CMFs RFP 12R00039 FINAL.pdf

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD 1. THIS CONTRACT IS NOT A RATED ORDER

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

RATING

PAGE OF PAGES

1 | 86

2. CONTRACT NUMBER

3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

DTFH61-12-R-00039

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

July 9, 2012

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NO.

42-20-12005

7. ISSUED BY CODE HAAM-20A 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7) Federal Highway Administration Office of Acquisition Management 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E. Rm E65-101 Washington, DC 20590

Federal Highway Administration Office of Acquisition Management 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E. Rm E65-101, Washington, DC 20590 ATTN: Jennifer Johnson

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and 5 copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Room E65-101 until August 8, 2012_ local time _12:00 pm (Noon).

CAUTION LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

10. FOR A. NAME B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

INFORMATION

CALL:

Primary Contact: Jennifer Johnson Secondary Contact: Sarah Berman

AREA CODE

NUMBER

366-0904 366-4233

EXT.

Jennifer.Johnson@dot.gov Sarah.Berman@dot.gov

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

() SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) () SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S)

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM 1 X I CONTRACT CLAUSES 52-58

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COST 2 PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT 2-21 X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 59

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING 21-22 PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 22 X K REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 22-26 AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS 60-65

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 26-35 X L INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 65-83

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 35-51 X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 83-86

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror) NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within _____ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS

20 CALENDAR DAYS

30 CALENDAR DAYS

CALENDAR DAYS

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

15A. NAME CODE FACILITY 16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN

AND OFFER (Type or print)

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE 17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE

NUMBER

EXT.

ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE -

ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

20. AMOUNT

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

10 U.S.C. 2304(c) ( )

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS

SHOWN IN (4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) CODE 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

Sarah L. Berman

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT – Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

mailto:Jennifer.Johnson@dot.gov mailto:Sarah.Berman@dot.gov

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

The contractor shall furnish all necessary materials and personnel, and shall perform the non-personal technical support services to support the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) “Development of Crash Modification Factors (CMFs)” project.

The maximum potential value for all work under this contract is $ , which includes Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) Tasks A1-A6, as well as the maximum potential value of task orders issued under Task B.

The total estimated amount for the performance of CPFF Tasks A1-A6 is $ , which consists of a total estimated cost of $ and a fixed fee of $ .

Task B of this contract is an Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) task utilizing CPFF and Firm Fixed Price (FFP) task orders in accordance with FAR 16.500. The maximum potential value of all orders placed against Task B shall not exceed $ over five years.

The distribution of this amount between cost and fee shall be determined based upon the individual task orders awarded.

The following table outlines the maximum amount and minimum guarantee for task orders issued under Task B:

Item

Services Maximum Amount

Minimum Amount

Task B

Additional Evaluations

All travel shall be reimbursed at cost in accordance with the travel and per diem clause (reference Section G). Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Contracting Officer, the cost of travel and per diem shall not exceed $ under Tasks A1-A6. The total travel and per diem cost shall be negotiated on an individual task order basis for Task B. This amount is included in the maximum potential value as stated above.

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 BACKGROUND

Improving the safety of the Nation’s transportation system is the highest priority of the U.S.

Department of Transportation (DOT). Every year, more than 30,000 people die on America’s roadways. The social and economic costs of roadway crashes, deaths, and injuries are unacceptable, as these fatalities/injuries may be preventable. The Department has set a High

Priority Performance Goal to reduce the rate of highway fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles travelled.

State DOTs and other Transportation agencies are often reluctant to invest in safety improvements without reliable scientific evidence that demonstrates the improvements’ effectiveness. In recent years considerable effort has been focused on the development and use of crash modification factors (CMFs). However, due to concerns with uniformity of improvement (countermeasure) installations, study design, sample size, potential biases, data source, etc., less than 10% of the CMFs in FHWA’s CMF Clearinghouse, meet the inclusion criteria of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM).

With high quality CMFs, decision makers will be more likely to make safety investments and will be better able to determine the contribution of those investments towards achieving safety performance targets, as part of a performance based safety program.

This contract will develop statistically rigorous quantifications of the effectiveness of high-priority safety countermeasures so they may be considered for inclusion in the HSM published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This contract will be coordinated with several other FHWA related activities.

The FHWA Office of Safety Research & Development manages the Evaluation of Low-Cost Safety Improvements Pooled-Fund Study (ELCSI PFS). The ELCSI-PFS (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/projects/safety/comprehensive/elcsi/index.cfm) is a partnership with 29 State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) that started in 2005. The primary products of this study are estimates of effectiveness, in the form of CMFs, for countermeasures identified in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 500 Guides. These estimates are determined by conducting scientifically rigorous Before–After (B/A) evaluations of sites where these countermeasures were implemented in the US. Currently this study has six phases and additional phases are expected. The data for the above study are gathered from those States that implement the countermeasures throughout the US. The methodology utilized is typically Empirical Bayes (EB) evaluation or other appropriate method, using B/A crash data to help determine the improvements’ effectiveness in reducing the number and severity of crashes.

