A02.12 PWS Agriculture Commodity Data.docx

Acquisition of Agricultural and Commodity Data for Analysis in Support of the Waterborne Navigation Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Performance Work Statement (PWS) or Scope of Specifications S & P Global/I.H.S. Products for Purchase Basis Document for Request of Formal Quote from Vendor June 2023

Introduction:

The content of this performance work statement (PWS) is to provide background and needs pertaining to information needed by the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC, located in New Orleans, Louisiana) of the Institute for Water Resources (IWR), Headquarters, and the office of IWR (located in Alexandria, Virginia) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

The WCSC of the Institute for Water Resources (IWR) and the capital region office of IWR (Alexandria, Virginia) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) compiles, processes, and analyzes data and information for waterborne transportation and associated trade, and affiliated services involved with the conduct of both domestic and foreign trade critical to the economy of the United States. The data and information assembled by WCSC and IWR are employed in the engineering and economic evaluation of Federally sponsored waterway improvements for coastal harbors and deep-draft approach channels and waterways in addition to internal or inland waterway(s) systems. Such improvements include placement of new general navigation features (GNFs) such as channels or vessel maneuvering areas and enhancements to existing features. Enhancements may include deepening and enlargement of maneuvering areas to accommodate evolving changes in vessel or fleet characteristics and fleet service regime driven by trade and demand for supporting waterborne transport. In the same context of evaluation of new GNFs or related enhancements, subject data and information is also routinely employed to inform agency (USACE) decisions for management of operation(s) and maintenance (O&M) within the framework of budgetary and fiscal resource constraints of the agency’s waterborne navigation program.

Part of the information essential to waterway system evaluations includes the specifications of vessels using the authorized navigation channels. In addition, data on commodity trends and forecasts, vessel loading patterns and other economic and shipping parameters are used routinely in economic and engineering evaluations to assess the feasibility and economic return of new construction, physical improvements or enhancements, and O&M initiatives based on transportation cost efficiencies made possible by such measures, such as or including loading and operating vessels more efficiently than would otherwise be possible (without specified improvements or enhancements).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is interested in purchasing two (2) off-the-shelf economic data products that will be used by Corps practitioners in evaluating navigation improvement projects as well as for use in budgetary decision making.

Requirements/Specifications

The specifications outlined herein set forth specifications required to be fulfilled and contractually agreed to by the vendor in terms of the following general requirements:

a) Duration of time and frequency of provision or update of data over time.

b) Privileges for Distribution or Sharing of Data (internal to USACE).

a) Duration of time and frequency for data provision

The duration for contractual services described herein shall be for one (1) calendar year (or 365 calendar days) with regular updates (at least weekly) of specified economic reports and forecasts which will enable initial download within five (5) calendar days of contract award or notice to proceed (NTP). Data downloaded at each interval will be of the same or comparable specification but with update and accounting for more current information as compiled by the vendor for update and maintenance of its product over the corresponding period. Each download will be electronically facilitated with placement to an agreed-to file transfer protocol (FTP) site address accessible through a specific user-password and safeguarded by measures for controlled access.

b) Privileges for Distribution, Sharing, and Retention of Data

The WCSC, Deep Draft and Inland Planning Centers of Expertise, and IWR have requirements for distribution or sharing economic data and information to be acquired from the vendor. The specific agricultural reports and forecasts will be made available to 5 users acquired for the WCSC, HQUSACE, the Inland and Deep Draft Planning Center of Expertise and IWR that also have common use to needs of IWR, required privileges for distribution and sharing include the ability to share data at the commodity level with any organizational entity within or throughout the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to include District and Division Offices, and any other entity internal to USACE that acceptably substantiates valid and reasonable need for provision of data.

Economic data and forecast fields will only be distributed or shared within the WCSC, IWR and the applicable centers of expertise for analysis of waterborne navigation (primarily the Inland Planning Center of Expertise located in Huntington, West Virginia but also the Deep Draft Planning Center of Expertise located in Mobile, Alabama). Data identified as unique to needs of IWR will not be distributed or shared at the detailed or individual record level with any other entities internal to USACE or external to IWR including (but not necessarily limited to) any USACE internal District or Division or affiliated office, laboratory, research entity or activity, field operating activity, contractor or affiliated support entity not directly employed by and for purposes specific to efforts of IWR, or any other administrative or technical work element not otherwise specifically or explicitly identified herein for respective privilege(s) of distribution and sharing.

While no further sharing of detailed data will be beyond that generally described, aggregated statistics derived from the detail statistical records database may be used or released to only the extent necessary in documentation and reporting sufficient to convey the context or framework of analytical methods, procedures, and findings or conclusions derived from project analyses and evaluations employing subject data of concern.

