DRAFT_Statement of Work_Global Trade Data Access.pdf

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

DRAFT

Statement of Work

Contents Project General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

2.0 Background

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

4.0 Government Furnished

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

6.0 Travel

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

8.0 Security Requirements

9.0 Data Rights

10.0 Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology Standards Attachment ................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Project Global Trade Data Access

General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

Through this contract, USDA/FAS will obtain access to an up to date, comprehensive database of monthly and annual trade data for more than 100 countries representing more than 90 percent of global trade; this also includes historical data from 10 to 20 years.

2.0 Background

FAS is a trade agency that promotes U.S. agricultural exports. FAS is the lead U.S. agency tasked with promoting exports of U.S. agricultural products. The Agency advances the growth of U.S. agricultural exports through market intelligence, trade policy, trade capacity building, and trade promotion programs. Trade data services under this solicitation facilitate detailed monitoring and analysis of international agricultural, fisheries, and forestry trade flows to support all major agency activities.

Additionally, FAS is a participant in USDA’s Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees (ICEC) responsible for the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). This USDA subscription also covers agencies participating in the ICECs and is limited to the Office of the Chief Economist, the World Agricultural Outlook Board, and the Economic Research Service providing members access to the same consistent, reliable data set.

This is an annual subscription service providing monthly (and annual) official merchandise trade data by harmonized system (HS code) for imports/exports, covering approximately 100 countries accessed through a contractor’s web-based interface. This includes all HS codes from the most general to the most detailed level available from each reporting country. Additionally, FAS requires the same data fed into its Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) for use by internal users as well as access to customized reports and data extraction.

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Data Requirements / Tasks

The contractor provides access to their trade database that offers a minimum of 10 years of individual country’s trade including volume, value, and unit value import and export data on a monthly basis or the entire available data set if less. Required countries are detailed in section 11.0. Data are provided at the greatest level of detail available from the source: 6-digit HS level, with access to HS-8, HS-9, and HS-10-digit detail when available. Data access to timeseries back to at least 2000, preferably longer, is required. Additional data fields such as ports, trading regime, mode of transport, as well as containerized versus bulk cargo are required when available.

Further data requirements are:

• Listing of official data source by country.

• Ability to handle EU as an entity or as individual countries with the ability to include or exclude intratrade.

• Country data or updates loaded not less than daily.

• Company maintains data verification procedures to identify and correct errors in data sets.

• Identified errors notified to customers within 24 hours.

3.1 Customer Service

• Help Function as part of the database; “live” customer support via telephone and email with initial response within 24 hours. For issues related to work stoppage, resolution of that issue within 48 hours.

• Training for domestic and overseas staff at the beginning of the contract and periodically thereafter (detailed in section 3.12 below).

3.2 Providing Foreign Trade Data to FAS GATS system

• FAS’s foreign trade data subscription includes a data feed to allow FAS internal users to access contractor-supplied monthly agricultural, fisheries, forestry, and other agricultural related trade data via its own Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS). Such access is facilitated through a contractor-provided and maintained data server. The GATS application points to the contractor-provided data server when FAS users query foreign trade data. The contractor updates data to the server twice per week at a minimum though FAS desires daily loads so that GATS queries match similar queries made to the contractor’s own platform. The Data server provided and maintained by contractor provides high level remote access to the FAS database administrator.

FAS Database Administer will RDP into the contractor database server to validate weekly data loads provided from contractor updates, debugging the sql code on the database server (debugging a stored procedure only works on the server, does not support remotely via SSMS).)

• FAS is amenable to altering the data feed for the GATS system to an API if one is provided by the contractor and such can be configured appropriately to achieve the same goals.

• Note: Contractor data is accessible via the GATS application, is e-Auth protected, and only available for FAS users.

• Trade data from the contractor includes HS chapters 1-24, 29, 31, 33, 35, 38, 41, 43, 44, 50, 51, 52, 53. The commodities are defined beginning at the HS-6 level by commodities tracked by FAS (although the reporting country may be identifying the commodity at HS 8,9,10 or 11-digit levels).

• Unlimited technical support during business hours.

3.3 Compatibility with Overseas Posts’ IT Systems

• Must be fully functional with systems and internet access used by FAS Overseas Posts whether provided by USDA or U.S. Department of State).

3.4 Product Groups

• Ability to create and activate customized product groups (including with conversion factors) without the necessity of an additional step of logging in and out.

