A02 CNPP Food Waste PWS Final 20240425.pdf

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Performance Work Statement

Contents Project Title General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose

2.0 Definitions

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

3.1 Scope and Objectives

3.2 Tasks and Deliverables

4.0 Deliverable / Schedule

5.0 Government Furnished

6.0 Travel

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

8.0 Security Requirements

9.0 Data Rights

10.0 Section 508 - Electronic and Information Technology Standards

11.0 Performance Requirement Measures

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Project Title Classifying and Measuring Household Food Waste

General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose

FNS produces four Food Plans at successively higher cost levels: the Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans. These plans illustrate how a healthy diet can be achieved at various cost levels. Federal law (7 USC §2012(u)) specifies that the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) in June serves as the basis for setting maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit allotments in the following Federal fiscal year beginning each October 1.

The USDA Food Plans are reevaluated periodically to account for changes in consumption patterns, food composition, food prices, and dietary guidance using a mathematical optimization model, with TFP reevaluations being required by law at 5-year intervals. This model selects quantities of foods and beverages categories in their as-consumed forms to create market baskets that meet constraints related to cost, dietary guidance, and practicality.

The model has included food waste adjustments since at least the 1962 creation of the Family Food Plans to account for edible food that is purchased but not consumed. The inclusion of a food waste factor is consistent with the statutory requirement to consider consumption patterns in TFP reevaluations. In the absence of comprehensive information on household food waste, the Food Plans’ food waste adjustments were initially set at allowances for food energy and nutrients above the recommended amounts; these allowances were not specifically based on research studies at the time of implementation (Cofer, Grossman and Clark 1962). For the lowest cost food plan (named the Economy Food Plan at the time), an allowance of 5 percent for food waste was added while allowances of 10, 20, and 30 percent, respectively were added for the higher-cost Food Plans based on evidence suggesting that the amount of food wasted increases with per capita household food expenditures (Human Nutrition Information Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1983). At the time, the 5 percent food waste factor for the Economy Food Plan was understood to be more restricted than was customary in practice, but was considered a sensible compromise between the zero-waste ideal and the need for the Food Plans to reflect reasonable assumptions about consumption patterns, even at lower expenditure levels (Cofer, Grossman and Clark 1962).

The Food Plans food waste adjustments are intended to reflect only the share of edible food-at-home purchases that are not eaten; other types of food loss, such as the discard of inedible parts of foods purchased (e.g., banana peels or eggshells) and moisture loss from cooking specific to each food, are accounted for separately in the calculation of national average prices for foods and beverages in their as-consumed forms (Carlson, et al. 2019). Because the Food Plans include only food-at-home items that households purchase, food waste associated with food-away-from-home acquisitions or food-at-home acquired at no cost (e.g., a friend or family provides a meal, food from food pantries) are also not intended to be reflected in the food waste adjustment.

The USDA Food Plans account for household food waste in two ways: first are the food waste adjustments incorporated into the optimization model (Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 2021), and second are the economies of scale factors that are applied to the costs of the Food Plans to scale the Food Plan costs to reflect various household sizes (Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1975). These economies of scale factors were designed, in part, to reflect the higher rates of food waste among smaller household sizes relative to larger households. For example, the economies of scale factors are intended to account for instances in which food items may only be available for purchase in quantities that smaller households cannot entirely consume before spoilage occurs. The food waste factor in the optimization model is intended to relate to food waste in the context of a four-person household.

The Food Plans’ food waste factors have historically been applied uniformly. However, true rates of household food waste may vary across certain factors, including household composition and by food category. For example, households with young children may experience higher rates of food waste relative to households without young children (e.g., exposure to new foods, food that gets dropped on the floor) (Tonini, Odina and Durany 2023).1 Also, food waste may

1 This is a limitation of the food waste definition used in the literature and in this study. While offering children a range of healthy food and beverage options may lead to a higher share of purchased food going uneaten, it is also effective in vary by food category (e.g., fruits and vegetables may be wasted at a higher rate than grains) or purchased form (e.g., fresh fruits and vegetables may be wasted at a higher rate than frozen fruits and vegetables).

USDA Food Plan reevaluation reports between 1983 and 2007 cited a 1983 USDA report as support for maintaining the existing food waste factors with evidence that households with lower food costs per person discard less edible food than households with higher food costs (Human Nutrition Information Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1983). The 1983 study, which analyzed data from the 1977-78 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS), compared the average daily food intakes from home food supplies reported by household members with the reported quantities of foods used by households. The study found that, overall, an average of 36 percent of prepared edible food went uneaten with variation by food category. At the time of the 1977-78 NFCS, the TFP cost approximately $10 per person per week; the study found that an average of 18 percent of prepared edible food went uneaten with households with per capita weekly money value of food between $9 and $13, also with variation by food category. Households with even lower food costs wasted even less. While the 1977-78 NFCS are the most recent data to capture both dietary intakes and the quantity of edible food-at-home households prepare, the NFCS study design has limitations in estimating household food waste, especially considering information on dietary intakes and quantities of foods used were reported over different time periods with only one day of overlap between the periods.

