ICP Support Services PWS v22 2024.05.8 (Clean).pdf

Individual and Community Preparedness (ICP) Headquarters Support Services Performance Work Statement

30 April 2024

A. Table of Contents A. Table of Contents

B. Purpose

C. Background

D. Scope

E. Performance Summary Requirement

F. Tasks and Requirements

1. Task 1: Administration and Management

A. Project Management Plan (FFP)

B. Project Kick-Off Briefing (FFP)

C. Monthly Interim Progress Review and Report (FFP)

D. Weekly Reporting (FFP)

E. Administration (FFP)

2. Task 2: Program and Administrative Support

A. Capacity Building Portfolio (FFP)

B. Community Responder Portfolio (FFP)

C. Personal Resilience Portfolio (FFP)

D. Preparedness Actions Portfolio (FFP)

E. Youth Preparedness Portfolio (FFP)

F. New Programs (T&M)

G. General Administrative Support (T&M)

H. Surge Support (T&M)

3. Task 3: Outreach Support

A. Constituent Communications (T&M)

B. Resource Management (T&M)

C. Translations (T&M)

D. Partnership and Engagement (T&M)

4. Task 4: Research, Analysis, and Evaluation

A. National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness (T&M)

B. Analysis and Evaluation (T&M)

C. Surveys (T&M)

D. Focus Groups (T&M)

E. Cognitive Testing (T&M)

F. Focused Interviews (T&M)

5. Task 5: Other Direct Costs

A. Materials (NTE)

B. Printing (NTE)

C. Travel (NTE)

G. Schedule of Deliverables

H. General Contract Requirements and Project Management Techniques

1. Management Structure and Organization

2. Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Program

3. Key Personnel

4. Business Hours

5. Telework

6. Performance Period

7. Government Furnished Equipment and Facilities

8. Sponsorship

9. Contractor Employee Identification

10. Training

11. Security

12. Safeguarding of Sensitive Information (June 2023)

13. Privacy

14. Information Technology Security and Privacy Training (March 2015)

15. Section 504 and 508 Accessibility Requirements

16. Records Management Obligations

17. Facility Access

18. Contractor Responsibilities

19. DHS Enterprise Architecture Compliance

20. Cyber-Supply Chain Risk Management

21. HSPD-12

Attachment 1: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

B. Purpose Presidential Policy Directive-8 (PPD-8): National Preparedness tasked the Secretary of Homeland Security with coordinating “a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness, including public outreach and community-based and private-sector programs, to enhance national resilience, the provision of Federal financial assistance, preparedness efforts by the Federal Government, and national research and development efforts.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Individual and Community Preparedness Division (ICPD) has a requirement for program support; research, analysis, and evaluation; and creative content and outreach to support the mission to increase individual and community preparedness, bolster resilience and reduce risk.

ICPD’s goal is to reduce suffering caused by disasters with a focus on those living in and supporting the needs of underserved communities. Success is a culture where preparedness is part of everyday life wherein individuals and communities know their relevant hazards, have taken actions to prepare for and reduce risks from those hazards and are thus less dependent on post disaster assistance from all levels of government. This contract will support these efforts.

C. Background Organizationally, ICPD is in the Risk Management Directorate of the Resilience component within FEMA. ICPD works to strengthen our Nation’s resilience by preparing individuals, organizations, and communities for all hazards emergencies. ICPD conducts research to enhance understanding of effective preparedness actions and ways to motivate the public to take those actions. In addition, ICPD develops and shares preparedness and risk reduction resources and coordinates comprehensive disaster preparedness and risk reduction initiatives to help individuals and communities prepare for, protect against, and respond to disasters. ICPD achieves this mission through close coordination with the FEMA Regions; federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies; and nongovernmental partners from all sectors.

ICPD is FEMA’s primary developer of programs, tools, training, and gaming for individuals, organizations, and communities. Within FEMA and in partnership with other Federal agencies, ICPD encourages the incorporation of research-based, inclusive emergency management principles all to improve the state of individual and community preparedness. The Division’s programs and initiatives fall into five portfolio areas including Community Responder, Capacity Building, Personal Resilience, Preparedness Actions, and Youth Preparedness. In addition, the

Division conducts outreach through various means and has a robust preparedness research capability.

D. Scope ICPD creates programming that builds the capabilities of individuals and families prepare for the hazards they may face. ICPD programs empower U.S. residents and community-based organizations to become active participants in risk reduction activities. ICPD’s research informs actions taken by individuals and communities across the nation to stay safe before, during, and after a disaster. This contract shall provide the government with support in areas including, but not limited to:

• Contract Administration and Management

• Portfolio Program Support o Capacity Building (Organizations Preparing for Emergency Needs, Are You Ready, Building a Roadmap to Resilience, Ready Campus, Ready Business, etc.)

o Community Responder (Until Help Arrives, training and doctrine development for Community Emergency Response Teams, etc.)

o Personal Resilience o Preparedness Actions (Protective Actions, Individual and Community

Preparedness Learning Agenda, Hazard Information Sheets, etc.)

o Youth Preparedness (Youth Preparedness Council, Student Tools for Emergency

Planning, Prepare with Pedro, Child Safeguarding, Ready, Summit event planning, etc.)

