PWS KCIS (20210830).docx

PWS

Performance Work Statement 2021 US Army War College – Kingston Conference on International Security (KCIS) Support

1. General.

a. Objective. The Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) of the United Stated Army War College (USAWC) uses its Academic Engagement (AE) Program to seek collaborative and mutually beneficial conceptual research partnerships with distinguished academic and other center-of-excellence institutions to address key national security issues. The KCIS is a colloquium held by Queen’s University’s Centre for International and Defence Policy. The title of this year’s conference is, “In Case of Emergency: The military’s role in the pandemic and future crisis” and will be coordinated between the KCIS strategic partners, the Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP), the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Command, and the NATO Defense College in Rome. This year’s topic touches on multiple special interest topics identified by the Chief of Staff of the Army in the 2021 – 2022 Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL). This request for proposal (RFP) solicits a specific formal partnership to answer this Army Special Interest topic by leveraging the KCIS to produce conceptual research and publishable unclassified works absent copyright restrictions. The normal end products of the academic colloquia envisioned by this RFP are scholarly or professional presentations, briefs, reports, and other works published by Queen’s University for all KCIS partners. The colloquium products assess and make recommendations on international security issues, national security strategy and policy, and related security environment understanding to inform senior security leader decision-making important to the Army. Further, these products can be used for the professional development of USAWC faculty and students.

b. Queens University will execute the colloquium – including providing all support and administrative functions associated with the colloquium – contracting for and hosting the on-line venue delivery. The USAWC (SSI) will coordinate with Queen’s University’s CIDP on the final selection of panel members, guest speakers, and panel topics. Queen’s University will publish a report and selected papers for a series volume. KCIS partners will distribute electronic versions of the series volume to relevant policymakers, experts, attendees, and other members of the community of interest designated by the USAWC and CIDP. Additionally, SSI distributes its publications to key leaders in the Army and Department of Defense (DoD), the broader military educational system, Congress, the media, other domestic and international think tanks and defense institutes, and major colleges and universities, as appropriate. Conduct of this colloquium is mission-critical and disapproval or delay of approval will adversely affect the Army's strategic outreach and research missions.

c. Project Goals. The U.S. Army, the USAWC and SSI will obtain value from these colloquia as indicated by the following goals:

(1) Engage noted scholars, leading practitioners, and other strategic thinkers in presentation, dialogue, and debate of key national security issues related to the national security emergency response, and lessons learned during the pandemic response -- with a special focus on US and Allied military landpower strategy and policy.

(2) Publish a conference report and select papers that address critical challenges and initiatives that affect the U.S. Army’s future in relation to the key issues.

(3) Establish and build upon mutually rewarding relationships with the various organizations represented by colloquia participants and audience, as well as the participants themselves.

(4) Engage the US Army in multi-national dialogue with fellow militaries, policy makers, and academic researchers.

(5) Ensure the freshness and relevancy of the USAWC curricula through timely, critical, and independent research and analysis.

(6) Contribute to the strategic thought under-girding U.S. national security policy and strategy and significantly expand the base of knowledge through various publication media including printed products.

2. BACKGROUND. The SSI is the U.S. Army’s research organization for the analysis of national security policy and military strategy. SSI is part of the USAWC at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania and its research provides direct analysis for the professional development and use of USAWC faculty and students as well as Army and DOD leadership. In addition, the Institute serves as the U.S. Army’s bridge to the wider national security intellectual community. SSI employs the Academic Engagement Program to build and sustain relationships between SSI and outstanding scholars in the global strategic studies community while supplementing SSI’s research and analysis capabilities to produce products useful to those who study, teach, and practice national security and military strategy, within the Army and DOD. This program seeks premier academic institutions to host colloquia on key strategic issues of interest to the Army that allow SSI scholars and other Army personnel to interact with leading scholars and government officials who are most knowledgeable and influential in the field of study. The purpose of the colloquia is not only to produce publications that have inherent credibility but also to expose scholars and military personnel at the USAWC to a diverse group of expert participants, with whom they would not otherwise interact.

