Sol_7200AA18R00001_11.21.17.pdf

Issue Date: November 2, 2017 Q & A Closing Date: November 13, 2017 3:00 pm, Washington DC time Closing Date & Time: January 3, 2018 5:00 pm, Washington DC time

Subject: USAID Request for Proposal (RFP) 7200AA18R00001 Child Blindness Program

The United States Government, represented by the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Global Health, is seeking an 8(a) small business contractor to implement the Child Blindness Program as stipulated in the subject RFP.

USAID invites interested and qualified 8(a) small business offerors to submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements of the RFP for the implementation of this program. All responsible and qualified 8(a) small businesses are encouraged to participate. Proposals from consortia or partnerships between eligible organizations are welcome. The NAICS code for this solicitation is 541990.

The procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15 shall apply. The Government plans to award a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. The maximum estimated cost of the contract (including both costs and fee) is $17.6 million over a five (5) year period for the implementation of this activity. The Government is in no way obligated to make an award within the above range. Revealing the cost range for the contract does not mean that Offerors should strive to meet the maximum amount. Cost proposals shall be evaluated as part of a best value determination for the contract award. The Offeror is to propose the activities and staffing according to the Offeror's approach for achieving results.

Offerors are encouraged to read the entire solicitation. Special attention should be paid to Section L – Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors, and Section M – Evaluation Factors.

All Amendments to this solicitation will be made available through the Federal Business Opportunities website at http://www.fbo.gov. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check this site periodically for official updates and amendments to the solicitation. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be valid for 240 days.

Electronic Responses are required. Please submit proposals to cbp@usaid.gov by the date and time specified above. All attachments must be less than 25MB. Receipt time is when the proposal is received by the USAID internet server.

7200AA18R00001

http://www.fbo.gov/

7200AA18R00001

Table of Contents

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - Supplies or Services and Price/Cost

B.1 PURPOSE

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE, AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

B.4 BUDGET

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

B.6 CEILING ON INDIRECT COSTS

B.7 COST REIMBURSABLE

B.8 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

B.9 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

SECTION C - Description/Specifications/Statement of Work

C.1 PURPOSE

C.2 BACKGROUND

C.3 PROGRAM COMPONENTS & OBJECTIVES

SECTION D - Packaging and Marking D.1 752.7009 Marking (JAN 1993)

D.2 BRANDING STRATEGY AND POLICY

D.3 MARKING AND BRANDING PLAN

SECTION E - Inspection and Acceptance

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F - Deliveries or Performance

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.4 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES

F.5 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

F.6 KEY PERSONNEL

F.7 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007)

F.8 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS

(SEP 2013)

SECTION G - Contract Administration Data

G.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.4 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

G.5 PAYING OFFICE

G.6 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

G.7 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.8 752.7003 Documentation for payment. (NOV 1998)

SECTION H - Special Contract Requirements

H.1 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.2 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JAN 2002) 40

H.3 DEFENSE BASE ACT (DBA) INSURANCE FOR 2015-2020

H.4 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT

H.5 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT (GUCs)

H.6 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES. (JUL 2007)

H.7 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.8 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION

H.9 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

H.10 EMPLOYMENT COSTS OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS AND COOPERATING COUNTRY

NATIONALS

H.11 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND MANAGEMENT

H.12 CLOUD COMPUTING (MAY 2016)

H.13 302.3.5.19 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (AUGUST 2013)

H.14 302.3.5.22 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL)

H.15 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - Contract Clauses

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

I.2 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

I.3 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance. (OCT 2016) I.4 52.210-1 Market Research. (APR 2011) I.5 52.215-19 Notification of Ownership Changes. (OCT 1997) I.6 52.216-7 Allowable Cost and Payment. (JUN 2013) I.7 52.219-17 Section 8(a) Award. (JAN 2017) I.8 52.219-18 Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants. (JAN 2017) I.9 52.222-2 Payment for Overtime Premiums. (JUL 1990) I.10 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans. (OCT 2015) I.11 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities. (JUL 2014) I.12 52.225-19 Contractor Personnel in a Designated Operational Area or Supporting a Diplomatic or Consular Mission Outside the United States. (MAR 2008) I.13 52.227-23 Rights to Proposal Data (Technical). (JUN 1987) I.14 52.229-8 Taxes - Foreign Cost-Reimbursement Contracts. (MAR 1990) I.15 52.232-12 Advance Payments. (MAY 2001) I.16 52.232-12 Advance Payments. (MAY 2001) - Alternate II (MAY 2001) I.17 52.244-2 Subcontracts. (OCT 2010) I.18 52.244-2 Subcontracts. (OCT 2010) - Alternate I (JUN 2007) I.19 752.231-72 Conference planning and required approvals. (AUG 2013) I.20 752.245-70 Government property - USAID reporting requirements. (JUL 1997) I.21 752.7034 Acknowledgment and Disclaimer. (DEC 1991)

