Draft_SOO_for_Standard_Design.pdf

Requirement Type 1

This is a Statement of Objectives (SOO). FEMA understands that there are different approaches to 2 meeting its requirements. In order to ensure that FEMA gets the most appropriate solution to this 3 requirement the agency will allow the contractor to determine the best approach to meeting FEMA’s 4 requirements. SOOs require that the contractor propose their approach to meeting the agency’s 5 requirements by offering a proposal to develop a Performance Work Statement (PWS) identifying how 6 the contractor shall meet the government’s requirements through the contractor’s approach to the work It 7 also allows the contractor to propose tasks that the contractor deems relevant to performing the work. 8 Integral to the PWS is a work schedule, list of deliverables; and method to measure the contractor’s 9 performance in meeting the government’s requirements. As part of this SOO, the contractor is 10 responsible for all of these elements. 11

Background 14

FEMA uses homes manufactured under 24 CRF 3280, the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety 15

Standards (the Standards) to house survivors after disasters and other activities permitted under the 16 Economy Act. In the spring of 2015, FEMA conducted an inventory of Manufactured Housing Units 17

(MHU) in the agency’s inventory and discovered that the agency had more than 80 different floor plans. 18

The large number of floor plans causes issues for the agency. 19 The agency has four (4) basic MHU types which are based on the number of bedrooms: 21

3 bedroom, 1¾ baths with dimensions of 60 feet by 14 feet; 22

2 bedroom, 1 bath with dimensions left up to the manufacturer; 23

1 bedroom, 1 bath with dimensions left up to the manufacturer; and, 24

1 bedroom, 1 bath “Express” with dimensions of 8 ½ feet by 48 feet. 25 In addition to the basic MHU types, FEMA procures MHUs in two accessibility variants which are the 27

Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) and what FEMA calls standard (non-UFAS) MHUs 28 which have some accessibility accommodations but do not fully meet UFAS requirements. 29 In addition, FEMA provides MHUs to all areas within the contiguous United States. Historically, in 31 order to provide for the variations in weather conditions, FEMA has procured what the agency calls 32 northern and southern MHUs. FEMA northern MHUs meet the thermal requirements in the Standards for 33 in subpart F –Thermal Protection Uo value zone 3. FEMA southern MHUs meet the thermal 34 requirements in the Standards for in subpart F –Thermal Protection Uo value zone 2. In an attempt to 35 eventually reduce the number of MHU types in the agency’s inventory, in 2014 FEMA requested that 36 MHU production contractors offer what FEMA has termed “CONUS” MHUs. The intent of a FEMA 37

CONUS MHU is to have an MHU that can be deployed to any location within the contiguous United 38 States. 39 While some of FEMA’s decisions have led to an increase in the total number of MHU types, the biggest 41 contributing factor is that FEMA allows each MHU manufacturer to use their own company’s floor plan. 42 Multiple MHU contractors per contract as well as a number of generations of contracts (2009, 2012 and 43 2014) have led to a wide variety of floor plans. 44

The variety of floor plans effects operations and how disaster survivors perceive the differences between 46 MHUs. Operational effects include variation in installation requirements, difficulty in standardizing 47

FEMA group site (purpose built manufactured home parks for disaster survivors) design with the 48 location of utility connections and different performance of HVAC systems. From the disaster survivors 49 perspective, occupants have expressed concern regarding anything from the kitchen layout to bedroom 50 size when compared to the MHU that their neighbor received. 51

Contract Goal 53

The goal of this contract is to have standardized floor plans and utility connection layouts for each of the 54 four basic MHU types. Further FEMA would like to ensure that the floor plans have a variant that meets 55 applicable UFAS requirements and examines issues related to the production of CONUS MHUs. If 56 possible, FEMA would prefer to procure CONUS units exclusively. If all of these requirements are met 57 FEMA will, in the future, limit the number of MHU types to eight (8). 58

Additional goals include ensuring that the layout is easy to build, allowing all potential manufactured 60 home producers equal opportunity to propose and win future MHU production contracts; examining 61 issues related to HVAC, energy usage and energy efficiency ; MHU durability for storage and 62 transportation; MHU functionality; and, equipping all MHUs with residential fire sprinkler systems. 63

There are additional requirements defined in the Standards and FEMA’s most recent solicitation for 64 MHU production solicited in 2014 with an award made in late September 2014. 65

FEMA is not looking for this contract to produce specification such as those which would be called 67 "MIL-STD" or "MIL-SPEC." According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), military 68 specifications "describe the physical and/or operational characteristics of a product", while military 69 standards "detail the processes and materials to be used to make the product." The GAO acknowledges, 70 however, that the terms are often used interchangeably. FEMA is looking for requirements for future 71

