IGCE Builder: Labor Hour & Time-and-Materials (LH/T&M)

Overview

This skill produces Independent Government Cost Estimates for Labor Hour and Time-and-Materials contracts. It uses a burden multiplier model: take the BLS base wage, multiply by a single factor that rolls up fringe, overhead, G&A, and profit into one number. This is the most common IGCE pricing approach for federal professional services. T&M adds a materials estimation step for non-labor costs reimbursed at cost.

LH vs. T&M: The only structural difference is materials. LH contracts pay hourly rates for labor only. T&M contracts pay hourly rates for labor plus reimburse materials at cost (FAR 16.601(b)). Both use the same burden multiplier for the labor component. If the user says "IGCE" without specifying a contract type, default to LH unless they mention materials, supplies, licenses, cloud hosting, or similar non-labor costs, in which case default to T&M.

Required L1 skills (must be installed):

1. BLS OEWS API -- market wage data by occupation and geography
2. GSA CALC+ Ceiling Rates API -- awarded GSA MAS schedule hourly rates
3. GSA Per Diem Rates API -- federal travel lodging and M&IE rates

Required API keys (must be in user memory):

• BLS API key (v2) for BLS OEWS
• api.data.gov key for GSA Per Diem
• CALC+ requires no key

If a key is missing, prompt the user to register: BLS at https://data.bls.gov/registrationEngine/, api.data.gov at https://api.data.gov/signup/

Regulatory basis: FAR 15.402 (cost/pricing data). FAR 15.404-1(b) (price analysis). FAR 16.601 (T&M/LH contracts and limited-use criteria).

Workflow Selection

Workflow A-LH: Labor Hour IGCE (Default)

User needs a cost estimate for a Labor Hour contract. Labor only, no materials. Execute Steps 1 through 9. Triggers: "build an IGCE," "labor hour IGCE," "LH estimate," "estimate costs for," "price a requirement."

Workflow A-TM: Time-and-Materials IGCE

Same as A-LH for labor, plus Step 5B for materials. T&M contracts reimburse materials at cost. Triggers: "T&M IGCE," "time and materials estimate," or when user mentions materials, supplies, licenses, cloud hosting alongside hourly rates.

Workflow A+: SOW/PWS-Driven Build

User provides a requirement document instead of structured labor inputs. Execute Step 0 first, validate, then route to A-LH or A-TM based on whether materials are needed. Triggers: "build an IGCE from this SOW," "price this statement of work," or when user provides a block of requirement text.

Workflow B: Rate Validation Only

User has proposed rates and wants to check reasonableness against market data. Triggers: "is this rate reasonable," "validate these rates," "compare vendor pricing," "check this proposal."

Workflow B steps:

1. Collect the vendor's proposed labor categories and hourly rates.
2. For each category, query CALC+ per Step 4.
3. Position each rate: below 25th percentile (aggressive), 25th-75th (competitive), above 75th (premium), above 90th (outlier requiring justification).
4. Optionally run Steps 1-3 to show where the rate falls relative to BLS wages at different burden multiplier assumptions.
5. Produce Rate Validation sheet and narrative. No full workbook unless requested.

Information to Collect

Ask for everything in a single pass. Provide defaults where noted.

Required Inputs

Input	Description	Example
Labor categories	Job titles or SOC codes	Software Developer, InfoSec Analyst, PM
Performance location	City/state or metro area	Washington, DC
Staffing	Headcount per labor category	2 developers, 1 analyst, 1 PM
Hours per year	Productive hours per person (default: 1,880)	1,880
Period of performance	Base year + option years	Base + 2 OYs
Contract start date	For wage aging	2026-10-01

Optional Inputs (Defaults Applied If Not Provided)

Input	Default	Notes
Burden multiplier	2.0x	Mid scenario; low (1.8x) and high (2.2x) also produced
Escalation rate	2.5%/yr	Applied to labor, travel, and materials
Shift coverage	Single shift	Specify 24x7 if needed; Step 0.5 computes FTE
Travel destinations	None	City/state per destination
Travel frequency	None	Trips/year per destination
Travel duration	None	Nights per trip (0 = day trip)
Number of travelers	All staff	Travelers per trip
Travel months	Max monthly rate	Specific months if known
FY for per diem	Current federal FY	Compute at build time (Oct-Sep cycle)
Duty station / origin	Performance location	For City Pair airfare lookup
NAICS code	None	Include in output if provided
PSC code	None	Include in output if provided
Partial start	Full year (12 months)	Specify months if base year is partial
Materials (T&M only)	None	Categories and estimated annual costs

