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Scope of Work

The NENA Wireless Implementation Program
USDOT’s Support of Implementing Wireless E9-1-1

NENA, in partnership with the USDOT, APCO, NASNA and other stakeholders is proud to announce the launch of a national data-gathering program, and technical assistance program to stimulate wireless implementation for America, the NENA Wireless Implementation Program.

NENA invites all interested parties in assisting in this industry-wide collaboration. Since our proposal to the USDOT in February of 2001, we have enjoyed working with the stakeholders to bring this Scope of Work to its current status. All parties view this as a public-open participation process. The following is the tentative plans agreed to by the USDOT and NENA.

SCOPE OF WORK
USDOT and NENA Wireless Implementation Plan

Interested parties are encouraged to send your interest in assisting this first-ever program are invited to send your interest in the WIP to NENA Wireless Implementation Director Jim Goerke at dotproject@nena.org.

BACKGROUND and INTRODUCTION

As part of its efforts to improve the safety and efficiency of surface transportation, the USDOT supports the implementation of National Wireless E9-1-1 capabilities. This contract is intended to facilitate the deployment of enhanced wireless E9-1-1 services by supporting the efforts of State and local Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) in coordinating and implementing the upgrades that will be necessary.

There are approximately 100 million wireless subscribers in the United States. These wireless subscribers call 9-1-1 an estimated 70,000 times per day, or 25-30 million calls per year. Wireless calls represent almost 40% of the 100 million calls to 9-1-1 each year. Many of the calls to 9-1-1 from wireless devices are calls from travelers on the nation’s highways. Wireless calls currently present an immediate and growing challenge to the essential health of the nation’s 9-1-1 infrastructure. Without location, these calls will continue to consume excessive amounts of call capacity and personnel resources in the 9-1-1 systems. Additionally, there is a related consumption of resources for police, fire and EMS resources as the responders resort to heroic and costly efforts to locate callers. For these reasons, the implementation of Wireless E9-1-1 location technology is a matter of growing importance and national interest, and may have the unintended consequence of creating a challenge to the effectiveness of 9-1-1 as perceived by the public.

The challenge of implementing caller location technology for wireless E9-1-1 is compounded by the fact that many stakeholders must collaborate for the process to move forward. The slow progress to date is due in part to these stakeholders—i.e., wireless carriers, Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), Incumbent 9-1-1 Service Telephone Companies, Third Party Data Base Vendors, and Location Technology Firms—having little or no history of collaboration. A lack of regulatory clarity of responsibilities, a lack of central leadership within the stakeholder groups, a greater than expected growth in the wireless industry, and new and emerging location technologies have all contributed to a de facto delay in the implementation of wireless E9-1-1.

Currently, there is a movement throughout the country to implement the first phase (Phase I) of wireless service. The above challenges, coupled with budgetary, technical, and skills/training issues, serve to slow the progress, however. Consequently, there remain a large number of PSAPs and Wireless Carriers that are far from beginning their Phase I implementation.

No current activity of any single stakeholder can reach the desired outcome of full wireless implementation (including Phase II) on its own. In order to make significant progress in this area a comprehensive and coordinated approach to implementation will be required.

This contract is intended to produce and carry out a comprehensive plan to help address coordination and implementation issues with the wireless carrier community, the major telephone companies that provide 9-1-1 service (and the host of small Telco’s that provide 9-1-1 services), the public safety community, and telephone handset, hardware and switch manufacturers that must develop technology to meet the new demand for wireless location technology.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this contract are to develop the necessary tools, technical guidance, and training and outreach materials to facilitate implementation of the wireless E9-1-1 services throughout the 50 states. A related objective is to foster coordination among the many players in this field to ensure efficient approaches to the implementation process.

SCOPE OF WORK

As a high-level summary, the contractor(NENA)’s activities shall include: performing program management, including the development of a work plan; providing technical and operational assistance to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs); creating, and publishing on electronic and print format, a National Contract Clearinghouse including a database of forms and form clauses that have been agreed to by parties across the nation; developing and maintaining a tracking system that accurately depicts the current status of wireless E911 implementation across the 50 states; developing The Wireless Deployment Profile; conducting the necessary analyses and evaluations of wireless location technologies to provide technical assistance and to gather the necessary operational and technical information and insights; developing a Test Program for wireless implementation; serving as a technical resource for PSAPs in planning for, and implementing wireless E9-1-1 services; providing consultation to the Government regarding wireless E9-1-1; developing training and outreach materials; and producing and distributing three targeted instructional videos.

