Logisitical_Support_for_Peer_Review_PWS_12_23_14.doc

United States Department of Education

“Department of Education Logistical and Administrative Support Services for Grant Competition Peer Reviews” Scope of Work December 23, 2014

OVERVIEW

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department), Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), has an ongoing requirement for logistical and administrative support for peer reviews of OII programs. Through this procurement, OII intends to award a collection of Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to provide the Department with logistical support for grant competitions and both on-site and off-site (virtual) peer reviews.

The work to be performed by the contractor will be defined in specific work assignments (task orders) which will specify task objectives, list detailed requirements, and describe the work to be performed, deliverables, and schedules. The nature and scope of the work will vary from order to order. Services may be required on an as-needed, quick turn-around basis where periodic, limited-duration work needs to be performed under tight deadlines.

The BPAs will have a 60-month ordering period. Task orders awarded under these BPAs shall have a period of performance independent of the ordering period of the BPA.

These BPAs are for use by all principal offices within the U.S. Department of Education.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this procurement is to provide logistical and administrative support for peer reviews of OII programs. The term “peer review” as used in this PWS, includes, but is not limited to a convenings, meeting, webinars, whether conducted face-to-face, via teleconference or via the Internet, where individuals assemble on-site or virtually to review and score an assigned set of grant applications.

The purpose of these peer reviews is to provide for a competitive and objective evaluation by well-qualified reviewers chosen for their experience and ability to assess a proposed project’s quality. These reviews are the foundation for higher-level funding decisions and help ensure that awards are made on a fair and impartial basis. The Contractor shall provide administrative and logistical support, and report results for: activities associated with the recruitment, training, evaluation, and management of peer reviewers; conducting peer reviews (via teleconference, e-reader, and on-site); reviewing and improving the current peer review system; and designing, reproducing, and distributing guidance documents.

The Contractor shall work with the Office of Innovation and Improvement and other principal offices across the Department to provide logistical support for peer reviews. OII is a strategically designed group of program offices, each serving specific education constituencies with grants, services and information. More than 20 competitive grant programs, as well as a number of congressionally directed grants, are administered by four program offices. New programs authorized by Congress and Secretarial initiatives are often assigned to OII. Information on OII and its programs are available on the following website: http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/oii/oii-program-offices/.

OII Grant Programs:

Arts in Education – Model Development and Dissemination Grants Program (AEMDD)

Arts in Education National Program

Arts in Education – Professional Development for Arts Educators (PDAE)

Charter Schools Exemplary Collaboration Awards

Charter Schools Program Grants for Replications and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO)

Charter Schools Program Non-State Educational Agencies (Non-SEA)

Charter Schools Program Non-State Educational Agencies (Non-SEA) Dissemination Grant

Charter Schools Program State Educational Agencies (SEA)

Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program

District of Columbia School Choice Program

Full-Service Community Schools Program

Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE)

Investing in Innovation (i3)

Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP)

National Leadership Activities Grant

Promise Neighborhoods (PN)

Ready to Learn Television (RTL)

School Leadership Program (SLP)

State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants

Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant Program (SEED)

Teaching American History (TAH)

Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program (TQP)

Transition to Teaching Program (TTT)

Voluntary Public School Choice Program (VPSC) U.S. Department of Education Program Offices:

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)

Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)

Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS)

LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES

This procurement will cover a wide variety of work authorized under Title 20 of the United States Code: Education. Task orders issued under the BPAs awarded by this procurement will identify the specific legislative authority under which they are issued.

TYPES OF TASK REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall furnish all of the necessary personnel, materials, services, and facilities incident to the performance of the work as stated in the various individual task orders that will be issued under each BPA.

Individual task orders will not be issued past the last day of the ordering period of the BPA. Unless otherwise indicated, all BPAs will be cost reimbursement task orders.

