PWS_-_draft_1.docx

Performance Work Statement Structured Decision Making Support

1.0 Background

Investment in Structured Decision Making (SDM) practitioners and Data Science professionals by Reclamation will improve communication and understanding of science among stakeholders and may improve understanding of management actions in the Klamath Basin. The initial focus will be initiating SDM in the Klamath Basin.

Structured Decision Making will require coordination with science mentor and facilitator, Dr. James Peterson – Oregon State University & the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Oregon Cooperative Research Unit, to implement the SDM process with Reclamation staff, and stakeholders in the Klamath Basin. The intent is to develop a decision making model that will incorporate scientific data from various sources that will assist in decision making.

The long-term success of SDM within Reclamation’s Klamath Basin Area Office (KBAO) will require developing trust among stakeholders and expertise within Reclamation. Tasks described here are expressly intended to assist Reclamation implement SDM over the contract term.

2.0 Scope

This document details the scope and deliverables for services provided to the US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for the KBAO SDM process. The scope of this Work Statement includes assisting to identify potential data, compiling, and making the data available, and the development of analytical models consistent with an adaptive plan and the SDM Framework in coordination with Reclamation, participating agencies, and stakeholders. This Work Statement anticipates that agency and stakeholder representatives will provide the majority of the biological expertise and institutional knowledge. The Contractor would have an understanding of fish biology, hydrology, experience in analytic tools, the ability to make data and information publicly available, and facilitation skills for the use of the analytic tools in a transparent public process. These efforts will be guided by the following themes designed to promote SDM development and capabilities within KBAO:

1. Project Management and Outreach Support for SDM

2. Data Discovery

3. Data Integration

4. Metrics and Model Development Curate SDM Decision Support Models (DSMs) and data developed by KBAO-funded efforts within Department of Interior (DOI) on a platform agreeable to DOI.

5. Continuously improve SDM products and the understanding of those products.

Actively broadcast the transparent, open nature of the SDM products, facilitate their use in other processes (if applicable), and encourage participation in KBAO’s SDM process. Improve implementation and understanding of Reclamation-backed implementation efforts, which may include prioritizing research and monitoring, restoration, and making recommendations for system operations.

3.0 Place of Performance

Most of the work will be performed at the Contractor’s location. The Contractor will periodically meet at Government facilities. Travel to meetings will be reimbursed based on actual costs under the Federal Travel Regulations.

4.0 Period of Performance

5.0 Government Furnished Property, Equipment, and Services

None

6.0 Contractor Furnished Items and Services

The Contractor shall provide all equipment, supplies, management, supervision, personnel, and transportation except as specified herein as government-furnished, necessary to assure that all services are in accordance with the contract and all applicable laws and regulations. The contractor shall ensure all work meets performance standards specified in this Performance Work Statement and referenced documents.

7.0 Tasks

Task 1: Project Management and Outreach Support for SDM

Contractor will assist Reclamation and USGS/OSU by coordinating stakeholders to engage in Structured Decision Making in the Klamath Basin. Contractor will oversee Project Management for Reclamation and will provide Outreach Support to stakeholders.

Contractor will assist Reclamation and USGS/OSU by developing a Project Management Plan for Structured Decision Making that will address at minimum: the technical approach, schedule, coordination among stakeholders, roles and responsibilities, risks and mitigation, proprietary information, insufficient data, competing data, insufficient capacity, scientific disagreement, policy positions, and inadequate participation.

Contractor will coordinate with Reclamation and Jim Peterson to develop schedule, technical working groups, and meeting tasks and deliverables. Contractor will prepare meeting agendas, meeting materials, and meeting notes.

Task 1 Deliverables:

Draft Project Management Plan Final Project Management Plan Schedule in-person and remote meeting dates and times Prepare meeting agendas, meeting materials, and meeting notes

Task 2 Data Discovery

Data discovery will include two components. Outreach to and Coordination with partners, and the development of an Ontology Technical Memorandum (Ontology TM) to document the identification and organization of available datasets and analysis methods into a logical structure that supports access, and recall.

Outreach and Coordination with partners to request data and integrate into model.

The Ontology TM shall include, at minimum:

• A listing of physical and biological data relevant to Klamath Basin Chinook and coho salmon and Lost River and shortnose suckers based on measurements, numerical models, and expert opinion;

• Current status and future availability of information relevant to Klamath Basin Chinook and coho salmon and Lost River and shortnose suckers; and

• Organizational strategy for retrieving and maintaining information over time.

This task is primarily composed of the development of an Ontology TM to document the identification and organization of available data sets for use in SDM Tool Development. The data objects that needs to be identified and cataloged include individual records for stream gages, water temperature gages, and groundwater monitoring stations, fisheries data, water quality records, hydrologic and hydraulic model output, and other data, all of which are of potential value to a Klamath Basin decision support tool. These data objects will be configured for rapid visualization, exploration, and analysis.

