SOW - Formerly Incarcerated Motivational Speakers.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Formerly Incarcerated Motivational Speakers

Community Reentry Affairs Branch March 2021

BACKGROUND

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) mission is to protect society by confining individuals in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost efficient, appropriately secure, and provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist inmates and residents in becoming law-abiding citizens.

The Bureau is an agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ). It consists of 122 institutions throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico, 6 regional offices, a Central Office (headquarters), 2 staff training centers, and 26 Residential Reentry Management offices.

The Bureau is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 152,000 adult Federal offenders. Approximately 82 percent of these inmates are confined in Bureau-operated facilities, while the balance is confined in secure privately-managed or community-based facilities and local jails.

This Statement of Work (SOW) sets forth the contract performance requirements for the management and operation of the Formerly Incarcerated Motivational Speakers. The contractors will operate in a manner consistent with the mission of the Bureau.

The Reentry Services Division is the Bureau’s “face of reentry” which is comprised of the following branches: Community Reentry Affairs, Chaplaincy Services, Education Services, Women and Special Populations, Psychology Services, and Residential Reentry Management.

The branches work with other disciplines, agencies, and organizations to develop programs, resources, and activities designed to facilitate the successful reintegration of inmates into their communities upon release. These branches oversee the delivery of evidence-based programs to the inmate population designed to treat mental health conditions, improve skills, and prepare releasing inmates for successful community reintegration.

PURPOSE

The purpose is to obtain motivational speakers of formerly incarcerated men and/or women to perform speaking engagements to men and women currently incarcerated in one or more of 122 Federal Bureau of Prisons located nationwide.

Preference includes speakers who were incarcerated in Bureau of Prisons facilities and who completed evidence-based programs during their incarceration. Topics must include how the programs added value to their reentry. Motivational speakers must address their personal reentry challenges and how they overcame them by:

• applying pro-social skills learned in prison and/or in other reentry programs;

• developing a positive, prosocial network of friends and associates;

• changing negative attitudes connected with the criminal lifestyle; and

• overcoming other significant reentry barriers using skills learned from reentry programming.

The motivational speaking engagements must be sufficiently broad in scope to effectively meet the needs of a diverse inmate population including age, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual preference, physical abilities and religion.

SCOPE

The scope is to provide motivational speakers to address the inmate population who are currently housed in 122 federal institutions located across the United States. Specific institutions will be identified at a later date based on the needs of the institutions. A listing of institutions and locations may be viewed at WWW.BOP.GOV . Each motivational speaking session must be a minimum of 60 minutes and not to exceed 90 minutes in length. This does not include time for processing in and out of the institution. Ordinarily, overtime is not authorized. Administrative fees may be considered when excessive delays are due to circumstances outside of the contractor’s control.

The goal of the speaking engagements is to impart the speaker’s positive experience regarding institutional program and reentry successes. Understanding the speaker likely had positive and negative experiences while incarcerated, the presentation must focus on their positive experiences despite life’s challenges and barriers. Specific topics must be outlined, in writing, or documented via video recording, and submitted to the COR 15 business days prior to the scheduled engagement, for pre-approval before the session. The speaker must remain on topic as approved. Failure to do so may result in immediate removal from the institution.

Speakers must be dressed in clean and professional business or business casual attire. Prohibited attire includes jeans, sneakers, hoodies, open toed shoes, tank tops, sleeveless blouse/top/shirts, shorts, or any clothing that is sheer and see-through. Skirts and dresses are discouraged, but if worn, must be at or below the knee with legs covered by tights or stockings. Attire must fit properly (not too tight or too loose as determined by the institution staff). Dark green and khaki/tan clothing is not permitted.

http://www.bop.gov/

CONTRACTORS RESPONSIBILITY

The contractor must provide all speaking personnel, and handle all transportation, travel and lodging arrangements, and any other items or services necessary for performance of all aspects of the contract.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE INCLUDING TRAVEL/LODGING/CAR RENTAL/TAXI

The contractor may speak at one or more of 122 different institutions located nationwide as determined by the needs of the institutions.

Contractors may be required to conduct travel in the performance of this contract. The travel may include overnight lodging to accommodate the flight times, location of institutions and schedule of the institutions. All travel and lodging must be pre-approved, in writing, by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Any expenses incurred by contractor personnel without prior COR approval will be denied for payment. The contractor will be reimbursed for travel costs in accordance with Part 31 of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR).