The CMF Clearinghouse (http://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/resources_hsm.cfm) is a Web-based database of CMFs along with supporting documentation to help transportation safety professionals identify the most appropriate countermeasure for their safety needs. The CMFs are given star ratings. The star rating indicates the quality or confidence in the results of the study producing the CMF. The star rating is based on a scale (1 to 5), where a 5 indicates the highest or best rating. The review process to determine the star rating assesses the accuracy and precision as well as the general applicability of the study results. Reviewers considered five criteria for each study: study design, sample size, standard error, potential bias, and data source.

The HSM (http://www.highwaysafetymanual.org/) provides practitioners with the best factual information and tools to facilitate roadway design and operational decisions based on explicit consideration on their safety consequences. Part D of the manual provides CMFs that met the http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/projects/safety/comprehensive/elcsi/index.cfm http://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/resources_hsm.cfm http://www.highwaysafetymanual.org/ inclusion criteria established for the manual.

C.2 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to conduct evaluations of safety improvements, where selected countermeasures have been installed. The evaluations, with EB or other appropriate methodologies, shall analyze crash, road geometry, and other related data to estimate countermeasures’ effectiveness in reducing the frequency and severity of crashes. For all selected countermeasures, the study shall determine and document:

1. CMF;

2. Benefit to Cost (B/C) ratios; and

3. Lessons learned from States’ experiences on when, where, what, and how to install the evaluated countermeasures in the most cost-effective manner.

C.3 SCOPE

This contract will develop statistically rigorous CMFs for high-priority countermeasures using current state-of-the-art analytical methods. The goal of this research is to develop CMFs that would receive high star quality ratings in the CMF Clearinghouse and meet the criteria for inclusion in the HSM. This effort will develop CMFs for countermeasures identified under the ELCSI-PFS as well as for countermeasures that will be identified independently under this effort.

This contract will also address methodological issues with the development, application, and assessment of the quality of CMFs.

C.4 DELINITATION OF TASKS

In order to meet the objectives of this contract, the contractor shall perform the following tasks:

TASK A: EVALUATION

Task A shall be conducted for evaluation of a minimum of 14 countermeasures on a CPFF basis.

To accomplish the objectives of this task, the contractor shall, at a minimum, perform the following tasks:

Task A1: Kick-off Meeting

The contractor shall attend a kick-off meeting with the FHWA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and other stakeholders to present and discuss its technical proposal for the study. This meeting will be used to discuss the overall objectives and deliverables for this study, work plan, concerns and recommendations, Marketing, Communication, Outreach Plan (MCOP), and schedule for the study. The project team will plan for an in-person meeting at a location to be determined by FHWA.

Upon contract award, the FHWA COR will provide details, including attendee list and agenda.

Deliverables for Task A1

1. Minutes from the kickoff meeting – 3 weeks after kickoff meeting.

2. Develop work plan and draft MCOP based on feedback received during kickoff meeting – 5 weeks after kickoff meeting.

Task A2: Annual ELCSI-PFS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings

The contractor shall plan, arrange the logistics for, and facilitate annual ELCSI-PFS Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings for each year covered by this contract. The purpose of the TAC meeting is to report on the progress of ongoing evaluations as well as the final results of the last round of completed evaluations, and get stakeholder input for priority safety improvement evaluations through a balloting process that will be used for selection of Tasks A and B countermeasures.

In this meeting, the contractor shall introduce the updated draft MCOP to stakeholders, solicit feedback, and identify audience information needs. Some of the stakeholders will be well positioned to indicate what they and their peers would need to effectively champion the results of this study within their respective environments.

It is anticipated that the meeting will be held in the spring or early summer of each year. The contractor shall coordinate the TAC meetings with assistance from FHWA. The contractor shall secure a meeting site, assist TAC members (State Department of Transportation representatives and other transportation agencies) with travel and lodging arrangements, prepare and deliver presentations, provide note takers, and produce a meeting summary. Local Federal employees and invited guests who will attend the meeting will not require travel logistics or expenses. The TAC input will be used to update list of priority countermeasures and MCOP (per coordination with the COR), and this should be reflected in the quarterly progress report.

Deliverables for Task A2

1. The Contractor shall provide following to the COR 8 weeks after each TAC meeting:

a. Notes to summarize the meeting activities, discussions, and presentations.

b. Balloting results, list of countermeasure priorities, and recommendations for further evaluations.

c. Updated MCOP to reflect the input from the TAC and identify any additional MCO products/activities.