• General Administrative o Constituent Communications o Conference and Partnership Management o Resource Management o Translations

• Research, Analysis, and Evaluation o National Household Survey o Program Analysis and Evaluation o Surveys o Focus Groups o Cognitive Testing o Focused Interviews

• Materials, Printing, and Other ODCs

E. Performance Summary Requirement This requirement includes a Performance Requirements Summary (PRS). The PRS plays an integral role in the administration of the task order. In addition to any applicable inspection clauses or other related terms and conditions contained in the task order award the PRS shall serve as a primary tool for inspection and acceptance of services as facilitated by the COR.

Evaluation of the Contractor’s overall performance shall be in accordance with the performance standards set forth in the PRS, and will be conducted by the COR. The PRS constitutes a material aspect of the task order and will not be changed or otherwise modified without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

All work products and deliverables shall, at a minimum, be 95% free of errors, specifically content, spelling, grammar, formatting, and punctuation. In addition, written documents shall use plain language and shall be concise and clearly written. The Contractor shall ensure the accuracy, functionality, completeness, professional quality, and overall compliance with government guidelines/requirements, including the latest FEMA Branding and Writing Style guidance, of the deliverables.

The PRS is included within Attachment 1, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

F. Tasks and Requirements

1. Task 1: Administration and Management The Contractor shall provide management and oversight of all contract activities and deliverables. All support for FFP portions of this task will be accomplished using the LCATs and LOE prescribed below. Contractors may use additional LCATs if deemed necessary. In addition to a Program Manager, Tasks 2-4 shall each have a General and Operations Manager hereto known as Task Lead.

A. Project Management Plan (FFP) The Contractor shall provide a detailed draft Project Management Plan (PMP)with their proposal, which shall include the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule including deliverables, tasks, and subtasks, with major milestones. In addition, the PMP shall include specific sections, identified below, which present the Contractor's plan for completing the work describing the technical approach, management plan, organizational structure and resources, and management controls that will meet the objectives of this PWS. The Contractor's plan shall be responsive to this PWS and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect as defined in the proposal. The final PMP (1.A.1) shall be submitted 10 business days after the kick-off. The Contractor shall keep the PMP up to date throughout the period of performance;

specifically, the Contractor shall provide monthly recommended updates in the form of tracked changes in Microsoft Word. Further, the Government may, at any time, request additional updates that shall be completed by the Contractor and delivered to the Government no more than 10 business days after the request. These updates may include the addition of activities not

LCAT for Task 1 (FFP only) LOE Program Manager 1 FTE Task 2 Lead 1 FTE Task 3 Lead 1 FTE Task 4 Lead 1 FTE included in the initial plan. An Annual PMP Update (1.A.2) shall be submitted within ten (10) business days of the start of each Option Year.

The PMP shall include the following:

• Staffing & In-processing Plan: The staffing plan is to define the roles and responsibilities for all personnel supporting the contract. The goal of the plan is to ensure the contract support staff is properly aligned to the strategic goals, mission, and objectives of FEMA. The staffing plan shall also include the Contractor’s organizational structure in support of the contract. The Contractor shall provide a detailed hiring plan and complete all Contractor Fitness forms. The Staffing Plan shall also demonstrate the Contractor’s process for immediately identifying and taking appropriate remedial action in addressing Contractor personnel determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or personal conduct in performance of contract activities. Contractor remedial actions shall be executed in a manner that does not disrupt or degrade the quality, cost, or timeliness of services. Only trained staff shall be permitted to work in support of this contract (see Training Plan, below, for more details). All variations must receive prior approval from the PM and COR.

As a part of this plan, the Contractor shall create and maintain a staffing tracker. The tracker shall include issues related to hiring and also be included on the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan.

• Contractor Communication Plan: The Contractor shall outline the Contractor’s roles and responsibilities of project participants in the review, approval, and dissemination of information about key project processes, events, documents, and milestones.

• Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan: The Contractor shall outline the plan to conduct risk identification, risk analysis, risk management, and risk monitoring and reporting, focusing on the processes, resources, and data sources critical to managing the project. This plan shall provide the basis for the weekly reporting identified in Task 1: Part D.

• Quality Control Plan (QCP): The QCP shall provide specifics regarding how the Contractor defines, implements, and assures quality and compliance to the QASP during the contract life. The QCP shall be reviewed quarterly and if there are any changes, the updated QCP shall be submitted to the PM and COR. The QCP shall document the overall approach to quality assurance activities.