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - List of Attachments

PART IV – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Bidders

K.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

K.2 52.204-3 Taxpayer Identification. (OCT 1998) K.3 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications. (JAN 2017) K.4 52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror. (JUL 2016) K.5 52.209-5 Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters. (OCT 2015) K.6 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters. (JUL 2013) K.7 52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law. (FEB 2016) K.8 52.219-1 Small Business Program Representations. (OCT 2014) K.9 52.222-22 Previous Contracts and Compliance Reports. (FEB 1999) K.10 52.225-20 Prohibition on Conducting Restricted Business Operations in Sudan--Certification. (AUG 2009) 118 K.11 52.227-15 Representation of Limited Rights Data and Restricted Computer Software. (DEC 2007)

SECTION L - Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Bidders

L.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

L.2 52.216-1 Type of Contract. (APR 1984) L.3 52.233-2 Service of Protest. (SEP 2006)

L.4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.5 SUBMISSION/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST/PRICE PROPOSAL

L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF BRANDING AND MARKING PLANS

L.9 OFFER VALIDITY

SECTION M - Evaluation Factors for Award

M.1 EVALUATION FACTORS

M.2 COST/PRICE EVALUATION

M.3 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITVE RANGE AND CONTRACT AWARD

ATTACHMENT J.1 – Achievements and Experiences of the Current CBP Program (2013-2018) ATTACHMENT J.1 – CBP Indicators (2013-2018) ATTACHMENT J.3 - CBP Initial Environmental Examination ATTACHMENT J.4 – Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - Supplies or Services and Price/Cost

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide technical and professional services to support USAID’s Congressionally-mandated child blindness directive. The new USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP) will emphasize a service delivery focus, cultivate a learning agenda, and build the capacity of local organizations to implement large-scale pediatric eye care programs.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. For the consideration set forth below, the Contractor must provide the deliverables or outputs described in Section F in accordance with the performance standards specified in Section E.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE, AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

(a) The estimated cost for the performance of the work required hereunder, exclusive of fixed fee, if any, is $TBD. The fixed fee, if any, is $TBD. The estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any, is

$TBD.

(b) Within the estimated cost plus fixed fee (if any) specified in paragraph (a) above, the amount currently obligated and available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the Contractor (and payment of fee, if any) for performance hereunder is $TBD. The Contractor must not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount.

(c) Funds obligated hereunder are anticipated to be sufficient through [to be inserted at time of award].

B.4 BUDGET

The following budget table captures the final negotiated cost elements for the performance of work required hereunder. The budget is below:

Description Total

Direct Costs (not including grants, indirect costs or fixed fee)

$TBD

Grants Under Contract (GUCs)* $11,400,000 Indirect Costs $TBD Total Fixed Fee $TBD Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee $TBD

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates for the prime and subcontractors, allowable indirect costs shall be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

TBD TBD 2/ 2/ 2/

1/ Base of

Application: TBD Type of Rate: TBD Period: TBD

2/ Base of

The Contractor and subcontractors are allowed to recover applicable indirect costs (i.e., overhead, G&A, etc.) on other direct costs (ODCs), if it is part of their usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR Part 31, and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA).

B.6 CEILING ON INDIRECT COSTS

Reimbursement for allowable indirect costs shall be at final negotiated rates but not in excess of the following ceiling rates:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

TBD TBD 2/ 2/ 2/

1/ Base of

2/ Base of

(1) The Government will not be obligated to pay any additional amount should the final indirect cost rates exceed the negotiated ceiling rates. If the final indirect cost rates are less than the negotiated ceiling rates, the negotiated rates will be reduced to conform to the lower rates.

(2) This understanding shall not change any monetary ceiling, obligation, or specific cost allowance or disallowance. Any changes in classifying or allocating indirect costs require the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

B.7 COST REIMBURSABLE

The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, FAR 52.216-8, Fixed Fee, if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003, Documentation for Payment.

B.8 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

Payment of fixed fee will be in accordance with FAR 52.216-8.

B.9 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

This contract is considered non-severable, and is therefore a multi-year contract as defined in FAR 17.103. Consequently, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106.

This is a CPFF Completion type contract where the Contractor is authorized to be reimbursed for all costs which are allowable in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, “Allowable Costs and Payment.” The Contractor will not incur any costs which would have been amortized over the life of the contract should the contract be cancelled in accordance with FAR 52.217-2. Therefore, the cancellation ceiling established pursuant to FAR 17.106-1(c)(1) for each program year is detailed in the table below.

