Attatchment_A_-_IDIQ_PWS.pdf

DRAFT 08.05.15

TAEP150019AP

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Performance Work Statement for the

Technical Assistance for Implementing Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) Contract

U.S. Department of Education (Department)

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

A. Overview

The purpose of this procurement is to provide support to the U.S. Department of Education

(Department) in the development and administration of technical assistance strategies through an indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with all work being issued through fixed price task orders. The technical assistance activities are intended to provide OCTAE with the subject matter expertise to build the capacity of secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs so they can actively engage in the development and expansion of comprehensive career pathways systems. Task orders may range from urgent requests to multi-year strategic technical assistance projects. Work may be required to be performed under tight deadlines. The ordering period of this contract shall be sixty months (one base year with four option years).

The tasks under this contract will involve logistical and administrative support for technical assistance projects involving professional development and capacity building, creation and implementation of resources and tools in both virtual and print format, development and implementation of national outreach and communication strategies, research and analyses of noteworthy practices, policies and standards, and data and evaluation compilation. In addition, the contract may involve logistical and related support for conferences and meetings. The term

“conference” as used in this PWS includes, but is not limited to, a convening, meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, training, webinars, workshops whether conducted face-to-face or via the

Internet, where individuals assemble (or meet virtually) to exchange information and views or

2 | P a g e explore or clarify a defined subject, problem, or area of knowledge and any event that includes attendee travel.

This contract shall provide support to OCTAE across a range of tasks related to capacity building in CTE and the expansion of comprehensive career pathways systems, including the following key issues of interest to the Department:

Professional and leadership development for CTE state and local leaders;

Technical assistance to support successful implementation of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act or Act);

Increased alignment of secondary and postsecondary educational systems using strategies such as dual credit, concurrent enrollment, stackable credentials, apprenticeship, and articulation agreements.

Increased knowledge of industry-relevant certifications and technical skills assessments;

Development, dissemination, and implementation of innovative web-based and print technical assistance tools and solutions;

To accomplish this work, the contractor shall be skilled in managing large contracts with multiple tasks, acquiring subject matter expertise in CTE and career pathways, developing and implementing technical assistance strategies, conducting research, drafting policy papers, and developing innovative web-based tools and resources. The contractor shall also have demonstrated knowledge of CTE, career pathways systems, pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs and credential attainment strategies, including the use of stackable and portable credentials.

The contractor shall have expertise in using information technology, social media-infused outreach and communication strategies, and broad stakeholder engagement as a means to deliver complex ideas and sustained learning opportunities for administrators, leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders. Social media services may include social media strategy, social media campaigns, social media content creation and curation, content distribution, “influencer”

3 | P a g e outreach, community building and management, social content, social apps, as well as social analytics, monitoring, and reporting.

The contractor shall be skilled at conducting all aspects of logistical planning as it relates to conferences, workshops, and media events. The contractor shall have expertise in designing training for educators, federal agency staff, and other stakeholders on a broad range of education topics. The contractor shall have expertise related to developing and designing web-related materials. The contractor shall offer solutions that are innovative and creative.

B. Background

Over the last 20 years, there has been growing public agreement that all young people need to be prepared for college as well as careers. A recent article in the American Federation of Teachers’

American Educator Magazine cited that when high school students are asked today what they are going to do after high school, over 90% say they are going on to college or university. More important, over 70% of high school graduates do in fact enroll in higher education. The article then looks at the proportion of young Americans who have earned a degree or credential by their mid-20s. “The answer is less encouraging: only 32% have graduated from a four-year university and another 10% from a two-year college. Only another 10% have acquired a recognized occupational certificate – a total of a little over half the population has a meaningful postsecondary credential by their mid-20s.

Yet job projections from the Georgetown University

Center on Education and the Workforce predict that over the next decade, nearly a third of all jobs will be “middle-skill” – i.e., requiring some education or training beyond high school but not necessarily a four year degree. What that means for CTE students is that more of them will not only need to complete high school, but also will need to complete their postsecondary academic programs and/or attain a meaningful credential in order to compete successfully in the st century global economy. It also means that CTE state and local leaders will need to be aware of evidence-based practices and promising strategies that increase student secondary and postsecondary completion rates and how to replicate them successfully and take them to scale.

1 Schwartz, Robert. “The Pursuit of Pathways: Combining Rigorous Academics with Career Training.” American Educator

Magazine. Fall 2014.

