Original Date Issued: April 11, 2012 Closing Date: Two weeks, until April 25, 2012 Subject

61 Pages·2012·0.69 MB·English

RFP No. HQ/PDev II/002
Issued: April 10, 2012
Due: April 24, 2012

Original Date Issued: April 11, 2012
Closing Date: Two weeks, until April 25, 2012

Subject: Request for Proposals Number HQ/USAID PDev II/002
USAID PDev II Baseline Assessment Year 1

International Relief and Development (IRD) Inc., is seeking proposals from eligible contractors
to conduct a baseline assessment for the USAID Peace Through Development II (USAID PDev
II) project. USAID PDev II is a 5 year program operating in Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso to
implement community activities intended to strengthen resilience to conflict. IRD anticipates
awarding a single fixed price subcontract as a result of this solicitation. IRD reserves the right to
award more or fewer awards than anticipated above.

All questions relating to this RFP must be submitted to Mrs. Olga N. Wall via email at
[email protected]. Questions must be received by Friday, April 13, 2012. Proposals must be
received on or before April 24, 2012. Proposals should be submitted to Mrs. Olga N. Wall via
email at [email protected].

This RFP in no way obligates IRD to award a contract nor does it commit IRD to pay any cost
incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal.

IRD bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

Sincerely,

Olga N Wall
Director
Office of Contracts & Grants
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RFP No. HQ/PDev II/002
Issued: April 10, 2012
Due: April 24, 2012
Table of Contents Page

SECTION A - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS .............................4
A.1 PURPOSE ............................................................4
A.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND CONTRACT SERVICES ................................4
A.3 MINIMUM OBLIGATED AMOUNT ..........................................4
A.4 MAXIMUM CONTRACT CEILING ...........................................4
A.5 LABOR ..............................................................5
A.6 SUBCONTRACTING PLAN ................................................6
A.7 OTHER DIRECT COSTS AND EQUIPMENT ....................................6
A.8 INDIRECT COSTS (APPLICABLE TO ODC) .........Error! Bookmark not defined.
SECTION B - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK ...................7
SECTION C - PACKAGING AND MARKING ........................................11
SECTION D - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE .....................................11
SECTION E - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE .....................................11
E.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE ..............................................11
E.2 TASK ORDERS .............................Error! Bookmark not defined.
E. 3 REQUEST FOR TASK ORDER PROPOSAL .........Error! Bookmark not defined.
E. 4 RIGHT TO PROCURE FROM OTHER SOURCES ................................12
E. 5 CONTENTS OF TASK ORDERS .................Error! Bookmark not defined.
SECTION F - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA .................................13
F.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO) ............................................13
F.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COTR) .................13
F.3 PAYING OFFICE ......................................................13
SECTION G - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS ................................14
G.1 PERMITS, FEES AND LICENSES ...........................................14
G. 2 INSURANCE AND INDEMNIFICATION .....................................14
G.3 GOVERNING LAW .....................................................14
G.4 NOTIFICATION OF DEBARMENT/SUSPENSION STATUS ........................14
G.5 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING .............................14
G.6 GRATUITIES .........................................................15
G.7 COMMUNICATIONS WITH USAID AND OTHER AGENCIES ......................15
G.8 CONDUCT ...........................................................15
SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT CLAUSES ......................................17
SECTION I – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS ...........................................18
SECTION J - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF
OFFERORS ............................................................19
SECTION K - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS ..............24
K. 1 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ..............................................24
K.2 DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS ..............................................26
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RFP No. HQ/PDev II/002
Issued: April 10, 2012
Due: April 24, 2012

K.3 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE PRICE/BUSINESS ................26
PROPOSAL .............................................................26
K.3 (a) PROPOSED COSTS/PRICES ............................................26
K.3 (b) JOINT VENTURE INFORMATION .......................................27
K. 3 (c) EVIDENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY .......................................27
K.3 (d) INFORMATION CONCERNING WORK-DAY, WORK-WEEK, AND PAID ABSENCESError! Bookmark not defined.
SECTION L - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD .................................29
L.1 GENERAL INFORMATION ...............................................29
SECTION I - ATTACHMENTS ...................................................31

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RFP No. HQ/PDev II/002
Issued: April 10, 2012
Due: April 24, 2012

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

A.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this RFP is to select a subcontractor to provide services that fall within the scope
of the work specified in Section B. This subcontractor will oversee and manage the USAID
PDev II baseline assessment in Chad and Niger. The firm will lead the process, develop the
methodology and review, validate, and revise the IRD developed baseline instrument, manage
the data collection and data entry, process and analyze the data, and write the final baseline
report.

