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FCA Statement of Work

BACKGROUND

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or Agency) was created in 1933 through an Executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its powers and authorities are derived from the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended (Act). The FCA is the oldest of the financial government-sponsored enterprises.

As an independent Agency within the executive branch of the Federal government, the Agency is responsible for regulating and supervising the banks, associations, and related entities of the Farm Credit System (FCS or System), including the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Association (Farmer Mac). The Act states that the overall objective for the FCS is to improve the income and well-being of American farmers and ranchers by furnishing sound, adequate, and constructive credit and closely related services to them, their cooperatives, and to selected farm-related businesses.

Mission Statement

The FCA’s mission is to ensure a safe, sound, and dependable source of credit and related services for agriculture and rural America. This objective is accomplished through a three-pronged approach:

(1) Ensure that the provisions of the Act are implemented.

(2) The Agency conducts examinations of FCS institutions to monitor and oversee the safety and soundness of ongoing activities. FCA examinations focus on whether System institutions are meeting their public mandate to serve all eligible borrowers. Examiners also verify that institutions employ safe and sound banking practices.

(3) The Agency approves changes to corporate charters and undertakes the research, development, and adoption of rules, regulations, and other guidelines that govern how institutions conduct their business and interact with customers.

If a System institution violates a law or regulation, or if its operations are determined to be unsafe or unsound, the FCA may use its enforcement authority to ensure that the problem is corrected in a timely manner. The FCA also protects the rights of borrowers; issues and changes the charters of FCS institutions; reports to Congress on the financial condition and performance of the FCS; and approves the issuance of System debt obligations.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this solicitation is to obtain the services of a Contractor to provide support in the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs (OCPA) as a fulltime Writer-Editor (40 hours per week for 48 weeks for an approximate total of 1920 hours).

SCOPE

The scope of work, detailed below, covers a 53-week period, September 24, 2008, through September 30, 2009. The work will be conducted at the Farm Credit Administration headquarters, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, McLean, VA 22102-5090.

Serving as a Writer-Editor in support of FCA/OCPA will require the Contractor to perform the following overall tasks:

· Rewriting as necessary, reorganizing, and reviewing content for accuracy and logic; ensuring proper tone/approach for the intended audience; and consulting directly with the Director or Assistant Director, OCPA, as necessary to complete the editing process.

· Reviewing various Agency documents for spelling, grammar, and consistency of style and format; checking accuracy, completeness, and format of tables, figures, references, and footnotes; and proofreading.

· Managing various aspects of the editorial and publications process, including desktop publishing; coordinating and tracking editorial and production schedules; coordinating the editorial and publication process with the Director or Assistant Director, OCPA, and other relevant FCA staff; and managing/adjusting conflicting priorities to ensure that publications are delivered on schedule.

· Assist with editing and writing articles for a weekly employee newsletter. This may include interviewing or contacting agency staff for additional information or to clear articles drafted and taking photographs using a digital camera.

· Assist with writing new information or revising existing information posted on the FCA Web site. Knowledge of and ability to use Dreamweaver software is a plus.

· Assist with preparing a daily summary of news articles of interest to agency management using an online clipping service.

For each individual publication, the Contractor will be responsible for performing the following specific tasks:

1. Edit final staff draft report prior to submittal to the Director or Assistant Director of OCPA.

2. Review edits with individual authors, if necessary.

3. Advise on figures, tables, and photographs.

4. Write two-page executive summary, if so requested.

5. Review revisions to drafts.

6. Attend meetings, as necessary, to coordinate revision process.

7. Work with desktop publishing specialist in design and layout of InDesign version for GPO printing.

8. Complete a detailed quality review of design and editorial content of InDesign version.

The work required under the contract does not involve technical writing in the sense of creating reports, interviewing, analyzing data, or working with raw technical data.

Attention to detail, effective interaction with Farm Credit Administration staff, and responsiveness to fluctuating agency requirements are key elements of the successful completion of this work.

The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that (1) publications produced under this contract are completed in accordance with Farm Credit Administration specifications for editorial design and quality; and (2) all publications are efficiently reviewed, produced, and released.

This statement of work is anticipated to cover the FCA Performance and Accountability Report, the FCA Fiscal Year 2010 Proposed Budget and Performance Budget, and the FCA Annual Report on the Farm Credit System, averaging 75 to 100 pages each. It may also include miscellaneous assignments, such as writing text for fact sheets, brochures, recruiting materials, and other publications. Sample documents are available at www.fca.gov.

