SOW NEHRP Management Plan Final.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAFT NEHRP MANAGEMENT PLAN

BACKGROUND

Congress first authorized the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP, or Program) in 1977 in the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act (EHRA) (42 U.S.C. § 7702) to “reduce the risks of life and property from future earthquakes in the United States.” NEHRP was last reauthorized in December of 2018 by Public Law 115-

307. NEHRP is a coordinating effort for earthquake monitoring, research, implementation, education, and outreach activities developed and conducted by four agencies. These agencies are:

• the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);

• the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST);

• the National Science Foundation (NSF); and

• the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

NIST is the lead agency for NEHRP and as such is responsible for planning and coordinating the Program. To meet this statutory role, NIST houses the NEHRP Office.

NEHRP is overseen by the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, which is composed of the principals of the four NEHRP agencies, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The ICC is responsible by the EHRA to periodically update the NEHRP Strategic Plan, which was recently updated for fiscal years (FY) 2022-2029 (reference a), and develop a NEHRP Management Plan, which outlines implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Prior to the publication of the NEHRP Strategic Plan for FY2022-2029, there were two strategic plans published:

• FEMA 383: Expanding and Using Knowledge to Reduce Earthquake Losses:

Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, 2001- 2005 (2003), reference b.

• Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, FY2009- 2013 (2008), reference c.

To date, an explicit NEHRP Management Plan has not been developed. However, there are several publications, in addition to the previously listed strategic plans, that compositely could represent the concepts of a management plan, including aspirational concepts to strengthen and extend NEHRP. A few of these publications are as follows, but not limited to:

• National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, Five Year Plan for 1989-1993;

• Strategy for National Earthquake Loss Reduction (April 1996);

• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute titled Securing Society Against

Earthquake Losses—A Research and Outreach Plan in Earthquake Engineering (2003);

• The Plan to Coordinate NEHRP Post-Earthquake Investigations, USGS Circular 1242 (2003) and any future update;

• National Research Council (NRC) 2011 National Earthquake Resilience:

Research, Implementation, and Outreach;

• Earthquakes: Additional Actions Needed to Identify and Mitigate Risks to Federal Buildings and Implement an Early Warning System, GAO-16-680 (2016);

• Earthquakes: Progress Made to Implement Early Warning System, but Actions Needed to Improve Program Management, GAO-21-129 (2021); and

• Earthquakes: Opportunities Exist to Further Assess Risk, Build Resilience, and Communicate Research, GAO-22-105016 (2022).

• Biennial ACEHR reports since 2015.

OBJECTIVE

NIST requires Contractor support to develop a comprehensive, concise draft NEHRP Management Plan that aligns with the newly published NEHRP Strategic Plan for FY2022-2029 (reference a). This requirement is divided into three phases, a base phase and two optional phases that can be funded at Government discretion if and when needed.

Although fiscal years are identified in the Strategic Plan, the goal is that the strategy outlined will stay constant; the one component that is expected to change over time is the focus areas. This assumes that future reauthorizations will not significantly impact the programmatic scope outlined in the EHRA. As such, it is envisioned that this Management Plan will similarly be constant, and not require updating unless legislation changes. This Management Plan shall not be a roadmap of programmatic activities the Program agencies should conduct but of how the strategic goals and objectives are implemented to support the stated mission.

In addition to implementing the Strategic Plan, this Management Plan shall address several other topics as follows:

1) What is NEHRP in terms of its roles and responsibilities, as well as those of the principal agencies? How is the Program managed, the management structure, and what groups are involved.

2) In describing the Program, what is the organization chart of the Program? What agency resources are currently available to support the strategic goals and objectives.

3) Development of a systematic methodology that results in a comprehensive, conclusive summary of several programmatic efforts occurring within a given cycle that can be used to support the development of the next NEHRP Strategic

Plan. This methodology could for example, happen over a ten-year cycle, and include the following:

a. Biennial NEHRP reports to Congress

b. Biennial ACEHR reports

c. Inclusion of repeating existing or new programmatic activities, such as the

FEMA annualized loss assessment reports and the development of national risk assessment; and

d. key stakeholder input from focused workshops on seismic needs and city seismic assessments, while addressing coordination with federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and stakeholders.

4) How does the Program define key demographics to support equity in its mission?

