year 3: January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 Option Year 4: January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

The period of performance is subject to change based on the actual date of contract award.

C.9 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

Janice R. McCoy Contracting Officer National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Acquisition Division 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594-0003 Phone: (202) 314-6247 janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov

C.10 TRAINING POINT OF CONTACT

TBD

National Transportation Safety Board NTSB Public Affairs Division 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594-0003 Phone: (202) 314-****

TBD

C.11 Non-Disclosure Agreement

Non-Disclosure Agreement. All contractor personnel directly involved in the performance of the required services of this contract shall execute an NTSB Non- Disclosure Agreement within fourteen (14) calendar days of contract award and that provisions subject to non-disclosure to protect information remain in effect two

(2) years from termination or expiration of the contract.

[END OF SECTION]

mailto:janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 TRAVEL AND PER DIEM

Travel and per diem will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) in effect at the time of the travel. The contract will include an allocation for travel, and per diem (lodging/meals & incidentals) costs “not to exceed” $2,575.00 per class, for the base year of the contract, and a “not to exceed” a 3% increase (from the previous year) for the aforementioned costs (per class) for each option year thereafter. For example, in Option Year One, the total costs cannot exceed $2,652.25 per class ($2,575 x 3% = $77.25 $2,575 + $77.25 = $2,652.25). Option Year Two will have a “not to exceed” cost of $2,731.82($2,652.25 x 3% = $79.57. $2,652.25 + $79.57= $2,731.82). The contractor shall provide legible receipts with the submission of invoices, for all travel, lodging, parking and related expenses. Receipts are not required for meal expenses.

Information on current FTR and current per diem rates may be obtained at the following web site:

FTR website: www.gsa.gov/federaltravelregulation

Per Diem website: www.gsa.gov/perdiem

A helpful lodging site is: www.fedrooms.gov, which is also linked through www.gsa.gov.

Travel reimbursed under this contract shall be based on the most economical form of transportation available only. Any costs deemed unreasonable will be reduced to a reasonable amount. Improper costs will be disallowed and deducted from the invoice. Any exceptions shall be fully justified and approved in advance by the Contracting Officer. All travel shall be scheduled sufficiently in advance to take advantage of available discount rates.

For lodging, the contractor shall make use of Government rates whenever possible; otherwise, corporate rates or other discounts shall be obtained. Any hotel expenses considered excessive or unreasonable will not be reimbursed. In those cases, lodging reimbursement will be limited to the GSA lodging rate under the established GSA per diem.

Travel requirements shall be met using the most economical form of transportation available. This includes using connecting rather than direct flights, and reasonable efforts to insure the most economical flights are secured. Simply relying on a travel agent may not be sufficient. If economy class transportation is not available, the invoice shall include justification for use of higher-class travel indicating dates, times, and flight numbers. Air travel should be in coach class only unless the contractor bears the cost of the difference between coach and first-class pricing.

If the contractor purchases non-refundable tickets as a cost saving measure, and then is required to change or cancel the tickets due to causes beyond its control (such as travel delays or cancellations due to acts of God), the contractor may claim reasonable reimbursement for service charges. Unused tickets paid for by the Government shall be sent promptly to the Contracting Officer, unless it is likely they can be re-issued for a later trip, under this contract, and the contractor maintains an adequate accounting system to protect the tickets from misuse, and ensures the Government will not be billed for the subsequent trip. The contractor shall provide complete justification and accounting with the invoice.

The contractor shall justify in writing the use of a rental car, and their use is to be the exception rather than the rule. The contractor shall use alternate methods of local travel whenever possible, http://www.gsa.gov/federaltravelregulation http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem http://www.fedrooms.gov/ http://www.gsa.gov/

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002 such as hotel or airport shuttles and taxis. If using a rental car, the contractor shall include in the justification the distance from the airport to the hotel and then to the training site; the name, phone number, and cost of a shuttle service, or statement that none are available. The Government is only obligated to pay reasonable costs, and without proper justification, charges will be reduced or eliminated as being unreasonable.

Personal convenience or “club” membership is not a justification for higher airfares, rental cars, or the choice of airlines or hotels.

The contractor shall always attempt to receive the Government rate for auto rentals and hotel rooms. Authorization letters will be issued to travelers upon request.

SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS/EXHIBITS

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

1. Attachment 2 - Past Performance Questionnaire

2. Attachment 3 - Non-Disclosure Agreement

3. Attachment 4 - Pricing Structure

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

SECTION L – QUOTE INSTRUCTIONS

L.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

The NTSB solicits your quote to provide training services that meets the specifications described in the Statement of Work (SOW). This solicitation will result in the award of one (1) firm fixed price contract for the requirement described in the SOW.

L.2 NOTICE AND INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Offerors are required to meet all the requirements of the RFQ, including but not limited to instructions, conditions/notices, and requirements in the SOW. Quotes shall address all RFQ requirements as described in the SOW. Quotes that fail to address the essential requirements of this RFQ or are impractical in terms of technical content, schedule commitment, or price will be deemed to have an inherent lack of technical competence or indicative of a failure to comprehend the requirements. The Government may reject any quote that is so lacking in competence or in understanding the requirements that without a major reformation of the quote it is not adequate for evaluation purposes.

L.3 BASIS FOR AWARD

This is a best value award. Award will be made to the offeror whose quote, conforms to the SOW, and offers the best value to the Government.

The Government reserves the right to award on the basis of initial quotes received without discussions. The Government may award to other than the lowest priced offeror, or to other than the offeror with the highest non-price rating. Quotes should be submitted on the most favorable terms from a price and technical standpoint that the offeror can submit to the Government.

L.4 QUOTE ORGANIZATION

In responding to this solicitation, offerors shall submit one (1) quote in three (3) separate parts:

Technical, Past Performance, and Price:

Part I – Technical: Include all information requested under “Part I – Technical.” Exclude any references to price.

Part II – Past Performance: Include all information requested under “Part II -Past Performance.”

Part III – Price: Include all information requested under “Part III – Price.”

Quotes will be evaluated on the below factors:

Part I - Technical

1. Executive Summary (not evaluated separately) An Executive Summary of the offeror’s quote is required. This summary will not be evaluated but will be used to gain an understanding of the offeror and the overall contents of the quote. It should identify and highlight significant features of the quote and include the salient points contained in the various volumes and chapters. Each offeror should include a General Information section in the Executive Summary that addresses the following: 1) Company Name and Address, 2) Company Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), 3) Point of Contact, 4) Socio-economic Status, 5) Duns and Bradstreet’s number or Unique Entity ID, and 6) CAGE code.

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

2. Factor 1 - Training Experience

Offerors shall submit at a minimum two (2) examples of experience providing instruction/training similar in scope to this requirement as identified in Section C. The offeror shall describe the scope - in both dollars and personnel - magnitude and complexity of prior and ongoing experience similar to the stated requirements, over the past three (3) years and provide references for each. Describe for whom the work was accomplished, when the work was accomplished, and the topics trained. Experience that is not relevant to the performance of this requirement is not required and will not be evaluated. Contracts listed may include those entered into with the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial customers.

Include the following information for each award:

(1) Customer Name and Address

(2) Award Number

(3) Award Date and Completion Date

(4) Award Type

(5) Total Award Period of Performance and Dollar Value

(6) Contracting Office Points of Contact (name and telephone number)

(7) Technical Office Points of Contact (name and telephone numbers)

(8) Detailed Description of Services and Topics Trained

3. Factor 2 – Instructor Qualifications

Offerors shall submit the resume(s) of the proposed course instructor(s). The proposed instructor(s) shall be considered Key Personnel. The resume(s) shall show the years of experience the proposed instructor(s) have working in the communications field and interacting with the news media. The resume shall identify, through work responsibilities and positions held, opportunities the proposed instructor has had to work in performing communications and media relations. The resume shall clearly demonstrate the level of expertise the proposed instructor has in the communications field and interacting with the media. The resume shall also identify the instructor(s) experience in delivering training courses, developing courses and scenario-based exercises in media relations, response communications and crisis communications.

Such experience shall be indicated by an appropriate combination of professional experience in the given subject matter, publications, a record of professional presentations and/or teaching, work in related professional organizations, formal earned academic credentials, professional certification/designation, and/or other demonstrable indications of specialized knowledge in their area of instruction.

Prior experience working with or for a government agency involved in response communications is desired but not required.

4. Factor 3 – Technical Approach

The offeror’s technical approach is the degree to which offeror’s technical capabilities satisfy the requirements in SOW. The offeror shall provide a detailed description of its methodology and approach to be used to perform the requirements outlines in Section C.6 of the SOW.