DELINEATION OF CONTRACTOR(NENA) TASKS

Task 1: Program Management, Administration, and Reporting

Develop and submit to FHWA a draft work plan for this project, identifying major activities, organizational and staffing responsibilities for various tasks, as well as overall plans and schedules for accomplishing individual tasks. FHWA will review the draft work plan, and provide comments within 30 days of receipt of the draft plan. Based on the input of FHWA, develop and maintain a final work plan to guide the remainder of the contract. Conduct meetings with APCO and NASNA and other stakeholders to facilitate program planning and travel planning as well as coordination and consensus building activities. The Contractor(NENA) shall also fulfill the reporting and administration requirements contained in this contract.

As to each deliverable item in producible in paper form (such as plans, reports and white papers), the contractor(NENA) shall deliver to the COTR: (a) five ordinary photocopies; (b) one camera-ready, reproducible copy; and (c) one electronic copy.

Task 2: Provide Operational and Technical Assistance

A. Develop/maintain a knowledge base in order to provide technical and operational assistance to PSAPs regarding the implementation of wireless E9-1-1 services. The contractor(NENA) shall maintain an understanding of the contracting processes necessary for the PSAPs to enter into service agreements with the wireless companies in their jurisdictions and establish a database of the various contract types and procedures that are being used to establish wireless location capabilities at PSAPs. Provide technical assistance, as necessary and appropriate, to help facilitate contract negotiation.

To achieve this aspect of the project, the Contractor(NENA) shall create a national clearing house of legal contracts, forms and trends that are occurring in the nation that would accelerate the implementation process in the scenario where a PSAP and wireless company are actively negotiating for the service.

The Contractor(NENA) shall create, and publish on electronic and print format, a National Contract Clearinghouse comprising a databank of forms, and form clauses, that have been agreed to by parties across the nation. This databank will be a passive reference tool for both wireless company attorneys and local prosecutors etc. to review and get an industry practice orientation for their particular implementation.
The Contractor(NENA) shall execute and create a second element to facilitate a contractor(NENA) supported format for contract essential terms, and even highlighting certain clauses that are too onerous or perhaps rendered meaningless by rule clarification or S800, or other local law development.

The Contractor(NENA) shall confer with legal experts in all states to develop, gather, and distill common practices and methods of contract formation and project management. Key trends in Project Locate will also be incorporated in this work to the extent data is available through that effort.

The Contract Clearinghouse shall be initiated and available for use by April 15, 2002. The clearinghouse would be maintained dynamically thereafter during the contract period.

It is anticipated that a task force and electronic interface will be created for this aspect of the project immediately. It is anticipated that an electronic interface, which complements the National Deployment Profile, will be available for utilization by April 1, 2002. Once established, the Clearinghouse will be updated dynamically as component documents are modified.

Model contracts for each state and service area will be established. The national inventory of contracts will flow to the implementation step of the process in an orderly fashion, and will permit the parties to do effective project management for their respective roles in the wireless implementation process.

B. Develop and maintain a tracking system that accurately depicts the current status of wireless E911 implementation across the 50 states. The contractor(NENA) shall develop approaches for collecting implementation status on a national basis and for presenting/displaying this information in a graphical and interactive manner. NENA will provide access to this information through an Internet-based, point and click map of the nation, with state and county boundaries. Utilize this dynamic inventory to draw attention to key practical roadblocks in the implementation process.

To achieve this work, the Contractor(NENA) shall develop The Wireless Deployment Profile that will enable all those responsible for or interested in wireless deployment to find out the status of wireless implementation throughout the U.S. The profile will be maintained at the state and county level, accessible using a “point and click” map of the U.S. with state and county boundaries. Using a map and tabular format will aid in “visualizing” progress while providing detailed information.

The Contractor(NENA) shall develop, and will post the website described herein, and will keep its information current through a host of data collection efforts, including but not limited to:

  • Direct Surveys
  • Direct Telephone Calls
  • Email Surveys
  • Web-based Surveys
  • Collaboration with Secondary and Industry Resources for Updates
  • Collaboration with Associations and State-Wide offices Containing Wireless Implementation Data

This Deployment Profile will be maintained and managed by the Contractor(NENA), with the participation of other parties. The results of the inventory will be posted on the Internet for the benefit of all parties related to the wireless implementation project.

The following information elements will be included in the profile:

Wireless Phase II Status. Over the next several years, each county or PSAP System will be in various stages of Phase II implementation. The profile will track that status on a quarterly basis and indicate in tabular form progress toward implementation.

Readiness Level. A number of implementation steps are required for Phase II, as indicated on the NENA Wireless Checklist.

Information related to PSAP readiness includes but is not limited to:

  • PSAP capability to display X,Y coordinate.
  • Wireless carriers serving the area.
  • 9-1-1 Service Provider(s), including incumbent or host company.
  • Third-party vendors.
  • Choice of location determination technology (LDT) by carriers serving the area.
  • The impact of wireline 9-1-1 on wireless deployment
  • Type of wireless solution

The Wireless Deployment Profile will be updated on a recurring basis. As new information about a state or county/PSAP system is obtained either through personal contact or by survey, it will be entered into the profile. States and 9-1-1 systems who take the lead on Phase II will be the first entries into the profile.

