RFI_Documents_1.pdf

SPECIAL NOTICE - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/ SOURCES SOUGHT: The

Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) are issuing this Request for Information (RFI) as part of a market survey for an upcoming procurement, “Gulf Coast Environmental Baseline

Studies.” The purpose of the RFI is to:

• Determine the availability and technical capability of industry.

• Receive industry feedback (comments, questions, and suggestions) from vendors on a draft statement of work.

• Input for the IDIQ on feasibility of single versus multiple award IDIQ

This Request for Information / Sources Sought Synopsis does not constitute an Invitation for

Bids (IFB), a Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and it should not be construed as a commitment of any kind by the Government to issue a formal solicitation or ultimately award a contract. The U.S. Government is in no way liable to pay for or reimburse any companies or entities that respond to this announcement. Any costs incurred by interested vendors in response to this announcement or incurred for participation in the Market Survey will

NOT be reimbursed. All information marked as proprietary information will be safeguarded to prevent disclosures to non-Government personnel and entities. There is no bid package or solicitation document associated with this announcement. Response to this RFI is strictly voluntary. The results of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement and requirement development.

BSEE and BOEM are seeking information from vendors that have the capability of performing the work described in the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW) for the IDIQ and first Task

Order. Responses must be identified by RFI No. and must be written in 12-point, Times New

Roman font with margins of one inch or greater on all sides, consist of four pages or less, and include the following business information:

Company name

2. DUNS number

3. Mailing address

4. E-mail address

5. Telephone number

6. Web site address (if available)

7. Business Size and Eligibility under U.S. Government socio-economic programs (i.e., type of business - large, small, small-disadvantaged, Woman-owned, veteran-owned, or 8(a)) under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code associated with the project.

8. Confirm if your company is registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

9. *Any comments, questions, or suggestions related to the draft SOW within the draft RFP

(not included in page count)

Questionnaire: Offerors who are able to meet the requirements of this survey, have the potential capacity and capability to meet the requirements based on the information provided, and who would be interested in competing for any potential contracts, please take the time to respond to the following questions to assist in providing a response:

1. What potential ambiguities exist in the draft SOW that would necessitate further details in order to solicit proposals for these services?

2. Please provide your areas of expertise in the following areas, identify whether you are providing this experience as a Prime or Subcontractor:

a. Ethnographic Fieldwork

b. Cultural resource assessment

c. Line of sight/Viewshed and visibility analysis

d. Economics data acquisition and analysis

e. Support for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents

f. Data collection related to fisheries

g. Species distribution and habitat use

h. Literature Review and Synthesis

i. Geospatial data production and analysis

j. Public information material development

*Please see Attachment A to fill in this experience (Not included in Page count)

3. Would you like your participation for this effort to be shared with other potential interested parties?

4. What would you recommend as a contract vehicle? Single or Multiple award IDIQ?

All responses under this RFI Notice must be submitted via email to stacey.ellingsen@bsee.gov no later than 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time, on 13 February 2025.

Please include the RFI number in your email subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Based upon responses received, BSEE and BOEM representatives may choose to meet

(virtually) with potential Offerors and hold one-on-one discussions. Such discussions will be considered further Market Research intended to obtain clarifications of potential capability and/or experience to assist BSEE and BOEM in defining and developing its requirements.

Official quotes or proposal responses are not to be sent in response to this RFI.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3 - Request for Information or

Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997):

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This announcement is issued for the purpose of gathering market research information.

STATEMENT OF

WORK (IDIQ)

GULF COAST COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL IMPACT STUDY

C.1 INTRODUCTION

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), within the Department of the Interior (DOI), has been tasked with new program initiatives that will likely include offshore wind development

(OSW), green hydrogen (GH2) production, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) all on the outer continental shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) for the first time ever. As a result, BOEM will be called upon to rapidly execute and produce scientific research to provide baseline datasets that would inform and enhance the agency’s analysis of potential adverse or beneficial effects to coastal communities, Tribes, cultural and historical resources. This Indefinite Delivery

Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle will not analyze specific agency actions, but rather provides the necessary baselines from which to compare the effects of future agency actions to measure change. The baseline data used in the analyses under these various mandates could be improved to make more accurate assessments of effects, especially in National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA) documents. In addition, these enhanced understandings of baseline data will drive appropriate mitigation development to address potential effects from these novel programs in the region. Therefore, BOEM is seeking to contract with an entity that can manage, oversee, direct, and possibly subcontract with other providers to conduct scientific services and provide equipment necessary to allow BOEM more detailed and accurate baseline data and information about impacts to coastal communities than what is currently available through datasets typically used by Federal agencies to assess impacts (e.g., census data, EJScreen, etc.).

