Revised HSA IDIQ SOW_DRAFT 10.16.24.pdf

Technical Support Services for FHWA Office of Safety

Office of Safety IDIQ

Scope of Work

Table of Contents

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Background

C.2 Objective

C.3 Specific Contract Requirements

C.3.1 Kick Off Meeting C.3.2 Tri-Annual Meeting

C.4 Task Order Work

C.4.1 Technical Support and Assistance C.4.2 Professional Capacity Building, Development, and Training Support

C.4.3 Audience Outreach C.4.4 Operations and Administrative Program Support

C.5 Skills and Expertise Required

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I: Current Safety Program Areas and Priorities

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Background The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of

Transportation (USDOT) that supports State, Tribal and local governments, and other organizations in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the Nation’s highway system (Federal Aid Highway Program) and various federally and Tribal owned lands (Federal

Lands Highway Program). Through financial and technical assistance, FHWA is responsible for ensuring that America’s roads and highways continue to be among the safest and most technologically sound in the world.

The three FHWA units that lead the agency in achieving its strategic goals for roadway safety are the Office of Safety (HSA), the Office of Safety Research and Development, and the Resource

Center Safety and Design Team. These three units work together to execute three key strategies:

promote excellence in safety programs; research and advance effective safety solutions; and fortify partnerships and outreach.

HSA’s mission is to exercise leadership throughout the multi-disciplinary highway community to make the Nation’s surface transportation system safer for all road users. As a result, HSA has adopted the Safe System Approach, which has as basic principles that humans make mistakes, that human bodies have limited ability to tolerate crash impacts, and that our mistakes should never lead to death or serious injury. Even one death on the transportation system is unacceptable. To accomplish this, HSA develops and implements programs and initiatives to improve road safety for all road users. To help achieve its safety goals, HSA also coordinates with its partners and stakeholders, including other FHWA offices, Federal agencies, State, Tribal and local government agencies, various public and private organizations and industries, the public, and when appropriate, other countries.

HSA's key responsibilities include developing, implementing, and evaluating highway safety projects and programs. The effective execution of these responsibilities requires an integrated and comprehensive program of many activities, from research and analysis to the development of regulatory guidance, standards, and training, to delivering technical assistance and outreach to transportation stakeholders.

The ultimate goal of surface transportation safety is to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes. If a crash still occurs, it is necessary to mitigate the impacts during and after the event. HSA recognizes the many factors that contribute to crashes and therefore integrates multiple perspectives to address safety challenges, ranging from engineering and infrastructure solutions to applying public health principles and other effective approaches.

HSA is organized into two program area units:

The Office of Safety Technologies is responsible for identifying, developing, evaluating, and promoting methods, strategies, designs, treatments, and technologies that improve roadway safety performance.

The Office of Safety Programs is responsible for advancing the implementation of comprehensive Federal and State highway safety programs, policies and activities that improve roadway safety for all road users.

Please see the Appendix I to review current safety program areas and priorities. This list is not exhaustive and may change over time.

Visit FHWA’s Highway Safety Programs website at https://highways.dot.gov/safety for more information.

For the purposes of this document, partners and customers include, but are not limited to: Federal agencies (other FHWA offices, FHWA division offices), State DOTs, regional, Tribal, and local agencies, academia, and non-profit, public, and private sector entities.

C.2 Objective The objective of this contract is to provide support for HSA’s mission through related activities outlined in the task order work. HSA approaches safety from several areas—all rooted in the

Safe System Approach. It is important that contractors can augment this work through expertise in transportation safety (engineering, planning, and research) and associated disciplines (e.g., public health, sociology, advocacy groups, industry, schools, nonprofits, researchers, and the public). The specific projects to be completed will be determined on an as needed basis by

FHWA. Elements of focus and priority may change during the life of this contract.

The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) task order (TO) contract(s) resulting from this

Statement of Work is intended to give FHWA and its USDOT partners the flexibility to address several topics and related issues without specifically identifying all required tasks for the life of the contract.

The work described herein provides a flexible approach that supports and prepares HSA in meeting the needs and delivery of its mission and priorities. The work outlined in this contract includes brief descriptions of the broad general areas of projected types of services that may be required during the period of performance.

C.3 Specific Contract Requirements

C.3.1 Kick Off Meeting

Within three (3) weeks after the contract award, the Contractors shall meet with the

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and interested FHWA staff via teleconference for no more than two (2) hours. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the contract objectives, the contract administration, and the ordering procedures for issuing task orders.

https://highways.dot.gov/safety

C.3.2 Tri-Annual Meeting

Three (3) times annually, the Contractor shall meet with the COR and interested

FHWA staff via teleconference for no more than two (2) hours. The purpose of the first meeting is to discuss potential task orders planned by HSA for the upcoming performance year. Work discussed is not guaranteed. The purpose of the second and third meetings is to discuss and address contractual issues that may arise during the IDIQ to ensure smooth operation of tasks orders.

