Task_Order_1_-_SOW_Physical_Data_Comp.pdf

Task Order 1 Statement of Work

Technical Support for a Physical Data Compilation to Inform the

Community Resilience Assessment Methodology

1 BACKGROUND

The concept of community resilience is a complex, multi-dimensional problem that relies on engineering, earth sciences, social sciences (including economics, sociology, and geography), and other disciplines to improve the way communities prepare for, resist, respond to, and recover from disruptive events. One major goal of the Community Resilience Program is to develop tools for communities that will measure resilience over time at the community-scale (e.g., before and after events). It is envisioned that this tool will be used by communities to evaluate whether alternative options improve the resilience of buildings and infrastructure systems, via: 1) functionality of systems and 2) a shorter recovery time of community functions – among other metrics of resilience at the community-scale.

Currently, communities are encouraged to consider and plan for community resilience with few tools at their disposal. NIST released the Community Resilience Planning Guide for Buildings and Infrastructure Systems in 2015 to help communities plan and implement prioritized measures for the built environment to strengthen their resilience to hazard events. The next step is to provide communities with the tools necessary to measure their resilience.

This task supports a research project that is developing a methodology to assess resilience at the community-scale. A foundational assumption of this work is that community functions (e.g., education, healthcare, governance) are supported by buildings and infrastructure systems. NIST researchers are presently testing analytical methods for the development of indicators to measure community resilience.

A focus area of this task will be identifying the types of indicators that represent system attributes, dimensions, and dependencies for the built environment.

2 PURPOSE

The objective of this task is to provide NIST with a compilation of available, publicly accessible data to be used in the development of community resilience assessments related to buildings and select infrastructure systems (e.g., electric power, water, wastewater, roadway transportation, fuel, and communication). This collection will focus on buildings and physical infrastructure and will rely on the time points and database format of a prior data compilation effort focused largely on the social and economic systems. These data will be analyzed by NIST for their statistical properties as part of the development of a community resilience assessment methodology.

3 SCOPE

The contractor shall provide data identification, selection, and compilation for representative variables and shall develop and deliver a synthesized tabular database as well as a geodatabase as described in section 4. Challenges in obtaining needed data and/or in assessing infrastructure for different geographic units in a meaningful way are expected and when documented, will contribute to the larger effort.

This is a firm-fixed price type task order.

4 REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, project oversight, administration and technical execution of this contract. The contractor is responsible for maintaining accurate records of project activities. The contractor shall provide the services described below.

This task includes a variety of data identification, selection, and compilation activities to support the development of the community resilience assessment methodology. Primarily, the task includes identification/selection of appropriate metrics for buildings and physical infrastructure and the development and delivery of a synthesized database that includes compiled data for a range of points in time. The type of data to be synthesized is based in part upon the existing indicators research of NIST and other federal agencies, as well as upon the contractor’s expertise. The specific metrics to be collected shall be identified by the contractor with input from researchers at NIST and will require final approval by the TPOC. These data will allow NIST to test and refine the analytical methods needed for resilience measurement and will support systems modeling efforts.

4.1 Project Planning, Reporting, and Meetings

4.1.1 Meetings

Upon award, the contractor shall convene a video conference call to kick off the project at a mutually agreed upon date and time. This call shall include the NIST Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and the TPOC, along with key contract personnel.

During the development of the finalized list of metrics for data collection, one in person meeting shall be held at NIST to gather input from NIST staff and invited researchers.

4.1.2 Develop and maintain a Project Work Plan.

The NIST TPOC will approve the Project Work Plan or provide comments for revision within five (5) business days of receipt. The Project Work Plan must be revised as needed but not more often than monthly throughout the period of performance to accommodate changing priorities and work requirements. Updates to the plan will be made as mutually agreed between NIST and the contractor.

