California Air Resources Board

I. Objective

The primary goal of this project is to actively engage with local groups to support their efforts in directly observing local building attributes, trends in building construction, and use of building materials, and to compare the observations with otherwise-derived state-wide data to ensure the data and methodologies from the two approaches (ground-truth/bottom up versus top-down) are consistent. This is a process referred to as “ground-truthing.” Categories to be assessed include building stock estimates, building attributes, development trends, and construction practices in low-income and disadvantaged California communities. Building stock refers to the collection of all buildings within a defined area, andencompasses all residential, commercial, industrial, and public buildings of all types.Building attributes are the specific characteristics or features that define and describe individual buildings within the building stock; examples include but are not limited to: year of construction, history of major retrofits, architectural style, building area, building height, location, site characteristics including transportation accessibility or parking, and occupancy status.Construction practices include all processes related to new building construction, examples include: site preparation, transport of materials, operation of off-road equipment, waste management, and impact mitigation practices such as dust reduction. 

This contract would be used to identify and support community-based groups in conducting local events to ground truth state-wide data on residential and commercial building stock, attributes, development trends, and construction practices in low-income and disadvantaged areas. This effort will support the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) effort to accurately identify and address environmental justice (EJ) issues that may not otherwise be recognized during the State’s efforts to reduce building embodied carbon in residential and commercial structures.

Community expertise and additional data will be collected through consultation with residents and community members who can provide direct observation of local conditions (i.e., ground truthing), to ensure data and methodologies adopted by the program are sufficiently representative of California communities. The primary contractor will work with CARB to identify and select interested community experts or local organizations to be compensated for organizing local activities (hereafter, called “Community Partners”). The contractor will work with CARB and identified Community Partners to support the ground truthing events and document the outputs.

II. Background

The building sector is a significant contributor to California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with a substantial portion stemming from the production and use of building materials. Efforts to decarbonize this sector are critical in the fight against climate change. CARB has been tasked under Health and Safety Code sections 38561.3 & 38561.6 with developing a framework and strategy to reduce GHG emissions associated with building materials by 40% relative to an established baseline (not yet established) by 2035.

EJ advocates have long asserted that environmental hazards and their health impacts differ by neighborhood, income, and race. Particularly in places like California, evidence points to communities of color and those with lower incomes facing higher exposure to air pollution and air toxics, increasing their health risks. Traditional risk assessments used in regulatory practices, which focus on single stressors and report risks on a chemical-by-chemical basis, may inadequately address the cumulative impacts of multiple pollutants that these communities encounter. Ground truthing emerges as a critical step in achieving EJ due to research conducted over the past 30 years, revealing disparities in air pollution exposure and associated health risks that align with socioeconomic factors such as race and income.

The State of California and CARB have committed to ending policies and practices that do not recognize and address systemic inequities in exposure or access. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to determine the patterns and extent of these inequities. Academic researchers use methodologically complex techniques developed over years of research and study to determine the patterns of inequity in order to understand and address these issues. However, these approaches can neglect residents’ understanding of inequities gained through their direct, lived experience. Additionally, the technical and academic approaches can be baffling and disconcerting to those who have not been previously exposed to this approach. While academic and technical researchers can also possess lived experiences in disadvantaged areas, there are consistent challenges in bringing the wealth of knowledge residents have of their own disadvantaged communities into the policy process.

The agency has continued to recognize that one effective way to bridge the gap between information gained from technical approaches and the expert knowledge of residents through their lived experience is via community-based participatory research efforts.1 Ground truthing involves collecting and analyzing local data by directly engaging with the affected communities, who offer a comprehensive view of actual, experienced conditions. By implementing ground truthing, a more accurate depiction of the environmental burdens on vulnerable populations is obtained, which is vital for enacting more effective protections for public health and safety.