C.2 BACKGROUND

The overarching strategic goal of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is to achieve expeditious and orderly development of energy and mineral resources on the OCS, while minimizing impacts on the environment. The Other Continental Shelf Lands Act

(OCSLA) under Subchapter 3, Sections 1331, 1344, and 1346 all require BOEM to consider impacts to the human environment related to its activities. BOEM has the authority to issue leases and right-of-way grants and will likely be reviewing various proposed leases, plans, and conducting permitting related to renewable energy, carbon sequestration, green hydrogen, and marine minerals resources in the GOM. BOEM needs data in critical research areas to make sound decisions about how to effectively minimize impacts to biological, archaeological, cultural, and water resources that are highly important to local communities without unnecessarily constraining potential development. This will empower BOEM to meet its responsibilities under the agency’s various regulatory responsibilities like Executive Orders

12898, 13175, 14008, and 14096 which direct Federal agencies to consider and communicate the potential disproportionate effects of their actions on low income, minority, and indigenous populations. Further, BOEM requires this information to comply with Sections 106 and 110 of the

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); and to describe social, environmental, and cumulative impacts under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These baseline data used in the analyses under these various mandates could be improved to make more accurate assessments of effects, especially in BOEM’s NEPA analysis.

Gathering baseline data now will provide BOEM with a datasets that will be used for future comparative purposes and to assess potential impacts. Existing baseline data (e.g., socioeconomic, related infrastructure, air quality and health, demographic, etc.) from the GOM have proven of limited direct use for BOEM’s actions. This is largely due to oil and gas’ long history in the region,. Existing data is further confounded by the likelihood that offshore renewables will interact with conventional energy and its supporting industries in numerous ways. It will become more difficult to get a handle on baselines in the GOM (the nation’s primary energy corridor) as compared to other BOEM regions. This underscores the importance of committing resources prior to the start of new energy technology development, before these burgeoning sectors becomes similarly nebulous in impacts, effects, and spread. Since these activities are priorities for the agency, BOEM sees the need for an IDIQ to allow for rapid data collection and scientific investigation prior to the deployment of novel technologies in the GOM.

BOEM anticipates initial areas of focus identified to range from coastal Texas to the panhandle of Florida. This is a substantial geographic area for data collection. These baseline and any monitoring datasets would likely be the first of their kind and could prove instrumental in identifying the effects of development and, subsequently, directly inform novel mitigation actions that would bolster development efforts across the nationwide OCS.

BOEM anticipates calling upon contractor(s) and any subcontractors to perform singly or in combination the following:

Ethnographic fieldwork- This involves ethnographers and/or anthropologists to immerse themselves in communities and cultures to observe and document those important practices that may be affected by these new activities (Offshore Wind, Carbon Sequestration, Green Hydrogen, etc.) within the region.

Cultural resources assessments- These investigations are performed to identify and evaluate adverse effects to cultural resources within the coastal GOM region. These tasks might include, but are not limited to, region-wide viewshed analysis to known cultural and historical resources in the region. This would likely including projecting maximum turbine heights and further estimations of areas where the installation might adversely affect known archaeological and traditional cultural properties in the region. This would allow BOEM to conduct more targeted space use related consultations with tribes, local communities, and industries prior to lease issuance. It might also better define those areas where archaeological and cultural resources surveys are lacking.

Line of sight/Viewshed and visibility analysis- Line of sight analyses take specific and important observation points and determines where the observer would have a clear view. Viewshed on the other hand determines locations visible to an observer in all directions based on any elevation and obstruction data factors. These analyses could become critical elements in describing how the installation of OSW, for example, might be visible to a specific community during outreach and public meetings.

Economics data acquisition and analyses- Economics is broadly defined as the knowledge concerned with production, consumption, and transfer of wealth. Economic data tasks might include factors like how new development might influence job markets, supply and demand for critical resources and specific types of skilled labor, and potential demand for the use of these new technologies.

Support for National Environmental Policy Act document development- BOEM may call upon a vendor to develop certain critical sections to enhance, edit, and/or revise existing analyses where a data gap has been identified. This work will aid in the scientific and technical aspects related to identified community impacts both cumulative and direct. This will also assist with BOEM’s legal compliance under the Act.

