D-Attachment-SOW Organizational Development Support.pdf

Version 11-30-2016-1 FAR Part 11—Describing Agency Needs

STATEMENT OF WORK

(SOW)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Project:

National Institute on Aging (NIA) Organizational Development Support

Statement of Need and Purpose:

To further support the NIA’s workforce development, NIA seeks individual and team guidance through team organizational development trainings or workshops to support various efforts.

Background Information and Objective:

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leads the federal government in conducting and supporting research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. The Institute seeks to understand the nature of aging and the aging process, and diseases and conditions associated with growing older, in order to extend the healthy, active years of life. In the past few years, NIA has received bipartisan congressional support, leading to substantive increases in federal appropriations.

With the rapid financial growth comes an increase in staffing required to manage the increasing workloads. In addition to increasing workloads, the NIA, along with all people and federal agencies, has also been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has forced the workforce to adapt to a remote and hybrid work environment.

The NIA Extramural Research Program (ERP) is comprised of 8 divisions and approximately 15 offices and scientific divisions that work closely together to support NIA’s operations, workforce, and research. Staff also vary in their experience with NIH and the federal government, with several being hired from outside of the organization or federal government. NIA has a blended workforce with both FTE and non- FTE staff. New rapid growth demands enhanced engagement among individual employees and from the team collectively. To do this effectively, employees need the skills and resources to effectively build trust across organizational boundaries to accomplish organizational goals during times of growth. The future of work at the NIA is constantly evolving as a result of the pandemic. With guidance and policies changing across the federal government, NIA employees and supervisors have indicated that they desire tools and resources to effectively manage the future of a hybrid work environment. NIA leaders are seeking creative ways to connect with their staff in the virtual setting and maintain the connection that is often accompanied by in-person interactions by creating a positive and productive environment where high engagement meets high performance.

Period of Performance:

It is anticipated that an IDIQ contract with a 3-year ordering period will be awarded.

Place of Performance:

Workshop planning shall take place at the National Institutes of Health location in Bethesda, MD or virtually.

SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements:

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work below:

Task A: Training To further support the NIA’s workforce development, NIA seeks individual and team guidance through team organizational development trainings or workshops to support various efforts. With the implementation of new workplace flexibilities, hybrid and remote work environments, and rapid program growth, comes the need to enhance engagement across individual employees and collective teams. To do this effectively, employees need the skills and resources to effectively build trust across organizational boundaries and to manage up and across to accomplish organizational goals during times of transition. Employees need the skills and resources to effectively build trust across organizational boundaries to accomplish organizational goals during times of growth and change.

Some examples of the focus for trainings and workshops include, but are not limited to:

establishing psychological safety, teambuilding, collaborating for success, developing and maintaining effective team and stakeholder relationships and partnerships, managing transitions, understanding work style preferences, navigating different personality types in the workplace, DEIA, and advancing strategic planning efforts, how to work successfully in a virtual environment, building trust in a virtual team, giving virtual presentations, managing up in a virtual setting, creating an effective hybrid culture, establishing rules of engagement in a virtual environment, collaborating for success, successfully navigating culture change, managing transitions, defining collaboration in a virtual work environment, and staying connected in a virtual work environment. The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) results as well as other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Surveys should be used to help guide the training and organizational strategy of NIA.

Trainings or workshops may include, but are not limited to, strategic planning, collaboration tools and strategies to approach change, maintaining wellness, building professional relationships with new and current employees, understanding work style preferences, recognizing personality types and differences, and effective communication for managers and employees when recognizing differences in performance. Regardless of the specific focus areas, the trainings and workshops should provide the essential skills and sensibilities all professionals need to successfully manage both small- and large-scale change.

The trainings or workshops shall be held using platforms, tools, and pedagogical strategies determined most effective for team development. This includes anticipated plans to use MS PowerPoint presentation format with additional developmental activities interspersed, and the ability to be presented using the Zoom or Microsoft Teams platforms. In consultation with team leadership, it may be appropriate for some trainings or workshops to be offered in the form of one hour Brown Bags or in smaller incremental learning periods. Copies of presentation slides for each workshop, as well as all materials for developmental training activities, shall be provided in advance in both electronic and hard copy form for workshop participants if in person.

Electronic documents must be Section 508 Compliant.

Estimated number of hours is 300 hours to include preparation, development, and/or delivery of trainings which can include a combination of off the shelf or customized solutions. Based on staff feedback to the NIA training survey, staff preference is virtual trainings in the 60–90-minute range. Training participation may range from all NIA Division(s) Staff to smaller teams.

Task B: Retreats To initially foster team development across the NIA ERP, NIA leadership is seeking a vendor that includes an expert organizational development practitioner to facilitate live, in-person retreats. The purpose of the retreats is to foster psychological safety among team members while developing plans around roles, responsibilities, communication, collaboration, prioritization, and other new team development good practices and focus on building and strengthening relationships across NIA, discovering connections and additional opportunities to contribute to the overall mission of NIA.

The retreats can be held in-person, hybrid or virtual, as requested per Division. Retreat topics can range by division from establishing a vision statement, creating an office culture and norms, strategic planning, and project management, among related areas important to building a new high-performing, cross- functional team.

The full set of retreat details need to be decided in terms of timeframe, length, and number of sessions, among other details. If the retreat(s) will be in person events, they will require onsite presence from the contract vendor in the Bethesda, MD vicinity. Planning for the retreat will require planning meetings with leadership team.

The retreat(s) will take place through the year and will last approximately from 9 am to 4:00 pm or can be broken up into multiple day sessions to keep employees engaged. Planning for the retreat will require up to multiple planning meetings with leadership teams. Materials, including a presentation and hand-outs, should be prepared by the vendor for the retreat(s).

