SOW_Communications.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Strategic Communications Support and Media Placement for the National Women’s Business Council

Location of Work: To be completed by the contractor off-site (not at SBA headquarters)

Time to Complete the Work:

Base Period: 6/1/2017 through 8/31/2017 Option Period 1: 09/01/2017 through 11/30/2017 Option Period 2: 12/01/2017 through 02/28/2018 Option Period 3: 03/01/2018 through 05/31/2018

Clearance Required: None

1.0 BACKGROUND

The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) is a nonpartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of impact and importance to women business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs. The NWBC was established via the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988 (HR. 5050), a landmark piece of legislation that eliminated individual state laws that required women to have a male relative cosign a business loan. Throughout the years, the NWBC has brought together women business owners and leaders, policymakers, bankers and investors, representatives of women’s business organizations and other stakeholders to identify the unique challenges facing women in business and to formulate potential solutions. It is the Council’s job to equip the nation’s decision makers, public and private, with policy recommendations that will impact and improve the business climate for women in our country. We do this by producing best-in-class research on the most relevant issues facing current and aspiring women business owners and leaders. Our hope is to use compelling and rigorous research to incite action and build bridges to support women’s entrepreneurial ambitions and endeavors.

The Council’s deliverables include research products, quarterly public meetings, engagement events, and an annual report with findings and policy recommendations for increasing, influencing, and supporting the women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Council’s Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2016 – United We Thrive: Sustaining Our Momentum in Public and Private Arenas – is available online at https://www.nwbc.gov/research/united-we-thrive-sustaining-our-momentum-public-and-private-arenas.

As evidenced by the numbers, women’s entrepreneurship has evolved from a growing trend to an integral source of innovation, as well as economic and job growth in this country. The Council is proud to represent the collective voices of women entrepreneurs.

Together, with you, we are building on the momentum of this growing body of women entrepreneurs.

https://www.nwbc.gov/research/united-we-thrive-sustaining-our-momentum-public-and-private-arenas https://www.nwbc.gov/research/united-we-thrive-sustaining-our-momentum-public-and-private-arenas

2.0 OBJECTIVE

The National Women’s Business Council –our research and Council Members –should be at the core of the growing conversation on women and entrepreneurship. The Council is interested in impacting the broader dialogue on entrepreneurship, elevating our profile through our combination of expertise and research, and influencing key stakeholders. The purpose of this contract is to accelerate the Council’s momentum, broaden the Council’s media footprint, and expand the Council’s stakeholders, with strategic, frequent, and regular exposure in relevant print, digital, and television media outlets, and other earned media opportunities in both traditional and nontraditional spaces.

Through this solicitation, the Council seeks a seasoned media relations and/or communications firm with brand management and strategic communications planning experience; a strong track record of performance, media relationships; and an awareness of, or ability to learn quickly, the national media and policy context for women business owners would excel as a partner of the Council. The firm should also be an exceptional executor and do-er, employ the practice of thinking outside of the box, and provide innovative approaches to deliver on the ideas and/or directions of the Council. The Council is looking for an innovative and creative partner.

The Council’s goals in contracting include:

• Communicate and elevate the Council’s actionable and best-in-class research findings, products, and recommendations on issues of impact and importance to women business owners and leaders.

• Leverage the Council Members, themselves, and engage the diverse set of stakeholders – policy makers in Congress, the White House and the SBA, and the field’s individuals, including both women business owners and women’s business organizations. Given the strength of diversity in geography, industry, age, race/ethnicity, business stage, and business aspiration, all Council Members and staff should be utilized frequently and accordingly for their thought leadership as experts, spokespersons, and/or commentators.

• Promote the Council’s engagement events and public meetings each year. With respect to the public meetings, traditionally, two of these meetings have been held via web conference; and two have been held in-person. [Note: this is subject to change, but there will be no more than four public meetings a year.] Engagement events are determined by the Council’s priorities and policy agendas and happen once or twice a month (level of desire to amplify these events varies, depending on the type.)_Travel is not required by the contractor, but the contractor is expected to connect Council with local media outlets.

• Utilize relevant media, institutional and other opportunities throughout the year by preparing talking points and statements as needed based. These opportunities could surface through currents events, or platforms such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Small Business Week, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Women’s Small Business Month, and Small Business Saturday, etc..

• Impact the broader narrative on entrepreneurship – penetrating the media with coverage of the issues, commentary & thought leadership, sharing of data, and stories of women entrepreneurs, small business owners and leaders.

The National Women’s Business Council is poised to be a go-to resource on issues of impact and importance to women business owners, and to drive the conversation forward.