In addition to the above description of privileges for distribution and sharing of data. USACE occasionally has needs to make detailed information available for external independent technical review of project studies and evaluations. Typically, such reviews are performed by specialists in other governmental agencies or academicians affiliated with academic institutions with relevant knowledge, skills, and experience. Within these requirements as they arise, data at varying levels of detail employed or relevant to a given project evaluation and technical review sometimes needs to be made available to entities performing the review to independently determine the viability of evaluation findings, conclusions, and as applicable, any recommendations. Correspondingly, privileges for distribution and sharing of relevant data will be granted on an as needed basis only with mandate of requirements for written signatory agreements for both non-disclosure (NDA) and non-alternative use (NAUA; for any other purpose than as needed for the specified review tasking) of provided data and information. In concert with the preceding described needs for distribution and sharing, data at the detailed level will not be distributed or shared outside of USACE with any other governmental, non-governmental (including commercial or private sector) entities or entities within and to include the public at large not specifically and explicitly identified for privileges of distribution set forth by the PWS herein. Detailed data will be used to assemble statistical reports comprised of aggregated statistics such as averages and ranges for data which may be shared with other Federal agencies or outside the realm of Federal agencies as deemed to be in the public interest respective to the missions and duties of USACE. All data and information once purchased for a given period or coverage through time shall remain the property of the Government in perpetuity for any applicable need to evaluate historical data or trends over time subject to the privileges for distribution and sharing set forth under this performance work statement.

Summary Statement of Deliverables

Subject to the requirements and specifications as set forth herein, the vendor or contractor will provide the following:

For a period of one year (via secure FTP website or addresses), weekly or monthly releases (with initial provision within five calendar days of contract award and notice to proceed (or NTP), and every week or month thereafter for an additional installments) of

It is requested that 5 specific user passwords be provided by the vendor. Upon award, the 5 users will have access to the various data and reports that are housed within the vendor’s website.

Product 1: North American Agriculture Service The subscription service provides four long-term (15+ year) forecasts per year for the supply, demand, and price of 30 different crop and livestock commodities & Canadian supply. Service also provides coverage of producer price indices, cost of producing crops, consumer price indices, farm income and the balance sheet & Canadian farm income. Data's salient findings should be condensed into a convenient executive summary providing commentary on forecast assumptions as well as key market drivers and potential risk scenarios. Forecasts and/or reports should be released mid-February, mid-May, mid-September and mid-November.

Product 2: Food and Agricultural Commodities Market Reporting and Economics Services

This portal houses at least 20,000+ datasets which allows comprehensive data and analysis across the global agricultural commodities and processed food markets, with current, short-term and long-term solutions to support all operational needs.

Food Commodities News

The Food and Agricultural Commodities Market Reporting service is the market leader in updates and news on the agricultural commodity and processed food markets, with modular channel access available including the global feed grains market. Coverage spans from pricing news and key trends impacting production to incoming legislation and geopolitical impacts to the market. The service is powered by IEG Vu and includes access to a range of historic data tools covering pricing, trade volumes and production at a granular level.

Weekly and monthly production, trade and price forecasts

The Food and Agricultural Commodities Economics service is the only service in the market that provide comprehensive analysis of near-term market developments for the 12 months ahead, from market trends to supply-demand, production and price forecasts. A subscription to our feed grains channel includes supply and demand balance tables, import and export trade data, price forecasts, US and global acreage and production potential, weather forecasts, price outlooks and summaries of major USDA reports. Subscriptions also include daily market commentary to provide context for daily trading and procurement workflow needs.

Some of the common fields include:

· Food & Agricultural Commodity Econ/Area&Prod/OL/Sub

· Food & Agricultural Commodity /Exec Summ/OL/Sub

· Food & Agricultural Commodity /Corn&Minors/OL/Sub

· Food & Agricultural Commodity /Soybean/OL/Subs

· Food & Agricultural Commodity /Weekly Wire/OL/Sub

· Food & Agricultural Commodity /Wheat/Online/Subs Farm Inputs Coverage:

· Producer price indices

· US crops cost of production

· US regional crop cost of production

North American Agriculture Service

· Supply, Demand, and Prices for Major US Crops

· Acreage, yield, production, imports

· Domestic demand by type: food, feed, industrial, biofuels

· Exports, stocks, farm prices, and market prices

· Government program parameters

· Net returns from market and government support programs by crop

· Farm prices

Supply and Demand Balance for US Livestock Sector

· Animal inventories, calves per cow, pigs per litter, slaughter weight, and live animal prices

· Meat imports, production, domestic consumption, exports, ending stocks, and retail meat prices

· Per capita meat consumption

Farm Income:

· Indices of process received by farmers, cash receipts, government payments, production expenses (fertilizer, crop protection, labor, etc.) farm income, the balance sheet, consumer price indices for food

INVOICING

Invoices should be sent to the following email addresses. Which ensures that a copy goes to the USACE finance office and a copy to the IWR budget officer:

CEFC-Q0Invoices@usace.army.mil DLL-CEIWRCONTRACT@usace.army.mil Kevin.p.knight@usace.army.mil