R -- Federal Human Resources Reduction

DescriptionThis is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability of potential sources for the preparation of a defensible FMCSA competitive level code system by standardized,accurate positions, not people, that are similar enough in duties, responsilities, and qualification requirements to be interchangeable. Deliverables will be used for purposes of human capital planning and management including supporting the agency's FAIR act inventory, as a management tool in identifying shortage skills or identifying developmental training opportunities, and to determine the order of employee retention in the event of displacment. This request is defined by the deliverables below and characteristics of the FMCSA organization and positions to be described, as follows: Offerors having the skills and capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirement are invited to provide information to contribute to this market survey/sources sought including,commercial market information and company information via e-mail or facsimile (+1 (555) 000-0000) to Kathleen Gregory, contact@example.gov no later than November 14, 2003. RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: company name, address, point of contact,phone number and e-mail address;business size and status such as disadvantage, 8(a) or HUBZone;corporate affiliations;potential joint venture partners,teaming partners, and/or major subcontractor or (prime). Please direct any questions or concerns to the Contract Specialist for this action: Kathleen Gregory. DELIVERABLES and TIMEFRAMES All deliverables described below must be in accordance with the provisions of 5 CFR 351, Reduction in Force, and the Office of Personnel Management's Qualification Standards as found in the Office of Personnel Management Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule positions, and Federal classification policy and procedures for work performed in white collar occupations. Begin date: In FY2004, subject to availability of funds. End date: The aggregate time for fulfilling all deliverables is within 170 days of contract award. The chart below shows deliverables in chronological order. Deliverables Timeframes (all are Not to Exceed) 1. A project plan for completing all work associated with the contract submitted for the Chief, Position Classification and Staffing Division's review. The plan will be reviewed and returned to the contractor with any requests for modification within 12 calendar days for revision, as appropriate. Due at contract award, initial meeting with contractor. 2. Final methodology and schedule. 18 calendar days from contract award. 3. Recommendations for library of standardized position descriptions, covering all FMCSA Headquarters positions (except the Senior Executive Service) and all Field Positions. Submit to the Chief, Position Classification and Staffing Division for review and approval prior to preparation of PDs. 50 calendar days from contract award. Includes 10 calendar days for FMCSA approval, changes to recommendations. 4. A library of standardized position descriptions for Headquarters and Field positions that are in Factor Evaluation System Format, with proposed classification by title, series, and grade accompanied by supporting evaluation criteria, and include a record citing the existing position descriptions that are being replaced by each new position description.Estimate 55 (plus or minus 15%) PDs will be created, based on current classification series and grades. 100 calendar days from contract award. 5. A documented competitive level code system for Headquarters that includes all Headquarters positions, including any that may be physically stationed in a Field location. 160 calendar days from contract award(Tasks 4&5 are concurrent.) 6. A documented competitive level code system that covers all Field positions, including any that may be physically stationed at Headquarters or in a Service Center. 160 calendar days from contract award. 7. A document citing research, including case history, that supports the defensibility of the competitive level code system. 170 calendar days from contract award. Agency Size FMCSA's size fluctuates slightly, but it has a population of approximately 1125-1140, with about 20% of its employees located in headquarters, and the remainder located in the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the Transborder Office in San Diego, California. The numbers below are not exact for a given day, as they have been collected at different times and for different purposes; however, they provide a reasonable indicator of the size, location, and nature of the agency's population. Geographic Dispersion and Size of Division Offices Field FMCSA's Field organization includes four Regional Service Centers, each with common and unique functions, and corresponding Division Offices in each state. Division Offices may encompass Field Offices in various locations within their respective states. Although Division Offices perform similar functions, they can be categorized by number of positions as Small (2-6), Medium (7-10), and Large (11+). The Texas (201), California (75), and Arizona (40) divisions are the only divisions that exceed 19 employees. a. Eastern Regional Service Center - Baltimore, Maryland (15 positions) Corresponding Division Offices, Positions, and Size Categories: Puerto Rico 2 Small Division Delaware 4 Small Division New Hampshire 4 Small Division Rhode Island 4 Small Division District of Columbia 5 Small Division Maine 5 Small Division Vermont 5 Small Division Connecticut 6 Small Division West Virginia 6 Small Division Maryland 7 Medium Division Massachusetts 7 Medium Division Virginia 8 Medium Division New Jersey 17 Large Division New York 17 Large Division Pennsylvania 19 Large Division b. Southern Service Center - Atlanta, Georgia (17 positions) Corresponding Division Offices, Positions, and Size Categories: Louisiana 7 Medium Division Arkansas 8 Medium Division South Carolina 8 Medium Division Alabama 9 Medium Division Oklahoma 9 Medium Division Mississippi 10 Medium Division Tennessee 10 Medium Division New Mexico 11 Large Division Kentucky 11 Large Division North Carolina 13 Large Division Florida 13 Large Division Georgia 14 Large Division Texas 201 Large Division* *Largest Division Office, includes significant portion of Southern Border Operations c. Western Service Center - San Francisco, California (19 positions) (Projected to relocate to Lakewood, CO in January 2004) Corresponding Division Offices, Positions, and Size Categories: Hawaii 3 Small Division Alaska 3 Small Division Montana 4 Small Division North Dakota 4 Small Division Nevada 5 Small Division South Dakota 5 Small Division Utah 5 Small Division Idaho 6 Small Division Wyoming 6 Small Division Colorado 8 Medium Division Oregon 9 Medium Division Washington 11 Large Division Arizona 40 Large Division California 75 Large Division d. Midwestern Service Center - Olympia Fields, Illinois Corresponding Division Offices, Full Time Equivalent Positions, and Size Categories: Wisconsin 7 Medium Division Nebraska 7 Medium Division Kansas 8 Medium Division Iowa 10 Medium Division Minnesota 10 Medium Division Michigan 11 Large Division Indiana 13 Large Division Missouri 13 Large Division Illinois 14 Large Division Ohio 14 Large Division e. Transborder Office 6 Small (This office reports to Headquarters, not the Division) Headquarters FMCSA Headquarters includes 9 offices reporting to 4 Associate Administrators: Administration; Research, Technology, and Information Management; Policy and Program Development; and Enforcement and Program Delivery. The Administrator's staff offices for this project include the Offices of the Chief Counsel, Public and Consumer Affairs, and Civil Rights. As stated, Senior Executive Service employees (Associate Administrators and the Assistant Administrator) are not included in this project. Current Series and Position Descriptions The development of position descriptions will address positions in an estimated 17 classification series. The estimate of 55 standardized position descriptions, plus or minus 10%, is based primarily on grade levels that are now or are likely to be used for FMCSA jobs within those series. In some instances, multiple functional titles are being applied to jobs in the same series and grade. The expectation is that standardization will result in fewer series and fewer titles. The series that will be analyzed for this effort are among 24 in use in FMCSA. The others are in the process of standardization by FMCSA personnel specialists, are being eliminate, or the positions are being include under other, more appropriate series. While those series will not require development of standardized position descriptions, they will factor into the establishment of competitive levels. REQUIREMENTS The contractor shall supervise contract personnel. The contractor shall administer, manage and perform the tasks defined in the Requirements Description. Contract representatives shall work closely with the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) to accomplish coordination and approval of each task before completion/submission. Projects will be defined by the COTR. The contractor shall prepare and report bi-weekly activities and costs (including travel) for those activities. Copies of this report shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative by the 2nd workday of the following following week. Deliverables that are primarily text, including interim reports and other narrative documents, will be produced in MS Word. Tables that are used for calculations or have potential to be used for calculations or for export to database software will be produced and delivered in Excel (even if copied into Word or PowerPoint). All Position Descriptions and supporting documents must be delivered in MS Word, and they must be produced in a format accessible to individuals with disabilities according to the provisions of Section 508, Subpart B of the Rehabilitation Act. Other acceptable software applications include Access for database management and PowerPoint for presentation documents. Presentation documents in PowerPoint must also be provided in Section 508 compliant format or accompanied by equivalent, compliant documents. Use of other software applications must be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative. Information on Section 508 and compliance can be found at the following Internet address: http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=12 http://www.webaim.org/standards/