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Since 2011, the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services have jointly promoted the widespread adoption of career pathways. Together, the Federal agencies have worked together to build capacity among a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that adults and youth have opportunities to gain industry-recognized credentials and skills that allow them to secure employment and advance up a career ladder. The agencies issued a joint letter in April

2012 defining career pathways as a “series of connected education and training strategies and support services that enable individuals to secure industry relevant certification and obtain employment within an occupational area and to advance to higher levels of future education and employment in that area.”

The interagency effort initially focused on increasing the number of states with career pathways systems through the provision of intensive technical assistance efforts. As a result, the number of states building strong career pathways systems increased from 11 to over 25 during a three-year period.

https://learnwork.workforce3one.org/ http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/ten2_36_11.pdf

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States/initiatives that are aligned with federal Career Pathways Framework

The interagency team has also hosted three National Dialogues on Career Pathways and issued a

National Request for Information, engaging a broad cross-section of stakeholders to discuss important aspects of the issue, including best practice adoption and scaling, evaluation, and employer engagement. The need for comprehensive career pathways systems has been increased even more with the recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

WIOA requires all states to create state- and local-level workforce development boards that must include the development and adoption of career pathways practices as part of their strategic plans. Because of this new requirement, the Departments are continuing joint efforts to build the necessary capacity needed to implement WIOA successfully. In addition, OCTAE seeks to maximize its previous investments in career pathways.

Successful implementation of this comprehensive technical assistance strategy, over time, will support innovative and evidence-based approaches to the design and delivery of secondary and http://www.dol.gov/nationaldialogue http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-04-23/pdf/2014-09274.pdf http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/WIOA%20One%20Page%20Summary%20May%202014.pdf

6 | P a g e postsecondary CTE programs that generate long-term improvements in student performance outcomes. On an annual basis, the selected contractor shall gather feedback from states that does not require Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance but is sufficient to evaluate the effectiveness of the technical assistance provided under the contract, learn how the technical assistance has been used, and refine ongoing technical assistance in the remaining months of the contract period. The results of this assessment will be included in a more general annual performance report to inform OCTAE on the innovations, benchmarks, and challenges of states throughout the year.

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DATE Technical Assistance Logic Model

Audience: Secondary and Postsecondary CTE Programs

Contextual

Factors

Activities and Strategies Short-Term Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes

States are implementing secondary and postsecondary CTE programs that meet the needs of students and the intent of the Perkins legislation

States need intensive support throughout the year

Peer-to-Peer Assistance and Direct Learning are critical to success and scaling

Leadership Development:

Leadership and Policy Academies for learning and capacity building, in-person cohort meetings; support regional meetings in field

Peer-to-Peer Learning: Webinars, conference calls; live chats

TA and Performance Coaching:

Grantee calls, Regional TA site visits

Stakeholder Engagement:

Communication strategies, web portal, peer sharing web platform

Knowledge Development and

Dissemination: Toolkits, reports, factsheets, web-based tools and other online resources, webinars, videos

Train state leaders quickly and effectively early on and continuously

Support states to implement innovations and quickly resolve challenges

Help states achieve performance outcomes

Provide leadership, education, and resources to support

Perkins implementation

Help states expand and sustain agency and employer partnerships

Facilitate strengthened secondary and postsecondary transitions for all youth

Quantify CTE success and highlight promising practices to help spur replication

Catalyzing the widespread adoption and scaling of evidence-based practices, like career pathways, that promote clear college and career transitions for CTE students can help them to realize their full potential in life and work. OCTAE’s new national activities can take deliberate steps toward increasing industry-recognized credential attainment and postsecondary education completion among CTE students.

To build the necessary capacity to strengthen CTE program performance, OCTAE requires technical support in the areas of project management, research and development, innovative technology, outreach and communications, leadership development, knowledge generation, and distance learning. These areas represent a few of the types of tasks that are encompassed within this proposed contract.

C. Legislative Authority

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This project is authorized under section 114 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical

Education Act of 2006 (Perkins Act or Act). Under section 114 (c) (1) of Act, the Secretary is authorized to carry out research, development, dissemination, evaluation and assessment, capacity building, and technical assistance with regard to CTE programs under the Act.

D. Types of Task Order Activities/Requirements

All task orders issued and activities conducted under this contract are focused on and for the benefit of the programs and stakeholders authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and

Technical Education Act of 2006.

