The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking information from firms that have the capability to perform accounting services to MARAD, including: Development and maintenance of interface capability between MARAD's financial sub-systems and main accounting systems, Advise and assist in preparing audited financial statement in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) requirements on Form & Contents, Federal Accounting Standard Advisory Board (FASAB) and General Accepted Accounting Principals (GAAP), Provide professional accounting staff members to assist the office to carry out accounting functions, and Defend MARAD's financial statement in order to receive an unqualified opinion from agencies' Office of Inspector General (OIG) or certified public auditors (CPAs). Knowledge of the FREEBALANCE fund control system MARAD-wide (headquarters, regions and field offices) and understand the interface capability among FREEBALANCE obligation & payment, payroll labor distribution system, credit card system and MARAD's main accounting system DAFIS and DELPHI, and Electronic Invoicing system. Provide guidance and direction on Oracle. Assist USDOT Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) and Oracle in the development of a Federal Project Module for the future to handle federal reimbursable accounting and credit reform accounting module being developed by OST. Assist MARAD in using the labor distribution system in CASTLE to interface to DELPHI in FY 2006, and Assist MARAD to develop the mechanism in implementing DOT-wide Managerial Cost Accounting in FY 2006. Provide professional accounting staff members to assist the office when carrying out accounting functions during the transition period of outsourcing accounting data entry functions to DOT Enterprise Service Center in Oklahoma (e.g., accounting operations function on accounts payable, Intra-governmental Payment and Collection - IPAC, etc.). MARAD's needs for Continuing Enhancement on Financial Management MARAD's Office of Accounting continues confronting a tremendous pressure & challenges from the OMB, Treasury and DOT, Office of Secretary, and requires assistance in the following areas: 1. The requirements for agencies to achieve a "GREEN" status under the President's Management Agenda on financial management have imposed agencies to take aggressive actions to develop a managerial cost accounting system for measuring and evaluating financial and program performance. 2. Furthermore, the OMB requires agencies government-wide to submit an annual audited financial statement to the OMB no later than November 15 of each year. Therefore, DOT/MARAD has only 46 days (from October 1 to November 15) to: prepare to work with the OIG for resolving audit issues; and, to work with the OST to submit an audited consolidated DOT fiscal year financial statement to the OMB. In conjunction with MARAD, develop strategies, mechanism and various supporting reconciliation and reports to facilitate and defend the preparation of MARAD's fiscal year audited financial statement according to the OST and the OIG's tight time frame. 3. DOT, under government-wide initiative, is in the process of converting current DOT payroll system to the Department of Interior's (DOI's) payroll system. MARAD completed Phase I of the conversion and will implement Phase II of the conversion during FY 2006 (i.e., conversion of the labor distribution system). Implementation of Phase II is critical to DOT's meeting "Green" status of the President's Management Agenda. For FY2006, OST has imposed a tighter timeframe for OAs to complete Phase II than in previous years. 4. OST, B-30 (Office of Financial Management) and OAs are currently in the process of testing the development of an on-demand Financial Statement Solution (FSS) for preparing and supporting monthly financial statement. The timely testing and implementation of FSS is very critical to convince and meet the OIG's audit requirements. 5. One of the OIG's finding on DOT's weakness in the reconciliation and confirmation for eliminating the duplicated counting of "Intra-Departmental" and "Intra-Governmental" financial activities (e.g., revenue, expense, accounts payable and accounts receivable within Federal government should be eliminated). This is one the weakness that prevents DOT from achieving "Green" status of the President's Management Agenda. MARAD has approximately 1,000 open intra-governmental agreements (including proving and receiving services). 6. Under OST's initiative and plan, MARAD is required to sunset the current internal fund control system (FREEBALANCE) by the end of FY 2006 and implement the DELPHI's Budget Execution Module. The sunset of FREEBALANCE will interrupt and impact the interface between EIS and DELPHI. The implementation of Budget Execution Module fund control system will require efforts and knowledge for the conversion. 7. Under DOT's initiatives, MARAD is required to implement IMAGING system for invoices. This implementation will require restructuring of work flow and work force and will require research and study of the interface between IMAGE and DELPHI. 8. Under DOT's initiative, continue to provide resources and expertise during the interim period for transferring accounting data entry function to DOT's Enterprise Services Center in Oklahoma City. 9. Continue to provide training for new processes and new mechanisms where needed. Interested firms are requested to provide the following information in response to this sources sought: 1. A rough order of magnitude of cost estimate, labor-hour rates, and a capabilities statement. 2. If on the GSA Schedule, provide contract number(s). 3. Provide Socio-economic status. This request for information is not a request for proposals/quotes and will not result in a solicitation leading to a contract. MARAD will not be responsible for any costs associated with information provided in response to this RFI. Respondents are reminded to mark business sensitive information appropriately. Anticipated Period of Performance: Five Years (one base year and 4 option years)