• Training Plan: Specific staff training requirements and qualifications have been defined within the tasks below as well as the Key Personnel section of this document.

The Contractor shall outline a plan for how staff who support these tasks will be trained according to these requirements.

• Transition-In Plan: The Contractor shall execute a transition to fully migrate support from the incumbent contractor to ensure minimum disruption to Government business. The Contractor shall document a Transition-In Plan, including a schedule depicting the transition activities and milestones for accomplishing the transition in.

The Transition-In Plan shall detail how the Contractor will establish procedures with the outgoing contractor to transition support while maintaining continuity of services with no degradation in service. This includes defining processes for turnover of system accounts, privileges, access, and administration. All tasks must be fully transitioned from the incumbent no later than August 20, 2024, one week prior to the end of the incumbent’s period of performance.

• Transition-Out Plan: The Contractor shall document a Transition-Out Plan that describes the process, details, and schedule for providing an orderly transition during the Contract’s phase out period in accordance with the PWS. An initial draft of this document shall be created along with the PMP and shall be updated 60 days prior to the end of the contract. The objectives of the Transition-Out Plan are to minimize the impacts on continuity of operations; maintain communication with staff and affected stakeholders; identify key issues; and overcome barriers to transition. The Contractor shall establish a transition management team capable of providing overall management and logistical support of all transition activities. The Contractor shall document within the Transition-Out Plan a proposed schedule for report status to the PM, COR, and CO and/or contract close-out meetings leading up to the end of the contract. The Transition-Out Plan shall include the following:

o Inventory all Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Furnished Information (GFI) in Contractor possession;

o Status of all deliverables, current issues, problems, or activities in process that require immediate action; and o How the Contractor shall ensure proper transfer of GFE, GFI, and records and documents to the Government prior to the end of the period of performance.

• Deliverable Submission Schedule: The Contractor shall provide a submission schedule for all Task 1 deliverables in the Base period of performance.

• Subcontract Management Plan: The Contractor shall provide a subcontract management plan that details the subcontract management approach. In addition, this plan should list all proposed subcontracts.

Deliverable 1.A.1 – Project Management Plan (PMP) [Delivered NLT ten (10) business days after Kick Off Briefing]

Deliverable 1.A.2 – Annual Project Management Plan (PMP) Update [Delivered NLT ten (10) business days after the start of each Option Year].

B. Contract Kick-Off Briefing (FFP) The Contractor shall host a project Kick-Off Briefing (1.B.1) with Government project team. The Kick-Off Briefing shall be held within 5 business days after contract award or as agreed upon between the Government and Contractor. The kick-off meeting shall be in-person at FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC. At the Kick-Off Briefing, the Contractor shall, at a minimum, brief the details of the Project Management Plan (PMP).

C. Monthly Interim Progress Review and Report (FFP) The Monthly Interim Progress Review (IPR) is typically a meeting that shall support the Government in implementing disciplined, comprehensive, and flexible program and project management processes, including monitoring of project metrics; rigorous risk management; and prompt reporting on Government-approved schedule, performance, budget, and risk. The Contractor shall provide an IPR Briefing Deck (1.C.1) to guide the meeting. The IPR Briefing Deck may draw heavily from the Monthly Status Report.

The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Status Report (MSR) (1.C.2) to the Government, electronically, no later than the 5th business day of each month. This MSR shall cover all contract related activity for the previous month. For example, the MSR delivered on the 5th of November shall detail all activity occurring in the month of October.

The MSR shall present the work accomplished during the previous month. This report shall also identify any problems that arose and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved.

Further, the report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved with an explanation. The MSR shall include, at a minimum, the following items:

• Organization according to the tasks as described in this performance work statement

(PWS);

• Roster of personnel;

• Pending in-processing status for new personnel;

• Planned travel for the upcoming 60-day period;

• Planned absences for the upcoming 30-day period;

• Current expenditures and forecasted expenditures toward completion of the POP;

• Identification of project risks;

• Summary of the tasks and work products completed; and

• Status of deliverables.

Deliverable 1. C.1 Monthly IPR Briefing Deck [NLT 10th business day of each month]

Deliverable 1.C.2 Monthly Status Report [NLT 5th business day of each month]

D. Weekly Reporting (FFP) The Weekly Status Report (WSR) (1.D.1) shall highlight risks and issues as well as any outstanding items. Risks and issues shall be reported weekly as critical, high, medium, or low. A description shall be included of the risk/issue, the owner, progress made, and management or risk mitigation strategy as applicable. Weekly status shall be provided on each risk until they are closed out. The COR may request that a perceived risk or issue be added and tracked for the contract. The WSR shall be delivered via email to both the COR and PM on the first business day of each week. Feedback from Government staff must be reflected in the subsequent submission.

