R -- INTERMITTENT CONTRACTOR

Notice Date

November 15, 2001

Contracting Office

Department of the Treasury, United States Customs Service (USCS), Procurement Division, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W., Room 4.2-E, Washington, DC, 20229

ZIP Code

20229

Solicitation Number

Reference-Number-IC-2001

Response Due

December 12, 2001

Point of Contact

Ronald Conrad, Contracting Officer, Phone (202) 927-0138, Fax (202) 927-1190, Email ronald.d.conrad@customs.treas.g ov

Description

Intermittent Contractor or Subject-Matter Expert. Background: The U. S. Customs Service (USCS) operates numerous international training and assistance programs. These programs are locat ed in various countries throughout the world and address the entire range of Customs and border control operations. To effe ctively implement these programs, there is a need for the employment and utilization of contractors on an intermittent or sh ort-term basis (Intermittent Contractor or IC's). Short term is defined as a single assignment for 90 days or less; many ass ignments will be less than 30 days. IC's will be required to perform various tasks, such as those associated with training u tilizing specialized equipment or to provide professional and technical assistance in specific topical areas. The following are a delineation of the types of general services that IC's are expected to provide. A more specific description of servi ces or tasks shall be provided to the IC upon selection for employment. Training: The IC shall serve as a subject-matter expert and/or presenter. He/she may be required to present Customs or border control training based on an existing USCS curriculum. Instruction may include but is not limited to the areas of narcotic interdi ction, post security, customs investigative techniques, money laundering, intellectual property rights, control of weapons o f mass destruction, commercial import/export operations, or customs valuation. In general, the topic and content of the cou rse for instruction will be established, in advance, with course material normally provided by USCS. The selected candidate (s) is expected to have the appropriate experience and training to serve as an instructor in general and in specific areas o f instruction. Course Developer: The IC shall develop a set of course materials on a given topic for later presentation by either USCS personnel or in-countr y advisors. Courses to be developed could be in any Customs or border control related areas such as the areas described for "Training" above. The selected candidate(s) is expected to have the appropriated experience and training in course develop ment for one or more related areas. Assessments: The IC may conduct on-sight assessments of Custom services and other border control agencies located in foreign countries. Assessments may be general in scope or geared to specific areas (e.g., control of weapons of mass destruction or intellectua l property rights). Tasks could include such actions as physical border surveys, equipment-need surveys, and broader survey s of the entire governmental enforcement system. The selected candidate(s) is expected to have the necessary experience and skills for an authoritative and professional review of the specific agencies or programs to prepare trip reports, summaries , analyses and recommendations. Technical Assistance: The IC may provide technical assistance in highly specialized areas such as legal reform, inspectional technology (both high and low-tech) port security or specialized field operations. For example, in the area of legal reform, tasks may include t he review of customs law and regulations of a country, making recommendations for improvement of such laws, or providing tec hnical assistance in the preparation of new laws and regulations that meet the needs of a specific country. The selected ca ndidate(s) is expected to possess specialized knowledge, experience, and background related to specific areas of expertise. Augmentation and Replacement: The IC may augment a technical team or temporarily replace a technical team member. As an additional team member, the contr actor will undertake general or specific tasks associated with various projects such as the development of an interagency ta skforce or the review of personnel policies. As a replacement or "fill-in", the IC may replace and assume the tasks of a te chnical team member who may be away from post for an extended period of time. The selected candidate(s) is expected to poss ess the necessary knowledge, experience, and skills to serve as an additional advisor, team member, or a replacement member. Terms and Conditions: The IC will work in an "on-call" or a "when actually employed" capacity. He/she will be available for deployment to any cou ntry where USCS undertakes operations. Most assignments will be less than 30 days, with 5 days notice prior to deployment. Some assignment may last up to 90 days. It is not envisioned that an IC would be on duty more than 90 days in a calendar y ear. If an IC turns down more than two assignments he or she may be removed from further consideration at USCS discretion. Compensation and other reimbursements:  Compensation will be fixed-priced at $2000 per week for all IC's or a proration thereof.  It is anticipated, but not guaranteed, that each IC will work at least two (2) one-week assignments.  The initial award will include medical evacuation coverage up to $500, and medical examination costs up to $500.  Each assignment will be firm-fixed priced based on the estimated time required to complete the assignment.  All travel will be under U.S. Government Travel orders and in accordance with applicable U.S. Government Travel reg ulations. Note: The contractor will be reimbursed for all official travel upon completion of a travel voucher in accordance with an approved travel authorization. U.S. Customs will purchase airline or other common carrier tickets subsequent to ap proval of travel. The contractor will not receive an advance for lodging, meals and incidentals. Other requirements:  IC's will be required to undergo updated background investigations to obtain a "secret" security clearance from USC S Office of Internal Affairs.  For some specific assignments, language ability may be a requirement for selection. This will most often be for wo rk in Central and South America requiring Spanish language ability. All materials provided to the contractor or developed by the contractor under this contract are the property of U.S. Customs and may not be released without permission. Possible duty locations: IC's must be willing and able to work in any country in which USCS conducts operations. The current counties listed for ill ustrative purposes: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cypress, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuw ait, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Ukraine. In addition, IC's may work from their home, at USCS HQ, or at other duty locations as needed within the United States. Method of operation: Potential IC's will submit their qualifications in resume format. The Office of International Affairs will evaluate the can didates for technical ability. Candidates will then be considered part of a "bidders" list and may be selected for future assignments. Customs will reimburse selectees for the cost of obtaining international medical evacuation insurance and for a physical examination and certification that they are fit for travel anywhere in the world for assignments up to 90 days. Selected IC's will then become part of a "pool" of eligible contractors who may receive requests for services. These contra cts will contain the detailed statement of work for the specific assignment, including services required, estimated time req uired, country, travel dates, materials and topics to be addressed, and any required materials. At the end of the project t he IC will submit an invoice for payment. All taxes (federal, state and/or local) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) income reporting requirements are the responsibility of the IC as a 1099 vendor.

Web Link

Visit this URL for the latest information about this (http://www.eps.gov/spg/TREAS/USCS/PDDC20229/Reference-Number-IC-2001/listing.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20011119/RSOL006.HTM (A-319 SN5131C6)