In the event that the Government cancels requirements for services in subsequent program years under this contract, the following conditions will apply: [Amount and dates to be filled in at time of award]

Cancellation Dates:

Contract Year 2: DATE TBD, [Award year + 1 year] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 3: DATE TBD, [Award year + 2 years] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 4: DATE TBD, [Award year + 3 years] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD Contract Year 5: DATE TBD, [Award year + 4 years] Cancellation Ceiling: TBD

The cancellation dates and ceiling amounts will be established at the time of award. The amounts will be based on the nonrecurring costs to be incurred by the awardee, which would be applicable to, and which normally would be amortized over the life of the contract, and the items or services to be furnished under the multi-year requirement.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C - Description/Specifications/Statement of Work

C.1 PURPOSE

The USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP) will provide direct funding and technical support to U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based organizations to expand the delivery of quality eye care services to vulnerable children and other populations with limited access to sight-saving services. It will implement the Congressionally-mandated child blindness directive which prominently features USAID’s multi-faceted approach to the eradication of preventable blindness. This program will build upon the program successes and lessons learned from the USAID Child Blindness Eye Health and Grants Fund in its iterations from 2005-2018 which employed a competitive grants-making process that prioritized the delivery of high-impact services in underserved communities across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. The new five-year iteration of CBP (2018- 2023) will further emphasize aspects of service delivery, learning agenda creation, and capacity building of local organizations to implement large-scale pediatric eye care programs.

C.2 BACKGROUND

Approximately 1.4 million children worldwide are blind and 500,000 children become blind every year; of which 50% die within a year of becoming blind. Nearly 17 million children, most in developing countries, have low or impaired vision and lack the necessary visual aids, services or eyeglasses to help them participate in typical and important childhood activities, such as education, reading and play. Blindness and low vision also reduces their productivity potential in adulthood. Women, who account for two-thirds of the blind and three-fourths of trachoma-related blindness, are disproportionately affected by this lack of access to corrective services such as diagnosis and treatment of correctable cataract, treatment of eye infections, and provision of corrective glasses. When a child or adult goes blind, it not only affects the individual, but also their family, community, and country by removing a productive person from the work force.

The CBP prominently features USAID’s multi-faceted approach to the eradication of preventable blindness, which includes vitamin A supplementation; immunization against measles; treatment of infectious diseases that cause blindness such as trachoma and onchocerciasis; prevention and care of retinopathy of prematurity; prevention of neonatal conjunctivitis and programs to reduce sexually-transmitted infections; programmatic research on blindness; and, grants to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver comprehensive eye care services.

CBP Origins The CBP derives from a Congressional directive first enacted in 1991 to prevent and treat child blindness. Since then, the United States Congress has provided over $1 million per year to USAID so children do not have to live out a sightless, less productive life. In recent years, the annual directive more than doubled to approximately $2.5 million in FY12 and $3.5 million in FY17, enabling the Child Blindness Program to expand its field reach and provide critical services to more children.

Over the past decade, the eye care and health fields have made important advances that have led to the evolution of the CBP, including:

▪ Success of vitamin-A supplementation reducing child mortality and blindness due to vitamin-A deficiency

▪ Facility-systems and capacity strengthening to diagnose, address, and treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

▪ Development of affordable new technologies: cataract supplies, surgical procedures, intraocular lens technologies, low-cost eye lenses and frames, reduced cost Braille equipment and talking books

▪ High-quality regional training centers for eye care in Tanzania and India

▪ Effective training of teachers and community members to initially screened children for visual impairment

▪ Expanded evidence based on global burden of blindness and visual impairment stressing the need for expanded, high-quality eye care

▪ Proven teaching and learning techniques for the blind and children with severe visual impairment

▪ Economic analyses demonstrating cost-effectiveness of various eye care interventions

Current CBP The current CBP contract (AID-OAA-C-13-00088) with Partners for Global Research and Development (PGRD) adapted its programming and management approaches to effectively address the ongoing vision needs of children and underserved communities as a result of these advances. The CBP aims to provide targeted support to eye care organizations through collaborative technical input and assistance, monitoring and evaluation, procurement support, financial management and tracking, program design capacity building, as well as communication and networking efforts. This expanded approach enables the CBP to ensure high-impact results are achieved while the maximum amount of grant funds reach the field. Therefore, the CBP is currently characterized by the following elements:

▪ A competitive grant-making process with multiple grant categories to support service delivery and operations research

▪ Expanded field of grant recipients to include more local organizations

▪ Prioritization of service delivery of high-impact services

▪ Promotion of integration of eye care into health systems

▪ Comprehensive approach to addressing child blindness including training and capacity building to strengthen local eye and health care staff; screening for prevention and treatment (surgical and non-surgical) of eye conditions such as cataracts, refractive error, and low vision; and expanded education and rehabilitation support for visually impaired children with no medical treatment option.