Deliverable 1. D.1 Weekly Status Report [2nd business day of each week]

In addition to the WSR, the contractor shall provide a weekly budget update for all Time and Material tasks (1.D.2). The update shall be in the form of a tracker which at a minimum, shows the following information:

• Name of task;

• Approved task budget;

• Percentage of the budget used;

• Burn rate;

• Risks; and

• Comments

Deliverable 1. D.2 Weekly Budget Report for T&M Tasks [2nd business day of each week]

E. Administration (FFP) The Contractor shall complete standard administrative tasks (e.g., background investigation forms, staff roster, mandatory training, etc.). Project staff members must not start work on projects until the COR has received a fitness form and a signed non-disclosure agreement.

Invoices must be submitted monthly using SF 1034 and SF 1035. In addition, all invoices must include an Excel spreadsheet that includes a price breakdown for each T&M task as well as Other Direct Costs (ODC). This will help government program managers and CORs track and validate the work performed and the ODCs.

2. Task 2: Program and Administrative Support The ICPD has five portfolio areas including Capacity Building, Community Responder, Personal Resilience, Preparedness Actions, and Youth Preparedness. Each portfolio has subordinate programs. ICPD leadership will prioritize and select three programs to update during each period of performance (PoP). The Contractor shall assist in making these program updates to revise products and enhance their effectiveness. In addition, under FFP the Contractor shall provide support for program operation and development of material and strategies to help engage stakeholders. All support for FFP portions of this task will be accomplished using the LCATs and LOE prescribed below. The Task Lead (listed under Task 1: Admin and Management) will manage all FFP and T&M activities under Task 2. The Contractor must provide the LCATs and LOE prescribed below.

LCAT for Task 2 (FFP only) LOE Subject Matter Expert (SME), Preparedness 2 FTE Sr. Analyst 2 FTE Jr. Analyst 1 FTE Technical Writer/Editor .5 FTE Other TBD

In addition to the FFP support, the Contractor shall provide T&M activities as needed to include administrative support, surge support, and program development. All T&M tasks will be supported using the aforementioned and other LCATs as necessary.

Note: Research, analysis and evaluation activities may be requested to support any of ICPD’s portfolios, but this support will fall under Task 4 as T&M.

Deliverable 2: Program Updates [Three (3) Annually]

The following sections provide portfolio information and identify some of the potential activities that could constitute program support under FFP. Government PMs will coordinate with their leadership and the Task 2 Lead to develop portfolio task plans. These task plans will prescribe work activities and balance the anticipated level of effort. In addition, some sections will describe the support needed, upon request, for T&M activities.

A. Capacity Building Portfolio (FFP)

Community-based organizations (CBO’s), faith-based organizations (FBO’s), small businesses, and other non-profits provide critical services to communities before, during, and after an emergency. ICPD develops continuity training and risk reduction tools for these organizations to become resilient ahead of disasters to ensure they can continue serving their communities throughout their recovery.

Current programs include, but are not limited to: Building a Roadmap to Resilience: A Whole Community Training, OPEN Training, and Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness

1. Building a Roadmap to Resilience: A Whole Community Training (E426) E426 is a classroom-based training typically offered at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD. This course aims to provide students with the knowledge and tools to engage their whole communities and help community groups move beyond basic awareness. By the end of the training, students will have customized roadmaps for establishing a community resilience coalition and a plan to encourage community leaders to make resiliency gains within the unique circumstances of their jurisdictions.

2. Organizations Preparing for Emergency Needs (OPEN) Training OPEN includes both a web-based, self-guided training, and a downloadable instructor kit that will guide participants on how to identify risks, locate resources, and take preparedness actions.

When Community-Based Organizations, such as food pantries, daycares, and non-profits, are unable to sustain operations during an emergency incident, individuals who rely on them are exponentially impacted. Because of their importance in keeping the community going, OPEN is designed to empower these organizations to better prepare for incidents.

3. Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness In September 2020, FEMA released the Are You Ready Guide. The guide emphasizes the importance of preparing for disasters, highlights the need to know your risks and the best actions to protect yourself and others, encourages plan creation, recommends specific actions, and provides general guidance to help in the recovery process. This guide is available online.

B. Community Responder Portfolio (FFP)

ICPD educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that impact their area, and trains them in basic disaster response skills through in-person and virtual trainings.

Community Responder programs provide valuable resources for individuals and communities.

Program promotion proves is necessary to raise awareness and encourage communities to leverage these programs to enhance their overall preparedness postures.

The Contractor shall develop Community Responder Promotional Packages when requested to support program or product rollouts and improvements.

Current programs include Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and You Are the Help Until Help Arrives (Until Help Arrives) (UHA).

1. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) CERT educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks.

2. You are the Help Until Help Arrives (UHA) UHA is a program designed to educate and empower the public to take action in emergency situations and provide lifesaving care before professional help arrives. Through online instruction and in-person trainings, participants are trained to take action and, through simple steps, potentially save a life. Materials developed for this educational campaign include a 2.5-hour instructor-led course, a 30-minute web-based training module, and an interactive video.

C. Personal Resilience Portfolio (FFP)

Personal Resilience is an individual’s ability to overcome a challenge. By recognizing everyone is capable of being resilient in different ways, Personal Resilience aims to remove barriers to preparedness. Programming for the Personal Resilience portfolio includes work that will support four pathways of resilience: Emotional, Financial, Physical, and Social.

The Contractor will support the government in strengthening the national Personal Resilience posture. Examples of work under this portfolio may include, but are not limited to:

• New programmatic work: Design, implement, and maintain new programs in the four pathways of Personal Resilience. These programs should be novel and targeted for individuals and communities. (This would fall under New Programs T&M.)

• Existing programmatic work: Update, enhance, or maintain existing programs in the four pathways of Personal Resilience These programs can update current ICPD or FEMA preparedness programs, or programming from other federal agencies or non-profit organizations ICPD has an MOU with. The programs should be targeted for individuals and communities.

• Implementation: Implement the above programmatic work in targeted communities.

• Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance to the targeted communities on the new or existing programmatic work.

• Communication Strategy: Create engagement materials that communicate the successes or current status of the Personal Resilience for internal and external stakeholders.

Promotion also entails communication materials and potential engagement opportunities.

The government may request the Contractor to conduct evaluation of Personal Resilience program data. Additionally, the government may request support to conduct Focus Groups to test the impact of personal resilience. Such analysis will be priced and approved under the Research, Analysis and Evaluation task under T&M.

The descriptions below provide examples of Personal Resilience programs.

1. Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) Developed in coordination with Operation Hope, the EFFAK is a product that helps individuals collect, organize, and store critical financial, medical, and household information. The EFFAK includes a checklist of important documents and forms and offers peace of mind for having this information readily available.

2. Your Disaster Checklist Developed in coordination with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Your Disaster Checklist tool helps users collect, copy, and store financial and other information that will help users avoid problems and recover faster after a disaster.

D. Preparedness Actions Portfolio (FFP)

1. Protective Actions Protective Actions are research-based actions and advice that anyone can take to prepare for, keep safe during, and recover from a disaster. Over 15 hazards have validated and published protective actions.

The Contractor shall provide support for research, graphics, and research site updates and enhancements. In addition, the Contractor shall propose additions and updates to content for Protective Actions site based on the outcomes of protective actions research activities. In addition, the Contractor will be responsible for coordinating and executing content upload to the site.

Research ICPD’s Protective Action Research informs key messages for individual- and community-focused FEMA products and interagency coordination. To date, this effort has informed content on FEMA’s Community pages, ready.gov, hazard information sheets, and preparedness products such as Are You Ready, among others. The Contractor may conduct research (through literature review, evaluation, and receiving and the integration of partner feedback) to identify the best protective actions for new hazards or revalidate existing protective actions.

Graphics The Protective Actions graphics efforts support the Division’s efforts to communicate Protective Actions research to the whole community. Specifically, visual products to assist with and bolster user learning retention. The Contractor shall create graphics for the new or updated protective actions. Graphics may include, but are certainly not limited to, icons, individual graphics, and hazard information sheets.

Research Site In 2020, ICPD began the process of uploading the content from individual static (Word document) reports onto the FEMA Community Pages’ Protective Actions Research site https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/. The reports published in this online tool are 508 compliant to ensure accessibility. The research, messaging, and recommendations on the site provide decision-making guidance to individuals and households, messaging guidance for practitioners, and research recommendations for researchers in the disaster preparedness space.

The goal of the site is to inform messaging, provide decision-making guidance, and encourage researchers to collaborate with FEMA to enhance the research so that the Agency can continue to provide the best guidance to the public.

2. Hazard Information Sheets Validated protective actions enable ICPD to create and update hazard information sheets.

FEMA’s Hazard Information Sheets (usually about two pages each) provide the public with clear, concise, plain language messaging and include important information about a hazard, its impacts, and ways to prepare for, keep safe during, and recover from a disaster. Individuals and community organizations can use these hazard information sheets to promote preparedness for potential hazards in local areas.

The Contractor shall support the government in developing and updating hazard information sheets.