Task A3: Develop ELCSI-PFS CMFs, Phase III, Part 2

The contractor shall perform B/A analysis for the ELCSI-PFS Phase III, Part 2. In Phase III, Part 1, completed under a previous FHWA Contract, strategies were installed, before period data were collected, and study designs was developed for each countermeasure. FHWA will provide all Phase III, Part 1 “Before” evaluation data, documentation, and related information to the contractor.

Currently, volunteer State DOTs that installed low cost safety countermeasures in Phase III, Part 1 are collecting “after” crash data (three years is preferred) at sites that they have installed Phase III-Part 1 countermeasures.

The following are the Phase III countermeasures:

1. Surface friction treatment on curves

2. Surface friction treatment on ramps

3. In-lane pavement markings for curve warning

4. Larger chevrons

5. Edgeline rumble stripEs on curves

6. Red light indicator lights

The contractor shall establish contact with volunteer states (variable per each countermeasure), and perform the following for each countermeasure listed above:

i. Determine data collection period for a reliable study

ii. Modify evaluation designs that were developed in Part1, where needed

iii. Develop Evaluation Schedule

iv. Collect “after” data

v. Conduct evaluation

vi. Develop technical report

vii. Prepare final report and technical summary

viii. Develop MCOP

Phase III, Part 1 volunteer states are: Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.

Deliverables for Task A3

For each countermeasure, the contractor shall:

1. Submit a technical memorandum to COR and recommend duration for after-period data collection.

2. Submit Evaluation Schedule to COR at the end of data collection period.. The contractor shall submit a technical memorandum for the Evaluation Schedule update to COR. This memorandum may be included with quarterly progress report.

3. Per Evaluation Schedule, the contractor shall submit the following to the COR:

a. “After” data collection and analysis plan

b. Evaluation design

c. Draft report

d. Final report and technical summary for publication

e. Draft and final MCOP

Task A4: Develop ELCSI-PFS CMFs, Phase V, Part 2

The contractor shall perform B/A analysis for the ELCSI-PFS Phase V, Part2. This phase is a build-to-evaluate phase, and countermeasure installations will be completed in December of 2012. In Phase V, Part 1 before period data will be collected and study design for each countermeasure will be completed under a separate contract. FHWA COR will provide all Phases V, Part 1’s “Before” evaluation data, documentation, and related information to the contractor.

Phase V, Part 1 is currently active. The following are the Phase V countermeasures (multi-strategy):

1. Combination of Centerline & Edgeline Rumble Strips

2. Combination of Median Barrier & Rumble Strips

3. Signalized Intersection Multi-Countermeasures

4. STOP-Controlled Intersection Multi-Countermeasures

The contractor shall establish contact with volunteer states (variable for each strategy), and perform the following for each countermeasure listed above:

i. Determine duration of after-period data collection for a reliable study

ii. Modify evaluation designs that were developed in Part1, where needed

iii. Develop Evaluation Schedule

iv. Collect “after” data

v. Conduct evaluation

vi. Develop technical report

vii. Prepare final report and technical summary

viii. Develop MCOP

Phase V, Part 1 volunteer states are: Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

Deliverables for Task A4

For each countermeasure, the contractor shall:

1. Submit a technical memorandum to COR and recommend after data collection period and its end date.

2. Per Evaluation Schedule, submit to COR:

a. “After” data collection and analysis plan

c. Draft report

d. Final report and technical summary for publication

e. Draft and final MCOP

Task A5: Develop ELCSI-PFS CMFs, Phase VII

The contractor shall perform B/A data collection and analysis for the ELCSI-PFS Phase VII.

This phase is a retrospective phase, and its strategies have been installed by the ELCSI-PFS Phase VII volunteers. The contractor shall contact TAC members from all State DOTs and transportation agencies, and find Volunteers to share their installation sites and corresponding data (i.e. crash, road file, traffic) for each strategy. List of volunteer states will vary for each strategy.

TAC members selected four countermeasures as high priority safety countermeasures through the balloting process at the ELCSI-PFS annual TAC meeting in 2011. FHWA COR will provide all Phase VII information to the contractor.

The following are the Phase VII countermeasures that will be evaluated under this task:

1. Driver Feedback Signs (including at un‐signalized locations and transition areas)

2. Pedestrian signals, signing, and marking (individual or combinations)

3. Active intersection warning systems/dynamic signing

4. Pavement marking types, and characteristics including LED, Raised, Snow plow‐able, Wet‐night performance, and Retro-reflectivity

The specifics for the above countermeasures (i.e. type of installations and available sites) have not been determined yet. The contractor shall identify these and other related specifics under this task per work plan developed in Task A1 and evaluation schedule timeline developed per this task.

