DRAFT_SOW_RFI_SEM_1.docx

Scope of Work

1.0 Background

The National Park Service (NPS) Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate (NRSS) provides leadership, expertise, and scientific information to ensure that the natural resources of NPS managed lands remain unimpaired for future generations. NRSS coordinates natural resource inventory and monitoring activities; implements technical natural resource management solutions; acts as a national clearinghouse for natural resource management information; and informs NPS staff and the public about natural resource management programs and activities. NRSS has a multi-disciplinary staff that includes scientists, natural resource managers, information technology specialists, policy and regulatory compliance experts, and educators. Natural resource topics addressed by components of NRSS include: water resources, geology, soils, air resources, natural sounds, night skies, biological resources, climate change, social sciences, and compliance with environmental regulations. The Social Science Program (SSP):

· Provides leadership and direction to the social science activities of the NPS

· Coordinates social science activities with other programs of the NPS

· Acts as liaison with other federal agencies on social science activities

· Provides technical support to parks, regions, and program offices

· Supports a program of applied social science research related to national research needs of the NPS Socioeconomic information is called for under a wide variety of law and policy, including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Wilderness Act, National Parks and Recreation Act, and 2006 NPS Management Policies. The SSP acts as the centralized repository for socioeconomic research and analytical efforts while facilitating the types of work being conducted. This information feeds into program efforts related to technical assistance, project management, research and analysis development, peer review, and planning integration.

NRSS requires an understanding of social science information regarding visitors and how they contribute to in-park, regional, and agency-wide performance in achieving goals outlined in strategic planning, management documents, and compliance with law and policy.

This Statement of Work (SOW) encompasses a broad spectrum of socioeconomic research and analysis. It was developed by the NPS Social Science Branch (SSB) with assistance from the NPS management units, regions, and programs.

The variation of temporal and geographic scales, political and stakeholder interests in NPS issues, and potential of management actions to affect various indirect and direct socioeconomic issues require the development of a broad array of social science research and analytical tools and products. The breadth of these studies will be outlined below and contextually refined within each Task Order placed against this IDIQ with the intent that this acquisition vehicle will allow easier access to skilled social scientists and economists to conduct research and associated analyses within the discipline.

The range of contracted studies will provide depth within the types of visitor use research available to the agency and also ensure consistency of general visitor use studies, dependent on parks’ needs. This ensures a balance between customization of studies and a degree of uniformity for issues of comparability within larger agency compilation and distillation. Understanding visitor use and social issues surrounding NPS planning and management through conducting research and analysis will be performed within tangible projects outlined in each Task Order.

Some of the services described in this scope of work include studies that support continuing programs. As such, the Contractor will provides services and cooperation at the end of this contract to any succeeding vendors who work on studies or projects that must be continued without interruption.

Each Task Order will be individually funded, and the volume of these Task Orders may range widely through time as a result based on park and program demand.

2.0 Description of Services

1. Compliance Requirements: The Contractor shall be compliant with NPS publications management (Publications (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)), peer review, 508 accessibility compliance, and data preservation (SQL Server compatibility).

2. Types of Research: The Contractor will be expected utilize the following types of exploration as applicable:

1) Primary research where the Contractor develops, implements, analyzes and reports upon the study.

2) Secondary research where the Contractor applies known and NPS identified existing data sources to conduct analyses and report results. Where NPS will be identifying existing data sources, those will be identified at the Task Order level.

3) Data mining where the Contractor explores applicable current academic and management body of research and associated data and may or may not be directed to conduct analyses as part of the effort.

3. Task Types The types of socioeconomic efforts herein categorize various context-specific studies that can be selected per Task Order. Respondent universe and the agency issues of interest will be outlined specifically in each Task Order for the Contractor to formulate study approaches for agency review and acceptance.

Type 1: In-Park/Management Unit Visitor Studies Understanding in-park visitors allows land managers to make better decisions on visitor experiences and the protection of resources. These studies can include, yet is not limited to, survey research, focus groups and semi-structure interviews that seek to understand visitor values and attitudes of a variety of different resource and experiential conditions. Notably but not exclusively, these studies include the VSP type studies that have been conducted historically under cooperative agreement by the NPS SSB (https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Collection/Profile/3738). Intercept methods could include road and pedestrian-based, web-hosted methods based on the details of the park travel system architecture and respondent universe.