Data collection related to fisheries- BOEM ensures that energy and mineral development is done in an environmentally and economically responsible way, which includes avoiding or reducing conflicts with other ocean users, such as subsistence, recreational, and commercial fishers. BOEM may request contractors to utilize existing data sets or to collect new fisheries data (quantitative or qualitative) to aid impact analyses.

Species distribution and habitat use- Many species of concern utilize habitats within the GOM.

BOEM needs to understand how offshore activities may impact organisms such as marine mammals, sea turtles, birds, fish, and invertebrates, and their habitats. BOEM may request contractors provide information related the distribution and habitat use these organisms.

Literature Review and Synthesis- BOEM may request contractors to conduct literature reviews and/or synthesize existing literature on topics related to the natural and human environment to provide BOEM scientists with relevant, current, and best-available scientific and technical information for their analyses.

Geospatial data production and analysis- Geospatial and the resulting visual information is critical for the rapid dissemination and analysis of complex and overlapping information types. BOEM may request Geographic Information Systems (GIS) compatible tools, maps, and geo-databases be developed if needed. We may request the development of related outreach materials like ArcGIS story maps and call upon contractors to host, develop, and/or design GIS deliverables. Geospatial analyses might also be required to understand demographic distributions for potential impacts and existing stressors.

Development of public information materials- Nearly all the materials produced by BOEM will need a public outreach component to communicate our scientific findings to the general public in multiple ways that covey the import work BOEM does as stewards of our Nation’s critical resources.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 37.1, the requirements herein are for

“non-personal service.” The Contractor(s) is an independent entity and not an agent or employee of the Government. The Contractor(s) shall provide services, personnel, material, supplies, supervision, labor, expertise, equipment, and equipment operators (except that specified as

Government-furnished) required to operate, oversee, and assist in the operation scientific fieldwork and associated activities in accordance with this Statement of Work and applicable laws. This Statement of Work also provides for the ability for additional expertise and resources to support evolving BOEM operational requirements. The Contractor shall provide related services as specified, in accordance with the terms, conditions, general and special contract requirements, specifications, drawings, attachments and exhibits contained herein or by incorporated reference.

C.3 OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is to have a source against which to issue task orders for the various services described in this Statement of Work.

This contract provides services for BOEM in the GOM region. Separate task orders issued by the

Contracting Officer (CO) shall accomplish specific working tasking.

The objective of this contract is to produce baseline datasets and relevant analyses that would inform and enhance our understanding of potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts to human dimensions in forthcoming NEPA work and engagement efforts related to emerging technologies on the OCS. This contract does not analyze a specific action, but rather provides the necessary baselines to compare the effects of future agency actions to measure change and effects from future program activities including, but not limited to, renewable energy development, carbon sequestration, and green hydrogen.

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

Tasks will be ordered and issued via individual task orders. The following are the types of work the Contractor may be required to perform:

C.4.1 TASK 1. PROJECT MANAGMENT

The Contractor shall provide planning and organizing, and when necessary, subcontracting for each task under this agreement. Each project and its resources will need oversight and direction to ensure timely and quality completion. This includes identifying and managing the project timeline, formulating the project team, and efficiently guiding the team through all phases until project completion.

Each project will require proper initiation that in all instances will require a post-award meeting, a project and data-management plan document, and coordination and meetings with BOEM subject matter experts, BOEM Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and the

Environmental Studies Program (ESP) representative. Project planning will start within 30 days of Task Order proposal acceptance.

Projects are expected to be conducted under tight timelines, and all orders will need to be completed within 5-year period of performance for this IDIQ contract. Project execution will require regular communication with BOEM and direct oversight from the Project management team. Monthly status reports will need to be produced to describe the work completed to date and progress against the schedule. A Gantt chart should be delivered with the project management plan and updated with each status report. All official communications related to these tasks must include in the subject line both the award numbers and task order numbers.

Project closeout will require adequate time for draft submittal and review. In all cases final report submittal will be due within 31 working days after the Contractor receives feedback from BOEM on its draft submittal.

C.4.2 TASK 2. EDITORIAL SERVICES

Given the short timelines for all tasks, it is critical that a technical editor be assigned to ensure all written products be vetted, reviewed, formatted, and properly edited to BOEM report specifications. All deliverables shall be fully compliant with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Communications Act. Guidance can be found at the website section508.gov. All reports shall also need to conform to the BOEM template and style guide found at https://www.boem.gov/environment/environmental-studies/report-specifications/esp-report-and-footprint-specifications.

