Oppts Contract Support Group, Environmental Protection Agency, Fairchild Building -- 7th Floor, 499 S. Capitol Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024

R -- PLANNING, DESIGN AND FACILITATION SUPPORT FOR A FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH PROTECTION SOL A10057 DUE 071797 POC Felicia M. Williams WEB: http://www.epa.gov/oam/hpod, http://www.epa.gov/oam/hpod. E-MAIL: NOT ABAILABLE, williams.feliciam@epamail.epa.gov. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a request for proposal for services to which the Government intends to award a firm fixed price contract using the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR Part 13. The EPA is FACNET certified. Any contractor/vendor able to meet requirement must demonstrate in writing by closing date. This notice is intended for competitive purposes. You may E-mail the contracting officer at williams.feliciam@epamail.epa.gov. Please include the following: Company Name; Address; Phone Number; Business Class; and Email Address. NO PHONE CALLS ACCEPTED. All questions must be addressed in writing and will be answered in writing. Award will be made to the firm whose offer provides the greatest value to the Government, price, quality and delivery performance considered. Award may be based on lowest overall evaluated cost. Preference will be given to small business. Two copies of all proposals, for the following statement of work, should be delivered to the followingaddress, (fax/e-mail copies will not be accepted): US EPA; 401 M Street, SW; Mail Code 3803F; Washington, DC 20460 Attn: Felicia M. Williams -- HANDCARRY TO: 499 South Capitol Street, SW; Fairchild Building -- 3rd Floor; Washington, DC 20460; Attn: Felicia M. Williams Due Date: July 17, 1997; -- 2:30pm EST (Any proposal received after the due date will not be considered or opened.) Additional information, e.g., RFQ and Statement of Work can be found at: www.epa.gov/oam/hpod. NO OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. Statement of Work OBJECTIVES: Provide support in the planning, design and facilitation of the startup phase of a new Federal Advisory Committee on Children's Health Protection by convening and facilitating three stakeholder meetings. Encourage broad-based stakeholder involvement in identifying significant existing EPA regulations that merit re-evaluation in order to better protect the health of the nation's children; developing risk assessment guidance targetted to the unique vulnerabilites of children; and developing effective community outreach and community right-to-know tools. BACKGROUND: In November, 1995, Administrator Browner issued a policy requiring EPA to consistently and explicitly evaluate environmental risks of infants and children in all risk assessments, risk characterizations, and environmental and public health standards that are set for the nation. Further, in September, 1996, the EPA published a report entitled "Environmental Threats to Children" that established a national agenda to protect children's health from environmental threats. The goals and objectives of the Federal Advisory Committee on Children's Health Protection are embodied in these documents, and in the recent Executive Order on Children's Health issued by President Clinton on April 21, 1997. This latter Order requires a concerted effort on the part of Federal Departments and independent agencies to institutionalize changes in their rulemaking process and research planning to protect children's health. EPA's recent experience with reinvention initiatives such as the Common Sense Initiative Program and Project XL have confirmed that grassroots community networks and Environmental Justice communities want meaningful involvement in the development of EPA strategies, policies and regulations. This is true especially when the environmental issue "hits close to home" and has immediate significance for people's lives. Children's health certainly falls into this category. The regulated community and national environmental organizations have historically had access to the EPA, however, it is harder for ordinary citizens to access and understand the regulatory development and other operations of the Agency. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) provides a rigorous and open opportunity for citizen involvement. Further, a consensus approach will avoid costly duplication and confusion among Federal, State, and privte and public sector interest groups, and should minimize the possibility of challenge in thecourts. A consensus approach will provide the type of cooperation, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness exemplified in the concept of reinventing government. Therefore, the EPA is establishing a Federal Advisory Committee on Children's Health Protection (CHPAC). The CHPAC will be asked to reach consensus and advise the Agency in the following areas: 1. Ensure that all stndards EPA sets are protective enough to address the potentially heightened risks faced by children and that the most significant current standards are re-evaluated as we learn more. 2. Identify and expand scientific research opportunities on child-specific susceptibility and exposure to environmental pollutants so that the best information can be employed in developing protections for children. 3. Develop new policies to address cumulative and simultaneous exposures faced by children. 4. Build on the dramatic results of the current Community Right-To-Know Law by working with the Clinton Administration on the Family Right-To-KnowInitiative. 