C.4 Task Order Work Contractors must receive FHWA approval for all key staff assigned to each task order. Any changes in key staff will require prior FHWA approval. Contractors must demonstrate the ability to work on varying tasks consecutively and/or simultaneously to ensure proposed schedules will be met.

C.4.1 Technical Support and Assistance

General activities under this task area include:

• Research, Analysis, Development, and Engineering Support: Provide research, analysis, development, and engineering expertise to include data collection, recommendations, and reporting on a variety of topics in support of HSA’s mission. The topics will relate to technical, institutional, financial, human, and/or administrative aspects associated with researching, developing, engineering, managing, building, and operating safety devices, systems, and networks associated with providing safe roads for all road users. The research, development and engineering may be over-arching, network site and/or situation-specific, and include studies that involve engineering performance, operational, policy driven and institutional issues, and may require providing recommendations and development of resources regarding needs, actions, and strategies.

• Policy/Regulatory Analysis: Provide analyses of costs, benefits, impacts, and challenges of various programmatic and project initiatives in support of regulatory and policy-making efforts. This may include conducting research to gather information, identify impacts, and make recommendations. The analysis could also be associated with safety and operational aspects of roads, questions raised by the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and Congress as part of the

USDOT’s annual budget appropriation hearings, implementation of legislative requirements and safety initiatives such as those included in Federal transportation reauthorization legislation, or activities related to the strategic planning process conducted within FHWA.

• Reports and Case Studies: Prepare reports and case studies based on current practices for selected topics. The reports shall synthesize the current experiences and developments in the deployment of innovative technologies and strategies by other countries, the private sector, other Federal agencies, Tribes, State, and local governments, including technical, human, financial, and institutional aspects. The reports or case studies shall describe and analyze specific exemplary or innovative safety measures that may be deployed by the above entities to improve roadway safety.

• Analysis of Program Delivery Approaches: Generate program delivery recommendations for carrying out the mandates of legislation, program directives, and priorities that support HSA’s mission. This effort includes analysis of customer and partner needs and priorities, policy issues, organizational capacity within HSA and external organizations, financial considerations, and delivery mechanisms.

• Safety Evaluations: Provide highway safety-related evaluations including studies involving collection, analysis, and development of data, and strategies and guidance for improving highway safety. This may include developing, estimating, and analyzing safety improvement impacts through such studies as before-after crash studies on roads and road systems for all road users. Evaluations may require laboratory and/or field studies of human behavior, human factors, and vehicle and highway elements that affect road safety.

• Program Evaluations: Provide evaluation of technical support/assistance to ensure exposure to target audience(s), that the audience(s) found the technical support/assistance useful and informative, and that the audience(s) used the technical support/assistance to advance and implement their own safety-related projects and programs. Record any changes or advancements made as a result of the technical support/assistance, such as a change in practices or policies. Record challenges, issues, and appropriate improvements. These evaluations include but are not limited to field reviews, online and paper-based surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and phone and face-to-face interviews.

• Data Collection, Analysis, and Statistical Modeling: Provide data collection, analysis and advanced statistical modeling support to various HSA programs and initiatives. Ability to collect, ingest (e.g., via Extract Transform Load (ETL) or similar), conduct quality assurance and control, and integrate Federal, State, and local safety data sets (e.g., crash, roadway, VMT, injury surveillance) for use in data driven safety analysis (DDSA) and development of Highway Safety Manual

(HSM) models is required. The Contractor must demonstrate the ability to generate a multitude of reports and publication types to document results.

C.4.2 Professional Capacity Building, Development, and Training Support

Develop, coordinate, and provide professional capacity building consistent with HSA’s mission for FHWA staff, partners, and other stakeholders. This work will be primarily geared toward advancing the state of safety knowledge among transportation professionals. Occasionally, existing resources may need to be refined or re-developed to adapt to different audience types and capabilities or to update materials based on new information.

https://highways.dot.gov/safety/data-analysis-tools/highway-safety-manual

General activities under this task area include:

• Identify Capacity Building Topics and Needs: Work with academia, educators, trainers, and practitioners to identify educational needs and requirements for transportation safety professionals. This may include the following:

• Outline the existing body of knowledge in road safety, and work with other organizations to outline core skill and knowledge requirements for transportation safety professionals at all levels. Define, scope/scale, and prioritize market segments for these topics. Market and deliver developed course/training.

