Attachment 1 - Statement of Work.pdf

Attachment 1

RFQ 75N94024R00028

STATEMENT OF WORK

FIC STRATEGIC PLANNING, EVALUATION, PROGRAMMATIC AND PROJECT SUPPORT SERVICES

BACKGROUND

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) is dedicated to advancing the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by supporting and facilitating global health research conducted by U.S. and international investigators, building partnerships between health research institutions in the U.S. and abroad, and training the next generation of scientists to address global health needs. FIC organization is comprised of the following divisions and offices: the Office of Director (OD); the Division of International Epidemiology and Population Studies (DIEPS); the Division of International Relations (DIR); the Division of International Science Policy, Planning and Evaluation (DISPPE); the Division of International Training and Research (DITR); the Office of Administrative Management and International Services (OAMIS); the Office of Communications As related to its mission, the FIC has increased partnerships with other Federal agencies as well as outside organizations in recent years. FIC has a need for organized and planned support in the execution of programs, projects, and related tasks.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this BPA is to provide FIC strategic planning, evaluation, programmatic and project support in the US and abroad for the following activities: 1) virtual, hybrid and in person meeting and logistical support for workshops, conferences and meetings; 2) travel support for participants, including lodging and ground transportation as required from diverse geographic locations with some that may require special accommodations;

3) grant and contract support including sub awards monitoring, 4) directed payments for interns, contractors and other specialist consultants and procurements, 5) training, strategic planning and development program services.

However, not all work performed can be anticipated, and the work that might be required under this contract is not limited to these examples.

The Contractor shall provide support and services in the following technical categories:

1. Logistical Meeting and Conference Support

2. Travel Support

3. Grant and Contract Support

4. Direct Payment Support

5. Training, Strategic Planning and other Support

TASKS TO BE PERFORMED

• Publications in the scientific journals, presentations at relevant scientific meetings and conferences, and consultations with national, bi-lateral, and multi-lateral health and development agencies are the primary mechanisms through which the results of DIEPS research are disseminated.

• Designs, structures and implements program assessments, this project is an ongoing effort to assess disease control priorities and produce evidence-based analysis and resource materials to inform health policymaking in developing countries.

• Formulate publications in reputable scientific journals, training materials, and research tool kits.

• Exploratory studies to uncover the extent to which HIV infection influences the etiopathogenesis of the NCDs;

and to identify and develop appropriate approaches for effective diagnosis, prevention, therapeutic interventions and integrated clinical care for persons living with HIV PLWH with the comorbid conditions.

• Solicit case studies on adaptation strategies in response to climate change and their impact or potential impact on public health outcomes. Select 8-12 case studies on adaptation strategies with focused analysis on diverse health outcomes from different geographical areas.

• Engage with leading climate and health-focused journals to explore the potential to publish the selected case studies.

• Provide per diem (to include hotel costs, departure tax, ground transportation, (Visa costs and meals and incidental’s expenses), the per diem amount will be calculated using Federal Government travel regulations.

• Travel advances- most participants will require their air travel costs to be provided in advance. For those participants arranging their own travel, receipts will be required for reimbursement of air travel cost.

• Provide FIC Project Officer with travel receipts for reimbursement of air travel cost.

• Involves developing mathematical models to procure country-level data on the NCD burden in PLWH as well as modeling the effect of integrating NCD and HIV care for PLWH.

• Meeting and Conference support. researching and/or reserving venues for meeting-relating gatherings as requested. Arrange and pay for conference facilities within the U.S. and abroad (usually low- and middle-income countries).

• Arrange and pay for hotel accommodations and local travel at Conference location. This may require disbursing funds onsite within developing countries.

• Provide on-site logistical support within the U.S. or abroad, usually in low- and middle-income countries with some meetings and conferences taking place in remote areas. Most on-site support will be needed both before and during the conference. Although dependent on size of meeting and support needs, the average number of support staff needed is approximately two to three per meeting.

• Disburse funds in foreign country when on-site as necessary.

• Provide travel planning services for lodging, airfare, ground transport and other arrangements for research and training activities conducted in the US and abroad.

• Making logistical arrangements for workshops requires regular communication with facilitators, participants, and program staff before, during, and after the workshop.

• Reserve conference space and hotel rooms, and arrange for video/IT support as needed. Upfront booking and reimbursement options are required to support travelers.

• In the weeks leading to a workshop, submit weekly status reports to inform FIC staff of the progress of travel arrangements.

• Send travel memos to all meeting participants at least a week before travel takes place.

• Coordinate and submit payments to interns, contractors and other specialist consultants in support of program activities.

• Disburse funds in foreign country when on-site as necessary.

