RFI_UDALL ECCR_NEPA Courses.pdf

UDALL.GOV

MORRIS K. UDALL AND STEWART L. UDALL FOUNDATION (UDALL)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Collaboration and Conflict Resolution Training Services for the Fundamentals of Environmental Collaboration and Conflict

Resolution (ECCR) Series, Collaboration in NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), and Collaboration with Native Nations and Tribal Consultation Courses

I. INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The Morris K. Udall and Steward L. Udall Foundation (Udall) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to obtain information for the purposes of market research which may inform future requirement and contract efforts regarding performing functions in support of the Fundamentals of Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) Series, Collaboration in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Course and Collaboration with Native Nations and Tribal Consultation course.

The Udall Foundation comprises of the John S. McCain III National Center (National Center) for Environmental Conflict, which is a federal program dedicated to providing neutral collaboration, conflict management, and training services concerning environmental, natural resource, and public lands issues. The National Center is an independent, non-partisan agency of the federal government. Additional information about the Foundation and its programs may be found at www.udall.gov.

The National Center delivers trainings that are open to the public and professionals from all fields, as well as group trainings provided for requesting organizations. The National Center’s training courses provide participants with opportunities to practice essential Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) skills such as interest-based negotiation and conflict management. The National Center’s trainings teach practical strategies to resolve a wide variety of contentious issues and emphasize collaborative problem-solving processes that create opportunities for dialogue, mutual understanding, and respect in environmental conflicts. The National Center requires the services of an experienced trainer to co-train with a National Center trainer for its courses.

All interested and qualified businesses (i.e., Small Business, Other than Small) are encouraged to respond to this notice in accordance with the instructions addressed herein.

Partial responses to technical specifications set forth in Section 4 of this notice will be accepted.

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND

PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. The RFI is solely for market research, planning and information purposes. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract, nor do they affect a potential offeror's ability to respond to any future synopsis/solicitation, which may or may not follow or restrict the Government's eventual acquisition approach. The Government will not provide reimbursement for any information that may be submitted in response to this notice, and no basis for a claim against the Government shall arise from a response to this notice or Government use of any information provided. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Unless advised or indicated on the responses to this RFI, all information furnished will be considered non-proprietary.

II. BACKGROUND/PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall) requires the services of a company with experienced trainers to co-train, with a National Center trainer, for its Fundamentals of Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) Series, Collaboration in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) course, and Collaboration with Native Nations and Tribal Consultation course. The contractor will provide the National Center with assistance in preparing, teaching and debriefing materials for each course.

III. CONTRACTOR’S CAPABILITIES STATEMENT

The purpose of this RFI is for the Udall Foundation to improve its understanding of market capabilities and identify qualified vendors capable of providing training delivery services for the four courses the National Center delivers. Interested vendors shall identify their capabilities to meet the requirements as specified in Sections 1 – 4 below. Be very specific when describing experience in providing similar and/or the same type of work to other Federal Agencies. Draft Technical Specifications are listed below in Section 4.

Section 1 – Cover Letter The cover letter must clearly identify the following information:

1. Company’s Name

2. Company’s Address

3. DUNS Number

4. Point of Contact(s) (Name, title, email, and phone number)

5. Identify your business size – Other than small, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged, HUBZone small, woman-owned small, very small, veteran-owned small, service-disabled veteran-owned small.

7. Federal contract vehicles the Udall Foundation may consider for this requirement for which you are an awardee (e.g., Government Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), GSA Schedules).

8. Potential Teaming Partners or Subcontractors.

Note: If partnerships are being suggested to complete the work, please describe what areas the partners will be respectively working on and provide details on the approach and the capability.

Section 2 - Capabilities Statement Submit a capabilities statement that includes basic information describing the company. The capabilities statement should also include a brief description of the company, products, services, history, ownership, financial information, and other information deemed relevant.

Section 3 – Past Performance Provide up to three examples of projects of similar in size, scope, and complexity to the technical specifications, preferably with the Federal Government. Briefly describe the scope of work, to include the customer environment, application solution designed/ implemented, project management methodology, security requirements, best practices/lessons learned, and relevant metrics. Please also include the period of performance, total contract value, and whether the work was performed as a prime or sub-contractor or describe any teaming arrangements.

Section 4 – Technical Specifications Based on the Technical Specifications stated below, please describe your company's understanding of the requirements, to including a general plan for how to meet the objectives, recommended governance model, and organizational structure. Describe your company’s methodology for staffing this type of requirement in terms of workforce retention and recruiting/hiring process.

The draft Technical Specifications are as follows:

General Requirement

• The Contractor must have demonstrated experience as a trainer for in person courses as well as virtual multi-session courses.

Course Descriptions The National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution offers a suite of 4 courses. Each course, besides the Crafting Collaborative Solutions to Environmental Conflicts course, is offered both in person and virtually (no hybrid offerings). Crafting Collaborative Solutions to Environmental Conflicts is held only in person at this time. In person courses are anticipated to be most often held in Tucson, Arizona, or Washington, D.C. However, trainings may occur in locations nationwide and in US territories.

• Course 1 and 2 in the Fundamentals of Environmental Collaboration & Conflict Resolution (ECCR) Series

The Fundamentals of Environmental Collaboration & Conflict Resolution (ECCR) Series is comprised of both Course 1 and 2. The Contractor will be required to perform the following duties as it pertains to both Course 1 and 2:

Perform duties pertaining to course preparation. Duties include coordinating efforts between National Center and Training Program Staff pertaining to course material and site preparation.

Perform duties pertaining to course delivery. Duties include teaching individual courses and participating in a debrief call with National Center staff.