This contract will be supplemented by additional funding for service agreements to be provided directly to community groups to organize local events and provide compensation to community members for their expertise. Providing compensation for community expertise from local residents in ground truthing is crucial for several reasons. First, it acknowledges and values the unique insights and knowledge that local residents bring to the table, which are often indispensable for accurate and context-specific data collection. Second, it fosters trust and collaboration between researchers or project developers and the community, ensuring that the process is inclusive and respectful. Third, fair compensation can enhance the quality and reliability of the data collected, as it motivates residents to actively participate and contribute their best efforts. Equitable engagement with Community Partners identified through the project will hopefully lead to a more successful and impactful project.

The focus of this project is to deepen the understanding of building stock and building attributes within EJ communities. The findings will assist CARB in recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities present in the housing and infrastructure of disadvantaged areas. This enhanced understanding is crucial for evaluating the impact and feasibility of programmatic actions aimed to reduce excess embodied carbon in building construction, processes, and other activities. Additionally, the insights gained from this project will inform and empower local stakeholders, providing them with the necessary knowledge to advocate for sustainable and equitable development in their neighborhoods. By emphasizing the specific needs of EJ communities, the project aims to catalyze tailored solutions that address both environmental and social concerns, ultimately contributing to the resilience and health of these areas.

III. Scope of Work

Task 1 - Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan

• Develop a comprehensive plan to identify and engage communities that may be especially impacted by local production of building materials, new building construction, or freight transport of building materials.
  • To ensure that the outputs of this project are relevant to the community's needs, this plan should include community-based participatory methods (CBPM), or approaches that actively involve community members in the project development process.
• Produce a list of communities and stakeholders with detailed profiles, including potential impact from local building material production and construction. 
  • Work with existing resources, such as CalEviroScreen, to identify a minimum of three disadvantaged communities in areas with high levels / plans for new construction and/or local impacts from production of building materials.
  • Identify stakeholders such as local community groups, non-profits, agencies, and developers that can offer their perspectives on potential approaches to identifying community groups and surveying community concerns.
• Work with CARB to develop a process for collaboration with stakeholders, including resource requirements and a protocol for compensating community groups for their expertise. 
  • Work with CARB staff on soliciting and selecting community groups who will undertake supplemental service agreements to lead local community ground truthing events (Community Partners).
  • Ensure Community Partners are sufficiently representative of California’s geography, climate, and demography. 

Deliverable 1A:

A detailed engagement plan, including a list of identified communities and stakeholders, with a timeline for outreach and engagement activities. 

Task 2 - Ground Truthing Data and Methodology

The objective of Task 2 is to design a ground truthing methodology tailored to ensure statewide data used by the program on building stock data, attributes, and construction practices is reflective and relevant to selected communities. 

• Identify and synthesize existing literature on ground truthing methodologies, with a focus on those applied within EJ communities.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of various ground-truthing approaches, considering the unique challenges and requirements of low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  • Include potential for different approaches for different types of buildings, such as commercial, industrial, or residential, or types of construction, such as timber, concrete, or metal structures.​​​​​​​
• Create training materials and protocols for community-based data collection, ensuring consistency and reliability of the data gathered.
  • ​​​​​​​Review studies and reports that analyze the building stock and neighborhood design characteristics within EJ communities, emphasizing factors such as building age, building materials, history of building maintenance, land use planning, local attractions, internet connectivity, and accessibility. This should also include the relationship between building stock characteristics, neighborhood design and environmental health impacts, including weatherization and other energy efficiency measures, presence of polluting appliances, indoor air quality, and resident well-being.
  • Develop or identify communication materials that frame embodied carbon within the context of promoting social equity, highlighting how low-income and disadvantaged communities are affected by policies and practices related to carbon-intensive building materials.
  • Develop training and presentation materials to support planning for and execution of ground truthing events, including a plan to incorporate community input through review and refinement once community partners are selected.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Deliverable 2A:

A ground truthing methodology guide with discussion of relevant literature and includes an annotated bibliography

Deliverable 2B: 

A comprehensive set of communication/presentation materials describing use during the ground truthing exercise. 

Task 3 - Community Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange

The objective of Task 3 is to work with CARB staff and selected Community Partners to take publicly available state-wide data on buildings and construction practices and work with CARB staff to analyze, summarize, translate, and communicate those data, per the methodology described in Task 2.