▪ Identification and scale-up of effective innovative approaches to pediatric eye care

▪ Strengthened monitoring and evaluation approach to consistently measure progress across grantee projects

▪ Regular consultative processes (technical advisory group, partners meetings, and site visits) to review and respond to program challenges and experiences

▪ Research to expand the global learning agenda based on programmatic approaches for large-scale pediatric eye care interventions

The current CBP has made significant progress in expanding and integrating eye care services in underserved communities. By focusing on these aspects of high-quality eye care interventions, innovation, and capacity building of eye care organizations, the CBP has made significant progress in expanding the reach, impact, and technical leadership of USAID’s investments in pediatric eye care. With 46 grants in 23 countries by December 2016, the program had screened

1.6 million children, treated over 100,000 children with eye conditions, and trained over 21,000 service providers in pediatric eye care. The program also strengthened the capacity of building the capacity of small and local organizations to design comprehensive programs and manage USG grants funding. See Attachment J.1 for a summary of 2013-2018 CBP achievements and programmatic experiences of past CBP grant recipients.

The New CBP Over the next five-year time frame, the new CBP will continue building upon these elements of comprehensive and innovative service delivery, grantee capacity, and advances in global knowledge.

Findings from a USAID internal review of the CBP in 2017 highlighted the need for continued technical assistance, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and emphasis on sustainability. The review also revealed areas for increased focus such as behavior change, increased reach to isolated or vulnerable populations, emerging diseases (Zika, etc), and integration of screening programs between the health and education sectors or others. The design of this new iteration of CBP has been informed by lessons from previous CBP investments and the related recommendations from the internal review.

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C.3 PROGRAM COMPONENTS & OBJECTIVES

As illustrated above, the primary goals/components and objectives of the CBP are to increase the availability, equity, and quality of eye care services and to grow the global evidence and understanding of most effective approaches to addressing child vision-impairment.

As such, CBP resources aim to:

▪ Support public health approaches for improved pediatric eye health;

▪ Promote equity of care, including mitigation of gender bias in programming;

▪ Support eye care and health organizations to establish public/private service delivery partnerships as well as family and community focused service models;

▪ Develop appropriate service protocols and methods for screening patients;

▪ Establish effective referral networks to ensure children and other vulnerable populations have access to the spectrum of care needed for healthy vision;

▪ Improve public understanding and sensitivity to the needs of the visually impaired; and

▪ Expand and facilitate a learning agenda on innovative and improved ways to reach those affected by blindness and provide sustainable services to them.

This SOW requires the Contractor to both develop and manage a competitive grants program and also to serve as a global collaborator and convener to bring attention and understanding to child

Objective 2a Evidence base and innovative approaches in testing, design, and scale-up for eye care in various country contexts expanded

Objective 2b Communication and networking platforms to share program experiences and grantee resources and reach broadened

Child Blindness Program Purpose:

To expand the availability, accessibility, and quality of eye care services to vulnerable children and other populations with limited access to sight-saving services.

Component 1 To increase the number of children provided with quality vision-saving eye care services

Component 2 To advance the global knowledge base on best practices and innovative approaches for pediatric eye care programs

Objective 1a Availability and accessibility of quality vision services for children and other vulnerable groups expanded

Objective 1b Administrative, technical, and financial capacity of grant recipients enhanced

Objective 1c Monitoring and evaluation approach and review process of grant-funded activities strengthened blindness. Both program components should be approached in a coordinated and collaborative manner, as they are equally essential to sustainably expanding these life-changing services for children and other vulnerable populations in underserved communities whose vision is critical for supporting children (i.e. parents, guardians, and teachers).

C.3.1 COMPONENT 1

To increase the number of children provided with quality vision-saving eye care services

Background

Lost opportunities associated with blindness and visual impairment lead to emotional stress and economic hardship. Blind children and those with limited sight experience social isolation, low self-esteem, lack of independence, and lost educational and economic opportunities. Adult blindness also results in lost opportunities for children. Instead of receiving care, children become caregivers. Girls frequently cannot go to school because they have to care for an adult parent or relative who is blind. Gender-based barriers at the household, community, and institutional levels can have significant impacts on recognizing and treating vision impairment.

Women in the household may be denied the attention and care that boys in the same household receive. Rigid gender norms and sex preference may lead to inequitable access to health resources and care, and women may be denied control over or access to the means of household income. Therefore, the first component of the CBP is to increase the number of children provided with quality vision-saving eye care services.