• Evaluate the relationship between existing levels of skills and knowledge in the field; available training and education; knowledge and skill gaps; new training needs; and new training methods and technologies.

• Develop comprehensive strategies and plans for marketing and implementing safety education initiatives.

• Course development and delivery: Develop workshops and training course materials in accordance with National Highway Institute Instructional Systems Design to meet identified educational needs and requirements for adult learning considerations.

Deliver training courses and workshops through the National Highway Institute

(NHI), and partners such as American Association of State Highway and

Transportation Officials (AASHTO), State departments of transportation (DOTs), Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Programs, and others as appropriate. Include all logistical arrangements to ensure that the appropriate courses are delivered to the appropriate professionals at the appropriate places and times. This may include traditional in-person training courses and workshops, national conferences, online open courses, virtual learning, and trainings delivered through other, innovative means.

• Course Evaluations: Provide evaluation of the capacity building/education and trainings provided to ensure that they reached their target audience(s), that the audience(s) found the capacity building/education and trainings useful and informative, and that the audience(s) used the information to advance and implement their own safety-related projects and programs. Record challenges, issues, and appropriate improvements. These evaluations could include but are not limited to online and paper-based surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and phone and face-to-face interviews.

C.4.3 Audience Outreach

Assist in the evaluation, strategy, planning, development, distribution/execution, and reporting of internal and external communications for HSA. FHWA does not currently have a paid advertising budget. Therefore, communications efforts will be designed to reach, engage, and grow national audiences organically through USDOT-managed channels and those of key collaborators. Current channels include web, intranet, email, https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/docs/instructional_design.pdf https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/docs/adult_learning.pdf newsletters, exhibition conferences, speeches, presentations, webinars, print publications, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other social media channels.

The responsibilities below can apply holistically to the entirety of HSA’s communications efforts, and more narrowly to focus on specific programs, audiences (e.g., FHWA

Division Offices), campaigns, (e.g., Safe System Approach), or outreach channels (e.g., web, newsletters, exhibit conferences).

• Communications Evaluation and Strategy

Evaluate HSA's internal and external communications efforts. Identify, gather, interpret, and report on key metrics that help HSA better understand, serve, and reach audiences. Additionally, conduct market analysis and advise on HSA's audience goals and how best to achieve them. Serve as a go-to resource on current best practices for communications and marketing in all formats (e.g., print, digital, email, conferences) and identify opportunities to optimize HSA’s internal and external communications channels, as well as suggest new avenues for strategically connecting with audiences.

• Marketing, Content Distribution, and Audience Cultivation

Support HSA in reaching audiences through the creation and execution of content distribution plans. These plans will align to the specific goals of a given communications project. Lead the implementation of the content distribution plan and report on placements and results. Part of this work may involve the ongoing building and management of a distribution database that identifies impactful outreach channels (e.g., newsletters, webpages, online calendars, conferences, listservs) within the USDOT and beyond, including other federal agencies, national associations, and organizations. The evolving distribution channel inventory may document the channel’s respective editorial guidelines, audience size/composition, deadlines, points of contact, and other relevant details.

• Propose and lead efforts to cultivate audiences for the channels that has owns and maintains. This includes expanding, managing, and segmenting current and future subscriber lists.

• Editorial Planning and Content Creation

For HSA and its individual programs and/or projects, envision, develop, and revise compelling and clear written, oral, and visual content, including videos.

The work will require strong editorial judgment and may involve art direction.

This will include multiple styles of writing (e.g., informative, persuasive, narrative, and technical), a range of formats (e.g., print/PDF publications, case studies, talking points, speeches, presentations, web, social, ads/signboards), and multiple types of visual media (e.g., graphic design, photography, illustration, technical renderings, animation, videography). Digital and print products that

HSA routinely creates, and markets include, but are not limited to, reports, brochures, information guides, case studies, presentations, and technical guidance.

Conduct editorial planning on a rolling 12-month basis. This could involve the development, maintenance, and sharing of an editorial calendar for HSA. It could also entail editorial planning and content development for specific priorities (e.g., Safe System Approach), products (e.g., newsletters), and audiences (e.g., rural road owners).

Prepare and deliver content in accordance with the editorial calendar and distribution plans and report on results.

• Communications Operations & Logistics

Understand and follow existing reviews and workflows within FHWA/USDOT.

Within HSA, propose, develop, maintain, and optimize communications-related tools and workflows. Clearly communicate these with HSA and relevant staff.