Burden Multiplier Guidance

The burden multiplier converts BLS base wages to fully burdened rates (fringe + overhead + G&A + profit in one factor). Provide this when the user is unsure:

Range	Typical Scenario
1.5x - 1.7x	Lean contractor, minimal overhead, commercial-style work
1.8x - 2.0x	Mid-range professional services, most IT contracts
2.0x - 2.2x	Large contractor with compliance overhead
2.2x - 2.5x	Cleared work, SCIF environments, high-overhead settings
2.5x - 3.0x	Deployed, OCONUS, or specialized niche environments

If user does not specify, use 2.0x as mid and produce low (1.8x) and high (2.2x) scenarios. If user provides a custom multiplier (e.g., 2.3x for cleared work), set low = custom - 0.2, high = custom + 0.2.

Constants Reference

Constant	Value	Source
Standard work year	2,080 hours	40 hrs x 52 weeks; converts annual wages to hourly
Default productive hours	1,880 hours/year	2,080 minus holidays and avg leave
Annual coverage hours (24x7)	8,760 hours	24 x 365; divide by 2,080 × availability for FTE
Default burden multiplier	2.0x	Mid-range professional services
Low scenario burden	1.8x	Lower bound for scenario analysis
High scenario burden	2.2x	Upper bound for scenario analysis
Default escalation rate	2.5% annually	Standard federal IGCE assumption
BLS wage cap (annual)	$239,200	May 2024 OEWS reporting ceiling
BLS wage cap (hourly)	$115.00	May 2024 OEWS reporting ceiling
OEWS data year	2024	May 2024 estimates
GSA mileage rate	$0.70/mile	CY2025 GSA POV rate
First/last day M&IE	75% of full day	FTR 301-11.101
City Pair fare source	GSA City Pair Program	cpsearch.fas.gsa.gov; use YCA fare

Orchestration Sequence

Step 0: Requirements Decomposition (Workflow A+ Only)

Converts an unstructured SOW/PWS into structured pricing inputs.

Process:

1. Sufficiency check. Scan for six priceable elements: labor categories, staffing levels, performance location, period of performance, deliverables, and travel. Flag anything missing. Hard stop if performance location is absent. If 3+ elements missing and document is under 500 words, ask user whether to proceed with assumptions or get clarification.

2. Task decomposition. Parse into discrete task areas with description, skill discipline, complexity, and recurring vs. finite classification.

3. Domain triage. Identify agency domain (DoD / IC / DOE / civilian IT / research / medical) BEFORE SOC mapping. Domain signals which SOC block applies: DOE → 17-2xxx physical engineering; IC/DoD cyber → 15-1212; civilian IT → 15-125x software/systems; research → 19-1xxx / 15-2xxx; medical → 29-xxxx.

4. Labor category mapping. Map tasks to SOC codes using Step 1 heuristics with domain triage result. When a task spans disciplines, map to multiple categories.

5. Staffing estimation. Estimate FTEs per category based on scope indicators (system count, shift coverage, surge language, site count). If 24x7 coverage is required, invoke Step 0.5. Present as ranges when ambiguous.

6. Present decomposition table for user validation:

Task Area               | Labor Category      | SOC Code | Est. FTEs | Basis
Application Development | Software Developer  | 15-1252  | 2-3       | 3 apps, agile
Security Operations     | InfoSec Analyst     | 15-1212  | 1-2       | Continuous monitoring
Project Oversight       | Project Manager     | 13-1082  | 1         | Single contract

7. User validation gate. Confirm before proceeding. Also determine LH vs. T&M: "Does this requirement include materials the contractor will procure (software licenses, cloud hosting, hardware)? If yes, I'll build a T&M IGCE with materials. If labor only, I'll build LH."

Step 0.5: Shift Coverage Staffing (If 24x7 or Multi-Shift)

If the requirement specifies 24x7 coverage, around-the-clock SOC, NOSC, help desk, or continuous monitoring, headcount must be grossed up from productive hours to coverage hours.

Single-seat 24x7 (one analyst always on duty):

annual_coverage_hours = 24 * 365 = 8,760
productive_hours_per_fte = 2,080
availability_factor = 0.50   # leave, training, turnover, overlap
single_seat_fte = 8,760 / (2,080 * availability_factor) = ~8.4 FTE

Simplification: use 4.2 FTE for single-seat 24x7 as the common industry convention (accounts for 50% availability + leave + overlap).