4.1.3 Monthly update calls and reports.

Monthly update video conference calls are required and shall include all major project reporting, as well as review of any issues that arise during the course of the work. However, if significant issues should arise between monthly updates, the contractor shall contact the COR and TPOC as soon as possible. Prior to the monthly call (at least 2 business days), an agenda shall be provided along with a brief summary of progress via email to the COR and TPOC. Following the meeting (within 5 business days), the contractor shall provide a brief report that shall include a summary of the meeting (key discussion points and decisions) and general updates for that month.

4.2 Data identification and selection

Contractor shall provide expertise to support identification and selection of no more than 35 representative variables for characterizing buildings and physical infrastructure (e.g., electric power, water, wastewater, roadway transportation, fuel, and communication) for a community or county. In selection of these metrics, attention should be given to data sources. The data collection is intended to be heavily reliant on public sources and databases that are generated at state or regional level and minimally dependent on time-intensive, direct collection from county specific sources. Data sources are expected to be publicly accessible and available across geographies and over time. Contractor shall work with NIST researchers in the selection of the final list of metrics for data collection. The final list must be approved by the NIST TPOC.

Examples of the types of variables being sought are provided in Table 1 below. The synthesized database shall include no more than 35 variables. Data is requested for no more than 250 counties within no more than 4 states. Data compilation shall include smaller geographic units, such as parcel level data and service areas, as well as data for the entire county, depending on the metric (e.g., number of electrical substations in the county, percent of parcels with raised construction).

Data shall be synthesized for no more than 8 time points between the years of 2000 and 2017.

The time points will be specified by the TPOC after the kick-off meeting in order to match existing collection to the extent possible.

Table 1. Example variables

Variable Source URL Unit % parcels with residential structures built after 1960

For Maryland – MdPropertyView www.mdp.state.md.us County

% parcels with elevated construction

For Maryland – MdPropertyView www.mdp.state.md.us County

Total # miles of public local roadway

Bureau of Transportation www.bts.gov/topics/highway County

Average road condition of major arteries

Bureau of Transportation www.bts.gov/topics/highway County

Total # of wastewater treatment plants

For Florida – Department of Environmental Protection www.floridadep.gov/water County

Average reservoir storage For Texas – Texas Water Development Board www.houstonurbandata.com County (9 counties in the Houston Area)

4.3 Data compilation

Contractor shall create both a tabular database and a geodatabase that includes no more than 35 variables focused on buildings and physical infrastructure. These metrics should represent variables that can be associated with the concept of community resilience. Data are to be collected across different data sources and organized by time point and geographic unit. For some variables, geospatial data and GIS analysis may be necessary for computing an aggregate value.

Data is requested for no more than 250 counties within no more than 4 states. Data compilation shall include parcel level data, as well as data for the entire county, depending on the metric (e.g., number of electrical substations will be reported for the county, % of parcels with raised construction). All raw data used to create aggregate values shall be delivered alongside final database. Data shall be synthesized for no more than 8 time points between the years of 2000 and 2017. The time points will be specified by the TPOC at the kick-off meeting in order to match existing collection to the extent possible. These data will allow NIST to test and refine the analytical methods needed for resilience measurement and will support of systems modeling efforts.

4.3.1 Data Collection

Collect the agreed upon list of variables from publicly accessible sources such as state and county tax assessor data, state and local government, FEMA, and US Geological Survey.

The contractor shall follow a previously developed format for the data compilation to ensure that the tabular database can be ingested into the existing database using the same organizing parameters (e.g., time points, geography, broad variable categories). The TPOC will provide this format at the kick-off meeting.

The geodatabase is envisioned as a supporting database for viewing the data at a smaller than county scale, where available. The format for the geodatabase shall be developed by the contractor.

4.3.2 Create the database

The contractor shall compile collected data across sources in the provided format. Contractor shall QA/QC data (i.e., quality assurance is the process used to measure and assure the quality of a product, and quality control is the process of ensuring products and services meet customer expectations) to standardize format of data across different data sources. Specifically, contractor shall 1) standardize codes for missing values and errors, 2) maintain annotations from data providers, and 3) align reporting units to the extent possible. Documentation of decisions for standardizing database shall be recorded and maintained.