Type 2: Personnel and Partner Studies These studies are designed to investigate internal agency and department issues from Federal staff comprised within and with partners. These studies would provide valuable in-depth data on issues related but not limited to workforce management, empowerment and equity, management values and attitudes, personal values and attitudes, evaluations on agency culture and resource conditions, agency efficacy, etc.

Type 3: Regional Economic Impact and Economic Welfare Studies Numerous economic welfare studies are needed regularly by the NPS SSB and park units. These analyses would include mostly existing data but may occasionally include primary data collection. Common studies would include Cost/Benefit and Regulatory Flexibility Analyses, but may also include choice studies, willingness to pay and visitor spending profile estimates. These analyses would relate to federal rulemaking, NEPA economic impact analysis, impacts from national parks for regional, agency, and department-wide compilation and reporting.

Type 4: Recreation, Transportation and Carrying Capacity Studies Recreation, transportation and carrying capacity issues are significant throughout the National Park System. As a result, many parks seek to better understand use conditions on the ground through socioeconomic research. These studies comprising of mainly primary data collections would include both evaluative, descriptive, or a combination of both types of data to understand how visitors feel about their experiences across a variety of hypothetical and real conditions. Studies could include visitor movement, travel pattern studies, and visitor use level estimation to compare to visitor evaluations of conditions and how they change over time and under various use levels. Additionally, a significant focus of research in conflict is expected between various activity groups that utilize the same areas and may impact experiences of others.

Type 5: Non-Visitor Studies These studies include displacement and awareness studies by respondent universes currently outside of the National Park System which could include but are not limited to gateway community and regional stakeholders, historic visitors that decide not to go to national parks, potential future visiting members of the public, and NPS program participants. Question types would focus largely on awareness, experience use/history, values and attitudes, visitor characteristics, motives or constraints to behaviors the NPS would like to instill and foster to engage, educate, and serve the public. An example of this type of work would be the NPS Comprehensive Survey of the American Public (https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Collection/Profile/3807).

Type 6: Peer Review Management Numerous studies, conducted by other vendors and investigators will require external peer review, as called upon by the NPS Peer Review Interim Guidelines (http://www.nps.gov/policy/Interimpeerreview.htm). This will include management of these processes and identification and payment of subject matter experts to provide reviews. These procedures will have to be well documented to show consolidation and appropriate response to peer reviewers’ comments. Peer review management would require acquisition of peer reviewers that meet the requirements for subject matters experts, outlining time lines of the reviews, author(s) response and documentation of the entire process leading to subsequent product refinement.

4. Research Development, Analysis, and Reporting Steps Slight variations in research and analytical steps may occur based on context and as required by the various types of research per Section A.2 Types of Research. The distinct requirements will be identified at the Task Order level.

Step 1: As outlined in each Task Order, develop socioeconomic research and/or analysis needs from information provided by park/program/SSP.

· Within 30 days of the award, the Contractor shall develop a program work flow outlining milestones and delivery dates for tasks/deliverables identified, define methodology, and field protocols (as needed for primary research); collectively this requirement will be called the Study Implementation Plan (SIP). Specifically the SIP must include a thorough outline that demonstrates an understanding of the realities of field collections in the particular park unit, visitor travel modes in park units and intercepts that seek representative population samples, and incorporates an understanding that time is of the essence in regards to the usability of this information by the agency.

· Data management protocols within the SIP that conforms to SQL Server Compliant database use that can easily be transferred to the SSP and other users of these raw data. Database architecture shall be reviewed and approved by NPS SSP for ease of transference and querying.

· Conduct a post award conference call to review and clarify logistics, considerations, and the overall SIP to ensure adequacy and Contractor understanding.

· Approval must be granted by the NPS prior to initiating efforts in the program’s survey instrument development, printing, and study implementation.

· When asking ten or more visitors the same level of information as defined by the Paper Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Contractor shall be responsible for developing and submitting an information collections package per the Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation (DIAR) 1452.237-70 Information Collection – Department of the Interior (Jul 1996) (see Section I, Contract Clauses) and submitting it to the National Park Service Information Collections Specialist prior to survey data administration. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for issuing final approvals; which typically take between six (6) to nine (9) months for approval under the programmatic clearance process and eighteen (18) to twenty-four (24) months for approval under the regular clearance process. Upon response from the Information Collections Specialist, the Contractor shall incorporate/respond to concerns raised. Information regarding the legal requirements, submittal processes and references for this requirement are located at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/infocollection.htm.