A.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND CONTRACT SERVICES

IRD intends to award one firm fixed-price deliverable-based subcontract for the entire scope of
work specified in Section B. IRD reserves the right not to award any contracts within this RFP.
Under this fixed price subcontract, the recipient should provide the following:

 A detailed technical proposal, in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in Section
L of this RFP.
 A detailed cost proposal of services and obligation of funds within an established ceiling
price;
 A proposed deliverables price schedule based on the deliverables listed in Section E.2 of
this RFP and supported by the detailed cost proposal.

A.3 MINIMUM OBLIGATED AMOUNT

No minimum obligated amount is specified under this RFP.

A.4 MAXIMUM CONTRACT CEILING

This is a single-award fixed-price subcontract to conduct a baseline assessment for the Peace
through Development II (USAID PDev II) project. No subcontract ceiling shall be specified. The
Subcontractor should provide a cost proposal that provides the best combination of technical
approach and lowest price.

A.5 PROPOSAL FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

The subcontractor shall provide separate volumes for cost and technical proposals. The technical
volume should be submitted to [email protected] via e-mail by the date and time specified on
Page 1 of this RFP. The technical proposal should contain no cost information.

The cost volume should contain a detailed line item budget of all anticipated costs, and a
proposed schedule of deliverables and payments. The proposed schedule of deliverables and
payments should correspond to the subcontract deliverables specified in Section E.2. The cost
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Due: April 24, 2012

volume should also include a narrative description of costs detailing the proposed costs
reasonability and applicability, and describing any subcontractor policies that may apply to the
award.

A.5 LABOR

A.5 (a) Staffing Plan

The offeror should propose an appropriate staffing plan to implement the scope of work in
Section B. Key personnel requirements are specified in Section A.5 (b). Other staff should be
proposed in an overall staffing plan that provides, at minimum, the following information:
 Title
 Roles and responsibilities
 Minimum qualifications

A.5 (a) (b) Key Personnel

The following staff will be considered Key Personnel for this proposal:

Baseline Lead: The Baseline Lead shall oversee and manage the Baseline Assessment and
overall scope of work of the subcontract, including any subcontracted local firms; ensure
baseline is implemented as per the protocol; develop assessment instruments; provide training;
serve as overall quality control.

Minimum qualification:
 Master’s degree in Social Science, International Relations or related field with 5+ years’
experience in Monitoring and Evaluation for USAID or other USG international
development programs; higher degree preferred;
 Demonstrated working knowledge of monitoring and evaluation best practices and standards,
baseline protocol development, questionnaire development and quality control procedures;
 Technical experience in monitoring and evaluation, peacebuilding, conflict management &
mitigation, youth and countering violent extremism;
 Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills;
 Capacity building and/or experience conducting M&E trainings;
 Fluent in French and English;
 Excellent communication skills: verbal and written;
 Ability to work well under pressure and successfully handle multiple tasks at once;
 Ability to solve complex technical, managerial or operational problems and evaluate options
based on relevant information, resources, well-rounded experience, and knowledge;
 Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; and
 Willingness to travel to Niger and Chad.

Please provide a CV and three references for any proposed Key Personnel in the technical
volume. Please specify a fixed daily rate for any proposed Key Personnel in the cost volume.

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Due: April 24, 2012

A.6 SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

As specified in Section B of this RFP, it is anticipated that the offeror will identify local
subcontractors to undertake data collection. The subcontractor should provide a detailed
subcontracting plan in the proposal that includes the following information:

 The scope of work for the proposed subcontract(s) for data collection
 The method and timeline for the identification of local firms to undertake the scope of
work
 The proposed mechanism of the subcontract(s)
 The anticipated cost of each subcontract(s), with detailed line items for labor and other
direct costs (cost volume only)

- END OF SECTION A –
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Issued: April 10, 2012
Due: April 24, 2012