Up to 150 hours of Contractor time is estimated for each of the three reports. This time estimate includes all aspects of the three overall tasks and the eight specific tasks described above, as well as online editing and revision (Word) and detailed quality control review of the InDesign version. Up to 240 hours of Contractor time is estimated for assisting with the daily news clips summary. Up to 960 hours of Contractor time is estimated for editing and writing the weekly employee newsletter. Up to an average of 5 to 6 hours per week (270 hours total) is allowed for miscellaneous task assignments.

After final clearance and approval, the reports are designed and laid out in InDesign software by an in-house desktop publishing specialist. The Contractor must work closely with the desktop publishing specialist, but may not issue assignments directly to that specialist. Any such assignments must be routed through the Director or Assistant Director, OCPA.

This contract does not create an employer-employee relationship between the Farm Credit Administration and the Contractor. The Contractor will be responsible for any and all obligations arising from her status as an independent contractor, including, but not limited to, tax reporting and payment obligations. The Contractor will not be considered a Federal employee for any purpose, will not be regarded as performing a personal service, and will not be eligible for civil service employee benefits.

ORDERING

The COTR will place orders for the Contractor’s services by issuing task assignments to the Contractor. Upon receipt of a task assignment, the Contractor will be responsible for independently carrying out the required work in full compliance with all requirements of this statement of work and all Farm Credit Administration publication specifications.

DELIVERABLES

The deliverables for this contract are the writing, editing, and publication production services described above for three reports, writing and editing for the employee newsletter, preparing the daily news clips summary, as well as miscellaneous assignments for the Web and for other printed publications.

TIMETABLE

The COTR will establish a delivery date and performance schedule upon the issuance of each task assignment. Based on the needs of the Farm Credit Administration, the COTR will update the performance schedules on a weekly basis during the period of this contract.

PROGRESS REPORTS

Throughout the entire period of performance under this contract, the Contractor shall provide weekly progress reports to the COTR. At the COTR’s option, these reports may be submitted orally or in writing, except as noted below. Each report shall include the following information to the extent to which it is applicable for the reporting period:

· Description of progress made during the reporting period on all open task assignments, including significant accomplishments; problem areas, if any; and recommendations, if any.

· Update on resolution of any problems described in previous reports.

· Notice of any anticipated deviations from previously established technical plans, cost estimates, delivery dates, and/or performance schedules.

· Summary of task assignments finished, and deliverables completed and delivered, during the reporting period.

· Summary of labor hours expended and hourly fees billed, for the reporting period and cumulatively (must be provided in writing).

· Itemized summary of any nonlabor costs billed to the Farm Credit Administration for the reporting period and cumulatively (must be provided in writing).

In addition to the weekly progress reports, the Contractor shall promptly report to the COTR any noteworthy accomplishments, significant problems, and/or other matters requiring immediate attention. It is particularly important that the Contractor immediately report to the COTR any issues that might adversely affect the performance schedule or delivery date for any task assignment. The COTR may ask the Contractor for informal progress updates at any time.

CONTRACT TYPE

This is a cost-reimbursement contract, based on a fixed hourly rate for all services to be provided by the Contractor.

The contract is for a period of performance of 53 weeks, September 24, 2008, through September 30, 2009.

PAYMENT

Contractor shall invoice monthly in arrears for work performed. Contractor will send the invoice to the Administrative Resource Center (ARC) of the Bureau of the Public Debt. Please note, ARC’s preferred method of receiving invoices is to have them sent to the following e-mail address: fca@bpd.treas.gov. If you are not able to send your invoices via this method please send them to the following address:

For U.S. Mail:

Accounting Operations Branch

Avery 3F

Bureau of the Public Debt’s

P.O. Box 1328

Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328

Parcel Delivery Address:

Accounting Operations Branch

Avery 3F

Bureau of the Public Debt’s

200 Third Street

Parkersburg, WV 26106

Payment will be authorized upon receipt of the invoice and upon the FCA’s determination that the deliverables covered by the invoice have been received and meet the requirements of this Statement of Work and FCA specifications.

MANDATORY INFORMATION FOR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER PAYMENT

METHOD OF PAYMENT

A. Payments by the FCA under this contract shall be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT). The FCA may, at its option, also forward the associated payment information by electronic transfer. As used in this section, the term “EFT” refers to the funds transfer and may also include the information transfer.

B. In the event the FCA is unable to release one or more payments by EFT, the Contractor agrees to either -

i. Accept payment by check or some other mutually agreeable method of payment; or

ii. Request the FCA to extend payment due dates until such time as the FCA makes payment by EFT.