· Within ten (10) days of the notice of approval from the Information Collections Specialist, the Contractor shall submit requests for park research permits via https://irma.nps.gov/rprs (non-government users will be required to set up an account to access this site). Reviews of requests are handled by each applicable park and permits will only be issued upon receipt of OMB approval; therefore response times are subject to internal procedures not subject to this contract and thusly cannot be defined herein. Upon issuance, the Contractor staff will be responsible for displaying/having an available hardcopy permit on them when working in the parks.

Step 2: Develop study materials to conduct social science studies and apply sampling methods.

· The Contractor shall develop collection, analysis and research efforts that include instrument development, printing, and study implementation as required in the Task Order scope.

· As defined in the Task Order scope, a comment period by NPS, identified by the Government, will be provided for review of all study materials Park and program staff will be made available during the review process of the survey administration workbook and associated development materials, as outlined in timelines in each Task Order.

· The contractor shall develop, print, and disseminate instructions (via a workbook) for data collection to park/program/SSP at least four (4) weeks prior to commencing studies to ensure understanding of the process of methods for collection, analysis, and reporting on visitors or other populations of interest per A.2 Types of Research. Provide clear directions to parks for Contractor needs while at the park and the potential for park staff involvement if helpful for implementation. This includes information on dealing with any equipment to be used and questionnaires.

· If NPS staff is assisting with primary and secondary data collection, disseminate surveys and associated materials at least three weeks prior to commencing studies to park point of contact as called for within outlined methods. If only Contractor staff is implementing primary and secondary data collection, the Contractor shall contact the park point of contact at least four (4) weeks prior to commencing studies to coordinate availability of equipment (ie. road barricades, etc.). No equipment should be assumed from the park for collections operations, unless arrangements have been made specifically in the Task Order.

· The contractor shall accommodate a variety of study implementation time frames and sampling considerations based on park capacity and demands and driven by existing visitation data. Specific requirements for the study implementation time frames will be provided in the individual Task Order scope.

· Provide postage paid capabilities and non-English questionnaires and materials as required by the individual Task Order scope.

Step 3: Conduct socioeconomic analysis and research.

· Study implementation and data analysis will be performed by Contractor staff, both interviewers and study supervisors. NPS staff assistance may be available at the park level for data collection but should not be assumed by the Contractor. Specific Task Orders will outline the availability or lack thereof for NPS staff to assist in the study. Complexity varies based on the preferred method of intercept and park infrastructure and studies selected in each Task Order.

· A variety of visitor and non-visitor contact methods will be made available to the agency to meet a diverse context of study type and field context. Intercept methods will conform to any guidelines set at the park for road construction, visibility, and safety. The Contractor will manage the intercept methods and determine if greater supervision is required for interviewer staff.

· Entry of data from protocol forms and questionnaires to electronic format must demonstrate quality assurances and control through two entries that are compared for discrepancies. Reconciliation of identified discrepancies in data sets will be accomplished compared to original survey or data collection instrument.

· Entry of data will be fully conducted by the Contractor. This includes open-ended questions with thematic coding used to report results.

· Original, hardcopy surveys will be electronically scanned for data preservation. Original, hardcopy surveys will be preserved for a minimum of 3 years.

Step 4: Analyze project-specific and meta-data for varied reporting requirements

· Compile results as called for in each Task Order.

· Generate summary statistics or summarized analyses as called for in each Task Order.

· Cross tabular results will be requested by some parks and such analytical capabilities shall be available.

· Analyze data based on geographic parameters including within-park, park-wide, region-wide, and agency-wide representation when applicable and further specified with each individual Task Order.

· Conduct additional and more complex analysis as needed and outlined in each individual Task Order.

Step 5: Report final results in draft and final iterations. Reports shall meet the following quality and performance standards:

· Fully explain the data sources, methods, results, and limitations. While this material is essentially technical in nature, the narrative will use plain English where appropriate for general audiences.

