LDP Contract 22-26 Performance Work Statement (DRAFT-10Feb22).docx

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, PORTLAND DISTRICT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (LDP) GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 WORK STATEMENT PURPOSE

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps or USACE), Portland District (NWP), seeks the professional services of an academic institution regionally accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or an entity that has access to an accredited academic institution (hereinafter referred to as “Contractor”) to work collaboratively with the NWP Program Manager (hereinafter referred to as “Program Manager”) and two NWP LDP Facilitators (hereinafter referred to as “LDP Facilitators”) to administer a graduate-level Leadership Development Program (LDP) for a maximum of 16 Corps employees (hereinafter referred to as students, or collectively as the cohort) annually.

This is a Firm Fixed Price service contract with a base period of performance of 02 May 2022 through 15 June 2023 and optional periods of performance, which may be exercised at the government’s discretion. The period of performance for each option if exercised is from 15 March 2023 through 15 June 2024, 15 March 2024 through 15 June 2025, and 15 March 2025 through 15 June 2026, respectively.

1.2 PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Leadership Development Program is a jointly facilitated program by the Contractor and NWP. The Contractor will be responsible for providing graduate level instruction and guidance to the cohort (as further detailed below), focusing on the development of the following leadership development skills:

Individual leadership, with an emphasis on self-assessment, leadership knowledge and tools, mentoring relationship, and the development of an individual leadership development portfolio. Leading teams, with an emphasis on interpersonal, facilitative, and decision-making skills to manage interdisciplinary, inter-organizational, and inter-jurisdictional work teams.

Leading public organizations, with an emphasis on designing budgeting, personnel, informational and other organizational systems to create a high performing Federal organization that empowers highly-motivated employees.

Leading the community, with an emphasis on managing the drivers in the external environment to strategically position the organization to achieve its public mission.

U.S. National Policy Process, through course curriculum and one, eight-day trip to Washington , D.C. which provides students with an understanding of the larger political and legal context within which the Corps has to undertake its work.

The Contractor’s course curriculum will lead to nine (9) graduate level academic degree credits transferable to regionally accredited academic institutions, should students wish to pursue further graduate education.

1.3 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

As further discussed below, the Contractor and NWP will meet at least once monthly in person to discuss the overall Leadership Development Program and solidify the upcoming curriculum.

The Contractor shall shape the academic and governance theory portion of the program and integrate into the program specific Corps examples and leadership themes relevant to NWP. As further discussed below, the LDP Facilitators will provide the Contractor with NWP-specific examples to be used throughout the LDP curriculum, and it is expected that the Contractor be familiar with the Corps, Federal governance, NWP’s mission, and the effect of Pacific Northwest and state governmental policies on NWP projects. The LDP Facilitators will participate and be present in all classroom meetings to provide Corps-driven intellectual themes throughout the training sessions.

The Contractor will be responsible for providing agendas, textbooks, and course materials for the specific training sessions in which they are responsible, as identified hereinafter.

NWP will be responsible for portions of the Leadership Development Program, to include assisting with the overall program development, selection of cohort members and mentors, Speechcrafters/Toastmasters sessions, and providing NWP specific examples to be used in the Contractor-led course curriculum. Program requirements to be fulfilled by NWP are clearly identified and further described below.

1.4 MANDATORY PROGRAM ELEMENTS

1.4.1 Academic Schedule and Roles/Responsibilities:

Selection of LDP Cohort and Mentors

March/April in follow-on years (Approximately two hours) NWP and Contractor

Program Outline provided to Program Manager for Selected Cohort By 31 May in 2022 May in follow-on years Contractor

Speechcraft Program through Toastmasters

Monthly Planning Meetings June-May of the following year, monthly (60 to 120 minutes each) NWP and Contractor

Program Kickoff Meeting with Contractor

facilitation

period) NWP and Contractor

fall (Oct/Nov) and spring (Mar/Apr) Contractor

mentor participation

National Policy Trip to D.C.

responsible for one day)

Capstone Project Topic Chosen

Capstone Presentation/Graduation

1.4.2 Program Planning Meeting and Monthly Planning Meetings:

The Contractor and NWP will meet at least once monthly in person to discuss the overall Leadership Development Program and solidify the upcoming curriculum. The meetings will be held with specific locations and dates to be scheduled to accommodate both the Contractor and NWP participants. NWP will be responsible for providing meeting space at NWP Headquarters if necessary.