3. REFERENCES / APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS.

a. Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) web site: https://ssi.armywarcollege.edu

b. SSI Publishing Guide at: https://ssi.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/publishing-guide/

c. KSIL 2021-2022 at: https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/906/

4. TASK REQUIREMENTS. The selected institution shall collaborate with the SSI to conduct a colloquium addressing the named topic related to items on the Key Strategic Issues list at the above web site or another formally agreed upon topic that addresses national security emergency response and lessons learned during the pandemic response, with a special focus on US and Allied military landpower strategy and policy..

a. The selected institution shall perform the following specific tasks:

(1) Develop the topic “In Case of Emergency: The military’s role in the pandemic and future crisis” to produce a mutually agreeable agenda, slate of speakers, and conference date in collaboration with SSI.

(2) Arrange for presenters to conduct research, write, and present papers and/or speeches.

(3) Schedule, confirm, and reimburse speakers for services rendered, as required; Government funding cannot be used to exceed DoD limits on reimbursements.

(4) Select and organize a professional virtual venue. Reserve facilities, provide schedule, and reimburse for services rendered, as required.

(5) Provide all the required interface for colloquium speakers audio-visual participation, and recording. Collect all required permissions to reproduce and electronically publish colloquia proceedings, briefing slides, and presentations.

(6) Collect and edit the biographies on all the colloquium speakers/panelist/ presenters.

(7) Provide electronic programs and display participant names and affiliations for remote audience viewing during colloquium presentations and panels.

(8) Develop an invitation list for the colloquium that will insure an appropriate number of knowledgeable and influential participants and incorporates additional names provided by the SSI.

(9) Prepare and mail electronic invitations to prospective attendees including those names contained on a list supplied by the SSI.

(10) Collect and track all the RSVP’s for the colloquium and provide this information to SSI upon request.

(11) Organize and run a colloquium registration to track attendee participation with sufficient fidelity to capture regional demographics and organizational affiliation of the colloquium audience and presenters.

(12) Send a list of all participants to the USAWC within 30 days of the completion of the colloquium.

(13) Provide to the SSI a copy of all material presented within 30 days of the completion of the colloquium.

(14) Collect, write, collate and/or edit colloquium publications in accordance with (IAW) the SSI formats on referenced web site, deliver draft conference report to SSI within six months after the completion of the colloquium.

(15) Provide access to audio-visual recording of the proceedings which have been edited to facilitate specific speaker or panel presentations, within 180 days of the colloquium.

(16) Provide list of expenditures to SSI within 180 days of colloquium, to facilitate a review of expenditures to ensure no DoD limits are exceeded.

(17) Distribute publications IAW a mutually agreed list.

(18) All conference websites, publications and advertisements will include the SSI logo, and/or name “Strategic Studies Institute” as a sponsor of the conference.

b. U.S. Government specific tasks include:

(1) Provide subject matter expert consultation on selection of subtopics, specific presenters and audience invitees.

(2) Provide subject matter expert consultation concerning content editing of the publications.

(3) Provide subject matter expert consultation concerning final format edit approval for publication.

(4) Re-publishing selected materials on the SSI web site.

(5) Publishing and distributing selected material in one of the SSI publications series.

(6) Conduct review of expenditures to ensure no DoD limits are exceeded.

5. QUALITY. The selected institution shall ensure the colloquium and publications reflect the high professional standards of research and analysis that characterize SSI. They shall comprehensively address the topic selected and offer insights and recommendations for U.S. national security policy, military strategies, and military activities that the Department of Defense and U.S. Army should undertake to implement these policies and strategies. The selected institution shall recruit expert participants who are acceptable to the Director, SSI, as communicated through the Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and are recognized experts in their field, have published significant works on the subject or are military/government officials who influence military policy or strategy.

