Draft Statement of Work Strengthening Collab.pdf

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Health Security (OHS) Attachment 1 - Statement of Work (SOW)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Health Security

Strengthening DHS Collaboration with Local Health Partners

Statement of Work

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Health Security (OHS) serves as the principal medical, workforce health and safety, and public health authority for the Department. The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office leads DHS efforts and coordinates with domestic and international partners to safeguard the United States against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. DHS relies upon partnerships at all levels of government and with non-government partners to implement effective policies and programs to strengthen the preparedness of the nation and build the capability to address health security threats.

1.1 SCOPE

The DHS Office of Health Security, in partnership with the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD)/National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC), intends to issue one contract award in support of strengthening collaboration between DHS and county and city public health officials. DHS seeks to expand its ability to coordinate with the over 3,000 local health departments across the country who are impacted by DHS policies and programs while implementing health security measures in their communities. DHS seeks a formal partnership with organizations representing local health officials to strengthen public health preparedness policy, acting as a catalyst for change nationwide.

1.2 OBJECTIVE

This partnership opportunity will include a number of important health security efforts including:

• Engagement and collaboration with multidisciplinary partners (e.g., public health, healthcare, emergency medical services, emergency management, food and agriculture, law enforcement, and fusion centers).

• Information sharing and coordination to understand local public health challenges in addressing health security threats, including cybersecurity concerns for local public health preparedness and response, impacts of climate change on health security threats with a food and agriculture nexus, considerations for rural health preparedness, and other One Health efforts. One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach — working at the local, regional, national, and global levels — with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.

• Communication and coordination of local challenges for implementing refugee, immigrant, and migrant public health activities along the U.S. Northern and Southern Borders, the maritime border, and interior local communities across the U.S. receiving migrants with public health needs.

• Coordination and support for establishing and maintaining a local public health official focus group for the purpose of identifying biosurveillance needs to create a common operating picture of current county and city biological concerns.

• Developing, administering, and analyzing nationwide surveys to local public health officials to inform a comprehensive understanding of county and city biosurveillance needs.

2.0 REQUIREMENTS/TASKS

The contractor will provide a range of support services and deliverables focused on Strengthening DHS Collaboration with Local Health Partners.

2.1 Multidisciplinary Engagement and Collaboration

• Activity 1a: The contractor will identify opportunities for local health officials and local preparedness coordinators to inform DHS OHS and NBIC policies, programs, and activities through existing structures including advisory groups, executive committees, meetings, workshops, and conferences. The contractor will identify opportunities for DHS senior leadership, including the DHS Chief Medical Officer, to directly engage with local health officials, such as speaking engagements at executive-level meetings to provide updates on DHS activities and obtain input and feedback from the county and city perspective.

• Activity 1b: The contractor will facilitate engagement of local public health officials and local preparedness coordinators to provide their perspective on homeland security activities with an emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration, including emergency management, intelligence/fusion center/homeland security, and One Health partners and organizations, to identify common concerns and develop unified guidance and policies.

• Activity 1c: The contractor will work with local public health officials to identify and capture best practices for local health and domestic security collaboration, including fusion centers, and share with their membership more broadly to highlight the value of these multidisciplinary partnerships in addressing health security threats.

• Activity 1d: The contractor will develop and facilitate a special topics meeting, to include topics relevant to local public health officials and local preparedness coordinators. This meeting should include an educational/information sharing component as well as opportunities for representatives of the audience to reflect and react to the material presented (example: facilitated panel discussion). This meeting could take place in-person or virtually.

2.2 Coordination and implementation of policies and programs to address One Health security threats.

• Activity 2a. The contractor will support DHS/OHS efforts to assess how its programs and policies could be enhanced to better respond and adapt to the impacts of climate change on health security, including the nexus to food and agriculture and considerations for rural preparedness.