Task Order Performance Work Statements (PWS) issued by the Department shall contain the following sections: Background; Purpose of Task, Activities, and a Schedule of Required

Deliverables. Task orders may have tasks that are similar to one or more of the following sample tasks:

Task 1: Project Management and Administration

The contractor shall perform all administrative activities necessary to manage the contract and task orders, and communicate with the Department during the performance of this contract.

Such tasks shall include, but are not limited to, conducting and attending meetings (including a kick off meeting), producing monthly progress reports, updated timelines, current work plan, and project summary reports. All reports shall show the project title, contract number, and task order number on the cover or first page. Each task order shall describe the project administration activities and schedule necessary for that task order. The contractor shall develop a detailed 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.

Typical deliverables for this task will include:

Producing agendas and summaries for regular status meetings, Conducting briefings and presentations;

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Developing and updating detailed work plans and timelines or other supporting documents; the contractor shall develop a detailed 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;

Preparing annual reports for each awarded task order, to include deliverables and outcomes;

Ensuring that billing is completed in a timely manner, with each invoice submitted to the

Department including the deliverable(s) being billed for attached;

Responding to emergent requests from OCTAE related to the contract; and

Participating in any Department-wide efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of technical assistance.

Task 2: Professional Development for CTE State and Local Leaders

The contractor shall design, in collaboration with OCTAE, professional development opportunities for CTE secondary and postsecondary state leaders and/or program staff members.

These resources and professional development opportunities should increase CTE leaders’ knowledge of relevant, evidence-based practices in career and technical education, career pathways, and credential attainment. The professional development should be designed to translate the research and lessons learned into actionable modules and training for leaders.

The contractor shall create professional development opportunities that focus on CTE, career pathways, Perkins data outcomes and measures, credential attainment, employer engagement, leadership, and other relevant topics. In developing these training efforts, the contractor shall take into account the national work of policy organizations, career and technical student organizations, and research entities, including but not limited to the American Association for

Community Colleges, the National Center for Innovation in Career and Technical Education, the

National Association for State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium, the

National Career Pathways Network, the Comprehensive Center for Great Teachers and Leaders as well as the College and Career Readiness and Success Center at the American Institutes for

Research, and the Regional Educational Laboratories.

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Typical deliverables for this task may include:

Developing in-person and virtual professional development opportunities and/or leadership programs for CTE leaders;

Implementing in-person and virtual professional development meetings, including but not limited to conducting conference calls, webinars, policy institutes and/or academies;

briefings; and communities of practice;

Facilitating webinars, meetings, workshops, presentations, virtual communities of practice, and flipped classroom learning strategies; 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 and conferences; and

Designing communication and outreach strategies to increase uptake and use of resources and professional development, including the use of social media.

All outreach and communications products shall meet the technical standards for accessibility in

36 CFR 1194 as established by Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act Section 508.

All products shall be posted on or linked to the Department’s Perkins Collaborative Resource

Network. Data collection activities shall be conducted and approved in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act and 5 CFR 1320. All products shall be compatible with Department standards for system development and administration.

Task 3: Conduct Research and Generate Knowledge for Stakeholders

This task area will help OCTAE communicate effectively about the success factors of career pathways implementation and best practices. It will also promote the broad adoption of these success factors among CTE secondary and postsecondary systems resulting in improved student outcomes.

The contractor shall conduct research that includes environmental scans of literature and evidence-based practices related to CTE, career pathways, credential attainment, industry-based

11 | P a g e certifications, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and Perkins performance data.

The contractor shall also create policy papers that are relevant to the objectives of a task order, including the aforementioned topics. The contractor may conduct interviews with system- and institutional-level staff members, as appropriate and in conformity with OMB regulations and as approved by OCTAE. All draft and final interview protocols shall be approved by OCTAE in advance of implementation. Research conducted and papers developed as a result might include information on:

effective career pathways models and practices;

alignment of secondary and postsecondary CTE systems;

on-ramps to postsecondary education and training programs as well as business engagement;

creation of pre-apprenticeship programs; and strategies to impact Perkins performance indicators positively, such as secondary and postsecondary completion, placement, and technical skills attainment.

The contractor shall submit reports and findings in both draft and final form. The reports shall typically include an executive summary, an overview of issues and the topics being addressed;

tables and graphs as appropriate, interpretations of results and implications for educational policy. Complex or politically sensitive reports may require several drafts. Reports may also be accompanied by in-person or virtual briefings. As part of the knowledge generation task, the contractor may also conduct national conference calls or webinars for state CTE leaders to garner feedback on best practices; and develop policy papers, toolkits, fact sheets, and resource guides.

