Amendment 1 BPA 685-10-P-01.DOC

BPA - RFP 685-10-P-01

Amendment # 1 Question #1– Page 11, Key Personnel-says “At least one profession consultant proposed at each level using the Cost Template in Annex 1 must posses English local language proficiency (FSI Speaking 3/Reading 3 level equivalent) under any resulting order.”

Annex I has “Mid-Level” and “Sr. Level” in that order. Please clarify. Does the mission want a Sr. and mid-level candidate for each of the”activities” mentioned on page 7?

What does”English local language proficiency” mean? Do they locals speak special English as the local language?

Offerors should propose at a minimum one individual at the mid-level and senior level for each of the “Key Skill Competencies”; i.e. it is preferred to have one or more for each level, but the minimum is acceptable. Also, offerors can propose candidates with required English language skills at either level but we expect that any fielded team would have both the French and English language capabilities to complete the work, and this should be reflected in Annex 1. Note: Reports for individual task orders will be required in both French and English if specified in an individual task order SOWs; however, to provide time for translation, the initial report can be submitted in either language by the work deadline, and the report in the other language would be due within 15 work days.

”English local language proficiency” is a typing error; it should be “local language proficiency”

Question #2 - The offeror should propose one individual for each “level”, i.e., one at the junior level, one at the mid-level, and one at the senior level for each “Key Skill Competency”? If so, does it matter at which level has the language proficiency, i.e., could it be at the individual at the junior level and not the senior level?

It is not clear how many consultants are required. Please clarify.

Please see answer to question 1. Also, in relation to the total number of staff and overall management plan, please see following questions/answers.

Question #3, Key Skills Competencies: Some have page limitations, some don’t. There is no total page limitation mentioned. Please clarify.

Please limit to 5 pages responses, for each item, in the key skill competencies and the grand total number of pages of the proposal should not exceed 75 -excluding the CVs (up to 3 pages each) and past performance.

Also, 2. 2. d.i – doesn’t say how the Offerer is to demonstrate coordination of “complex stakeholder groups”. The others ask for an “example or excerpt of an analysis.” Who are the “complex stakeholder groups?”

A “complex stakeholder group” situation could be compared to a workshop or conference, in which one would need to deal with meeting invitations, arranging for presentation/discussion space(s), providing a facilitator and/or note taker, etc. In addition, see following paragraph for another example.

In addition, what is an example of “succinct economic analyses” in 2.a.i? And is this different from “succinct social sector” analysis in 2.e.i.? The former should be specialized in macro economic analysis and the latter a sector specialist?

Please refer also to the answer to question 1. Also, we expect the winning bidder to be able to provide mid and senior level technical staff to address a wide range of analytic studies may be needed to support our programs in economic growth, agriculture, democracy and governance, health and education, as well as general studies that our Program Office may need in order to better inform our decisions. In question 2.a.i please refer mostly to both macro and micro-economic analyses, and for question 2.e.i please refer mostly to analyses in the governance, health and education sectors. Another example of a complex stakeholder group are ones including individuals from different sectors or different education levels; for example, policy dialogue forums at local and national government levels to reach consensus on particular topic.

Question #4: On page 15 under TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA, “Technical Approach” is assigned 50 points. How does this section differ from the requirements found on page 12? How should those requirements be presented -- as an annex?

The response for each of the key skill competencies should be included in the main text of the proposal, not in annex.

Question #5: On page 12, under “Key Skill Competencies, 2.d.i is says Offeror should demonstrate the “ability to coordinate complex stakeholder groups through strategy development or donor or corporate coordination.” Also, what are some specific examples of kinds of coordination services the successful bidder will be expected to provide?

Please refer to the answer for question 3.

Comment 6: This brings to mind another question about the page limitation. On page 12 under Key Skill Competencies, it mentions “5 pages” for the examples or excerpts of “economic analysis” and “5 pages” for examples and excerpts for project and program evaluations. The “descriptions” for event planning and coordination do not have page limitations and it does not indicate if there is a maximum page limitation.

Please see answer to question 1.

Question #7 – There are page limitations for some Key Skill Competencies, but not others. Is there an overall total page limitation?

