Attachment_1_-_SOW.pdf

Financial and Accounting Regulations/Policy Training

Statement of Work

CarterL Text Box Attachment 1

Contents

C.1 Background

C.2 Scope

C.3 Specific Tasks - Requirements

C.3.1 Task 1 – e-learning Programs

C.3.2 Task 2 – AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments and Accounting, Financial Regulation and Industry Conferences

C.1 Background

The mission of the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly and effective markets, and facilitate capital formation. In support of this mission, SEC University works to enhance SEC staff’s knowledge and understanding of accounting standards, securities laws and financial regulation in a way that better equips staff for their day-to-day responsibilities. SEC University does this by providing a wide range of training and development services for staff that extends into the SEC’s divisions, offices, and regions and interfaces with external organizations.

The SEC employs accountants, certified fraud examiners, and other financial professionals who require training and development services in support of their role in handling government accounting issues, public company oversight, examinations of SEC-regulated entities, and policy-making related to the financial services industry among other responsibilities. The SEC seeks to offer courses eligible for earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits in accordance with requirements identified by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in a variety of training formats relevant to the work of SEC accountants and financial professionals.

C.2 Scope

The SEC is seeking up to 2 contractors with large and diverse catalogs of offerings covering topics relevant to Accounting and Financial Professionals handling government, public company and financial services entities accounting issues. This contract has two task requirements. To be eligible for an award, the contractor shall respond and provide pricing for at least one task. A contractor may also respond and provide pricing for both tasks.

C.3 Specific Tasks - Requirements

C.3.1 Task 1 – e-learning Programs

The first requirement is for a comprehensive e-learning program that provides online training solutions for a complex, US Federal agency with over 4,000 employees. The SEC seeks to provide accounting and financial training that provide NASBA approved CPEs in the following areas: Accounting, Accounting (Governmental), Administrative Practice, Auditing, Auditing (Governmental), Behavioral Ethics, Business Law, Business Management and Organization, Communications, Computer Science, Economics, Finance, Management Advisory Services, Marketing, Mathematics, Personal Development, Personnel/HR, Production, Regulatory Ethics, Social Environment of Business, Specialized Knowledge and Applications, Statistics, and Taxes.

These fields represent the primary knowledge and skill areas needed by accounting licensees to perform professional services in all fields of employment.

C.3.3.1 The contractor shall provide the following minimum functionalities:

The contractor shall offer on-line accounting and financial training that provide NASBA approved CPEs in the following areas: Accounting, Accounting (Governmental), Administrative Practice, Auditing, Auditing (Governmental), Behavioral Ethics, Business Law, Business Management and Organization, Communications, Computer Science, Economics, Finance, Management Advisory Services, Marketing, Mathematics, Personal Development, Personnel/HR, Production, Regulatory Ethics, Social Environment of Business, Specialized Knowledge and Applications, Statistics, and Taxes.

The contractor shall externally host the e-learning programs and provide each user access to the programs anytime and anyplace in a secure environment with technical support and service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The contractor shall provide the following types of formats: live webcasts, audio download, web segments, video download, on-demand web, and audio-only web programs, and may include additional formats.

The contractor shall be registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. The contractor shall offer and award CPEs for all eligible e-learning programs.

The contractor shall offer courses eligible for CPE credits which meet state boards of accountancy requirements for ethics CPEs for a minimum of 25 states. Additional consideration will be provided for contractors who can offer courses that meet ethics CPE credit requirements in all states and jurisdictions in which the SEC is located including: California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and additionally Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.

The contractor shall provide a customer service representative during the SEC’s operational hours (7:00 am – 7pm ET) who will be available to assist SEC University staff with setting-up accounts, resolving issues including resetting passwords, and designing reports.

The contractor shall provide monthly usage reports on the second business day of the month.

The reports should include user names, user email addresses, courses accessed, courses completed, date enrolled, date completed, and CPEs earned.

The contractor shall provide licenses that may be reused or reassigned to staff.

The contractor shall provide program materials necessary for learning during corresponding e-learning events.

The contractor shall refer to and comply with all SEC OIT Security Policies and Procedures.

The contractor shall provide courses that do not require the use of Adobe flash.

The contractor shall provide an e-learning catalog which at a minimum shall have a description of the content, the number of CPE credits, and the specific subject areas for which CPE credits are awarded. The contractor’s e-learning catalog and content should be updated regularly and reflect the most current policies and procedures, industry trends, legislation, and regulatory changes in the areas of finance and accounting.

Within thirty (30) days of the contract award date, the contractor shall successfully test the tool in the SEC technical environment to ensure SEC staff can access the site without jeopardizing SEC networks or systems. The system shall not be off-line more than four hours per month (including maintenance time). When scheduled maintenance occurs, the contractor shall provide at least two notices to customers with one of them at least 24 hours prior to down-time.

To the extent it is available, the vendor shall provide pricing options for different tier-levels of access to the on-line courses up to and including a full access package. If options are available for access to specified content areas, the contractor shall also provide pricing options for less inclusive packages.

The contractor shall maintain and make accessible all training records for staff for a five (5) year period. Training records include correspondence, reports, attendance records, CPE certificates, and other records relating to staff’s participation in the contractor’s training programs.

C.3.2 Task 2 – AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments and Accounting, Financial Regulation and Industry Conferences

The SEC seeks to provide its employees with access to conferences that focus on the financial, accounting, industry and consultancy training needed by SEC employees handling accounting and financial matters focused on government accounting, financial regulation, public companies and oversight of SEC-regulated entities.

C.3.2.1 The contractor shall provide the following minimum functionalities:

The contractor shall offer an annual AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments that provides updates and developments on the latest in accounting and reporting guidance, with specific emphasis on the financial regulatory outlook of U.S. public companies from key SEC, PCAOB, FASB and IASB policymakers. The contractor shall also offer industry conferences that focus on finance and accounting regulations in specific industry and consulting areas (including Banks & Savings, Oil & Gas, Construction and Real Estate, Manufacturing and Forensic & Valuation services).

The contractor shall be registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. The contractor shall provide continuing professional education (CPE) for the conferences. The contractor shall also provide the necessary CPE forms where appropriate, and contractor shall award pre-determined CPEs for individual virtual broadcasts, virtual group cast, and in-person attendance.

The contractor shall provide an on-line catalog of conferences which at a minimum shall have a description of the conference content, the number of CPE credits, and the specific subject areas for which CPE credits are awarded. The contractor’s conference catalog and content should be updated regularly and reflect the most current policies and procedures, industry trends, legislation, and regulatory changes in the areas of finance and accounting.

The contractor shall provide electronic copies of all conference program materials that are in accordance with SEC requirements 508 compliance programs in an Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). The contractor shall refer to and comply with all SEC OIT Security Policies and Procedures. The contractor shall provide conference broadcasts that do not require the use of Adobe flash.

The contractor shall provide fees for full and daily conference attendance either in-person or by virtual broadcast for multiple conferences offered throughout the calendar year, including the SEC and PCAOB Updates Conference and finance, accounting and industry conferences. If arranged prior to a conference, the contractor shall allow full conference registrations to be split-up into virtual broadcast and in-person attendance.

In the event the conference is delivered via virtual group cast, the contractor shall provide the SEC AV staff with an internet connection at the hotel, and also provide access to the conference site one day in advance in order to test the SEC’s AV equipment with the contractor’s AV staff.

The contractor shall maintain and make accessible all training records for staff for a five (5) year period. Training records include correspondence, reports, attendance records, CPE certificates, and other records relating to staff’s participation in the contractor’s training programs.