Whether it’s a speech or an op-ed, a blog post or an interview – our delivery needs to show clarity, simplicity and passion.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor will report to the Council’s Marketing and Engagement Manager and work closely with the Executive Director and the Communications Committee. Through execution of deliverables, the Council expects the contractor to be a thought partner and take initiative to recommend strategy. In performance of this contract, the contractor shall be tasked to perform the following services:

3.1 Project Management

The Contractor shall provide an initial kick-off meeting, a Project Management Plan (PMP), and shall communicate with the NWBC progress and results throughout a monthly basis. During the initial kick-off meeting, metrics on effectiveness and success on outreach efforts will be determined.

Deliverables:

• Kick-off meeting within ten (10) business days from date of award in person.

• Initial Project Management Plan (PMP) provided one (1) day in advance of kick-off meeting

• Revised PMP submitted for PM and COR approval within five (5) business days of Kick-Off Meeting. (If applicable)

• Biweekly briefing, plus communication as needed, with NWBC team on actionable media items of interest.

• Weekly tracking of media mentions of NWBC and Council Members.

• Monthly status report summarizing all work accomplishes and status of deliverables to be submitted, including updated press list from our engagement.

This should also include metrics for that month.

3.2 Communications strategy & media outreach implementation plan The Contractor shall develop a comprehensive, integrated communications and media placement strategy for implementation with clear recommendations for how to best engage the women entrepreneur community, stakeholders, and media covering a broad range of mechanisms including: social media, women’s business community outreach, business leader/expert outreach, and traditional and nontraditional media outreach.

Deliverables:

• A comprehensive and integrated communication and media outreach strategy and implementation plan for 2017, including audience-specific messaging, communications objectives/strategies/tactics, and timeline for their execution within fourteen (14) business days of kick-off meeting.

• Monthly communications messaging calendar with implementation plan for earned media, interviews, speaking engagements, and social media outreach, traditional and nontraditional exposure, etc. on a monthly basis in accordance to overall strategy.

• Ongoing thought leadership that creates opportunities for the Council to share new insights and makes ideas come to life to assure the Council’s work leads the news on women’s entrepreneurship.

3.3 Media outreach, tracking, placements and briefings

The Contractor shall create communications messages that cover research projects and subject matter areas of critical importance and impact to women entrepreneurs and business owners. The contractor shall analyze topical issues and formulate messaging that corresponds to and highlights the NWBC mission, research, products and policy recommendations.

Deliverables:

• Media placements, speaking opportunities, and/or engagement opportunities for NWBC’s campaign/outreach efforts in local and national and traditional and nontraditional outlets based on communications calendar and as needed.

• Written press releases and other communications materials as relevant for placement of media coverage, and distribution of said content via Cision, PRNewswire or other similar service.

• Talking points and statements as needed based on currents events.

• Coordination of all interview requests including scheduling, organizing and preparing briefing materials and following up with interviewers by correspondence.

• Preparation of communication materials for Council Members and staff for speeches and interviews.

• Regularly updated and relevant press lists and/or database from media outlets that have covered small business and women’s business issues and should be covering the NWBC’s work.

• Regular media tracking of relevant news articles and events to NWBC mission and women entrepreneurs with weekly report-out

3.4 Digital Platform

The Contractor shall assess the NWBC’s use of digital media platform and provide recommendations as thought partner for digital campaigns.

Deliverables:

• Assessment of NWBC’s use of digital media platforms in a form of a written report

• Social media content relevant to individual campaigns, as needed.

3.5 Public Meeting and Engagement Support

The Contractor shall promote the Council’s engagement and public meetings each year.

Two of these meetings are held via web conference; two are held in-person. Travel is not required by contractor, but the contractor is expected to connect Council with local media outlets.

Deliverables:

• Media outreach during lead-up to local events and engage local press in our public meetings or to interview Council Members.

• Engagement with national and local outlets when needed during research releases and engagement activities.

The contractor shall invoice the NWBC for the strategic plan deliverable, and then for servicing, implementation, and execution on a monthly basis. If time required is in excess of the monthly project fee, the contractor shall communicate to the NWBC in advance.

Inspection and Acceptance Criteria Inspection and acceptance of deliverables shall be performed by the NWBC Project Manager/COR.

All interim deliverables must meet a 95 percent completion rate and AQL standards below. Incomplete documents will receive an automatic 6 percentage point reduction causing automatic rejection. All interim and final deliverables must be copy edited and are subject to the minimum acceptable quality level (AQL) of “excellent.” Items subject for review are: spelling, grammar, organization, and content. Additional quality level will be determined based on response and incorporation of feedback, innovation, and deadlines/timeliness. Final products must meet “excellent” criteria of little to no error.

All deliverables, such as PDF files, video footage, CD-ROMs that contain HTML, PDF or word processor, shall be 508 compliant. More information may be found at http://www.section508.gov/.