The Contractor(NENA) shall work closely with state 9-1-1 coordinators, NENA chapter presidents, county 9-1-1 coordinators, service providers and wireless carriers to obtain current status.

This Inventory will be created and posted in a skeletal format, by April 1, 2002, and a comprehensive version of this inventory will be available and posted on the Website on June 1, 2002. Once completed, this tool will be made available for each interested party to view their county/jurisdiction, and to point and click on a graphical interface that connects the viewer to a tabular database summary of the progress for that jurisdiction.

C. Conduct the necessary coordination with stakeholder organizations and other entities involved in the implementation of wireless E9-1-1 services. The contractor(NENA) shall establish mechanisms to facilitate coordination among various groups involved in the implementation of wireless caller location technologies. Wireless legislation in each state commonly includes the establishment of a state funding board charged with the responsibility of determining how wireless funds are collected and distributed in that state. The contractor(NENA) shall facilitate communication with (and between) the individual state funding boards, to permit the exchange of useful information regarding what processes have been used by states to provide funding to the PSAPs for the implementation of wireless E9-1-1 services. This may include the conduct of a workshop meeting for state funding board representatives, with necessary follow-up communications to ensure the full exchange of information.

To complete this aspect of the project, the Contractor(NENA) shall hold workshop meetings for state funding board representatives, with follow-up and ongoing communications via conference calling and web conferencing. Summary information and feedback from the boards will help shape and resolve funding issues that emerge during Wireless Phase II.

D. The contractor(NENA) shall develop, in cooperation with other public safety resource providers, a technical assistance component that can directly assist stakeholders in moving forward with wireless implementation. The component will be designed to rapidly and effectively deploy assistance as appropriate and necessary.

The contractor(NENA) shall ensure that technical assistance and outreach activities performed under this project are coordinated with the broader Government activities envisioned within the DOT E9-1-1 Initiative, such as the planned development of “Expert Assistance Teams”.

The contractor(NENA) shall make it’s technical staff available for direct consultation, and will facilitate technical forums on key issues facing the technical implementation of wireless 9-1-1 services. The Contractor(NENA) shall lend technical support and advice through its staff, collaboration of key members, and will utilize electronic meetings and white-papers to frame the issues impacting the implementation process.

Task 3: Perform Technical Analyses and Evaluation of Wireless E9-1-1 Implementation Approaches and Performance Issues

A. Conduct the necessary analyses and evaluations of wireless location technologies, including handset, tower-based, and hybrid solutions to be able to provide technical assistance (see Task 2 of this Statement of Work) to the PSAP community, to the Government, and other stakeholder organizations. This task is also structured to gather the necessary operational and technical information and insights needed for the contractor(NENA) to fulfill the activities identified in Task 4 (“Develop and Conduct Educational and Outreach Programs”) of this Statement of Work.

To accomplish this portion of the contract, the Contractor(NENA) shall develop a Testing Program for wireless implementation. Test parameters will be developed by the contractor(NENA) with input from DOT and appropriate public safety and industry contacts. The tests will be designed to answer questions identified by the contractor(NENA) review team.

These tests and technology parameters shall be conducted in the first and second quarters of the contract period. The contractor(NENA) shall develop and submit to FHWA a Technical Analyses and Evaluation Report of Wireless Location Technologies. FHWA will review the draft report and provide comments within 30 days of receipt of the draft report. The contractor(NENA) shall prepare a final Technical Analyses and Evaluation Report of Wireless Location Technologies based on the input of FHWA.

B. The contractor(NENA) shall maintain a technical awareness of wireless implementation approaches and of performance and operational issues, in order to serve as a technical resource for the PSAPs in planning for, and implementing wireless E9-1-1 services in their local areas. The contractor(NENA) shall provide consultation to the Government regarding wireless E9-1-1 implementation (including technical, regulatory, and rulemaking) issues, and shall provide recommendations and advice for expediting implementation of national wireless E9-1-1 services.

The contractor(NENA) shall maintain an awareness of telematics devices and services that potentially will interface with PSAPs, and shall assess the implications of non-traditional access to 9-1-1 on PSAP operations. This shall include the monitoring of efforts aimed at answering any unresolved issues raised by the NMRI process. Include any technical, policy, and public education issues from this subject matter into the education and outreach program discussed in Task 4 of this Statement of Work.
The contractor(NENA) shall design this activity with a view towards answering the unresolved issues raised by the NMRI process. It is anticipated that the technical, policy, and public education issues will be addressed in concert with the Wireless E9-1-1 program.

