B-4 Smart Grid Communications SOW Q_A Revised.pdf

Statement of Work Technical Communications & Writing/Editing Support

Cyber Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program

1. BACKGROUND

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) can be described as smart and connected systems that encompass computational (i.e., hardware and software) and physical components, seamlessly integrated and closely interacting to sense and respond to the changing state of the real world. These systems involve a high degree of complexity at numerous spatial and temporal scales and highly networked communications integrating computational and physical components.

In particular, the smart grid is considered an example of a cyber-physical system, one in which NIST has a mandated role. Under Title XIII, Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems.” This role provides a catalyst for a timely deployment of a secure and reliable smart grid that upgrades the aging electrical power grid infrastructure.

2. PURPOSE

The NIST Smart Grid and CPS programs coordinate cyber-physical systems development (including smart grid and internet of things) through various stakeholders’ engagement activities.

Timely communications with stakeholders for the NIST CPS and Smart Grid program are an essential element for the program to achieve its goals. These stakeholders are extremely diverse and include senior-level federal officials; state and local electrical power regulators and companies; elected officials; electronic and IT equipment manufacturers; and consumers.

To ensure that stakeholders are fully informed about the very wide range of activities affecting development of standards and deployment of smart grid infrastructure components, the NIST CPS and Smart Grid program requires professional communications services from a contractor with demonstrated technical knowledge of the fields of physical science (especially energy research), electronics, and information technology, as well as proven ability to translate complex technical materials into engaging Web site content, reports, and other communications products intended for a broad public audience.

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide communications and technical writing support services for the NIST CPS and Smart Grid program. The Contractor shall attend meetings and interpret research results which describe smart grid and cyber physical systems as well as related physical sciences, engineering, physics, electronics, energy, computer science, or information technology, and to gather information in the above disciplines and to synthesize them into other written materials.

The Contractor shall interact with NIST research staff on a regular basis to become familiar with the research programs and identify topics appropriate to communicate to the public. The Contractor shall produce text for the Cyber- Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program Websites, reports, fact sheets, announcements, newsletter articles, and other written and/or multimedia materials describing the Cyber-Physical Systems, Internet-of-Things (IoT), and Smart Grid related activities.

The Contractor shall produce all written materials in clear, readable, engaging, and understandable Standard English in a journalistic style appropriate for an audience of college educated laypersons. All deliverables shall be provided in a way such that they may be made publicly available in compliance with Section 508 requirements.

The Contractor shall not respond to any media inquiries. The Contractor shall immediately relay any/all inquiries from the media to the Technical Information Contact and/or Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall not grant or give interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST Director of Public Affairs Office.

4. SPECIFIC TASKS

The Contractor shall:

a. Develop content, including narrative and graphical content, describing NIST's Smart Grid and Cyber-Physical-Systems/Internet-of-Things activities for publication on the NIST Websites. Approximately one such request is estimated per month. Narrative content shall be between two and four pages per request. NIST anticipates requiring one graphic per request; however, the contractor is only required to describe a recommended graphic such that a graphic designer could create it. The contractor is not required to create the graphics;

b. Provide approximately four (4) fact sheets describing specific programs or topics areas related to the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid that help the Program meet its communications and strategic goals. Fact sheets shall be approximately two pages in length. The contractor is only required to produce the narrative content for the fact sheets;

c. Provide at least twenty (20) announcements or newsletter articles that describe accomplishments of the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program, SEPA or others involved in Cyber-Physical Systems, IoT and Smart Grid activities to stakeholders such as policy makers, regulators, standards development organizations, manufacturers or consumers.

Announcements shall be between two and four pages each;

d. Serve as the editor for a Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid electronic newsletter (4-6 pages each) in conjunction with NIST staff.

Newsletters are bi-monthly with an additional year-end newsletter;

seven newsletters are estimated per year. As the editor of the newsletter, the contractor is required to develop articles based on current events and accomplishments from the Program. The contractor is only responsible for the narrative content of the articles for the newsletters. An example of a past newsletter may be found at this link: https://www.nist.gov/el/smart-grid/nist-smart-grid-and-cyber-physical-systems-newsletter-october-2019.

e. Provide a description of communications plans and tactics keyed to the

Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program's major strategic goals.

The plan shall be between five and ten pages in length;

f. Provide editing for short reports or correspondence on an occasional, as-needed basis. Such editing support is estimated to be required once quarterly. Reports and correspondence to be edited range from four to six pages in length each;

g. Attend all CPS, IoT and Smart Grid related meetings virtually or at NIST in

Gaithersburg, MD. Between four and six in person meetings are expected to be required in-person at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. Additionally, there will be two virtual meetings bi-weekly. All meetings are expected to be one hour each in length;

h. Attend selected meetings of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) or other related meetings, to gather information to be included in fact sheets, newsletter items, and other materials. Travel may be required for two such meetings. Meetings are expected to be approximately 5 days each in length;

i. Provide at least three (3) ghost written magazine articles, op-eds, speeches or other materials for the NIST Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program to help achieve program communications goals. The total estimated page count per document required is expected to be between 5 and 10 pages. Graphic support is not required; and

j. Provide advice, on an as-needed basis during meetings, pertaining to current and/or upcoming projects for Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program managers designed to help the program meet its strategic goals. Recommendations shall be related to communication methods for best dissemination of information; technical recommendations are not required. Note, however, that sufficient technical understanding of document content and the smart grid environment to support required tasks and communication is required. These iterations Recommendations shall be summarized in a monthly report. The monthly report shall also detail activities accomplished, deliverables completed, outstanding deliverables, and any delays, as well as reasons for any delays and proposed resolutions.

5. DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERABLE DATES

Standards for Acceptance of Deliverables: The Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) will provide comments on each deliverable within 5 calendars business days from receipt of a given deliverable. The Contractor shall make any needed changes to the deliverables within 5 calendar business days from receipt of electronic or written comments from the TPOC, unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing.

Deliverable Due Date 0 A project plan, to be updated throughout the Period of Performance.

Within one week of the start of the contract.

1 Text and relevant graphics for the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid website (Section 4.a)

Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the TPOC.

2 Fact sheets (Section 4.b) Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the TPOC.

3 Announcements or newsletter (Section 4.c)

Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the TPOC.

4 Edit a bi-monthly newsletter (Section 4.d)

Bi-monthly - Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the

TPOC.

5 Descriptions of communications plans and tactics (Section 4.e)

Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the TPOC.

6 Editing for short reports (Section 4.f) Occasional, as needed basis. Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the TPOC.

7 Attend selected Meetings of the SEPA to gather information or other relevant meetings (Section 4.h)

Dates/locations to be determined.

8 Ghost written magazine articles, op-eds, speeches or other materials (Section 4.i)

Dates mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the TPOC.

9 Summarize communications advice in a monthly report (Section 4.j)

Due by the fifth day of the next month.

6. PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

a. Period of Performance

The period of performance shall be from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.

b. Place of Performance

The primary place of performance is the Contractor’s facility.

Additionally, the locations for required travel for attendance at the SEPA meetings or other appropriate events will be determined and coordinated between the NIST TPOC and the Contractor.

7. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

All materials prepared by the Contractor will be reviewed by the designated NIST staff experts within the NIST Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program as appropriate. Acceptable quality will include the following measures:

a. No more than 10 percent of written products shall be deemed factually inaccurate by subject matters experts reviewing the text;

b. No more than one rewrite is required to meet the agreed upon style, format requirements, flow, and readability required for the NIST Web site, Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid newsletter or other specific formats.

Performance will be monitored by the assigned Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid Program TPOC to ensure that acceptable levels of writing quality as described above have been achieved.

8. TRAVEL

The Contractor may be required to travel to the NIST campus for meetings and attend workshops or conferences to present work as determined by the TPOC.

The Contractor shall not represent the Government. Any travel requirements shall be within the United States. The Government will provide at least two weeks advance notice of travel requirements.

The Contractor shall attend all CPS, IoT and Smart Grid related meetings held virtually or at the NIST Gaithersburg campus, and travel to selected meetings approved by NIST, including those of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), which will be held in the United States, but may be on the West Coast, Mid- West, or East Coast. NIST anticipates approximately twoone meetings requiring travel. NIST estimates that only one Contractor employee will travel. NIST anticipates between four and six in-person meetings at the NIST Campus in Gaithersburg, MD.

All travel shall be approved in advance by the NIST TPOC. Approved travel will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation and the Department of Commerce Travel Handbook up to the not-to-exceed amount of $3,000.00. Note that local travel will not be reimbursed.

9. KEY PERSONNEL

It is estimated that this work will require at least one contractor Key Personnel employee. The Key Personnel shall have at least five (5) years of experience in journalistic writing and editing. The Key Personnel must be familiar with technical details of the Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grid program and the energy, physics, engineering, electronics, computer science disciplines as evidenced by an advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) in physics, chemistry, engineering, computer science, or related fields OR six (6) or more years of experience providing support to requirements related to smart grid or cyber physical systems. The Contractor must be able to work with multiple stakeholders and to prioritize workload to meet frequent deadlines.

10. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, DATA, AND/OR

INFORMATION

Following award, the Government will provide the Contractor with the following:

a. Computing hardware, software, and access to NIST information technology resources including NIST email, network access, and online collaboration tools such Microsoft Office and Google G-Suite.

Government furnished equipment will be provided in an as-is and working condition. The Contractor is responsible for the safety and protection of any equipment that may be provided for remote work. All equipment provided shall be returned to the Government at the end of the task order in the condition it was received in.

All property, data, and information provided by the Government in the performance of this task remains the property of the Government and shall be surrendered to the Government upon completion or termination of this requirement. Likewise, all deliverables generated under this requirement are the property of the Government. The Government is not responsible for paying for Wi-Fi or cell phone charges.

11. RISK ASSESSMENT

This requirement is determined to be classified as IT Low Risk.

12. DATA RIGHTS

All written material produced under this contract become the property of the U.S.

government and as such will be in the public domain. FAR Clause 52.227-17:

Rights in Data – Special Works is applicable to this requirement.