MHU procurements. 72 PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance is for 18 to 24 months after 74 the contract is awarded. The place of performance will be at the contractor’s facility. 75

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES, GOALS AND OUTCOMES: 77

Overall Objectives: 79

Personnel - The contractor shall provide qualified personnel with the proper skill mix and 80 experience, and the required number of personnel to accomplish the performance objectives. 81

Materials – The contractor shall provide all necessary supplies, spares, tools, and test equipment, 82 consumables, hardware, software, automatic data processing equipment, documentation, and 83 other applicable properties. (Unless directed by FEMA) 84

Facilities – No facilities are required in this solicitation. 85

Organizational processes - The contractor shall provide internal controls, management oversight, 86 and supply support. 87

Contract Objectives: 89

The Government is seeking services to: 90

Review FEMA’s current and historic requirements to understand FEMA’s needs for 91

MHUs to house disaster survivors; 92

Work collaboratively with the manufactured home industry to develop standardized 93 floor plans, utility connections and other requirements for future FEMA MHU 94 procurements; 95

Review and incorporate, as prudent, recommendations to improve the energy 96 efficiency of FEMA’s MHUs; 97

Review and incorporate, as prudent, recommendations to improve the 98 manufacturability of FEMA MHUs with an eye toward allowing manufactured home 99 producers to provide better MHUs and produce them more easily; 100

Provide FEMA with a draft requirements package for FEMA’s final review and 101 approval that will allow FEMA to clearly convey requirements for future MHU 102 procurements; and 103

Provide FEMA with briefing material explaining the requirements as well as the 104 benefits to the agency, disaster survivors and the manufactured home industry. 105

Contract Effort and Requirements 107

FEMA does not anticipate that a contractor will work full time on these tasks. However, FEMA does 108 anticipate that this effort will involve not just the contractor but will involve Subject Matter Experts 109 (SMEs) who are noted for their knowledge and practical experience in the manufactured home industry 110 as defined by the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 and 111 regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and codified in the 112 Standards. The contractor shall not form a Federal Advisory Committee as defined in the Federal 113

Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Public Law PL 92–463, 6 October 1972. Any meeting held with the 114 SMEs shall be for purposes of the contractor gathering information similar to the government conducting 115 market research and shall not be for the purpose of advising the government. All SMEs working as part 116 of this contract shall be informed and reminded that they are not providing the government with 117 suggestions or recommendations that will lead to the development of policy and government regulations. 118

The contractor and SMEs who work on this contract shall: 120

Have extensive experience in working with the manufactured home industry including in the 121 design, production, operation or research areas; 122

Have significant experience in overseeing designs that are in compliance with the Standards; 123

Have developed requirements for manufactured homes that are in compliance with the Standards; 124

The contractor shall: 126

Have significant experience in preparing material for publication; 127

Have experience and knowledge of the manufactured home industry so that they can bring 128 together a group of subject matter experts to support the design effort; 129

Demonstrate how they are either not currently working for any manufacturers in the 130 manufactured home industry or how they would be able to avoid personal and organizational 131 conflicts of interest in assisting FEMA with this project; 132

Be willing to not participate in any capacity in FEMA’s next round of MHU procurement which 133 will replace the contract awarded in September 2014; 134

Have experience working with government agencies regarding manufactured homes (e.g. FEMA, 135

Department of Housing and Urban Development; Department of Energy); 136

Can clearly demonstrate an understanding of the differences between FEMA’s use of 137 manufactured homes and the commercial use of manufactured homes; and, 138

Provide the government with a Performance Work Statement and Quality Assurance Plan that 139 will meet the requirements of this SOO. 140

Glossary 142

Statement of Work (SOW) and Performance Work Statement (PWS) Listing 143

Statement of Work - The portion of a contract which establishes and defines all non-specification 144 requirements for contractor's efforts either directly or with the use of specific cited documents. 145

Performance Work Statement - A statement of work for performance-based acquisitions that describes 146 the required results in clear, specific and objective terms with measurable outcomes. 147

Statement of Objectives - A government-prepared document incorporated into the solicitation that states 148 the overall performance objectives. It is used in solicitations when the Government intends to provide the 149 maximum flexibility to each offeror to propose an innovative approach. That portion of a contract that 150 establishes a broad description of the government’s required performance objectives. 151

Quality Assurance Plan – Describes the strategy and methods the contractor will deploy to ensure that 152 the contract is being managed, developed and deployed in a sound, reasonable way and that the 153 deliverables are of acceptable quality before they are delivered to the government. 154