Double-seat 24x7 (two analysts always on duty): 8.4 FTE.

12x5 coverage (business hours, weekdays only): 60 hrs/wk × 52 = 3,120 annual hrs. 3,120 / 1,880 = 1.66 FTE single-seat, ~2 FTE with overlap.

16x7 coverage (extended hours, every day): 16 × 365 = 5,840 annual hrs. 5,840 / 1,880 × availability = ~3.1 FTE single-seat.

Document the FTE math in Sheet 5 Methodology. Do NOT quietly use 3 FTE for 24x7 coverage: that understaffs by 28%.

Step 1: Map Labor Categories to SOC Codes

Map user job titles to SOC codes. Apply domain triage from Step 0 first.

IT and Professional Services (most common):

Common Title	SOC Code	BLS Title
Program Manager (general ops)	11-1021	General and Operations Managers
Program Manager (IT)	11-3021	Computer and Information Systems Managers
Program Manager (engineering)	11-9041	Architectural and Engineering Managers
Project Manager	13-1082	Project Management Specialists
Management Analyst	13-1111	Management Analysts
Systems Engineer / Analyst (IT)	15-1211	Computer Systems Analysts
Software Developer	15-1252	Software Developers
Cybersecurity / InfoSec	15-1212	Information Security Analysts
Network Architect	15-1241	Computer Network Architects
DBA	15-1242	Database Administrators
Sysadmin	15-1244	Network and Computer Systems Administrators
QA Tester	15-1253	Software QA Analysts and Testers
Help Desk	15-1232	Computer User Support Specialists
Data Scientist	15-2051	Data Scientists
Technical Writer	27-3042	Technical Writers
Contracting Specialist	13-1020	Buyers and Purchasing Agents

Physical / DOE / Defense Engineering (use these for hardware, labs, weapons systems, DOE M&O, physical infrastructure):

Common Title	SOC Code	BLS Title
Aerospace Engineer	17-2011	Aerospace Engineers
Biomedical Engineer	17-2031	Biomedical Engineers
Chemical Engineer	17-2041	Chemical Engineers
Civil Engineer	17-2051	Civil Engineers
Electrical Engineer	17-2071	Electrical Engineers
Electronics Engineer	17-2072	Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
Environmental Engineer	17-2081	Environmental Engineers
Industrial Engineer	17-2112	Industrial Engineers
Mechanical Engineer	17-2141	Mechanical Engineers
Nuclear Engineer	17-2161	Nuclear Engineers
Petroleum Engineer	17-2171	Petroleum Engineers
Engineers, All Other (catch-all)	17-2199	Engineers, All Other

When mapping is ambiguous, query multiple SOC codes and present the range. PM mapping is context-dependent: do NOT default to 11-3021 for non-IT programs.

Step 2: Pull BLS Wage Data

Use the BLS OEWS API skill. For each labor category, query datatypes 04 (annual mean), 11-15 (10th through 90th percentiles) at the performance location.

BLS series ID component breakdown (25 chars total):

prefix(4) + area(7) + industry(6) + SOC(6) + datatype(2) = 25
OEU  M  +  0047900 +  000000  +  151212 +  13  = OEUM004790000000015121213

• Prefix OEUM = metro; OEUS = state; OEUN = national
• Area must be 7 chars (pad with leading zeros)
• SOC must be exactly 6 chars (no trailing zeros: 151212 not 15121200)
• Industry 000000 for cross-industry

Use metro-level prefix (OEUM) when available. Fall back to state (OEUS), then national (OEUN). Present the full wage distribution.

Seniority modeling via percentiles: When an LCAT is explicitly Junior / Mid / Senior, map to wage percentiles rather than pulling three separate SOCs:

• Junior → P25 (datatype 12)
• Mid → P50 median (datatype 13)
• Senior → P75 (datatype 14)

Pull all 5 percentiles (P10/P25/P50/P75/P90) for any multi-level LCAT. Cite which percentile was used per LCAT in methodology.

Silent-wrong-answer traps:

• MSA renumbering (2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01). If a metro query returns NO_DATA across EVERY SOC (not just one), the metro was renumbered, not suppressed. Cleveland moved from 17460 to 17410. Dayton may also have moved. Verify against the current BLS MSA list: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrci.htm. Do NOT fall back to state assuming occupation suppression until you've checked the code.
• Wrong trailing zeros. 151212 is the 6-char SOC. 15121200 is a Standard SOC 8-digit format that will fail the 25-char series ID assertion AFTER several queries have already constructed.