5. Provide parents, teachers and community leaders with the information they need to help protect children from hazards of environmental pollutants. 6. Expand educational efforts in partnership with health and environmental professionals to identify, prvent, and reduce environmental health threats. SCOPE OF WORK The Federal Advisory Committee on Children's Health will provide a forum and information needed to enable the Agency to move forward with implementation of its Agenda on Children's Health and of the Executive Order. It will consist of (1) convening a broad-based and balanced stakeholder group, and (2) a series of planned and facilitated events involving approximately 25 stakeholders. this effort will require a substantial investment of Federal resources (time and dollars.) To ensure that thoseresources are deployed efectively and efficiently, it is imperative that advance planning and design work begin immediately to promote overall coordination and direction of several different events and actions occurring in different parts of the EPA organization/Federal government. The contractor shall work with the Office of Children's Health Protection personnel on a series of activities leading to a preliminary joint workplan for convening and facilitating the CHPAC to address regulations, research strategies, and community outreach. The workplan will address the initial convening of stakeholders and up to three FACA meetings that will occur between early November, 1997, and mid-April, 1998. Consequently, this workplan will serve as the framework for the CHPAC agenda and discussions. 7. DELINEATION OF CONTRACTOR TASKS TO BE PROVIDED EPA will provide the ontractor with all desig specifications prior to initiating any of the tasks described below. TASK A: Convening a Stakeholder Group for the FACA The contractor will develop a list of potential participants inluding but not limited to the following categories: -- public health practitioners -- researchers -- national environmental organizations -- grassroots environmental networks -- citizen activists -- petrochemical industry -- agricultural industry -- State and Local governments -- Environmental Justice Community representatives -- Health and Human Services Department The contractor will rely on its own lists of potential stakeholders and on names referred by the Office of Children's Health Protection. It will provide convening expertise through objective selection criteria, interviewing and vetting of potential participants. Deliverable: Recommendations regarding the groups to be represented in the CHPAC, including a list of potential individual stakeholders. TASK B: Coordination with EPA (OCHP) The contractor will meet with EPA (OCHP) to help plan the framework for the CHPAC which will include the most effective approaches to obtain consensus and move the discussion forward, especially in a climate of highly charged and polarized attitudes toward environmental issues. It will advise OCHP on operating principles for the group, and on structuring our meeting agendas so that the CHPAC is focussed on those specific important issues on which EPA is seeking consensus advice. This advice will include recommendations on siting, logistics, and format. Deliverable: Workplan for achieving consensus TASK C: Facilitating up to three meetings of the CHPAC between early November, 1997, and mid-April, 1998 The contractor will facilitate the CHPAC by providing expertise at bringing a stakeholder group to consensus on a series of environmental issues. It can expect a significant amount of polarization among stakeholders. The contractor will also be asked to facilitate subcommittee or workgroup meetings and conference calls that are determined to be necessary by the Committee Co-Chairs. Deliverable: Facilitating up to three Advisory Committee meetings and subcommittee/workgroup meetings or conference calls as required. TRAVEL The contractor shall include in the proposed workplan provisions to allow for travel to meet and work with EPA personnel at EPA Headquarters at 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. All CHPAC meetings are proposed to occur in the Washington D.C. metro area. Evaluation Criteria: 1. The Contractor must be familiar and conversant with Environmental Issues, particularly issues related to children's unique vulnerabilities to environmental toxins, such as endocrine disruptors and pesticides in the diet. 2. The Contractor must have extensive experience in successfully planning and facilitating multi-stakeholder Federal Advisory Committees composed of representatives with divergent and polarized views on Environmental Issues. 3. The Contractor must have extensive experience in convening a Federal Advisory Committee, including the ability to draw on lists of potential stakeholders from industry, national environmental organizations, grassroots citizen networks, academia, state and local governments, other Federal Agencies, the public health community,and environmental justice organizations. 4. The Contractor must have sufficient staff to interview, vet, and recommend potential participants to EPA so that the FACA is in place by late September, 1997. Staff must also be available for consultation with EPA throughout the planning phase of the FACA. 5. The Contractor must be perceived as a "neutral" facilitator by FACA members, without policy positions, official views, and a preconceived agenda on the subject of children's health. (0177)

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