SOL72011420R00010 Amendment 1.pdf

(x)

72011420R00010 x x copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

720114

Georgia 0131 Tbilisi 29 Georgian-American Friendship Ave USAID/Georgia

09/02/20200001

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

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: (a) By completing

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

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

07/27/2020

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this Amendment to the Solicitation is to:

a) provide answers to questions from the prospective offerors;

b) incorporate revisions to the solicitation document;

c) extend the deadline for submission of proposals to September 21, 2020.

Accordingly, the following changes shall apply to the Solicitation:

1) Provide answers to questions from the prospective offerors, found in Attachment 1 to

Continued ...

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

Robert Claussen

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

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

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

2 2

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

72011420R00010/0001 this Amenedment;

2) Incorporate revisions to the Solicitation document found in Attachment 2 to this Amendment;

3) Revise the proposals due date and time to

September 21, 2020, 10:00 AM Tbilisi time.

--------End of Amendment 001------

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

Questions and Answers List

Amendment 01, Request for Proposals: 72011420R00010, Industry-led Skill Development Program

Attachment 1

No. Questions Answers 1 May offerors include a list of acronyms that will not count against the page limit?

Yes

2 The RFP requires a 20-page Technical Proposal that comprises three sections. The Technical Approach is allocated 15 pages, and the Staffing Approach is allocated five pages. No pages are allocated for the third section, Quality of Contractor Past Performance. Would USAID please clarify whether all of the information listed on page L-9 belongs in an annex that will be evaluated against the criteria set forth in RFP Section M?

All past performance information requested should be placed in an Annex that will not be counted towards the 20-page limit. This includes the brief narrative summary (3 pages maximum) as well as the completed Past Performance Information Questionnaire (which is the same as the Past Performance Matrix).

3 Section L.6, Instructions for Preparation of Technical Proposal, requires the volume to be presented on standard 8.5 x 11-inch pages. However, the instructions for the cost volume specify A4 pages. Particularly because hard-copy submission is not permitted, would USAID permit offerors to use the same size pages for both volumes, and may offerors choose one or the other?

Offerors must use A-4 paper size using 12-point Times New Roman font size

4 Section L.6 (page L-7) states that resumes may not exceed two pages. However, under the description of the Staffing Plan (page L-9), the RFP states, “Resumes/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages,” and “Resumes/CVs for non-key personnel must not exceed 1 page.” Would USAID please confirm that the page limit for key personnel CVs is three pages and the page limit for non-key personnel CVs is two pages?

Resumes for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages. Resumes for non-key personnel may not exceed 2 pages.

5 Instructions for submission of both volumes specify Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF (with Excel spreadsheets for the cost volume). Would USAID please confirm whether every section of each volume, other than spreadsheets, must be submitted in Microsoft Word, or only certain sections?

Technical volumes must be submitted in Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word. Cost volumes except the excel spreadsheets must be submitted in Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word

6 Would USAID please confirm that offerors should include the Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan as an annex to the technical proposal?

Yes

7 C.5. the RFP places ceilings for grants within the various components. Can USAID please confirm that Component 1’s ceiling is $30,000? Kindly see reference from RFP below: C1:

The maximum grant size for this Component must be $30,000 per recipient. C2.A: The maximum grant size for this Sub-component must be $300,000 per recipient. C2.B: The maximum grant size for this Sub-component must be $1.5M per recipient. C3: The maximum grant size for this Sub-component must be $500,000 per recipient.

Yes, this is correct.

8 C.6 and F.6.c). Result Table 1 (Section C) and the illustrative performance indicators (Section F) appear to differ. Can USAID please confirm that only the Results Table 1, with completed targets, should be provided in the Annex?

Yes, a completed results table should be provided in the Annex. The performance indicators from the Section F will be selected after the award with the contractor.

9 L.6: May the offeror include a list of acronyms and abbreviations that do not count against the 20-page limit?

Yes

10 L.6.3: Please confirm that all information regarding past performance section should be included in an annex that does not count against the 20-page limit.

Yes

11 L.6. and (J, Attachment 2). The Past Performance Matrix that was attached to the solicitation is not mentioned as a required document in Section L. Please confirm that offerors are to complete Past Performance Information Questionnaires instead (as required on page L-9).