If BLS returns "-" with footnote code 5, the wage exceeds the $239,200 cap. Use the cap as a lower bound and flag in the narrative.

Step 2B: Age BLS Wages to Contract Start Date

BLS OEWS data has a ~2-year lag (May 2024 estimates released April 2025). If the contract Period of Performance starts after the data reference period, the base wages must be aged forward to avoid understating costs.

months_gap = months between BLS data vintage (May 2024) and contract PoP start date
aging_factor = (1 + escalation_rate) ^ (months_gap / 12)
aged_annual_wage = annual_median * aging_factor

Example: if the contract start is 29 months after the BLS data vintage, at 2.5% escalation the aging_factor = 1.025^(29/12) = ~1.061. A $100,000 BLS median becomes $106,100 before burden multiplier.

Aging factor must be a cell-referenced formula in the workbook, NOT hardcoded. Use the assumption block rows to hold BLS_vintage, contract_start, months_gap, and aging_factor. If the user changes the contract start assumption, the whole sheet must recompute correctly. See Step 8 assumption block layout.

Use the aged wage as the basis for all subsequent calculations. Document the aging adjustment in the Methodology sheet: "BLS OEWS wages (data vintage: [BLS_vintage]) aged forward [X] months to [contract start] at [escalation rate]%/yr to account for data lag."

If the user does not provide a contract start date, ask for one. If unknown, default to 6 months from today and note the assumption.

The escalation applied in Step 7 across option years starts AFTER this aging adjustment. Step 2B ages the base wage to the contract start; Step 7 escalates from that adjusted base across the period of performance. These are not double-counted.

Step 3: Apply Burden Multiplier (Three Scenarios)

Convert BLS base wages to estimated fully burdened hourly rates:

hourly_base = aged_annual_wage / 2080
burdened_low  = hourly_base * burden_low    # default 1.8
burdened_mid  = hourly_base * burden_mid    # default 2.0
burdened_high = hourly_base * burden_high   # default 2.2

Note: 2,080 converts annual to hourly. Productive hours (1,880) are used separately in Step 7 for annual cost and account for holidays and leave.

Step 4: Cross-Reference Against CALC+

Use the GSA CALC+ Ceiling Rates API skill.

CRITICAL: Use the correct query signature or you will get silent wrong answers.

Endpoint: https://calc.gsa.gov/api/v3/api/ceilingrates/ Parameter: keyword= (NOT q=; q= returns the full 265K-record corpus silently) Fetch aggregations: page_size=0

Example:

GET https://calc.gsa.gov/api/v3/api/ceilingrates/?keyword=Software+Developer&page_size=0

CRITICAL JSON paths for CALC+ statistics:

aggs = response_json["aggregations"]
count    = aggs["wage_stats"]["count"]
min_rate = aggs["wage_stats"]["min"]
max_rate = aggs["wage_stats"]["max"]
avg_rate = aggs["wage_stats"]["avg"]
median   = aggs["histogram_percentiles"]["values"]["50.0"]   # CORRECT median
p25      = aggs["histogram_percentiles"]["values"]["25.0"]
p75      = aggs["histogram_percentiles"]["values"]["75.0"]

WARNING: Do NOT read wage_stats or histogram_percentiles from the top level. They live under aggregations.*. Do NOT read from wage_percentiles (empty when page_size=0). Always use histogram_percentiles.

Dual-pool analysis for senior LCATs: When title-match alone returns N<10, add a second query with experience-anchored keyword:

• Pool A (title-match): keyword=Senior+Software+Engineer
• Pool B (experience-match): keyword=Software+Engineer+10+years

Report both counts and medians. Use Pool A primary if N≥10; otherwise blend or cite Pool B as sanity layer.

Rate validation band for LH/T&M (BLS burdened mid vs CALC+ median):

LH/T&M burdened rates are a DIRECT comparison to CALC+ ceiling rates (both represent total billable hourly labor). Tighter tolerance than FFP or CR.

Divergence	Interpretation	Action
0 to ±5%	Expected range	Accept without explanation
±5 to ±15%	Cite range	Document in narrative, show distribution
> ±15%	Needs justification	Flag in Status column

Divergence formula: ((bls_burdened - calc_median) / calc_median) * 100. Divergence is a data point requiring explanation, not an error.