6. PUBLICATIONS. The SSI and the partner institutions will produce joint publications after the colloquia. The publications shall include, at a minimum, a colloquium brief and a colloquium report; it may also include selected monographs or a collection of articles authored by colloquium presenters. The colloquium brief normally is the responsibility of SSI, but the comprehensive colloquium report shall be written collaboratively by SSI and the partner institution. With SSI approval, a monograph or collection of articles may be substituted for the colloquium report. The SSI will have the right to publish all products produced for and from the colloquium. The SSI reserves the right to reproduce and distribute selected papers, colloquium reports, or manuscripts resulting from the colloquia. This information may be placed on the SSI’s Internet page. The partner institution assumes sole responsibility for obtaining appropriate copyright releases for material from presenters. This copyright release does not require the author to relinquish copyright to SSI or the partner institution, nor does it prohibit the author from providing a copyright or license to others, but it does give SSI the unrestricted right to publish and distribute the publication.

7. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS/REQUIREMENTS.

a. Place of Performance. The colloquium shall occur virtually over a venue medium agreed upon by SSI and the partner institution.

b. Period of Performance. The period of performance shall be no later than 12 months from the date of award.

c. Institution Qualifications. The selected institution shall be a leading academic institution with which SSI may work directly and not a third party intermediary or for profit firm. The government derives a large part of the value of the colloquium from the direct interaction between the scholars at SSI and the scholars at the partner institution. SSI requires that the selected institution be an internationally recognized center of excellence for security and defense related topics and, thus, capable of assembling a unique body of leading experts in the field of international security studies who have particular expertise to bring to bear. The selected institution must work cooperatively with SSI faculty to develop an appropriately comprehensive agenda. To do so the institution must be a center of excellence for international studies and have sufficient prestige within the national security intellectual community to be able to identify 15-25 leading scholars, policy-makers, and military experts in the specific field of analysis, and secure their participation in the colloquium. Additionally, the institution’s academic prestige must be sufficient to draw an appropriately sized audience composed of those able to influence national security policy and military strategy. The contractor must have international prestige within the academic community, in order to recruit the level of talent needed to expertly analyze the issues and provide a product with sufficient credibility to influence the policy-making community. Multi-party participation by other institutional partners with equal academic center of excellence status may be permitted, if specifically agreed to in writing by the Contracting Officer (KO). Defense industry corporate formal sponsorships shall not be permitted. The colloquium must not be held in conjunction with or part of an industry sponsored trade show.

d. Government funds shall not be used to provide food or beverages. There is no requirement to provide food or beverages. If the contractor chooses to provide food, beverages from some other funding source, they shall be required to delineate the exact quantity and cost of those items to COR in order to comply with Secretary of the Army Guidance on conferences, and Joint Ethics Regulations. If items of value in excess of $20 are provided to USG employees who are invited panelists, presenters, or discussants, the vendor shall provide a mechanism for USG personnel to pay for or reimburse the vendor for those items.

e. The use of conference fees for attendees is strongly discouraged. Unless stated in the proposal, the USG assumes that there will be no conference fee charged by the contractor to conference attendees. The USG expects that the contractors will include all conference costs in their quoted firm fixed price proposal. If the contractor chooses to charge a conference fee, they shall state in their proposal the exact amount of the fee and list all expenses covered by the fee. The contractor shall show that the use of a conference fee will not generate a profit, and they shall articulate why the fee is necessary. If the purpose of the conference fee is to pay for food, beverages or social events, the contractor shall provide a method for U.S. DOD employees to pay for food and beverages separately from the conference fee. Conference or registration fees and their collection must comply with applicable laws, regulations and policies. In addition, vendor will provide target number of total U.S. DoD and U.S. military service participants they expect to attend, including panel members and standard conference attendees.

f. Security Requirements.

(1) The contractor will ensure operations security is practiced throughout the conference by contractor and subcontractor staff to include any venue staff. This means that the contractors, subcontractors, and venue staff will not discuss operations associated with this conference unless the person or business have a valid need to know in order to provide support or service for the conference.

(2) The contractor will ensure proper physical security measures at their locations. Individual participants and their organizations are required to ensure proper security for their facilities in accordance with their command/organizational policy.

(3) In addition, there are no hotel property arrangements associated with this virtual conference. Therefore, no hotel security procedures, plans, and methods to include emergency action plans are necessary.