Attachment 01 - Performance Work Statement - Core Connections.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

CORE CONNECTIONS: Upstream Military Suicide Prevention Program

Services in Support of the Department of the Navy (DON) Office of Force Resiliency (OFR)

1.0 Background:

The Department of the Navy is seeking contractor support to provide an evidence-based resilience and connectedness training program designed to strengthen protective factors associated with individual well-being, unit cohesion, and mission readiness. The requirement supports the Navy’s ongoing efforts to enhance suicide prevention and resilience initiatives by providing structured, interactive training that promotes healthy peer relationships, effective communication, and a culture of mutual support among participants.

The required training shall provide instructor-led, research-informed instruction that equips participants with practical skills intended to strengthen interpersonal connections, encourage healthy, help-seeking behaviors, and reinforce protective factors that contribute to individual and organizational resilience. The program should be suitable for delivery to military personnel and support implementation across Navy organizations as identified by the Government.

This effort includes the delivery of training, associated instructional materials, implementation support, and any related services necessary to successfully execute the program in accordance with the requirements of this Performance Work Statement

(“PWS”).

2.0 Scope

This is a Performance Based, Firm-Fixed Price Purchase Order contract for the adaptation, validation, and implementation support of the Core Connections resilience and connectedness program for use within the Department of the Navy. The contractor shall provide all personnel, expertise, training materials, technical support, and related services necessary to adapt the Core Connections program for Navy and Marine Corps use and to prepare the program for broader implementation in support of the Department of the Navy’s resilience and suicide prevention objectives. The requiring activity is the Department of the Navy Office of Force Resiliency (DON OFR), in coordination with the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA).

3.0 Tasks

The contractor shall provide all services necessary to accomplish the objectives of this PWS, including, at a minimum, the tasks identified below.

3.1 Objective 1 – Update Curriculum Across the Three-Layer Architecture

The contractor shall review and update the evidence-based Core Connections program, Core Conversations modules (General and Leadership Editions), and Peer Connector role system to ensure alignment with Department of the Navy values, language, doctrine, and suicide prevention priorities — for both Navy and Marine Corps — while preserving the integrity and fidelity of the tested program. The update shall include both content and the interactive group training process.

3.1.1 Establish Project Team and Management Infrastructure

• 3.1.1.1 Conduct a project kickoff meeting to orient project personnel to the mission objectives, contract requirements, roles and responsibilities, and project schedule.

• 3.1.1.2 Establish meeting and communication cadences across responsible teams and contacts.

• 3.1.1.3 Conduct an analysis to identify who is expected to be Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI analysis) for major tasks and outcomes.

• 3.1.1.4 Produce a Project Charter that can serve as a briefing and transition-in document for project team members and interested parties.

• 3.1.1.5 Develop and submit a project management plan that includes, at a minimum, a communications plan, implementation timeline, quality assurance approach, and performance indicators aligned with Department of the Navy resilience and warfighting readiness objectives.

3.1.2 Update Core Connections for Department of the Navy Personnel

• 3.1.2.1 Map and identify stakeholders, relevant policies, initiatives, and command priorities across Navy and Marine Corps.

• 3.1.2.2 Conduct discovery process — interviews and focus groups with leadership, subject matter experts, and Sailors and Marines across target career phases and communities — with explicit attention to language, scenarios, and military practice represented in the curriculum and supporting assets. Identify and recommend initial program updates.

• 3.1.2.3 Update Core Connections to produce the Department of the Navy edition:

curriculum materials, facilitation guides, and supporting resources that reflect the shared and distinct experiences of Sailors and Marines across operational communities, and that align with Department of the Navy doctrine — including Warrior Performance Optimization — using the Air Force precedent of synchronization with Comprehensive Airman Fitness.

• 3.1.2.4 Tailor training content and delivery methods, as appropriate, for early career personnel, leaders, and senior personnel, using differentiated case examples and practice scenarios rather than separate curricula.

• 3.1.2.5 If Government-designated service co-facilitators are available, prepare and support those co-facilitators for participation in the program’s soft launch delivery.

• 3.1.2.6 Map Core Connections and Core Conversations content to applicable Department of the Navy doctrine — including Warrior Performance Optimization domains — to ensure alignment with Department of the Navy objectives. Produce and submit a crosswalk document to the DON Office of Force Resiliency for Government review and acceptance.

3.1.3 Adapt Core Conversations – General Edition and Leadership Edition

• 3.1.3.1 Adapt the Core Conversations General Edition for Department of the Navy language, referral pathways, and scenario examples. Target users: peers in positions of trust, Peer Connectors (Navy), and Oscar representatives who elect to add it to their preparation (Marine Corps).