• Pre-populated groups by database contractor available to FAS/Washington and overseas Posts.

• Prefabricated categories including PSD, WTO Agriculture, BICO, All Ag Total, Bulk, Intermediate, etc. and others as requested.

• Hierarchy of groups with appropriate permission(s) allowing FAS/W to limit the creation of

“excessive” groups but allowing Posts (and users) to define their own without those groups showing in the general view.

3.5 Country groups

• Ability to create customized country groups. Ability to handle EU as an entity or as individual countries with or without intratrade.

• Ability to select multiple reporters, multiple partners, multiple commodities, and multiple commodity groups.

• Ability to pre-populate groups by database contractor such as regions (e.g., South America), ASEAN, CIS, etc. and load to user accounts.

3.6 Reports

• Allow for multiple selections of reporters and partners.

• Allow for trade with EU as an entity or with individual EU countries.

• Ability to drill down through countries and commodities without redefining the search.

• Ability to create and run customized reports.

3.7 Download Function

• Large-scale downloads (10 years, monthly data) with customized parameters, spreadsheet file and CSV/machine readable formats, appropriate headers and labels; data downloaded to be immediately available to user or at a scheduled time; data available via email or other download facility.

• Must have the ability to download imports/exports/trade balance/total trade data to include HS code/product group, country (including two-letter ISO code), volume, value, trade flow, and unit value.

• Must have the ability to derive trade data (use reporting country export data to download partner country imports or use reporting country import data to download partner country exports).

• Ability to extract data to local Excel files that will automatically update.

• Following a trade run, the ability to download data directly from the web interface.

• Raw data output is in Long Data Format (pivot table accessible).

• Includes a trade flow column (export or import).

• Ability to extract multiple product groups (including user-defined product groups) in one download.

• The ability to organize data at the 10-digit HS code (separate column).

3.8 User Accounts

• System must have the ability to provide individual user accounts and passwords for each FAS overseas Post and each work unit in Washington (separated by World Board, ERS, and FAS).

3.9 Queries

• Allow for user-defined time periods and the ability to set/adjust a default time period setting for each account profile.

• Able to drill down different levels of HS codes and have queries refresh automatically.

• Dashboard for queries.

3.10 Conversion Factors

• Usual factors such as kg>>MT>>TMT; lbs>>kg; ability to customize (bales>>MT; Product-Weight Equivalent (PWE) to Carcass-Weight Equivalent (CWE).

• Conversion factors loaded by contractor and pre-populated for users and Posts as needed. Some factors may be country-specific.

• Customized downloadable reports that allow for country-specific, HS code-specific, and timeframe-specific data which utilizes both import and export data in one query.

3.11 Meetings and discussions

Up to twice per year, USDA may require the contractor to attend meetings or discussions pertinent to the work performed under this contract. USDA will communicate these meeting requests to the contractor not less than 30 days in advance and will make reasonable efforts to schedule such meetings at a mutually agreeable time. Meetings will be held at the USDA Headquarters in Washington, DC, or held by web conference arranged by USDA, which may use any common web meeting platform, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.

The contractor may from time to time initiate a request for such a meeting or discussion, which USDA will make reasonable efforts to meet.

3.12 Training

The contractor will also provide comprehensive initial training for Washington and overseas staff using a web meeting platform at the beginning of the contract, followed by twice annual refresher training.

Each iteration should be scheduled at multiple times to accommodate working hours of Washington based staff as well as FAS overseas staff in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. USDA will communicate training requests not less than 30 days in advance.

3.13 Quarterly report

The contractor will provide a report of system use each quarter. The report should be sent via email to the COR and point of contacts as specified. The report is due 30 days after the end of each quarter.

4.0 Government Furnished

USDA will identify members of its staff for whom access to the database is required and ensure that access is terminated for staff members who have departed, been reassigned, or otherwise no longer require access.

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

Item No.

Deliverable / Item Title

Description Frequency Reference Delivery Format

Due By

1 Database access

Database is available, accessible, and current

Ongoing As described in Section 3.

Via web portal Continuous

2 Data Updates Country data or updates loaded not less than daily.

Daily As described in Section 3.0.

Via web portal Continuous

3 Data errors Identified errors notified to customers within 24 hours.

Ongoing As described in Section 3.0.

Via web portal Continuous

4 Customer Service

Respond to requests for help within 24 hours and resolve within 48 hours.