• Collect, organize and provide data analysis support for the development of scientific publications; and, to train and build capacity with collaborating institutions.

• Submit payment for services associated with project activities/execution such as publication of fees; data management services; field research supplies; training and development programs and services; data analysis services and support; subcontractors to collaborating institutions for specific project deliverables and project execution.

• Remit final payment for off-site consultancy services.

• Coordinate services for publications, printing, and online dissemination of journal supplements.

• Coordinate plants for assembling, printing, and delivering meeting or project related materials as requested.

• Provide services for web updates and services; and support as required by other FIC divisions, offices and programs.

• Provide administrative and program support for records, date, and analysis reporting.

• Facilitate the delivery of Leadership training and development, strategic management support planning and activities.

• Act as a point of contact between participants and FIC staff and co-organizers prior and following the conferences and meetings. This will include responding promptly to participants’ inquiries via fax or email about travel, reimbursement or general information.

• Identify and work with foreign subcontractors for conferences and meetings.

• Provide escorted services for high-level foreign and U.S. officials.

• Prepare conference materials and deliver to participants, project officer and/or conference site within the U.S.

and abroad.

• Provide support for participants who may be from the United States or any other country.

• Supplying a rooming list to hotel staff, including meeting attendee arrival and departure dates.

• Facilitating weekly or bi-weekly project update meetings, and written project updates or reports if request by the project lead.

• Provide timely payments to the system developers.

• Provide (as requested) an up-to-date spreadsheet of balances.

• Support FIC in the evaluation of its extramural portfolio.

• Assist in the design and execution of program evaluations using methodology agreed on by the Task Leader and using the FIC Evaluation Framework as a guide use all necessary methods to ensure that evaluation questions are answered. Submit a preliminary implementation plan for the evaluation based on the information provided. The following is a list of possible tasks depending on the contractor’s capabilities and type of evaluation as determined by FIC:

o Provide documents, review and guidance during the OMB clearance process.

o Advise on and secure reviewers.

o Collect existing program data, analyze data, and write data analysis section of briefing book.

o Compile briefing book.

o Identify and schedule interviews, write interview protocol.

o Arrange logistics for review meeting.

o Facilitate review, record interviews, produce (with panelists) draft review report.

o Coordinate the writing of the final report with the reviewers Produce final report.

o Analyze and utilize results of feasibility surveys to design an Outcome Evaluation (OE) o Work with FIC to assemble an advisory committee for the OE and keep them informed of progress attend and present at two advisory committee meetings and two advisory conference calls.

o Define OE objectives and revise associated logic model.

o Design, pretest and obtain OMB clearance for web-based survey of PIs.

o Provide help desk and other support as necessary for web-based survey.

o Conduct web-based surveys and analysis, database analyses, and other data gathering activities.

o Conduct analyses including bibliometric analysis.

o Prepare and finalize an outcome evaluation report.

o Prepare and conduct briefing for FIC and its NIH partners on the findings of the evaluation report.

o Summarize the final report that documents the evaluation process and highlights the program’s performance, overall operations, and future recommendations.

o Attend (by phone or in person) planning meetings (as needed) with Fogarty staff to help guide development of the finished product.

o Review report, extract salient facts, and summarize the report in lay language, suitable for broad audiences.

• Facilitate peer-reviewed research grant competitions through the following steps:

o Assist with competition development, announcement and posting.

o Establish research areas for the competition based on regional relevance and/or FIC preference.

o Work with FIC to create a comprehensive request for proposals.

o Identify target audience for marketing and calling for proposals.

o Conduct remote sessions for target audiences to explain competition requirements, answer questions, encourage proposal submission and generally facilitate submission of proposals.

o For Application submissions - Use a web-based electronic proposal submission system to receive proposals efficiently, confidentially, and with standard information.

o Provide internal review and screening applications for eligibility and completeness.

o Use U.S. laws and international standards, screen proposals and participants to ensure compliance with U.S. export controls, apply bioethics guidelines for proposals involving human or animal subjects research, and plagiarism.

o Remediating proposals: Depending upon FICs preferences, facilitate a remediation stage to allow applicants to correct minor proposal issues prior to technical review.

o Provide independent, external peer review for identifying evaluation criteria based on competition design and objectives.

o Establish Conflict of Interest Guidelines in identifying expert reviewers ensuring a fair, meritorious research competition.

• Process directed payments to research interns, contractors and other specialist consultants.

• The contractor shall work closely with FIC Federal Staff to identify training needs and mapping out development plans for teams and individuals.

• Will collaborate with Federal staff to manage, design, develop, coordinate and conduct all training programs.

• Collaborate with FIC Federal staff to map out annual training plans for all areas of management, HR, customer support and more.