• Activity 2b: The contractor will work with DHS/OHS to understand how local public health implements One Health security activities and identify how DHS efforts in food/agriculture, cybersecurity impacts, climate change impacts, and other health security areas may align to local health preparedness grant requirements and capability development. The Contractor will engage local health departments to identify challenges to developing resilience to One Health security threats.

• Activity 2c: The contractor will develop feedback collection mechanisms (examples:

surveys, focus groups) to gather local public health stakeholder feedback on relevant One Health topics. The analyzed data should be used to inform other requirements of this SOW including the special topics meeting and other stakeholder engagement opportunities.

2.3 Local coordination for implementing refugee, immigrant, and migrant public health activities.

• Activity 3a: The contractor will support DHS/OHS in efforts to engage with local public health partners along the U.S. Northern Border, U.S. Southern Border, and maritime border to facilitate ongoing communication and coordination, identify gaps and challenges, and strengthen public health, law enforcement, and emergency management collaboration.

• Activity 3b: The contractor will collaborate with DHS/OHS to identify gaps in local public health awareness of Federal border and migrant health operations and develop opportunities to engage with local health officials to educate and communicate on policies and processes. Through their direct interactions and engagement with local health partners providing support to refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities, the contractor will educate DHS/OHS on local challenges and areas that would benefit from strengthened coordination and collaboration.

2.4 Laboratory Analytical Community of Interest

• Activity 4a: The contractor will participate in meetings of the Laboratory Analytical

Community of Interest, on an as needed basis when relevant, to maintain awareness of issues that may pertain to local health departments and provide their perspective to this group.

2.5 Support to NBIC and Biosurveillance Activities

• Activity 5a: The contractor, in collaboration with NBIC, will establish a focus group comprised of county and city health officials and preparedness coordinators to identify local biosurveillance needs and establish a biological threat common operating picture.

In addition, the focus group will provide feedback on current NBIC biosurveillance reports and products to ensure they are impactful and beneficial for local health departments and agencies. Finally, this focus group will also serve as a forum to share biosurveillance best practices, tools, and resources that are mutually beneficial. The Contractor will coordinate logistics including working with NBIC leadership to develop the agenda for the focus group sessions, providing meeting minutes, and providing the platform to host these focus group sessions.

• Activity 5b: The contractor, in coordination with NBIC and in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, will develop and disseminate a survey to county and city health departments to better understand local biosurveillance needs. Questions will be focused on NBIC biosurveillance reports and products, as well as their accessibility and utility. The contractor staff will analyze the data and provide a summary report to

NBIC.

• Activity 5c: The Contractor, in coordination with NBIC, will identify one opportunity per quarter where NBIC can educate local health officials and preparedness directors on NBIC’s available biosurveillance products and resources. This could be via meetings, working groups, webinars, advisory boards, coalitions, or conferences.

These educational opportunities will serve as focused review sessions to increase familiarity with NBIC products and solicit feedback on current and future NBIC products and resources.

• Activity 5d: The Contractor will identify at least one opportunity per quarter to advertise and share NBIC biosurveillance products and resources to members through the associations’ newsletters, email blasts, message boards, or other publications. NBIC will provide language to the contractor to share with local health officials and preparedness directors.

3.0 DELIVERABLES

SOW Reference Deliverable Frequency/ Deadline

Task 2.1 - 1a. Identify opportunities for local health officials and local preparedness coordinators to inform DHS OHS and NBIC policies, programs, and activities

Provide DHS with schedule of local health official and preparedness coordinator engagements (advisory group calls, executive committee meetings, workshops, etc.)