3. Individual and Community Preparedness Learning Agenda In 2021, ICPD engaged with over 200 stakeholders from over 140 organizations across the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico as part of a Whole Community approach to develop the Individual and Community Preparedness Learning Agenda. With the understanding that preparedness is a shared responsibility and should involve the whole community (individuals and families, including those with access and functional needs;

businesses; faith-based and community organizations; nonprofit groups; schools and academia;

media outlets; all levels of government, including state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/ https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessConnect/s/article/The-Individual-and-Community-Preparedness-Learning-Agenda partners) the Learning Agenda is a tool to help strategically organize important questions, drive research, and generate evidence.

ICPD will continue the outreach implementation for the Individual and Community Preparedness Learning Agenda by first engaging with the Regions through the Regional Preparedness Liaisons and Community Preparedness Officers. ICPD will engage with these stakeholders to better understand their interest in ICPD’s ongoing research efforts and to better understand what data they have that they may be able to contribute toward the generation of data for questions. ICPD will also encourage the regions to engage their local partners to generate data.

The Contractor may support efforts to further promote the learning agenda and engage and encourage stakeholders to collect and share data that may help answer learning agenda questions.

Specifically, the Contractor may assist in develop/update a promotional package to include strategy and promotional products (e.g., webinars, listening sessions, learning agenda website updates, draft outreach communications, etc.)

In addition, the government may request the Contractor to conduct analysis of Learning Agenda data. Such analysis will be priced and approved under the Research, Analysis and Evaluation task under T&M.

E. Youth Preparedness Portfolio (FFP) Youth preparedness programs empower children with resilience skills necessary to stay safe during disasters while harnessing youth as change agents within their communities to increase resilience across the country.

Current programs include, but are not limited to: Youth Preparedness Council, Integrating the Needs of Children (INC) Workshop, Prepare with Pedro, STEP, and Ready 2 Help. The level of effort for Youth Preparedness Council and the Youth Preparedness Summit may be supplemented with Surge Support under T&M.

1. Youth Preparedness Council The FEMA Youth Preparedness Council was formed in 2012 to bring together youth leaders in grades 8-11 from across the country who are interested and engaged in advocating for preparedness. The Council is made up of 15 members who are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities, and their potential to expand their impact as national advocates for preparedness.

During their one-year term, members complete preparedness projects and share their opinions and experiences regarding youth disaster preparedness with FEMA leadership and other preparedness organizations. Examples of members’ projects have included starting preparedness programs in schools and communities, helping to establish state youth preparedness councils, developing a mobile application for first responders, and hosting disaster preparedness exercises and events.

The Contractor shall provide general support for the YPC Council. Such support may include but is not limited to providing administration support for the Council application, selection, and onboarding processes, including the development and execution of a tracking system for applications and members; program support for the Council and member preparedness projects, including the design of educational materials; collecting, analyzing and reporting program metrics; and developing After-Action Reports.

2. Youth Preparedness Summit ICPD hosts a biannual YPC Summit in the National Capital Region, bringing together graduating and incoming YPC members to participate in team building activities, learn about emergency management and project planning, attend media training, and hear from Emergency Management leaders from across the country.

The Contractor shall provide logistics and planning support for hosting the bi-annual event. In addition, the Contractor shall also provide an after-action report that covers the event, application process, review process, and internal reports (such as weekly emailed reports tracking the number of submissions, progress of application reviews or after-action reports from the annual YPC Summit). Although this includes preparing a FEMA conference approval package and arranging the logistics, the contractor is not required to provide the venue; however, that may prove a viable option.

3. Youth Programs (Pedro, STEP, Ready 2 Help, INC, Child Safeguarding, etc.)

ICPD has a number of Youth Programs aimed to develop youth preparedness or protect youth.

The contractors shall support the government in strengthening the youth programs. Examples of work may include, but are not limited to, expanding, or revising/updating existing programs, providing support for updated program implementation, and executing projects. In addition, the government may request the Contractor to conduct analysis of youth program data. Such analysis will be priced and approved under the Research, Analysis and Evaluation task under T&M. In addition, the Contractor will support the development and implementation of engagement materials for ICPD to communicate and engage with partners and the public.

The following are some examples of Youth Programs some of which may require ongoing support.

Prepare with Pedro This award-winning program was created by the American Red Cross with FEMA leading efforts grow the brand and expand product offerings. This suite of youth preparedness products follows Pedro the penguin as he learns about how to be prepared for and take action during various hazards and emergencies to help stay safe. This program is traditionally taught in classrooms and presented through a storybook, accompanied by workshops and games, to students in kindergarten to second grade (ages 4-8).

STEP

Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) is an emergency preparedness curriculum for students in the fourth grade and older that can be taught in the classroom or other settings, such as after-school programs or scouts. Students learn about disasters, emergencies, and hazards;

how to create a disaster supply kit; and family emergency communication planning.