The contractor shall establish contact with volunteer states and perform the following subtasks for each countermeasure listed above:

i. Update and modify countermeasure list

ii. Identify installation type, site, date, and related details

iii. Determine before and after data collection periods for a reliable study

iv. Develop Evaluation Schedule

v. Develop data collection and analysis plan

vi. Collect before and after data, and conduct risk assessment

vii. Develop evaluation design

viii. Conduct evaluation

ix. Develop technical report

x. Prepare final report and technical summary

xi. Develop MCOP

Deliverables for Task A5

1. Submit a technical memorandum to COR documenting modified/updated countermeasure list and data collection periods.

2. Per Evaluation Schedule, for each countermeasure submit to COR:

a. Before and after data collection and analysis plan

b. Risk assessment

c. Evaluation design

d. Draft report

e. Final report and technical summary for publication

f. Draft and final MCOP

Task A6: Identify, Prioritize, and Develop CMFs for a New Set of Countermeasures

CMF priorities for this Task shall be established by considering input from the State DOTs represented on the ELCSI-PFS in annual TAC meetings, the remaining State DOTs, the AASHTO oversight group for the HSM, the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Highway Safety Performance Committee, CMF Clearinghouse users, FHWA Division Office and Resource Center safety staff, FHWA Research and Technology (R&T) program roadmap teams, and others.

Consideration shall also be given to the CMF research needs prioritization methods being developed under NCHRP Project 17-48. The contractor shall acquire stakeholder’s input regarding priorities and related details for safety countermeasures and availability of countermeasures’ installation type, and available sites for the countermeasures. The contractor shall submit a list of up to 10, but not less than 6, countermeasures with rankings for chances of successful evaluations, and a recommendation for 4 countermeasures for FHWA consideration/selection.

The contractor shall establish contact with state DOTs and transportation agencies, and perform following subtasks for each countermeasure:

i. Identify high priority countermeasures

ii. Find volunteer State DOTs and transportation agencies

iii. Identify installation type, site, date, and related details

iv. Determine before and after data collection periods for a reliable study

v. Develop Evaluation Schedule

vi. Develop data collection and analysis plan

vii. Collect before and after data, and conduct risk assessment

viii. Develop evaluation design

ix. Conduct evaluation

x. Develop technical report

xi. Produce final report and technical summary for publication

xii. Develop and produce MCOP

Deliverables for Task A6

1. Submit a technical memorandum to COR for high priority and modified/updated countermeasure list, volunteer states/agencies, installation list, and data collection period.

2. Per Evaluation Schedule, for each countermeasure submit to COR:

a. “Before” and “After” data collection and analysis plan

b. Risk assessment

c. Evaluation design

d. Draft report

e. Final report and technical summary for publication.

GUIDES FOR TASK A ACTIVITIES

Finding Volunteer States and Installation Sites

The contractor shall:

• Contact State DOTs and other transportation agencies that have installed priority safety countermeasures and request their cooperation. The volunteer States/agencies will provide installation sites and dates, crash and road geometric data, construction details, material type/specification, and other related information required for evaluations. FHWA COR will provide initial contact information.

• Update the list of priority safety countermeasures annually, depending on availability of installation sites, per the TAC annual meeting, other stakeholders, and FHWA recommendations.

In selecting the installation sites for inclusion in the evaluation of each countermeasure, the contractor shall consider how uniformly the countermeasure is installed across sites and whether/how differences among installations can be factored into the evaluation.

Developing the Evaluation Schedule

The contractor shall schedule selected countermeasures in Task A3 through Task A6 for evaluations and set timelines for deliverables for each countermeasure evaluation. The Evaluation Schedule will identify the beginning and end date for each evaluation activity. The COR will review and approve the Evaluation Schedule. This schedule is subject to change and will be updated based upon the outcome of TAC annual meetings in Task A2 and quarterly risk assessments.

Developing the Data Collection and Analysis Plan

The contractor shall develop a preliminary evaluation design, sample size analysis, summary of installation sites that have been identified and data submitted by States (or otherwise available) for those sites, methodology for identifying any additional sites or data that may be needed, reference/control/comparison group methodology, and other related data. Data collection and analysis plan may include installation dates, uniformity in installation, and other safety treatments that may have been installed at each site and how they will be taken into account, environmental (i.e. weather) data, roadside developments and structures, and other data that may impact evaluation. FHWA will review the data collection and analysis plan and will make recommendations as necessary.

Collecting Data, Analyzing Data, and Risk Assessment

The contractor shall contact all volunteers (States and local agencies), establish primary point of contact, and compile databases for crash, traffic volume, road geometric data, pavement type (with installation date and related surface characteristics) where applicable, and other related data for effort. Table 1 lists typical data collected in studies similar to this. All data variables selected for collection will be approved by COR based on FHWA technical requirements.

Table 1 – Typical data requirements for B/A evaluations

Crash Data

NOTE: A minimum of three years preceding application of the treatment and three years following application is preferred.