Below are the task areas for this BPA and examples of the type of tasks that may be obtained under this PWS:

Task Area 1:

Meet and Communicate with the Department

The contractor's Project Director/Manager and a specified number of key personnel approved by the COR shall attend a specified number of one-day meetings in Washington, D.C., with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), the Contracting Officer (CO) or duly authorized representative, Contracting Specialist (CS), and Department Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Generally, the purpose of the first meeting is to review the goals and objectives of a task order and the contractor’s approach and schedule for coordinating tasks, as specified in the contractor’s proposal. This meeting will also enable the contractor’s staff to ask questions and to seek clarification of any potential issues related to the implementation of a task order.

The general purpose of subsequent meetings is to review the progress toward completion of the contract tasks and to seek clarification of any potential issues related to tasks not yet begun. These meetings may take place in Washington, D.C. or at the contractor’s place of business, as determined by the COR.

The contractor may also convene a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly calls with the COR to discuss ongoing activities and plans.

Task Area 2:

Project Management Support

The Contractor shall provide project management support to ensure that requirements of each task order are addressed. The task orders shall be managed by a Project Director/Manager, who shall be responsible for the overall management of the order and employed directly by the contractor.

Throughout the period of performance for each task order, the Contractor shall meet with the COR and Task Managers to review the status and performance of contract deliverables, discuss challenges or problems encountered that may affect delivery dates, quality, and/or costs of the tasks, and adjust schedules. Within five working days of being aware of a problem that may impact cost or schedule, the Contractor must notify via e-mail the CO, CS, COR and the respective Task Manager. Meetings may be held at either ED, the Contractor’s facility, or by conference call. The Contractor shall provide meeting support and submit the meeting minutes within three days after the end of a meeting.

Project management support includes weekly check-ins with each Task Manager and providing written reporting requirements to include monthly progress reports to the COR, expenditure reports, and a final project report.

Task Area 3:

Reporting The Contractor shall use a reporting system to report each task order’s status. The Contractor shall provide supporting materials as needed for these reports and discussions. Written reporting requirements shall include weekly status reports, monthly progress reports, monthly expenditure reports, budget analysis reports, monthly manpower reports, and a final project report. This list is not all-inclusive. Additional reports may be needed for additional clarification of the contract status.

The Contractor shall submit monthly progress reports to the COR and CS for the duration of the contract. The Contractor shall summarize the major activities and accomplishments during the reporting period and provide information for each project task and subtask regarding significant findings and events, problems encountered, suggested solutions, and staff utilization. The Contractor shall specify in the reports the extent to which the project is on schedule. The Contractor shall submit the reports by the 15th of each month for the preceding month and in conjunction with the monthly invoice.

The Contractor shall provide monthly expenditure reports at the task order level. This report shall reflect the BPA’s expenditures to include all direct and indirect costs. The report shall reflect the budgeted amount, the current expenditures to date, and the expected completion costs for each competition or conference. The expenditure report shall be submitted by the 15th of each month for the preceding month and in conjunction with the monthly invoice.

The Contractor shall submit a final project report that summarizes the major activities and accomplishments during the period of performance and provides information for each project task and subtask regarding significant findings and events, problems encountered, suggested solutions, and staff utilization. This report should also include a final report of all expenditures for each order.

All reports shall show the project title, contract number, and task order number on the cover or first page.

When required, the project director or the assigned key staff member shall provide written or oral briefings to the COR and other Department staff on the progress of work under the task order. The COR will determine the method of briefing. The contractors shall conduct most briefings by telephone, but some task orders may require on-site briefings at the Department. The task order PWS shall specify the number and types of briefings required. Unless otherwise indicated, the contractors shall provide appropriate materials for the briefing (e.g., report summaries, overhead transparencies).

Task Area 4: Administrative Support for Grant Competitions and Peer Review

The contractor shall provide administrative support for grant competitions and peer reviews to include but is not limited to the creation of quality control plans, preparing required documents, extracting data, redacting applications, saving applications on CDs, and shredding materials.