In coordination with the monthly update call, contractor shall send the latest version of the database file for review. The format of final tabular database deliverable is Microsoft Access as well as standard data file (.txt and .csv). The geodatabase shall be provided in ArcGIS (.gdb file).

4.3.3 Finalize data files and metadata

The NIST TPOC will provide feedback on draft versions of the database prior to the final submission. All feedback shall be included in the final database before delivery to NIST.

Metadata for all variables included in the final data files shall be developed and delivered alongside the final inventory. The ISO metadata standard required for federal data shall be applied. The final deliverables include database and appropriate supporting documentation in the form of metadata. The databases shall be provided in a form that allows for additions and revisions by NIST.

5 DELIVERABLES

Deliverable Associated Task/Subtask Description Quantity/Media Projected

Completion Date 1 4.1.1 Meeting agenda and meeting summary

MS Word/Email Not more than 15 business days after task order award.

2 4.1.2 Project work plan MS Word Not more than 10 business days after kick off meeting.

3 4.1.3 Monthly meeting agendas and Monthly reports

MS Word/Email

Monthly for project duration.

4 4.2 Finalized list of metrics for data collection

MS Excel Not more than 160 business days after task order award.

5 4.3.1 Progress reports on data collection

MS Word/Email

Monthly for project duration.

6 4.3.2 Database (MS Access), raw database files (.txt, .csv), and geodatabase (.gdb) data file (MS Access, .csv, .txt, and ArcGIS .gdb)

Not more than 300 business days after task order award.

7 4.3.3 Finalized database files and metadata data file (.csv, .txt, .xls)

Not more than 360 business days after task order award.

All deliverables shall be provided to the COR and to the NIST task lead. All materials shall be submitted to NIST via electronic submission, ideally using Google Drive.

6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Material, Equipment, or Information (GFP, GFM, GFE, or GFI) Information furnished by the government will include 1) time points and geographies for data collection;

2) format for data compilation; 3) metadata standard and recommended format for entry; and 3) technical guidance on identification of relevant metrics, compiling data from existing data sources and formatting data files to support analysis. No government furnished property, material, or equipment will be provided.

7.0 Security

Some work shall be performed at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Therefore, contractor personnel will be required to obtain NIST identification.

8.0 Key Personnel

The contractor shall assign at minimum key personnel for the positions identified below. Contractor Key Personnel shall meet the following minimum qualifications for each of the respective required key personnel positions.

Program Manager Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university in Engineering, Science, Mathematics or other related field.

Minimum/General Experience: This position requires a minimum of 10 years general project management experience, of which at least 5 is managing similar work than that contemplated in this solicitation.

Social Scientist Technical Level III Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university in Arts, Engineering, Science or other related field.

Minimum Experience: 10 years, of which 7 years is specialized in a specific field.

Geographic Information Specialist Technical Level IV Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Computer Science, Geographic Information Systems, Science, Mathematics or other related field.

Minimum Experience: 20 years, of which 15 years is specialized in the specific field.

Computer Database Manager Technical Level II Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university in Engineering, Computer Science, Science, Mathematics or other related field.

Minimum Experience: 5 years, of which 2 years is specialized in a specific field.

Civil Engineer Technical Level IV Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Science, Mathematics or other related field.

Minimum Experience: 20 years, of which 15 years is specialized in the specific field.

Structural Engineer Technical Level IV Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Science, Mathematics or other related field.

Minimum Experience: 20 years, of which 15 years is specialized in the specific field.

9.0 Travel

Local and domestic travel for one 1-day meeting at NIST is required. No other travel is expected. All travel costs will be paid in accordance with Federal Travel Regulation and all travel engagements shall be approved by the NIST COR prior to occurrence.

10.0 Invoicing

NIST requests the billing to be within 60 days, but the contractor should inform NIST if the billing will occur more than 60 days after the labor or travel has been completed.

11.0 Place of Performance

The primary place of performance will be at the contractor’s facility.

12.0 Period of Performance

The period of performance will consist of one 12-month period from the date of award.

13.0 Risk Levels

The work to be performed under this contract is Non-IT Low Risk.