In addition, the contractor shall develop communications and outreach strategies for several of the task orders under this contract. Typical activities to support this may include one or more of the following: (1) copywriting and editing; (2) multimedia production and graphic design; (3) web-content development; (4) development and production of collateral materials; (6) convening in-person and virtual workshops, technical assistance site visits, and seminars; (7) developing and producing short (2 – 3 minute) videos; (8) producing draft and final versions of written case studies on CTE promising practices; and (9) evaluating the effectiveness and summarizing outcomes of outreach efforts.

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All outreach and communications products shall meet the technical standards for accessibility in

36 CFR 1194 as established by Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act Section 508.

All products shall be posted on or linked to the Department’s Perkins Collaborative Resource

Network. Data collection activities shall be conducted and approved in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act and 5 CFR 1320. All products shall be compatible with Department standards for system development and administration.

Task 4: Secure Subject Matter Experts

The contractor shall obtain highly qualified subject matter experts. The contractor may be required to secure experts in CTE (secondary and postsecondary), career pathways, credential attainment, apprenticeship and other areas related to the topics and activities in the task orders.

Depending on the manner of engagement, this may include paying an honorarium or an hourly

(generally not to exceed $77/hour) or daily rate. Each task order will indicate if a subject matter expert is needed or the contractor may suggest a subject matter expect if warranted. If the contractor believes that the tasks may be performed by a member of its staff, the contractor may propose their internal staff expert as an alternative. OCTAE will approve all subject matter experts prior to the Contractor entering into agreements with experts for work to be conducted under a task order.

Typical deliverables may include presentation of resumes, draft and final case studies, draft and final reports, presentations, training and workshop content, draft and final videos, meeting facilitation services, and a summary of work performed by the subject matter expert.

Task 5: Logistics Management

This task includes logistics management for events that provide learning networks and peer learning environments for CTE grantees and stakeholders. The events will give grantees the opportunity to share noteworthy practices, build knowledge, brainstorm solutions, and troubleshoot challenges that might occur during the grant period. These virtual and on-site

13 | P a g e events will enhance grant performance outcomes and create strong program practices that ultimately benefit secondary and postsecondary CTE programs.

The contractor shall, in consultation with OCTAE staff, plan and implement technical assistance site visits, workshops, convenings, webinars, and webcasts. The contractor shall also support inter-Departmental and intra-Departmental meetings designed to further connections among federal education legislation like Perkins, ESEA, HEA, and IDEA including a series of half-day meetings among OCTAE, OESE, OPE, and OSERS. Logistical support includes, but is not limited to: site selection, agenda development; identification and preparation of trainers/facilitators; travel planning; coordination of registration and on-site logistics; production of signage and meeting materials; coordination and deployment of audio-visual equipment;

assisting speakers and meeting participants with travel arrangements; evaluation and post-event follow up and reporting; meeting notes, transcription and event proceedings, including social media coverage and live stream broadcasting, where applicable.

The contractor shall provide logistical support for meetings and conferences. The contractor shall adhere to ED’s and OMB requirements for reviewing and approving conference related expenditures prior to making any legal and/or financial obligations. The contractor shall also provide support for the writing and production of reports/documents; and the distribution of conference materials. Non-exhaustive lists of examples of the type of work to be performed under this task area are:

The contractor may provide pre-meeting services. These pre-meeting services may include, but are not limited to --

Planning and arranging the meeting agenda and activities;

Identifying and confirming hotel space (prior to hotel selection the contractor shall consider the location of the hotel for metro and food accessibility);

Inviting and registering participants;

Contacting and securing speakers/experts;

Arranging travel needs for conference speakers and presenters;

Identifying and coordinating conference materials;

Arranging for audio/visual and Internet Technology (IT) needs;

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Determining and acquiring decorating and staging; and

Acquire transportation for attendees and/or speakers (outside of typical travel related transportation), i.e. group shuttles/buses.

The contractor may provide onsite support at each meeting, including but not limited to --

Welcoming and registering participants;

Ensuring that audio/visual needs are met;

Coordinating workshop flow and break-out sessions;

Collecting workshop evaluations; and

Preparing and processing papers and proceedings from meetings.

