R -- Compensation Data

The U.S. Department of State has a requirement for seeking the services of a vendor to provide compensation data that will assist the Office of Overseas Employment within the Human Resources Bureau in formulating pay and benefit plans to employees known traditionally as foreign service national, FSN, employees and locally employed LE, staff. The local compensation plans cover over 40,000 staff members among a wide variety of U.S. federal agencies present in a country. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 requires each local compensation plan be based on prevailing wage rates and compensation practices for corresponding types of positions in the locality of employment. The local compensation plans form the basis for all compensation payments to FSN and LE staff. Therefore, it is the intent of the U.S. Department of State to select one or more vendors who have an adequate proprietary total compensation database from one or more non-US countries that will provide the Office of Overseas Employment the basis for recommending and making revisions to local compensation plans consistent with the departmental regulations, Foreign Affairs Manual and Foreign Service National Compensation Handbook. The selected vendors (one small business set aside) will provide advice upon compensation issues relating to specific market conditions. Of particular importance will be expertise in assessing labor markets where volatile economic and social conditions exist related to hyperinflation, currency instability and warfare. A capacity to develop local market based total compensation information relevant to the given situation is required. The vendors shall also provide up to date compensation data (pay and benefits) in published reports published on a periodic basis from up to 173 or more non U.S. countries for actual benchmark survey jobs in qualified survey companies. The timing of individual country reports should coincide with or shortly follow general salary adjustments made by public and private enterprises in the country. It is anticipated that more than one award will be to the responsible offerors, one award will be made as a small business set aside. The contract periods will be for one base year and four one year options. NO TELEPHONE CALLS PLEASE. The solicitation will be posted here in FEDBIZOPPS on or around July 20, 2006.