• 3.1.3.2 Adapt the Core Conversations Leadership Edition for personnel with command authority — commanding officers, department heads, supervisors, and senior noncommissioned officers. Include content on authority-specific constraints:

legal and duty considerations, escalation, and balancing mission with individual support.

• 3.1.3.3 Align the CARE framework’s Extend step with existing Department of the Navy protocols for suicide, substance use, and family conflict handoff and continuity of care — for both editions.

• 3.1.3.4 Produce facilitation materials, practice scenarios, and supporting assets for both editions.

• 3.1.3.5 Prepare for delivery alongside Core Connections.

3.1.4 Develop the Peer Role Concept, Specification, and Peer Activity Library for the Navy

During this phase of performance, the contractor shall develop the Peer Connector role framework in preparation for pilot implementation. At a minimum, the contractor shall:

develop the Peer Connector role specification; develop the Peer Activity Library;

coordinate with existing DON peer support structures, as applicable; and prepare materials and recommendations necessary to support pilot implementation.

• 3.1.4.1 Role framing and concept development. In consultation with the Office of Force Resiliency and existing Navy peer program leads, produce a concept paper covering the role’s name (working title “Peer Connector,” open to revision), purpose, scope, relationship to Green Ribbon and the chaplain corps, selection pathway, time commitment, supervision structure, patch and recognition, and documentation requirements. Starting points: peer nomination with command approval, collateral duty, quarterly support meetings, visible recognition.

• 3.1.4.2 Field engagement. Conduct focus groups with prospective role-holders at selected Navy installations. Observe and collect data from peer representatives (Green Ribbon and others) who participate in Core Connections during the soft launch. Use this input to refine the role specification.

• 3.1.4.3 Preparation program design (specification only at this stage). Specify the three-element preparation program: (1) Core Connections participation with a Key Wingman-style supporting role; (2) Core Conversations General Edition with role-specific content on scope, common situations, handoff protocols, and documentation; (3) training to deliver unit-level extension activities. Produce pilot materials for launch. Built on the methodological template from the Air Force facilitator development pathway.

• 3.1.4.4 Peer activity library. Adapt existing Air Force and law enforcement extension activities for Navy operational contexts — roll-call activities, key-spouse and family sessions, small-unit recurring activities, and transition-point activities at reassignment, promotion, and return from deployment. Produce facilitation guides and delivery aids for each activity type.

• 3.1.4.5 Pilot plan. Produce a concrete pilot plan — sites, sequencing, preparation cadence, ongoing support infrastructure (quarterly meetings, community of practice, app-delivered reference materials), and evaluation plan — for role launch.

The report to the task force includes this plan.

• 3.1.4.6 Offer Core Conversations preparation to Oscar representatives on an optional basis, consistent with Oscar’s existing selection, preparation, and role framework.

3.2 Objective 2 – Validate Through Soft Launch

The contractor shall validate the updated programs and associated implementation strategy, tools, and assets through soft launch delivery across Navy and Marine Corps populations. Approximately 10 to 12 cohorts (approximately 250 to 500 personnel total, groups of 20 to 50), comprising Core Connections cohorts and Core Conversations cohorts across both services. Work on the peer role is concept development and field engagement;

the Peer Connector pilot is covered under Task 3.4, Objective 4.

3.2.1 Conduct Soft Launch of Core Connections and Core Conversations

• 3.2.1.1 Deliver Core Connections to approximately 8 to 10 cohorts, drawn from both Navy and Marine Corps populations across targeted installations and career phases.

• 3.2.1.2 Deliver Core Conversations (General and Leadership Editions) to approximately 2 to 3 cohorts, drawn where possible from the same installations.

• 3.2.1.3 Collect and analyze validation data — engagement, relevance, skill adoption, network formation, and Sailor and Marine feedback on language, scenarios, and military practice — benchmarked against Air Force results from the randomized controlled trial and operational validation.

• 3.2.1.4 Use quality assurance data for data-driven iterative refinements across curriculum, implementation strategy, tools, and assets.

• 3.2.1.5 Both services represented in mid-project validation data by Month 8.

3.2.2 Engage Existing Peer Structures and Collect Role-Development Data

This phase of performance consists of concept development, field engagement, and data collection activities necessary to support the development and future implementation of the Peer Connector role.

• 3.2.2.1 Identify 2 to 3 partner Navy installations with existing peer program infrastructure (Green Ribbon or comparable) in collaboration with the Office of Force Resiliency.

