U -- RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Notice Date

December 22, 2000

Contracting Office

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Program Contract Service Center (3803R), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460-0001

ZIP Code

20460-0001

Solicitation Number

N/A

Response Due

January 8, 2000

Point of Contact

Timothy J. Farris/Contracting Officer/farris.tim@epa.gov

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact the Contracting Officer (farris.tim@epa.gov)

Description

The Environmental Protection Agency under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR Part 13 intends to issue on a sole-source basis, a purchase order of 12 months duration to the Center for Risk Science and Public Health (CRSPH) and the Writing Center of the George Washington University. The EPA is FACNET certified. The NAICS code for this requirement is 611430. The CRSPH already has a relationship established with the EPA by way of a Cooperative Agreement with EPA's Office of Water and the CRSPH staff has extensive background in the field of risk assessment and risk communication through the EPA Cooperative Agreement and a variety of other research activities in environmental and occupational health. The Health Effects Division of the EPA has a need to transition Scientific/Technical writers into competent writers of information intended for the lay public. They will be trained to produce risk assessments that are structured logically, that avoid redundancy, and that use active instead of passive voice. Each risk assessment will be written to express the hazard and exposure as well as the estimate of potential risks (e.g., exposure and safety factors for infants and children, assessing pesticide exposure from food, assessing pesticide exposure from drinking water, assessing residential pesticide exposure and assessing occupational pesticide exposure.) The risk estimates are used to support risk management decisions and are the basis of risk communication. The contractor shall work with a base of 20 students individually and develop a needs assessment specific to each individual. Each person will receive approx. 24 hours of training. Over a 6 month period 10 students will be developed into effective risk communicators and writers. After each student's written performance is brought to a level at which group classes may be appropriately combined with individual tutoring, an off-site course may be given/organized by the contractor for the remaining of the three month period. Actual risk assessments will be written and will form the basis of the work assignments during this training period. The course training shall include the following:(1) The student shall be taught to eliminate unnecessary words and phrases; use common, everyday words instead of technical language (except for necessary technical terms); use the active voice and write short sentences. (2) The course shall cover how to work with technical data sources and still create a document that communicates risk effectively and appropriately for the target audience. (3) The contractor shall teach the students how to assemble and analyze information to structure paragraphs logically, write effective paragraphs, write effective topic sentences, and present parallel ideas in a parallel structure. (4) The contractor shall teach the students how to work with and without an editor. The principle investigator will provide project supervision and ongoing evaluation and oversight. No solicitation is available. PHONE CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you believe that your firm can meet EPA's requirement, you are requested to submit a complete description of your capabilities to do so to the contracting officer no later than 01/08/01 at the address above.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001227/USOL002.HTM (W-357 SN5095X8)