Travel, lodging and car rental (Taxi or equivalent) must use the most cost effective and efficient means available for transportation and lodging. All travel should be scheduled in advance in order to take advantage of discounted rates. The contractor shall engage only the minimum number of travelers (no more than two), and vehicles needed to accomplish the task(s). Travel should be scheduled during normal business hours, (Monday – Friday from 7:30 am – 4:00 pm), whenever possible. Arrangements outside of normal business hours must be pre-approved in writing from the COR. For remote locations, one overnight stay and local transportation may be necessary. In these cases, arrangements and reservations must be made prior to arrival and pre-approved by the COR accordingly.

The contractor must submit a travel invoice within 5 business days upon the completion of travel.

The travel invoice must be submitted to the COR in accordance with the invoice clause or the timetable specified in the subject contract. The invoice must contain all required documentation, including receipts supporting the travel costs and evidence of the COR’s pre-authorization to travel. The documentation shall include the following information: traveler's name(s), purpose of travel, destination, Contract Number, Task Order Number, Contract Line Item Number (CLIN), name of Bureau staff official authorizing the travel, date of authorization and a breakdown of actual travel costs. If applicable, the travel cost breakdown for per diem shall include total number of travel days, lodging, miscellaneous and incidental expenses (including tolls, mileage, etc.), differential and allowances, with subtotals by category and a grand total. Vouchers and receipts shall be attached to invoices.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Period of Performance (POP) of one year (12 months) Base Period to successfully deliver the program goals with four Option Periods that can be exercised at the discretion of the Bureau.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall provide all information and services as detailed in this SOW to support the Bureau’s requirements. The Bureau’s requirements under this contract are:

• Provide a list of number of speakers available for speaking engagements. All must pass a criminal history background check. Anyone currently on probation must be approved by the probation officer. Not to exceed two speakers per engagement.

• Provide list of geographical areas or institutions willing to travel to perform speaking engagements. Speaking engagements will be assigned according to the areas indicated.

• Provide list of any family members or friends who are currently incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons including their register number, full name and location.

• Provide a minimum of 60 minutes and not to exceed 90 minutes presentations. This does not include in and out processing of the institution. Written outline or video required to support the presentation time. Outline must describe what the speakers will discuss in their presentations and how the needs of the inmates will be addressed.

• Indicate where and when the speakers served a federal or state sentence(s) or both.

• Include professional resume stating qualifications, education, training, affiliations, proof of at least one year of experience of post-release public speaking. Provide the locations of their past performances and professional references. Personal references are not accepted.

• Provide federal register number or state ID/registration number.

• Statement on how speakers will engage the audience to capture and maintain attention.

Due to varying levels of attention span and interests of the inmates when listening to formal presentations, speakers must utilize their time wisely (convey the message clearly and engage the inmates with interactive presentations). The speaker’s message must be positive, motivational, and focus the inmates on changing from within and spending their time while incarcerated to improve character and prepare for a successful reentry back into society.

• Statement on how speakers will relate to and engage a diverse population including age, race, cultural, ethnic, sexual preferences and other backgrounds. The message should relate to groups from diverse backgrounds (e.g., speakers of diverse races and ethnicities and having a motivational message that can reach different racial and ethnic groups).

• Statement on how speakers will encourage making positive changes in the lives of the audience.

• Statement on how speakers will apply their experience to discuss the importance of using their time to work on reentry strategies as well as any character issues in order to achieve individual success.

• Statement on refraining from discussing religion, politics and anything that is sexual in nature and otherwise deemed inappropriate.

• Describe how the speakers will garner feedback to make sure their presentations are relevant and on target.

• Describe in details your motivational message.

• All contractors must register with https://sam.gov/SAM

• In-person presentations are preferred, however circumstances may dictate the need for alternative methods of delivery including virtual presentations where equipment and technology allows. In rare cases, pre-recorded presentations may be approved by the COR as deemed necessary by the Bureau. Provide pricing for in-person sessions and virtual or pre-recorded sessions via WebEx or approved virtual platform.

• Provide a satisfaction survey form to be approved by the COR and used following each speaking engagement. Bureau staff will disseminate and collect the forms following the event. The Bureau will provide written feedback to the contractor within 10 working days of the event.

DELIVERABLES

The satisfaction survey form, approved by the COR, will be disseminated and collected by Bureau staff following each event. The Bureau will provide written feedback to the contractor within 10 working days of the event. The survey will be used to measure outcome based on delivery and topic. The results of the survey will be reviewed and feedback will be provided to the speakers to enhance future presentations.

Services of the Motivational Speakers will be received by one or more of the 122 Federal Bureau of Prisons located nationwide.