The ontology should use a hierarchical data structure where data objects are sorted into individual “models”, with subset “metrics”. Clearly-stated terms and quick access to data is critical for facilitating real-time visualization of relationships between data in the wide range of engagements required to support the Klamath Basin decision support tool. Use of the data and relationships during discussions by the various groups allows for a deeper consideration of the complex technical relationships being addressed by the structured decision model.

This enhanced platform with added data should automatically scale to the size of the data when displaying it for analysis. The enhanced platform should also automatically integrate disparate data that is related spatially, temporally, or otherwise. Accordingly, an Ontology TM will be maintained and updated regularly throughout the project for use by analysts. As models and metrics change, or are edited for clarity, the analyses that rely on the data objects will be automatically updated. The Ontology should be updated annually or more frequently as necessary. Further, by using the Ontology to foster technical discussions in real time, the Core Team agencies will improve knowledge management because all the meaningful findings from past and ongoing studies will be captured quickly and clearly on the data platform. For example, if technical representatives are considering the effects of temperature and flow in a particular region of Klamath, the real-time data and analyses supporting that discussion can be saved and immediately recalled at a subsequent meeting or used at future briefings.

Task 2 Deliverables:

Outreach to and coordination with partners for pertinent data Draft Ontology Technical Memorandum Final Ontology Technical Memorandum – living document; updated annually.

Task 3 – Data Integration:

Data integration shall include incorporation of data from partners into SDM website and model framework, as deemed necessary by technical working groups.

Data integration shall also result in a Data Exploration Technical Memorandum that documents the backend infrastructure that allows for the upload of different data types, visualization across different data sets, and transparent workflow processes for performing calculations and identifying the relationships between data. This Work Statement anticipates that agencies and stakeholders shall provide data in a wide range of formats. The Data Exploration TM shall include the uploading of information and the identification of preliminary lines of investigation in preparation for model development as an intermediate step in collaboration to guide future efforts. Data integration shall include, at minimum:

• The ability to readily incorporate and update different types of information including, but not limited to tables, spatial data, time series, and unstructured information;

• Workflow tools to query, visualize, combine, and run analyses on data in manner that transparently documents logic processes for knowledge transfer;

• Accessibility for agencies and stakeholders to operate and experiment with workflow tools outside of formal workshops and independent of the facilitators, ideally via the internet;

Task 3 Deliverable:

Data Integration into SDM website Draft Data Exploration Technical Memorandum Final Data Exploration Technical Memorandum

Task 4 - Develop landing page for Klamath Basin SDM Specific efforts will include: develop a website, develop guiding documents based on participant input, assist with stakeholder outreach, facilitate SDM process with Dr. James Peterson, develop meeting materials and organize meeting logistics.

Contractor will synthesize biological and hydrological information, catalogue data, and provide data sharing navigation on an agreed upon platform. Contractor will make data accessible to participants in SDM process.

Task 4 Deliverables:

Website that hosts, organizes and links SDM meeting notes, guiding documents, reports, and data.

Task 5 – Metrics and Model Development

Metrics and model development shall result in periodic technical memoranda, at each significant SDM model iteration, documenting the custom metrics and analysis process for manipulating the data and updating the SDM models. This Work Statement anticipates that models shall be developed through a combination of cooperative large group sessions facilitated by USGS (James Peterson and a graduate student). This Work Statement identifies and provides that the facilitators may need assistance curating model iterations or simplify model coding. Metrics and Model Development shall include, at minimum:

• Attendance at in person or on-line workshops for facilitated exploration of data and development of workflow processes.

• Documentation of multiple conceptual models representing different hypotheses for linking SDM decision alternatives to SDM objectives within the SDM framework.

Task 5 Deliverable:

Technical memoranda at each significant SDM model iteration Task 6 - Continuously improve SDM products and the understanding of those products

Actively broadcast the transparent, open nature of the SDM products, facilitate their use in other processes (if applicable), and encourage participation in KBAO’s SDM process. Improve implementation and understanding of Reclamation-backed implementation efforts, which may include prioritizing research and monitoring, restoration, and making recommendations for system operations.

Task 6 Deliverable:

Continuously update guiding documents as approach changes, and update landing page with research and data as it becomes available.

8.0 Travel Assumptions

Travel assumes the workshops will be a combination of in-person meetings and web-based, on-line meetings. It is anticipated that up to 10 in-person meetings are possible to occur each year. Thus, travel assumption is based ten annual trips for two persons, and five annual trips for one additional person (3-day duration) for hotel, per diem, and travel time.

9.0 Contract Changes

Additional services required by changes in mission assignments must be documented by a written contract modification. If the contractor receives a request from Reclamation personnel directing or requesting work that the contractor believes is not within the terms of the PWS or the contract, then the contractor must notify the Contracting Officer of the request. The only person that has the authority to modify the terms of the contract or request work for which compensation will be provided is a Contracting Officer.