5) Development of a methodology to track and monitor efforts to support program focus areas.

6) Development of a communication strategy to address dissemination mechanisms to inform stakeholders of outcomes from NEHRP agency-funded activities.

7) Development of a methodology and associated metrics to systematically track and monitor progress of the cumulative programmatic activities against these metrics.

a. a continuous and repeatable methodology to systematically measure progress of the Program that includes gathering stakeholder input as to the impacts of such progress as well as research priorities that align with national needs.

8) Develop a brief snapshot of what other federal earthquake programs currently exist, whether by legislation or agency mission. What synergies may be explored to support inter-programmatic coordination with NEHRP? What other agencies should be included as secondary coordinating agencies?

9) Develop a conceptual framework for conducting a national risk assessment in response to GAO-22-105016 and previous ACEHR reports (since 2015). This can be included within Item 3 above. A cost estimate for conducting a national risk assessment shall be included by the Contractor.

TASK REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide the expertise and resources as appropriate to satisfy the requirements of this acquisition. This acquisition is composed of three phases with six interrelated tasks as identified below.

Phase 1 (Base Requirement):

Task 1 – Develop NEHRP Management Plan Project Team

The Contractor shall assemble a Project Team consisting of individuals that fully meet the salient characteristics described in this section. The Project Team shall consist of two components: 1) Project Technical Committee (PTC) and 2) NEHRP Program Coordinating Working Group (PCWG). The NIST Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) shall be the chair of the PCWG.

The Contractor shall appoint, with NIST concurrence, a Project Technical Director (PTD) who shall serve as the chair of the PTC and have overall responsibility for the project technical development. The PTD shall work with the NIST COR to optimize processes to inform and seek input from the PCWG. The Contractor shall appoint, with NIST concurrence, up to seven eminently qualified experts with significant experience in their field of expertise to form the PTC. The PTC shall include diverse subject matter experts in earthquake engineering, social science, emergency management, risk assessment, and management consulting. Any PTC member that is a current member of the NEHRP Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR) shall represent themselves and not ACEHR.

The PTD selection shall be made in consultation with the NIST COR. Selection of the remaining PTC members shall be made in consultation with the NIST COR and PTD.

The NIST COR will provide the names and roles of all PCWG members for this purchase order.

The Project Team shall be responsible for the technical quality and practical direction of the project, under the direction of the PTD. The PTC shall be responsible for reviewing project deliverables, providing advice and consultation throughout the project, and serving as a liaison to the PCWG through the NIST COR. All project deliverables shall be approved by the PTD prior to submission to the NIST COR for agency review and approval by the NIST COR.

The Contractor shall submit the proposed names of the PTD and the remaining PTC members to the NIST COR for approval. The NIST COR will engage the PCWG for reviewing and approving all submitted deliverables prior to providing NIST COR approval. Total agency review and approval time shall be no more than 30 days from date of submission.

Task 2 – Develop Project Work Plan

The Contractor shall develop a Project Work Plan (PWP) that fully meets the essential elements described in this section. The Contractor shall confer with the NIST COR to develop an outline for the investigation of necessary information. Based on this conference and the requirements of this Statement of Work (SOW), the Contractor shall develop a PWP that fulfills the following elements:

• Outlines the overall project performance strategy.

• Provides details of all milestones required for project completion.

• Ensures the PWP is fully compliant and consistent with stakeholder needs.

• PWP shall include the names of all members of the Project Team identified in

Task 1.

• All anticipated meetings, which shall be virtual. Meetings shall include 1) an initial kick-off meeting within 30 days of award, which all members of the Project Team shall attend, 2) at least one meeting per task at least days 30 prior to the submission deadline for that task, and 3) one post-review meeting per task after receipt of COR feedback. Only the Contractor Project Manager and the PTC are required to attend the meetings associated with items 2 and 3 of this bullet. The COR reserves the latitude to invite other participants to meetings.

The Contractor shall submit a draft PWP to the NIST COR for approval. The NIST COR will engage the PCWG for reviewing and approving all deliverables prior to providing NIST COR approval. Total agency review and approval time shall be no more than 30 days from date of submission. The Contractor shall submit a final PWP within 15 calendar days of receiving the NIST COR’s review comments.

