U.S. Department of Labor 
Employment Standards Administration
Wage and Hour Division
Washington, D.C. 20210
AUG 18 1995
MEMORANDUM NO. 184
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL CONTRACTING AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FROM: MARIA ECHAVESTE
Administrator
SUBJECT: Availability of Davis-Bacon and Service Contract
Act Prevailing Wage Training Materials
Background
Over the past few years, the Wage and Hour Division has prepared
several resource materials to assist Federal procurement agencies
and other interested parties to gain knowledge of the Davis-Bacon
and Related Acts and the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act.
Use of these materials has been highlighted in several training
conferences conducted by the Wage and Hour Division for its
prevailing wage customers. While we hope to continue organizing
and conducting such training conferences, we recognize that
resource constraints may limit the number of conferences we are
able to conduct, as well as the extent of procurement agency
participation. In order to maximize the availability and use of
training materials in a tight budget environment, we have
arranged for the publication of relevant tools.
Training Materials
The following materials are recommended for procurement officials
with wage determination, compliance, and/or enforcement
responsibilities under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the
Service Contract Act:
Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Training Book (New)
This volume provides extensive information concerning the Davis-
Bacon and Related Acts. The training manual (previously provided
to training conference participants only) includes distinct
chapters on: 1) coverage under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts;
2) determination of prevailing wages (including Davis-Bacon wage
surveys); 3) the processes for obtaining wage determinations
(including electronic means) and adding classifications;
4) compliance and enforcement principles and processes; and
5) the process for appealing wage rate, coverage, and compliance
determinations.
Working for America's Workforce














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Service Contract Prevailing Wage Training Book (New)
This volume provides extensive information concerning the
McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA). The training manual
(previously provided to training conference participants only)
includes distinct chapters on: 1) coverage under the SCA;
2) SCA surveys and wage determinations (including "blanket" and
"consolidated" wage determinations); 3 overview of the SCA
conformance process (see below for more detailed resource
materials utilized in training conferences); 4) 4C/Arms length
and Substantial Variance Hearings; 5) compliance and enforcement
principles and processes; and 6)the process for appealing wage
rate, coverage, and compliance determinations.
Service contract Act Conformances Resource Book (New)
This volume provides a comprehensive set of tools that facilitate
the development and processing of SCA conformance requests. The
publication includes both flow chart and narrative description of
the process, a glossary of terms, guide to developing job
descriptions, guidelines for determining Federal Grade
Equivalency, and schedule of percentage wage rate differences by
grade. Use of this document requires a current edition of the
Service Contract Act Directory Of Occupations.
The service contract Act conformances Task Book (New)
Distributed with the Resource Book, this volume provides a
complete self-instructional training course in the use of
conformance tools.
Service Contract Act Directory OF Occupations (Fourth Edition)
The Service Contract Act Directory Of Occupations (the Directory)
provides a common vocabulary for occupations most often the
subject of SCA wage determinations. This reference material
provides standard titles and definitions for over 300
occupations. Included are the Federal Grade Equivalencies for
most of the occupations listed. The Directory has become an
essential tool in the development, use, and enforcement of SCA
wage determinations and conformances. Annual supplements are
provided to subscribers.
Order Information and Inquiries
Each of the publications listed above is available from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.
Orders may be placed directly by calling (202) 512-1800.
Inquiries regarding any of these publications and ideas for
improvement may be provided to Nila Stovall (SCA: 202-219-7531
X168) and Phil Gloss (DB: 202-219-7531 X137).