The contractor may provide post-meeting follow-up services after each meeting, including but not limited to—

Preparing analytical summaries of evaluation information collected from participants;

Preparing and processing papers and proceedings from meetings; and

Paying honoraria to speakers/experts; and

Reimbursing speakers/experts for their travel expenses, if specified in the description of the particular subtask.

Creating and preparing a survey based on attendees’ perception of the event and/or the services provided. Survey may be handed out at the event, mailed out or responded to via website or other IT medium. The contractor will perform data collections, analyze data, and provide the government with written reports of results. If OMB or ED internal policy requires clearance, the contractor will develop materials and/or paperwork for use by federal staff in submitting OMB or ED clearance packages.

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

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Please note that the contractor shall provide a detailed cost breakdown of each meeting including invitational travel to OCTAE. In addition, the contractor shall not enter into an agreement with a hotel or off-site conference facility without expressed written approval from the Contract

Officer.

The Secretary has outlined a comprehensive education agenda that includes support for programs that prepare students to succeed in school; secondary education programs that prepare students to succeed in college, career, and life; and postsecondary programs that prepare students to be competitive in the workforce. In helping the Department support a comprehensive education agenda, the non-federal personnel will help the Department address four of the Secretary’s final supplemental priorities: Priority 5—increasing postsecondary access, affordability, and completion, Priority 6—improving job-driven training and employment outcomes, Priority 7—

Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as well as Priority 8— implementing internationally benchmarked college-and-career- ready standards and assessments.

Moreover, the non-federal personnel serving will provide a direct benefit to the Department in helping to strengthen implementation of the Perkins Act by addressing these priorities.

The Department will pay for travel expenses (lodging, transportation, meals and incidental expenses) for non-federal personnel identified as subject matter experts. Each meeting will have a different number of non-federal personnel whose travel expenses will be paid by the

Department. The estimated per person cost for travel (lodging, transportation, meals and incidental expenses) will be $1000.00. Perkins program funds will be used to pay for travel.

These individuals (non-federal personnel) will serve as resource people at the meetings and will share their expertise about evidence-based practices in career and technical education. In addition, the invited experts will share their expertise and provide direct consultation to Perkins grantees to ensure that they have the capacity, skills, and knowledge to produce successfully the deliverables in their grants. The Department and OCTAE will identify people who are experts in their field, have a track record of providing effective technical assistance, whose work is informed by the best possible available evidence, and who represent a diverse group overall in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, backgrounds, and points of view.

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The meetings will focus on a policy that is a high priority for the Department. In addition to helping the Department to support a comprehensive career and technical education agenda and to address four of the Secretary’s final supplemental priorities, the meetings will support the White

House initiative on the consensus around the new skills paradigm as rethinking the pathways to well-paying, middle class jobs, and opening those pathways to all Americans, as described in

Ready-to-Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity. This investment furthers the

Administration’s Job Driven Training initiative, specifically to help design and implement education and job training programs based on industry-recognized credentials.

The meetings are critical to accomplishing this high priority program. Grantees have limited opportunities to learn effectively and efficiently from experts. Program staff members have limited opportunities to get to know their grantees and the grantee key partners face-to-face, which facilitates their ability to have candid conversations over the course of the grant to ensure compliance, identify high priority technical assistance needs, and report on grantee problems and progress. The meetings will have an impact on implementation of Perkins to meet the

Department’s strategic goals and support the White House’s initiative on career pathways.

E. Deliverables

Task orders may have deliverables that are similar to some of the following sample deliverables:

1. Kick Off Meeting. The contractor shall provide an agenda and conduct the initial meeting, including OCTAE staff, the Contracting Officer (CO), the Contract Specialist (CS), the

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), the alternate COR, and other relevant Department staff for each task order, no later than 21 days after award. The purpose of the meeting will be to review the task order activities, to identify potential problems and possible solutions, and to discuss areas of concern related to the proposed project staffing plan and other management requirements. The meeting will also address any need to refine the management, staffing, and scheduling plans. Following the meeting, the contractor shall produce detailed minutes from the meeting and a revised project plan incorporating input received from the Department.

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2. Briefings. The project director or key staff member shall provide status briefings to the

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), alternate COR, and other key Department Staff on the status of work under each task order. Briefings may be conducted by phone or may require on-site briefings at the Department of Education. Each task order shall specify the number and types of briefings required.