Perform logistical services related to HSA and partners’ in-person and virtual outreach activities, such as the registration, purchase/rental, coordination (e.g., shipping), and facilitation of exhibit booths across the country (approximately 6 times or more annually), or printing, inventorying, and distributing communications materials.

• Web Content Updates, Development, and Optimization

HSA maintains content on two types of websites: the USDOT official *.gov site

(Drupal content management system) and websites hosted outside the *.gov environment (e.g., CMF Clearinghouse, https://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/).

Understand FHWA’s Drupal web environment and work within it to propose changes and develop content that optimizes the pages for SEO (search engine optimization), UX (user experience), and mobile delivery. Non-federal employees cannot upload or publish content directly, but contractors will advise on Drupal best practices and create content, suggest edits, and recommend layout arrangements for FHWA staff to upload and publish.

The work may include writing (titles, headers, paragraphs, captions, alt text, search terms); creating and/or obtaining clearance rights, creating and/or obtaining clearance rights for all images, videos, and/or other multimedia items; identifying links to trusted resources; analyzing and reporting on metrics (e.g., GA4);

reviewing webpages periodically; and ensuring overall 508-compliance., video, and/or other multimedia; identifying links to trusted resources; analyzing and reporting on metrics (e.g., Google Analytics 4 GA4); and reviewing webpages periodically. With guidance from FHWA and USDOT web staff, the work may involve assessing and proposing changes to web navigation, Drupal content types, and areas related to information architecture. Work may also involve 508 compliance and remediation.

• External websites hosted off the USDOT system: In collaboration with relevant

FHWA staff: develop and post approved content updates and changes to website pages at regular intervals, recommend editorial updates, ensure all website https://www.cmfclearinghouse.org/ content–direct website content and hosted files–are 508 compliant, and establish/implement website operations and maintenance compliant with US

Governmental IT policies and practices.

Work may also involve preparing for, assisting with, and/or managing other web processes, including web certification reviews and the migration of content from one website to another.

C.4.4 Operations and Administrative Program Support

Perform technical, administrative/clerical, and related duties in support of HSA, including, but not limited to the following:

• Technical Operations Support: Provide support to build out and maintain advanced SharePoint sites. Use Power Apps, PowerBI (and other similar programs), Microsoft applications (including new and emerging programs like

Lists), Adobe Creative Suite (and similar graphics programs), and other programming (e.g., Large Language Models (LLMs)) to support office operations.

• General Administrative/Clerical Program Support: Provide general administrative/ clerical duties such as memo writing, meeting coordination, printing, copying/collating, shipping, warehousing, inventory, registration, information request coordination, FOIA support (e.g., reviewing, scanning, redacting–both narrative and video/images–preparing document packages), and other support as required.

• Conference/Meeting Support: Provide management, logistical (including travel arrangements), and technical support to HSA and its partners and customers in preparing a range of in-person and web-based seminars, workshops, peer exchanges, technical meetings and focus groups. Prepare appropriate pre- and post-conference materials and proceedings. Meetings may include seminars on skill development, introductions on innovative technologies, or other safety topics. Facilitate and prepare evaluations of these meetings and make recommendations for actions based on findings. Audiences may be Federal, Tribal, State, or local transportation professionals and decision-makers, academia, private sector, road users, and citizens.

C.5 Skills and Expertise Required

• Demonstrated experience and professional expertise in sophisticated data gathering, management and analysis:

o Roadway safety data and systems (including crash, roadway, and travel), o Public health as it relates to transportation safety (e.g., injury surveillance), o Non-traditional data sources (e.g., telematics), o Using analytical tools and techniques to extract meaningful insights from data, o Statistics, o Data-driven safety analysis (e.g., Highway Safety Manual methodologies), o Machine learning (supervised and unsupervised techniques), and

LLMs and other forms of relevant Artificial Intelligence (AI)).

o Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) strategies and different technologies, including Vehicle to Everything (V2X), connected, and automated vehicles.

• Demonstrated experience and professional expertise in all the software applications necessary to support all noted and potential task orders (e.g., virtual communication platforms, video production, content management and web production tools, databases).

Expertise with Power Apps, PowerBI (and other similar programs), Microsoft applications

(including new and emerging programs like “Lists”), Adobe InDesign (and similar graphics programs), and other programming (e.g., LLMs) that can be used to support office operations.

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in the field of communications, internal and external; paid and organic marketing; and digital and print. Provide support in writing, art direction, communications and marketing planning, graphic design, editing, video production, campaign development and execution, conference exhibits, presentations, e-news, web user experience and information architecture, audience growth and segmentation, and stakeholder outreach. Provide understanding of how to apply this expertise in a government environment.