A 1988 report on the USDA Food Plans acknowledged the difficulty of estimating reliable food waste factors and cited a 1976 dissertation that estimated a lower bound on household food waste as between 5 and 11 percent as evidence for maintaining the existing 5 percent food waste factor in the TFP (Cleveland and Kerr 1988). The study, which conducted interviews and examined food discard in garbage cans from 73 households in Tucson, Arizona in 1973, underestimated total food discard because it did not account for discard via garbage disposals, domestic pets, vegetable gardens, compost piles, or in recycling bins (Harrison 1976). However, the extent of the underestimate has not been studied in detail.

Analyses from more than 40 years ago (i.e., the 1983 USDA report and the 1976 Harrison study) may not accurately reflect current household food waste dynamics, such as the proportion of two income households, food technology advances, the increasing role of food away from home in household food acquisitions, and the advent of wholesale clubs and bulk purchasing, all of which could play a role in how households utilize food-at-home. FNS is interested in gaining a better understanding of current household food waste dynamics through the application of modern analysis methods and their application to more current data with the goal of better informing future reevaluations of the USDA Food Plans.

Recent developments in the literature on household food waste have included approaches for developing estimates using a production efficiency framework (Yu and Jaenicke 2020). A benefit of this approach is that it can be applied to more recent data sets, including the Nationwide Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS). Additionally, this approach can provide information on the full distribution of household food waste rather than just a single point estimate, enabling further analyses on the associations between various household characteristics and estimates of food waste. A challenge of this approach is that food consumption, and therefore waste, is not directly observed, leading to various sources of measurement error. Despite these limitations, household food waste estimates derived using this approach have shown to be highly correlated with direct measures of household food waste (Smith and Landry 2021).

During the 2021 reevaluation of the TFP, FNS examined existing evidence on household food waste (Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture 2021). The reviewed literature consistently showed that estimates of household food waste were higher than the 5 percent factor used in the TFP. However, due to varying definitions of food waste at the consumer level in the literature, and potential inclusion of other sources of food loss in the estimates that are already incorporated elsewhere in the reevaluation (i.e., in the refuse and cooking adjustment factors applied in the Purchase to Plate Price Tool when calculating national average prices), FNS concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a change. This study is intended to provide information that FNS can consider in future promoting diet quality among children. Food “waste” in this case is not something to be avoided, criticized, or stigmatized, but rather something to be classified and measured so that it can be appropriately considered in Food Plan reevaluations in the future.

reevaluations of the USDA Food Plans and is not intended to recommend or otherwise justify any specific food waste factors for future use.

2.0 Definitions

FNS – Food and Nutrition Service FoodAPS – Nationwide Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey NFCS – Nationwide Food Consumption Survey OMB – Office of Management and Budget TFP – Thrifty Food Plan USDA – United States Department of Agriculture

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

To inform future reevaluations of the USDA Food Plans, FNS seeks a contractor to integrate expertise in economics, nutrition, and food waste to develop and express food waste estimates by category and source in percentage terms (e.g., the share of fresh fruit wasted due to spoilage) and to report nationally representative estimates of the food-at-home waste distribution. The Contractor shall also calculate and report how these measures of food waste vary by household size, per capita expenditure on food-at-home, the number and respective ages of children in the household, primary food-at-home store type accessed, other relevant household characteristics, and adherence to best practices in minimizing household food waste. Finally, FNS seeks a contractor to identify the minimum level of food waste by food category and source that can be observed in a sample of four person households, or an alternative estimate of the lowest amount of food waste that could reasonably be expected of a four-person household.

3.1 Scope and Objectives

The contractor shall conduct a research study that answers the following research questions:

1. How can household food waste be classified by source?

2. How much food waste can be attributed to each of these sources in U.S. households overall and by food category? Food waste estimates must be expressed in percentage terms relative to the total edible amount of food purchased (e.g., the percent of fresh fruit wasted due to spoilage).

3. How are estimates of food waste attributable to each source, overall and by food category, associated with household characteristics including household income and per capita food-at-home expenditure?

4. How are estimates of food waste attributable to each source, overall and by food category, associated with adherence to best practices in minimizing household food waste?

5. What is the minimum level of food waste by source, overall and by food category, observable in a nationally representative sample of four-person U.S. households?