SECTION B - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

BACKGROUND

With the Peace through Development II (USAID PDev II) program, a USAID-funded 5-year
program, IRD and its partners are implementing a holistic, community-led initiative which
strengthens resiliency to violent extremism. The program focuses on vulnerable young men and
women in Niger and Chad. Working directly with these and other populations at the community
level, USAID PDev II will strengthen and empower leaders, institutions, and traditions which
form a buffer against rising violent extremism. USAID PDev II supports these resiliencies by
empowering youth, strengthening moderate voices, increasing civil society capacity, and
strengthening local government. PDEVII aspires to reach toward and contribute to its
overarching goal of “decreasing risk of extremism” through achieving the following mutually
reinforcing strategic objectives:

 SO 1: Youth More Empowered through expanded livelihoods, vocational and
entrepreneurial skills training, civic education, capacity building for youth associations,
and leadership training to increase participation in local decision making by young men
and women;
 SO 2: Moderate Voices Increased through integrated radio, social media, civic education,
and conflict resolution activities, enhanced quality and credible information, and positive
dialogue;
 SO 3: Civil Society Capacity Increased through formal and informal training,
strengthened advocacy skills, citizen-led accountability initiatives and issue-based
campaigns integrated with radio and social media and enhanced through CSO coalitions
and networks;
 SO 4: Local Government Strengthened through organized and enhanced community
entities and CSO capacity, greater citizen participation, and training in public
administration, transparency, advocacy, and government outreach, and integrated with
radio and social media.
Baseline Assessment Purpose
The purpose of the Baseline Assessment is to collect initial information on project beneficiaries,
project indicators (reported and management) and the project area. The Baseline Assessment will
collect both quantitative and qualitative data on a random population-based sample of the project
area. The firm will lead the entire assessment with support from the USAID PDev II M&E
Director and Baseline Team. The firm will work in coordination with the USAID PDev II
management and field staff, partners and HQ staff.

Project Area
USAID PDev II plans to work in a total of 40 communes in Niger and 38 in Chad over the life of
the project. Project implementation will take a phased approach. During Year 1, USAID PDev II
will work in 26 communes in Niger and 23 in Chad. During Year 2, USAID PDev II will
expand its activities to the remaining 14 communes in Niger and 15 in Chad. The following are
the project area:
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 Niger: Agadez, Diffa, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Tillabri and Zinder. French and Huasa
are spoken and written in these regions.
 Chad: N’Djamena, Bar El Ghazal, Kanem, Batha, Borkou and Lake Chad. French and
Arabic are spoken and written in these regions.

COMPOSITION OF THE BASELINE ASSESSMENT TEAM

The baseline assessment will involve both subcontractor staff and IRD staff. The following are
considered the Baseline Team:

Core Team
 Baseline Lead – The Baseline Lead will oversee and manage the baseline assessment,
including any subcontracted local firms; ensure baseline is implemented as per the
protocol; develop assessment instruments; provide training; serve as overall quality
control.
 Other staff as proposed in subcontractor staffing plan – The subcontractor should
specified as part of their proposal what other staff will be proposed in addition to key
personnel, and what their roles will be on the project.
 USAID PDev II M&E Director – The USAID PDev II M&E Director will act as the
assessment manager, supporting the Baseline Lead in assessment activities, training,
supervising data collection teams, assisting on quality control activities, and managing
the assessment operation process.
Data Collection Team
 IRD anticipates that the subcontractor will identify local firms and subcontract out the
data collection and data entry portion of the scope of work. The local firms will be
managed directly by subcontractor staff, and will also coordinate with USAID PDev
II staff as needed. Any and all second-tier sub-awards will need to be approved by
IRD prior to implementation.

Support Team
 Management Team (including USAID PDev II COP, USAID PDev II Chad and Niger
Country Directors, and other designated staff) – provide approvals; make strategic
decisions regarding human resources and logistics; provide contextual input
 M&E Team – The M&E Team will be composed of the USAID PDev II M&E country
managers for Chad and Niger. The M&E team will participate in training; provide
administrative support; and support M&E Director as needed
 USAID PDevII Operations & Logistics Manager – The USAID PDevII Operations &
Logistics Managers in Chad and Niger will provide the logistics support for Baseline
Assessment fieldwork
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Due: April 24, 2012

