ATTACHMENT A - USGCRP SOW.pdf

ATTACHMENT A

STATEMENT OF WORK

FOR

THE U.S. GLOBAL CHANGE

RESEARCH PROGRAM (USGCRP)

SUPPORT SERVICES

AUGUST 2020

Attachment A Statement of Work

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

I. Introduction and Background Information

The Earth Science Division in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is providing this Statement of

Work on behalf of NASA Headquarters. The purpose of this Statement of Work is to provide a framework and scope for general and specialized support services to the U.S. Global Change

Research Program (USGCRP) National Coordination Office (NCO).

USGCRP is a Federal program that coordinates and integrates global change research across 13 government agencies to serve the Nation and the world. The USGCRP began as a Presidential

Initiative in 1989 and was mandated by Congress in the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of

1990 (P.L. 101-606.) to “assist the nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” The Program is directed by the

Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR) under the Committee on Environment of the

National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). NASA is one of the 13 federal agencies identified in the GCRA as founding members of USGCRP.

USGCRP’s mission is “to build a knowledge base that informs human drivers and responses to climate and global change through coordinated and integrated Federal programs of research, assessment, education, communication, and decision support.” To accomplish its mission, the

USGCRP requires technical, analytical and programmatic support. To this end, the USGCRP requires a National Coordination Office (NCO).

The NCO provides technical, analytical and programatic support to the Subcommittee for Global

Change Research, which provides guidance to interagency groups that report to the Subcommittee.

The NCO assists agencies in carrying out the mandated responsbilitiels of the USGCRP including coordination of science needs and investments across the government; the development, production and dissemination of documents and other products; and interactions with the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), as well as domestic and international non-governmental entities.

In summary, the NCO supports a range of communication, information and engagement activities, facilitates and supports the development of documents and products, enables USGCRP’s international responsibilities, and supports special projects that may arise in response to new priorities that are identified by the SGCR and its subgroups, member agencies, and other key stakeholders.

II. Statement of Work – CORE SERVICES

The USGCRP NCO Support Services Contractor shall:

1. Provide expert coordination and logistic support to the SGCR, and the interagency groups, including meeting support, support of subgroups, and SGCR interaction with the

Congress, OMB, OSTP, non-governmental and international organizations, and other

NSTC Subcommittees.

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

The Contractor shall provide technical coordination and program facilitation for the

SGCR, the Working Groups, and other subgroups that may exist. The Contractor shall support the planning and execution of periodic expert meetings and executive sessions, including the development of agendas, presentations, minutes, and records of attendance, and the writing and editing of technical reports and planning documents e.g., Federal Plans, workshop reports, and other documents, as appropriate, as well as other activities required for supporting the program. The

Contractor shall ensure that materials of record are appropriately archived, and that information on SGCR and USGCRP that is posted on the public globalchange.gov website is accurate and up to date. The Contractor shall also maintain the SGCR’s internal website and intranets.

The Contractor shall support SGCR and NCO leadership on program planning and other Subcommittee activities required to help prepare the SGCR for decision-making or action. The Contractor shall assist in drafting and editing reports, budgets, or testimony as directed by the SGCR Chair or USGCRP leadership. The Contractor assists in planning and organizing interagency workshops or other events approved by the SGCR in support of USGCRP priorities. The Contractor shall support the communication and interaction of USGCRP subgroups including interagency groups and task forces, thereby facilitating participation and interagency collaboration, by providing technical and administrative support to subgroups through meeting scheduling, agenda development, taking minutes at meetings, providing inputs to reports and planning documents, and serving as designated points of contact as requested by subgroup Co-chairs.

The Contractor shall support and facilitate meetings with the National Academies of

Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee to Advise the USGCRP.

Support for this requirement will involve extensive subject matter expertise and knowledge of federal research and the workings of the NASEM. Contractor will work with NASEM Committee staff and the SGCR to coordinate and support 1-2 meetings per year between USGCRP and the NASEM Committee to Advise the

USGCRP, including tracking topics for discussion, developing agendas, identifying key topics and speakers for meetings, and ensuring that USGCRP leadership is prepared to participate in the meetings. Outcomes from these meetings may include recommendations for new studies, metrics, or assessments of USGCRP progress. In addition to routine meetings of the NASEM Committee, the Contractor shall facilitate the NASEM Committee’s review of key USGCRP products as directed by the SGCR.

As a Cabinet-level body managed by the Executive Office of the President

(EOP), the NSTC, its Subcommittees, and working groups require extremely high standards of expertise and professionalism. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring strict adherence to NSTC operational guidelines, policies and procedures.

2. Provide technical and operational expertise to support the production of the quadrennial

National Climate Assessments, other major assessments, and associated products in an

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

efficient and productive manner, with the understanding that the precise authorship of and details of the process through which these products are developed will differ for each individual report.