The Contractor’s approach to answering research questions that are related to associations between food waste and other factors should use appropriately selected and implemented statistical tests for association with an alpha-level of 0.05, which examine association independent of other factors.

The contractor shall perform all activities related to conducting the research study, including:

• Conducting all necessary tasks to manage the scope of the research study.

• Integrating expertise in the field of economics, nutrition, and food waste to develop a detailed plan for answering this study’s research questions, including obtaining OMB Clearance for information collection if necessary.

• Delivering all collected and/or analyzed data and associated documentation, reporting on the statistical properties of the data with respect to food waste, and identifying areas for future research.

The Contractor may propose activities in addition to those listed above that would improve the ability of the research study to answer the research questions listed above.

3.2 Tasks and Deliverables

The tasks and deliverables listed here are required minimums. The Contractor may add to the tasks as necessary to support their proposed study plan. Prior to submission to FNS, all versions of deliverables, including the initial drafts, shall be in final form and have undergone a thorough quality review process that adheres to the contractor’s quality control plan. The Contractor shall submit a cover memo with each deliverable that lists the personnel that reviewed the deliverable. In addition, all deliverables shall be consistent with the requirements of the most recent version of the Government Printing Office Style Manual. When multiple versions are necessary, each subsequent version shall be reflective of FNS’s feedback on the prior version and include a separate, track-changes version or spreadsheet that documents the changes made in response to FNS feedback along with any additional changes made by the Contractor since the prior version and justification for any comments made by FNS that were not incorporated into the revised version. The Contractor shall provide FNS a minimum of two (2) weeks of review for every 25 pages. The Contractor shall establish a means of secure file transfer between the Contractor and FNS to facilitate the transmission of deliverables;

FNS information technology systems will not be available to the Contractor.

Task 1: Project Management The Contractor shall conduct all necessary tasks to manage the scope of projects.

Project Orientation Meeting: Within 10 calendar days of award, the Contractor will schedule a virtual project orientation meeting to discuss the contractor’s technical approach and establish a mutual understanding of project objectives, research questions, and proposed methods. The contractor, in consultation with the FNS COR, shall prepare and provide an agenda, visual display materials prepared in PowerPoint, and appropriate handouts to FNS at least 48 hours prior to the meeting (Deliverable 1.1: Orientation Meeting Materials). The Contractor shall provide for any virtual presentation platform (e.g., Teams, WebEx, Zoom). The meeting shall cover items including but not limited to the following:

• An overview of the contractor’s approach for addressing the project’s objectives;

• A description of the project schedule, including all tasks to be performed, and a discussion of the proposed schedule of deliverables with a timeline;

• A clarification of all project activities and tasks; and

• Establishing official protocols for all project communication, substantive and financial reporting requirements and procedures for the approval of contract deliverables.

Within one (1) week after the orientation meeting, the Contractor shall submit to FNS a draft memorandum summarizing the orientation meeting. This summary memorandum shall include all issues discussed at the meeting, the conclusions reached, and any issues remaining to be resolved. FNS will provide comments on the draft version of the memo. The final project orientation summary memorandum is due no later than one (1) week after receiving comments on the draft version of the memo.

Biweekly Meetings: The contractor will propose a schedule for biweekly (i.e., every other week) meetings to update Federal staff on progress and issues. Meetings will be held via Microsoft Teams. Key contractor staff, sub-contractor staff, and/or consultants will participate as needed to address progress and issues for discussion.

• The schedule for meetings may be changed as agreed upon by the COR.

• The contractor will submit a proposed agenda for each meeting at least one (1) working day in advance of the scheduled date to the COR for comment.

• If there are materials that Federal staff will need to review prior to the meeting date, such materials will be submitted at least three (3) business days in advance of the meeting date.

• The contractor will submit a summary of meeting discussions to the COR for review and approval no more than one (1) working day after each regular meeting.

Monthly Progress Reports: Each month, the Contractor shall prepare and submit monthly progress reports to the FNS COR using an FNS-approved format by the 10th of each month, beginning the month following the contract award and continuing for the duration of the performance period. Each report shall include a:

• Cover page with contract name, number, award date, period of performance covered by the report and number in the sequence of monthly reports;

• Description of activities, by subtask(s), that were carried out during the reporting period and staff involved in completing the task(s);

• Clear description of any technical problems or issues, along with proposed steps to resolve them;

• Clear description of any contractual problems or issues, including delays encountered, along with proposed steps to resolve them;

• Description of activities by subtask, planned for the next reporting period including dates; and

• Project schedule that shows, by subtask and deliverable, the dates on which work started, was expected to end and actually ended.