The selected editor shall have demonstrated experience editing scientific, scholarly, and/or technical manuscripts. They shall have experience working under tight timelines and have a history of bringing projects to successful conclusion. They shall also have experience with and knowledge of Council of Science Editors (CSE) author-date reference formatting and 508 compliance.

C.4.3 TASK 3. SUPPORT RESEARCH / FIELD OPERATIONS

The Contractor shall coordinate and assist in the implementation of field operations, research, and documentation, all related to scientific research under subsequent task orders designed to meet BOEM’s resource management needs.

The Contractor shall coordinate research operational planning and execution; participate in fieldwork and research or monitoring expeditions; and assist in report development that will allow findings to be easily integrated into National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses.

As requested by BOEM, the Contractor shall serve as a liaison to other scientific agencies, offices, and research institutions. The Contractor shall ensure that scientific data and information are effectively maintained and communicated in order to inform policy and management decisions.

The Contractor shall support all aspects of field operations, including activities such as maintaining field equipment, including inventory, maintenance, product research and purchasing, preparing equipment for fieldwork; preparing research plans and ensuring proper data management; recommending adequate staffing for research teams; and performing field research and data collection. The Contractor shall participate in planning activities including budgets, management plan reviews, field projects, and preparation and review of other science / field planning documents.

The Contractor shall provide scientific expertise and support, including collaborating with partners, conducting research and/or surveys, sampling and collecting specimens in the field, conducting laboratory analyses and writing scientific reports, assisting with data management, and conservation or curatorial work. The Contractor shall provide spatial analyses, mapping and https://www.boem.gov/environment/environmental-studies/report-specifications/esp-report-and-footprint-specifications https://www.boem.gov/environment/environmental-studies/report-specifications/esp-report-and-footprint-specifications graphic materials using mapping tools and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The

Contractor shall operate computer equipment for sampling and processing, and use standard software packages for data analysis, including, but not limited to, ArcGIS, MATLAB, and

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The Contractor shall provide video documentation of methods, implementation and management of field operations with audio-visual equipment and software either provided by the Government or by the Contractor.

C.5 TRAVEL

The Contractor may be required to travel during performance of the contract and will be reimbursed for actual, allowable, and reasonable travel costs incurred, exclusive of any fee, at the task order level. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation policy in effect at the time of travel.

The parties recognize that it may be necessary to cancel or reschedule a meeting or field operations. Where rescheduling or cancellation was due to unforeseeable cause(s) beyond the control and without fault or negligence of the Contractor, penalties imposed by airlines or other travel related services shall be treated as allowable reimbursable costs under this contract.

C.6 OTHER REQUIREMENTS

C.6.1. EXPENSES – REIMBURSABLE ITEMS

The Contractor may be required to provide instruments, equipment, parts, and consumable / non-consumable materials to perform the performance-based services specified in task orders, as pre-approved by the Government. Other incidental equipment and supplies may be purchased by the

Contractor at the direction of the Government. These purchase may include, but are not limited to:

• Fuel;

• Maintenance materials;

• Provisions;

• Repair parts;

• Purchase or rental of scientific and technical instrumentation;

• Vehicle Rental; and/or

• Miscellaneous Project Needs;

The Contractor may also be required to provide the services of consultants or sub-contractors in the execution of performance-based services specified in task orders. All sub-contractors shall be approved by the BOEM COR prior to incurring expense. These services may include, but are not limited to:

• Ethnographic Fieldwork;

• Cultural Resources Assessments;

• Line of Sight/Viewshed analysis;

• Economics data acquisition and analysis;

• Support for National Environmental Policy Act document development;

• Data collection related to fisheries and their management;

• Literature review and synthesis;

• Geospatial data production and analysis; and/or

• Development of public information materials;

C.6.2 INSURANCE

The Contractor is required to comply with all applicable Federal and state workers’ compensation and occupational disease statutes. Insurance coverage levels are further specified in in FAR and CAR clauses, the Contractor is required to provide certificates of insurance prior to contract award for the entire period of performance of the contract.

The Contractor further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Federal Government and its agents and assigns from any claims or liability for injury, death, or loss that allegedly arises from the Contractor or any sub-contractor’s work undertaken in performance of this contract.