• Number of crashes

• Crash classification (PDO, Injury, Fatal)

• Driver related data

• Vehicle type

• Vehicle related data

• Pavement conditions

• Environmental conditions

• Reported driver action

• Direction of travel

• Reference location (milepost)

• Other factors affecting crash classification (alcohol, seat belt use, etc.)

Roadway Data

• Roadway classification (rural, urban, Interstate, non- Interstate)

• Traffic volume and directional/lane distribution

• Geometrics (grade, curvature, super elevation, cross- slope)

• Roadway terrain

• Shoulder information

• Roadside features

• Lighting

• Safety devices/features (striping, signage, guardrails, etc.)

Pavement Data

• Original/Existing pavement type (pre-treatment)

• Original/Existing pavement construction dates

• Other related data for original/existing pavement

The contractor shall:

• Document the installation data, which includes the description of each countermeasure, the installation date, location, site selection criteria for safety concerns and infrastructure based countermeasures. The preferable length of before and after periods are three years unless shorter periods can provide adequate sample sizes for reliable estimates.

• Verify that data for conducting evaluations are adequate and can be linked together for each site. The volunteer States/agencies will be responsible for providing relatively complete data for each site.

• Work with volunteer States/agencies to determine and document any changes that may have occurred during the B/A periods for each countermeasure. These changes will be incorporated into the databases of treatments and reference sites.

• Facilitate “quarterly risk assessment” conference calls for volunteer States/agencies, the COR, subcontractors, FHWA experts, and other interested parties to discuss study progress and address deficiencies following the first conference call. Submit a risk assessment report (one page per State) for applicable strategies to date informing the COR on the following topics: contacts, date of contacts, states/sites, countermeasure type, data, and other related information for the data collection efforts. These risk assessment reports shall be included in quarterly progress reports.

• Conduct data analysis and evaluation using data and information collected, and develop CMFs for each countermeasure. The evaluations and final reports shall provide appropriate documentation in accordance with the CMF Protocols (NCHRP 20-07/Task 314).

• Collect cost of implementation information in cooperation with volunteer States/agencies including material and specification information where applicable, and calculate B/C ratio analysis for each countermeasure.

• Compile volunteer States’/agencies’ experiences with regard to possible challenges and/or recommendations (i.e. pavement type, material, equipment, location, posted speed, AADT) for each countermeasure to provide technology transfer to other State DOTs and transportation agencies nationwide.

Developing the Final Technical Reports and Technical Summaries

The contractor shall submit draft and final evaluation reports and technical summaries encompassing all activities conducted for each countermeasure. These reports shall summarize the project background, countermeasures evaluated, the data collection and analysis methodology, statistical analysis (results), evaluation findings, and conclusions and recommendations for all selected countermeasures. The contractor shall prepare and deliver reports and technical summaries in compliance with requirements for research final reports and requirements for implementing Section 508 standards.

Developing the Marketing, Communication and Outreach Plan

The contractor shall develop a MCOP for all countermeasures.

NOTE: This effort involves developing a MCOP for each countermeasure and not implementing the MCOP.

The contractor shall consider marketing, communications, and outreach as fundamental parts of this study, and begin building the MCOP at Task A1 (kick off meeting) and show the steps of building the MCOP in the schedule of deliverables. The contractor shall use the MCOP process as a chance to evaluate possibilities to improve the effectiveness of this marketing plan.

Under this activity, the contractor shall:

1. Frame the Marketing Plan for this study for each strategy evaluated in Tasks A3 through A6.

2. Complete and deliver the first draft of a MCOP with the final report and technical summary draft as delineated in Section F.3 – Schedule of Deliverables, using Part 1, Section 2 – Steps for Implementation of a Highway Safety Product, of “Steps to Success in Highway Safety Communications: Planning Workbook” (Workbook) as a format and content guide. Note that the Workbook is only a guide. While the MCOP shall generally follow the Workbook in structure and content, not every step presented in the Workbook is relevant for this study, and the relative importance of each step depends entirely on the specifics of this study. The MCOP shall describe the:

a. Evaluation products and their intended users

b. Distribution methods and delivery formats

c. Outreach activities (these might include conference presentations, publications, committee meetings, etc.)

d. Training materials and/or opportunities

e. Schedule of activities

f. Program integration

The Planning Workbook is available as an MS Word document at:

http://visualmotives.com/09-1296-current/safety_program/Comm%20Plan%20Decision%20Tool%20FHWASafetyProgram_final %2006-07.doc.

The MCOP shall discuss how practitioners can utilize evaluation products and related information arising from this research, and shall also discuss the safety impact of this research.

