391RFI210501MARS.pdf

Request for Information (RFI)

To: All Interested International or Local Pakistani Organizations

Subject: Merged Areas Reforms Support (MARS) Activity

Reference Number : 391RFI210501MARS Release Date : May 7, 2021 Response Due Date: 5:00pm Pakistan Standard Time May 24, 2021

I. Request for Information

This Request for Information (RFI) is a preliminary call for expressions of interest to provide services for the activity titled, “Merged Areas Reforms Support (MARS) Activity”.

USAID/Pakistan’s Merged Areas Reforms Support (MARS) Activity is expected to be a $15 million, five-year (2022-2026) award which is designed to provide technical assistance to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) on the laws, policies and strategies required for the legal integration of the newly Merged Areas (MAs) as well as the planning, designing and delivery of development initiatives under the Tribal Decade Strategy (TDS). In addition, MARS Activity will assist the GoKP in strengthening local government systems and structures in the Merged Areas (MAs).

In addition, USAID seeks input regarding our proposed approach listed in Attachment A. The place of performance for this activity is the newly Merged Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan.

USAID/Pakistan intends to issue one Award for the provision of the required services. The period of performance under this award will be for five years. An estimated award ceiling is $15 million.

The selected awardee will be required to successfully register their organization to operate in Pakistan and obtain the necessary No Objection Certificate from the concerned host government agencies. Also the organizations will be subject to partner vetting requirements. As per the USAID/Pakistan’s Vetting Mission Order, key individuals of the offeror and that of any proposed sub-awardees will be required to comply with the vetting requirement.

Interested parties wishing to participate should submit an expression of interest (5-10 pages) which addresses their capacity and capability for performing this activity. USAID relies on the recency and relevancy of past performance information when determining awards to recipients. Recency is defined as the awards recipient has performance as either a prime or subrecipient within the last 3- 5 years. Relevancy is defined as awards the recipient has received for projects with a similar scope and magnitude as this requirement. Please include three examples of past performance history meeting this criteria.

How to Submit a Response

Interested parties wishing to participate should submit their capabilities statements electronically to Muhammad Ali Bilal, at mbilal@usaid.gov with a copy to Mr. Adnan Khurshid, at akhurshid@usaid.gov. Responses to this RFI will be accepted through as stated above in response due date. You will receive only an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, but will not receive individualized feedback or suggestions.

Responses may contribute to upcoming activity design(s). However, this RFI will not be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue any solicitation, award any grant, or pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. Responders are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or restricted information contained in their response.

No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Request for Information or from the U.S. Government’s use of such information. Specific questions about this RFI should be directed only to the email addresses identified above. This office will not respond to any telephonic or other inquiries regarding this notice.

The submitted information must not exceed 10 pages. The submitted response should include:

Reference Number: 391RFI210501MARS Name / Email Affiliation/ Organization Address

● Short narrative, including capabilities, strengths, and expected contributions;

● Comments on MARS objectives;

● Questions/clarifications regarding our proposed strategy listed in Attachment A; and

● Experience - Past Performance references (3).

Please attach any documents that support your comments to the above questions. Please note USAID is not seeking technical or cost proposals at this time. Do not submit any proposal/application at this time in response to this RFI. Only the information as requested above or in Attachment A will be considered. Issuance of this notice does not constitute an award commitment to international or local Pakistani non governmental organizations on part of the U.S.

Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of comments. Questions regarding this notice can be directed to Mr. Muhammad Ali Bilal, Administrative Agreement Officer, at mbilal@usaid.gov with a copy to Adnan Khurshid, at akhurshid@usaid.gov and Saadi Akhtar, at sakhtar@usaid.gov.

Issued By: USAID/Pakistan’s Office of Acquisition and Assistance

Attachment - A

1. BACKGROUND

Historically, the erstwhile Federally Administered Area (FATA - now referred as Merged Areas) was a semi-autonomous and ungoverned region where Pakistan’s laws did not apply. Due to this ungoverned status and its strategic location on the border of Afghanistan and geographic isolation, the FATA became an ideal refuge for militant groups, particularly after the war in Afghanistan in 2001 when Al-Qaeda and various Taliban groups used it as launching pad for terrorist activities that threatened global security. On May 25, 2018, Pakistan passed the 25th Constitutional Amendment to formally merge the FATA into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

The region remains the poorest region in the country, characterized by weak governance institutions, widespread poverty, and the worst socio-economic indicators in Pakistan. Development challenges abound as reflected in abysmal socio-economic development indicators: adult literacy rate is 33.3 percent compared to the national average of 58 percent; maternal mortality ratio is 395 deaths per 100,000 births compared to the national ratio of 70; infant mortality ratio is 86 deaths per 1,000 births compared to 275 and 60 deaths respectively for the rest of KP. Approximately 38.3 percent of the households have flush latrines, whereas the average for Pakistan is 71percent.

In order to provide development to the MAs, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) launched the 2020-2030 Tribal Decade Strategy (TDS). A highly ambitious plan, the TDS has and will continue to stretch the capacity of GoKP departments to plan and execute administrative and legal integration requirements with new local governments in the MAs as well as plan and provide development projects to these areas. The KP government will require additional technical assistance to identify the needs of these new districts, develop activities to address these needs and to appraise the development plans for the new districts.

In addition, citizens’ participation in the decision-making process of new local governments in planning and executing development programs is vital to the success of the merger. Increasing citizen participation in governance and development planning will be a new endeavor in this region, since there was no elected local government system previously. Therefore, introducing a system that is run by locally elected representatives through transparent processes is key to strengthening democracy and incorporating citizens as stakeholders in governance.

2. OBJECTIVES

The objective of the MARS Activity is to provide technical assistance to the GoKP on the laws, policies and strategies required for the legal integration of the merged areas as well as the planning, designing and delivery of development initiatives, and inclusive local government systems and structures in the MAs.

Sub-Objective 1: To draft, amend and develop laws, policy frameworks and strategies to strengthen the legal and institutional integration

Sub-Objective 2: To improve the capacity of GoKP for planning, design and delivery of development initiatives

Sub-Objective 3: To introduce and strengthen the local governance structures and systems in the MAs

3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

MARS Activity is expected to be a $15 million five-year activity with an overarching objective of smooth integration of MAs into KP province. The Activity will closely work with the GoKP to identify the gaps in laws, and policy frameworks, and provide required technical inputs and expertise to address them. It will assess the progress of the integration since May 2018 to identify the bottlenecks that require legislation, policy formulation, strategic frameworks and procedural changes to expedite the administrative merger.

This activity will work with the key GoKP departments, especially those involved in delivery of essential services, to enhance their capacity in planning, designing and delivery of the development initiatives under TDS. Similarly the activity will provide technical assistance in introducing and strengthening the new local government tier in the MAs and build the capacities of local administration and elected representatives in development planning, budgeting and administrative affairs.

4. QUESTIONS

USAID/Pakistan is interested in gathering information on the following:

● Identification of international or local Pakistani organizations with a capability to successfully implement MARS Activity.

● Identification of organizations with working experience in MAs and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

● Identification of activity related challenges, constraints, and limitations in MAs in particular and KP region in general.

● Identification of organizational best practices for these activities in Pakistan or similar environments.

● Identification of similar activities being implemented by other development partners and how this project will compliment these efforts.