Objective 1a: Availability and accessibility of quality vision services for children and other vulnerable groups expanded.

Working in partnership with the USAID Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), the Contractor will be responsible for designing and managing a competitive grants program that will cover the entire lifecycle of the grants, from conceptualization through to close out. This lifecycle will include the following (at a minimum):

1. Conceptualization

2. Solicitation

3. Selection and Screening

4. Award

5. Administration

6. Close Out

The Contractor is expected to award four rounds of grants (one each year plus time allotted for set-up and closeout over the 5-year period of the contract) with selection of 10-15 small grants (ranging in size from $75,000-$350,000) annually (Note: please see Section H.5 for more information on ceiling limitations). The Contractor must ensure the maximum amount of funds are provided to the field through organizations capable of adequately managing the funds and implementing results-oriented eye care programs. Topic areas of the grants will be determined in collaboration with the USAID COR. While the majority of grant funding is applied toward eye care service delivery, USAID may determine the use of funds for several other purposes that will contribute to the overall goals of the CBP. Innovative interventions are to be prioritized (see Objective 2a) yet grant-funded interventions may fall into a variety of categories, including but not limited to:

● Service Delivery and Organizational Development: vision screening of children and adults, clinical and surgical services, and provision of necessary medical equipment (eyeglasses, canes, magnifying glasses, etc) and education and rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired children.

● Capacity Building: provision of eye health education and training of health workers and community members, and development of communication materials, training manuals, health education tools, as well as policy and advocacy tools.

● Global Learning: Generation of operations research to contribute to global knowledge base on program experience for child blindness interventions and large-scale child eye health programs.

Tasks:

The Contractor must:

A. Develop Grant Selection, Award, and Management Process and Procedures

A comprehensive Grants-Under-Contract’s (GUC) Process Manual (hereinafter referred to as ―The Manual) must be developed. The Manual will describe the process by which the organization plans to award and administer the grants awarded under the CBP. A finalized version of the completed Manual must be reviewed and approved by the Contracting Officer (CO) in order for the Contractor to award the first CBP grant. The Manual must describe, in detail, the Contractor’s grant management processes from pre-award to award close-out. Please refer to section H.5 regarding requirements for grants awarded under this contract.

The draft Manual must be submitted to the CO for review no later than 30 calendar days after the contract is awarded. The final Manual must be submitted within 30 calendar days of receiving USAID’s comments on the draft (See Section F).

At a minimum, the Manual must provide the following key steps in the grant process:

1. Conceptualization

2. Solicitation (including selection criteria)

3. Selection and Screening

4. Award

5. Administration

6. Close Out

B. Award USAID Approved Grants

According to the procedures established in the USAID-approved Manual (see section C.3.1 above), the Contractor must issue the first RFA within sixty (60) days of approval of the final Manual. Subsequent RFAs must be published in accordance with the grant cycles as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR. All grants in the first grant round must be awarded within one year after contract award. Subsequent grant rounds must be awarded per the schedule described in Section F. COR approval is required of the following components: 1) the Request for Applications, 2) the final selected grantees proposed activities and budgets, including the rationale for selection (the Selection Memo), 3) Modifications to work plans and budgets.

Objective 1b: Administrative, technical, and financial capacity of grant recipients enhanced

Background

The CBP is a global initiative and requires comprehensive and culturally-aware management for each grant. Therefore, the Contractor must provide grant management expertise in any country where a grant is initiated. The Contractor may be requested to provide services and interventions with or without an in-country office.

A. Provide New Grantee Orientation for all CBP Grantees

Based on procedures outlined in the approved Manual, the Contractor must develop and provide an orientation to all grant recipients, detailing the following:

● financial reporting requirements;

● deadlines;

● forms;

● evaluation and reporting requirements;

● relevant resources and references;

● guidance on rules and regulations, and

● guidance for procurement of commodities (i.e. screening equipment, medical and general supplies, applicable waivers, etc.).

The Contractor may provide orientation materials in electronic or hard copy and may present them using innovative presentation techniques (teleconference, videoconference, etc.).

B. Provide Technical Assistance

The Contractor must monitor CBP grantees throughout the grant cycle to ensure that programs are on track and grant requirements are being fulfilled. Many of the past CBP grant recipients, and other eye care organizations, have limited experience with USG financial reporting and procurement requirements and regulations. Therefore, it is the Contractor’s responsibility to play a key role in orienting recipients on applicable rules and regulations to ensure compliance and effective use of USG funds. The Contractor must offer various forms of technical assistance, on an as needed basis. Technical assistance may be provided in the following forms: telephone communication, email-based support, site visits, and virtual or in-person trainings.