The contractor shall provide administrative services including, but not limited to:

· Creating a quality control plan;

· Assisting with the preparation of the technical review form (TRF);

· Providing data extraction support;

· Copying all successful and/or unsuccessful applications TRFs onto CDs;

· Preparing the official grant file;

· Redacting the TRF and turn it into 508 compliant PDFs;

· Shredding any confidential materials;

· Preparing a written report detailing the strengths and weaknesses noted in conducting the competition; and

· Conducting a de-briefing meeting.

The administrative support needed for each grant competition and peer review will vary and will be specified in the task order.

Task Area 5: Processing and Pre-Screening Grant Applications

The Contractor shall assist U.S. Department of Education staff with the processing and pre-screening of electronic applications. The Contractor shall also download and print copies of submitted applications from the Grants.gov website. The Contractor will have access to Grants.gov and ED’s G5 Grant Management System (G5).

The Contractor shall be responsible for the application pre-screening process for grant competitions in coordination with the program office criteria or event requirements. These responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

· Checking to ensure that each application has a PR Award number, DUNS, and Tax Identification Number;

· Data entry of items not found in G5;

· Establishing and maintaining applications in grant folders;

· Modifying the pre-screening checklist for each program as needed;

· Extracting application information from the G5 system and uploading the data into the competition database;

· Comparing the data in G5 with the application information obtained during the pre-screening; and

· Manually entering fields of data not captured in the G5 system or that cannot be uploaded from the database into the competition database, or that is compiled on a spreadsheet.

The Contractor shall prepare and generate a variety of reports to assist with pre-screening applications, the identification of data entry errors in G5 and/or competition databases, and track the resolution of problems with duplicate and/or multiple applications.

The dates for the pre-screening and competition for each program are determined by staff and shall be made known to the Contractor as soon as they are available.

Task Area 6: Peer Reviewer Support

The Contractor shall assist OII and other principal office staff with peer reviewer services including, but not limited to, securing reviewers for the competition review, checking each reviewer for conflict of interest, assigning peer reviewers to panels, reassigning reviewers to panels if there is a conflict of interest, surveying peer reviewers after the peer review process is complete, and preparing and emailing package of background materials to each peer reviewer.

The Contractor shall make arrangements for telephone conference, webinar, and in-person peer reviewer orientations as required by the task order for each competition. The contractor shall have the capability to conduct webinars when a face-to-face meeting is not feasible. In addition, the contractor shall also have the capability to conduct webcasts that stream live during face-to-face meetings.

The Contractor shall be responsible for recording the conference and making it available for reviewers unable to attend one of the orientation sessions. The Contractor shall have the ability to record webinars and create written transcripts of peer reviewer orientations and other meetings. The contractor shall work offline from a variety of audio and videotape sources to produce accurate, readable, and timely transcriptions for publication, posting on the Grant Competition Webpage, record keeping, or other internal Department purposes. Transcriptions may require proofreading and redline editing, as well as summations. The contractor shall format per task order requirements and delivery dates. All documents should be 508 compliant.

The audio/video and relevant materials shall be accessible on the Grant Competition Webpage after the last orientation and throughout the duration of the competition. The Contractor shall confirm that all reviewers and alternates participated in an orientation session and provide this information to the COR after the last orientation session.

The contractor shall provide drafts of all written materials produced for or disseminated at meetings, teleconferences, and webinars to the COR for approval. The format of the copy provided to COR shall be suitable for posting on program website, if applicable, such as Adobe Portable Document Format (.PDF), Microsoft Word, MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (.mp3). The COR shall approve all material prior to it being posted on a website.

The Contractor shall survey the peer reviewers after each competition. The survey shall be included with the materials distributed to reviewers. The Contractor shall analyze the results, using summary statistics of the surveys and provide a written report of the findings with any necessary explanations and copies of all forms to the COR at the debriefing meeting which shall take place thirty (30) calendar days after the completion of the review.

