Technical Service Provider (TSP) Not-To-Exceed (NTE) Rate Guidance

1. Technical Service Provider (TSP) Not-To-Exceed (NTE) Rate Guidance For use in determining NTE rates for contracts in Maine August 2003

2. Background • TSP NTE rates are based on the TACCP (Tech. Asst. Cost of Cons. Practices) survey completed by NRCS state and field staff. • TACCP estimated the time required to plan and apply conservation practices on different land uses, by region. • Hourly wage rates were applied to calculate TA costs. These costs are by state, region, land use, practice, and unit, and are the basis for TSP NTE rates.

3. Time Team Regions • A key part of TACCP was to identify regions within states that have unique resource conditions, costs, and planning unit sizes. • Separate time teams were organized for each of these regions. • Each time team has separate TSP NTE rates.

4. Maine Time Team Regions • Maine has 2 time team regions, ME01 and ME02. ME02 is Aroostook County. ME01 is the rest of the state. • The next closest region is New Hampshire’s, NH01.

5. Using the TSP NTE Web SiteClick here: http://www.tsp-nte.nrcs.usda.gov/ NOTE: In order for the above link to work, powerpoint must be in slideshow mode. To start you can either click Item 1 or Item 2. Item 1 will provide rates for a selected region. Item 2 will give you rates for for all regions in the U.S. There may be cases where you will have to use another region’s rate because your region doesn’t have data for the practice you’re looking for.

6. Using Method 17 Steps to Selecting a TSP Rate • Step 1 – Select state • Step 2 – Select county • Step 3 – Select time team (this is done automatically) • Step 4 – Select land use • Step 5 – Select practice • Step 6 – Enter number of practice units you want a rate for • Step 7 – Allocate Other and Travel costs (as shown on slide 19)

7. Method 1 (cont.) • Steps 1 through 3 are self-explanatory (state, county, time team area). • Step 4 asks for land use. Maine has 9 land uses to choose from. • NOTE: A list of these land uses and their definitions are at the end of this powerpoint presentation.

8. When selecting a practice (step 5) the site will show all practices your region has data for. See if the practice you want is listed If not, go to Find List of Practices by Landuse

9. Planning Data for Each Land Use There is a Planning selection for each land use. Do not use this selection at this time (FY 03).

10. Using other regions’ data • Maine’s data includes 48 conservation practices. You may need a TSP rate for a practice not in your time team’s data. • When this occurs you need to use rates from another time team that does have a rate for that practice. • The web site allows you to query this data nationwide.

11. Using other regions’ data (cont.) • The site will display all regions in the nation that have rates for the practice and land use you enter. • Pick regions that have similar resource conditions to your own. First check to see if Maine’s other region has a rate, then New Hampshire, then Vermont. • If none of these have the practice you are looking for, consult the State Office.

12. This example shows a list of regions that have a rate for 326 – Clearing & Snagging on forest land. They are in IA, MO, and VT. Number of units refers to the unit size (acres, in this case)

13. Using Method 25 steps to Selecting a TSP rate • Step 1 – Select land use (step 4a on web site) • Step 2 – Select practice (step 5a on web site) • Step 3 – Select practice ID from national list (step 5b on web site) • Step 4 - Enter number of practice units you want a rate for (same as method 1) • Step 5 – Allocate Other and Travel costs (as shown on slide 19)

14. Adjusting Unit Cost for Size • Each region’s TSP rates are based on a “most typical” unit size for that area (50 acres, 100 A.U.s, etc.). • NHQ developed regression curves to account for economies of scale. For example, the per acre cost for 328 on 10 acres would be different than for 100 acres. • A calculator will adjust the TSP rate based on the size you enter into the web site.

15. Adjusting for size (cont.) This is the typical unit size for this time team Enter the new unit size here

16. After adjusting for size, you will get a report showing the TSP rates. $/unit rates for application are given here. They are divided into 5 components. The total unit costs (with & w/o travel) are given here.

