Attachment_1_-_SOW.pdf

Statement of Work Trade Data Services Solicitation

Introduction:

FAS is soliciting a subscription for trade data services to provide monthly global trade data for over 85 countries and annual data for over 200 countries representing more than 90 percent of global trade; this also includes historical data from 10 to 20 years.

Mission:

FAS is a trade agency that promotes U.S. agricultural exports. FAS is the lead U.S. agency tasked with promoting exports of U.S. agricultural products. The Agency advances the growth of U.S. agricultural exports through market intelligence, trade policy, trade capacity building, and trade promotion programs.

Trade data services under this solicitation facilitate detailed monitoring and analysis of international agricultural, fisheries, and forestry trade flows to support all major agency activities. Additionally, FAS is a participant in USDA’s Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees (ICEC) responsible for the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). This USDA subscription also covers agencies participating in the ICECs and is limited to the Office of the Chief Economist, the World Agricultural Outlook Board, and the Economic Research Service providing members access to the same consistent, reliable data set.

https://www.fas.usda.gov/.

Background:

This is an annual subscription service providing monthly (and annual) official merchandise trade data by HS code (imports/exports) covering approximately 85 countries accessed through a vendor’s web-based interface. This includes HS codes from the most general to the most detailed level available from each reporting country. Additionally, FAS requires the same data fed into its Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) for its internal use as well as maintenance of a custom interactive “Grains Database.”

Scope:

The countries are listed below.

Minimum 10 years of individual country volume, value, and unit value data on a monthly basis or the entire available data set if less; data at the 6-digit HS level, with access to HS-8 and HS-10-digit detail when available. Analysts ideally like to have data back to 2000 (or before). Additional data fields such as port, mode of transport when available.

• Listing of official data source by country.

• Ability to handle EU as an entity or as individual countries with intratrade.

• Country data or updates loaded not less than twice each week.

• Company maintains data verification procedures to identify and correct errors in data sets.

• Identified errors notified to customers within 24 hours.

Tasks or Requirements:

Customer Service

• Help Function as part of the database; “live” customer support via telephone and email with initial response within 24 hours. For issues related to work stoppage, resolution of that issue within 72 hours.

• Training for domestic and overseas staff at the beginning of a contract and periodically thereafter (at least annually).

Providing Foreign Trade Data to FAS GATS system

12FPC219R0013 Attachment 1 - SOW https://www.fas.usda.gov/

• FAS’s foreign trade data subscription includes a data feed to allow FAS internal users to access vendor-supplied monthly agricultural, fisheries, and forestry trade data via its own Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS). Such access is facilitated through a vendor-provided and maintained data server. The GATS application points to the vendor-provided data server when FAS users query foreign trade data. The vendor updates data to the server twice per week at a minimum though FAS desires daily loads so that GATS queries match similar queries made to the vendor’s own platform. The Data server provided and maintained by vendor provides high level remote access to the FAS database administrator. FAS Database Administer will RDP into the vendor database server to validate weekly data loads provided from vendor updates, debugging the sql code on the database server (debugging a stored procedure only works on the server, does not support remotely via SSMS).)

• FAS is amenable to altering the data feed for the GATS system to an API if one is provided by the vendor and such can be configured appropriately to achieve the same goals.

• Note: Vendor data is accessible via the GATS application, is e-Auth protected, and only available for FAS users.

• Trade data from the vendor includes HS chapters 1-24, 29, 33, 35, 38, 41, 43, 44, 50, 51, 52, 53.

The commodities are defined beginning at the HS-6 level by commodities tracked by FAS (although the reporting country may be identifying the commodity at HS 8,9,10 or 11-digit levels).

• Unlimited technical support.

Grains “Custom” System

• The Grains “Custom” System is separate and receives the same data as the main platform except that it is a very limited set of HS codes. It also includes data that was originally (and is still )hand-entered by FAS analysts (comes from exterior sources).

• Ability to incorporate existing Grains “Custom” System into overall vendor platform or host separately.

Compatibility with Overseas Posts’ IT Systems

• Must be fully functional with systems and internet access used by FAS Overseas Posts (provided by the U.S. Department of State).

Product Groups

• Ability to create and activate customized product groups (including with conversion factors) without the necessity of an additional step of logging in and out.