Task Area 7: On-Site Reviews – Applications, Hotel Locations and Travel, and Administrative Tasks

A small number of competition reviews conducted shall be on-site reviews, meaning that the reviewers are brought to Washington, DC to conduct the review in person. The contractor shall provide support to on-site reviews including, but not limited to:

· Arranging for the transportation of applications to grantees and on-site review location;

· Securing hotel accommodations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area when peer review meetings are not held in a federal space;

· Coordinating travel for peer reviewers, and additional alternates;

· Covering all costs associated with travel including per diem, hotel, and other allowable travel costs;

· Serving as a liaison with the hotel sites in response to Department staff requests;

· Record-keeping during the review process;

· Developing, distributing and collecting evaluation forms, and any additional forms as determined by COR; and

· Returning all applications, scoring materials, and all unused materials and supplies to the Department on the last day of the panel review.

Note: The contractor shall pay all upfront charges (e.g., the contractor will be responsible for funding the reservation of space for onsite peer reviews, and/or hotel accommodations after the required approvals from the Department have been obtained.)

Task Area 8: Reviewer Honorarium

The Contractor shall pay each reviewer an honorarium amount specified by the program staff for fully completing the work. Once the COR has notified the Contractor that a reviewer’s comments have been accepted, compensation shall be paid to the reviewer within 30 calendar days after the Contractor receives all necessary paperwork.

Task Area 9: Competition Website and Database Design, Development, and Maintenance Support The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Grant Competition Webpage and a web-based applicant information sheet system/database for the duration of the review.

The Contractor shall confirm that the webpage meets all Department information technology requirements. The webpage shall include, but is not limited to, the following: (1) the webinar recording of the peer reviewer orientation training; (2) a downloadable version of the TRF; (3) links to application materials on the Department’s website; and (4) all necessary documents needed by the Contractor. The Contractor shall work with the COR to receive approval or edits. The Contractor shall make the edits and make the webpage live as required by the task order.

The Contractor shall create a web-based system that collects key information about each application, as required by each task order, and produces a report. This system shall allow applicants to complete a web form (similar in level of complexity to Survey Monkey or other Web-based surveys) that contains key project information. Each task order will specify the type of information the system should collect and report.

The Contractor shall confirm that the system meets all Department requirements for information technology.

The Contractor shall have the system ready for public use no later than as required in each task order.

IT and Digital Strategy Governance Requirements

1. The Contractor’s information systems shall be developed in accordance with the ED Lifecycle Management Framework (LCM), ACS-OCIO 1-106.

2. The Contractor shall ensure that the site complies with OMB Memorandum M-03-22 http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/regs_bestpractices/omb_policies/privacy.shtml which requires the posting of privacy policy.

3. A “.gov” hostname (typically hostname.ed.gov) is required for all government funded websites under OMB Memorandum M-05-04 (http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/regs_bestpractices/omb_policies/domains.shtml)

4. The Contractor shall ensure that any “ED-Sponsored” content be identified prominently with Department of Education, and the ED.gov logo should be displayed prominently and made a link to the ED.gov homepage. The compliance policy is described in the http://www2.ed.gov/internal/wwwstds.html#sponsor.

5. The Contractor shall ensure that any non-Federal sponsored websites or content (outside of .gov, .mil, .Fed.us, etc.) that it is linked to complies with “ED.gov” Management and Publishing Policies” at http://www2.ed.gov/internal/wwwstds.html#link and the OMB Memorandum http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-04.pdf .

6. The Contractor shall not employ a new webhosting service provider. The Contractor shall host the website and its associated IT infrastructure within the boundaries and classification level of a pre-existing FISMA certified boundary that has received Authorized To Operate status by the U.S. Department of Education, another federal agency or if cloud computing hosting services are employed, from the federal government’s FedRAMP program.