C.6.3 WORKING CONDITIONS

The Contractor shall provide safe, efficient working conditions and accommodations to

Government field parties, which may include Government employees, other Government contractors and affiliates, associates from partner organizations, stakeholders, and the public. The

Contractor shall ensure that working conditions are free from violence, threats of violence, harassment (including sexual harassment), intimidation, and other disruptive and unsafe behavior. The Contractor, its agents, sub-contractors, and employees shall not harass, assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, threaten, interfere with, or make unwelcome advances toward any member of the Government field party. Violation under this clause may result in termination of the contract, at the discretion of the Government, under the Default Clause, and in consequent liability of the Contractor to the Government for any costs incurred, as well as debarment, suspension, or similar action from future participation in Government contracts.

C.6.4 PERFORMANCE OF CONTRACT UNDER THE INFLUENCE

At no time shall Government work be performed under the influence of intoxicating liquor, illegal drugs, or prescription or over-the-counter medications that may impair Contractor’s ability to perform work safely.

C.6.5 FAMILY MEMBERS

Family members may not accompany Contractor on vessels owned by the Government or charted for work performed under this contract without obtaining written approval in advance from the COR.

TASK ORDER 1 – STATEMENT OF WORK

Community Profile and Assessment: Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes

INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) requires the

Contractor to provide the technical and scientific support services for the requirements of this

Task Order. The work to be performed under this task order falls within Section C, Statement of

Work.

The terms and conditions of the basic contract number [to be provided at award] apply to this task order.

1.0 Introduction

Southwest Louisiana has a mature industrial sector. Currently the area is set to host considerable industrial growth with both expansions of existing facilities and newly planned projects. These include the onshore Project Cypress carbon capture storage facility, offshore Cameron Parish CO2 Hub carbon capture project, Cameron LNG facility, and Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass facility, to name but a few of the ongoing and planned projects. In the fall of 2023 RWE Offshore Gulf, LLC won the first auction for the development of a wind project on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of

Mexico south of Cameron Parish. Thus, this area represents an ideal case study for investigating how global and national trends in energy development are having profound and transformative local impacts.

This area boasts a unique cultural landscape with a rich history and ongoing cultural heritage practices;

however, very little scholarship has documented this, especially in Cameron Parish. This dearth of on-the-ground investigations and records makes assessing the impacts of past, current, and future industrial developments on the local population difficult. Further, the area has faced numerous cumulative stressors including, but not limited to, Hurricanes Rita, Ike, Laura, and Delta, high rates of coastal land loss, rising insurance rates, and outmigration. Traditional desktop resources, like the American Community Survey, are hampered by Cameron Parish’s low density (and geographically dynamic) population, containing high margins of error and low reliability. This also impacts assessing non-industrial sectors and resources, such as commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing, for example. BOEM needs a better characterization of the region from which to analyze future actions related to offshore wind and carbon capture and storage (CCS) developments.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to characterize the communities of Cameron Parish and southern Calcasieu

Parish to better assess the impacts of future BOEM-related projects on the socioeconomic and sociocultural fabric of the landscape using both secondary and primary data. To do that it will:

• Characterize current baseline socioeconomic and sociocultural conditions and trends of the study area at large as well as the specific communities within it. This includes demographics, economy, recreation, social and cultural institutions, private and public sector entities, and existing and reasonably foreseeable infrastructure.

• Characterize cumulative stressors and burdens on the communities of the area. These include impacts from hurricanes, land loss, existing industry, outmigration, flood insurance, changing economies, and so on. Impacts to community agency (e.g., the capacity to do as they want), social cohesion, and human health are especially important. Impacts may be to geographically based populations, a subset of geographically based populations, or to communities of practice (e.g., commercial fishers).

• Gauge peoples’ beliefs and values towards the current state and future of the region, the environment, and industry expansion. This shall include a variety of demographic groups and stakeholders across social strata and interests.

• Provide an account of any special interests or topics that are region-specific which may arise as the study develops which can reasonably be linked to future OCS development of wind or CCS.

This could be, for example, things which are of special note for the study area, such as places of employment especially of concern for residents, places of community importance, ongoing organizing movements (such as environmental groups) and so on, or seasonal industries that may conflict with OCS development, such as fishing or tourism, which could be especially impacted by construction or other activities related to OCS development.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall perform all work as outlined in the following task area:

3.1 Development of a Project Management Plan: A draft and final project management plan will be authored with BOEM input. A complete project management plan will include project title, award number date, revision history, project purpose, project scope, roles and responsibilities of the project team, deliverables list, with associated milestones, team communication and status report process.

This project management plan should include a data management plan and a communications plan to be coordinated with BOEM staff and available in a concise format.