Provide updated schedule once a quarter

Task 2.1 - 1b. Facilitate engagement of local health officials with multidisciplinary partners

Identify speakers to discuss homeland security, intelligence, emergency management, or One Health topics during existing local health department meetings/calls and facilitate discussions to solicit local health perspectives

Once per quarter

Task 2.1 - 1c. Identify and capture best practices for local health departments to address health security threats through partnerships with fusion centers or homeland security offices

• Participate in monthly Fusion Center Health Analyst calls

• Provide opportunities for sharing best practices of local health and homeland security/fusion center coordination through existing mechanisms, including summaries in newsletters or blogs and presentations on calls or conferences

Participate in monthly calls, and provide opportunities to share best practices twice a year

Task 2.1 - 1d. Develop and facilitate a special topics meeting, to include topics relevant to local public health officials and local preparedness coordinators

• Identify topic of importance to local health partners in the DHS mission space

• Coordinate with DHS on logistics (location, speakers, duration)

• Establish desired

Once a year outcomes

• Manage invitations to relevant local health partners

• Facilitate meeting, capture notes, and analyze discussion to summarize outcomes and next steps

Task 2.2 - 2a. Support DHS in assessing how programs and policies could better address impacts of climate change on health security

Provide opportunities for DHS to participate in meetings and discussions with local health departments on impacts of climate change

Twice a year

Task 2.2 - 2b. Identify examples of One Health activities at the local level and identify local health department challenges in addressing health threats through One Health approach

Provide opportunities for DHS to participate in meetings and discussions with local health departments on addressing health threats through One Health approach

Twice a year

Task 2.2 - 2c. Develop feedback mechanism to gather local health department feedback on One Health and health security topics

Conduct brief survey or facilitate focus group discussions to gather specific local health feedback on health security topics

Once a year

Task 2.3 - 3a. Facilitate communication with local health partners along U.S. borders to identify challenges and strengthen collaboration

• Participate in monthly Southwest Border Health Coordination calls

• Provide opportunities for DHS to participate in meetings and discussions with local health departments regarding health security challenges along U.S. borders and opportunities to strengthen collaboration

Participate in monthly calls, and provide opportunities for additional discussions twice a year

Task 2.3 - 3b. Identify gaps in local public health awareness of Federal border and migrant health operations and provide

Provide opportunities for DHS to provide information to local health departments on Federal border and migrant health activities through newsletters, blogs, webinars, calls, Twice a year opportunities to engage and educate local partners meetings, workshops, or conferences

Task 2.4 - 4a. Participate in meetings of the Laboratory Analytical Community of Interest to provide local health department perspectives

Provide local health department perspectives during meetings of the Laboratory Analytical Community of Interest

As needed

Task 2.5 - 5a. Establish and facilitate meetings of local health partner biosurveillance focus group

• Identify local health partners to participate in biosurveillance focus group

• Develop the agenda for the focus group sessions

• Provide platform to host focus group sessions

• Provide meeting minutes and summaries of findings

At minimum once per quarter

Task 2.5 - 5b. NBIC biosurveillance survey

• Develop and disseminate biosurveillance survey to county and city health departments

• Analyze survey data and provide a summary report

Once a year

Task 2.5 – 5c. Educational opportunities for NBIC to present on products and resources

Summary of meetings, member sessions, conferences, and events where NBIC may present

Once per quarter

Task 2.5 - 5d. Advertising of NBIC Products and Resources

Summary of newsletters, email blasts, message boards, etc.

where NBIC products/resources may be advertised. Copies of final products where NBIC is advertised.

Once per quarter

5.1 Monthly Progress Report This report shall provide

monthly cost and performance reporting of all assigned tasks.

Monthly

5.2 Progress Meetings The Contractor shall be

responsible for keeping the DHS Program Managers and COR informed about Contractor progress throughout the performance period of this contract and ensure Contractor activities are aligned with DHS objectives.

Quarterly

5.3 End of Period Report At a minimum, reports shall

include highlights of support provided, expenditures, and projected expenditures for the next reporting period and to term, and major issues affecting cost and performance.

Five (5) business days prior to the end of the period of performance end date.