7. To comply with Digital Government Strategy of collecting comprehensive analytics across website, DAP is asking all agency websites to implement Google Analytics Premium code on all sites. To be included in ED's DAP profile, add the following line as close as possible before the closing </head> tag:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www2.ed.gov/style/federated-analytics.js"></script>

An example can be seen by viewing the HTML code at http://www.direct.ed.gov or http://www.ed.gov or http://nces.ed.gov

The code will not interfere with other web metrics that are collected. If you are using Google Analytics, we ask that you both add usedgov@gmail.com as a User to your profile, as well as implement the DAP code above.

Please let web@ed.gov know when DAP has been implemented, or if you have other questions about adding usedgov@gmail.com to existing Google Analytics profiles you might have.

Compliance with ED IT Security Policy

The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall comply with the Department of Education’s IT security policy requirements, specifically those set forth in the ‘Handbook for Information Assurance Security Policy (OCIO-01)’, and other applicable procedures and guidance. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall develop and implement management, operational and technical security controls to assure required levels of protection for information systems. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall further comply with all applicable Federal IT security requirements including, but not limited to, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130 Appendix III, Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidance, and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements and guidance.

These security requirements include, but are not limited to, the successful Certification and Accreditation (C&A) or Security Authorization (SA) of the system (includes commercially owned and operated systems managed by the commercial vendor and its sub-contractors, supporting Department programs, contracts, and projects); obtaining a full Authority to Operate (ATO) before being granted operational status; performance of annual self-assessments of security controls; annual Contingency Plan testing; performance of periodic vulnerability scans; updating all information system security documentation as changes occur; and other continuous monitoring activities, which may include, mapping, penetration and other intrusive scanning. Full and unfettered access for the Department’s third party Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) must be granted to access all computers and networks used for this system. Additionally, when there is a significant change to the system’s security posture, the system (Federal and commercial prime- and sub- contractors included) must have a new C&A or SA, with all required activities to obtain a new ATO, signed by the Authorizing Official (AO).

System security controls shall be designed and implemented consistent with NIST SP 800-53 Rev 3, ‘Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations.’ All NIST SP 800-53 controls must be tested/assessed no less than every 3 years, according to federal and Department policy. The risk impact level of the system will be determined via the completion of the Department's inventory form and shall meet the accurate depiction of security categorization as outlined in Federal Information Publishing Standards (FIPS) 199, ‘Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems.’

System security documentation shall be developed to record and support the implementation of the security controls for the system. This documentation shall be maintained for the life of the system. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall review and update the system security documentation at least annually and after significant changes to the system, to ensure the relevance and accurate depiction of the implemented system controls and to reflect changes to the system and its environment of operation. Security documentation must be developed in accordance with the NIST 800 series and Department of Education policy and guidance.

The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall allow Department employees (or Department designated third-party contractors) access to the hosting facility to conduct C&A/SA activities to include control reviews in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Rev. 3 and NIST SP 800-53A. The contractor, and all sub-contractors, shall be available for interviews and demonstrations of security control compliance to support the C&A/SA process and continuous monitoring of system security. In addition, if the system is rated as ‘Moderate’ or ‘High’ for FIPS 199 risk impact, vulnerability scanning and penetration testing shall be performed on the hosting facility and application as part of the C&A/SA process. Appropriate access agreements will be reviewed and signed before any scanning or testing occurs.

Identified deficiencies between required NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 3 controls and the contractor’s, and all sub-contractor’s implementation, as documented in the Risk Assessment Report, System Security Plan (SSP) and Security Assessment Report (SAR), shall be tracked for mitigation through the development of a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) in accordance with the ‘Handbook for Information Assurance Security Policy (OCIO-01).’ Depending on the severity of the deficiencies, the Department may require remediation before an ATO is issued.

All awarded contracts shall ensure that:

1. Their IT product/system is monitored during all hours of operations using entrusted detective/preventive systems;

2. Their IT product/system has current antiviral products installed and operational;

3. Their IT product/system is scanned on a reoccurring basis;

4. Vulnerabilities are remediated in a timely manner on their IT product/system; and

5. Access/view for cyber security situational awareness on their IT product/system is made available to the Department CIRC (cyber incident response capability).