New grantees may need assistance fulfilling reporting, financial management, and other grant requirements; while other grantees may identify a specific technical need not previously envisioned in their application. Therefore, in order to ensure all programs stay on track, the Contractor must be prepared and is obligated to offer a variety of technical assistance to all grantees, if required.

Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA) consultants may be utilized if needed, in accordance with the Contractor‘s approved staffing plan, in order to help fulfill this requirement. For example, a consultation with Optometrists or Ophthalmologists may be used in order to respond to specific grantee issues related to child blindness.

Objective 1c: Monitoring and evaluation of grant-funded activities strengthened

CBP grant recipients may implement a variety of activities, including, but not limited to, capacity building of health workers and community volunteers, screening of children and adults, referrals, health education, teacher training, curriculum development for blind and visually impaired children, surgical and non-surgical treatment, and, research on effective programmatic approaches for large-scale pediatric eye care interventions. Given the broad scope of the grants, establishing a rigorous performance management approach is imperative for the CBP to track progress, identify program challenges, and adapt approaches as necessary.

Tasks The Contractor must design and implement an Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning plan (see Section F.4), which aligns with CBP’s goals and objectives, the USAID Evaluation Policy at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/USAIDEvaluationPolicy.pdf, and the Automated Directives System (ADS) 203 Assessing and Learning guidelines, while contributing to the larger development goals of the Agency. Data collected will be used to ensure accountability, to make meaningful changes to project(s) implementation, to enhance performance, and generate lessons learned. Ultimately the aim is for best practice lessons to be shared and put into action at local, regional or international levels; an intention based on USAID’s Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) approach at https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/collaborating%2C-learning%2C-and-adapting-cla-framework-and-maturity-matrix-overview. This is to be included in the annual work plan. The initial draft is due within 30 days after contract award, and the final submission is due within two weeks after receipt of comments from USAID. This plan will be updated annually.

Specific requirements include:

● The Contractor is required to establish a list of CBP indicators in alignment with CBP goals and objectives. A full list of prior CBP indicators is included in Attachment J.2, however, the Contractor may propose additional or alternative indicators for consideration.

7200AA18R00001

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/USAIDEvaluationPolicy.pdf https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/collaborating%2C-learning%2C-and-adapting-cla-framework-and-maturity-matrix-overview https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/collaborating%2C-learning%2C-and-adapting-cla-framework-and-maturity-matrix-overview

● The Contractor must create a Performance Indicator Reference Sheet (PIRS) for each indicator to ensure standardization of data and ability to aggregate across grants.

● As each grantee will work in different settings, grantees must have the option to select only indicators associated with their project, and to use custom indicators, if appropriate.

The Contractor must ensure that the grants have selected appropriate indicators and that PIRS are appropriately used to capture the data.

● Grantees must report monitored data to the Contractor at an established routine basis to enable timely assessment of program impact and revision needs.

● Publication of program results is encouraged in order to add to the evidence base in this field (see Component 2).

● The Contractor must provide a description of the approach that will be used to address evaluation results and apply lessons learned on an ongoing basis throughout project implementation.

C.3.2 COMPONENT 2

To advance the global knowledge base on best practices and innovative approaches for pediatric eye care programs

Background

The global evidence base for effective program approaches for the wide spectrum of eye care delivery (from prevention to screening and treatment, to education and rehabilitation) remains quite limited. However, in the past, CBP grant funding has enabled many eye care organizations to develop, apply, and scale-up innovative approaches to increase the availability and access to pediatric eye care services in underserved communities. These approaches have also been integrated into host country health systems and other large-scale interventions, such as child health days. Among the supported interventions are a micro-entrepreneur approach for screening, referral, and provision of low-cost eyeglasses for children; key informants for identifying young children with cataract in rural communities; and, children-to-children screening for refractive error. In many instances, CBP funding has been the only resource for designing, testing, and expanding the use of innovative approaches.

Scaling-up innovative approaches has been a CBP priority in recent years, as well as systematic support of innovation through specific program components. The CBP will foster innovation by generating evidence on new or promising programmatic solutions to child eye care delivery approaches. Under this program component, ‘innovation’ is defined as an approach or practice that introduces novel ways of addressing critical operational barriers to delivering high impact pediatric eye care interventions to vulnerable populations and strengthening health systems, ultimately leading to increased scale of these interventions and improved eye health outcomes.