• Table listing all project deliverables in the first column, due dates listed in the contract in the second column, the date submitted to the COR in the third column, the date accepted by the COR in the fourth column, and the date the invoice was submitted in the fifth column;

• All monthly progress reports shall be submitted in electronic format. All progress reports shall be submitted directly to the COR and to the Contracting Officer. In addition, the Contractor shall notify the COR, by phone and e-mail, of any schedule delays.

USDA Records Management Training: The Contractor’s Program Manager (PM) / Project Lead and deputy (if applicable), or equivalent staff as determined by the Contractor, will complete paper-based USDA Records Management Training. The COR will provide the Contractor with the necessary training material. The Contractor will submit to the COR completed quizzes and acknowledgements within 60 days of receiving the necessary training material. Once the Contractor’s staff have earned an 80% or higher score, the COR will provide the Contractor with course completion certificate(s). Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the PM to convey USDA Records Management requirements to the Contractor’s staff and to provide notification to the COR that this internal training has been completed. Thereafter, if the Contractor has a record that must be submitted to FNS, it will be submitted through the PM, deputy, or equivalent staff as determined by the Contractor. USDA Records Management Training must be completed annually.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Deliverable 1.1: Project Orientation Meeting Materials

• Deliverable 1.2: Draft Project Orientation Meeting Summary Memorandum

• Deliverable 1.3: Final Project Orientation Meeting Summary Memorandum

• Deliverable 1.4: Biweekly Meeting Agendas and Notes

• Deliverable 1.5: Monthly Progress Reports

• Deliverable 1.6: USDA Records Management Training

Task 2: Study Plan The Contractor shall update the study plan offered in their technical proposal and submit a complete study plan that further details their approach for addressing the scope of work. The study plan in the technical proposal shall clearly state how the study objectives will be accomplished and the technical expertise needed to address the study objectives and research questions. The Contractor shall incorporate input from experts in the development of the study plan, ideally those with experience in the fields of economics, nutrition, and food waste. The Contractor must ensure that such experts are free from potential conflicts of interest and must provide documentation of their assessment of potential conflicts of interest.

The Study Plan shall provide detailed descriptions of how the Contractor will accomplish the project Tasks, including detailed descriptions of:

• Lead personnel for the project and Tasks, including a project organizational chart;

• Approach for obtaining OMB clearance for the information collection, if appropriate;

• Method for collecting new data on household food waste, if appropriate; and

• Method for analyzing data to derive estimates of household food waste that address the study’s research questions.

• Approach to developing a report that addresses the study’s research questions

• A schedule of deliverables to include the due dates for all contract deliverables

The Study Plan shall include a Data Management Plan in alignment with USDA Departmental Regulation 1020-006, which is available at: https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-1020-006. Additional information on Data Management Plans can be found at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/data/data-management-plan-guidance.

The draft, revised, and final reports should be professionally designed and use professional copy-editing and graphics as appropriate. FNS shall have a minimum of 3 weeks to review each iteration of the Study Plan.

Pending final determination by FNS’ Peer Review Panel, the Draft and Revised Study Plans delivered by the Contractor to FNS may be subject to external peer review in alignment with FNS’ Clearance Procedures for the Release of Scientific Products. Should peer review be required, the Contractor will select the external peer reviewers in consultation with FNS and will directly correspond with the peer reviewers to provide them with the necessary documents, including nondisclosure agreements. The FNS COR must be included on all communication between the Contractor and the peer reviewers. For each version of the study plan to be peer reviewed, reviewers will be given at least 3 weeks to review and provide comment. FNS may request that the Contractor make revisions to the Draft and/or Revised Study Plans prior to the execution of peer review such that only versions of the Study Plan that FNS finds acceptable are subject to peer review. For each iteration of peer review, the Contractor shall address all comments received from the peer reviewers, either by integrating recommended changes or by documenting the rationale for not integrating; the delivery of the subsequent version of the Study Plan shall be accompanied by this documentation. The Contractor shall compensate peer reviewers with honoraria commensurate to the level of effort involved in providing peer review.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Deliverable 2.1: Draft Study Plan

• Optional Deliverable 2.2: Peer Review Summary for Draft Study Plan

• Deliverable 2.3: Revised Study Plan

• Optional Deliverable 2.4: Peer Review Summary for Revised Study Plan

• Deliverable 2.5: Final Study Plan

Optional Task 3: Obtain OMB Clearance If applicable, the Contractor shall develop a 60-day Federal Register Notice for publication that meets all requirements of the Office of the Federal Register. In addition, the contractor shall submit to FNS a package requesting OMB approval for all data collection activities. The Contractor should be aware that the OMB data collection package will be reviewed at FNS by the Office of Policy Support (OPS), the Planning and Regulatory Affairs Office (PRAO), USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and USDA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), prior to being submitted to OMB for review and approval. Revisions to the package may be required after each level of review. The Contractor shall be required to update the OMB package after each set of required revisions and edits. The package shall not be accepted by the FNS COR until OMB gives final clearance of the package.