Portland District Leadership Development Program (LDP) Performance Work Statement - DRAFT

The first meeting is a two-hour Program Planning Meeting held March or April to discuss the Year-at-a-Glance and set the specific dates for monthly planning meetings, classroom sessions, Fall Offsite, National Policy Process Trip to Washington, D.C., Capstone/Graduation, and LDP Survey and Closeout. These topics are discussed in more detail in the sections below. Following this meeting, the Contractor will develop an LDP Program Overview document that outlines what will be covered throughout the academic year, as well as a calendar of events and time commitments. The NWP Program Manager will incorporate all elements of the LDP program into a Planning Calendar for the Year, which includes all aspects of the Program.

Monthly pre-plan meetings will start in June and run for the remainder of the program. Each meeting will average 60 to 120 minutes in duration. Attendance will include the Contractor, Program Manager, and LDP Facilitators. During the pre-planning meetings, the Contractor will provide NWP participants with its planned academic curriculum for the next month, to include class topics and proposed materials to be used. The Contractor will inform the NWP LDP Facilitators of areas needing interjection of Corps-specific examples, which the LDP facilitators will be ready to interject during the classroom session curriculum. As further discussed under paragraph 1.4.5, the LDP Facilitators will attend each Contractor classroom session, and provide NWP specific examples to the cohort during the classroom session, as facilitated by the Contractor.

1.4.3 Speechcraft Program through ToastMasters

The LDP program will begin in May/June with the cohort participating in a Corps of Engineer-funded and directed Speechcraft training program that will train the cohort on the fundamentals of public speaking. The cohort will participate in weekly sessions through August. The contractor has no responsibility for this training, but will be expected to incorporate public speaking requirements in its classroom sessions to continue to develop the skills learned in Speechcraft.

1.4.4 Program Kickoff with Contractor and Cohort

In July, the Contractor and LDP Facilitators will present a program kick-off/orientation session at NWP Headquarters, which will be presented to the NWP cohort. The Contractor will be responsible for giving an administrative overview of the program elements for which it is responsible, as outlined in this PWS. The presentation will be given at NWP Headquarters, with the Program Manager coordinating a meeting date that accommodates both the Contractor and NWP participants. NWP will be responsible for providing the necessary meeting space at NWP Headquarters. The NWP Facilitator will discuss those program elements for which the Contractor is not responsible (e.g., the Speechcraft Program, the mentorpairing, etc.).

At a minimum, the Contractor must present on its planned program for the following topics:

· Introductions of the Contractor and Academic Instructors, Program Managers, and students (both Contractor and LDP Facilitators)

· Explanations of roles and responsibilities of the Contractor and faculty, Program Manager, LDP Facilitators, and students (both Contractor and LDP Facilitators)

· An administrative overview of the Program, with an LDP Program Overview document that outlines what will be covered throughout the academic year (both Contractor and LDP Facilitators)

· Calendar of Events and time commitments and the dynamics of being a member of the cohort

· Mentoring overview, to include providing the Mentoring Resource Guidebook to the students (as further described below) (both Contractor and LDP Facilitators)

· Question and answer session (both Contractor and LDP Facilitators)

1.4.5 Classroom Sessions:

The Contractor shall provide graduate-level academic classroom instruction leading to nine (9) graduate level credits in the following three areas: Leadership Development (Individual leadership), Leading Public Organizations, and the U.S. National policy process (at a minimum, the Federal budget, Congress’s role, the multiple roles and functions of the varied legal constraints that operate on public organizations, the legal constraints and accountability requirements faced by the Corps, and how the larger external policy process affects the mission of the Corps, must be addressed).

These topics will be discussed in relation to the NWP’s mission in the Pacific Northwest.

The Contractor’s Academic Instructor(s) will deliver all classroom instruction and necessary logistical support, however the NWP LDP Facilitators will provide NWP specific project examples to be incorporated into the Contractor’s course curriculum. The NWP LDP Facilitators will attend each classroom session and will provide NWP input as necessary.

Classroom instruction will result in the completion of three graduate-level classes that are at least three credits each for a total of at least nine credits. Each class session is not to exceed two days per month, and should not exceed eight hours per day. Appropriate breaks and lunch breaks will be incorporated. The Contractor shall assign outside class assignments to be completed by the cohort members. To the extent possible, the Contractor shall also gear outside class assignments toward furthering the cohort’s Speechcraft training – i.e., by incorporating public speaking requirements. The Contractor will be responsible for providing agendas, textbooks, and course materials for the classroom sessions.