3. Draft Reports and Products. Draft reports and technical assistance products will be reviewed by the COR and others designated by the COR. The COR will provide comments to the contractor within 30 calendar days of receipt of the draft report. For less complex task orders, the comment period may be reduced. Delivery schedules shall be specified in each task order. More than one draft may be required and this time should be included in the delivery schedule. The contractor shall develop resource guides, fact sheets, policy papers and policy analysis toolkits and other documents that identify emerging practices and highlight strategies that augment secondary and postsecondary CTE programs. The contractor shall submit a proposed outline for each report and/or product for approval by OCTAE.

4. Final Reports and Products. The contractor shall revise draft reports or products to incorporate the comments supplied by the COR. The contractor shall submit the final report or product no later than 30 days after comments are received or as indicated in the task order.

5. Graphic Design. In some task orders, the contractor shall be required to design documents and presentations. The contractor shall produce charts, slides, or PowerPoint presentations to supplement the reports under some task orders. If relevant, the requirements documents for a given task will include the development of materials and plans for dissemination to relevant audiences. The need for graphic design and branding will be specified within each task order.

Development of graphic design/art, production, and distribution of publications and other communication products may include design, layout, word processing, copy-editing, and photocopying of reports, conference materials, brochures, or other printed or electronic materials; and preparation and implementation of communication and dissemination plans. This graphics work may also include preparation of graphs based on analysis of technical data.

Graphic services may also include the creation of signs, posters, banners, and other graphic

18 | P a g e materials for use in Department conferences, meetings, and events. The contractor must be able to work in a variety of media and formats to create high quality and visually appropriate designs and to fabricate the signage using a range of appropriate materials. The contractor shall also be able to deliver high-quality products under tight time constraints. Work must comply with the

Department and Government standards and requirements, which may involve liaison, work with

Department representatives, document writers, graphic designers, and the Government Printing

Office.

6. Web-based materials and tools. Under some task orders, the contractor shall be required to develop materials that will be made available on the Internet. Web-based tools shall use software compatible with the Department’s Perkins Collaborative Resource Network (PCRN).

7. Audio or Video Products. The products will vary, but may include creative approaches to projects; rough and final scripts for productions; rough-cut audio and videotapes; and master final copies of audio and video programs. The contractors shall produce the deliverables in a creative manner, using the latest technical approaches to design and sound. The contractors shall have captioning for the hearing impaired on the video deliverables or as specified by the

Department to meet Government standards.

F. Staff Qualifications

Unless otherwise stated at the task order level, the Project Director, Senior Analysts, and subject matters experts are considered key project staff. Project staff shall have training and experience in the following areas:

Project Director. The proposed Project Director shall be responsible for the overall direction and management of contractor activities. The Project Director shall have relevant experience.

He/she should also have demonstrated success in leading complex, multi-year projects and a strong understanding of CTE secondary and postsecondary education, career pathways systems, the public workforce system and workforce development, and related programs and supports.

This position serves as the primary liaison to OCTAE staff;

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Project Manager. The proposed Project Manager shall be responsible for the day-to-day administration of a specific task order and direct its work. The Project Manager shall have relevant experience. He/she should have demonstrated success in leading complex projects, excellent project management skills and a strong understanding of CTE secondary and postsecondary education, career pathways systems, workforce development and related programs and supports. This position may serve as a liaison to OCTAE staff.

Based on the requirements of task orders issued under this contract, the contractor may need to include additional key staff or sub-contract for relevant services. Each task order will provide a list of key staff positions which may include, but will not be limited to, the following positions:

Subject Matter Expert(s). The proposed Subject Matter Expert(s) provide content expertise to identify and help solve complex problems in program areas as identified by the project staff in collaboration with grantees. Each Subject Matter Expert will have relevant experience. The

Department anticipates that Subject Matter Experts will be needed in the following areas:

Secondary and Postsecondary CTE programs

Career pathways programs and systems (includes elements such as stacked and latticed credentials and comprehensive and personalized student support services)

Partnerships with the public workforce system, including working with the workforce system to access data, apprenticeship programs, and stakeholder engagement

Accelerated learning and credentialing (includes competency-based assessments and training courses, online and technology-based learning strategies, prior learning assessments, and contextualized learning)

Innovative professional development strategies

Research analysis

Dissemination strategies

Senior Analyst. The proposed Senior Analyst provides expertise and guidance on various aspects of CTE career pathways and state leader professional development, including individualized grantee success coaching, facilitating peer-to-peer state leader exchanges, and

20 | P a g e developing tools and resources. The proposed Senior Analyst shall have relevant work experience. He/she must also have demonstrated strong oral and written skills, in addition to analytical skills.