• 3.2.2.2 Conduct focus groups with prospective role-holders and Green Ribbon representatives at partner installations.

• 3.2.2.3 Embed peer representatives from partner installations in Core Connections soft launch cohorts (Task 3.2.1). Observe their experience and collect data on what the role should look like, what preparation they would need, and how it should connect to existing peer structures.

• 3.2.2.4 Offer Core Conversations (General Edition) to Marine Corps Oscar representatives on an optional basis. Collect uptake and feedback data.

• 3.2.2.5 Synthesize findings into role specification, preparation program design, and pilot plan (see Tasks 3.1.4.3 and 3.1.4.5).

3.3 Objective 3 – Recommendations and Assets for Expansion

The contractor shall monitor participants’ program engagement, adoption of skills, and network formation; track key aspects of implementation quality and support; provide recommendations, communications assets, and delivery structure guidance for broader implementation of the three-layer architecture as a suicide prevention and force preservation initiative across the Department of the Navy.

3.3.1 Deliver Preliminary Findings to Task Force

• 3.3.1.1 Deliver preliminary validation report by Month 8 with data from both services: validation data from Core Connections and Core Conversations soft launch, and role-development findings from focus groups and field engagement with existing Navy peer structures.

• 3.3.1.2 Deliver slide deck and support out-brief to DON OFR, or the Government audience designated by the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer Representative (“COR”) by Month 8. Contractor shall conduct at least one (1) dry-run rehearsal prior to the final briefing.

3.3.2 Develop Expansion Recommendations and Assets

• 3.3.2.1 Synthesize all validation and operational monitoring data into a report for operational and policy leaders.

• 3.3.2.2 Develop delivery structure recommendations: how the program reaches people at scale across the Department of the Navy — training pipelines, professional military education integration, unit-level delivery models, and Peer Connector integration with existing peer programs.

• 3.3.2.3 Produce communications assets: senior leader briefings, installation onboarding packages, messaging guidance.

• 3.3.2.4 Develop facilitator and Peer Connector certification pathway recommendations for Department of the Navy personnel.

• 3.3.2.5 Analyze complementarity with existing Department of the Navy programs;

provide consolidation considerations where programs share objectives or curriculum footprint.

• 3.3.2.6 Deliver Base Year final report with expansion strategy: scope, sequencing, resource requirements, pilot plan, and integration with Department of the Navy policy (including the updated SECNAV instruction for suicide prevention).

3.4 Objective 4 – Pilot, Learn, and Plan for Sustainable Implementation

Objective 4 spans both the Base and Option I periods of performance. This work identifies the conditions, delivery systems, and support needed for sustainable Department of the Navy ownership and force-wide expansion, and tests facilitator development procedures along the way. The primary product is information and assets that allow the DON to make choices about follow-on phases with confidence.

3.4.1 Launch and Evaluate the Peer Connector Role Pilot

• 3.4.1.1 Launch the Peer Connector role at 2 to 3 partner Navy installations selected for the pilot. Select first role-holder cohorts using the criteria defined in the role specification.

• 3.4.1.2 Deliver the three-element preparation program to first role-holder cohorts:

Core Connections participation with Key Wingman-style supporting role, Core Conversations General Edition with role-specific content, and training on peer activity library delivery.

• 3.4.1.3 Activate ongoing support infrastructure: quarterly meetings with contractor, moderated community of practice, and app-delivered in-role reference materials.

• 3.4.1.4 Credential role-holders in the Peer Connector surface of the Core Connections app.

• 3.4.1.5 Evaluate Peer Connector role implementation across sites: role clarity, engagement, fidelity of role delivery, integration with existing chaplain and leadership structures, and outcomes for Sailors in units with prepared Peer Connectors.

3.4.2 Apply Learning and Evaluate Implementation

• 3.4.2.1 Apply refinements to Core Connections curriculum, both Core Conversations editions, and supporting assets — incorporating lessons from soft launch about language, scenarios, facilitation, and operational fit.

• 3.4.2.2 Deliver approximately 4 to 5 additional Core Connections cohorts and additional Core Conversations cohorts (General and Leadership Editions). Structure delivery to surface implementation variability — different commands, operational communities, cohort sizes, facilitator configurations, and delivery cadences.

• 3.4.2.3 Evaluate implementation conditions associated with high engagement, relevance, skill adoption, and network formation. Identify barriers and enablers for Department of the Navy scale.

3.4.3 Build and Test Facilitator Development Procedures

• 3.4.3.1 Produce facilitator development procedures, tools, and feedback systems based on delivery experience, drawing on the Air Force facilitator certification pathway.