• Pre-populated groups by database vendor available to FAS/Washington and overseas Posts.

• Pre-fabricated categories to match GATS such as WTO Ag, BICO, All Ag Total, Bulk, Intermediate, etc.

• Hierarchy of groups with appropriate permission(s) allowing FAS/W to limit the creation of

“excessive” groups but allowing Posts (and users) to define their own without those groups showing in the general view.

Country groups

• Ability to create customized country groups. Ability to handle EU as an entity or as individual countries with intratrade.

• Ability to select multiple reporters and multiple partners.

• Ability to pre-populate groups by database vendor such as regions (e.g., South America), ASEAN, CIS, etc. and load to user accounts.

Reports

• Allow for multiple selections of reporters and partners.

• Allow for trade with EU as an entity or with individual EU countries.

• Ability to drill down through countries and commodities without redefining the search.

Download Function

• Large-scale downloads (10 years, monthly data) with customized parameters, spreadsheet file and CSV/machine readable formats, appropriate headers and labels; data downloaded to be immediately available to user or at a scheduled time; data available via email or other download facility.

• Must have the ability to download imports, exports, trade balance, and total trade data for volume, value, and unit value.

• Must have the ability to derive trade data (use reporting country export data to download partner country imports or use reporting country import data to download partner country exports).

• Ability to extract data to local Excel files that will automatically update.

• Following a trade run, the ability to download data directly from the web interface. web interface) after a trade run direct from the web interface.

User Accounts

• System must have the ability to provide individual user accounts and passwords for each FAS overseas Post and each work unit in Washington (separated by World Board, ERS, and FAS).

Queries

• Allow for user-defined time periods and the ability to set/adjust a default time period setting for each account profile.

• Able to drill down different levels of HS codes and have queries refresh automatically.

Easy of functionality: number of clicks, repeat searches, bookmarks.

• Limited number of clicks for a search; ability to create bookmarks, repeat searches.

• Dashboard for queries.

Conversion Factors

• Usual factors such as kg>>MT>>TMT; lbs>>kg; ability to customize (bales>>MT; Product- Weight Equivalent (PWE) to Carcass-Weight Equivalent (CWE).

• Conversion factors loaded by vendor and pre-populated for users and Posts as needed. Some factors may be country-specific.

FAS Responsibilities:

Contractor Responsibilities:

Special Requirements:

Restrictions against Disclosure:

The Contractor agrees, in the performance of this contract, to keep all information contained in source documents or other media furnished by the Government in the strictest confidence. The Contractor also agrees not to publish or otherwise divulge such information in whole or in part, in any manner or form, nor to authorize or permit others to do so, taking such reasonable measures as are necessary to restrict access to such information while in the Contractor’s possession, to those employees needing such information to perform the work provided herein, i.e., on a "need to know" basis. The Contractor agrees to immediately notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, in the event that the Contractor determines or has reason to suspect a breach of this requirement.

The Contractor agrees not to disclose any information concerning work under this contract to any persons or individual unless prior written approval is obtained from the Contracting Officer. The Contractor agrees to insert the substance of this clause in any consultant agreement or subcontract hereunder.

Contract Administration:

Non-personal Services:

Background Investigations:

Place of Performance:

Period of Performance:

Invoice:

The Government shall pay the Contractor for the services performed by the Contractor, as set forth in the Schedule of this contract, at the rates prescribed. Contractor shall provide proper invoices or time statements to the office or officer designated and at the time provided for in this contract. Invoices are to show purchase order, remittance address, billing period, and taxpayer’s identification number.

NOTE: The Contractor must use the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) website (https://www.ipp.gov) to register, access, and use for submitting invoices.

Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by calling (866) 973-3131.

Deliverables or Delivery Schedule:

September 1, 2019 – August 31, 2020 and renewable with option years.

Country Coverage:

The following countries:

Albania

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Bolivia

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cote d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Estonia

EU (Exclude UK)

EU15 (External Trade)

EU25 (External Trade)

EU27 (External Trade)

EU28 (External Trade)

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Guatemala

Honduras

Hong Kong

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Iran

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kosovo

Kuwait

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macau

Macedonia

Malaysia

Malta

Mauritius

Mexico

Montenegro

Morocco

Mozambique

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Norway

Pakistan

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Senegal

Serbia

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States

Uruguay

Venezuela