Ready 2 Help Ready 2 Help is a fun card game that teaches children ages 8–12 developmentally appropriate skills to respond to emergency situations in five simple steps: Stay Safe, Stay Calm, Get Help, Give Info, and Give Care. This game helps to teach kids how to stay safe and make a difference until help arrives. With the Ready 2 Help card game, players can respond to examples of emergencies by working with their friends and using skills that will help them in a real emergency.

INC

The Community Preparedness: Integrating the Needs of Children (INC) workshop is a way to encourages collaboration between local governments, emergency management professionals, and a diverse array of community-based organizations that serve children by bringing them to the table and deliberately plan for children during disaster situations. This community-based workshop promotes community planning, coordination, and integration of children’s needs during emergencies. Using established planning methodologies, the workshop walks participants through identifying the organizations, requirements, and resources needed in their preparedness programs to ensure that children are kept safe and healthy during disasters.

Child Safeguarding Child Safeguarding is the policies, processes, and practices that make organizations and their people safe for children. It is the responsibility of ICPD as a provider of youth programs to consider the minors that are recipients of these efforts and ensure they are being protected and their well-being is taken into consideration throughout the programmatic cycle.

F. New Programs (T&M) Based on Division needs and Agency priorities, the division may add to the existing suite of preparedness programs. As such, the Contractor shall provide developmental support for new programs as needed. Programs may be in any of the portfolio areas and may also include curriculum development and preparedness animations. The government PM shall develop a task plan for new program development and the government and Contractor shall develop and agree upon a budget.

Deliverable 2. F New Program [as needed]

G. General Administrative Support (T&M) The Contractor shall provide the following general administrative, operational, and secretarial support tasks to government executive managers. This level of effort will typically not exceed 20 hours/week. The Contractor shall conduct any or all the following at the government’s request:

• Schedule appointments/meetings;

• Manage and monitor calendars and daily itineraries;

• Relay Executive manager availability and whereabouts;

• Manage Outlook in-boxes and calendars;

• Develop short/long range operational schedules;

• Coordinate travel arrangements; travel schedules to include status of orders and itineraries, transportation, and accommodation arrangements;

• Arrange meetings/conferences and prepare appropriate background material;

• Generate and manage correspondence to include electronic mail and forward correspondence to appropriate personnel;

• Utilize computer software, primarily Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook to type, prepare, store, transfer, and print documents including letters, memoranda, forms, reports, charts, graphs, and presentations from handwritten or electronic drafts or from supplied samples and provided data;

• Review all documents and correspondence for format, grammar, and punctuation in accordance with the FEMA Writing Style Guide and the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual;

• Prepare and send documents via electronic methods, U.S. Mail, or use of overnight delivery services (or a combination of more than one); and

• Provide notes, as needed, for special events or meetings.

H. Surge Support (T&M) For a number of possible reasons, the government may need to surge support to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. For example, disaster declarations may result in federal employee deployments to support disaster operations and require additional support from contract staff to maintain continuity. The contractor shall provide surge support, as needed, in relation to any other sections of this PWS.

3. Task 3: Outreach Support

A. Constituent Communications (T&M)

1. Newsletters

The Contractor will plan, develop, and deliver the ICPD newsletter (3.B.1). The newsletter will be distributed quarterly. In addition to the newsletter, supplemental “news blasts” may prove necessary to highlight special events, webinars, or ICPD program and product updates.

The Newsletter will support the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division’s (ICPD) goal of achieving a culture of preparedness for the U.S. population by offering preparedness tips, resources, and the latest news on preparedness initiatives, ICPD programs, and preparedness events across the Nation. The priorities of the Newsletter are to feed into FEMA’s wider mission to help the Nation before, during, and after disasters as well as ICPD’s mission to connect individuals, organizations, and communities with research and tools that help to build and sustain capabilities and prepare for any disaster or emergency. These are to:

• Build awareness of hazards and preparedness strategies, ICPD programs and publications, and partner resources;

• Help readers find and share promising practices, relevant research, accessible learning opportunities, and engaging stories of promising practices and successful initiatives;

• Encourage readers to take preparedness actions and support others in their community to do the same;

• Support partner engagement by providing a platform to share content; and

• Influence preparedness conversations and highlight FEMA priorities.

Deliverable 3.A.1.1 Newsletter [quarterly]

Deliverable 3.A.1.2 News Blasts [as assigned]

2. Data Digest The Contractor shall plan, develop, and deliver up to six (6) Data Digests annually which may include themes (e.g., based on hazard or demographic data), address National Preparedness Month (NPM), or summarize the National Household Survey Data (3.B.2).

The Data Digest is a tool for promoting awareness of ICPD’s research and for encouraging stakeholders and partners to discover and apply key findings that are relevant to their communities and customers to their own preparedness messaging and programs. The Data Digest is distributed to hazard and preparedness Subject Matter Experts, researchers, and communications experts at other Federal Agencies and academic institutions. It is also published to FEMA’s Community Pages. Ultimately, the Data Digest provides ICPD research-based information and graphics for local emergency managers, community-based organizations, and educators, who can integrate the key findings into their work with local communities.

