2024.11.13_RFI+MERLA+72052125RFI00001.pdf

Notice Type: Request for Information (RFI) RFI Title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adapting Activity (MERLA) RFI Number: 72052125RFI00001 Issuance Date: November 13, 2024 RFI Response due Date: November 27, 2024 - 3:30 Pm. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

To: All interested Parties

The United States Government, represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Haiti is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to solicit information and potential interest from organizations for an upcoming Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adapting activity in Haiti.

The information contained within this RFI is intended solely as a thought-piece; ideas may change significantly during the activity’s design and approval process. Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and USAID will NOT reimburse for the preparation of information submitted.

Responses to this RFI are NOT considered offers/applications and CANNOT be accepted by the United States Government to form a binding contract/agreement. USAID is not seeking technical and/or cost proposals/applications at this time. Please do not submit a full proposal/application as it will not be reviewed and will be discarded

By responding to this RFI, there will be no advantage to any entity in any subsequent procurement. This is not a solicitation and should not be construed as a commitment by the United States Government to issue any solicitation or award based on this RFI. Responses will be held confidential; however, we advise responders not to submit proprietary information.

Please send responses to this RFI via email to usaidhaitioaa@usaid.gov with copy to atmenicucci@usaid.gov; and abeaubrun@usaid.gov; with the subject title “Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adapting Activity RFI 72052125RFI00001” by the date and time specified above. Please refer to section III for additional guidance.

You may receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response but will not receive individualized feedback. We may reach out to individual respondents for further clarifications.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Haiti programming.

Sincerely, Alina Menicucci Contracting & Agreement Officer Director/Office of Acquisition & Assistance mailto:usaidhaitioaa@usaid.gov mailto:atmenicucci@usaid.gov mailto:abeaubrun@usaid.gov

SECTION I: SUMMARY OF REQUEST

I. INTRODUCTION

The Mission is currently undergoing a new strategy development process in 2025. This process will require periodic technical and support services as it reaches out to new political leadership and stakeholders to identify a new pathway forward to address Haiti’s current set of social-economic and political development challenges and instability. USAID has demonstrated a long history working effectively in Haiti and currently manages over 70 activities and projects across the country. USAID/Haiti’s current Strategic Framework (SF), operational since 2020, has three Development Objectives (DOs) outlining its approach to achieving the following strategic goal:

Having Haitians more engaged in creating and sustaining a more resilient, prosperous, and democratic future. Across the three DOs, there are 10 Intermediate Results (IRs), two of which are cross-cutting, illustrating the mission’s strategic intent to achieve shared, sustainable development outcomes across USAID/Haiti’s technical sectors.

USAID/Haiti operates in seven technical sectors:

1. Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG)

2. Education

3. Health (including Nutrition)

4. Economic Growth and Agricultural Development (EGAD)

5. [Office of] Infrastructure, Energy, and Engineering (OIEE) which includes Water and

Sanitation

6. [Office of] Humanitarian Assistance (OHA)

7. Resilience and New Partnership Engagement (RNPE)

In order to measure and ensure success in its goals and cross-cutting objectives, USAID/Haiti relies on performance information and data to support effective and informed decision-making.

The operating context is challenging and complex, which has inhibited USAID and partner staff from conducting all necessary monitoring activities, such as in-person site visits. In addition to requiring high quality monitoring services, USAID/Haiti requests support to help fulfill its vision of strengthened local capacity building, learning, adaptive management, and collaboration (and partnerships). In terms of performance monitoring and evaluations and other types of studies, the mission’s current Evaluation and Survey Services Plus (ESS+) support contract is rapidly approaching its ceiling and will not be able to provide highly needed additional third party performance monitoring and/or evaluation services. Hence, there is a need for another third-party monitoring and evaluation survey and study support for the full implementation of current mission orders and evaluation services.

II. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Adapting Activity (MERLA) is to:

a) Provide technical support for Third Party Performance Monitoring (TPM) systems to verify and provide independent monitoring of USAID/Haiti full portfolio including Humanitarian Assistance activities in hard-to-reach areas in Haiti.

b) Provide Evaluation, Learning, and Capacity building (MEL) services to ensure empirical evidence for programming, learning and adapting.

This MEL platform will increase USAID/Haiti’s and implementing partners’ understanding of program outputs, progress, challenges, successes, and lessons learned in the current country context. This technical support will supplement the current ESS+ contract and monitoring and program management efforts of USAID/Haiti staff, helping the mission meet the MEL requirements outlined in the Automated Directive Systems (ADS) Chapter 201: Operational Policy for the Program Cycle. Services requested include in-country Third Party Monitoring (TPM);

technical evaluation, survey and study support; capacity building and learning events; a full range of Data Quality Assessment (DQA) support; logistic support for USAID/Haiti events, and ad hoc studies and surveys as needed and requested by technical offices.

IV. SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES REQUIRED

The purpose of this contract is to provide the following support and technical services:

- In-country Third Party Monitoring (TPM) of USAID activities.

- Evaluation, Research and Survey Support.

- Capacity Building and Learning Events.

The Contractor must work closely with the mission to design and implement appropriate and timely methodologies and approaches for these services, including complexity-aware approaches (CAMEL). The nature of these services will correspond to the mission’s current Strategic Framework (SF) and any follow-on strategy. The entire mission will benefit from these MEL services.

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SECTION II QUESTIONS FOR RESPONSES

USAID seeks feedback on the following questions related to the proposed activity. When preparing your responses to the following questions, please ensure that the comments are concise and specific to the question asked. A response to each question is not required. USAID values concise, specific responses to the questions while providing a snapshot of the organization’s capabilities, geographic coverage, and experience.

Question 1: What is the technical expertise of your organization and what are examples of work your organization has already undertaken in Haiti or in other environments with similar context.

Question 2: What is your organization's type? (e.g Local, international, profit, non-profit, government, or non-government organization) is your organization interested in working in Haiti?

Question 3: Which local organizations have you worked with in Haiti? Please describe their management and operational capacity, please highlight your group’s lessons learned and/or best practices from that experience.

Question 4: What are we missing in the Scope of Work provided herein? What are other key factors that should be considered to scale up innovation, market-driven and cost-effective solutions for a sustainable impact in the MEL sector?

Question 5: Please include a brief statement that indicates your organization’s interest in applying as a prime or a sub-grantee. If a team or consortium is envisioned, please provide the names of the potential partner organizations.

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SECTION III. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Submission Instructions

Responses to this RFI are due by the closing date listed on the cover page. To Facilitate the review and to be considerate of your time, please keep your responses to no more than three (3) pages in length, 12 pt font. We value concise, issue-specific comments.

Responses may be submitted in English. Please send responses to this RFI via email to the addresses listed on the cover page with the subject title “Request for Information (RFI):”, no later than the date/time stated above. Please be reminded that you will only receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response. No feedback or debrief will be provided on comments received. Phone calls or hard copy responses will not be accepted.

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