Please see answer to question 1.

Question #8. Please provide further clarification on whether a subcontractor (not prime contractor) that is not not directly involved in a SOW for a new activity or does not participate in the design work would also have a conflict of interest and be restricted from bidding on or implementing the new activity.

If the sub-contractor is working outside of prime contractors work/office space and has no involvement at all in the design of a new SOW, then it would not be considered a conflict of interest.

Question #9. Does USAID have a list of recommended local Senegalese firms capable of providing technical assistance and other support under the BPA? If so, please provide the list.

No.

Question #10. P8, f. Technical and Coordination Support – what the “Cadre de Depenses a Moyen Terme (CDSMT)?

The CDSMT is equivalent to the Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks used in Anglophone counties.

Question #11. P11, Key Personnel – Who are the Key Personnel? Annex I has a “Mid-Level” something and a “Sr. Level” something!!!!

It is up to the Offeror as to whether or not there will be key personnel; also, if there are, then whether or not they are part-time or full time positions. Key personnel should be included in the cost template as provided in Annex 1. In addition, the impact of more expensive expat staff (versus local and/or subcontractor) will also have an influence on Management Capacity (20 points) and Cost control Plan (20 points); see following paragraph.

Question #12. P14, Evaluation Factors – (b) mentions 20 points related to a cost control plan. That is new to me; I didn’t think Cost were part of the evaluation and given points.

See answer to question 11. First of all, in this solicitation cost-related factors do receive 20 out of 100 evaluation points. Under “Evaluation Factors for Award”, a cost control plan is discussed, and there are 5 examples of the variable factors which may be involved (and there are no arbitrary fee, NICRA, etc limits). Also, this relates to the “management plan” which should explain how an offeror will plan, staff and “budget/cost (charge fees, etc)” each firm fixed price task order.

Question #13 Under the Scope of Work (SOW), 4.d. Workshops and Event Planning, does USAID anticipate the Contractor to provide Interpretation/Translation, Invitations, Travel, Lodging and M&IE to the participants to these workshops and Seminars and include this cost estimate in the fixed price of the task order?

The scope of work for each task order will define what is expected to be provided under the task order. USAID does anticipate task orders in which the Contractor is expected to provide interpretation/translation, invitations, travel, lodging and M&IE to participants. This would be dealth with as part of the cost estimate of the individual firm fixed price (FFP) task order.

Question #14 Under the Scope of Work (SOW) 4.h. Commodity Purchases, does USAID anticipate these items to be procured from the local economy and included as part of a separate Fixed Price Task order or will these items be included as part of a broader task order?

USAID anticipates a minimum number of commodity purchases that may come from the local economy, and in addition, there may be occasions when task orders might involve assistance in the sourcing of specialized equipment. Whatever, all requests for commodity purchases would be part of a separate delivery/task order.

Question #15 ANNEX# 1 Cost Template. Are the Daily Rate Charge $ fully burden less Fixed Fee or is USAID looking for the Unburden rates?

The cost template should clarify if the rates are or are not burdened, and fees/rates etc need to be clarified in the overall discussions of cost template, cost control plan and management plan. Also, see answer to question 12.

Note: For clarification, the BPA and task order cost estimates, etc can be done on the basis of US dollars; however, payments to other that US firms will be made in CFA at whatever the official exchange rate is on the day of payment.

Question #16 Can the Mission provide us with the current FSN pay schedule?

If an offeror needs this specific data for their proposal for this individual solicitation, please request directly from USAID/Senegal.

Question #17 On page 11 of the solicitation, under Key Personnel, its reads: “At least one professional consultant…must possess English local language proficiency.” Can you please confirm that it should read “At least one professional consultant…must possess local language proficiency”?

Please see answer to question 1.

Question #18 With regard to the Cost Template Annex 1, Page 17, for the “Number of staff/professional and rates”:

· Can you please clarify how these rates will be utilized for the subsequent contract? Are they ceiling base salary rates for individuals and/or labor categories? Are they fixed loaded rates for labor categories? Are they illustrative rates for experts to be used for price evaluation purposes, but which will not be used in pricing the Fixed Price task orders?