Analyst(s). The proposed Analyst(s) provides expertise and guidance on various aspects of community college grant performance, such as individualized grantee success coaching, facilitating peer-to-peer grantee exchanges, and developing grantee resource guides. Each

Analyst shall have relevant experience. Each Analyst must also have demonstrated strong oral and writing skills, in addition to analytical skills.

Events/Logistics Coordinator. The proposed Events/Logistics Coordinator shall implement all aspects of events management, including event planning, coordination, follow-up, and evaluation. The Events Coordinator shall have a strong background in events planning and communications as well as related experience.

Senior Communications Coordinator. The proposed Senior Communications Coordinator shall have experience managing and directing national communications strategies, including the extensive use of social media modalities. The Coordinator shall develop the comprehensive communications and outreach plan to support the task order objectives and work closely with project staff to ensure consistent messaging.

IT Systems and Graphic Design Support. The proposed IT Systems and Graphic Design

Support staff members will help develop web-based tools and produce original designs and layouts for print and electronic media. They will troubleshoot issues related to websites and other online platforms, as identified by project staff and grantees. He/she should have a background in computer systems and a basic knowledge of systems development, applicable

Federal accessibility and cybersecurity standards to communicate effectively with Department IT staff. The graphic design support staff member should have experience designing multimedia presentations as well as video and web content.

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During the performance of this contract, qualifications of key personnel being replaced shall equal or exceed the qualifications for each position. Key project staff must have CO written approval before beginning work.

NOTES:

(1) All major products and deliverables will need explicit clearance by Office of the Assistant

Secretary, ED/OCTAE, prior to public release. All reports shall conform to the guidelines stated in ED’s Guide to Publishing at the U.S. Department of Education at http://www2.ed.gov/internal/PubGuide.pdf. The Department of Education recommends the following sources for editing: for spelling – Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, for abbreviations, capitalization, dates, numerals, usage and titles – Associated Press Stylebook and

Libel Manual, and for bibliographies and footnotes – Chicago Style Manual.

(2) The contractor shall provide all deliverables (all products and web materials) intended for posting on the Department’s website in accordance with the following:

• must meet the requirements for posting content stated in the ED.gov Management and

Publishing Policies at http://www.ed.gov/internal/wwwstds.html.

• must be user-ready and 508 compliant. (All on-line materials developed under this work statement will meet the standards for accessibility established by the Section 508 technical standards for Internet applications at 36 CFR 1194.22 http://www.section508.gov.

Although social media sites are not 508 compliant, the contractor shall ensure that the same information is available in a 508 compliant environment.)

• must be an electronic file in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) containing a copy of the deliverable with the same layout and pagination as the printed version

(current specifications for PDF files are defined in the ED.gov Style Guide at http://www.ed.gov/internal/styleguide/index.html);

Note: Large documents for which the PDF file exceeds five megabytes in size shall also be provided in multiple PDF files that subdivide the document into logical units each smaller than one megabyte.

http://www2.ed.gov/internal/PubGuide.pdf http://www.ed.gov/internal/wwwstds.html http://www.section508.gov/ http://www.ed.gov/internal/styleguide/index.html

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• an electronic copy of the deliverable (two copies if on disk or CD-ROM), including all files complete with any embedded links and objects (e.g., an Excel spreadsheet table embedded in a Word document), in formats defined on the ED website’s list of acceptable electronic formats (a current list is maintained at http://www.ed.gov/internal/styleguide/index.html) in editable form suitable for (a) conversion to HTML and web graphic formats or (b) posting as-is (e.g., accessible Word or

PDF documents);

• final versions of all electronic files that contain the exact same content as the final printed deliverable, including any galley proof changes;

• a printed or electronic plain text document accompanying the electronic files that includes the following information: title and description of the product; file name and format for each file, including embedded charts, tables, and images; if multiple files, explanation of component pieces and how they fit together to form the complete product; contact information, including name, email address, and telephone number.

(3) The Department’s social media guidebook can be found here: http://www2.ed.gov/web-guidance/index.html.