When developing the project schedule, the Contractor shall allow, at a minimum, 52 weeks for OMB’s final approval from the submission of the 60-day notice to FNS to final OMB approval. The approval process may take less than this amount of time; contractors are advised that the amount of time for clearance is directly related to the quality of the initial submission of the OMB package. The OMB data collection package shall contain copies of all recruiting https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-1020-006 https://www.nal.usda.gov/data/data-management-plan-guidance materials and data collection instruments (to include screenshots, if applicable) and a supporting statement as set forth in the revised Standard Form No. 83a, “Instructions for Requesting OMB Approval under the Federal Reports Act, as Amended.” Special note shall be taken that scripts are required to be prepared and included in the OMB package for all communications (either by telephone, mail, email, or internet) with all persons and organizations contacted in connection with the project outside of the Federal government. If required, versions of the data collection instruments translated into other languages, such as Spanish, must be included in the OMB package. The time required in communications with respondents and separately for non-respondents contacted in the project must be included in the burden table. The OMB package should be submitted in MS Word format for submission to PRAO.

The 60-day notice shall not be considered approved until it is posted in the Federal Register.

The OMB package shall not be considered approved until OMB provides final clearance. The contractor will provide a clearance package that provides narrative addressing each of the supporting statements (Parts A and B) with appropriate appendices (which should be listed in the table of contents in the order discussed). Contractors should anticipate the need to make revisions after each level of review. The contractor will also provide all the information necessary for completing the 83-I form. The link for the 83-I form: https://www.usaid.gov/forms/omb-83-i.

The OMB package shall provide an explicit, concise description of the direct links between the study objectives, research questions, variables, instrument items, data analysis plans and desired products. The contractor shall summarize all public comments received in response to the published 60-Day Federal Register Notice concerning the information collection and draft responses to each comment to be sent by FNS. The summary of comments shall include a summary of the actions taken to address the comments. The summary of public comments shall be included in the Supporting Statement and the individual responses to the public comments will be provided as an appendix to the OMB package. The contractor may be asked to participate in a conference call presentation of the study to OMB, if requested. The package is not considered final and accepted until OMB approval is received.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidance and instructions for preparing an Information Collection Request (ICR) are provided by OCIO at: https://www.usda.gov/ocio/guidelines-and-compliance-resources/information-collection. The Contractor is advised that there may be differences in format and practices of ICRs used for obtaining OMB Clearance at other Federal agencies and/or at FNS on prior studies, therefore, the ICR package will be rejected as unacceptable unless they are fully compliant with FNS clearance requirements current at the time of submission.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Optional Deliverable 3.1: Draft Federal Register Notice

• Optional Deliverable 3.2: Final Federal Register Notice

• Optional Deliverable 3.3: Draft OMB Clearance Package

• Optional Deliverable 3.4: Revised OMB Clearance Package

• Optional Deliverable 3.5: Final OMB Clearance Package

Optional Task 4: Data Collection If applicable, the Contractor shall conduct a data collection consistent with Deliverable 2.5: Final Study Plan. The Contractor shall develop and test data collection instruments and procedures to include all materials and protocols needed to conduct the data collection as well as a description of how entities will be selected for data collection.

Data collection may occur over a period no longer than 24 months. To best align with the Final Study Plan and ensure the objectives of the data collection are met, the Contractor may propose alternative deliverables to those described below.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Optional Deliverable 4.1: Sampling Frames

• Optional Deliverable 4.2: Representative Samples

• Optional Deliverable 4.3: Sample Recruitment Summary Memo

• Optional Deliverable 4.4: Sample Weights https://www.usaid.gov/forms/omb-83-i https://www.usda.gov/ocio/guidelines-and-compliance-resources/information-collection https://www.usda.gov/ocio/guidelines-and-compliance-resources/information-collection

• Optional Deliverable 4.5: Data Collector Training Materials

• Optional Deliverable 4.6: Evidence that Field Staff are Ready to Complete High-Quality Data Collection

• Optional Deliverable 4.7: Weekly Memos of Completion of Data Collection

• Optional Deliverable 4.8: Data Collection Summary Memorandum

• Optional Deliverable 4.9: Raw Data and Documentation

Task 5: Final Report The contractor shall submit to FNS a draft, revised, and final report, ready for publication to the FNS website. The report, including all drafts and revisions, shall include a detailed description of the methodology used and all results of the study.