· Should offerors show base or loaded rates? If loaded, what should be included in the rates?

· Are offerors intended to show rates for individuals or for labor categories?

· If offerors should show rates for labor categories can you please confirm that offerors are free to propose a variety of labor categories?

· Can you please clarify how you will evaluate labor costs among offerors, given that offerors may propose different types of specialists and since there appears to be no level of effort associated with each specialist/category? For example, an offeror may show a highly skilled (and highly compensated) expert who would only be used for very limited level of effort, as compared to other specialists.

· It appears that the junior level has been deleted. Are offerors free to propose junior level and other types of positions (administrative, for example)?

· Should CCN labor be included in this list?

Offerors are expected to show rates for individuals in the cost template. Offerors are free to propose junior level positions and multiple people for the senior and mid level positions (see answer to question 1 for the minimum requirements).

See answer to question 12. Also, the more detail provided for range of both staff and skills/costs will be good insight to showing how flexible.

Question #19 Can you please clarify how fringe benefits for any long-term CCNs employed under the contract would be treated? We respectfully request that USAID consider allowing these fringe costs to be charged as a direct cost. Contractors will be subject to local labor laws, which are mandatory and subject to change over the possible 8-year duration of the contract, making it difficult to fully account for these potential costs.

See answers to questions 12 and 18.

Question #20 Cost Annex, page 17, requests “a short, brief resume…for each requested person/position/level specified above.” Should resumes be included in both the Cost and Technical proposals, or is it sufficient to submit resumes with the Technical Proposal?

It is sufficient to submit the resumes with the Technical Proposal.

Question #21 Cost Annex, page 17, states “Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet will be requested in conjunction with individual task order.” Can you please confirm that Biodata Sheets should not be submitted at this time?

Resumes should be provided with the technical proposal and staff/consultant daily rates should be provided with the cost proposal; also, biodata sheets do “not” need to be provided at this time.

Question #22 In order to ensure compliance with AIDAR requirements that wages for contractor-employed CCNs should not exceed those paid by the USAID Mission, would you please provide a copy of the Local Employee Compensation Plan?

See answer to question 16.

Question #23 Page 14, Evaluation Factors for Award, references the “Cost Control Plan” that should be submitted by Offerors and which has been given a numerical weight of 20 evaluation points. We are concerned that without requiring certain specific data from all offerors, it may be difficult to make a comparison of the variety of information that could be submitted. Specifically, we have the following questions about the examples USAID provided:

· Proposed expatriate personnel vs. local consultants/staff – Q: Could you please confirm this would be based on number of individuals proposed?

· Proposed Percentage of fixed fee (if applicable) –Q: Given that Task Orders will be Fixed Price, how is Fixed Fee applicable? Is this a ceiling fee to be used in constructing the FP Task Order budgets?

· Administrative cost if (applicable) – Q: Can you please clarify how this cost will be identified and evaluated, given that offerors are only proposing labor rates?

· Indirect cost rates (if applicable). – Q: Should all offerors submit NICRAs? How will indirect cost rate information be evaluated, given the differences in rates and application of rates among different organizations?

See answer to question 18.

Question #24 Page 15, Cost Control Plan states that “Cost proposals will be evaluated for allowability, allocability and reasonableness. Note: One of the cost factors studied will be the travel and salary cost of expat versus local staff/consultants.” Given that offerors have not been asked to provide travel costs, can you please clarify how this difference will be identified and evaluated?

See answer to question 18.

In addition to the insight/data provided by the above, specific costs associated with an individual task order should be included as part of the total cost for that FFP task order.

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5. PROJECT NO.

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2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

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8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

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3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

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10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended, X

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR AC-

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is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

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Contractor x

16C. DATE SIGNED

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Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

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SEE BLOCK 16C

REGIONAL CONTRACTING OFFICE

USAID/SENEGAL

AMERICAN EMBASSY

B.P. 49, DAKAR - SENEGAL

Same as Block 6

ALL POTENTIAL OFFERORS

RFP 685-10-P-01 dated October 9 2009

The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to questions from potential offerors.

(See continuation pages)

Phillip S. Tresch

REGIONAL CONTRACTING OFFICER

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