Linked to supporting innovation, the CBP will continue to promote and facilitate knowledge-sharing, communication, and networking among implementing organizations. Although there are global networks for such organizations, such as the Vision2020 Initiative and the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), they are not specifically focused on child blindness. The need for increased communication was articulated in the 2009 USAID Child Blindness Program Partners meeting (gathering of 16 grant recipient organizations from Latin America, Asia, and Africa) and reiterated in the USAID Child Blindness Program Partners meetings in 2016 and 2017. Partners have agreed that the CBP is well-positioned to facilitate a knowledge sharing platform specifically on child blindness as CBP grant recipients can generate valuable programmatic experiences in delivering eye care services specifically for children. The new iteration of the CBP will continue this focus and momentum on building this specialized knowledge base.

Objective 2a. Evidence base and innovative approaches in testing, design, and scale-up for eye care in various country contexts expanded.

Background

Given the uniqueness and complexity of communities and contexts where high child blindness burdens exist, CBP views innovation as essential to achieving significant and sustainable reductions in its prevalence.

Past CBP experiences highlight the need for focused research to identify persistent barriers and constraints that limit the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of pediatric eye care interventions and services. Targeted research efforts are necessary to advance the evidence base and identify gaps where innovation is needed to make effective change.

CBP will play a key role in advancing the Learning and Innovation Report through research initiatives that can apply various analytical methods, depending on what is most appropriate to the research questions identified. Past CBP operations research has contributed to the following thematic areas:

1. Monitoring and evaluation

Examples include: testing approaches for effective use of data for decision-making, or exploring how available data can be used for policy and advocacy purposes; testing of quality of indicators for measuring impact of eye care services and/or education services for visually impaired children; evaluation of follow-up techniques to reach the target population for comprehensive services.

2. Implementation

Examples include: analytic case studies documenting innovative approaches to service delivery and new tools developed for improving quality of services; testing strategies to overcome transportation barriers to regular follow-up of many pediatric visual disorders;

evaluation of the effectiveness of mass screening.

3. Capacity building

Examples include: assessing methodologies and materials to strengthen eye health knowledge and skills of local eye and health care staff, teachers or family decision makers working and living with visually impaired children; strategies to improve laws and policies within respective countries to better incorporate the inclusion of and care for children with eye health conditions.

4. Integration

Examples include: assessing approaches to integrate outreach screening with nutrition and other health activities; testing solutions to challenges faced by the school-based approach to identify children with visual disabilities who do not attend school and help them return to school.

Findings from this type of research contribute to program improvements and strengthen the global evidence base on effective approaches to child eye care interventions. The Contractor must continue to support research as part of the overall CBP by coordinating specific grants cycles for expanding the learning agenda and integrating research as a part of service delivery projects.

The Contractor must also foster innovation in CBP through clear integration of innovation into the service delivery category through approaches which include but are not limited to novel ways of addressing critical operational barriers in clinical services, health systems operations, capacity building, financing and other means that serve to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of pediatric eye care interventions to vulnerable populations.

Tasks

A. Conduct a technical review of both the literature on child blindness care and treatment as well as innovative programmatic approaches to elucidate gaps and opportunities and inform project direction.

The Contractor must organize a technical advisory group (TAG) with the task of review and summarizing 1) existing literature, and 2) past and current innovative grantee programmatic approaches. This assessment will culminate in a recommendation document, which identifies gaps and opportunities for further innovation within CBP, informing award choices and overall strategic direction for CBP and the field of child blindness.

The programmatic review will determine which approaches are ready for scale-up.

Building upon the previous work of CBP, under the previous contract with PGRD, as well as under the GSM and A2Z projects, the Contractor must review information provided by USAID on past grantee approaches to determine which methodologies may be ready for scale-up. The material the Contractor must review during this process must include, but may not be limited to the following:

● Information collected from past progress reports,

● Previous capacity building workshop materials,

● Child blindness case studies, and

● Other CBP grantee reports.

The culmination of the TAG’s work must be the generation of a Learning/Knowledge and Innovation Report which delineates the lessons learned from this effort, highlighting residual gaps in the knowledge base and programming, and providing recommendations for a structured approach to address the existing gaps.

The technical review process must be completed with draft report submission within ninety (90) days and the final report submission within 30 days of receiving USAID’s comments on the draft. The report must be updated annually and implemented on an ongoing basis.

The COR will review the draft document to verify the appropriateness of the priority topics and methods described.

Once finalized this document will serve to further guide the grantee selection process. In addition, it will be disseminated broadly to the field to enhance knowledge sharing and potential for impact.

Additional activities to promote an increase of the evidence base within CBP may include but are not limited to:

● Devoting 1-2 grant cycles on research gaps identified in the learning agenda;

● Facilitating research as part of a larger service delivery effort;

● Hosting capacity building workshops or training on best practices in carrying out research;

● Documenting and disseminating findings from CBP grantees and other non-grant funded researchers;

● Integrating and promoting research findings into future grant guidance.