MANDATORY SUBMISSION OF CONTRACTOR’S EFT INFORMATION

1. The Contractor is required, as a condition to any payment under this contract, to provide the FCA with the information required to make payment by EFT as described in paragraph 3 of this section, unless the FCA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) determines that submission of the information is not required.

2. Prior to submission of the first request for payment (whether for invoice or contract financing payment) under this contract, the Contractor shall provide the information required to make contract payment by EFT, as described in paragraph 3. of this section, directly to the CFO at the address identified in this contract. In the event that the EFT information changes, the Contractor shall be responsible for providing the changed information to the CFO.

3. The FCA may make payment by EFT through either an Automated Clearing House (ACH) subject to the banking laws of the United States or the Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System, at the FCA’s option. The Contractor shall provide the following information for both methods in a form acceptable to the CFO.

a. The contract number to which this notice applies.

b. The Contractor’s name and remittance address, as stated in the contract, and account number at the Contractor’s financial agent.

c. The signature (manual or electronic, as appropriate), title, and telephone number of the Contractor official authorized to provide this information.

d. For ACH payments only:

(i) Name, address, and 9-digit Routing Transit Number of the Contractor’s financial agent.

(ii) Contractor’s account number and the type of account (checking, savings, or lockbox).

e. For Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System payments only:

(i) Name, address, telegraphic abbreviation, and the 9-digit Routing Transit Number for the Contractor’s financial agent.

(ii) If the Contractor’s financial agent is not directly on-line to the Federal Reserve Wire Transfer System and, therefore, not the receiver of the wire transfer payment, the Contractor shall also provide the name, address, telegraphic abbreviation, and 9-digit Routing Transit Number of the correspondent financial institution receiving the wire transfer payment

4. Suspension of payment

a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other clause of this contract, the FCA is not required to make any payment under this contract until receipt, by the CFO, of the correct EFT payment information from the Contractor or a certificate of EF’T information change submitted in accordance with paragraph 4.b. (below). Until receipt of the correct EFT information, any invoice or contract financing request shall be deemed not to be a valid invoice or contract financing request as defined in the Prompt Payment clause of this contract.

b. If the EFT information changes after submission of correct EFT information, the FCA shall begin using the changed EFT information no later than the 30th day after its receipt to the extent payment is made by EFT. However, the Contractor may request that no further payments be made until the changed EFT information is implemented by the CFO. If such suspension would result in a late payment under the Prompt Payment clause of this contract, the Contractor’s request for suspension shall extend the due date for payment by the number of days of the suspension.

5. The Contractor shall designate a single financial agent capable of receiving and processing the electronic funds transfer using the EFT methods described in paragraph 3 of this section. The Contractor shall pay all fees and charges for receipt and processing of transfers.

6. Liability for uncompleted or erroneous transfers

a. If an uncompleted or erroneous transfer occurs because the FCA failed to use the Contractor-provided EFT information in the correct manner, the FCA remains responsible for:

(i) Making a correct payment;

(ii) Paying any prompt payment penalty due; and

(iii)Recovering any erroneously directed funds.

b. If an uncompleted or erroneous transfer occurs because Contractor-provided EFT information was incorrect at the time of FCA release of the EFT payment transaction instruction to the Federal Reserve System, and

(i) If the funds are no longer under the control of the CFO, the FCA is deemed to have made payment and the Contractor is responsible for recovery of any erroneously directed funds; or

(ii) If the funds remain under the control of the CFO, the FCA retains the right to either make payment by mail or suspend the payment in accordance with paragraph 4. of this section.

7. EFT and prompt payment

a. A payment shall be deemed to have been made in a timely manner in accordance with the Prompt Payment clause of this contract if, in the EFT payment transaction instruction given to the Federal Reserve System, the date specified for settlement of the payment is on or before the prompt payment due date, provided the specified payment date is a valid date under the rules of the Federal Reserve System.

b. When payment cannot be made by EFT because of incorrect EFT information provided by the Contractor, no interest penalty is due after the date of the uncompleted or erroneous payment transaction, provided that notice of the defective EFT information is issued to the Contractor within 7 days after the FCA is notified of the defective EFT information.

8. If the Contractor assigns the proceeds of this contract as provided for in the Assignment of Claims clause of this contract, the assignee shall provide the assignee EFT information required by paragraph 3 of this section. In all respects, the requirements of this section shall apply to the assignee as if it were the Contractor. EFT information which shows the ultimate recipient of the transfer to be other than the Contractor, in the absence of a proper assignment of claims acceptable to the FCA, is incorrect EFT information within the meaning of paragraph 4 of this section.