(4) All materials produced under this contract shall be consistent with:

The guidelines specified in the Guide to Publishing at the U.S. Department of Education

(www.ed.gov/internal/GuidetoPublishing.doc); and

The guidance found in the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition; the Associated Press

Stylebook 2003; the Elements of Style, Third Edition, by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B.

White; and the Webster’s New College Dictionary, 1999.

The contractor shall provide drafts of all 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).

All publications and written reports must meet the accessibility requirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1978 and shall be compatible with the Department’s web site requirements.

http://www.ed.gov/internal/styleguide/index.html http://www2.ed.gov/web-guidance/index.html http://www2.ed.gov/web-guidance/index.html

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Technical Assistance for Implementing Career Pathways Systems Initiative

Purpose

The Technical Assistance for Implementing Career Pathways Systems project will further integrate career and technical education (CTE) into broader career pathways system development at the state and local levels. This strategic investment supports Goal 1 of ED’s FY 2014 - 2018

Strategic Plan, as well as OCTAE’s goal for all youth and adults to have access to high quality career pathways programs. The project is designed to address four technical assistance outcomes for the Division of Academic and Technical Education:

Train state leaders effectively in key aspects of career pathways that promote college and career readiness for youth and adults, Support states to implement innovations and quickly resolve challenges that arise, Help states achieve Perkins IV performance outcomes, and

Provide leadership, education, and resources to support successful Perkins implementation.

Background

In April 2012, the U. S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Education, and Health and Human

Services (HHS) issued a joint policy memorandum in which each agency acknowledged that, through better alignment of education, training, and employment services among public agencies, career pathways hold the promise of increasing the number of youth and adults in the

United States who gain the skills and academic and industry-recognized credentials needed to work in the most in-demand occupations in the 21 st century workforce. This new investment in helping states to build career pathways will leverage prior federal investments integrating the work and policy interests of partnering agencies such as – http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/plan2014-18/strategic-plan.pdf http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/ten2_36_11.pdf

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The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) “Career Pathways Toolkit (Revised 2015), the

“primer” for career pathways system development. Additionally, DOL maintains a virtual community of practice for career pathways that has over 16,000 members (https:// learnwork.workforce3one.org).

OCTAE’s Advancing CTE in State and Local Career Pathways System initiative. Now in the third year of a three-year project, this initiative is providing technical assistance to five states to integrate CTE and has created an “Integrated Model for Career Pathways

Alignment,” which demonstrates to education and workforce development systems how

CTE programs of study and career pathways systems can be integrated.

OCTAE’s current Moving Pathways Forward: Supporting Career Pathways Integration project, which uses a three-tiered technical assistance model to provide differing levels of technical assistance, depending on where states are in their career pathways system development efforts and is creating a career pathways affiliate network.

DOL’s most recent Credentials and Career Pathways Technical Assistance Project, which provides technical assistance to its discretionary and formula funded grantees with the goal of increasing the number of states engaged in the development and implementation of career pathways system building.

Collectively, these past and current Federal investments have provided direct technical assistance to over 20 states, which means many states and localities are yet to be served. This new OCTAE investment furthers the Administration’s Job Driven Training initiative, specifically to help design and implement education and job training programs based on industry-recognized credentials. Additionally, the recent passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

(WIOA), which requires career pathways and sector strategy implementation in every state, has reinforced the need to ensure that secondary and postsecondary CTE leaders are fully trained in career pathways pedagogy and are able to maximize state- and local-level partnerships with education, business, and other key stakeholders as WIOA implementation unfolds. Consistent with the Perkins legislative requirement, this project will examine strategies to serve special http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm http://cte.ed.gov/nationalinitiatives/advancing_cte.cfm

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Building on lessons learned and employing the tools and effective technical assistance models developed under previous investments, this project will undertake a comprehensive strategy that includes leadership development for CTE leaders, a multi-tiered technical assistance plan and stakeholder engagement that highlights successful practices underway in the CTE community.

OCTAE will continue to work across divisions within the Department and collaborate with inter-agency partners, including DOL, Energy, HHS, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Social Security, and Transportation, on federal career pathways initiatives.

Period of Performance

The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) will be making a new two-year investment in this project. The period of performance for this Performance Work Statement

(PWS) will be for one 12-month Base Period and one 12-month Option Period. In Option Year

1, if exercised, all work started during the Base Year of this project on tasks such as Tasks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 may be extended and continued as identified in the Base Year, excluding those that have been completed in the 12-month Base Period such as Task 4: Conduct…