Step 5: Pull Per Diem Rates (If Travel Required)

Use the GSA Per Diem Rates API skill. Query monthly lodging rates and M&IE for each destination.

City Pair airfare (optional): When origin and destination are known, look up YCA fares at cpsearch.fas.gsa.gov. Skip if origin unknown, OCONUS, local travel, or user provides own airfare.

Per-trip cost by trip length:

Standard multi-night trip (2+ nights):

lodging_per_trip = nightly_rate * nights
travel_days = nights + 1
full_day_mie = mie_rate * max(0, travel_days - 2)
partial_day_mie = mie_rate * 0.75 * 2    # first and last day at 75%
mie_per_trip = full_day_mie + partial_day_mie
trip_total = lodging_per_trip + mie_per_trip

1-night trip:

lodging_per_trip = nightly_rate * 1
mie_per_trip = mie_rate * 0.75 * 2   # both days partial
trip_total = lodging_per_trip + mie_per_trip

0-night day trip (same-day return):

lodging_per_trip = 0                 # no overnight stay
mie_per_trip = mie_rate * 0.75       # single partial day only
trip_total = mie_per_trip

annual_travel = trip_total * trips_per_year * travelers

Use max monthly lodging rate as conservative ceiling if specific months not provided.

No travel case: If user confirms zero travel, do NOT build Sheet 4 with placeholder zeros that break SUM formulas. Use a minimal sheet with text "Travel Not Applicable" and no cell references. Sheet 1 Travel row = 0 literal.

Step 5B: Materials Estimation (T&M Only)

T&M contracts reimburse materials at cost per FAR 16.601(b). Skip this step for LH workflows.

Common T&M materials categories:

Category	Examples	Estimation Approach
Software licenses	JIRA, Confluence, IDE licenses	Per-seat annual cost x users
Cloud hosting / IaaS	AWS, Azure, GCP	Monthly spend x 12
Hardware / equipment	Laptops, monitors, peripherals	Per-unit cost x quantity, typically year 1 only
Training / certifications	Cloud certs, security clearance	Per-person cost x staff
Subscriptions / SaaS	Monitoring tools, data services	Annual subscription cost
Lab / test environments	Test servers, sandbox environments	Monthly or annual cost

If user provides specifics: Create Materials Detail rows with annual cost, apply escalation across option years (same rate as labor).

If user says materials exist but no specifics: Include placeholder rows with numeric 0 (NOT text "TBD") for each common category. Note in methodology that materials must be added before IGCE is complete. Text "TBD" in numeric cells breaks SUM formulas.

CRITICAL: Materials are NOT affected by the burden multiplier. They are reimbursed at cost. Burden only applies to labor. Keep materials and labor cost streams separate in all formulas.

Materials in IGCE Summary (Sheet 1):

Materials Subtotal       |     |         | $45,000    | $46,125    | $47,278    | $138,403
  Software Licenses      |     |         | $15,000    | $15,375    | $15,759    | $46,134
  Cloud Hosting          |     |         | $24,000    | $24,600    | $25,215    | $73,815
  Hardware               |     |         | $6,000     | $6,150     | $6,304     | $18,454

Step 6: Handle Multi-Location Weighting

Option A (default blend): Use highest median across locations per category. Use when user does not specify per-location headcount.

Option B (weighted): weighted_wage = (wage_A * pct_A) + (wage_B * pct_B) if user provides split.

Option C (separate lines, DEFAULT when headcount per location is explicit): Dedicated staff per location get separate rows. Do NOT prompt for Option A/B/C when user gave headcount like "4 FTE Fort Meade, 3 FTE Colorado Springs": go straight to Option C.

Step 7: Calculate Annual Costs, Prorate, and Apply Escalation

Labor cost per category per year (full year):

annual_labor = burdened_hourly * productive_hours * headcount

Partial-year proration:

prorated_hours = productive_hours * (months_in_period / 12)
prorated_labor = burdened_hourly * prorated_hours * headcount
prorated_travel = annual_travel * (months_in_period / 12)
prorated_materials = annual_materials * (months_in_period / 12)

Escalation: year_N_cost = base_year_cost * (1 + escalation_rate) ^ N

Apply to labor, travel, and materials. Default 2.5%.