Leadership Development Portfolio: As part of the LDP, the Contractor shall also require that the students keep a Leadership Development Portfolio, which provides an opportunity for student self-reflection of all the aspects of the program as a whole. The Contractor shall provide the Leadership Development Portfolio requirements to the students during the first classroom session, although it is to be used for the remainder of the entire Program, to include areas covered outside of the classroom sessions.

Group Capstone Project: The Contractor shall also incorporate into the classroom sessions facilitation of the cohort’s Capstone project, the topic of which will be chosen by NWP and provided to the Contractor. The Capstone project must consist of a written document and a verbal presentation by the cohort as a whole. The Contractor shall facilitate the Capstone project by providing students with the academic framework for the capstone and assisting the cohort while it develops its capstone project.

Classes must be held in the Portland Metropolitan area and be easily accessible via public transit. Specific class dates shall be coordinated with the Program Manager during the Program Planning meeting.

1.4.6 Leadership Assessment

During the course of the program, the contractor shall administer at least one individual leadership assessment, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or Strengthfinder, to assess each student’s strengths and/or weaknesses relating to each individual’s emotional intelligence and leadership skills. The Contractor must explain the assessment during one of the initial classroom sessions and require the cohort to complete the assessment prior to the Fall Offsite. The Contractor shall provide the feedback from the assessment at the Fall Offsite. The Contractor will also discuss the results of the assessment with each student as part of the Coaching Sessions discussed in paragraph 1.4.7 below.

1.4.7 Coaching Sessions:

The Contractor will provide two specialized rounds of one-on-one coaching sessions, one in the fall and one in the spring, with each student. The coaching sessions must be held in the Portland Metropolitan area and easily accessible via public transit.

The one-on-one coaching sessions are expected to last for approximately one hour. In each session, the Contractor will discuss leadership development related issues in depth on a face-to-face basis. The Contractor will cover the individual student’s individual leadership assessment results, review the student’s Leadership Development Portfolio, discuss mentoring relationships, and assist students in applying new leadership development concepts and skills in their work and life settings.

1.4.8 Mentor Program:

The Contractor will provide the framework for a Mentor Program, as described below, to pave a path for the mentors and protégés. The LDP Facilitators will match an experienced Corps manager (mentor) with each student (protégé) who will work with them throughout the year of LDP. The mentors will serve as a guide/counselor, information provider, friendly critic, interpreter of the organization policies and politics, sounding board, coach for career/upward mobility, and link to the pulse and broader strategic issues that are challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The framework provided by the Contractor to the mentors and protégés shall include the following:

Resource Guide for Effective Mentoring, which at a minimum covers the following: The purpose of mentoring as part of leadership development; roles and responsibilities in mentoring; suggested mentoring activities; tips for successful mentoring; references and recommended reading related to mentoring; and a checklist for developing the mentor relationship. The Contractor shall provide the Resource Guide to the LDP Program Manager during the first monthly planning meeting, which the NWP Facilitators will provide to the mentors.

Three, one-hour Mentor Training Sessions for the mentors and protégés, provided during the lunch- hour of three classroom training sessions during the program year. The purpose of the Mentor Training Sessions are to provide training on affective mentoring skills (particularly in a leadership development context), roles and responsibilities in mentoring, and further develop the mentor/protégé relationship.

· As part of the Mentor Training Sessions, the Contractor shall explain the Resource Guide for Effective Mentoring, explain the expectations of the mentors and protégés, and include a number of mentor/protégé training activities that will reinforce leadership skill development and the mentor relationship.

· In order to ensure that both the mentors and protégés are available to attend and that the classroom sessions are not disrupted, these trainings must occur during the lunch hour of three of the classroom sessions, and the Contractor shall be responsible for providing a meal for each mentor and protégé (for a maximum total of 34 Corps’ employees). The meal must include non-alcoholic beverage options, a vegetarian food option, and must not exceed the Government meal rate for each individual attending, as specified in the Joint Travel Regulation in effect at the time of each meal.

NWP will provide each protégé with a Protégé Development Plan, to be completed by the protégé with the mentor. The Contractor will not be responsible for the Plan, but is expected to check in with the mentors and protégés on progress.

1.4.9 Fall Offsite:

The Contractor shall use two full days over a three-day consecutive overnight period for a Fall Offsite retreat to establish the organizational and thematic framework for the year-long program, with a focus on the results of the leadership assessment and teambuilding. The Offsite will be held at a location coordinated by the Contractor and approved by NWP.