The contractor is expected to work with the NWBC on line and draft edits as deemed necessary by the NWBC. All deliverables that do not fully incorporate NWBC edits and feedback are subject to rejection. Deliverables that do not meet the AQL of “excellent” are subject to rejection and must be revised and resubmitted to the NWBC within two business weeks. As discussed, excellent will refer to deliverables that are 95 percent compete with proper grammar, formatting, presentation of information, and incorporation of the COR feedback. Rejection could result in delays of the deliverable timeline or additional costs which is the sole responsibility of the contractor to rectify within the firm-fixed price cost and contractual timeline. The NWBC is not responsible for additional costs accrued due to timeline delays or products that do not meet AQL standards. If additional drafts and edits are required due to not meeting AQL standards by offeror and therefore exceed the original draft or edits agreed upon, the government shall not be charged more for an excess number of edits and or drafts

Incentive/Disincentive: After review by COR, if deliverables do not meet AQL standards 0.1% deduction from invoice of the amount of the active period of award (i.e. base or option period) but not to exceed $2,000.00. Deduction shall occur each time the deliverable or product submitted is determined to be less than 99% quality by the COR and also each day the deliverable is late (i.e. if late and unacceptable 0.1% http://www.section508.gov/

+ 0.1% =0.2%). The deductions will occur as follows: 2% off for grammar, punctuation, and syntax, 1% off formatting, 2% for inaccurate representation of Council’s mission and/or priorities, 1% ineffective incorporation and feedback.

The contractor’s monthly work status report shall be submitted electronically in written form, in a format to be determined by the contractor. It shall be submitted to the COR and as an attachment to each invoice. It shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:

• Work performed by the contractor detailed to the appropriate work package by task;

• Identification of in-process deliverables and the status, including reflecting the number of earned media list;

• Summary of planned activities for the succeeding period; and

• Key revising to strategy and proposals for alternative approaches as necessary.

Notice Regarding Late Delivery/Delayed Performance The contractor will immediately notify the Contracting Officer (CO) in writing in the event the contractor encounters difficulty in performance by giving pertinent details, including the date by which it expects to complete performance or make delivery. The notification will be informal only in character and will not be construed as a waiver by the Government of any contractual delivery schedule or date, or any rights or remedies provided by law or under this effort.

4.0 ADDITIONAL

TRAVEL

Kick-off meeting should be done in person ten (10) days after effective award start date.

The kick-off meeting may be conducted via conference call. No travel is anticipated.

OTHER DIRECT COSTS

The government will pay no costs beyond that of the agreed firm fixed price contract.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES:

No government furnished property or services will be provided to the contractor.

SECURITY

The contractor personnel are required to sign and comply with a nondisclosure agreement. The CO retains the right to request removal of contractor personnel, regardless of prior clearance or adjudication status, whose actions while assigned to this contract clearly conflict with the interests of the Government. The reason for removal will be fully documented in writing by the CO. When and if such removal occurs, the contractor will, within 30 days, assign qualified personnel to any vacancies thus created.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality is a very important aspect of the Council’s activities. The contractor should respect and abide by the confidential nature of the work.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Work will primarily be performed at the Contractor’s offices.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE CONSIDERATIONS

Contract Management – The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor personnel, as well as subcontractor efforts used in performance of this contract. The Contractor’s management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure the accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the statement of work. Resumes submitted for employees assigned to perform under this statement of work shall contain documented experience directly applicable to the functions to be performed. Further, these prior work experiences shall be specific and of sufficient variety and duration that the employee is able to perform, effectively and efficiently, the functions assigned.

Changes in Contract Team – Contractors must seek prior written approval from the contracting officer and COR before any changes are implemented among the key personnel and other staff listed in the proposal. Individuals that the contractor proposes to use as replacements for those listed in the proposal shall satisfy the personnel experience requirements contained in the solicitation and the contractor must provide resumes for each proposed replacement as part of its request for prior written approval.

5.0 INVOICING

INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS:

When submitting invoice(s), the following information is required on every invoice:

-Business Name and Address -Business DUNS -Invoice Date -Invoice Number -Contract/Purchase Order Number

- Requisition Number -Amount Billed for Specified Work Accomplished

- Total Contract Value

- Cumulative Billed

- Narrative of Performance Sufficient to Justify the Invoice

FAILURE TO CITE THIS INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN NON-PAYMENT OF

INVOICE.

Partial Payments are permitted and invoices shall not be submitted more than monthly.

Payments on invoices shall be based on deliverables provided in accordance with the attached Statement of Work (SOW).

The final invoice for this contract/order (base and any options), shall be distinctly marked on its face as “FINAL INVOICE” and signed by the contractor. This final signed invoice will serve as a Release of Claims. An extra signature field for the signature of the Contractor Officer will also be required.