17. 5 Cost Components for Application Design, Installation, and Checkout are the primary components. These will appear in the contract. Other and Travel appear because states wanted to use them in different ways. Design Installation Checkout Other Travel Primary components These will be allocated among Design, Installation, Checkout

18. Travel and Other CostsNOTE: THIS POLICY DIFFERS BY STATE • Maine will include “Travel” and “Other” in TSP rates. They must be allocated among Design, Installation, and Checkout. • “Other” and “Travel” cost will be spread evenly among Design, Installation, and Checkout (⅓, ⅓, ⅓). • This must be done manually. • THIS POLICY DIFFERS BY STATE, CHECK WITH YOUR STATE OFFICE ON PROCEDURE.

19. Design $4.00 Installation $1.00 Checkout $2.00 Other $1.00 Travel $1.00 Total $9.00 Design $4.66 Installation $1.66 Checkout $2.66 Total (rounded) $9.00 Travel/Other Cost Allocation: Example ATHIS POLICY DIFFERS BY STATE, CHECK WITH YOUR STATE OFFICE ON PROCEDURE. Before allocation (this is how it appears on the site) After Allocation In this simplified example, Other cost ($1.00) was allocated equally ($.33, $.33, $.33) among all 3 components. Travel cost (also $1.00) was allocated equally ($.33, $.33, $.33).

20. After allocating Other and Travel Costs, the rates are ready to put into the contract. • Design $4.66 • Installation $1.66 • Checkout $2.66 THIS POLICY DIFFERS BY STATE, CHECK WITH YOUR STATE OFFICE ON PROCEDURE.

21. Design $4.00 Installation $0.00 Checkout $2.00 Other $1.00 Travel $1.00 Total $8.00 Design $5.00 Installation $0.00 Checkout $3.00 Total $8.00 Travel/Other Cost Allocation Example B Before allocation (this is how it appears on the site) After Allocation There are practices that have $0.00 for installation cost. This occurs because the Time Team estimated that no time was spent on installation activities for that practice. In these cases, allocate Other and Travel evenly among Design and Checkout.

22. Contract Support Documents using Customer Service Toolkit (CST) • TSP assistance is from a different budget than financial assistance and needs to be approved each year. A separate contract support document for TSP work should reduce remodifying the entire contract and makes tracking of funding easier.

23. Scheduling of Practices in CST (Optional in FY 2003) Schedule all practices you want TSPs to work on

24. Component selection in CST Contracting Wizard Only select TA components for TSP practices

25. Modifying contract support document for TSP rates Click on contract data to enter TSP rates

26. Enter TSP amounts and rates Enter component amount planned for TSP work Enter unit cost determined from TSP website Note: only enter amounts and rates for current year

27. Selecting contract for printing Select contract tab

28. Producing a contract support document Select produce document button Remove these two items from top line of each practice to show only TSP items

29. Contract Support Document for TSP Technical Assistance Note: TSP rates are only to be scheduled in current fiscal year

30. Summary • Know the time team region you are in • When rates for your region aren’t available, select a rate from a region that has similar resource conditions • If using Customer Service Toolkit, create a separate contract for TSP assistance to design, install and/or checkout practices • For technical questions contact: John Long, Jim Johnson, Chris Jones For program questions contact: Bill Yamartino, Susan Arrants

31. Land Use Definitions • Crop – Land used primarily for the production of field crops or orchard crops alone or in association with sod crops. • Pasture – Lands composed of introduced or domesticated native forage species that are used primarily for the production of domestic livestock. They receive periodic renovation and/or cultural treatments, such as tillage, fertilization, mowing, and weed control. They are not in rotation with crops. • Wet Waste - Practices that deal with the management or handling of liquid wastes of confined animals and the delivery of liquid animal waste products to any land use. • Dry Waste - Practices that deal with the management or handling of solid or semi-solid wastes of confined animals and the delivery of solid or semi-solid animal waste products to any land use.

32. Land Use Definitions (cont.) • Forest – Land on which the primary vegetation is forest (climax, natural, or introduced plant community) and its use is primarily for production of wood products. • Wildlife – Land or water used, protected, and managed primarily as habitat for wildlife. • Urban – Land occupied by buildings and related facilities used for residences, industrial sites, institutional sites, public highways, airports, and similar uses associated with towns and cities.

33. Land Use Definitions (cont.) • Irrigation – Practices dealing with supplemental water distribution and/or the rate, timing, or amounts of supplemental water applied to any land use. • Wetland – A land inclusion that has a predominance of hydric soils; is inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation; and supports a prevalence of such vegetation under normal circumstances.