The Contractor(NENA) shall write white-papers, conduct surveys, and lead an issue resolution program regarding the integration of telematics and intelligent transportation data transfer to public safety centers. In completing this objective of this contract The Contractor(NENA) shall distill results of other DOT initiatives such as the Field Operational Tests, and other outreach efforts and trials of “non-traditional” communications to the 9-1-1 system. Each white paper should be submitted to FHWA in draft form for review and comment. Each white paper will then be revised based on the input of FHWA.

For this portion of the program, a series of white-papers shall be produced on a quarterly basis during the contract period..

As to each deliverable item producible in paper form (such as plans, reports and white papers), the contractor(NENA) shall deliver to the COTR: (a) five ordinary photocopies; (b) one camera-ready, reproducible copy; and (c) one electronic copy.

Task 4: Develop and Conduct Educational and Outreach Programs

A. The contractor(NENA) shall develop training and outreach materials that support the Government efforts to facilitate implementation of wireless E9-1-1. These materials shall be in the form of instructional videos for PSAP personnel and other stakeholders, white papers, and presentation materials to be used at educational forums. The contractor(NENA) shall distribute appropriate training videos to the PSAP community and shall provide follow-up services to this community to resolve residual questions and issues that may arise. This activity is designed to ensure maximum exposure of educational materials to users who have time and travel (cost) limitations for attending national- or regional-level conferences and forums.

The contractor(NENA) shall submit White Paper topics and content descriptions to the COTR for approval prior to the development of the white paper. COTR approvals will also be obtained regarding the topics and contents (storyboards) of the planned training videos before they are developed. This approval process will be informal in nature.

To address this objective of the scope of work, the contractor(NENA) shall produce three instructional videos for further training, and orientation for key stakeholders in the process. The contractor(NENA) shall submit a draft storyboard and script to the FHWA for review and comment before production of any video. The final storyboard and script shall be approved by the FHWA before production of any video is initiated. The three required videos are further described below. Instructional videos remain an effective technology delivery method for widespread distribution of the knowledge, project planning and industry insight.

The contractor(NENA) shall produce and distribute three targeted instructional videos for distribution to key parties in the implementation process, as follows:

Video One: For PSAPs:

The contractor(NENA) shall produce this instructional video by editing existing raw footage from four Wireless Critical Issues Forums (CIF) previously taped by NENA.

Video Two: For Wireless Companies:

The contractor(NENA) shall produce this video by editing existing Wireless CIF footage and adding elements from NENA’s Introduction to Technology Course, to meet the fundamental needs of over 200 wireless companies.

Video Three: For States and the Public:

The contractor(NENA) shall produce this video in such a way that it focuses on the states and the public sector as an audience.
The contractor(NENA) shall collaborate with key stakeholders in producing each of the three required videos.

It is anticipated that the video production will begin immediately upon contract award (or as soon thereafter as practicable), and that it will be completed by October 15, 2002 for videos One and Three. It is anticipated that Video Two will be completed by January 15, 2003.

The contractor(NENA) shall provide two master copies of each video to the COTR upon completion of that video.
B. The contractor(NENA) shall sponsor educational sessions at stakeholder conferences and hold special forums among the stakeholder communities to ensure wide distribution of educational information and to permit a broad exchange of views among stakeholder organizations. The education forum component of this activity will also serve to bring together companies (e.g., wireless E9-1-1 Service Providers) who are users of the equipment with manufacturers of switches and handsets to foster discussion relative to (product) demand, technical, and schedule issues.

The contractor(NENA) shall work with all stakeholders to hold forums and develop white paper recommendations.

C. The contractor(NENA) shall work with all stakeholders to develop white paper recommendations. The contractor(NENA) shall create an industry white paper on product development, services, and technical issues associated with Phase II. The paper shall address issues of product choice, demand, and manufacturing cycle times in addition to any performance and implementation issues identified. Recommend other white paper topics considered appropriate to this effort.

The contractor(NENA) shall hold a technology summit in conjunction with the planned Technical Development Conference, and address the specific aspects of technical interoperability addressed herein. The education forum component of this activity will bring together companies (e.g. 9-1-1 Service Providers) having demand requirements with manufacturers of switches and handsets to realistically assess product demand and schedule. This forum will be held during the first quarter of Calendar Year 2002, and the forum will lead to a white-paper process of identifying and capturing the key cycle times of wireless location technology.

Each white paper should be submitted to FHWA in draft form for review and comment. Each white paper will then be revised based on the input of FHWA.

The contractor(NENA) shall develop and submit to FHWA a draft final report. FHWA will review the draft final report and provide comments within 30 days of receipt of the draft report. The contractor(NENA) shall revise the final report based on the input of FHWA and provide a final version to FHWA.

As to each deliverable item producible in paper form (such as plans, reports and white papers), the contractor(NENA) shall deliver to the COTR: (a) five ordinary photocopies; (b) one camera-ready, reproducible copy; and (c) one electronic copy.