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)

The Contract shall provide COTS solutions that are IPv6 capable. An IPv6 capable system or product shall be capable of receiving, processing, transmitting and forwarding IPv6 packets and/or interfacing with other systems and protocols in a manner similar to that of IPv4. Specific criteria to be deemed IPv6 capable are:

An IPv6 Capable system must meet the IPv6 base requirements defined by the USGv6 Profile and Testing program as found here “http://w3.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/testing.html”.

Systems being developed, procured or acquired shall maintain interoperability with IPv4 systems/capabilities.

Systems shall implement IPv4/IPv6dual-stack and shall also be built to determine which protocol layer to use depending on the destination host it is attempting to communicate with or establish a socket with.

If either protocol is possible, systems shall employ IPv6.

The contractor shall provide IPv6 technical support for system development, implementation and management.

System Development Standards

Information systems shall be developed in accordance with the ED Lifecycle Management Framework (LCM), ACS-OCIO 1-106

Reporting of Data Security Breaches

If there is a suspected or known breach/disclosure of PII due to loss, theft, intercepted transfer, or other, the contractor must ensure that this breach is reported to the agency as soon as the contractor has knowledge of it. Per Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-06-19, Federal agencies have a requirement to report breaches of PII security to a Federal incident response center. (PO) must notify the department within 30 minutes of discovering the incident (and the agency should not distinguish between suspected or confirmed breaches). The data security plan must be written to reflect this requirement, and the contractor must provide sufficient notification and documentation of the suspected loss, as it is understood at the time of notification to the agency for this requirement to be met. Follow-up reports of the final status of loss events will also be prepared by the contractor within a reasonable period of time as advised by the (PO) COR.

Privacy Impact Assessment

The Contractor shall work with the contract’s project manager to complete a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), during the development cycle of new systems or for the operations phase of existing systems. The PIA shall be provided to the project manager, and approved by the Department’s Chief Privacy Officer, for those systems that are designed, operated, or developed for or on behalf of the Department at non-Departmental facilities. The contractor shall comply with all Department directives and related Department security and privacy control requirements for Federal information systems. Website Privacy Policy If the Contractor will develop a public-facing website as part of the implementation of this contract, the Contractor must include on the website a privacy policy in accordance with Section 208 of the E-Government Act of 2002 and OMB Memorandum M-03-22. Notice and Consent In the registration materials, the contractor should provide notice that personal information, such as name and email address, will be collected and may be included in the program booklet and on-line. In the registration materials, the contractor must also request consent from the participants to publish their name and contact information in the program booklet and on the website. Any information collected for the purpose of this contract cannot be used for any other purpose except the reason it was collected, i.e., administering this conference. The contractor will only collect the minimum information necessary for the purposes of administering the contract. Any information collected for the purpose of providing an honorarium will be protected pursuant to OCIO standards.

TYPES OF DELIVERABLES

The following are examples of types of deliverables that may be required for task orders. Deliverables will be specified with each task order.

Quality Control/Work Plan. The contractor shall develop a detailed quality control/work plan for each order. This work plan shall include a detailed work chart describing how designated personnel will accomplish activities required by the order.

Peer Review Related Documents. The contractor shall produce documents related to the peer review process, including, but not limited to, technical review forms (TRFs), final reviewer spreadsheet, reviewer screening form, redacted applications, report on web based system applicant information system, CDs with successful and unsuccessful applications, and official grant files.

Website and Database products. The contractor shall produce a website, and database. If relevant, the Contractor shall produce graphics, PowerPoint presentations, transcribed webinars/meetings, and video recordings of webinars/meetings for posting on the website. The contractors shall have captioning for the hearing impaired on the video deliverables or as specified by the Department to meet Government standards.