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

Part II - Past Performance:

Offerors shall submit completed past performance and- experience questionnaires from no less than three (3) past references whose requirements are similar in scope to this NTSB requirement.

Offerors shall ask their references to complete the Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment

2) and submit it directly to Janice R. McCoy via email at janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov or via fax: (571) 366-9651. It is the offeror’s responsibility to ensure that Past Performance Questionnaires are completed and timely submitted by customer references, and that correct names, addresses and phone numbers are provided in the responses for each reference. An offeror will not be penalized in the evaluation with an unfavorable rating for lack of past performance or the failure of its past performance references to complete and submit the Past Performance Questionnaires. The Government may contact offerors’ customer references or use other references/information to verify past performance.

Part III - Price Quotes Offerors shall provide the firm-fixed price to provide training services as specified in the SOW (Section C) per course. An estimated annual travel ceiling value shall be provided in the offerors’ price quote as separate line items. At a minimum, offerors shall provide a price quote in accordance with the pricing structure provided in Attachment 4.

L.5 SUBMISSION OF QUOTES

Your quote shall be received no later than 4:00 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time) on December

20, 2021. LATE QUOTES MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Offers shall be transmitted, via e-mail, to the following Janice R. McCoy, Contracting Officer, at janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov.

The maximum file size that the NTSB e-mail server can accept, including attachments, is 35 megabytes (MB). Therefore, the offeror may send each file in a separate e-mail, if the combined file size of the quote will exceed 35MB.

Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be considered for award.

This solicitation neither commits the Government to pay any cost incurred in the submission of the offer nor to contract for services or supplies. Any costs incurred in anticipation of a contract shall be at the offeror’s own risk.

All questions, regarding this RFQ, shall be forwarded, to Janice R. McCoy, Contracting Officer, via e-mail at janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov. ALL QUESTIONS SHALL BE RECEIVED BY 4:00 PM EST, on December 8, 2021. No telephone calls will be accepted.

L.6 ELECTRONIC DISSEMINATION OF RFQ DOCUMENTS

Access to this RFQ and amendments will be posted on the government point of entry Contract Opportunities on the System for Award Management (SAM) website (www.sam.gov). All offerors are cautioned that it is your responsibility to frequently check back to ensure that you have received all issued amendments.

mailto:janice.mccoy@ntsb.gov http://www.sam.gov/

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

L.7 RESPONSIBILITY DETERMINATION

In order to be eligible for award, the Contracting Officer must determine that the Contractor is responsible according to the standards of FAR 9.1, "Responsible Prospective Contractors".

Attachment 1 Solicitation Number: 9531BM22Q0002

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 EVALUATION OF QUOTES

The Government intends to award one (1) contract to the responsible offeror whose quote conforms to the RFQ and will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other non-price factors considered, such that it provides the best value to the Government. Best value is defined as the procurement process that results in the most advantageous acquisition decision for the Government that is performed through an integrated assessment and trade-off analysis between price and non-price factors.

The Government reserves the right to reject any or all quotes if such action is in the public interest.

If a quote is unacceptable in one factor, then the entire quote may be determined to be unacceptable. Under a best value procurement, the NTSB may reasonably determine that the superior solution/approach merits a higher price and, therefore, represents the best value to the Government, or the NTSB may reasonably determine that the offeror with other than the highest rating in non- price factors is the best value. The Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotes. The Government reserves the right to award without discussions.

Offerors are cautioned that they shall submit a best offer with the initial quote. To receive an award, an offeror shall be determined to be responsible according to the standards of FAR 9.1, "Responsible Prospective Contractors".

M.2 EVALUATION FACTORS

The following factors will be evaluated by the Government:

QUOTE PART # FACTORS TITLE

I - Technical Quote Executive Summary (Not Evaluated) 1 Training Experience 2 Instructor Qualifications 3 Technical Approach II – Past Performance Past Performance III – Price Quote Price

The NTSB will evaluate the above factors for each Contractor as well as conduct a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 Evaluation of quotations or offers to determine the Contractor that represents the best value to the NTSB. Technical Factors Training Experience, Instructor Qualifications, and Technical Approach are of equal importance. Technical and Past Performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. In order to be eligible for award, pricing quoted must be determined to be fair and reasonable.