• Demonstrated expertise in writing and editing technical deliverables for government publications, and familiarity with the governing standard, such as GPO Style Guide, the

FHWA Communications Reference Guide, and other publication development tools.

• Demonstrated experience and professional expertise in core principles and best practices for highway, street, pedestrian, and bicycle facility planning and design, including familiarity with pertinent FHWA, AASHTO, NACTO, and ITE publications, as well as the developing field of performance-based practical design.

• Demonstrated Expertise in developing tools, webinars and outreach materials that incorporate Intelligent Transportation Systems with roadway safety. Demonstrate familiarity with ITS emerging and enabling technologies, ITS architecture and standards, interoperability and ITS deployment challenges and opportunities applicable to roadway safety.

• Demonstrated experience in presenting objective assessments of issues and policies within a governmental/legislative environment. Demonstrate the ability to deliver the completed deliverables, with full quality assurance and quality control along with appropriate fact checking, with minimal supervision from FHWA.

• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the principles and practice of transportation roadway safety (at all levels) including social, economic, and environmental analysis within the engineering, planning, project, and program development processes.

• Demonstrated knowledge of past and current transportation legislation (policy, program, and engineering), in particular the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and expertise in developing guidance for State, regional, Tribal, and local partners to access available funds and technical assistance to implement safety countermeasures and policies to save lives with limited direction from FHWA.

• Demonstrated ability to work with the appropriate stakeholder(s) to support the varying efforts for this contract as required. Stakeholder involvement is a key element in determining target audience needs and identifying the roles and responsibilities in the transportation safety process. Such stakeholders may include but are not limited to: State

DOTs, Local and Tribal Transportation Agencies, AASHTO, APWA, ATSIP, ATSSA, ITE, LTAP, NACE, NACo, NADO, TRB, TTAP, and UTC.

• Demonstrated experience conducting peer exchanges, workshops, webinars, and focus groups, both in-person and virtual. Demonstrated expertise in facilitation and consensus building among diverse stakeholders is required. Contractors shall work with FHWA to develop agendas, select presenters, provide suggested locations, provide invitational travel administration, facilitate the event, capture meeting notes, and develop a summary report.

These activities will involve coordination meetings and associated activities.

• Demonstrated experience synthesizing complex information such as policy and research in various forms, for example white papers, guidebooks, fact sheets, briefing material, PowerPoint presentations and other high-level materials.

• Demonstrated understanding of the transportation planning process as it pertains to State, local or Tribal safety programs.

• Demonstrated experience in curricula and course development and delivery, training methods and technologies, and application of best practices in adult learning/education.

Familiarity with NHI learning formats.

• Expertise in interdisciplinary fields including but not limited to public health, public policy, injury prevention, community health and engagement, health equity, and sociology.

Demonstrated understanding of how these fields impact roadway safety and how to best integrate their foundational approaches and principles into roadway safety strategies, policies and programs.

• Specialized expertise in other modes, as it relates to safety, including transit, rail, commercial vehicles.

• Expertise in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance as it relates to transportation on all levels, both for product development and program/project delivery.

• Experience with meeting coordination, printing, copying/ collating, shipping, warehousing, inventory, registration, and information request coordination.

• Experience with reviewing, scanning, redacting documents – both narrative and video/images.

• Experience providing management, logistical (including travel arrangements), and technical support in preparing in-person and web-based seminars, workshops, peer exchanges, technical meetings, and focus groups-this includes planning, promoting, facilitating, and evaluating these events.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I: Current Safety Program Areas and Priorities

1. Bicycle/Bicyclist Safety

2. Complete Streets

3. Connected and automated vehicle technologies

4. Crash Modification Factor (CMF) Clearinghouse

5. Data Driven Safety Analysis (DDSA)

6. Focused Approach to Safety

7. Geometric Design

8. High Risk Rural Roads (HRRR)

9. Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

10. Human Factors

11. Intelligent Transportation Systems Safety

12. Intersection Safety

13. Lighting and Nighttime Visibility

14. Local, Rural and Tribal Road Safety

15. Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE)

16. Pavement Friction

17. Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility

18. Proven Safety Countermeasures

19. Roadside Hardware

20. Roadway Departure Safety

21. Roadway Safety Data Program (RSDP)

22. Safe System Approach

23. Safety Capacity Building

24. Speed Management Safety

25. Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP)

26. Transportation Equity

27. Transportation Safety Planning

28. Urban Road Safety

29. Work Zone Safety