B. Utilize innovation findings from the TAG report to inform the child blindness grant selection process (see also Objective 1a)

Using the results of the Learning/Knowledge and Innovation Report, the Contractor must provide grant funding to support the design, testing, and scale-up of innovative approaches that expand services and overcome implementation barriers. This may also include approaches tested with previous CBP funding which are deemed ready for scale-up.

C. Pursue other innovation needs as identified in collaboration with the COR, which may include but are not limited to:

● Promote sustainability of results and adherence to treatment, especially regarding the distribution of eyeglasses and other devices.

● Emphasize the essential role of social and behavior change in interventions to improve effectiveness and lasting change.

● Utilize cross-sectoral collaboration among USAID programs and other stakeholders.

● Continue and build upon efforts to target the most vulnerable populations and promote gender and social equity.

● Engage opportunities to respond to emerging diseases (e.g. Zika, Trachoma).

Objective 2b. Communication and networking platforms to share program experiences and grantee resources and reach broadened

A core component of the new CBP is to create new pathways designed to ensure new and/or relevant eye care data is shared on a global scale. While the majority of grant funding is applied toward eye care service delivery, grant recipients may also use funds to develop communication materials, training manuals, health education tools, as well as policy and advocacy tools. These are critical for supporting and sustaining quality service delivery. Grantees can benefit from networking with other grant recipients, technical experts, and practitioners. As such, the new CBP will support world-wide knowledge sharing, communication, and networking events among implementing organizations. The Contractor must identify and implement low-cost and innovative approaches for sharing grantee tools, resources, and overall program experiences to organizations working in child blindness around the world.

A. Develop CBP communication and networking plan for grantees and stakeholders

The Contractor must develop a communication and networking plan for grantees and other stakeholders, such as society, committee, and conference participation, additional in-person events to promote direct connection and knowledge sharing, as well as virtual platforms. The objective of the plan is to strengthen the ability for organizations working in the child blindness field as well as other stakeholders, to network and share information on a global level, thereby enhancing the impact of their efforts.

In addition, the Contractor must maximize opportunities for collaboration with other related USAID programs to improve programming, foster cross-sectoral knowledge sharing, and promote USAID’s global technical leadership.

The Contractor must research, select and implement low-cost and innovative approaches for sharing grantees tools, resources, and overall program experiences with organizations working in child blindness community around the world. (Note: the Contractor may NOT use a stand alone website, rather other approaches should be proposed).

The Contractor must implement the plan detailing activities to strengthen and promote CBP grantee and stakeholder communication and networking opportunities related to child eye care. The draft plan must be submitted to the COR for approval no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the contract is awarded. The final plan must be submitted within two weeks of receiving USAID’s comments on the draft. It will be subsequently updated annually.

B. Maintain updated content on the USAID-hosted CBP webpage

The Contractor must provide regular, updated content for the current CBP webpage (https://www.usaid.gov/childblindness) hosted on the USAID website which serves three functions:

1) Resource portal that provides grantees, and other eye care organizations, with new and beneficial information related to CBP materials.

2) Communication and networking platform for sharing program experiences, innovative approaches, challenges, and lessons learned.

3) Information center and interface for facilitation of the RFA notification and grant submission and selection process.

Components of the initial webpage update must include:

● CBP overview;

● Program priorities;

● Useful resources/tools; and

● RFA and grant process information and update notifications.

Subsequent webpage updates must include, but are not limited to, the following:

● Profiles of grant recipients;

● Geographic coverage of where grantees are working; and

● Examples of best practices that will help increase global knowledge base.

Within 120 calendar days of award, the Contractor must complete the initial update of the current CBP webpage, with subsequent updates each six months or more frequently as indicated by timely emerging data or messaging needs. The Contractor must regularly update this page to ensure that it functions as a reliable and timely resource center for applicants, grantees, and other stakeholders in the field.

Note:

This webpage is managed by a different USAID contractor - USAID will facilitate the process of working with this contractor to allow the CBP Contractor maintain the webpage.

C. Convene CBP Capacity Building Workshops (Partners Meetings)

The Contractor must coordinate two CBP Capacity Building Workshops (Partners Meetings) for grant recipients, and other stakeholders, to review program progress and share program related experiences. The Partners Meetings must be held regionally and will invite representatives from each CBP grant project, to convene and share best practices and lessons learned.

The Contractor must financially support and coordinate all activities related to the two (2) meetings. Each meeting will last for no more than two days and must include overnight accommodations and travel costs for all participating grantees. The first meeting should be held after the end of Year 2 of the Contractor’s period of performance, and the second meeting should be held after the end of Year 4 of the Contractor’s period of performance.

Agenda items and outcomes may include but are not limited to:

● Establishment of relationships with other pediatric eye care organizations…