Scenario math (three burden levels across all periods):

low_year_N  = (hourly_base * burden_low)  * productive_hours * headcount * (1+esc)^N
mid_year_N  = (hourly_base * burden_mid)  * productive_hours * headcount * (1+esc)^N
high_year_N = (hourly_base * burden_high) * productive_hours * headcount * (1+esc)^N

Travel and materials are identical across all three scenarios (per diem is published; materials are at cost). Sheet 2 formula: Each scenario's period total = labor(at that burden) + travel + materials. Do NOT apply burden to travel or materials.

Step 8: Produce the IGCE Workbook

Generate a multi-sheet .xlsx workbook using openpyxl. Use Excel formulas for all calculations. Run the recalc script (python /mnt/skills/public/xlsx/scripts/recalc.py <file>) before presenting.

Workbook structure (6 sheets for LH, 7 for T&M; subtract 1 if no travel):

Sheet 1: IGCE Summary. Labor categories as rows, periods as columns. Qty, Rate/Hr, annual cost per period. Travel rows below labor. For T&M: Materials rows below travel. Placeholder rows for Airfare, Ground Transportation, ODCs as numeric 0 (NOT text "TBD") to prevent #VALUE! errors in SUM formulas. Grand total with SUM formulas.

Assumption cell layout (Sheet 1, rows 1-11):

A1: "IGCE Assumptions"                         (bold, merged A1:B1)
A2: "Burden Multiplier (Low)"                  B2: 1.8     (blue)
A3: "Burden Multiplier (Mid)"                  B3: 2.0     (blue)
A4: "Burden Multiplier (High)"                 B4: 2.2     (blue)
A5: "Escalation Rate"                          B5: 0.025   (blue, pct)
A6: "Productive Hours/Year"                    B6: 1880    (blue)
A7: "Base Year Months"                         B7: 12      (blue; <12 for partial)
A8: "BLS Vintage"                              B8: "May 2024"  (blue)
A9: "Contract Start"                           B9: 2026-10-01  (blue, date)
A10: "Months Gap"                              B10: =DATEDIF(B8,B9,"m")  (formula)
A11: "Aging Factor"                            B11: =(1+B5)^(B10/12)      (formula)
A12: (blank row separator)
A13: header row for data table

All labor formulas reference $B$3 (mid burden). Sheet 2 references $B$2, $B$3, $B$4 for scenarios. Base year formulas reference $B$7 for proration. All wages reference $B$11 aging factor.

Sheet 2: Scenario Analysis. Three side-by-side tables (low/mid/high burden). Burden multiplier cells in blue font. Blocks are 12 rows each per LCAT (10 content + 2 separator).

Block layout formula: row(N) = 1 + (N-1) * 12 where N is the LCAT index. Within each block:

• BLS Base Wage (aged) at offset +1
• Hourly base (annual / 2080) at offset +2
• Burdened low at offset +3 (hourly × $B$2)
• Burdened mid at offset +4 (hourly × $B$3)
• Burdened high at offset +5 (hourly × $B$4)
• Annual cost low/mid/high at offsets +7/+8/+9

Travel and materials identical across scenarios. Summary row: "Range: $X (low) to $Y (high), Mid estimate: $Z."

Annotation text gotcha: Annotation cells (column C or D methodology notes) cannot START with = + - @ or Excel tries to parse as a formula. Prefix with apostrophe ('=2,080 hours/year) or lead with a non-operator character ("Note: 2,080 hours/year"). Applies anywhere a cell value starts with those four characters.

Sheet 3: Rate Validation. BLS burdened rate (mid), CALC+ 25th/50th/75th percentiles, min/max range, divergence percentage (formula), Status column calibrated to LH/T&M bands.

Row 1: "Rate Validation (LH/T&M)"
Row 3: Headers: Category | BLS Burdened (mid) | CALC+ 25th | CALC+ 50th | CALC+ 75th | CALC+ Count | Divergence vs Median | Status
Row 4+: one row per category
  Divergence = (BLS_burdened - CALC_50th) / CALC_50th
  Status =
    IF(ABS(Divergence) <= 0.05, "Expected range",
    IF(ABS(Divergence) <= 0.15, "Cite range",
    "Needs justification"))

Dual-pool columns when title-match N<10: add "Pool A (Title)" and "Pool B (Experience)" median columns, cite N for each.