 USAID PDevII program staff in country – the USAID PDev II program staff in Niger
and Chad will participate in training alongside partners and other staff, and provide input
as appropriate.
 USAID PDev II Partners – USAID PDev II has two local partners, LEAD in Chad and
Karkara in Niger. LEAD and Karkara will also participate in training and provide input
on the process as appropriate.
HQ M&E and Senior Program Manager– The IRD HQ M&E Officer will provide M&E
technical support during planning stages and the report review stage. The HQ Senior
Program Manager will work closely with the M&E Officer providing support as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR FIRM

 Experience in overseeing and managing a baseline assessment of similar size and scope
in multiple countries, including household surveys related to democracy and governance
development, counter violent extremism (CVE), and youth;
 Have conducted household surveys in the Sahel;
 Have sound and transparent internal financial procedures, management and
communication; and
 Have strong past performance in West Africa.

BASELINE SURVEY METHODOLOGY

As the implementation of program activities is phased throughout Year 1 and 2, the Baseline
Assessment will take place in two phases. Phase I will be conducted in the first set of 47
communes identified above under “Project Area”. Phase II will be conducted in the remaining
set of 29 target communes once identified and approved by USAID/West Africa. USAID PDev
II will evaluate the firm’s Phase I work before conducting Phase II While the intention is to
award the selected firm the scope of work for Phase I and II, if IRD is not satisfied with the
selected firms’ performance during Phase I, IRD reserves the right to solicit for another
subcontractor to carry out Phase II.

The Baseline Assessment takes a mixed methods approach. The subcontractor’s Baseline Lead
will work closely with any subcontracted local firms to roll out the data collection and data entry
instruments and process. The Baseline Lead will discuss with the subcontracted local firm about
the data collection process as per the protocol before enumerator training starts. This discussion
will help the subcontracted local firm prepare for the field and data entry work. The Baseline
Lead will also provide the data entry forms for use on SPSS.

The subcontractor is expected to work with the Baseline Team described above, and any
subcontracted local firms to prepare the protocol, including a logistics and data quality plan to
ensure the survey and data entry work is implemented and completed on time and quality data
for analysis. The logistics plan should be detailed and clear. The plan should have a daily
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RFP No. HQ/PDev II/002
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Due: April 24, 2012

schedule, indicating where each enumerator team is located. The data quality plan will provide
quality control procedures to maximize data quality and minimize measurement biases.

The subcontractor will be required to conduct the assessments simultaneously in each country
given the need to have survey results as soon as possible. The firm is expected to manage the
baseline in its entirety, ensuring data quality, consistency and coherency. The Baseline Lead is
also expected to provide training to any subcontracted local firms in country.

Survey Instrument
The firm will work with the Baseline Team to review, validate, and revise household survey
instrument. The firm will be responsible for translating these surveys into the following
languages: French, Hausa and Arabic. The firm is expected to develop an enumerator training
guide which will provide specific information on the survey process and instrument and basics of
conducting household interviews. This guide will be used to train the subcontracted local firms’
enumerators.

The sample frame will include women and men aged 15 and older. Using a standard sample size
formula for proportions, the sample size is based on the indicator, “Percent youth state that their
opinions are respected by community leaders”, which was collected during PDev I’s endline
survey. With a 95% level of significance, 90% statistical power, design effect of 3, P2–P1= .10
and 25% contingency, the sample size is 1600 for each country. Please provide an illustrative
breakdown of number of teams, number of enumerators, and number of days required to
complete at minimum 1600 household surveys each in Niger and Chad.

SPECIFIC TASKS

The firm will have the following specific tasks:
 Lead Baseline Assessment in collaboration with PDevII M&E Director;
 Literature review of all relevant PDevII documents.
 Finalize baseline protocol, including a logistics and data quality plan for implementing
the survey data collection, any qualitative activities and data entry forms; translate
protocol and instruments into appropriate languages;
 Finalize Assessment instruments with the Baseline Team, developing baseline
instruments, methods and/or tools;
 Engage the M&E Director and Baseline Team in development of the protocol and
assessment instruments;
 Design a training guide for use during the enumerator training; translate all training
materials to the appropriate languages;
 Provide enumerator training with PDevII M&E Director; pilot test the baseline
instruments, methods and/or tools in each country, making corrections as necessary for
contextual consistency between countries and languages;
 Manage any subcontracted local firms during the household data collection and data
entry, ensuring compliance with the protocol;
 Train data entry personnel to enter quantitative and qualitative data;
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