In addition to the technical briefs and final report, the MCOP shall address what other recommended end products could be developed such as journal articles, brochures, and presentations. Using this Workbook the contractor shall follow steps:

a. Define target markets

b. Define goals

c. Define audience

d. Identify desired audience action outcomes

The contractor shall develop a PowerPoint presentation and submit a 15 minute slide PowerPoint presentation for each countermeasure to COR for approval and modify per COR recommendation for: 1) the purpose of Technology Transfer or streamlining countermeasures proven to be effective, and/or 2) identifying issues that may arise with implementation of the least successful ones. These PowerPoint presentations will be used by FHWA, Safety Field and other experts within the agency to make a presentation for State DOTs and other stakeholders.

The PowerPoint presentation shall be 508 compliant and have speaker notes.

The final version of the MCOP shall be delivered concurrently with the final report and technical http://visualmotives.com/09-1296-current/safety_program/Comm%20Plan%20Decision%20Tool%20FHWASafetyProgram_final%2006-07.doc http://visualmotives.com/09-1296-current/safety_program/Comm%20Plan%20Decision%20Tool%20FHWASafetyProgram_final%2006-07.doc http://visualmotives.com/09-1296-current/safety_program/Comm%20Plan%20Decision%20Tool%20FHWASafetyProgram_final%2006-07.doc summary, as delineated in section F.3 – Schedule of Deliverables. The contractor shall include each MCOP draft, updates, and issues/concerns with each quarterly progress report.

TASK B: ADDITIONAL EVALUATIONS

All work to be performed under Task B will be performed through the issuance of Task Orders, signed by the Contracting Officer. Funding for each Task Order under Task B will be obligated through the issuance of Task Orders. The contractor shall invoice separately for each Task Order issued under Task B. The contractor is NOT authorized to commence ANY work or expend any funds under Task B until a Task Order is issued and funding has been obligated to a Task Order signed by the Contracting Officer.

Through the issuance of task orders, the contractor shall evaluate additional countermeasures as requested by FHWA. Task B evaluation activities will be the same as Task A6 in nature, and may be conducted concurrently with Task A. The contractor shall identify high priority countermeasures, find volunteer State DOTs/local transportation agencies for each countermeasure evaluation, identify installations and installation dates, determine data collection periods for a reliable study, develop Evaluation Schedule, collect before and after data, develop analysis plan, conduct risk assessment, develop evaluation design, conduct evaluation, develop technical report, prepare final report and technical summary for publication, and develop MCOP.

The contractor shall develop a Task B delivery schedule upon award of each task order for review and approval by the COR. See Section G.1 for Task Order Proposal Instructions.

C.5 SPECIFICATIONS FOR DELIVERABLES

Deliverables are delineated by each task and may take the form of hard copy publications, electronic media, and presentation materials. In addition, they may be published by one of several FHWA and/or other DOT offices. The following specifications apply to these deliverables, though which specifications to follow will depend upon which office is supporting the publishing activity. In addition, the contractor shall be responsible for maintaining the accuracy of the delivered material as necessary and scoped within the appropriate task.

Because the following specifications apply to a number of different types of deliverable items, the contractor shall carefully review the entire set of specifications as given below before producing any given deliverable item, and the contractor shall confer with the COR to resolve any doubt or any ambiguity as to which particular specifications shall apply to any given deliverable item to be produced under this contract.

TECHNICAL REPORTS

All technical reports shall be delivered in an electronic format, using Word 2003 (or more recent version) or other format specified by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for the specific work product. Hard copies shall be provided as needed.

HARD COPY PUBLICATIONS

Publications for All FHWA Offices

All reports to be published shall be prepared in accordance with the “Guidelines for Preparing Federal Highway Administration Publications” (FHWA-AD-88-001), dated January 1988, and as amended by Change 1 dated May 20, 1994. Specifically, the contractor shall provide the government with the following for each report developed under this contract:

A completed Technical Report Documentation Page, Form DOT 1700.7 (8-72), which is located via the Internet at http://www.bts.gov/itc/1770-7.pdf. This form is necessary to ensure all reports are entered into the National Technical Information Service database.

All reports shall have an executive summary under separate cover.

A printed version of the report. A camera-ready copy (a publication term used to define the finished manuscript, including all art work (illustrations or photographs) ready for printing by photographic or other means.

An electronic version of the report. An electronic version of the report is necessary to upload into the clearinghouse library. All photographs and negatives used within the report are property of DOT.

One page description of the report, including the title, why is it important, what it embodies;

findings and/or benefits (expected or realized), real-world example, who is involved (principals, team, other significant participants) and the audience.

All reports not to be published shall conform to the formatting specifications requested by the Government’s cognizant project manager.

HTML Coding

For documents (generally under 50 pages) to be coded by DOT staff: To submit electronic files to be coded by DOT staff the document should be sent in Word 2003 or above, with graphic files sent separately in either .jpeg or .gif format.

