PCIM_Draft_SOW.pdf

PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS AND INQUIRIES

STATEMENT OF WORK

March 2019

1.0 OPERATIONS, AND SERVICES

The contractor shall provide services to execute the NASA Public Communications and Inquiries

Management function in NASA Office of Communications, as defined in the four basic components described herein. The contractor shall manage process and respond to public communications and inquiries received by NASA. The contractor shall provide a full range of services and operations, including email inquiries through the NASA website www.nasa.gov, correspondence received by mail, voice messages, as well as dedicated public inquiries telephone coverage, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The contractor shall manage, process and respond to public communications and inquiries addressed to and received by NASA Headquarters offices, centers, and component facilities as directed by the COR, and those received directly by the contractor through various vehicles including written paper communications, web, email, fax, and telephone. The contractor shall also manage, process and respond to correspondence addressed to and received by the NASA

Administrator and Deputy Administrator, and other senior NASA Officials as determined as agency high-visibility communications, as well as public communications referred to NASA by

The White House.

Public communications and inquiries range in content and subject matter, and often include complex scientific and technical terminology that include specific or cross various discipline areas. The four basic components to this NASA-wide function include:

1.1. Management and Execution

The contractor shall manage and execute a systematic approach to process inquiries from receipt through final response. This includes processing of inquiries from mail, electronic mail and by phone.

About 10,000 to 20,000 public communications inquiries are received each month for processing and disposition. The contractor shall process public communications and inquiries that include, but are not limited to requests for:

General and specific information regarding NASA;

information regarding specific NASA missions or programs;

information on employment opportunities educational curriculum materials and resources;

information for studies for specific NASA positions;

NASA support, adoption, or funding of ideas and innovations;

information for educational studies and projects (K-12, undergraduate and graduate level);

http://www.nasa.gov/ information regarding current and former NASA officials and astronauts;

donations of funds and tangible items to NASA;

NASA participation in various public activities.

1.2. Material Development and Compilation

The contractor shall develop and compile materials to facilitate prompt and appropriate response to inquiries. This includes but is not limited to materials describing NASA's missions, programs, and activities, preprinted communications material and information, standard response letters, standard language and language sets for responses. Standard language sets on frequently received topics, shall be prepared and/or updated on a quarterly basis, in coordination with Office of Communications public affairs officers and other staff, and with approval by the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

1.3. Administration and Maintenance of Tools and Administrative Resources

The contractor will have access to operational tools to manage and archive public communications and inquiries. The contractor shall manage and maintain the tools and administrative resources necessary to providing services in executing the public communications and inquiries function. This includes, but is not limited to, email accounts, databases, administrative records, reference library materials to manage and archive inquiries and corresponding responses, libraries of standard language sets and responses and preprinted materials.

2.0 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

The contractor shall manage the processing of, and prepare responses to, public communications and inquiries per the above and in accordance with established NASA policies and guidelines.

2.1. Public Inquiries Dedicated Telephone Line

The contractor shall answer the dedicated public inquiries telephone line between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on normal business days (i.e.: no weekends or holidays). The contractor shall respond to voice messages within one (1) business day.

2.2. Electronic mail Inquiries via the NASA web home page

The contractor shall respond to electronic mail inquiries within 10 business days of receipt.

The contractor shall ensure the response to each inquiry is adequately responsive to the individual request. Responses shall include where appropriate, standard language sets.

2.3. Mail Correspondence

The contractor shall respond to inquiries via mail within 10 business days of receipt. The contractor shall ensure the response to each inquiry is adequately responsive to the individual request. Responses shall be accomplished through email and relevant electronic attachments to the sender, if a return email address was provided. Otherwise, response shall be accomplished via U.S. mail.

2.4. Metrics

The contractor shall maintain a system of accountability and produce volume measurements by category of public communications received and processed; e.g., paper mail, electronic mail, telephone calls. Weekly and monthly, the contractor shall prepare and submit a metrics report to the COR that reflects the statistics and activities for the prior week or month. The contractor shall also prepare materials and statistics of public communications and inquiry activities for briefing NASA management.

2.5. Compliance with NASA Policies and Guidelines

The contractor shall develop and compile, with guidance and support from NASA civil servant communications specialists, standard responses, printed materials, and ensure compliance with NASA policies and guidelines, including Communications Material Review

(CMR) requirements and processes. The contractor shall accomplish these tasks by seeking out and collaborating with the NASA subject-matter experts, public affairs specialists, and other key senior NASA management officials and use these materials to respond to public communications and inquiries.

The contractor shall accomplish all mail operations and services in accordance with established NASA policy and guidelines and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Department of

Transportation (DOT) regulations.

The contractor shall also comply with applicable NASA Policy Directives (NPD) and NASA

Policy Requirements (NPR); including, but not limited to, NPR 1450, Correspondence

Management and Communications Standards and Style, Associated Press (AP) Style, unless directed otherwise by NASA.

2.6. Resources, Materials and Reference Library

The contractor shall create, develop, and maintain an electronic and paper reference library and shall be responsible for coordinating the entry and inventory of paper materials and references for deposit to a central repository in accordance with the NASA’s directed location. Paper reference shall be maintained onsite at NASA Headquarters recorded in

Headquarters Action Tracking System (HATS), or similar management systems, or at the

Headquarters Warehouse, whichever is applicable. The contractor shall support the replenishment of stock levels and coordinate the removal of outdated printed materials entered and inventoried in the central repository.

The contractor shall retrieve printed materials from the central repository for use in responding to public inquiries received by the Public Communications and Inquiries

Management Program.

2.7. Other Considerations

As required in special cases, the contractor shall support and process requests received by or under the auspices of the Public Communications and Inquiries Management Program from the NASA Centers. The contractor shall obtain and use electronic and printed materials from the reference library or central repository.

