DRAFT -Benchmarking Recruitment and Hiring - SOW.pdf

United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General

Research and Insights Solution Center (RISC)

Statement of Work

Benchmarking Recruitment and Hiring Strategies for the Postal Service

1. Introduction

The United States Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is awarding a contract to a Supplier who will provide research on recruitment and hiring strategies used by public and private sector organizations that are comparable to the U.S. Postal Service.

The contract type is Firm Fixed Price (FFP).

2. Background

The USPS OIG is an independent federal law enforcement agency providing oversight to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Its mission is to:

• conduct and supervise objective and independent audits, reviews, and investigations relating to Postal Service and PRC programs and operations,

• promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness within the Postal Service and PRC, and

• inform the Postal Service Governors, Postal Service management, PRC Commissioners and Congress of problems, deficiencies, and corresponding corrective actions.

The Research and Insights Solution Center (RISC) is the Chief Data Office and Research component of the Office of Inspector General. RISC’s primary objective is to support the core mission of the agency by providing comprehensive analytical services and research products to OIG’s auditors, investigators, senior leaders, and stakeholders.

This requirement builds upon two recent projects about the Postal Service’s workforce that RISC initiated: A public event about the state of the U.S. labor market and its impact on the U.S. Postal Service, and a research paper that explores whether the Postal Service is experiencing a staffing shortage.

3. Scope of Work

The Supplier shall provide 1) a summary report that describes the recruitment and hiring strategies used by public and private sector organizations that are comparable to the U.S. Postal Service; 2) documentation of methodology including interview questions, number of interviews, and organizations interviewed; 3) A technical review of portions of the OIG’s draft white paper based on the supplier’s findings.

In order to accomplish the above scope, the Supplier shall perform the following tasks:

a. Base Period

i. Kick-off meeting. Due within one week after contract award

(ACA).

The Supplier shall schedule and coordinate a virtual project kick-off meeting. The meeting will provide an introduction between the contractor personnel and OIG personnel who will be involved with the contract. The meeting will provide the opportunity to discuss technical and project management issues. At a minimum, the attendees shall include Key Supplier Personnel, representatives from the directorates, other relevant OIG personnel, and the OIG

COR. The contractor shall provide the following at the Kick-Off meeting: An overview of the approach the contractor will use to provide the agreed-upon deliverable, including any obstacles the contractor anticipates it could encounter.

ii. Identify organizations with innovative approaches to recruiting and hiring. Due one week after the kick-off meeting.

The contractor will identify public and private sector organizations that use creative and innovative strategies to recruit and hire employees and provide its list to the OIG. The organizations should be similar to the Postal Service on one or more criteria: be very large, have a geographically dispersed and blue-collar workforce, regularly hire a substantial number of employees, and engage in collective bargaining with labor unions. Additionally, where possible, the contractor should prioritize organizations with whom it has a relationship and could potentially arrange interviews. Ideally, the contractor will identify at least two organizations for each criteria.

iii. Hold a 60-minute call with the OIG to discuss the list of organizations compiled by the contractor and the topics that will be covered in interviews. Due 10 days after the kick-off meeting.

iv. Gather data about recruiting and hiring best practices. Due three weeks after the check-in call with the OIG to discuss the list of organizations compiled by the contractor.

The contractor will collect data about recruiting and hiring best practices used by the organizations identified in section 3aii. Data collection may be accomplished through interviews, desk research, or a combination of these methods. Data collection should center around the following topic areas and be able to answer some of the corresponding questions:

Expanding the talent pool:

• How do organizations that must hire a large number of employees reach the right applicants? How do they ensure they are on the radar of job candidates?

• How do organizations proactively target potential applicants, rather than relying on the “post and pray” method? For example, do they partner with local institutions, such as high schools and colleges? What do these partnerships look like and what is key to making them work?

• Do different recruitment approaches work better for different generations? For different regions of the country, including rural versus urban areas?

• What steps have organizations taken in recent years to expand their talent pools, and what sources of talent have been especially fruitful?

Appealing to prospective job candidates:

• What do job candidates look for in a prospective employer today, how has that changed in recent years (if at all), and what are job candidates likely to value most in an employer in the years ahead?

• How do organizations creatively brand themselves as an employer of choice? How do they differentiate themselves from other organizations that are competing for the same talent?

Recruiting the right people

• How do leading organizations strategically identify their talent needs? What does strategic workforce management look like in the best organizations, what can make it challenging to do well, and how can those challenges be overcome?

Effectively and efficiently hiring new employees

• What strategies do organizations rely on to bring large numbers of people onboard as quickly and seamlessly as possible, without compromising on candidate quality?