For documents over 50 pages to be coded by external sources: All web-enabled documents should be coded in HTML 3.2 or above, to be viewed in Internet Explorer browser versions 7.0 or better. Design and function need to be pre-approved by the COR and appropriate web master (FHWA, JPO, FTA, or NHTSA web master). Any scripting beyond HTML needs to be pre-approved by the appropriate web master. Documents should be broken down into manageable files and graphics should either be jpeg or gif and as small as possible (less than 50k). The usage of frames is permissible. Commented code should be used to support future revisions. Color codes should be hexadecimal, not word codes. These tags should be used: <b>not<strong>, <I>not<em>. Furthermore, <u>(underlining) should not be used. End paragraph tags</p> are not necessary. Animated graphics should not loop endlessly.

Graphics

Request for artwork to be designed for the web should be accompanied by originals (photos, slides, existing artwork, etc.) if possible. These will then be used as reference to check color.

Electronic files submitted for inclusion in the graphic should be saved in a jpeg or tif format with a resolution of 300 pixels/inch.

If there is an existing design that the graphic needs to tie into, or if there is a possibility that variations of this graphic may be used in the future, this should be discussed upon submitting graphic request.

Graphics to be included in print publications should not be embedded in the design software (i.e., Adobe InDesign, or similar software). All graphic elements must be linked from a separate "links" (or other suitably named) folder.

Photographs and other graphic elements must be a minimum of 300 dpi for standard print jobs.

Photos and other raster images should be displayed in a publication at the same size (or smaller) than the physical size of the element. Enlarging raster images will cause pixilation.

Color used in full-color (process) production must be in CMYK—not RGB. All fonts and graphics must be included in the final CD. A separate list of all fonts and linked graphics must accompany the CD for printer identification.

All illustrations are to be done as vector drawings, and all final design and layout deliverables from contractors must include all original source files in their native software configuration. As with all layout publications, original vector artwork that includes text must also include the original fonts used in the element. Adobe Illustrator is the preferred choice for vector drawings, and Adobe InDesign the accepted choice for print layout applications.

Adobe PDFs as a substitute for originals are NOT acceptable and should never be used as a final deliverable without the accompanying original files.

In the case that final deliverables include layered raster elements, the original layered version of the element is to be included in the final deliverables statement. The preferred software for layered raster elements is Adobe Photoshop (.psd), or Adobe Fireworks (.png-layered).

All electronic and information technology (EIT) procured must meet the applicable accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194, unless an agency exception to this requirement exists. 36 CFR 1194 implements Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. EIT is defined as any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information, or used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. EIT includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, World Wide Web sites, multimedia, office equipment such as copiers and fax machines.

PRESENTATION MATERIALS

Presentation materials that are prepared for conferences, briefings, courses, workshops, etc., and developed in electronic format shall be submitted in hard copy format as well as in the program of origin that is acceptable to DOT. Art must be produced in a program that can export an interchange file format that can be imported into other files, such as reports. Photos must be in tif or eps format, with on-screen preview and with line screen appropriate for printing.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS

Photographs shall be submitted as digital images, OR developed photographs, AND electronic files with resolution of at least 300 dpi (dots-per-square-inch), and stored in a tagged image file format (tiff). PowerPoint files may use lower resolution photographs; however, photographic images embedded in the PowerPoint files must be separately delivered in 300dpi, tiff files.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR FINAL REPORTS

The contractor shall provide the Government with the following, for any final report(s) developed under any task, as requested by the Government’s cognizant project manager:

1. A completed Technical Report Documentation form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72). This form is necessary to ensure that all reports are entered into the National Technical Information Service database. (Form is located on http://www.bts.gov/itc/1700- 7.pdf);

2. An executive summary under separate cover;

3. A camera ready copy including all art work (illustrations, photographs, charts or tables) when specified, ready for printing by photographic or other means;

4. An electronic (in Word 2003 or more recent) version of the report;

5. A one-page description of the report, including the title, why it is important, what it embodies, findings and/or benefits (expected or realized), real-world examples of who is involved (principals, team, or other significant participants) and the audience;

6. A completed ITS Electronic Clearinghouse Document Profile Sheet;

Applicable reports shall be prepared in accordance with the “Guidelines for Preparing Federal Highway Administration Publications” (FHWA-AD-88-001), dated January 1988, and as amended by Change 1, dated May 20, 1994. All reports or other documentation shall provide units of measurement in the SI (Metric) System with their English equivalents.