· Reports shall be compliant with the standards set forth in the document entitled “Final Layout Checklist for NRR and NRDS Reports Generated Using MS Word” (Attachment 9) and “Interim Guidance Document Governing Code of Conduct, Peer Review and Information Quality Correction for National Park Service Cultural and Natural Resource Disciplines” (Attachment 10).

· Task Orders will specify the approach to peer review required by the Government.

· If the contractor is responsible for developing a study, the NPS will oversee the peer review process and identify reviewers. The contractor will then be responsible for addressing peer review comments and updating reports accordingly.

· If the contractor is responsible for peer reviewing a study authored by a different entity, the contractor will oversee the peer review process and identify reviewers. The contractor will have no part in the development, administration or reporting of a study that it is required to peer review.

· Electronic reports will be 508 compliant and conform to the requirements of the Natural Resource Report in the NPS Natural Resource Publications Management system. These requirements can be found at: Publications (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). The required format for this series is updated biannually and Microsoft Word report templates can be downloaded at https://www.nps.gov/im/report-templates.htm.

· Provide results presentations, including travel, when called for in the Task Order.

3.0 Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure

Contractor-generated preliminary and final deliverables, all associated working papers, and other materials relevant in the performance of individual Task orders are the property of the U.S. Government and must be submitted to the IDIQ Task Order Contracting Officer with copy to the designated COR.

All documents produced as deliverables for any projects under this IDIQ are the property of the U.S. Government and cannot be reproduced, or retained by the Contractor. All project documentation (deliverables, not Contractor working papers unless specifically required in the IDIQ Task Order) shall be provided as required

Personnel working on any of the described tasks, at the Government’s request, will be required to sign formal non-disclosure and/or conflict of interest agreements to guarantee the protection and integrity of Government and/or Contractor information and documents. The Contractor shall not release, communicate or otherwise disseminate information to any other parties without the written consent of the IDIQ Task Order Contracting Officer.

4.0 Standards of Conduct

The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, appearance, and integrity and shall be responsible for taking such disciplinary action with respect to his employees as may be necessary.

The CO, or his authorized representative (COR), may require dismissal from work any employee who does not meet any of the above standards or is identified as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well being or operational mission of the facility, building population or the Government.

5.0 Period of Performance

The period of performance for this IDIQ is one five-year period effective from time of award of the contract.

6.0 Place of Performance

Based upon issuance of written Task Order(s) by the Contracting Officer (CO), Contractor personnel shall be required to perform the required acquisition and program management support services either on-site at various NPS locations throughout the United States, its territories and possessions, Puerto Rico, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the District of Columbia or off-site at the Contractor's facility. All Contractor personnel assigned and billed to the Task Order(s) shall be subject to the Personnel Security Requirements, Personnel Qualification Requirements, and Conflict of Interest/Procurement Integrity Requirements set forth in the resulting Task Order(s)

The day-to-day supervision and direct control over the work performed by on-site Contractor personnel will be the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

7.0 Travel

Approved allowable and allocable travel costs associated with the performance of the Task Orders will be reimbursed. Contractor costs incurred for travel will be considered reasonable and allowable only to the extent they do not exceed on a daily basis the maximum per diem rates in effect at the time of travel as set forth in the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). As such, estimated allowable and allocable travel costs shall be included in each Task Order when travel is anticipated. Costs incurred for transportation and per diem (lodging, meals and incidental expenses) will be billed in accordance with the regulatory implementation of Public Law 99-234, FAR 31.205-46 Travel Costs. These costs are directly reimbursable, if specifically authorized in the IDIQ Task Order.

The Contractor shall notify the IDIQ Task Order Contracting Officer in the Task Order proposal of the requirement for reimbursement of transportation and per diem expenses, prior to traveling.

The Government shall not be charged G&A fees for any travel. Contractors shall be reimbursed only for incurred costs at or below the “not to exceed” amount specified on the Task Order. Costs for transportation, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses incurred by Contractor personnel on official company business are allowable subject to the limitations contained in FAR 31.205-46 Travel Costs.

8.0 Government Furnished Property

There will be no Government Furnished Property

9.0 Ordering Procedures

Prior to placing an order against this IDIQ, the centers/regions/parks/DOI Contracting activities shall obtain approval from the IDIQ Contracting Officer (CO) with a copy to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The requesting activity shall provide the statement of work and the estimated cost to the CO for review via e-mail to determine if it is within the general scope of the agreement. The CO will respond to the request within 5 working days.

