R -- COMPENSATION EXPERTS TO PROVIDE ADVICE ON USING COMMERCIAL SALARY SURVEYS TO SET LOCALITY PAY

Notice Date

March 21, 2001

Contracting Office

U.S. Office Of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Room 1342, Washington, DC 20415

ZIP Code

20415

Solicitation Number

OPM-01-RFP-0012RDH

Point of Contact

Ray Hesson 202-606-1045

E-Mail Address

Contract Specialist e-mail address (rdhesson@opm.gov)

Description

R -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to issue solicitation OPM-RFP-01-0012RDH as part of its effort to evaluate commercial salary surveys for setting locality pay for General Schedule employees. OPM has obtained commercial salary surveys from Watson Wyatt Worldwide (Wyatt), William M. Mercer, Incorporated (Mercer), Hay Management Consultants (Hay), and several other sources, and will solicit proposals for one or more private sector compensation experts to provide advice on using these surveys to set locality pay. OPM will award a labor hour purchase order with an 80 hour ceiling to one or more contractors whose proposals offer the best value to the Government. This acquisition will be a total small business set-aside. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number is 541618. The definition of a small business for this procurement is a firm that has had $5 million or less in average receipts over the company's prior 3 fiscal years. To avoid potential conflict of interest, bids will not be accepted from firms that conduct commercial salary surveys as a major part of their business. A recent law requires the President's Pay Agent to determine whether five additional metropolitan areas should become separate locality pay areas under the locality pay program. The President's Pay Agent consists of the Secretary of Labor, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Director of OPM. This law authorizes the Pay Agent to make the required determinations by using salary surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), salary survey data compiled by organizations or entities for private sector businesses, or a combination of these data sources. The law required the Pay Agent to submit a report to Congress by March 1, 2001. However, the Pay Agent informed Congress by letter dated January 19, 2001, that it would complete all work on this project within about 6 months. OPM plans to empanel private sector compensation experts to provide expert advice to OPM on the uses and limitations of commercial salary surveys in the GS locality pay program, review OPM's work in progress, and summarize their views in a written document. The contractor(s) will participate in a 1-day kick-off meeting at OPM in Washington, DC to review material, discuss issues, and brainstorm; spend about 1 week reviewing additional material prepared by OPM; attend a 2-day hands-on session at OPM to discuss options and their views; attend a final 1-day wrap-up session at OPM; and submit a written report summarizing their views. Offerors must have 10 or more years of experience in non-Federal compensation or as a compensation consultant. Offerors with experience working with the above salary surveys or serving on Federal pay advisory boards will receive extra credit. The solicitation is scheduled for release electronically on or about April 6, 2001, with proposals due approximately 15 days thereafter. No hard copies of the solicitation will be mailed. Firms interested in obtaining a copy of the solicitation must provide their e-mail address to Mr. Raymond D. Hesson at the Office of Personnel Management, Room 1342, 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415-7710. Requests may be e-mailed to rdhesson@opm.gov. The solicitation will also be posted on the OPM Procurement Home Page at http://www.opm.gov/procure shortly after its release.

Web Link

Office of Personnel Management Procurement Home Page (http://www.opm.gov/procure)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010323/RSOL003.HTM (W-080 SN50G8E7)