Requirements for Research Final Reports

In addition to complying with the requirements of Section 508, all final research report developed under this contract shall be prepared in accordance with the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) Quick Reference Guide dated May 1990 or later (that document can be accessed at http://www.tfhrc.gov/qkref/rdqrg.htm). As reviews by the FHWA will be done electronically, please see the language below for proper electronic format. All final reports are intended to be placed on the Internet, electronic versions of the report shall be provided in an http://www.bts.gov/itc/1700-7.pdf http://www.bts.gov/itc/1700-7.pdf http://www.tfhrc.gov/qkref/rdqrg.htm

HTML-coded format.

Electronic text files should be created in Word (version 2000 or above). Graphics, including equations, shall be created as separate elements and imported as pictures into the text file for print reports. All fonts used in the document must be supplied on the disk so the document will print as it appeared in the contractor’s equipment. The use of Times New Roman (12 point) is recommended.

Files must be included in the programs of origin, such as PowerPoint, Word, etc. so these files can be modified or corrected and re-imported into the full text document. Art must be produced in a program that can export an interchange file format that can be imported into the full text.

Photos must be in TIF or EPS with on-screen preview and with line screen appropriate for printing. Files should be provided in a manageable size of 3 Mb or less.

HTML coded files should be coded to an HTML (3.2 or above) standard. Any internal links should be relative, not absolute address. Graphics should be either a .gif or a .jpeg file. Graphic file size should be kept to 50 kB per graphic.

All research reports should provide units of measurement using only the SI (metric) system. The American Society for Testing and Materials publication, Standard Practice for Use of the SI International System of Units: The Modernized Metric System (ASTM E380-89a or later) should be followed.

Documentation Requirements

All communications products must be produced according to the following references:

• Government Printing Office Style Manual

• http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=&packageId=GPO‐

STYLEMANUAL‐2008&fromBrowse=true

• FHWA Publications and Printing Handbook (H171O.4) http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders.htm

• TFHRC Communications Reference Guide (CRG) - Publication No. FHW A-RD-03-074 o http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/general/03074/index.cfm

• FHWA Website - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

• TFHRC Website – www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc

• Office of Research Corporate Research, Technology, and Innovation Management

Website o http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/

• 508 Web addresses:

o http:/www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm o http:/www.access-board.gov/508.htm o http://section508.gov/

• GSA memorandum on "Top Privacy Principles for Federal Web Sites" http://www.gsa.gov/attachments/GSAOFFERINGS/desc/privacy.htm http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=&packageId=GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008&fromBrowse=true http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=&packageId=GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008&fromBrowse=true http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/orders.htm http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/general/03074/index.cfm http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/ http://section508.gov/ http://www.gsa.gov/attachments/GSAOFFERINGS/desc/privacy.htm

C.5.1 Minimum Requirements for FHWA Web Pages

The following minimum technical standards must be met by all FHWA web pages. Web documents that do not meet these standards will not be posted.

1. FHWA Web Pages will be encoded to conform to HTML 4.01 Transitional or higher, as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium.

2. File names will not exceed 20 characters in length. File names will be lower case, consist solely of letters, numbers and the underscore and will not contain slashes, spaces, tildes or hyphens. File extensions are to be 3 characters or less whenever possible (i.e. .htm instead of .html).

3. All web pages will have a title in the head section of HTML documents. The title should be unique (to the server), brief, and descriptive - not to exceed 150 characters in length.

4. Web pages must be free of broken links or missing images. All links to pages within the server will be relative.

5. Web pages posted on the public Internet will have a standard header and footer. Web pages posted on StaffNet (FHWA Intranet) must have a standard footer.

6. FHWA web pages will comply with Section 508 web accessibility standards as established by the Architectural Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

7. All textual files posted on the FHWA Internet server will be available in HTML format.

All other formats (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) will have HTML equivalents.

8. The bodies of web pages will use sans-serif fonts, e.g., Arial or Helvetica.

9. All non-DOT external links on Internet web pages will feature exit doors.

10. All entry point web pages on the Internet will feature a privacy policy statement (or a link to the Agency privacy policy statement on the main server).

11. Web pages that collect survey information from the public must be approved by the

Office of Management and Budget, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

12. New FHWA Web sites must be approved by the FHWA CIO before posting.

13. The use of "persistent" cookies on FHWA web sites is forbidden. "Sessions" cookies are permitted, subject to approval on a case-by-case basis.

C.5.2 Government Printing Requirements

Printers Dummy

As final copy, the contractor shall prepare a full-sized (or 90 percent-sized) dummy of the document, showing pagination, colors used, photo placement, and placement of text and all other visual elements.

Printers Disks

The final electronic files for printing shall be delivered to the FHWA on CD-ROMs, or other acceptable media. The disk shall include all necessary files for producing the printed document, and be accompanied by the standard GPO Form 952, Desktop Publishing---- Disk Information. If the contractor fails to provide explicit instructions and all needed files and information with the final deliverables (printers dummy and printer’s disks) the printing process will be delayed until the FHWA receives corrected files or information from the contractor.