9. If the Contractor does not wish to receive payment by EFT methods for one or more payments, the Contractor may submit a request to the CFO to refrain from requiring EFT information or using the EFT payment method. The decision to grant the request is solely that of the FCA.

10. The Contractor agrees that the Contractor’s financial agent may notify the FCA of a change to the routing transit number, Contractor account number, or account type. The FCA shall use the changed data in accordance with paragraph 4.b. of this section. The Contractor agrees that the information provided by the agent is deemed to be correct information as if it were provided by the Contractor. The Contractor agrees that the agent’s notice of changed EFT data is deemed to be a request by the Contractor in accordance with paragraph 4.b. that no further payments be made until the changed EFT information is implemented by the CFO.

NOTICE TO THE FCA OF DELAYS

In the event the Contractor encounters difficulty in meeting performance requirements, or when the Contractor anticipates difficulty in complying with the performance schedule, or whenever the Contractor has knowledge that any actual or potential situation is delaying or threatening to delay the timely performance of this contract, the Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer and the COTR in writing, giving pertinent details; provided, however, that the data shall be informational only in character and that these provisions shall not be construed as a waiver by the FCA of any delivery schedule or date, or of any rights or remedies provided by law or under this contract.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Contractor must sign a Confidentiality Agreement concerning the disclosure/nondisclosure of “confidential information”, as defined below. Except as required by law or court order, the Contractor shall not disclose or permit the disclosure of any confidential information, including this and any other engagement with the FCA, to anyone without FCA's express written consent. FCA will provide the Contractor with access to electronic documentations which may also be provided through printing of those documents at the request of the Contractor. Access to these documents shall be under the control of FCA personnel. Upon termination of this contract, all information, documents, and work products in the Contractor’s possession relating to any work performed under this contract shall be returned to the Deputy Director of OCPA. FCA will review and may authorize the Contractor to retain copies of any information that the Contractor reasonably considers necessary for its confidential business records. The Contractor shall take all reasonable measures to avoid at any time any unintentional or inadvertent disclosure of any confidential information to any unauthorized person by the Contractor’s employees, agents, or attorneys.

The term “confidential information” means any information acquired by the Contractor in carrying out the duties under the contract, including any information obtained before the date of the contract, and which had not become public information, including information regarding FCS institutions and FCA.

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.arnet.gov/far/

Clause Title

Date

FAR Ref

52.202-1 Definitions

JUL 2004

2.201

52.203-3 Gratuities

APR 1984

3.202

52.203-5 Covenant Against

Contingent Fees

APR 1984

3.404

52.203-7 Anti-Kickback Procedures

JUL 1995

3.502-3

52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel

NOV 2006

4.1301

52.239-1 Privacy or Security Safeguards

AUG 1996

39.107

52.242-15 Stop-Work Order

AUG 1989

42.1305(b)

52.243-1 Changes – Labor Hours

SEP 2000

43.205(c)

52.246-6 Inspection of Services

MAY 2001

46.306

52.246-25 Limitation of Liability - Services

FEB 1997

46.805

BACKGROUND CHECK

Contractor must undergo a background check as deemed appropriate by the FCA.

No Employer-Employee Relationship

This contract does not create an employer-employee relationship between FCA and the Contractor. The Contractor will be responsible for any and all obligations arising from its status as an independent contractor, including but not limited to, tax reporting and payment obligations. Neither the Contractor nor any of its employees will be considered a Federal employee for any purpose, regarded as performing a personal service, or eligible for civil service employee benefits.

CLAIMS FOR RELIEF

The FCA is a nonappropriated fund activity not subject to GAO's bid protest provisions. Any claim for relief filed by a contractor shall be adjudicated by the FCA Contracting Officer. If the parties cannot reach an agreement mutually satisfactory after diligently pursuing a solution through discussions and negotiations, the FCA Contracting Officer shall make a final decision. The FCA Contracting Officer's decision shall prevail unless the contractor submits an appeal to the FCA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Stephen G. Smith. The decision of the CFO shall be final and binding on the parties.

Agency Contact

The Agency Contacts for this contract will be Christine Quinn, OCPA, or such other person designated in writing, with notification to the Contractor, by the Director, OCPA.

Acceptance

Upon the Agency’s acceptance of the Contractor to perform the work under this contract, Contractor shall promptly proceed with the performance of tasks assigned by the COTR.

Contracting Officer Technical Representative:

The COTR for the contract will be:

Philip Shebest, FCA Contracting Officer

Office of Management Services

Farm Credit Administration

1501 Farm Credit Drive

Email: shebestp@fca.gov

Telephone: (703) 883-4146