Sheet 4: Travel Detail. Formula-driven per destination (skip this sheet if no travel, use text "Travel Not Applicable" only):

Row 1: "Travel Cost Detail: [Destination]"  (bold header)
Row 3: A="Fiscal Year"           B=<current federal FY>          (blue)
Row 4: A="Nightly Lodging Rate"  B=[max monthly]                 (blue)
Row 5: A="M&IE Daily Rate"       B=[rate]                        (blue)
Row 6: A="First/Last Day M&IE"   B==B5*0.75                      (formula)
Row 7: A="Nights per Trip"       B=[nights, 0 for day trip]       (blue)
Row 8: A="Travel Days"           B==IF(B7=0,1,B7+1)              (formula)
Row 9: A="Lodging per Trip"      B==B4*B7                        (formula, 0 when nights=0)
Row 10: A="M&IE per Trip"        B==IF(B7=0,B6,B5*MAX(0,B8-2)+B6*2)  (formula)
Row 11: A="Trip Total"           B==B9+B10                       (formula)
Row 12: A="Trips per Year"       B=[trips]                       (blue)
Row 13: A="Travelers"            B=[count]                       (blue)
Row 14: A="Annual Travel Cost"   B==B11*B12*B13                  (formula, bold)

Sheet 5: Methodology. Narrative for the contract file. Include: data sources with vintages (BLS OEWS [data vintage], CALC+ queried [date], Per Diem [current FY]), BLS aging adjustment (months_gap, aging_factor), shift coverage FTE math if 24x7, burden multiplier rationale plus scenario range, escalation basis, productive hours assumption, partial-year proration if applied, travel calculation methodology (including 0-night day trips if applicable), what is NOT included, CALC+ cross-reference with endpoint/keyword cited, divergence explanations, NAICS/PSC if provided, contract type (LH or T&M), FAR 15.402 and FAR 15.404-1(b) references. For T&M: note materials reimbursed at cost per FAR 16.601(b)(2), government right to require competition for materials over SAT.

Sheet 6: Raw Data. All API query parameters and responses: BLS series IDs, CALC+ keyword + endpoint + record counts, per diem query details, City Pair fares if retrieved.

Sheet 7: Materials Detail (T&M only). One row per materials category with annual cost, escalation across periods, and subtotals. Blue font on all cost inputs. Note that materials are at cost, no burden applied. Use numeric 0 for unknown amounts (not text "TBD").

Formatting standards:

• Blue font (RGB 0,0,255) for all user-adjustable inputs and assumptions
• Black font for all formula cells
• Currency: $#,##0 with negatives in parentheses
• Percentage: 0.0%
• Bold headers with light gray fill
• Freeze panes below assumption block on Sheet 1 (below row 12)
• Auto-size column widths
• Burden multiplier display format: 0.0"x"

When base year is partial, prorate: =burdened_rate*$B$6*($B$7/12)*headcount. Travel and materials prorate the same way. Full option years ignore $B$7.

Never output as .md or HTML unless explicitly requested.

Step 9: Present the File

After writing the workbook, copy to the outputs directory AND call present_files so the user sees a download link in the UI.

import shutil
shutil.copy(workbook_path, "/mnt/user-data/outputs/IGCE_LH_<project>.xlsx")
# Then invoke the file-presentation tool
present_files(["/mnt/user-data/outputs/IGCE_LH_<project>.xlsx"])

Do NOT skip this step. A workbook that exists in the sandbox but is not presented looks like a silent failure to the user.

Edge Cases

Labor categories not in BLS: Find closest SOC code(s), query candidates, present range, let user select, document rationale.

No CALC+ results: Try broader keywords. If still nothing, note unavailable; estimate relies on BLS alone. Mark Status "No CALC+ data."

BLS wage at reporting cap: Use $239,200/$115.00 as lower bound. Flag that burdened rate is a conservative floor.

Standard rate travel locations: Note when destination returns CONUS standard rate (flat, no seasonal variation).

Partial-year periods: Prorate hours, travel, and materials. Example: base year starts 3 months post-award = 9 months (1,410 hrs).

Materials year-1 only items (T&M): Hardware and initial setup costs often apply only to the base year. Do not escalate or repeat in option years unless the user specifies replacement cycles.

User provides their own rates: Use Workflow B (Rate Validation Only).