• 3.4.3.2 Pilot these procedures with Department of the Navy personnel identified as candidate facilitators, where operationally supported.

• 3.4.3.3 Evaluate facilitator development outcomes: engagement with preparation, fidelity of delivery, feasibility within Department of the Navy personnel constraints, and readiness to deliver independently.

3.4.4 Produce Implementation and Sustainability Findings and Delivery-System Recommendations

• 3.4.4.1 Analyze implementation data across installations, cohorts, and modes of delivery to identify the conditions and delivery systems associated with highest engagement, fidelity, skill adoption, and network formation.

• 3.4.4.2 Produce recommendations for sustainable Department of the Navy delivery:

structure, staffing, cadence, integration with existing programs, and resourcing required for force-wide scale.

• 3.4.4.3 Deliver the final report documenting Peer Connector pilot outcomes, delivery-system recommendations, implementation and sustainability findings, and readiness assessment for force-wide expansion — positioning the Department of the Navy to plan follow-on ownership transition with confidence.

3.4.5 Adapt and Deploy the Core Connections App for the Peer Connector Pilot

The contractor shall adapt and deploy the existing Core Connections mobile application to support the Peer Connector pilot implementation. The contractor shall configure and adapt the existing application for DON use as required in accordance with the terms of this PWS.

Development of new application functionality beyond the adaptations required for the pilot is not within the scope of this PWS.

• 3.4.5.1 Finalize the pilot app specification with the Office of Force Resiliency: the Sailor/Marine surface, the credentialed Peer Connector surface, role-based access controls, and data posture (privacy-preserving by default, no individual-level health data, no clinical screening, no predictive analytics). Confirm hosting and data-governance requirements.

• 3.4.5.2 Adapt the existing prototype with input from the Office of Force Resiliency on Navy-specific elements: language, installation resource paths, and integration with Peer Connector credentialing.

• 3.4.5.3 Conduct one round of user testing, folded into the pilot rollout, with first role-holder cohorts and a small group of Core Connections participants at the pilot installations.

• 3.4.5.4 Deploy the surfaces the pilot uses (iOS, Android, and a web companion for the Peer Connector in-role surface) and an admin console for the Office of Force Resiliency to credential Peer Connectors. Collect engagement and usage data as operational quality indicators, reported in aggregate, for quality assurance and reporting.

4.0 Deliverables

PWS para. references point to PWS task numbers. Default Submit To is the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), one copy via email.

Months are relative to award; planned period of performance July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028 (Base Year, Months 1–12; Option Year, Months 13–24). Absolute dates depend on the award date.

Delivery #

Deliverable

PWS Task#

Format*

Month Due

BASE YEAR

0-B Project Initiation (mobilization, 10% of Base Year FFP) — -- 1

1-B Quality Control Program 9.0 Document 1

2-B Project Kickoff Meeting (agenda and minutes)

3.1.1.1

Meeting;

document (agenda, minutes)

3-B Project Charter 3.1.1.4 Document 1

4-B Project Management Plan 3.1.1.3, 3.1.1.5 Document 2

5-B Discovery Findings and Initial Program- Update Recommendations 3.1.2.2 Document 3

6-B Doctrine Crosswalk (Core Connections & Core Conversations to DON doctrine) 3.1.2.6 Document 5

7-B Peer Connector Role Concept Paper and Specification 3.1.4.1, 3.1.4.3 Document 6

8-B Core Connections (both editions) — Draft Curricula for Soft Launch 3.1.2.3 Curriculum

Package (Draft) 6

9-B Core Conversations — Draft Curricula for Soft Launch 3.1.3 Curriculum

Package (Draft) 6

10-B

Core Connections Peer Activity Library

3.1.4.4

Activity package (facilitation guides, delivery aids)

11-B Peer Connector Preparation Program Design and Pilot Materials 3.1.4.3 Document +

Materials 7

12-B Peer Connector Field-Engagement & Focus-Group Findings and Pilot Plan

3.2.2, 3.1.4.2,

3.1.4.5 Document 8

13-B Draft Out-Brief Slides 3.3.1.2 Document (slides) 8

14-B Preliminary Validation Report 3.3.1.1 Document 8

15-B

Out-Brief / Leadership Briefing (final deck; one dry-run rehearsal)

3.3.1.2

Final Slide Deck; Live Briefing to Govt-Selected Leadership Audience

16-B Core Connections — Department of the Navy Edition (validated) 3.1.2.3, 3.2.1 Curriculum package 10

17-B Core Conversations — General Edition (validated) 3.1.3, 3.2.1 Curriculum package 10