• Apply the ground truthing methodology developed in Task 2 to available public data
  • Work with CARB staff to identify key existing statewide or other publicly available data on building stock, attribute, and construction practices.
  • ​​​​​​​Conduct an independent analysis of identified data sources and present findings to CARB staff.​​​​​​
  • Work with CARB staff on development of presentation materials aimed at communicating data during ground truthing events.​​​​​​​
• Pre-work to ground truth building and construction data:
  • ​​​​​​​Work with Community Partners on gathering any additional data identified through the ground truthing exercise. 
  • Analyze data to identify potential discrepancies with state-wide estimates and to understand local development trends and construction practices.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Deliverable 3A:

A schedule of community events, including formats, materials prepared for discussion, and communication plan developed with Community Partners.

Deliverable 3B:

Facilitation, presentation, and training materials for the ground truthing events with a focus on community-based participation

​​​​​​​Task 4 - Ground Truth Building and Construction Data

The goal of Task 4 is to work with Community Partners and CARB staff to conduct successful ground truthing events across the state.

• Work with selected Community Partners to facilitate a series of community events aimed at ground truthing data and discussing local building practices and embodied carbon.
  • ​​​​​​​Work with Community Partners to plan events at times/locations most convenient for community members, ensuring CARB representatives are available to foster a dialogue that is both informative and effective.
  • Work with the Community Partner to provide clear and accessible materials, allowing for straightforward understanding and engagement, with CARB representatives available to address any queries from the community regarding upcoming policies and programs.
  • Work with CARB staff and community partner to ensure communities ability to engage in strategy development for measuring and mitigating embodied carbon.
  • Work with Community Partners to refine event plans and presentation materials to ensure they are locally representative and culturally appropriate. ​​​​​​​
• Enhance community understanding and advocacy related to building materials and construction impacts. 
  • ​​​​​​​Work with Community Partners on identifying any additional (local) data for use in ground truthing events.
  • Encourage feedback on data gathered and inquire about alternative approaches to collecting data, outreach and engagement, or types of communication media that might be more impactful.
  • Identify and discuss local initiatives that could influence or enhance the effectiveness of the agency’s work to reduce embodied carbon.
  • Work with Community Partner to ensure that participation in these events does not place undue preparation burdens on the residents, respecting their time constraints and resources availability.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Deliverable 4A:

An analysis report comparing ground truthing data with state-wide estimates, highlighting key findings and discrepancies. 

Task 5 - Reports and Knowledge Sharing

• Compile findings from the literature review, data collection, and community engagement into a comprehensive final report.
  • Prior to conducting the ground-truthing events, an interim report will be delivered, summarizing the draft community engagement plan and ground truthing methodology from Tasks 1 and 2, pinpoint any gaps, including the initial building inventory, and draft plans for community events and summary of materials (Deliverables 4A and 4B). This interim report will be shared with CARB staff to inform and refine the ongoing process at the end of Year 1.
  • A final report will be produced, offering an exhaustive account of the literature review process, including the criteria for inclusion and exclusion, the scope of the review, the final ground truthing methodology, outputs of the ground-truthing exercises including a comparative analysis of building data (3A & 3B), and a record of stakeholders and engagement (4A).​​​​​​​
• Create and distribute additional communication materials based on project findings to inform wider audiences.
  • ​​​​​​​Contractor will solicit community feedback on developing additional effective external communication materials from outputs of the ground-truthing exercises and community engagement events to share. Examples could include but are not limited to: additional media, fact sheets, infographics, educational videos, maps, interactive tools, webinars, or newsletters (4B).

​​​​​​​Deliverable 5A:

An interim report summarizing tasks 1 and 2, literature review findings, draft engagement plan, and draft methodology.

Deliverable 5B:

A final report detailing the project methodology, data analysis, community engagement outcomes, and recommendations.

Deliverable 5C: 

A suite of communication materials designed for community education and broader knowledge sharing.

