**REQUEST FOR INFORMATION**

**Trustee**

**General Information**

  ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
  Document Type:                      Request for Information

  Solicitation Number:                NBC

  Posted Date:                        4/26/04

  Original Response Date:             5/17/04

  Original Archive Date:              

  Current Archive Date:               

  Classification Code:                Code \# Trust funds
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#### 

#### Contracting Office Address

#### Submissions in response to this Request for Information (RFI) should be sent to:

United States Department of the Interior, National Business Center

Attention: Ms. Fran Buhman

MS1324 Division of Acquisition Services

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, DC 20240

202-208-3931

202-208-4956 (Fax)

Fran_M_Buhman@nbc.gov

The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) of the United States Department of
the Interior (DOI) solicits your qualifications for providing for
holding title to assets and acting as trustee for a Trust Fund for the
People of the Federated States of Micronesia and a Trust Fund for the
People of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

**BACKGROUND**

Public Law 108-188 authorizes the creation of the two trust funds. Over
the twenty years through 2023, Government of the United States will
contribute \$442 million to the trust fund for the Federated States of
Micronesia (FSM) and \$235 million to the trust fund for the Republic of
the Marshall Islands (RMI). The RMI will contribute \$25 million as soon
as its trust fund is established and \$2.5 million in each of the two
subsequent years; the FSM will contribute \$30 million by the end of
this fiscal year (before October 1, 2004). Income will accumulate
through the end of 2023. It is anticipated that \$46 million will be
available in fiscal year 2004 for the FSM trust fund, and \$32 million
for the RMI trust fund. After 2023, the income will aid in supporting
the governmental activities of the FSM and the RMI. These activities are
described in section 211 of the Compact of Free Association, as amended,
relating to the FSM and section 211 of the Compact of Free Association,
as amended relating to the RMI. Both amended compacts were approved in
United States Public Law 108-188. For salient details please read the
trust fund subsidiary agreements noted below and available on the web
site of the Office of Insular Affairs (see URL citation below).

The two trust funds will be incorporated separately in Washington, D.C.
in the very near future. This RFI is intended to jump start the
investment process. The responses to this RFI will be given to the two
new Trust Fund Committees for their consideration as soon as each
committee is established. At the discretion of each committee, action
may be taken to employ the Trustee based on the information received.

**REQUEST**

The OIA is soliciting in this Request for Information (RFI) your
qualifications for holding title to trust assets for a Trust Fund for
the People of the Federated States of Micronesia or a Trust Fund for the
People of the Republic of the Marshall Islands if you were chosen to be
the Trustee for either or both trusts. Please respond specifically to
each of the following requests:

(1) Provide your trustee mission statement.

(2) What is the value of the assets under your management?

(3) How many trust accounts due you manage? Please show the numbers in
    each category of account.

(4) Provide resumes showing the experience and tenure of your trust
    professionals.

(5) Describe your recordkeeping capabilities.

(6) Describe your reporting capabilities, both detailed and summary, and
    provide samples.

(7) Provide your quality assurance standards.

(8) Provide your client service standards.

(9) How do you insure regulatory compliance?

(10) Explain your processes for audit and risk reviews.

(11) How do you calculate your fees? E.g., wrap fee, transaction fee,
     etc.

(12) Are there any other fees or costs not covered in the previous
     question?

(13) What differentiates you from your competition?

(14) For temporary investment of corpus, what is the maximum interest
     rate at which you could place \$32 million for three months?

**RELEVANT DOCUMENTS**

In order to properly respond to this RFI, interested parties must be
conversant with the following documents --

for the FSM:

> \(1\) Section 211, 215, and 216 of the Compact of Free Association, as
> amended, for the FSM, and
>
> \(2\) The agreement subsidiary to the Compact, as amended, relating to
> the FSM Trust Fund, and

for the RMI:

> \(1\) Section 211, 216, and 217 of the Compact of Free Association, as
> amended, for the RMI, and
>
> \(2\) The agreement subsidiary to the Compact, as amended, relating to
> the RMI Trust Fund.

These documents can be found at:

www.doi.gov/oia/solicittrustfunds/documents.htm

**TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT**

Stephen D. Sander

Office of Insular Affairs

Department of the Interior

(202)208-4754

\(202\) 501-7759 fax