4.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

• Base Period: 09/27/2024 – 09/26/2025

• Option Period 1: 09/27/2025 – 09/26/2026

• Option Period 2: 09/27/2026 – 09/26/2027

• Option Period 3: 09/27/2027 – 09/26/2028

• Option Period 4: 09/27/2028 – 09/26/2029

4.1 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Work will be conducted by the Contractor at their own facilities.

5.0 POST AWARD CONFERENCE AND KICKOFF MEETING

The Contractor shall attend a Post Award Conference with the Contracting Officer, Contract Specialist, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and the DHS Program Managers no later than five business days after the date of award. The purpose of the Post Award Conference is to discuss contracting objectives of this contract. The Post Award Conference will be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams teleconference. The purpose of the Kickoff Meeting is to discuss technical objectives of this contract.

5.1 MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORTS

The Contractor shall provide a monthly progress report to the COR and Program Managers via electronic mail. This report shall provide monthly cost and performance reporting of all assigned tasks. At a minimum, these reports shall include highlights of support provided, document completion of assigned tasks, expenditures, projected expenditures for the next reporting period and to term, and major issues affecting cost and performance. The costs portion of the report shall be structured to enable ready discernment of cost trends, projections, and variances. The Contract Officer’s Representative shall be qualified to act as the Contractor’s single point of contact for all technical and administrative matters related to this contract. This report shall also include a summary of all Contractor work performed, including a breakdown of hours by task,, all direct costs by line item, an assessment of technical progress, schedule status, any travel conducted and any Contractor concerns or recommendations for the previous reporting period.

5.2 PROGRESS MEETINGS

The Contractor shall be responsible for keeping the DHS Program Managers and COR informed about Contractor progress throughout the performance period of this contract and ensure Contractor activities are aligned with DHS objectives. At a minimum, the Contractor shall review the status and results of Contractor performance with the COR on a quarterly basis at scheduled meetings.

5.3 END OF PERIOD REPORT

The contractor shall prepare and provide an overall status report of tasks assigned five (5) business days prior to the end of the period of performance end date. At a minimum, reports shall include highlights of support provided, expenditures, and projected expenditures for the next reporting period and to term, and major issues affecting cost and performance. The cost portions of the reports shall be structured to enable ready discernment of cost trends, projections, and variances. Reports also shall address problems or issues identified during the previous month and those still unresolved from previous reports.

6.0 TRAVEL

Contractor travel shall be required to support this requirement. All travel required by the Government outside the local commuting area(s) will be reimbursed to the Contractor in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining COR approval (electronic mail is acceptable) for all reimbursable travel in advance of each travel event.

7.0 ODCs

Language – TBD.

8.0 INVOICING

Vendor shall deliver a monthly invoice to individuals/offices identified below by the 28th day of each month for the preceding month.

The Contractor shall invoice once a month (unless otherwise agreed upon between the

COR, Finance Office, and the Contractor in writing). The first invoice will be drafted by the Prime Contractor and submitted for review by email to the Contracting Officer with a courtesy copy to the Contract Specialist prior to actual submission for payment.

Invoices are required to be submitted by the Prime Contractor as follows:

Via EMAIL:

a) InvoiceMGT.Consolidation@ice.dhs.gov

b) Prime Contractor must ensure a dated confirmation of receipt from ICE Financial

Center is provided.

c) Contracting Officer d)Contracting Officer's Representative

All invoices shall include the following details:

• Contract Number

• Contract period of performance

• Requirement Name: Strengthening DHS Collaboration with Local Health Partners

• Invoice monthly billing period dates

• Total invoice charges per CLIN to include current and cumulative charges

• Description of Services for each CLIN (e.g., FFP/Travel/ODC)

• Total Invoice Amount

• Remaining Un-Invoiced CLIN Value and Contract Value

• Supporting documentation to support invoice FFP, Travel, and/or ODCs

Invoice payments shall be made to the contractor upon 1) delivery to the Government, acceptance by the Government, and recommendation of payment by the Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR); and (2) The Contracting Officer’s review of and approval to pay the invoice.