Ongoing As described in Section 3.1

Via web portal, email, and telephone

Continuous

5 Providing Foreign Trade Data to FAS GATS system

Provide trade data access to GATS system

Minimum twice weekly

As described in Section 3.2

Via contractor-provided and maintained data server

Continuous

5 Compatibility with Overseas Posts’ IT Systems

Provides access to FAS posts

Ongoing As described in Section 3.3

Via web portal Continuous

6 Product groupings

Create and maintain product groupings

Ongoing As described in Section 3.4

Via web portal Continuous

7 Country groupings

Create and maintain country groupings

Ongoing As described in Section 3.5

Via web portal Continuous

8 Reports Create and save customized reports

Ongoing As described in Section 3.6

Via web portal Continuous

9 Downloads Create and maintain download function.

Ongoing As described in Section 3.7

Via web portal Continuous

10 User accounts Provide individual accounts for each group and post user

Ongoing As described in Section 3.8

Via web portal Continuous

11 Queries Maintain customizable query system for each account

Ongoing As described in Section 3.9

Via web portal Continuous

12 Conversion factors

Create and maintain customized conversion factors for product groups

Ongoing As described in Section 3.10

Via web portal Within 30 days of request

13 Meetings or Discussions

Meetings or discussions up to four times per year

4x/year As described in Section 3.11

Presence Scheduled date

14 Training Train USDA users at onset and throughout contract

2x/year As described in Section 3.12

Presence Scheduled date

15 Quarterly Report

Quarterly report of system use

Once per quarter

As described in Section 3.13

Via email to COR and POCs

30 days after the end of each quarter

1. The contractor will ensure the trade database is operational and accessible to authorized users, at least 98% of the time, excluding planned outages for upgrades announced 30 days in advance and not exceeding 36 hours in duration. The contractor will ensure that industry standard security is maintained to prevent unauthorized access to user data and maintain/update the security infrastructure as needed. The contractor will ensure that the portal is compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to the greatest extent technically practical.

2. When requested by USDA, the contractor shall be present (virtually or in-person, as agreed) at meetings or discussions, up to four times per year as well as provide periodic training opportunities for Washington and field staff. This is described in Section 3.11 and 3.12.

6.0 Travel

USDA does not anticipate contractor travel pursuant to this contract, other than incidental local travel.

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

USDA does not identify any key personnel for this contract.

8.0 Security Requirements

No specific security requirements are applicable to this contract, beyond the industry standard requirements that would ordinarily apply to any such system. Inasmuch as the USDA eAuthentication and/or login.gov SSOs are used for access, the contractor should ensure that any applicable security requirements are met.

9.0 Data Rights

The contractor retains rights to data delivered under this contract. The government retains a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free right to such data and the use thereof for official (i.e. non-commercial) use.

10.0 Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology Standards Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the contractor shall ensure, to the greatest extent technically practical, that the system is accessible to persons with disabilities, including but not limited to persons who require the use of screen readers to navigate websites, and persons who are unable to use a mouse for navigation. More information about Section 508, including current standards, can be found at https://www.section508.gov/develop/web-content/

11.0 Required Country Coverage

Albania Dominican Republic Italy Philippines Algeria Ecuador Japan Poland Argentina Egypt Kazakhstan Portugal Australia El Salvador Kenya Qatar Austria Estonia Kosovo Romania Azerbaijan EU (Exclude UK) Kuwait Russia

Bahrain EU15 (External Trade) Latvia Senegal

Belarus EU25 (External Trade) Lithuania Serbia

Belgium EU27 (External Trade) Luxembourg Singapore

Belize EU28 (External Trade) Macau Slovakia

Bolivia Finland Macedonia Slovenia https://www.section508.gov/develop/web-content/

Bosnia & Herzegovina France Malaysia South Africa

Botswana Georgia Malta South Korea Brazil Germany Mauritius Spain Brunei Darussalam Ghana Mexico Sri Lanka Bulgaria Greece Montenegro Sweden Canada Guatemala Morocco Switzerland Chile Honduras Mozambique Taiwan China Hong Kong Netherlands Thailand Colombia Hungary New Zealand Turkey Costa Rica Iceland Nicaragua Ukraine

Cote d'Ivoire India Norway United Kingdom

Croatia Indonesia Pakistan United States Cyprus Iran Panama Uruguay Czech Republic Ireland Paraguay Venezuela Denmark Israel Peru Vietnam