The Contractor shall provide subject matter expertise, technical and operational support to USGCRP’s sustained assessment activities, including development of the quadrennial National Climate Assessment (NCA). This includes supporting and facilitating, as appropriate, the development, production, quality assurance, editing, review, revision, and final deployment of each report according to all pertinent

Information Quality Act, Evidence Act and other federal, standards including those governing submission for necessary reviews and approvals, and release of the final approved reports to the public. The dissemination of assessment reports will vary depending on their nature and guidance from the SGCR. The Contractor shall also support the continued development of the Global Change Information System, in coordination with the SGCR, NCA leadership, and other partners that may include agency-provided technical support capabilities.

USGCRP and its member agencies play a pivotal role in coordinating and supporting the active engagement of the Nation’s scientific community in appropriate international assessments, to ensure, among other things, that U.S. national interests are represented. The Contractor shall coordinate and support USGCRP’s role in facilitating U.S. scientists’ participation in, and government and expert review of, global assessments of the climate produced by several international entities, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Arctic

Council, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and

Ecosystem Services. The Contractor shall also support USGCRP participation in other NSTC Committee on Environment entities such as those for the Arctic, oceans, and Earth Observation .

3. Provide expert technical and operational support for mandated strategic documents, including the annual report to Congress, Our Changing Planet, as well as periodic

USGCRP Strategic Plans and updates thereto.

USGCRP is required by law to produce an annual report to Congress.

USGCRP is required by law to produce a decadal Strategic Plan and to update that

Plan every three years.

The Contractor shall provide technical and operational support for the preparation of strategic plans, annual reports, and other reports. Required support will include scheduling, planning, project management and workflow management of multiple simultaneous teams and activities, specialized technical writing, editing, coordinating the work of technical experts and the receipt of input materials from working groups and task teams, facilitation of reviews and revisions, and production and dissemination of final products in both print and/or electronic formats. For products that require consultation with and/or review by the NASEM Committee, the

Contractor will facilitate that interaction.

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

4. Provide timely and responsive coordination and support of USGCRP planning and budget activities.

The Contractor shall assist in coordinating interagency activities through the SGCR, and interagency groups, to align programmatic activities with USGRP focus areas.

The Contractor shall manage financial operations in support of the NCO, its subsidiary activities, and support of non-governmental U.S. scientists travel for international assessments. The Contractor will support development of the Annual

Programmatic and Budget Planning and Tracking Activities of the USGCRP, including concentrated support in planning, tracking, and reporting on the NCO and its subsidiary activities & travel portions of the USGCRP Distributed Cost Budget

(DCB). In addition, the Contractor will assist the SGCR and Executive Director in coordinating input across the other two components of the USGCRP DCB (i.e., the

NASEM Committee Contract and International Activities Funding), in order to ensure seamless reporting back to the SGCR on each component.

The Contractor will support USGCRP Leadership in developing, justifying, and reporting on annual programmatic plans and corresponding budgets for the NCO and subsidiary activities and related travel, in addition to adhering to the terms and conditions of the contracting agreement with NASA. The Contractor will lead the coordination and development of the annual program plan and draft budget for each succeeding fiscal year, evaluating and improving upon prior years’ efforts, and working with NCO program leads to develop adequate program element work plans and resource requests.

5. Conduct effective communication and stakeholder engagement activities in support of

USGCRP objectives and provide excellent customer service for stakeholders that may make ad hoc requests for information regarding global and climate change.

The Contractor will provide staff to support the Congressionally-mandated U.S.

Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO), which is implemented through USGCRP’s web-based Resource Library, library.globalchange.gov. The library provides a searchable catalog of all USGCRP publications, as well as key resources available from agencies and partners (e.g., IPCC, NASEM, etc.), with both downloadable electronic versions, and hard copies when available.

The Contractor will manage the Resource Library inventory, updating the website and stock inventory as necessary, and fulfill orders for hard copy reports in a timely manner.

The Contractor shall maintain and update the information on the main USGCRP website on a regular basis, while seeking opportunities to advance and improve the information and usability of the website.

The Contractor shall provide expert support and coordination for workshops, town hall meetings (including those that may be carried out at meetings of professional

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

societies such as the American Geophysical Union and/or American Meteorological

Society), panel discussions, exhibits at national and/or international meetings, and other Working Group engagement activities developed through USGCRP and its associated assessment activities. This may include travel by domestic and foreign participants in these activities, including employees of foreign governments as required to fulfill the USGCRP mandate. The Contractor is not responsible for the travel of civil servants, which would be authorized by those employees’ agencies.

6. Provide high quality, timely and responsive operational support for the National

Coordination Office, to include office management, reception, and general office support.

The Contractor shall provide comprehensive, on-site management support to the

USGCRP in order to manage and maintain the NCO, including overall office management.

The Contractor shall have responsibility for oversight of the USGCRP National

Coordination Office.