Silent-wrong-answer traps:

• q= parameter on CALC+ returns the full 265K-record corpus silently. Always use keyword= or search=.
• wage_stats read from top level returns None. Always read from aggregations.wage_stats.
• MSA code renumbering (Cleveland 17460 → 17410) returns NO_DATA silently. Verify code if all datatypes return empty.
• BLS SOC with trailing zeros (151212 vs 15121200) fails the 25-char assertion AFTER you've already constructed several queries. Use exactly 6-char SOC.
• Annotation text starting with = + - @ triggers Excel formula parse. Escape with apostrophe or lead with text.
• ODC / placeholder cells set to text "TBD" break SUM formulas. Use numeric 0 literal.

What This Skill Does NOT Cover

Include as placeholder rows or methodology notes:

• Airfare: Use City Pair YCA fares when origin/destination known; otherwise numeric 0 placeholder
• Ground transportation: Rental cars, mileage ($0.70/mile), taxi, rideshare
• ODCs (LH): Equipment, licenses, materials for LH contracts (user must provide; placeholders as numeric 0)
• Subcontractor costs: Requires separate estimate or vendor input
• Fee/profit analysis: This skill estimates costs, not negotiation targets
• OCONUS travel: Per diem covers CONUS only; State Dept rates for OCONUS
• FFP contracts: Use IGCE Builder FFP for wrap rate buildup
• Cost-reimbursement: Use IGCE Builder CR for CPFF/CPAF/CPIF
• Grant budgets: Use Grant Budget Builder

Quick Start Examples

Simple LH: "Build an IGCE for a Systems Analyst in DC, base plus 2 option years" Claude will: map to SOC 15-1211, pull DC BLS wages with percentiles, age to contract start via cell-referenced formula, apply 1.8x/2.0x/2.2x burden, validate against CALC+ at keyword= endpoint, apply 2.5% escalation, produce 6-sheet xlsx and present.

T&M: "T&M IGCE for a 4-person dev team in DC, they'll need AWS hosting and JIRA licenses, base plus 3 OYs" Claude will: run full labor sequence plus Step 5B for materials, collect specifics, produce 7-sheet xlsx with materials separate from burden.

SOW-driven: "Here's my SOW, build me an IGCE" [user pastes or uploads SOW] Claude will: run Step 0 decomposition, domain triage, validate, determine LH vs. T&M based on materials need, then run appropriate workflow.

With travel: "IGCE for a 5-person IT team in DC with monthly travel to Seattle, base plus 4 OYs" Claude will: ask for labor breakdown, run Steps 1-9 including City Pair lookup for DCA-SEA.

Rate validation: "Vendor proposes $165/hr for a Software Dev in DC. Reasonable?" Claude will: Workflow B. Pull CALC+ distribution via keyword=, position $165 against ±5 / ±15 / outside bands, optionally BLS context, produce validation summary.

Multi-location (explicit headcount): "Price a 10-person help desk split 6 Baltimore / 4 Philadelphia, quarterly travel to DC" Claude will: use Option C (separate lines per location) without prompting, pull BLS for both metros, produce combined IGCE.

Partial year: "IGCE for a contract starting April 1, base year is 6 months, then 4 full OYs" Claude will: prorate base to 6 months (940 hrs), full hours for OY1-4, note proration in methodology.

24x7 coverage: "SOC analyst coverage 24x7x365, Cleveland, base plus 2 OYs" Claude will: compute 4.2 FTE single-seat per Step 0.5, pull BLS Cleveland (0017410 post-2023 OMB renumbering), build workbook.

Day trip travel: "Quarterly day trips DCA to Pentagon, 5 travelers" Claude will: Step 5 0-night case (no lodging, single partial M&IE), Sheet 4 formulas handle nights=0 correctly.

Cleared environment: "Use 2.4x burden for a cleared IT support contract in DC" Claude will: set mid=2.4x, low=2.2x, high=2.6x, note cleared justification in methodology.

Physical engineering (DOE): "LH IGCE for 3 mechanical engineers + 1 PM at Oak Ridge, base + 2 OYs" Claude will: domain triage (DOE → 17-2xxx); map to 17-2141 Mechanical + 11-9041 Engineering Manager (NOT 11-3021 IT); pull Oak Ridge 28940; apply burden; validate with dual-pool CALC+; produce workbook.

No travel: "LH IGCE for on-site-only help desk in DC, base + 2 OYs" Claude will: build labor workbook; Sheet 4 shows "Travel Not Applicable" text only; Travel row in Sheet 1 is literal 0; no SUM breakage.

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MIT © James Jenrette / 1102tools. Source: github.com/1102tools/federal-contracting-skills