3.2 Desktop Analysis for Community Profiles and Assessment: The Contractor shall perform a desktop analysis, in part, in support of the ethnographic fieldwork (Task 3.4) and together these will be the basis of the socioeconomic and sociocultural characterization of communities (geographically defined and communities of practice) in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes with a particular emphasis on Cameron Parish and areas adjacent to the Calcasieu Ship Channel and River in southern Calcasieu

Parish (Deliverable 4.14). Both the desktop analysis and ethnographic fieldwork will probe existing demographic and economic contexts through the lens of cumulative burdens in the area. This work will also identify key points of contact for future outreach which BOEM should be mindful of.

Because of the short period of performance, preference should be given to social science personnel which have research experience in the area (southwest Louisiana) or contiguous region (northern Gulf of Mexico). Some key personnel should minimally have experience with social impact assessments and, additionally, experience working on NEPA environmental documents would be preferable.

The desktop analysis shall use available socioeconomic data to provide a profile of the area and sub-communities. This will include demographics, economy, social and cultural institutions, private and public sector entities, and existing and reasonably foreseeable infrastructure. Important industries shall be identified and described so the structure, function of those industries can be understood. For example, for commercial fishing: What is the employment and ownership structure like? What are important target species and what environs are they tied to? What is the seasonality? What are the socioeconomic trends of the fishers? What secondary employment do commercial fishermen take if any? Where are landings? Where are sales (direct, retail, etc.)? Processing? For industrial development, what is the relationship between industrial land use and residential patterns? What, if any, vulnerable demographics are impacted by industrial expansion? What trends are observable? The range of analytic questions which arise form the data and their importance to understanding the region for BOEM may not be apparent until desktop research has begun. For this reason, Interim Progress

Meetings (Deliverable 4.4) will regularly be used to recalibrate the desktop analysis with the

Contractor as more information becomes available, making this an iterative process.

Cumulative burdens and stressors will be explored to the amount possible. These burdens include but are not limited to impacts of hurricanes, land loss, flood insurance, outmigration, changing economic conditions (e.g., profitability of commercial shrimping), air quality, demographics, education and linguistic considerations, and any burdens on local infrastructure related to industry expansion.

Sources could include, for example, national data such as the decennial Census Data, the American

Community Survey, EJScreen, and NOAA NMFS’ Social Indicators for Coastal Communities and

Public Fishing Access Site Register; state data, such as from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and state historical preservation office; and local data such as anonymized data from hospitals and schools. When possible and where appropriate, secondary data shall also be accompanied with a measure of reliability (e.g., ACS data contains Margins of Error) so that a reader can reasonably understand the limitations of the data. A brief literature review shall be completed and incorporated to understand relevant work which has been completed in the area where it intersects with the objectives of this study and to help contextualize the secondary data. Sources for this can include government reports and assessments, other gray literature, published articles, monographs, theses, dissertations, and books. Other sources of data may include community, municipal or county

(historical societies) websites, newsletters, and so on.

Desktop analysis should preferably be completed under the supervision of a social scientist with a minimum education requirement of a doctorate in a social science field (e.g., rural/urban sociology, cultural anthropology, history, human geography, social psychology).

3.3 Development of a Field Logistics Plan A draft and final field plan will be authored with BOEM input. A complete field plan will include team members and specific roles, field logistics, methodology (also including participant selection and data analysis), ethical and safety considerations, redundancy planning, details on study site including historic information to rationalize study site selection, internal and external communications, study phases/progression, and any other specifics appropriate to how the fieldwork will be implemented. The Contractors will conduct a virtual or in-person workshop with BOEM personnel prior to the drafting of a Field Logistics Plan.

Historic and overview information shall be detailed enough that it is clear the Contractor understands the area well enough to develop fieldwork planning and logistics to successfully address 3.4 Field

Work for Community Profiles and Assessments below. The Field Logistics Plan will make clear how the Contractor plans to address research questions and themes raised in the 2.0 Objectives and 3.4

Field Work for Community Profiles and Assessments sections. One way to do this might be to organize related questions/topics into overall issue areas (or ‘domains') and breakdown methods/information needs/questions to be asked for each of these issue areas. Certain methods, sampling techniques, and/or targeted geographic areas/populations/contacts may be more appropriate for different issue areas.