Task 3 – Develop Outline for the NEHRP Management Plan

The project team (PTC in collaboration with the PCWG) shall develop an outline for the NEHRP Management Plan. A draft outline developed by the PCWG is included with this SOW and shall serve as the basis for development. All items discussed above in the Objective section of this SOW shall be considered for inclusion. The Contractor shall notify the NIST COR if any additional, necessary topics beyond those identified in this SOW are identified by the project team during formal project engagements. The Contractor, NIST COR, and NIST Contracting Officer will determine what steps are required to include any additional, necessary topics. Removing a topic identified in this SOW to address an additional, necessary topic is acceptable without Contracting Officer involvement given approval by the NIST COR.

The Contractor shall submit the outline to the NIST COR for approval. The NIST COR will engage the PCWG for reviewing and approving all deliverables prior to providing NIST COR approval. Total agency review and approval time shall be no more than 30 days from date of submission. The Contractor shall submit a final outline within 15 calendar days of receiving the NIST COR review comments.

Tasks A1-A3 - Quarterly Reporting Requirements (Base and Optional Requirement)

The Contractor shall provide written progress reports on a quarterly basis (first quarter starts October 1), in addition to the Deliverables cited above. The Contractor shall submit the progress report within 15 business days after the quarter ends. The progress report shall cover all contract-related activity, including, but not limited to, accomplishments, problems encountered, problem resolution, and any unresolved problems during the reporting period. Progress reports shall be submitted electronically via Email to the NIST COR and CO who will be identified at the time of contract award.

This Task shall continue in the optional Phases as Tasks A2 and A3, respectively, if the optional Phases are exercised.

Deliverable:

A1 – Phase 1 Quarterly reporting A2 – Phase 2 Quarterly reporting

A3 – Phase 3 Quarterly reporting

Phase 2 (Optional Requirement 1):

Task 4 – Conduct Literature Review of NEHRP-Relevant Material

The PTC shall perform an extensive literature review that meets the essential elements described herein. Specifically, the literature review shall consist of current and past NEHRP Strategic Plans and management guidelines, NEHRP-relevant reports, and those referenced within, published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) since 2010, and relevant guidance on developing interagency management plans, including those topics identified in Task 3 (e.g., strategic planning, performance management and measurement, program analysis, etc.). The review shall include those identified previously in the Background section of this document. For each source of information, the PTC shall write a bulleted summary, not to exceed one-half page, of the key components of the content of the source and its citation. All summaries shall be produced in a common format and shall be compiled in a form that is suitable for inclusion in the NEHRP Management plan if deemed needed. This summary shall serve as the basis for developing the needed content for the NEHRP Management Plan.

The Contractor shall submit the summary to the NIST COR for approval. Submittal shall be in Microsoft Word format. The NIST COR will engage the PCWG for reviewing and approving all deliverables prior to providing NIST COR approval. Total agency review and approval time shall be no more than 30 days from date of submission. The Contractor shall submit a final summary within 15 calendar days of receiving the NIST COR review comments.

Phase 3 (Optional Requirement 2):

Task 5 – Develop 50% Draft of the NEHRP Management Plan

The Contractor shall use the literature review conducted in Task 4 to produce a 50% draft of the NEHRP Management Plan based on the outline developed in Task 3.

The Contractor shall submit the 50% draft in MS Word to the NIST COR for approval.

Review submittal shall be in Microsoft Word format. The NIST COR will engage the PCWG for reviewing and approving all deliverables prior to providing NIST COR approval. Total agency review and approval time shall be no more than 30 days from date of submission.

Task 6 – Develop 100% Draft of the NEHRP Management Plan

The Contractor shall use review comments received, if any, from the PCWG in Task 5 to produce a 100% draft of the NEHRP Management Plan in MS Word.

The Contractor shall submit the 100% draft to the NIST COR for approval. Review submittal shall be in Microsoft Word format. The NIST COR will engage the PCWG for reviewing and approving all deliverables prior to providing NIST COR approval. Total agency review and approval time shall be no more than 30 days from date of submission.

After receipt of NIST COR review comments, the Contractor shall prepare the final version of the 100% draft NEHRP Management Plan and submit to the NIST COR in Microsoft Word format within 60 days.

