Attachment 1 - Statement of Work.pdf

Statement of Work Economic Research Service

International Trade Data and Analysis

1.0 Organization and Background

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) Market and Trade Economics Division (MTED) 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, D.C. 20250

The Economic Research Service is a Federal agency within the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). ERS provides agricultural economic research and policy services that address issues at the forefront of domestic and global concerns. Within ERS, the Market and Trade Economics Division (MTED) monitors, evaluates, and conducts research on domestic and foreign economic and policy factors affecting agricultural markets and trade. The data and analysis acquired under this contract will focus on agricultural information in the Western Hemisphere.

Data and analysis accessed through this contract will be used to produce a variety of ERS work products which include, but are not limited to:

• USDA ERS International Macro Dataset. Macro projections are the foundation for USDA baseline, including both the yearly update and the mid-session update. The macro projections and the results from USDA’s baseline are delivered to FPAC-BC and USDA- OBPA as part of their commodity cost estimates that form part of the U.S. President’s budget proposal. The projections also feed into WASDE, Trade Outlook, Cost of Production and Returns projections, and the dairy mid-session review. Lastly the projections serve as the foundation for the yearly Global Food Assessment report a congressionally mandated product.

• ERS reports and publications on topics and market trends in relation to fruit, tree nuts and vegetable sectors, country-specific and commodity-specific information for processed fruit and vegetable markets, concentrate, dried, frozen and other raw market materials.

2.0 Scope

Economic analysts within MTED require comprehensive global coverage of food and agricultural policies, trade, WTO issues, data, global macro-economic trends, and summaries of analyses and policies important to U.S. food and agricultural trade.

• Data is needed to conduct in-depth analysis of gross domestic product, the GDP deflator, Consumer Price Index, and Exchange Rates (both real and nominal). This information is used to anticipate annual trends and projection trends over a ten-year period.

• Data services are required for crops, food and ingredients, and various processed foods.

Data in relation to commodities and food prices influenced by trade and weather is required.

o Global data consolidated by one vendor is desired with robust datasets of comprehensive data and analysis across global agricultural commodities and processed food markets.

• Vendor must also provide issues-driven analysis, as opposed to country or commodity-driven analysis. Analysis must respond rapidly to shifts in global markets with timely explanatory reports and updates to forecasts. Reports should be delivered individually by email in short pdf documents with descriptive headlines and summaries, saving staff search time.

o This analysis provides helpful context when country or commodity forecasts from other sources conflict or when current analysis specific to a country or commodity of interest to ERS is unavailable.

Deliverables

The contractor shall provide at a minimum, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Online intelligence service for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU), as well as providing expert coverage of global agricultural policy, legislation, and trade in farm commodities. Provide ERS staff with information to assist in informing agriculture professionals, officials, and policy makers. Provides daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly prices of key agricultural commodities dating back to 1997, and a platform where experts address specific questions raised by users of news and analysis produced.

2. Provide information to ERS staff that aids in formulating models and analysis related to EU agricultural policy.

3. Data on EU domestic and trade policy developments and to glean context and information on EU markets.

4. Provide up to five licenses for dataset access to food and agricultural products and analysis for the areas listed:

a. Assessment of growth markets through a detailed set of consistent economic forecasts and analysis of key drivers across 200+ countries

b. Assessment of bottom-line impacts of changing world events.

c. Evaluation of policy impacts to macroeconomic data and forecasting

d. Emerging markets data

e. Coverage of prices, exchange rates, demographics, financial and monetary indicators

f. 30-year forecasts and historical data back to 1970

g. Monthly and quarterly forecast updates

h. Coverage of North America, Western Europe, Central Europe & Balkans, Middle

East, Africa, Asia, Latina America and the Caribbeans.

i. Gross Domestic Product forecasts

j. GDP Deflator

k. Consumer price index and forecasts

The contractor agrees this contract will allow USDA to incorporate data provided on their behalf and will be utilized in our data products and reports, and that the data can be freely used within the USDA environment to develop products. This includes the ability of ERS staff to utilize and share data accessed as a result of this purchase or subscription with approved cooperators involved in developing ERS work products. All ERS staff may access data available through purchase or subscription, any restrictions regarding number of users or user access must be clearly stated in documents supporting the purchase or subscription. ERS staff accessing the data are allowed to access, store and utilize data received or downloaded as a result of this purchase or subscription alongside other datasets within the USDA environment, including alongside public datasets, to develop ERS products. USDA will publish data products and reports derived from this data in a publicly available format while citing the contractor as the source. These permissions may be special or above and beyond the terms granted in standard terms of use for this data purchase or subscription.

3.0 Place of Performance

N/A. Electronic delivery

4.0 Period of Performance

The period of performance of this contract shall be completed on predetermined dates between the date of award and the end of the option periods. ERS is requesting a base plus four option period contract.

5.0 Key Personnel

N/A

6.0 Job Performance Criteria

N/A

7.0 Government Provided Equipment

N/A

8.0 Security

The contractor(s) may be required to obtain a suitability determination through USDA/ERS. In addition, they shall complete all mandatory training (e.g., the privacy basis and security training) required of all with access to USDA/ERS networks and facilities.

9.0 Travel

No travel is required.