The Contractor will support the USGCRP Leadership in assessing the NCO’s current and likely future workloads, identifying required skills and abilities, and managing and balancing workloads to meet the needs of the program at any given time. The

NCO leverages the talents and availabilities of staff members from multiple sources

(e.g., one or more contractors, subcontractors, independent consultants, interns, AAAS and other professional society fellows, agency detailees, etcetera). The

Contractor may also be required to assist the USGCRP Executive Director or NSTC with planning for and supporting the approval and on-boarding process for agency detailees.

The Contractor will provide dedicated programmatic administrative support and services for ongoing management of day-to-day operational needs for the NCO, including general reception, obtaining and maintaining necessary equipment and maintenance agreements, purchasing and procurement of hardware, software & office supplies, and administration of shared resources (e.g., conference rooms, telecon and virtual meeting capabilities, etc.). The Contractor will ensure continuity and expertise of administrative support and services to the highest professional standards and in compliance with industry best practices.

The Contractor is responsible for all technical training of Contractor staff, unless otherwise directed by the Government. The Contractor shall provide technical staffing proficient in the tools and technologies utilized and supported under this contract. The Contractor may seek an exception when directed to implement a new technology and it is in the Government’s best interest to utilize existing contract staff.

The Contractor shall provide Information Technology (IT) seats, peripherals, and general shared office support equipment for up to 40 contract employees and

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

government detailees in the NCO, and cell phones for contract employees whose duties require them. This includes, but is not limited to, required onsite personnel in the following functional areas: USGCRP Leadership, SGCR General Support, National Climate Assessment, and other project staff. IT seats of comparable functionality shall be furnished by the Contractor to accommodate additional workers hired by the Contractor and additional Government detailees who may be assigned to support specific task orders under the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite

Quantity (IDIQ) portion of the contract.

The Contractor shall ensure that support services and equipment including, but not limited to, conference facilities, scheduling, wireless connectivity, teleconferencing services, virtual meeting capabilities, and presentation capabilities are in good working order and available when scheduled. The Contractor shall have overall responsibility for the quality, timeliness, and delivery of services that support scheduled USGCRP meetings and activities.

7. Provide high quality, timely and responsive operational support for USGCRP

Information Technology services, including office IT support, the USGCRP website, and the Global Change Information System (GCIS).

The USGCRP NCO maintains infrastructural networking, data management, and connectivity services, social media such as, but not limited to, Facebook and Twitter as well as a website: https://www.globalchange.gov. The Contractor shall manage all aspects of the IT systems and website for the NCO to ensure compliance with government and IT security policies and procedures as specified, including any required reporting of non-compliance or security breaches. The Contractor shall ensure that systems are in working order and shall have competency to evaluate, design, document, install, implement, test, troubleshoot, and/or monitor a complex range of computer network components and systems, to review and investigate non-compliance issues; to ensure that all staff are trained and adhere to IT policies; and review, track, and monitor all security policies and procedures that are critical parts of this requirement; and to conduct inspections, audits and investigations that result from any issues found.

The Contractor shall provide expert capabilities in the design, development, coding, testing, and debugging of new websites and/or web-based tools to support the research coordination, public dissemination of information and products, and communications and engagement needs of the program. The Contractor shall also perform enhancements to existing applications and work with staff to understand and solve technical problems with the websites and/or web-based tools; resolve customer complaints; respond to suggestions for modifications or enhancements; participate in the development of user manuals and other guidance materials.

In addition to its general IT needs, USGCRP continues to develop and implement the global change information system (GCIS). GCIS is a cutting edge system to document and display provenance and tracability of scientific findings. This system supports the National Climate Assessment as well as other products across the

RFP # 80HQTR20R0016

Federal government. GCIS enables more timely access to information, the capacity to provide services to a much broader set of audiences, more transparency of data and results, and the ability to update information in real time. The GCIS is a key feature of USGCRP information delivery and report deployment strategy and supports compliance with Federal data quality standards. The Contractor shall provide expert capabilities in database environment creation, standards, controls, procedures, and documentation to support the GCIS, including helping to ensure interoperability with USGCRP web sites and web-based applications – in particular the National Climate Assessment and associated products.

III. Statement of Work – IDIQ SERVICES

This Statement of Work represents a comprehensive set of core requirements in the areas of program management, program-wide services, and specialized support. Other related services may be required during the life of the contract to provide direct support to the USGCRP and/or NCO in the areas of subject matter expert support, information management and delivery, and technical support. These other services will be ordered through the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity provisions of the contract.

IV. Reporting Requirements and Deliverables:

The Contractor shall attend a post-award meeting.

The Contractor shall attend periodic teleconference meetings to brief the NASA Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR) and team on progress/status, plans, and issues.

The Contractor shall provide quarterly written progress reports to brief the NASA

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and team on longer-term progress/status, plans, and issues.