Notice2023-07489
Request for Information on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities in NASA Procurements and Federal Financial Assistance
Primary source
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Published
April 11, 2023
Issuing agencies
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Abstract
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to receive input from the public on the barriers and challenges that prevent members of underserved communities (as defined in Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, and Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government) from participating in NASA's procurements, grants, and cooperative agreements. With this RFI, NASA is seeking for the public to provide specific feedback on the procurement, grant, and cooperative agreement regulations, policies, practices, and processes that deter entities from pursuing opportunities for NASA procurements, grants, and cooperative agreements. NASA will review inputs received and may use this information to evaluate, implement, modify, expand, and streamline procurements, grants, cooperative agreements, regulations, policies, practices, and processes to remove systemic inequitable barriers and challenges facing members of underserved communities.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21725-21728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07489]
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Document Number NASA-23-021; Docket Number-NASA-2023-0001]
Request for Information on Advancing Racial Equity and Support
for Underserved Communities in NASA Procurements and Federal Financial
Assistance
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is
issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to receive input from the
public on the barriers and challenges that prevent members of
underserved communities (as defined in Executive Order 13985, Advancing
Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the
Federal Government, and Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government) from participating in NASA's procurements, grants, and
cooperative agreements. With this RFI, NASA is seeking for the public
to provide specific feedback on the procurement, grant, and cooperative
agreement regulations, policies, practices, and processes that deter
[[Page 21726]]
entities from pursuing opportunities for NASA procurements, grants, and
cooperative agreements. NASA will review inputs received and may use
this information to evaluate, implement, modify, expand, and streamline
procurements, grants, cooperative agreements, regulations, policies,
practices, and processes to remove systemic inequitable barriers and
challenges facing members of underserved communities.
DATES: Comments are requested on or before 60 days after publication of
this RFI. Comments received after this date will be considered for
future advisory, communication, and outreach efforts to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES:
<bullet> Comments must be identified with the Agency's name and
Docket Number NASA-2023-0001 and may be sent to NASA via the Federal E-
Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments. All public comments received are
subject to the Freedom of Information Act and will be posted in their
entirety at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>, including any personal and/or
business confidential information provided. Do not include any
information you would not like to be made publicly available.
<bullet> Mail: Comments submitted in a manner other than the one
listed above, including emails or letters sent to NASA Headquarters
Office of Procurement (OP) officials may not be accepted.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Please note that NASA cannot accept any
comments that are hand-delivered or couriered. In addition, NASA cannot
accept comments contained on any form of digital media storage devices,
such as CDs/DVDs and USB drives. If you cannot submit your comment by
using <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, please contact (Cheryl Robertson,
202-358-0667 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3c544d11534c115859555d7c515d555012525d4f5d125b534a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d5bda4f8baa5f8b1b0bcb495b8b4bcb9fbbbb4a6b4fbb2baa3">[email protected]</span></a>) for alternate instructions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Issues regarding submissions or
questions about this RFI should be sent to Cheryl Robertson, 202-358-
0667, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e38b92ce8c93ce87868a82a38e828a8fcd8d829082cd848c95"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5e362f73312e733a3b373f1e333f373270303f2d3f70393128">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
NASA is issuing a second RFI to receive input from the public
specifically on NASA's procurement, grant, and cooperative agreement
regulations, policies, practices, and processes. This is a follow-up to
the first RFI on this subject, RFI 21-038, which was released on June
15, 2021. The intent of this RFI is to (1) to determine whether any
previous conditions have changed in this area; (2) ensure new
recipients of NASA procurements, grants, and/or cooperative agreements
have an opportunity to comment; and (3) obtain specific suggestions on
barriers and challenges that deter underserved communities from
participating in NASA competitions for procurement, grant, and
cooperative agreement awards. NASA will review this information and may
use it to evaluate, implement, modify, expand, and streamline its
procurement, grant, and cooperative agreement regulations, policies,
practices, and processes to remove any systemic inequitable barriers
and challenges facing underserved communities. This effort will enable
NASA to further execute the President's Executive Orders 13985 and
14091, entitled ``Advancing (and Further Advancing . . .) Racial Equity
and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government'' (Equity E.O.s), signed by the President on January 20,
2021, and February 16, 2023, respectively. The Equity E.O.s define the
following terms noted below; these terms are used throughout this RFI:
<bullet> ``Equity'' means the consistent and systematic treatment
of all individuals in a fair, just, and impartial manner, including
individuals who belong to communities that often have been denied such
treatment, such as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian
American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander persons and other
persons of color; members of religious minorities; women and girls;
LGBTQI+ persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural
areas; persons who live in United States Territories; persons otherwise
adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality; and individuals
who belong to multiple such communities.