Contractor Skill Set Requirements for Course 1 and 2: The Contractor requires demonstrated knowledge of ECCR problem-solving process frameworks, effective conflict management concepts, particularly interested-based negotiation, different functions and responsibilities of a facilitator, and basic communication skills that help foster long-term collaboration and better manage conflict. Additionally, the Contractor must have demonstrated senior-level experience conducting conflict and/or situation assessments, designing effective and appropriate collaboration and/or conflict resolution processes, and working as a third-party neutral facilitator and mediator in the ECCR field. They also should have experience with best practices for culturally sensitive collaborative communication.

Course 1 and 2 Overview o Course 1: Understanding Conflict and Planning for Successful Collaboration

Participants in this course will develop an understanding of the many facets of environmental collaboration and conflict resolution including using interest-based negotiation to uncover interests and assess the situation, using these findings in the development of a collaborative process and practicing collaborative communication skills that help foster long term relationships.

This training exposes participants to the broad range of concepts and skills to effectively manage environmental conflicts and collaborative processes.

Offered in person (2 days) or virtually (five 2–3-hour sessions).

o Course 2: Crafting Collaborative Solutions to Environmental Conflicts

Participants in this interactive course will refine their understanding of environmental collaboration and conflict resolution, with a focus on designing collaborative processes and helping multi-party groups use interest-based negotiation and facilitation to craft collaborative solutions. Participants will gain insight and skills relevant to developing a collaborative process, managing group dynamics, and leading groups through the process to find creative solutions to complex environmental and public policy issues. Offered in person only (3 days).

• Collaboration in NEPA and Collaboration with Native Nations and Tribal

Consultation Courses The Contractor will be required to perform the following duties as it pertains to both courses.

Perform duties pertaining to course preparation. Duties include coordinating efforts between National Center and Training Program Staff pertaining to course material and site preparation.

Perform duties pertaining to course delivery. Duties include teaching individual courses and participating in a debrief call with National Center staff.

Course Overview o Collaboration with Native Nations and Tribal Consultation Course

This interactive course is an introduction for Federal agencies and partners who are interested in learning more about Nation-to-Nation engagement and who want to improve intergovernmental relationships. Participants will develop awareness of many factors relevant to Nation-to-Nation relationships, including: 1) history of Federal-Indian law and policy, 2) sovereignty of Native Nations 3) best practices for collaboration and Consultation, 4) collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution tools, and 5) available resources.

Offered in person (2 days) or virtually (4 half day sessions).

Contractor Skill Set Requirements: The Contractor requires knowledge and experience of Federal Indian laws and policies and their applications in collaborative work between Federal Government and Tribal Nations and communities, including Government-to-Government Consultation and best practices. In addition, the Contractor should have the understanding and ability to teach the context of both historical and current Tribal-Federal relationship and trust responsibility, origin and evolution of Tribal-Federal consultation policies, and key concepts and terms used in Tribal-Federal collaborative work.

The Contractor should also have experience working with various Native Nations, and with Federal agencies on Government-to-Government

Consultations and/or collaborative dialogues between Tribes and Federal agencies.

o Collaboration in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Course

This training is designed for experienced National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) professional practitioners who want to develop and integrate collaboration opportunities into the overall NEPA process. The course has its foundations in the Council of Environmental Quality’s “Collaboration in NEPA

- A Handbook for NEPA Practitioners,” and is tailored to NEPA professionals to learn how to assess and plan for successful collaboration within the context of NEPA processes using appropriate tools, techniques, and best practices.

Participants also will develop a better understanding of the policy goals of NEPA and the benefits of using collaborative approaches to achieve those goals. This interactive and experiential training will include real-world NEPA case studies and skills practice that enable participants to analyze the potential for collaboration and plan for effective engagement in upcoming NEPA activities. Offered in person (2 days) or virtually (4 half day sessions).

Contractor Skill Requirements: The Contractor requires demonstrated expertise and understanding of NEPA processes and context, including Section 101 and opportunities for collaboration within different phases of the NEPA process.

They also require knowledge of the recent evolution of NEPA implementation guidance and regulations, considerations for collaboration in the NEPA process, benefits and challenges of collaboration within a NEPA process and within an ECCR process in general, and environmental justice considerations in NEPA processes. They should have the ability to share NEPA case examples based on work experience and any related best practices and lessons learned.

IV. QUESTION AND ANSWER (Q&A) PERIOD

Questions are due no later than, 04 February 2025, at 2:00PM (MST). Note: Arizona remains on Mountain Standard Time (MST) throughout the year. There is no Daylight Savings Time in Arizona. All questions must be submitted via electronic email to the following:

Terri L. Harrison at harrison@udall.gov Crystal M. Janes at janes@udall.gov mailto:harrison@udall.gov mailto:janes@udall.gov

V. SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION

The information requested in support of the Capabilities Statement must be submitted in writing. The submitted Capabilities Statement shall not exceed five (5) pages, in addition to a one (1) page cover letter, for a total submission not to exceed six (6) pages.

Your submission should be organized in accordance with the instructions in this document in order to permit a thorough and accurate review and evaluation by the Government.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted via electronic mail no later than 18 February 2025 at 10:00AM, AZ MST to the following:

Terri L. Harrison at harrison@udall.gov Crystal M. Janes at janes@udall.gov

Responses not received by the closing date and time may not be considered or evaluated.

VI. POINTS OF CONTACT

All comments, inquiries and responses should be directed to the following individuals:

Terri L. Harrison Contracting Officer harrison@udall.gov

Crystal M. Janes Contract Specialist janes@udall.gov