• Work with FIC Federal staff to design and develop training programs (outsourced and/or in-house).

• Collaborate with FIC Federal staff to select appropriate training methods or activities (e.g., simulations, mentoring, group, on-the-job training, and professional development) including but not limited to a mix of multi-day, full day, and half day workshops.

• The contractor shall provide any pre-workshop session activities such as standardized assessments or instruments of which will be determined prior to each training commencement.

• The contractor shall prepare potential homework activities specifically focusing on continuous learning tools and techniques geared towards participants practicing their recently learned developmental skills.

• Market available training to FIC staff and users and provide necessary information about sessions.

• Closely collaborate with FIC Federal staff to conduct organization-wide training needs assessment and identify skills or knowledge gaps that need to be addressed.

• Work with FIC Federal staff to design, prepare and order educational aids and materials.

• Gather valuable feedback from trainers and trainees after each educational session. Collaborate with FIC

Federal staff to partner with internal/external stakeholders and liaise with experts regarding instructional design.

• Maintain updated curriculum database and training records easily accessible by FIC Federal Staff. Research and recommend new training methods.

• prepare a 508 compliant electronic questionnaire to be completed by all program participants regarding their overall evaluation upon completion of the training.

• Provide input, plan and track activities for website design and development.

• Track, maintain, and report budget spenddown for projects and programs.

• Develop planning, reporting and project planning tools for events, evaluations, travel, and other services requests related to programs and projects.

• Provide succession planning services for administrative projects and programs.

• Attend relevant planning meetings, teleconferences, conferences, and forums as directed by the COR.

• Prepare agendas, minutes, briefings, speeches, papers, letters, manuals, job aids, or other documents at the request of the COR.

• Design dashboards and related tools.

Requirements-Management and Administration The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager (PM) for the performance of this request. The PM shall serve as the principal point of contact for the Government. Key personnel, including the Program Manager, must be an employee of the prime contractor. The PM shall provide support and services and be responsible for the delivery of all requested services.

Period of Performance The period of performance for this BPA will cover a 5-year ordering period. The anticipated ordering period is September 15, 2024, through September 14, 2029. The BPA is considered complete when the purchases under it equal its total dollar limitation, if any, or when its stated time period expires.

Resultant BPA calls may include option periods in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. The specific terms and conditions will be specified in each call.

Place of Performance

The Contractor shall be expected to perform the primary duties and functions off-site; however, may be required to provide staff to perform specific tasks on-site at the NIH offices in Bethesda, MD, unless otherwise approved by the Government. The Government shall provide office space, desktops, telephones, necessary security level access, and all equipment and software deemed necessary by the COR to perform the activities listed in this SOW.

DELIVERABLES

Item Deliverable Due Date to COR/CO

1 Pre-task Work Plan: For each new Project Assignment, the Contractor will schedule and attend an initial meeting with the COR, the designated Task Leader, and appropriate contract staff. This meeting will be for the purpose of discussing the Project/Assignment objectives, the expectations, and requirements of the FIC, potential problems and cost estimates. The Contractor shall submit a draft Work Plan to the COR for comments to be incorporated into the Work Plan. The Contractor will finalize the Plan and forward it to the COR for approval.

Format: submit Pre-task Work plan in WORD document or EXCEL spreadsheet, with who, what, when, where column structure to help execute the tasks, meetings, and/or projects. For example:

When providing travel services for attendees the contractor will be responsible for providing with an up-to-date spreadsheet that includes:

• An accurate accounting of all expenses incurred, as of the date the spreadsheet was requested

• A listing of sponsored attendees and the status of their respective travel arrangements, as of the date the spreadsheet was requested, attendee travel arrangement status updates should include:

• Arrival date to the meeting

• Departure date

• Visa status, cost, travel cost (if applicable)

• Airfare cost

• Number of sponsored nights of lodging

• Number of nights of non-sponsored lodging (if requested by the traveler)

• Per diem rate for the meeting location

• Number of per diem days required to attend the meeting

• Per diem adjustment (if applicable)

• Total cost of incidentals

• Ground transportation cost

• Total expense amount budgeted

• Total expenses incurred

As specified by COR

2 Completion Report: Upon completion of each Task Order, the Contractor will prepare and submit to the COR documentation that the Project Assignment is completed and the total costs. The report will list Project Assignment title, Project Manager, start and completion dates, brief description of the Project Assignment, a detailed account of all services provided, records of any problems experienced, and a detailed breakdown of costs associated with the performance of the Project Assignment. One copy of all documents written, edited, or designed by the Contractor under the Project Assignment will be attached. All data files and other material produced, as part of the Project Assignment will be delivered to the COR or her/his designee.