Deliverables

Phase Task Number

Description Format Quantity Due Date

1 (base) 0 Kick-Off Meeting Virtual 1 30 days from award 1 Develop Project

Team Written 1 30 days from award

2 Develop Project Work Plan

Written 1 60 days from award

2A Final Project Work Plan

Written 1 15 days from receipt of COR feedback

3 Develop Outline for the NEHRP Management Plan

Written 1 5 months from award

3A Final Outline of the NEHRP Management Plan

Written 1 15 days from receipt of COR feedback

A1 Quarterly Reporting Written 1 15 days after end of quarter

2 (option 1) 4 Conduct Literature Review of NEHRP- Relevant Material, Provide Draft Documentation

Written 1 5 months from option exercise OR 8 months from base award, whichever comes later

4A Final Literature Review Documentation

Written 1 15 days from receipt of COR feedback

A2 Quarterly Reporting Written 1 15 days after end of quarter

3 (option 2) 5 Develop 50% Draft of the NEHRP Management Plan

Written 1 5 months from option exercise OR 11 months from base award, Phase Task Number

Description Format Quantity Due Date whichever comes later

6 Develop 100% Draft of the NEHRP Management Plan

Written 1 9 months from option exercise OR 15 months from base award, whichever comes later

6A Updated 100% Draft of the NEHRP Management Plan

Written 1 60 days after receipt of COR feedback

A3 Quarterly Reporting Written 2 15 days after end of each quarter

CONTRACT TYPE

This is a firm fixed price requirement.

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY, MATERIAL, EQUIPMENT, OR INFORMATION (GFP, GFM,

GFE, OR GFI)

No Government-furnished property is involved in this purchase order.

SECURITY

This work for this purchase order does not involve confidential or proprietary data. The certification and accreditation requirements of Clause 1352.239-73 do not apply and a security accreditation package is not required.

This requirement is determined to be Information Technology (IT) No-Risk and Non-IT No-Risk.

Media Inquiries: The Contractor shall not respond to any media inquiries. Any inquiries from the media shall be immediately relayed to the NIST COR and/or Contracting Officer (CO). There shall be no interviews, comments, or any other response without the knowledge and approval of the NIST COR.

TRAVEL

There shall be no travel required for any work supporting this purchase order, nor will any Contractor travel cost be reimbursed by the Government.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Place of Performance shall be at the Contractor’s work site/place of business.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The base period of performance shall be seven months from date of award. The requirement also contains to Options for Increased Quantity.

Optional Phases 2 and 3 may or may not be exercised at Government discretion in accordance with FAR 52.217-7: Option for Increased Quantity – Separately Priced Line Item. The optional phases may be exercised at any time throughout the Period of Performance.

Depending on date(s) of option exercise, if exercised, Phase 2 may extend the award by up to 7 months and Phase 3 may extend the award by up to 12 months, each as according to the due date details in the deliverables table above. If all options are exercised, the total award period of performance may be as short as 18 months or up to 25 months.

KEY PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

One (1) Project Manager (PM) is required as key personnel. The key personnel must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• 10 years of project management experience

Additionally, NIST prefers the key personnel have experience coordinating a project between multiple organizations. However, this is not a minimum requirement.

REFERENCES

a. Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, Fiscal Years 2022-2029, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2023.

https://www.nehrp.gov/pdf/FY2022-29%20NEHRP%20Strategic%20Plan%20- %20Post%20Version.pdf

b. Expanding and Using Knowledge to Reduce Earthquake Losses: Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, 2001-2005: FEMA 383, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2003.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-OTHER-PURL- FDLP662/pdf/GOVPUB-OTHER-PURL-FDLP662.pdf

c. Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, Fiscal Years 2009-2013, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2008.

https://nehrp.gov/pdf/strategic_plan_2008.pdf https://www.nehrp.gov/pdf/FY2022-29%20NEHRP%20Strategic%20Plan%20-%20Post%20Version.pdf https://www.nehrp.gov/pdf/FY2022-29%20NEHRP%20Strategic%20Plan%20-%20Post%20Version.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-OTHER-PURL-FDLP662/pdf/GOVPUB-OTHER-PURL-FDLP662.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-OTHER-PURL-FDLP662/pdf/GOVPUB-OTHER-PURL-FDLP662.pdf https://nehrp.gov/pdf/strategic_plan_2008.pdf