<bullet> ``Underserved communities'' refers to those populations as
well as geographic communities that have been systematically denied the
opportunity to participate fully in aspects of economic, social, and
civic life, as defined in Executive Orders 13985 and 14020.
As required by the Equity EOs, NASA established a 2022 Equity
Action Plan (EAP). The NASA EAP outlines and reaffirms the Agency's
strategy to successfully mitigate systemic barriers to equity. Click
here to see the plan: Mission Equity [verbar] NASA. As stated in the
EAP, the NASA procurement, grant, cooperative agreement structures,
processes, and requirements can be perplexing. NASA's Office of
Procurement (OP) continues to make changes and take actions to remove
barriers and challenges that hinder prospective contractors (and
contractors) and prospective recipients (and recipients) of grants and
cooperative agreements in underserved communities from engaging with
NASA. Furthermore, OP is determined to remove any identified barriers
and challenges through the efforts outlined in the NASA Equity Action
Plan under Focus Area 1, Increase Integration and Utilization of
Contractors and Businesses from Underserved Communities to Expand
Equity in NASA's Procurement Process, and Focus Area 2, Enhance Grants
and Cooperative Agreements to Advance Opportunities, Access and
Representation for Underserved Communities, to include studying
barriers and challenges to remove or minimize such barriers and
increasing outreach efforts to reach members of underserved
communities.
The public is encouraged to provide input in response to the
questions below to assist in improving the Agency's procurements,
grants, cooperative agreements, and associated regulations, policies,
practices, and processes. Specifically, members of underserved
communities are requested to share their perceived barriers and
challenges, suggestions, and ideas, so that they can become a NASA
contractor or grant or cooperative agreement recipient that furthers
NASA's important mission.
II. Discussion of Questions
NASA OP conducts continuous reviews of procurement, grant, and
cooperative agreement regulations, policies, practices, and processes.
In support of E.O.s 13985 and 14091, input is solicited from the public
to better understand and identify the systemic barriers and challenges
facing members of underserved communities to access and participate in
NASA contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. The information and
input from this RFI will assist OP in addressing any identified gaps in
equity and determine how best to advance equity in the procurement and
grant-making (including cooperative agreements) process to members of
underserved communities. The following list of questions and topic
areas are intended to guide the public in this effort:
Outreach/Engagement/Training
1. How and where can NASA reach contractors and/or grant and
cooperative agreement recipients that are members of underserved
communities more effectively? Provide specific sites, points of
contact, and/or information to
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support NASA outreach to these associations, organizations, or groups.
2. NASA Office of Small Business Program (OSBP) has numerous
training opportunities for small businesses. The OSBP Learning Series
is provided to share additional training to assist with learning how to
do business with NASA. Is your entity aware of these training
opportunities? What other type of specific training information does
your firm need to help it do business with NASA? Are there barriers for
you to attend these training opportunities? Is in-person or virtual
training more appropriate or beneficial?
3. NASA uses various platforms to conduct training that will best
facilitate information-sharing and the establishment of partnerships
between NASA and underserved communities. Please share the names of
platforms which work best and are available to reach members of
underserved communities. These can be online platforms, organizations,
conferences, publications, etc.
4. Provide suggestions how NASA can better collaborate with
academic research institutions, particularly Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and other Minority Serving
Institutions (MSI), to advance outreach and increase the number of
contract, grant, and cooperative agreement awards in these underserved
communities?
5. How can NASA ensure that there is full equity in the issuance of
grant and cooperative agreement awards? Please provide specific
examples of NASA grant and cooperative agreement policy, process,
systems, practices that may prevent full equity from being achieved in
NASA's issuance of grant and cooperative agreement awards.