As specified by COR

Format: Provide report in a WORD or PDF document to include graphs, charts, trackers, etc. that may help depict the necessary information. The contractor shall prepare and ensure all reports and documents are 508 compliant upon submission to the CO and

COR.

3 Monthly Report: The Contractor will submit a narrative progress report and a financial report for the previous month. The narrative report will contain:

• A description, by task, of the Contractor’s program activities.

• Current status of each ongoing Project Assignment.

• Proposed activities for the upcoming period.

• Anticipated deadlines.

• Any problems during the past month, or are anticipated, during the upcoming month and proposed solutions.

In addition, the Contractor may be required to give timely and accurate reports on the status of any Project Assignment at any point in each month at the request of the COR or

CO.

1) The Contractor will provide monthly progress reports and monthly financial reports for each division and office to the COR and program management in agreed formats, but the COR and program management holds the right to update the reporting formats and methodology.

The contractor shall prepare and ensure all reports and documents are 508 compliant upon submission to the CO and COR.

Monthly, NTE the 10th calendar day

OR,

Monthly, at or before the 15th of each month.

4 Financial reports to include data/information broken out by Technical Area, broken down by Task/Assignment/Request order, period of performance, funds awarded, funds remaining and comments section, or as directed.

• Contractor will provide monthly financial reports and briefings to the COR, in agreed formats, but the COR holds the right to update the reporting formats and methodology.

• The Contractor will link the work it accomplishes to the labor hours budgeted, expended and projected. Reports will address any outstanding problems and issues and the nature and status of their resolution.

• Project-specific accounts will require discrete management and reporting of funds and activities. Therefore, financial reports should be broken down by the different projects managed by each respective division or office.

The contractor shall prepare and ensure all reports and documents are 508 compliant upon submission to the CO and COR.

To be submitted as an Appendix to each Monthly, Annual (Summary), and Final Status report

5 Annual Report: On a yearly basis the Contractor will submit to the CO and COR an Annual Report that includes:

• description of the significant activities and accomplishments that have occurred in the preceding year, problems encountered, and the resolution of those problems.

• statistical summary of all tasks/assignments/requests (cumulative costs, cost analyses, and trends) from the past year.

Annually - within ten

(10) business days after the end of the Base Period and any Option Periods exercised

6 Final status report: The Report will contain an overview as well as a section providing details for each of the Task Areas and all subtask areas. Statistical summaries of all activities (cumulative costs, cost analyses and trends) will be reported by year. The Final Report will also detail any problems encountered and the resolution of those problems, as

Final Report is due one month following the conclusion of the contract.

well as recommendations and conclusions based on experience and the results obtained over the course of the contract

7 Initial Transition-In Plan shall detail how services will be transferred from the incumbent contractor to the successor.

Provide within 30 days of contract award

8 Transition-Out report shall provide how any/all electronic and physical files shall be transferred; communication and coordination with successor and FIC; provide provisions for SOPs to successor; and provide all software developed, purchased, or altered to FIC and successor.

Provide 90 days before the end of the period of performances.

9 Directed Payments Interns, contractors and other specialist consultants organize and conduct research and training activities for FIC programs. They develop and complete the research and training activities, manage associated data and data collection, and publish scientific findings and other reports that constitute the tangible outcomes and deliverables of the program. The Contractor will remit payment as follows:

(a) Make Monthly or Quarterly payments, Single Installment, or other payment schedules. Interns, contractors and other specialist consultants affiliated with research and training activities are engaged in both short- and long-term agreements, usually 3 months to 3 years, and receive monthly payments. For each short-term subcontractor, a project assignment details the duration and amount of payments anticipated at the start of his/her work with the program. It is critical that payments to them be accurate and prompt. The following list of steps is a guide, and not considered exhaustive:

a. Within 3 business days of receiving the project assignment/request, the Contractor is to contact each recipient to set up the terms and method of payment

b. Funds are to be distributed by check, ACH payment, or wire transfer (international) on the first business day of the month

c. If a short-term subcontractor’s assignment is terminated before the end of the established terms, the Contractor is to promptly terminate payments, as instructed by DIEPS Director or designate

d. Payments are to be confirmed to DIEPS Director and the COR or designate with the monthly invoice

e. At the end of the year, the Contractor is to send 1099 MISC tax form to all monthly payment recipients

10 Web Services: The FIC requires assistance to perform regular timely updates to specific program pages on its website, design and development of a new FIC home page, creation and maintenance of a new, searchable, web-based reporting database, and assistance in the design and creation of content changes needed to improve usability of the website.

The contractor shall utilize industry-standard development tools and technologies that are strongly supported and widely available. All Web page revisions must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as all other applicable Federal guidelines.