SOO 0316 CON OCE Taking Partnerships to the Next Level III 080124.pdf

ASSESSING AND BUILDING COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY TO ELEVATE PARTNERSHIPS

IN THE US FOREST SERVICE, SOUTHWESTERN REGION

Statement of Objectives

Professional Services (Collaboration and Facilitation)

Contractor shall develop Performance Work Statement based on stated objectives.

Duration: (Base year + 4)

Contract (Invoice) type = Hours worked

Award = Price + Technically Acceptable Proposal (see salient characteristics).

The Contractor must meet the salient characteristics and have an active SAM profile to be considered technically acceptable. The technical rating will be on a pass/fail basis. Final award will go to the Contractor that is technically acceptable and has the lowest price.

There are dozens of [conservation, watershed, restoration, & outdoor recreation] collaboratives across US Forest Service, Southwestern Region. Many are place-based and anchored by National Forest lands. The contractor will use an equitable and balanced process to assess collaborative capacity and collaborative activity across the US Forest Service, Southwestern Region (Region 3) and will increase collaborative capacity by implementing this Statement of Objectives.

There are dozens of [conservation, watershed, restoration, & outdoor recreation] collaboratives across US Forest Service, Southwestern Region. Many are place-based and anchored by National Forest lands. The contractor will use an equitable and balanced process to assess collaborative capacity and collaborative activity across the US Forest Service, Southwestern Region (Region 3) and will increase collaborative capacity by implementing this Statement of Objectives.

Purpose: Caring for the Land and Serving People

1) Assess existing collaboration strategies and collaborative effort in US Forest Service, Southwestern (Region 3)

2) Use assessment findings to Take Partnerships to the Next Level increasing collaborative capacity across Region 3 and expanding regional effectiveness in partnering, collaborating, convening, facilitating, and leading, to achieve the Agency’s multiple-use mission.

Objectives (These are not pay items):

1) Leadership and Innovation. Revise and update Region 3 collaboration strategy “Taking

Partnerships to the Next Level” and build additional collaborative capacity in Region 3.

2) Assessment. Assess current state of collaborative capacity and activity across the

Southwestern Region. For collaborative activity, develop descriptions of current collaborative activity, including its purpose, governance structure, stakeholder makeup, successes and challenges, and any unrealized opportunities.

3) Convening: In partnership with Region 3, co-convene a regional southwestern collaborative networking summit, composed of regional collaboration leaders and practitioners, focusing on peer-to-peer sharing of effective practices and discussion on common challenges, themes, and topics. Findings from the collaborative capacity assessment should be a subject, influencing the summit’s themes and agendas.

4) Capacity Building Mini-Grants (Strategic Support and Consultation Fund): Up to $5000 ea.

in value to provide critical process support. Contractor to assist individual units with unlocking collaborative potential and opportunity by providing process support to nascent and existing collaboratives, developing implementable processes and strategies, performing stakeholder assessments, structuring new collaboratives, recommending governance structures, and/or making site visits to improve collaborative effectiveness.

Funds can also pay for site visits by collaboration professionals, to meet with local partners and Forest Service Staff.

5) Reaching historically underserved and underrepresented communities and partners: The Southwestern Region is particularly interested in utilizing this contract to reach historically underserved and underrepresented communities and partners. When practicable, the contractor shall expand existing networks and collaborative groups and identify and engage interested underserved or underrepresented partners through program design and networking.

6) Training: Develop and deliver basic and intermediate facilitation and collaboration training in support of increasing collaborative capacity and culture across the region;

Develop roster of trained facilitation providers, including forest service staff.

7) Conservation Finance: Where practicable, develop multi-partner funding streams to sustain individual collaboratives and priority project work and generate shared outcomes, shared leadership, and shared ownership.

Variability in collaborative activity:

Collaboration can be defined as simply as working with others to produce something.

However, collaboration looks very different from place to place, across Region 3, with no two collaborative efforts being the same. Geography, community makeup, local need, and interest all influence collaborative purpose, culture, structure, and outcomes. In some places, there are well-established, long-running collaboratives that operate under by-laws and charters, providing coordinated multi-stakeholder input on federal forestlands. In other places, collaboration may be more informal, representing loosely coordinated networks of professionals and community members discussing best practices and experience, volunteering and sharing their ideas and time on projects associated with the US Forest Service.

Required Documents:

1) Assessment Summary and Recommendations,

2) Semi-annual Accomplishment Summary [at invoicing],

3) End of Contract Summary, Note- Due dates and timelines will be developed with contractor upon award.

Other Documents:

Throughout the contract, it may also be necessary for the contractor to develop draft, edit, or review for Region 3, governance documents, stakeholder assessments, processes, agendas, notes, notices, briefings, emails, invitations, social media posts or other online posts or updates.

Salient Qualifications of Contractor

1) Contractor and employees shall be based within Region 3.

2) Contractor must be able to demonstrate 10-years of successful collaborative development and capacity building, including developing collaborative visions, goals, priorities, and outcomes, resolving stakeholder conflicts, catalyzing, and organizing stakeholder action, and developing strategic pathways to successful accomplishment of priority project work, in Region 3.

3) Contractor shall have an existing professional network and rapport with government, NGO, and individual stakeholders throughout Region 3.

4) Contractor must specialize collaboration focused on conservation or natural resource management

5) Facilitators must have 5 years of work experience in Natural Resource disciplines, such as, but not limited to, Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Outdoor Recreation, Environmental Sciences or Planning

Contractor shall:

1) Develop a Performance Work Statement based on stated objectives, 1-7.

2) Provide their own office supplies and meeting materials

3) Help find meeting spaces

4) Invoice at least semi-annually

5) Arrange their own travel

6) Abide by per diem rates published by the U.S. General Services Administration

7) Invoice employee wages at 50% of actual pay rate during travel status

Building on previous work:

Taking Partnerships to the Next Level started in 2017. Contractor shall continue this work in Region 3.

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