• What are some approaches that organizations have experimented with to improve the candidate experience, and were those approaches effective?

Providing a robust onboarding experience

• What are some impactful improvements that organizations have made to their onboarding processes in recent years, and what drove those improvements?

• How do organizations evaluate the effectiveness of their onboarding processes?

• Have organizations found that Gen Z and Millennial employees prefer an onboarding experience that differs from previous generations? What have organizations done to accommodate these shifting preferences?

Measuring performance

• What are leading practices that organizations employ to evaluate their recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes? What metrics do they use to evaluate their performance? How do they track their performance?

v. Hold a 30-minute check-in call during which the contractor will update the OIG on its progress gathering data on recruiting and hiring best practices. Due three weeks after the check-in call with the OIG to discuss the contractor’s list of organizations.

vi. Provide the OIG with a summary report, in Microsoft Word, containing the contractor’s findings. The report should describe why each of the public and private sector organizations merited selection (see section 3aii), and it should describe the recruiting and hiring best practices employed by these organizations (see section 3aiii). Each recruiting and hiring best practice should be described in enough detail to enable the Postal Service to implement a similar practice. To the extent feasible, the contractor should also note any lessons learned by the organizations as they implemented the best practices (e.g., factors that were key to the success of the initiatives). The report should include all relevant sources and citations. Due two weeks after the check-in call to discuss the contractor’s progress gathering data on recruiting and hiring best practices.

vii. Hold one 30-minute call with the OIG to discuss the summary report and answer any questions. Due 10 days after the summary report is sent to the OIG.

viii. Revise the summary report as necessary. Due one week after the

30-minute call with the OIG to discuss the summary report.

ix. Review the OIG’s draft report. The OIG will provide a copy of the draft report and the supplier will review portions that are based on the supplier’s findings. The purpose of the review will be to ensure accurate representation of findings. Due within five business days after receipt of draft paper.

4. Deliverables

The Supplier shall deliver the following services, by the dates specified in the table below:

Deliverable Number

Description Due Date(s) Reference

SOW

Section

4a Kick-off meeting One week ACA 3a(i)

4b Identify organizations with innovative approaches to recruiting and hiring

One week after the kick-off meeting

3a(ii)

4c Hold a 30-minute call with the OIG to discuss the list of organizations identified by the supplier

10 days after the kick-off meeting

3a(iii)

4d Gather data about recruiting and hiring best practices

Three weeks after the check-in call to discuss the list of organizations

3a(iv)

4e Hold a 30-minute check-in call with the OIG to discuss the supplier’s progress

Three weeks after the check-in call to discuss the list of organizations

3a(v)

4f Provide the OIG with a summary report containing the supplier’s findings

Two weeks after the check-in call to discuss the supplier’s progress

3a(vi)

4g Hold a 30-minute call with the OIG to discuss the summary report

10 days after the summary report is sent to the OIG

3a(vii)

4h Revise the summary report, as necessary

One week after the call with the OIG to discuss the summary report

3a(viii)

4i Technical review OIG of draft report Within five business days after receipt of OIG draft paper

3a(ix)

APPENDIX A

As described in the statement of work, the Supplier will maintain working papers that document all work performed, support conclusions reached, and are in accordance with CIGIE Quality Standards for Inspection and Evaluation requirements and OIG Policy 234.5.A (Documentation Preparation).

234.5 Documentation Preparation

A. Documentation must contain the following elements:

1. Heading (project title and number).

2. Purpose for performing the work.

3. Source and date of information.

https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/committees/inspect-eval/iestds12r.pdf

4. Scope identifying the parameters under which the information was obtained, such as a specific time period and the procedures used to gather information.

5. Results and/or conclusions that describe the outcome of tests, analyses or observations; or findings including condition, criteria, cause, impact, and recommendations.

6. Explanation of the methods used to quality check and verify work.

7. Details and methodology.

8. Signature of preparer and date prepared.

9. Signature of reviewer and date reviewed.

10. Index reference that identifies the work paper and links it to the appropriate survey/review steps.

Working papers and Policy 234.5 are considered confidential documents for the purposes of this contract and may not be disclosed to third parties without the OIG Contracting Officer’s permission. This confidentiality obligation binds the parties indefinitely, including after the completion, expiration, or termination of this contract.

Working papers must be available for review by the OIG Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) upon request. All working papers and reports will become the property of the OIG upon completion, expiration, or termination of the contract. Upon request, the Supplier must submit the working papers electronically to the OIG COR, along with other required deliverables such as draft reports or other documentation as defined in the SOW.