3.4 Fieldwork for Community Profiles and Assessment: The Contractor shall build from the desktop analysis (Task 3.2) to conduct ethnographic fieldwork and together these will be the basis of the socioeconomic and sociocultural characterization of communities (geographically defined and communities of practice) in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes with a particular emphasis on Cameron

Parish and areas adjacent to the Calcasieu Ship Channel and River in southern Calcasieu Parish

(Deliverable 4.14). Both the desktop analysis and ethnographic fieldwork will probe existing demographic and economic contexts through the lens of cumulative burdens in the area. This work will also identify key points of contact for future outreach which BOEM should be mindful of.

Because of the short period of performance, preference should be given to social science personnel which have research experience in the area (southwest Louisiana) or contiguous region (northern Gulf of Mexico). Some key personnel shall minimally have experience with social impact assessments and, additionally, experience working on NEPA environmental documents would be preferable.

The ethnographic fieldwork will incorporate mixed methods to better understand the sense of place of residents. Issues to be probed include cumulative burdens facing the community, local beliefs and values towards past, current, and future industry, and beliefs and values towards the current and future state of the area (e.g., Do they expect their children will stay?). The desktop analysis (Task

3.2), Field Logistics Plan Workshop (Deliverable 4.7), and Interim Progress meeting (Deliverable

4.4) will inform the direction of fieldwork. Ethnographers shall connect with local grassroots and religious organizations and local industry organizations if present (e.g., a local commercial fishing representative organization). Unique expressions and foci of cultural heritage shall also be documented when encountered (e.g., local festivals, social practices, contemporarily important archaeological sites, landscapes features, communal buildings). Generally, as a baseline project, the ethnographic work shall be completed as if it were laying the foundation for a Social Impact

Assessment (which cannot be done at this stage as there are no concrete project plans in place).

Methods for fieldwork can include, for example, telephone/internet conversations, participant-observation, unstructured interviews with key informants, small group discussions, and directed focus groups. Different methods may be employed to address different aspects of the study. BOEM does not anticipate that formal survey interviews employing fixed-answer questionnaires need to be used.

If a formal survey approach is adopted as a method in the study, the Contractor will be responsible for seeking and receiving Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance for the use of a fixed-answer survey instrument within the time constraints of the contract.

Ethnographic fieldwork shall preferably be completed under the field supervision of a social scientist with ethnographic experience and with a minimum education requirement of a doctorate in a community-based social science field (anthropology, sociology, human geography). Fieldwork shall be for, at a minimum, 90 person/days either consecutive or spread throughout a year and be mindful of any seasonal or event-based data which may skew the analysis or be detriment to the study if missed.

3.5 Report Outline and Early Draft Chapter: The Contractor shall prepare and submit an outline and draft final report chapter of research findings guided in part by BOEM communications and direction at least twelve (12) months prior to the end of performance. This deliverable is intended to evaluate the organization and flow of the document, the level of detail, and voice of the language. In addition, representative figures and tables shall be submitted for review, as relevant to the draft chapter.

3.6 Draft Report: The Contractor shall submit a draft Report for BOEM review at least nine (9) months prior to the end of performance. The report shall summarize and synthesize the data and analyses undertaken in Tasks 3.2 and 3.4. The documents shall be submitted to BOEM, in accordance with the

Schedule of Deliverables, for scientific and editorial review in a format as specified at the BOEM website: http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications/.

3.7 Draft Final Report with Draft Technical Summary: The Contractor shall submit a draft Final

Report and draft Technical Summary for BOEM review following BOEM comments to the draft

Report. The documents shall be submitted to BOEM, in accordance with the Schedule of

Deliverables, for scientific and editorial review in a format as specified at the BOEM website:

http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications/.

http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications/

3.8 Final Report with Final Technical Summary: The Contractor shall submit a Final Report and

Technical Summary to BOEM. The documents shall be submitted to BOEM, in accordance with the

Schedule of Deliverables, for scientific and editorial review in a format as specified at the BOEM website: http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-Program-Report-Specifications/.

3.9 Letter discussing how BOEM comments were addressed: The Contractor shall provide a letter explaining the reasons for any review comments on a draft report not accommodated, in accordance with the Schedule of Deliverables.

GENERAL ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

General quality measures, as set forth below, will be applied to each work product received from the contractor under this statement of work.

• Accuracy – Work Products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

• Clarity- Work Products shall be clear and concise. Any/All diagrams shall be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

• Consistency to Requirements- All work products must satisfy the requirements of this statement of work.

• File Editing – All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

• Format – Work Products shall be submitted in hard copy (where applicable) and in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission. Hard copy formats shall follow any specified Directives or Manuals.