The Contractor and NWP will be responsible for separate portions of the Fall Offsite, however the majority of the agenda will be the responsibility of the Contractor. NWP will be responsible for providing one guest speaker, to present on a leadership topic for approximately two hours. NWP will also arrange for NWP senior leaders to attend informal after-hours Fireside evening discussions, in which the Contractor is expected to help facilitate group discussion. The Contractor will be responsible for the remainder of the retreat and shall present on the results of the leadership assessment and include various teambuilding exercises in order build deeper relationships between the students, and leverage identified strengths and weaknesses of the students. The Contractor shall also present on the history of the Corps to the students.

The Contractor is responsible for the costs of three lunches, two dinners, and two breakfasts, including non- alcoholic beverages whose total costs cannot exceed the meal rate for each individual specified in the Joint Travel Regulation in effect at the time of the Fall Offsite. Each attendee will be responsible for his or her own lodging costs.

1.4.10 National Policy Process Trip to Washington D.C.:

This trip is to take place in late January/early February of the LDP academic year. The purpose of this policy-orientated component is to provide the cohort with an in-depth understanding of the larger political, legal, inter-organizational, and inter-jurisdictional environment within which the students undertake leadership initiatives. This National Policy Process trip will allow the students to:

Learn how the curricular components are integrated into a common whole Understand the multiple roles and functions of the varied legal constraints that operate on public organizations, and the Corps in particular Understand how the legal constraints and accountability requirements faced by the Corps can be transformed into successful opportunities for accomplishing its work Understand how the complexities of one’s leadership roles within the Corps’ inter-organizational and inter-jurisdictional environment can be used to enhance the mission of the Corps Understand how the larger external policy process works and how the mission of the Corps can be advanced

The Contractor and Program Manager will decide on final dates for the trip to Washington D.C during the Program Planning Meeting. The trip will consist of eight days, to include travel – from Saturday until the following Saturday. The Contractor will be responsible for providing all structural elements of each day, with the exception of Friday, in which the NWP Facilitators will be responsible for a USACE-specific day. The Contractor will be responsible for reserving a block of rooms for all students and NWP Facilitators, and for making dinner reservations for three evening meals to accommodate all participants. However, the students and NWP staff will be responsible for covering the costs of their own travel, lodging, and any meal costs, to include the costs associated with the three reserved dinners.

With the exception of Sunday’s National Mall tour, all events must be accessible by the Washington, D.C. Metrorail (Metro) system. The cohort and NWP staff will also be responsible for the costs associated with inter-city travel via the Metro or any alternate means used by the cohort and NWP staff.

Schedule of Events: Travel from Portland, OR to Washington, D.C. will occur on Saturday.

On the first Sunday, the Contractor will arrange a private bus for a tour of the National Mall of Washington, D.C., to include pertinent monuments and memorials. The tour itself may be conducted by the Contractor or a third party capable of providing an education focused tour. The tour is anticipated to take 4-5 hours; the remainder of the day will be left for the students to explore the city on their own.

Monday through Thursday, the Contractor shall, at a minimum, arrange for the cohort to meet with the following contacts in Washington D.C. (in any order):

A member of the House Appropriations Congressional Offices Senate Offices Canadian Embassy (or similar entity) Government Accountability Office Office of Management and Budget A news network, such as Washington Post, National Public Radio, etc.

National Trade Associations; and Any other applicable contacts that relate to NWP-specific Governmental issues (e.g. environmental or lobby groups applicable to the NWP mission).

Friday is designated for a USACE-specific tour, which will be led by the LDP Facilitators and is NWP’s sole responsibility. The Contractor is not expected to attend the USACE-specific portion of the tour.

On the final Saturday morning, prior to the students flying back to Oregon, the Contractor shall arrange for a formal tour of either the White House or the U.S. Capitol for all cohort members and NWP Facilitators.

For all meetings, to include the White House or U.S. Capitol tour, the Contractor shall pre-arrange any necessary requirements to gain access to the site (security, etc.) as necessary, to ensure all cohort members and NWP Facilitators can gain access to any tours or meeting locations. This will also require the Contractor to make connections with Committee members, Congressional members, and others in the Nation’s capital prior to the trip in order to build the agenda and create meaningful learning opportunities that span the entire Policy trip.