6. In considering how NASA announces its Notices of Funding
Opportunities (NOFOs) for grant and cooperative agreement awards to be
made (Via <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a>, NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review
and Evaluation System [NSPIRES], the Minority Serving Institutions
[MSI] exchange newsletter, etc.), where and how can NASA announce NOFOs
to ensure full equity in opportunity? Please provide examples of
specific websites and communication avenues.
Barrier Analysis
1. Are there any specific NASA or Federal Government regulations,
policies, practices and or processes that have prevented you from
submitting proposals or being awarded a contract, grant, or cooperative
agreement with NASA? Please provide specific examples.
2. If you have received a NASA contract, grant, or cooperative
agreement in the past, what barriers does/did your organization
experience in working with NASA to implement the grant, cooperative
agreement, or contract? Please provide examples of specific
regulations, processes, procedures, policies, or systems that could be
improved to ensure full equity in opportunity.
3. What resources could NASA provide to better assist underserved
communities in identifying new opportunities to be awarded a contract,
grant, or cooperative agreement with NASA, or access the Agency's
programs or data?
4. What resources could NASA provide to better assist underserved
communities in properly managing and executing NASA grant or
cooperative agreement projects?
5. What challenges do you face when developing and implementing
procedures to advance diversity and inclusion for underserved
communities within your research/business?
6. Have you encountered barriers within NASA's procurement process,
to include source selection evaluation process, that prevent
underserved communities from receiving awards of NASA contracts? Please
provide specific examples.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA)
1. NASA has amended its Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
(NASA FAR Supplement--NFS) to include a requirement for the contractor
to submit DEIA plans under certain NASA contracts.
What other DEIA suggestions (e.g., requirements, training, etc.)
should we investigate to ensure our contractors are diligently working
to include members of underserved communities in their contract awards?
2. In response to Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity
and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,
NASA has included a term and condition in its grant and cooperative
agreement awards for recipients to obtain at least one quotation from a
small and/or minority businesses, women's business enterprises, or
labor surplus area firm when acquiring goods or services that exceed
the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000). What other
DEIA suggestions (e.g., terms and conditions, requirements, training,
etc.) should NASA OP investigate to ensure its grants and cooperative
agreements include members of underserved communities?
III. Written Comments
Written responses should not exceed 10 pages, inclusive of a 1-page
cover page as described below. Attachments or linked resources or
documents are not included in the 10-page limit. Please respond
concisely, in plain language, and in narrative format. You may respond
to some or all questions listed in the RFI. Please ensure your response
is clear and indicate which question you are responding to. You may
also include links to online material or interactive presentations, and
ensure all links are publicly available. Each response should include:
(1) the name of the individual(s) and/or organization responding; (2)
policy suggestions that your submission and materials support; (3) a
brief description of the responding individual(s) or organization's
mission and/or areas of expertise; and (4) a contact for questions or
other follow-up on your response. Please note that this RFI is only a
planning document, and should not be construed as policy, a
solicitation for proposals, or an obligation on the part of NASA or the
Federal Government. Interested parties responding to this RFI may be
contacted for a follow-on strategic agency assessment dialogue,
discussion, event, crowdsource campaign, or competition.
IV. Review of Public Feedback
NASA may use the feedback received to help initiate strategic
plans, consider reforms, and execute reports as required by the Equity
E.O.s. NASA may use the public's feedback to consider reduction of
administrative burdens more broadly. Again, this RFI is issued solely
for information and procurement-planning purposes. Public input
provided in response to this notice does not bind NASA to take any
further actions, to include publishing a formal response or agreement
to initiate a recommended change. NASA will consider the feedback
received and may make changes or process improvements at its sole
discretion.
NASA will continue to dialogue with industry and stakeholders to
stay connected and engaged on barriers and challenges that impact
members of underserved communities through periodic issuance of RFIs,
and participation in industry and
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association meetings, conferences, and other forums.
Julia B. Wise,
Director, Procurement Management and Policy Division, NASA--
Headquarters, Office of Procurement.
[FR Doc. 2023-07489 Filed 4-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-13-P
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