• Timeliness – Work Products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in this statement of work or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government.

The COR will review, for completeness, preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the Contractor for correction. The absence of any comments by the COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this project. Final approval and acceptance of documentation required herein shall be by letter of approval and acceptance by the COR, CO, ESPR, and/or by other BOEM team members (the latter as appropriate). The Contractor shall not construct any letter of acknowledgment of receipt material as a waiver of review, or as an acknowledgment that the material is in conformance with this project. Any approval given during preparation of the documentation or approval for shipment shall not guarantee the final acceptance of the completed documentation.

4.0 MEETINGS, REPORTS, AND OTHER DELIVERABLES

4.1 Post-Award Meeting

The Contractor shall hold a post-award meeting via teleconference as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days after task order award. The Contractor shall provide a meeting agenda and their presentation slides to the Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representative at least five business days before the post-award meeting. The meeting will address at a minimum the following topics: any contractual matters, management plan discussion, plan of work, logistics coordination and agreement of the task order. After the meeting, the Contractor shall prepare and distribute the post-award meeting summary including action items such as suggested changes and other items of discussion along with suggested actions or remedies. The

Contractor shall also provide a revised management plan, if needed. No changes to the terms or conditions, deliverables, or schedule of the contract are authorized unless approved by the

CO via a modification to the contract.

4.2 Draft Project Management Plan

Prior to the Post-Award meeting the Contractor shall submit a draft Project Management Plan. If the report is considered an acceptable draft, BOEM and designated reviewers will have two (2) weeks to review the plan, and notify the award Contractor of any required changes, corrections, or additions. A complete project management plan will include project title, award number date, revision history, project purpose, project scope, roles and responsibilities of the project team, deliverables list, team communication and status report process. This project management plan shall also include a draft data management plan and a communications plan to be coordinated with BOEM staff and available in a concise format.

As part of the Project Management Plan, the Contractor will develop a Data Management Plan

(DMP) that includes procedures to handle all collected field data, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures, dissemination and distribution protocols, protocols for collecting and maintaining culturally sensitive information, and archival procedures before beginning any fieldwork or discussion with the public at large about this project. For more information about how to develop a DMP, please see the U.S. Geological Survey website for an example at:

https://www.usgs.gov/data-management/data-management-plans. Detailed field and data notebooks will be provided by the Contractor sufficient to ensure the methods and analyses used are clearly documented and methodology used clearly stated. Copies of the field notes, if collected, should be submitted separately with the Final Report. The Contractor shall submit copies of all data, images, and analyses to BOEM. Given the sensitive nature of these discussions, some material, including identification of archaeological site locations, must remain confidential and therefore withheld from publicly-accessible data sources, presentations, papers, posters, peer-reviewed and other publications, and the Final Report, which will also be publicly available.

The Contractor will provide BOEM and the National Centers for Environmental Information

(NCEI) with copies of all relevant data and derived products from this study in accordance with

NCEI specifications no later than one (1) month prior to the end of the period of performance.

The Recipient shall confirm accomplishment of the data submission to NCEI by a letter/email to the BOEM PO describing the dates, formats, and documentations of submissions, and a statement from NCEI indicating that the data have been accepted for archiving. Information on submission requirements can be found at: https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/s2n/. Other data repositories may be suggested as appropriate for data archiving and are subject to agreement by the Recipient and the

BOEM PO. No original data files shall be mailed without first creating and verifying file backups.

All digital geospatial data products are to be accompanied by complete metadata documentation.

The metadata records shall conform to the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

(FGDC-STD-001-1998) as published by the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) or any format that supersedes it as determined by the FGDC https://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/csdgm/.

Profiles and extensions to the standard that have been endorsed by the FGDC shall be used if they are applicable to the data or data products. The metadata records shall contain any and all elements, including those that are considered optional, wherever applicable to the data or data product. The metadata record shall contain sufficient detail to ensure the data or data product can https://www.usgs.gov/data-management/data-management-plans be fully understood for future use and for posterity. The metadata records shall be delivered free of errors in both content and format. The metadata records will be subject to review and approval prior to final acceptance by the Government.

Submit a Study Footprint and Study Footprint Metadata with the Final Deliverables.

Study Footprint: The geographic information that enables the referencing of the study using a

GIS, following the study footprint specifications.

Study Footprint Metadata: The scientific attribution information following the study footprint metadata specifications.

Study Footprint and Study Footprint Metadata Templates are available on the BOEM website at…