1.4.11 Capstone Project:

The Capstone Project case application will be selected by NWP and assigned to the students, but as discussed above, the Contractor’s Academic Instructor(s) is expected to provide the academic framework for the Capstone project, which must include a written and verbal presentation element.

The chosen Capstone case application will be related to a real time Portland District Corps issue. The cohort will prepare and deliver the presentation to Senior Leaders. The purpose of this final exercise will be to reinforce the learning objectives of the entire LPD program. The Contractor is responsible for integrating and guiding the Capstone Project effort into the curriculum and ensuring the learning objectives of the LDP are achieved.

1.4.12 Capstone Presentation and Graduation:

A formal LDP Capstone presentation event gives the cohort an opportunity to present their final Capstone project analysis and results to Senior Leaders, the Contractor’s Academic Instructor(s), and other invited guests. The Contractor will provide the facility/venue for this event and for a practice run- through one day prior to the capstone presentation. The Capstone Presentation and Graduation event will occur from 0900-1400 hours, with appropriate breaks to include for lunch, where the students present their Capstone analysis/results, a presentation of Contractor-provided plaques and Contractor-provided certificates. NWP will provide photographic services for the event. The location for the event will need to accommodate up to 45 people which includes the cohort, Facilitators, LDP mentors, the District Corporate Board, and potential Northwest Division Command Staff. The venue must be accessible via public transportation from the Portland District Headquarters.

1.4.13 Preparation Day – (One Day Prior to Graduation) and Student Evaluation Survey:

The Contractor will secure the presentation venue for the Capstone Presentation one day prior to the presentation for a final preparation day that involves the Contractor, Facilitators, Program Manager, and the cohort. This preparation day shall be an all-day event lasting from 0800 to 1700, with appropriate breaks, to include lunch. The Contractor shall provide appropriate feedback to the students during the practice-run through of the capstone presentation.

Student Evaluation Survey: The Contractor will provide the students with an end of year evaluation survey questionnaire at the final preparation day. The purpose of the survey is to capture the overall effectiveness of the academic year’s learnings from the student’s perspective and to gather any recommendations that students may have to improve the program. The survey must cover each facet for which the Contractor is responsible: Fall Offsite, classroom sessions, trip, etc. The Contractor shall provide the results of the survey to the NWP Program Manager.

1.4.15 Closeout Report:

The Contractor shall provide the Program Manager with a reflective report evaluating the effectiveness of LDP components, activities, and recommendations for changes and improvements. Presentation of this report will include current and the following year LDP Facilitators who will be identified by Portland District. The Contractor shall provide the report to NWP within 30 days following the Capstone Presentation. The Contractor is encouraged to be innovative in developing an effective evaluation system for the program that provides relevant information regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations to improve the program.

1.5 CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY AND EXPERTISE

The Contractor shall provide, as part of the curriculum, comprehensive historical and contemporary relationship of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal governance, Pacific Northwest (regional) governance, Oregon and SW Washington (local) governance structures, policies and policy processes, and operating and organizational environments at all levels. Contractor instructors shall possess an understanding of the relationships between these governance levels and their bearings related to national regional, and local stakeholders. The Contractor must have regional and national access to these governance arenas to support a Washington, D.C. site visit, as well as discussions and program components in relation to the Pacific Northwest and the changing leadership environment.

1.6 CONTRACTED ACADEMIC INSTRUCTOR(S)/FACULTY CAPABILITY AND EXPERTISE

The Contractor’s Academic Instructor(s) are required to be graduate-level academic instructors possessing proven experience and credibility in the following areas:

Teaching leadership development and multi-level policy analysis in the public service and multi- governance arenas Improve student’s speaking and writing skills Facilitating graduate-level academic instruction in a hybrid model format with senior government executives where academic theory is integrated with practicable real-life examples/scenarios

1.7 OPERATIONAL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Prior to executing the initial Program Planning Meeting at NWP Headquarters as mentioned in section

1.4.2 above, the Contractor must provide E-Verify results for any contracted personnel planning to physically be on site at NWP Headquarters building. To do this, the Contractor’s employer registers for E-Verify through the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service’s website: https://www.uscis.gov/e- verify. The employer then enters the employee’s information from his or her completed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form 1-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification). The results are returned to the employer immediately after submission to USCIS. The employer then will provide E-Verify results to the LDP Program Manager. The E-Verify process only happens once (unless an individual’s E-Verify document expires before the LDP execution duration).