Farm Credit Administration, Contracting & Procurement Branch, 1501 Farm Credit Drive, McLean, VA 22102-5090

B -- COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS PROGRAM ASSESSMENT SOL 96-FCA-RFP-01 DUE 041696 POC Contact James Judge, 703/883-4145;Contracting Officer Larry Edwards, 703/883-4200 The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) intends to procure consulting services to complete an assessment of its compensation and benefits programs to determine whether they: (1) provide an effective means for attracting, retaining, and motivating employees in a manner that is consistent with progressive industry practices, (2) make effective use of financial and administrative resources, (3) accomplish the goal of ''comparability'' with the other Federal bank regulatory agencies (FBRAs), and (4) appropriately position the agency to fulfill its mission requirements over a five year planning horizon. The FCA is an independent executive branch agency consisting of 373 employees who are located in its McLean, Virginia headquarters and six field offices throughout the country. Although the FCA is exempt from the standard Federal sector provisions covering compensation and job evaluation, it also has a statutory requirement to attempt to achieve compensation and benefits ''comparability'' with the other members of the FBRA community who have equivalent exemptions. With assistance from external consultants, in January 1992 the FCA implemented an agency-unique compensation program that supported the comparability mandate. Since then, the FCA has completed a variety of supplemental studies in order to evaluate its competitive position and further assess comparability. A comprehensive review of overall program conditions is now regarded as desirable inasmuch as the current program has been in place for almost five years. Consistent with the four stated objectives, the consultant will engage in interviews with agency representatives and review a variety of position papers and reports regarding compensation and benefits program provisions and FBRA comparability. Contacts will also be made, as necessary, with appropriate personnel in the other FBRAs, in order to gauge current comparability conditions and provide a foundation for any program recommendations. After completing sufficient research and analysis, the consultant will issue written and oral reports containing appropriate findings and recommendations regarding the adequacy of FCA's current compensation and benefits programs in the context of the four above-specified objectives. The scope of the study and the related reports will cover most or all of the following program elements: salary (including the adequacy of agency-unique base pay practices, salary range structures, pay-for-performance provisions, and supplemental pay differentials); benefits (in addition to standard Federal benefits, the nature, extent, and adequacy of any supplemental benefits that may be provided in support of agency objectives and the comparability mandate); incentive awards and recognition (beyond salary, the nature and extent of any monetary and non-monetary recognition that can be considered in connection with individual and group performance accomplishments and special achievements); job evaluation (review and critique of the current agency-unique system for valuing individual positions and determining grade level assignments); performance management and administration (assessment of performance evaluation practices, procedures, rating plan design features, summary rating formulas, and the impact of ratings on compensation decisions). Beyond completion of the initial study, the consultant may also be retained to assist in the development and implementation of approved program adjustments. (0066)

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