The contractor shall respond to routine public communications and inquiries in accordance with preapproved responses and established NASA policies and guidelines. Extraordinary inquiries shall be directed to the COR for resolution if the contractor is unable to determine an adequate or appropriate response using a preapproved response. Extraordinary inquiries include those situations of a non-routine nature, or where the public inquirer is not satisfied, or in agreement with a previous response or policy.

The contractor shall provide support for coordinating the development, design, and approval of responses to those communications determined as high-visibility subject matter related to strategic communications involving NASA missions, activities, and policies.

The contractor shall maintain sufficient stock of Government-furnished letterhead, envelopes and mailers, preprinted materials, and mailing supplies; e.g., mailing labels, bond paper, and printer cartridges.

The contractor shall support activities related to the continual improvement of the NASA

Public Communications and Inquiries Management Program.

The contractor shall bring issues of concern or potential concern to the immediate attention of the COR for appropriate resolution for all activities related to supporting a positive infrastructure for communications management, strategic planning, and methods and tools.

The contractor shall conduct a customer service satisfaction survey not less than annually that captures and measures the quality of services that the contractor provides to NASA. The contractor shall support various NASA Public Communications and Inquiries Management activities that measure and identify communications methods and tools that foster and promote an effective public communications program.

3.0 ELECTRONIC TRACKING AND RECORDKEEPING

The contractor shall provide support for the infrastructure for managing and maintaining systems of accountability for public communications and inquiries.

3.1. The contractor will have access to HATS or an equivalent action item tracking and archival platform, as well as other information systems (herein referred to as “system”) to maintain an operational system of accountability to record incoming public communications and inquiries and the corresponding dispositions. The contractor shall use the system for managing, controlling, and dispositioning incoming public communications and inquiries. The contractor shall enter pertinent data regarding the incoming document and corresponding response or disposition.

3.2. The contractor shall screen incoming public communications received each workday and establish a record in the system for each communication by the end of that same workday. The contractor shall establish a record in the system in accordance with established NASA policy and guidelines.

3.3. The contractor shall respond and document inquiries received by telephone in the system in accordance with established NASA policy and guidelines; reporting weekly to the

COR.

3.4. The contractor shall screen, analyze material content, input, update, and maintain data in the system in accordance with established NASA policy and guidelines.

3.5. The contractor shall use the system data to produce various reports, such as, daily incoming statistics, status of open and overdue actions, closed records and statistics, trends in subject matter, and trends in traffic.

3.6. The contractor shall create a filing scheme and affix the appropriate tracking number on each inquiry, record and original incoming document and corresponding response in accordance with the Agency Filing Scheme. The contractor shall maintain a recordkeeping system of accountability and shall disposition the electronic and paper records in accordance with established NASA policy and procedures.

4.0 SUPPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide appropriately skilled personnel to execute the public communications and inquiries function described herein, to manage and disposition NASA public inquiries. Personnel will be physically located within the Office of Communications at

NASA Headquarters. Personnel may periodically telework, with the prior permission of the

COR. Leave requests should also be coordinated with the COR ahead of time whenever possible.

4.1. The contractor personnel shall be knowledgeable and skilled in applying the principles of English grammar and shall be skilled in writing, editing, proofreading, and using plain language to provide support to the COR in responding to public communications and inquiries that seek information regarding NASA missions, programs, and activities. The contractor staff shall be knowledgeable and skilled in applying the principles of the AP

Style manual and applicable NASA NPDs and NPRs.

4.2. The contractor personnel shall be knowledgeable and skilled in applying the latest technologies, methodologies, and communication tools to advance the art and science of mail communications, including design, layout, and material content for crafting communications for public consumption. The contractor shall research and identify potential communication tools for the Government’s use in enhancing the public’s opinion of NASA.

4.3. The contractor shall provide ongoing training to ensure personnel are knowledgeable and skilled in the areas of correspondence, mail management, and mail communications.

This includes knowledge and skill in applying USPS regulations, mail design and postal classifications; mailing and shipping systems; equipment related to mail communications; and technological changes affecting mail communications and the mailing and shipping industries.

4.4. The contractor shall provide training to ensure personnel are well versed and articulate in communicating, including gaining an adequate understanding of NASA content.

4.5. The contractor personnel shall be skilled in accessing and navigating online resources using the Internet and shall perform research and analysis to determine the most appropriate NASA website and content to reference in a response or to use for developing suitable responses.

4.6. The contractor personnel shall be knowledgeable and skilled in using electronic mail packages; e.g., Outlook E-Mail. The contractor shall use Public Inquiries E-mail

Accounts established by the Government to receive, process, and transmit responses to electronic public communications inquiries.

4.7. The contractor personnel shall be knowledgeable and skilled in using automated databases and document management systems.

4.8. The contractor personnel shall be knowledgeable and skilled in various software applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel (spread sheet, database, and graphics capabilities), and PowerPoint and Outlook.

5.0 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall be responsible for maintaining and producing various reports and metrics.

The contractor shall perform analysis of communications to produce reports that depict indicators and trends.

The contractor shall prepare weekly and monthly status reports and maintain files and records of previously submitted status reports. These shall reflect quantity of inquiries processed in total and by category:

a) number of public communications and inquiries received;

b) number of public communications and inquiries dispositioned;

c) number of public communications and inquiries in an open/overdue status

The report shall also reflect analysis of the inquiry topics.

This report shall be delivered electronically to the COR by the 5th workday of each month of contract performance. The contractor shall also maintain cumulative totals of the foregoing to produce and provide monthly, quarterly, and annual reports depicting the statistics.