IV. Deliverables

The project pre-proposal must provide a clear narrative describing the contractor’s capacity and experience working with community groups, and how the contractor’s proposed work would result in the following deliverables:

During Active Contract Period

• Work with CARB staff at the beginning of the project to create a 1-page plain-language outreach deliverable for the public describing the project’s goals, process, and planned deliverables (available in multiple languages, template will be provided).
• Quarterly Progress Reports including public-facing updates to be posted to CARB’s website.
• Quarterly Progress Meetings.
• Informal monthly progress update meetings with CARB contract manager.

Prior to Contract Close

• Draft and final ground truthing methodology documents (Deliverables 1A and 2A)
• Completed Methodology to ground truth building and construction data (Deliverables 2A) and training materials (2B)
• Schedule of community ground truth events and facilitation materials developed with community participation (3A and 3B)
• Draft and Final report, including executive summary and detailed findings (Deliverables 5A and 5B)
• A series of Community Education and Communication Materials, such as fact sheets, infographics, and interactive tools (Deliverables 5C)
• Presentation summarizing findings at seminar or public meeting.​​​​​​​

NOTE: Contractor will be responsible for ensuring their documents comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Additional deliverables will be defined through ongoing consultation with CARB staff, ensuring alignment with project objectives and stakeholder needs. All deliverables will comply with ADA standards.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​V. Timeline

It is anticipated this project will be completed in 36 months from the start date (start date is estimated to be in Spring 2025). The estimated budget for this project is up to $550,000, with $450,000 dollars for the primary contractor and $100,000 dollars reserved for supplemental service agreements with Community Partners.

Scoring Criteria

1. RESPONSIVENESS TO THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OUTLINED IN THE PROPOSAL SOLICITATION (20 POINTS)

The proposal should explain—in adequate detail and clear, understandable language—how the proposed project satisfies the project objectives. The project should provide a ground- truthed refinement of statewide estimates of building stock and building attributes in disadvantaged and low-income communities that can inform and enhance the agency’s building material and building benchmarking. The project should create a forum for community voices and enhance the capacity of community stakeholders to meaningfully participate in the regulatory development process as well as capture diverse voices from different regions across the state.

2. WORK EXPERIENCE AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE (20 POINTS)

The proposal should demonstrate that the proposers have the work experience or subject matter expertise required to successfully carry out the proposed project as described. Additionally, the proposal should describe how the project will build upon previous relevant work that was funded by CARB, other regional, state, and federal agencies. The proposer should have experience with and knowledge of environmental justice advocacy groups, affected communities, and interested stakeholders. Proposers should have experience facilitating public dialogue with community groups and methods for synthesizing community input.

3. EXPANDING EXPERTISE (10 POINTS)

The proposal should explain how the project team expands expertise such as by incorporating multidisciplinary expertise or perspectives, including members from various public universities, non-academic institutions, or community-based organizations, or providing opportunities to build skills and expertise for individuals from underrepresented groups. Reviewers will consider if key personnel contributing significantly to the project (i.e., a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or co-investigator, contributing 25 percent or more of their time to the project) have not worked with CARB in the past five years.

4. EXPLANATION OF TECHNICAL OR METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH (20 POINTS)

The proposal should clearly explain the logic and feasibility of the project’s methodology, spell out the sequence and relationships of major tasks, and explain methods for performing the work. The proposal should include a clear description and plan for how each task will be completed and how the proposer will approach collecting information that may not be readily available, how the proposer will identify and engage with community groups and stakeholders, how the proposer will conduct the ground-truthing exercises, how the proposer will document and compile community concerns and issues, how the proposer will analyze and summarize ground-truthed data, and how the proposer will share out information back to CARB and community participants. 

5. LEVEL AND QUALITY OF EFFORT AND COST EFFECTIVENESS (15 POINTS)

The proposal should describe how time and resources will be allocated and demonstrate how this allocation ensures the project’s success. Proposal reviewers will evaluate, for example: if the objectives of the project can be met given this allocation, if there is adequate supervision and oversight to ensure that the project will remain on schedule, if time and cost are appropriately divvied up across different project tasks and stages.

• 1The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Ground-Truth: Methods to Advance Environmental Justice and Researcher-Community Partnerships. Health Education & Behavior 2014, Vol. 41(3) 281-290.