18-B Core Conversations — Leadership Edition (validated) 3.1.3, 3.2.1 Curriculum package 10

19-B

Expansion Recommendations; Delivery- Structure Recommendations;

Communications and Onboarding Asset Package; Facilitator and Peer Connector Certification-Pathway Recommendations

3.3.2.1–3.3.2.4

Document + comms package

20-B Peer Connector Pilot Launch — First

Cohort (status memo)

3.4.1

Document (Status Memorandum)

21-B Base Year Final Report 3.3.2.6, 3.4.2, 3.4.4 Document 12

OPTION

YEAR

22-O

Launch of Additional Core Connections & Core Conversations Delivery (1st Additional Cohort Delivery)

3.4.2

(Status Memorandum)

23-O Facilitator Development Procedures, Tools, and Recommendations 3.4.3 Document + tools 20

24-O Core Connections App — Adapted and Available 3.4.5

Access to deployed application

25-O Peer Connector Pilot Report 3.4.1 Document 22

25-O

Final Report (pilot outcomes, sustainability findings, readiness assessment, expansion recommendations)

3.4.4.3

A deliverable is deemed accepted if the Government does not provide written notice of nonconformance, identifying specific deficiencies, within 10 calendar days of submission.

Due dates affected by delays attributable to Government-furnished access, personnel availability, or required Government designations are adjusted without penalty.

5.0 Place of Performance

The primary place of performance shall be the contractor’s facilities, including the contractor’s production and development facilities in Rochester, New York, and authorized remote work locations.

Performance also occurs at Department of the Navy installations designated by the Government for discovery, soft-launch delivery, and pilot activities. Specific installations will be identified during project planning in coordination with the Office of Force Resiliency, which will facilitate the installation access and personnel availability necessary for on-site performance.

6.0 Security Clearance Requirements

No security clearance is required for performance under this Performance Work

Statement. All work is unclassified. Any covered unclassified information must be marked.

Contractor personnel requiring physical access to Government installations will comply with applicable installation access procedures, including visitor access and Common Access Card sponsorship. The Government will sponsor and facilitate installation access for contractor personnel as needed to support on-site performance.

7.0 Privacy Act Requirements

Performance involves collection of program quality, engagement, and implementation data in de-identified form. The contractor will not establish or maintain a Privacy Act system of records and will not collect, store, or transmit individually identifiable health information.

The Core Connections mobile application, in its pilot deployment, is privacy-preserving by default: no account, no registration, no individual-level health data, and no transmission of user data from the device. To the extent any personally identifiable information is handled in performance, the contractor will comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable Department of Defense and Department of the Navy privacy requirements.

8.0 Travel/Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

8.1 Travel Authorization and Reimbursement

Performance under this contract may require travel by Contractor personnel. If travel is required, the Contractor is responsible for making all the necessary arrangements for Contractor personnel. Travel shall only be performed with prior written approval from the Contracting Officer (CO) or the Contracting Officer’s representative (COR). When authorized, travel costs will be reimbursed on a cost-reimbursement basis, subject to a Not-To-Exceed (NTE) ceiling established in the purchase order. Reimbursement will be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) (FAR 31.205-46) or the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), as applicable. Please submit travel receipts along with an invoice/voucher through the Wide Area Workflow (WAWF). Travel shall be reimbursed only at actual cost, without fee or profit. The government reserves the right to disallow unapproved or inadequately documented expenses.

8.2 Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

Performance on this contract may require ODCs (e.g. materials, software licenses, equipment necessary for performance). ODCs shall be limited to those costs necessary for performance of the requirements under the contract and must be approved in advance, in writing, by the CO or the COR. When authorized, ODCs will be reimbursed on a cost-reimbursement basis, subject to a Not-To-Exceed (NTE) ceiling established in the purchase order. The contractor shall provide supporting documentation (e.g. receipts, itemized invoices) sufficient to substantiate the actual costs incurred with each request for reimbursement. Reimbursement shall be limited to the contractor’s actual, allowable costs, and no fee, profit, or other markup shall be applied to reimbursable ODCs. The government reserves the right to disallow unapproved or inadequately documented expenses.

9.0 Quality Control

The contractor will develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The contractor will develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The contractor’s quality control program is how the contractor assures its work complies with the requirements of the contract.

The contractor will submit their comprehensive quality control program to the COR within 5 business days of award and when any changes are made thereafter. After acceptance of the quality control plan the contractor will receive the contracting officer’s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his quality control program.

10.0 Quality Assurance

The government shall evaluate the contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the government will do to ensure that the contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the government will apply the performance standards and the frequency of surveillance.