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Govt wage survey contract is sole-sourced to Data Talks
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Posted on Aug 14 2011
The Fitial administration’s $15,000 contract to be awarded to Data Talks for the conduct of the CNMI government’s 2011 prevailing wage survey has been procured through sole-source.
Data Talks is owned by Northern Marianas College business instructor Will Maui, who used to work with the Department of Commerce that’s awarding the sole-source contract.
Maui, who reportedly left Commerce some 10 years ago, was off-island yesterday.
Acting Commerce secretary Sixto Igisomar and press secretary Angel Demapan separately confirmed the sole-source contract, which is currently being routed.
The government survey is separate from the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s own survey, contracted out to the Guam Employers Council which specializes in extensive services in wage and salary management and prevailing wage surveys.
The Chamber and the CNMI Commerce are paying almost the same amount to contractors for their respective actual survey work. Chamber was approved a $16,500 technical assistance grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, while the CNMI government is awaiting the fate of its over $40,000 grant application with the U.S. Department of Labor for the prevailing wage survey.
The survey results can be used to establish prevailing wage rate determinations for CNMI employers applying for federal employment visas for existing and future foreign workers.
Igisomar said the contract with Data Talks is expected to finish “no later than October to November 2011.”
Unlike the Chamber which has already distributed the survey forms, the CNMI government has yet to start its actual form distribution.
Under the contract’s scope of work, Data Talks will coordinate and assist in the implementation and completion of the 2011 prevailing wage survey, among other things.