Estimated number of hours is 450 hours to include preparation, development, delivery/facilitation, and evaluation of retreat(s). The NIA would like flexibility to consider timeframe options, particularly if multiple retreat sessions are exercised.

Task C: Teambuilding In addition to pursuing the retreat and training or workshop support, various NIA office and divisions requires team building sessions. The teambuilding should focus on relationships, collaboration, building trust, understanding work style preferences, personality types, managing up, tools for respecting employee's differences, successful hybrid and remote work relationships and various employee engagement topics, among related leading teambuilding practices.

Teambuilding efforts should be personalized for specific teams and in alignment with the strategic direction of the NIA.

NIA is requesting services to support teambuilding across the 8 extramural branches.

Teambuilding should be catered to each individual branch and should be developed in consultation with each Branch Chief or Division Director. Teambuilding should incorporate important themes identified by NIA leadership and should fit within the overall management strategy of NIA.

Estimated number of hours is 600 hours to include preparation, development, and delivery/facilitation of sessions. The NIA would like flexibility for there to be options for teambuilding with the individual NIA ERP Divisions, as well as with related teams. Teambuilding would most likely be virtual or hybrid, with the option for on-site sessions.

Task D: Organizational Development and Effectiveness NIA is requesting a vendor to help facilitate dialogue with NIA senior leaders to help set strategic goals and priorities. The vendor should use assessments to determine current effectiveness and identify opportunities to streamline or enhance NIA business operations.

Leadership is seeking services to assist in the development and implementation of strategies and the development of systems and processes to support the evolving workforce. With the organization’s overall growth, it is imperative that NIA office and divisions can support the mission of NIH through effective organizational management.

Additionally, leadership has a potential need for facilitating group discussions with stakeholders for the purpose of informing the Institute’s Strategic Plan. This could include advisory services with various NIA leadership, team members and stakeholders, and may include guidance on overall professional and career development, leadership competencies, leadership or executive experiences and team management. Advisory services could be in person or virtual and the vendor should be able to conduct and provide advisory feedback and summary reports on insights should this option be exercised.

Estimated number of hours is 600 hours for consultation with NIA ERP Division leadership teams to work on various efforts in an advisory capacity or to facilitate discussion sessions with stakeholders for strategic planning purposes, to include preparation of potential written deliverables.

Specific Requirements:

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

The Government expects each of the retreats, trainings and workshops, or related developmental activities to be given by one (1) organization. The organization shall be considered key personnel for this requirement.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

There will be no access to government computers needed. The government shall provide a workspace for the contractor to bring their own equipment. The location will include both virtual platforms and on site NIA locations in the Bethesda, MD, Rockville, MD and Baltimore, MD areas.

DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES

Deliverables will include after meeting recaps, survey results, etc. The contractor will have 10 business days to deliver the final deliverables from the date of receipt of request. Timely submission of deliverables isessentail to successful completion fo this requirement.

Deliverables can be submitted via electronic copy.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Monthly progress reports will be required and will include dates, times in hours, office name, POC, and brief description of the work and deliverables. A report will be required to be sent to the COR for the contract.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Travel:

Travel will be required for this contract to the Bethesda, MD NIA location. Travel costs shall be included in the contract.

Key Personnel:

The Contractor employee working under this award shall be considered key personnel. Key Personnel requirements are as follows:

At least 10 years of experience in professional coaching and training. Of the 10 years, at least 5 years of experience must be in Government sectors and at least 5 years in the private sector.

At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in developing professional training curriculums and resources for developmental activities for supervisors and employees.

Certified in at least one of the following assessments: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or DiSC Assessment.

Must Possess expertise/certificates relating to Leadership/Professional Development, Organizational Consulting.

Experience working with management teams in a professional setting amidst significant organizational restructuring, streamlining, or substantial change, also experience consulting with newly formed teams.

The proposed Key Personnel will become subject to the provisions of Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) Clause HHSAR 352.237-75 Key Personnel as follows:

The key personnel specified in this contract are considered essential to work performance. At least 30 days prior to the contractor voluntarily diverting any of the specified individuals to other programs or contracts the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and shall submit a justification for the diversion or replacement and a request to replace the individual. The request must identify the proposed replacement and provide an explanation of how the replacement's skills, experience, and credentials meet or exceed the requirements of the contract. If the employee of the contractor is terminated for cause or separates from the contractor voluntarily with less than thirty days’ notice, the Contractor shall provide the maximum notice practicable under the circumstances. The Contractor shall not divert, replace, or announce any such change to key personnel without the written consent of the Contracting Officer. The contract will be modified to add or delete key personnel as necessary to reflect the agreement of the parties.

Data Rights:

The NIA shall have unlimited rights to and ownership of all deliverables provided under this procurement including reports, analyses, recommendations, briefings, work plans, created SOPs and all other deliverables. In addition, it includes any additional deliverables required by contract change. The definition of “unlimited rights” is contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 27.401, “Definitions.” FAR clause 52.227-14, “Rights in Data-General,” is hereby incorporated by reference and shall be made a part of any resulting contract/order.

Section 508—Electronic and Information Technology Standards:

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that Federal agencies’ electronic and information technology (EIT) is accessible to people with disabilities. The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Final Rule for Section 508 (EIT Accessibility) can be found at www.section508.gov and at the Access Board’s Web site at https://www.access-board.gov/508.htm. Unless it is an “undue burden” or compliant products or services do not exist, the products must conform to Section 508. The contractor must state that they will comply with the requirements of Section 508 or cite a justifiable reason for an exception.