The Government will provide to the Contractor a specific assessment project as identified under the General Scope of Work. The Contractor will then prepare a specific submission of additional information for that project, utilizing the priced labor categories and rates identified and negotiated in the IDIQ, accompanied by proposed hours for each category, travel costs, and any other direct costs. The Government will issue a Task Order for the specific project. A Task Order may be issued as either a Firm Fixed Price or Labor-Hour Task Order.

Per FAR 16.504(a) (4) (IV), this section outlines the procedures that the Government will use in issuing orders against this IDIQ. All Task Orders will include the segment (based on the available funding) that will clearly relate to the services that are outlined in the IDIQ.

10.0 Authorized Ordering Activity

Per FAR 16.504(a) (4) (VI) the Authorized Ordering Activity is:

· All centers/regions/parks within the National Park Service Procurement Activities.

· DOI Agency Contracting Activities

The issuing office:

Individual orders will be administered by the Contracting Office issuing the order. The contracting officer will be responsible for administering and any overall concerns under the IDIQ:

11.0 Contracting Officer

The Contracting Officer, in accordance with Subpart 1.6 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, is the only person authorized to make or approve any changes in any of the requirements of this contract, and notwithstanding any clauses contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely with the Contracting Officer. In the event the Contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any increase in cost incurred as a result thereof.

12.0 Contractor Project Manager

i. The Contractor's designated Project Manager/Account Representative for this contract is:

E-Mail Address: ___________________________________________

Performance of work is expected between the hours of 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Monday through Friday, excluding Government holidays. Modification to duty hours may be required to accommodate unique circumstances.

Government personnel observe the days listed below as holidays. Contractor employees shall not have access to the Government premises on these days:

The Contractor shall schedule a meeting with the Government COR, and the Contracting Officer within five (5) working days of contract award, before performance commences under this contract. This meeting will be conducted to identify primary points of contact, scope of efforts, and task(s). This meeting may take place in person or through a scheduled conference call.

15.0 Invoices

The Contractor may invoice as stated in Task Order RFQ/RFP Section 1 – Supplies or Services and Price/Costs for the Task Order CLINs. The invoice shall include the period of performance or deliverable/progress payment period covered by the invoice and the CLIN number and title. All costs shall be reported by CLIN and shall be provided for the current invoice and in total from project inception to date. The listing shall include separate columns and totals for the current invoice period and the project to date.

For Firm-Fixed-Price orders include in addition to the general information above: Price of Deliverable For T&M/LH orders include in addition to the general information above: Labor Category Rate, Hourly Rate, Number of Hours Incurred for the billing period and cumulative to date, Timesheet of hours worked.

16.0 Key Personnel

At a minimum, a Program Manager, Senior Project Advisors, Senior Project Manager and Task Managers shall be identified as key personnel. The key personnel must meet or exceed the labor classification qualifications and standards for the proposed position as identified by the offeror in their Labor Discipline Matrix. In the proposal text, the Offeror shall describe the experience and capabilities of their key personnel.

During the first 180 days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless necessitated by illness, death or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer within fifteen days after the occurrence of any of these three events and provide the information required by paragraph below. After the initial period, the Contractor shall submit the information to the CO at least fifteen days prior to making any permanent substitutions.

The Contractor shall provide: 1) A detailed explanation of the circumstances that necessitate the proposed substitution, and any additional information requested by the CO. The Government retains the right to review proposed substitutes. Proposed substitutes shall have comparable qualifications to the individual being replaced. The CO will notify the Contractor within fifteen days after receipt of all required substitute's personnel information.. This clause will be modified to reflect any approved changes in key personnel.

17.0 Quarterly Reporting Requirements

A written quarterly report will be provided to the IDIQ Contracting Officer and the IDIQ Contracting Officer’s Representative beginning three (3) months after award of the Task Order. The quarterly report shall summarize the Task Orders issued under the IDIQ.

Contractors shall provide written notification to the IDIQ Contracting Officer within five (5) days of all new Task Orders awarded under this IDIQ. The notification shall include a brief description of the task, name of the requiring entity, period of performance and dollar value.