At a minimum, this report, including all drafts and revisions, shall contain the following:

• An executive summary of the major study findings;

• An introduction and background to the study;

• A delineation of study issues, objectives, and research questions;

• A presentation of all findings of the study;

• A discussion of the study limitations;

• Study conclusions; and

• Technical appendices necessary to fully document all analytic procedures used, data collection instruments, and a detailed discussion of the methodology employed, such that another researcher could replicate the methodology without further consultation with the Contractor.

The Draft, Revised, and Final Reports should be professionally designed and ready for publication and use professional copy-editing and graphics. The contractor shall provide all results in the Draft, Revised, and Final Reports using prose and graphics that are clear to the lay person, plainly define all types of error uncovered, explain logically how those errors were calculated, and include multiple, real-life examples that illustrate the methodology used. FNS shall have sufficient time to review and comment on the Draft, Revised, and Final Reports; FNS shall have a minimum of 6 weeks to review all documents that exceed 25 pages and a minimum of 3 weeks to review all documents that total 25 pages or fewer.

Pending final determination by FNS’ Peer Review Panel, the Draft and Revised Reports delivered by the Contractor to FNS may be subject to external peer review in alignment with FNS’ Clearance Procedures for the Release of Scientific Products. Should peer review be required, the Contractor will select the external peer reviewers in consultation with FNS and will directly correspond with the peer reviewers to provide them with the necessary documents, including nondisclosure agreements. The FNS COR must be included on all communication between the Contractor and the peer reviewers. For each version of the Report to be peer reviewed, reviewers will be given at least 3 weeks to review and provide comment. FNS may request that the Contractor make revisions to the Draft and/or Revised Reports prior to the execution of peer review such that only versions of the Report that FNS finds acceptable are subject to peer review. For each iteration of peer review, the Contractor shall address all comments received from the peer reviewers, either by integrating recommended changes or by documenting the rationale for not integrating; the delivery of the subsequent version of the Report shall be accompanied by this documentation. The Contractor shall compensate peer reviewers with honoraria commensurate to the level of effort involved in providing peer review.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Deliverable 5.1: Report Outline

• Deliverable 5.2: Draft Report

• Optional Deliverable 5.3: Peer Review Summary for Draft Report

• Deliverable 5.4: Revised Report

• Optional Deliverable 5.5: Peer Review Summary for Revised Report

• Deliverable 5.6: Final Report

Task 6: Data Files and Documentation The Contractor shall submit to FNS cleaned and coded copies of the data analyzed and reported on under Task 5. These files shall be submitted with each version of the Report (Task 5). The format of the data files shall be in SAS (.sas7bdat), CSV, or another format that the Contractor and FNS agree upon.

The data files shall be submitted with codebooks and syntax (code) sufficient for FNS to replicate all data cleaning and analysis steps without any further communication with the Contractor. The file documentation, data dictionary and codebook shall document file names, acquired and derived variables and codes. The dictionary shall describe the file structure (data set name, record format, record length, block size and number of records). The codebook shall include variable name, type, label, format, missing values, and the frequency of missing values. The file documentation shall also include data sources and methods for data input, editing procedures and descriptions of any composite variables.

The Contractor shall deliver program files in SAS format or any alternative format(s) the Contractor and FNS agree upon.

The formulation and syntax code of any calculated variables shall also be described and provided. For discrete variables, at a minimum include the count/frequency and for continuous variables include the mean, median, maximum value, and minimum value. The program file(s) should be thoroughly annotated. Each executable line of code or block of code should have a clear description of its purpose. Code that creates tables, graphics, or other output for the final report should be clearly labeled.

The Contractor shall also submit to FNS a version of the data, code, and documentation with the Final Report for public access that is free of personally identifiable information, proprietary information, or any other information that is not appropriate for public use. The data, code, and documentation should be publication-ready and must enable the public to reproduce the results of the Final Report.

Pending final determination by FNS’ Peer Review Panel, the Data Files, Code, and Documentation with the Draft and Revised Reports delivered by the Contractor to FNS may be subject to external peer review in alignment with FNS’ Clearance Procedures for the Release of Scientific Products. Should peer review be required, the Contractor will select the external peer reviewers in consultation with FNS and will directly correspond with the peer reviewers to provide them with the necessary documents, including nondisclosure agreements. The FNS COR must be included on all communication between the Contractor and the peer reviewers. For each version of the Data Files, Code, and Documentation to be peer reviewed, reviewers will be given at least 6 weeks to review and provide comment. FNS may request that the Contractor make revisions to the Data Files, Code, and Documentation prior to the execution of peer review such that only versions of the Data Files, Code, and Documentation that FNS finds acceptable are subject to peer review. For each iteration of peer review, the Contractor shall address all comments received from the peer reviewers, either by integrating recommended changes or by documenting the rationale for not integrating; the delivery of the subsequent version of the Data Files, Code, and Documentation shall be accompanied by this documentation. The Contractor shall compensate peer reviewers with honoraria commensurate to the level of effort involved in providing peer review.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Deliverable 6.1: Analytic Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Draft Report