Deliverable 3.A.2 Data Digest [Up to 6 annually]

3. Webinars The Contractor shall provide technical support to schedule, develop, and host up to 12 webinars annually. Webinars typically last between 30 and 60 minutes. Content development will fall under the programs. For example, content for a Personal Resilience webinar would be considered FFP under the Personal Resilience work whereas a webinar for the National Household Survey (NHS) would be considered T&M under the NHS work.

The Government has historically used Adobe Connect to host the webinars but may elect to use other platforms as needed. In addition to webinar support, the Contractor will secure the annual continuation of current licensing. Requirements defined in ODCs. The Contractor will also ensure that webinars are inclusive of individuals with hearing, visual or other disabilities.

Deliverable 3.A.3 Webinars [as assigned]

B. Resource Management (T&M) Warehouse Maintenance and Document Publication Support The FEMA Warehouse maintains an inventory of preparedness products, with highly demanded products translated into 5 languages other than English, available free for any member of the public to order. These products support and accomplish FEMA’s goal of building a culture of preparedness across the whole community. ICPD has the responsibility to ensure the Warehouse has products to distribute. ICPD has established a standard operation procedure (SOP) for monitoring and managing Warehouse inventories.

The contractor will review and update the Warehouse SOP on an annual basis (3.C.1) to ensure that it includes up-to-date information about ICPD products, POCs, and processes. The Contractor will submit the recommended updates to ICPD for review and approval.

The Contractor shall maintain and/or enhance existing inventory tracking tools.

The Contractor will prepare a biweekly (twice a month) stock status report (3.C.2) per the instructions provided in the Warehouse SOP.

The Contractor will be available to provide support in the preparation of ICPD product publications printing packages to Government Printing Office (GPO) specifications, ensuring the correct formats, design attributes, and other details for documents are provided to accurately produce physical printed materials by the FEMA in-house print shop, GPO or GPO sourced vendors.

The Contractor will provide a monthly budget report (3.C.3) using the procedure established in the Warehouse SOP. The Contractor will flag any low balances or cautions if the number of products ordered exceeds the amount of funding in the account. The report shall include recommendations for moving forward. The Contractor will share the budget report with Government Program managers.

Deliverable 3.B.1 Warehouse SOP Updates [annually]

Deliverable 3.B.2 Stock Status Report [bi-weekly]

Deliverable 3.B.3 Budget Report [monthly]

C. Translations (T&M) ICPD is committed to ensuring that people with limited English proficiency (LEP) have access to disaster preparedness materials. Accordingly, ICPD aims to provide written, electronic, and multi-media material in multiple languages.

The Contractor will assist ICPD in providing translation services including, but not limited to, foreign language translation, foreign language interpretation, transcription translation/captioning services, voiceovers in the selected foreign language, website localization, 508 compliance, and desktop publishing. As applicable, translation work may require coordination with FEMA’s External Affairs; however, ICPD will be responsible for that coordination.

Language proficiency testing in the source language(s) and English is required for all levels of linguists in the four basic communications skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking).

Evidence of language proficiency testing with acceptable results from an organization listed herein (below) is required to be submitted to the COR for all linguists prior to assignment to this contract. Testing shall have occurred no more than five years in the past. In-house testing by companies that provide linguistics services will not be accepted. FEMA will not reimburse fees charged for language proficiency testing and/or costs associated with state certification, e.g., training and travel.

The minimum acceptable language proficiency standards are as follows:

• By U.S. Government Agencies: Members of the Interagency Language Roundtable (Department of State/Foreign Service Institute; Department of Defense/Defense Language Institute; Department of Justice/Federal Bureau of Investigation; Peace Corps;

United Nations) provide written and oral proficiency tests in a variety of languages. A proficiency rating of 3 or above in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and congruity judgment in the foreign language and a proficiency rating of 3 or above in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and congruity judgment in English is required.

• By the Federal Court Interpreters Certification Program: Certification as a Court Interpreter by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is acceptable. This certification is provided only for Spanish to/from English, Navajo to/from English, and Haitian Creole to/from English.

• By the State Courts: Certification or inclusion on the Registry of Tested Interpreters by any of the members of the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification is acceptable proof of language proficiency: A current list of member States is available at www.ncsconline.org/D_research/index.html; click on “Court Interpretation”; click on “Consortium for Language Access in the Courts”; and click on “Which states belong to the consortium?” The languages that are certified or tested vary depending on each State's requirements.

o NOTE: Although successful test results and certification by the Federal and State court systems are acceptable as proof of language proficiency, certified or qualified court interpreters are not required on this contract…