A04_MTRP-WHMP_SOW.pdf

Statement of Work

Title: Payment system for the Marking, Tagging, and Reporting and Walrus Harvest/Haulout Monitoring

Contract Period: October 1, 2023–September 30, 2028

Background: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), Marine Mammals Management (MMM) Office's runs programs that monitor the subsistence harvest of polar bears, Pacific walruses, and northern sea otters and monitors walrus haulouts in Alaska. The Marking, Tagging, and Reporting Program (MTRP) employs a network of local community taggers to affix tags to subsistence harvested marine mammals, collect biological samples, monitor walrus haulouts, and report the information to the MMM.

The Service pays the taggers and harvest/haulout monitors a fee for each animal they process and/or information they provide based on the level of effort required to collect and report the information.

Goal/objective: Find vendor to provide a payment system for the taggers and harvest/haulout monitors a fee for each animal they process and/or information they provide.

Scope of work: The Service processes approximately 400 transactions per year and each transaction varies between $10–2,500 for a total of about $100,000 per year. Approximately 75% of the payees are able to receive electronic fund transfer payments, while 25% would need a physical check sent to them.

The contractor would be responsible for paying the payee for each tagging or monitoring fee and requesting a reimbursement from the Service, which includes the vendor’s transaction fee.

The workflow for this proposed process includes the following:

• Local taggers and harvest/haulout monitors (payees) complete their work and submit the certificates, data, samples, and payment invoices to MMM staff.

• MMM staff receives, records, and approves the certificates, data, samples, and payment invoices.

• MMM staff electronically transmits payment invoices and payee contact information to the payment contractor.

• The payment contractor processes the payment invoices and issues payments to payees in a timely manner. Currently, we issue payments in response to individual invoices. The contractor may continue this schedule, or we may negotiate a set periodic schedule with the contractor, e.g., weekly, bi-weekly, etc. The payment schedule will be determined during the development of the contract.

• Access to traditional bank accounts is not readily available for approximately 25% of the payees. The payment contractor will be responsible for issuing payments in a manner suitable for payees, including options such as electronic transfers to a bank account, physical checks, or other methods.

• The payment vendor will be responsible for collecting and maintaining necessary information from payees to make payments, track payments, and provide tax documents.

• The payment contractor will also be responsible for providing payee customer support such as phone number, email, or social media, or all. Payees frequently call to inquire about the status and time of payment. We wish to outsource the contact and response for these inquiries to the contractor.

• The payment contractor will maintain all necessary records and provide reports to MMM staff. The specific information, reports, formats, and schedules will be determined during the development of the contract and in consultation with MMM, Budget and Financing, and Contracting.

• The payment contractor will submit invoices to the Service as specified in the contract for services rendered.

• The payment contractor will provide points of contact for MMM staff for the administration of the payments.

• MMM staff will be responsive to the payment contractor's questions and will inform the contractor of changes to authorized payment rates.