• Optional Deliverable 6.2: Peer Review Summary for Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Draft Report

• Deliverable 6.3: Analytic Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Revised Report

• Optional Deliverable 6.4: Peer Review Summary for Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Revised Report

• Deliverable 6.5: Analytic Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Final Report

• Deliverable 6.6: Public Access Data Files, Code and Documentation

Task 7: Final Briefing Following the submission of Task 5.6: Final Report, the Contractor shall conduct an in-person or virtual briefing for FNS staff presenting an overview of the study, the study design, and final results. This presentation shall include visual display materials prepared in PowerPoint and appropriate handouts. The Contractor shall provide for any virtual presentation platform (e.g., Teams, WebEx, Zoom). Copies of the PowerPoint presentation and handouts shall be submitted to FNS for review two weeks prior to the presentation. An electronic copy of the final presentation shall be emailed to the COR at least two days before the briefing.

The following deliverables will be delivered under this Task:

• Deliverable 7.1: Draft PowerPoint Presentation and Handouts for Briefing

• Deliverable 7.2: Final PowerPoint Presentation and Handouts for Briefing

4.0 Deliverable / Schedule

The period of performance will be 60 months from date of award.

The Contractor shall propose an initial schedule of deliverables in their proposal as well as updated schedules of deliverables in Deliverables 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, the Draft, Revised, and Final Study Plans, respectively. The schedule of deliverables should align with the Contractor’s project management and staffing approach as well as the Contractor’s proposed approach to conducting the study. The schedule of deliverables must include sufficient time for FNS review of all deliverables and peer review of deliverables under Tasks 2, 5, and 6.

Key Deliverables

Task Description CLIN Deliverable Base / Option Deliverable Description Due Delivery Format

Project Management

0001 1.1 Base Project Orientation Meeting Materials

2 workdays prior to orientation meeting

Agenda: Electronic (.docx and .pdf) Presentation: Electronic (.pptx) Handouts: Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0001 1.2 Base Draft Project Orientation Meeting Summary Memorandum

1 week after orientation meeting

Electronic (.docx)

0001 1.3 Base Final Project Orientation Meeting Summary Memorandum

1 week after receiving CNPP revisions

Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0001 1.4 Base Biweekly Meeting Agendas and Notes

Agendas: 1 workday prior to scheduled biweekly meetings Notes: 1 workday following biweekly meetings

Electronic (.docx)

0001 1.5 Base Monthly Progress Reports 10th of each month beginning in the month after award

Electronic (.pdf)

0001 1.6 Base USDA Records Management Training

60 days after receiving the necessary training material and annually thereafter

Electronic (.pdf)

Study Plan 0002 2.1 Base Draft Study Plan According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.docx)

0003 2.2 Optional Peer Review Summary for Draft Study Plan

With Revised Study Plan Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 2.3 Base Revised Study Plan According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.docx)

0003 2.4 Optional Peer Review Summary for Revised Study Plan

With Final Study Plan Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 2.5 Base Final Study Plan According to project

Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

Task Description CLIN Deliverable Base / Option Deliverable Description Due Delivery Format

Obtain OMB Clearance

1001 3.1 Option Draft Federal Register Notice According to project

1001 3.2 Option Final Federal Register Notice According to project

1001 3.3 Option Draft OMB Clearance Package According to project

1001 3.4 Option Revised OMB Clearance Package According to project

Electronic (.docx)

1001 3.5 Option Final OMB Clearance Package According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

Data Collection 2001 4.1 Option Sampling Frames According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format)

2001 4.2 Option Representative Samples According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format)

2001 4.3 Option Sample Recruitment Summary Memo

According to project

2001 4.4 Option Sample Weights According to project

Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format)

2001 4.5 Option Data Collector Training Materials According to project

2001 4.6 Option Evidence that Field Staff are Ready to Complete High-Quality Data Collection

According to project

2001 4.7 Option Weekly Memos of Completion of

Data Collection According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

2001 4.8 Option Data Collection Summary Memorandum

According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

2001 4.9 Option Raw Data and Documentation According to project deliverable schedule

Data: Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format) Documentation: Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

Final Report 0002 5.1 Base Report Outline According to project

0002 5.2 Base Draft Report According to project

Electronic (.docx)

0003 5.3 Option Peer Review Summary for Draft Report

With Revised Report Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 5.4 Base Revised Report According to project

Electronic (.docx)

0003 5.5 Option Peer Review Summary for Revised Report

With Final report Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 5.6 Base Final Report According to project deliverable schedule

Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

Data Files and Documentation

0002 6.1 Base Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Draft Report

With Draft Report Data: Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format) Code: Electronic (.sas, .do, .r, or other selected code format) Documentation: Electronic (.docx)

0003 6.2 Optional Peer Review Summary for Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Draft Report

With Revised Report Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 6.3 Base Data Files, Code, and

Documentation with Revised Report

With Revised Report Data: Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format) Code: Electronic (.sas, .do, .r, or other selected code format) Documentation: Electronic (.docx)

0003 6.4 Optional Peer Review Summary for Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Revised Report

With Final Report Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 6.5 Base Data Files, Code, and Documentation with Final Report

With Final Report Data: Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format) Code: Electronic (.sas, .do, .r, or other selected code format) Documentation: Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 6.6 Base Public Access Data Files, Code, and Documentation

With Final Report Data: Electronic (.csv, .dta, .sas, or other selected data format) Code: Electronic (.sas, .do, .r, or other selected code format) Documentation: Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

Final Briefing 0002 7.1 Base Draft PowerPoint Presentation and Handouts for Briefing

According to project deliverable schedule

Presentation: Electronic (.pptx) Handouts: Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

0002 7.2 Base Final PowerPoint Presentation and

Handouts for Briefing According to project deliverable schedule

Presentation: Electronic (.pptx) Handouts: Electronic (.docx and .pdf)

5.0 Government Furnished

The Government will not furnish property or facilities. The Government will not grant the Contractor access to Government information technology systems. The Government will review Contractor deliverables and provide feedback in a timely manner to support the Contractor in meeting their proposed schedule of deliverables. The Government will identify the deliverables for which the Contractor must facilitate an external peer review in alignment with FNS’ Clearance Procedures for the Release of Scientific Products.

6.0 Travel

The Contractor may, but is not required to, travel for the performance of this contract.

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

The Contractor is responsible for identifying and qualifying key personnel for this project. Key personnel qualifications should include experience in project management, economics, nutrition, and food waste analysis, as well as any other relevant expertise. Resumes will be required for all key personnel identified by the contractor. The Contractor must ensure that such experts are free from potential conflicts of interest and must provide documentation of their assessment of potential conflicts of interest.

8.0 Security Requirements

No security clearances are required for this contract. The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that all personnel involved in the project comply with all relevant security policies and procedures.

9.0 Data Rights

The Contractor will adhere to a Data Management Plan in alignment with USDA Departmental Regulation 1020-006, which is available at: https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-1020-006. Additional information on Data Management Plans can be found at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/data/data-management-plan-guidance.

10.0 Section 508 - Electronic and Information Technology Standards The Contractor will ensure that all products or services provided under this contract are accessible to individuals with disabilities, in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-1020-006 https://www.nal.usda.gov/data/data-management-plan-guidance

11.0 Performance Requirement Measures

Performance Requirement Measures

Performance Measure Performance Standard

Performance Deliverable Monitored

Surveillance Method

Performance Rating

Surveillance Frequency

Monitoring Performed

Task 1: Project Management

Project Orientation materials provide relevant details and take away messages for a non-technical audience of program staff and managers. Slides and handouts are professionally designed, contain an appropriate amount of information, and can be viewed clearly from the audience. Presentation is effective and delivered within the allotted time and allows for discussion with the audience.

Written memoranda are clear, comprehensive, well-organized, and error-free. Descriptions of orientation are accurate and credible.

Timely delivery of progress reports, meeting agendas, and notes that meet all requirements set forth in the

PWS.

Completion of USDA Records Management Training in alignment with the requirements set forth in the PWS

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Task 2: Study Plan

Written document is clear, comprehensive, well-organized, and error-free. Plan evidences a high level of technical expertise and demonstrates the use of a creative approach to achieve FNS objectives with available resources. Plan presents specific research questions and outlines the steps that will be taken to fully address these questions.

The Study Plan includes a Data Management Plan that aligns with USDA Departmental Regulation 1020-006.

If applicable, peer review summaries accurately and comprehensively describe feedback provided by peer reviewers and how the feedback was integrated into the subsequent draft of the Study Plan. In cases where the Contractor does not integrate the feedback, the summary includes clear rationale for this decision.

All deliverables as described in the PWS and specified in the approved Schedule of Deliverables

100 percent inspection

Exceptional Very Good Satisfactory Marginal Unsatisfactory

Per the contract’s approved schedule of deliverables

Acceptance or Rejection of each deliverable is noted via a Government Transmittal Sheet attached to the deliverable

Performance Measure Performance Standard

Performance Deliverable Monitored

Surveillance Method

Performance Rating

Surveillance Frequency

Monitoring Performed

Option…