Past Performance Matrix refers to Annex J - Project List and Past Performance References. This is the same as the Past Performance Information Questionnaire. Additional information must be provided in the format of Past Performance Matrix.

12 L.6 and L.6.2: Please clarify the page limit(s) for CVs. See answer to Question 4

13 L.6. Please confirm that the staffing plan mentioned on page L-9 is to be included in an annex. It is not listed in the Required Annexes on page L-7.

The staffing plan must be a part of the Staffing Approach.

CVs must be included as an Annex

14 L.6, L.7, and L.8. Please confirm that the Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan should be included in both the technical and the cost proposals.

Branding Implementation and Marking Plans are to be included as an Annex to the Technical Proposal.

15 L.7. May offerors submit their Cost Proposal on 8.5 x 11 paper, as opposed to A4, to match their Technical Proposal?

See answer to Question 3

16 Can USAID please confirm if SF LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities included on page J-1 should be included as a part of the offeror’s Cost Proposal?

Yes. This should be included as an Annex to Cost Proposal

17 On page C-8 and C-9, what is the definition of “long-term” in results #3, #10, and #16?

This refers to the number of businesses that have established the partnerships with plans and objectives beyond the USAID supported program.

18 For results #14 and #18 on page C-9, what is the definition of “authorized training slots”?

Maximum number of students the training provider is authorized to accept.

19 If there are public businesses, can the offeror use a grant mechanism for engagement as long as they are registered as a for-profit entity?

Eligible grant recipients include public and private VET colleges and universities; employer, professional, or business associations; and NGOs registered in Georgia, both non-profits and for-profits.

20 Please confirm if offerors are permitted to work with liaison entities with the government rather than governmental agencies directly?

The Program must work closely with the Government and secure commitment to support implementation and sustain results over the long-term. USAID's investments in engaging the private sector in skills development and training programs will be contingent on private sector and Government of Georgia contributions. The contractor will be expected to design interventions in ways that maximize leverage of investments made in skills development by GOG and other donors to ensure burden sharing.

21 Does USAID foresee the grant mechanism separated by component?

The Contractor shall submit a grants manual and shall outline specific approach for grants solicitation, evaluation and selection for each Component under the Program. The Grants Manual must be approved by the Contracting Officer prior to the award of any sub-grants.

22 Section L, Part 9 details that “USAID discourages the use of exclusive agreements as this limits USAID’s and Georgia’s ability to receive the best services.” Please confirm if this is applicable to both expatriate and local staff.

23 Section L.5 details that “the proposal must be accompanied by a cover letter typed on official organizational letterhead and signed by a person who has signatory authority for the organization”. We kindly request that this requirement be applied to the “cover page” which includes the information provided in Section L.3, c. Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.

24 Section L.6 details the required order of the Technical Proposal with pagination guidance for each respective section. We kindly request that USAID provide pagination guidance concerning the “Past Performance” section of the proposal. Specifically:

o Please confirm the page limit of the Past Performance section.

o Please confirm that the page limit for the Past Performance section is in addition to the 20 page limitation for the technical proposal.

See answer to Question 2

25 Section M, 1. Technical Approach refers to a year 1 Implementation Plan. Please confirm that the illustrative work plan required as an annex to the technical proposal is to be for year one activities only?

26 Section L.6 Instructions for Preparation of Technical Proposal details that “resumes not to exceed 2 pages for each individual and are not included in the page limitation.” However, Section L.6, 2. Staffing Approach details that “Resumes/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length…” and “CVs for non-key personnel must not exceed 1 page in length.” Further, that each “CV will include at least 3 references within the last 3 years…” o We kindly request USAID to confirm that CVs for Key Personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length and CVs for non-key personnel are not to exceed 1 page.

o Further, we kindly request for USAID to confirm that the three references are not included in the page limitation.

See answer to question 4.

References are part of the CV, subsequently must be included as an Annex. References are included in the CV page limit.

27 Section L.6 lists “Project List and Past Performance References”. We kindly request for USAID to confirm whether this requirement is for the submission of the excel document, “Attachment 2- PAST PERFORMANCE MATRIX.xls” only.

Please provide guidance if offerors are also requested to submit a Past Performance Information (PPI) form.

Past Performance Matrix refers to Annex 2 - Project List and Past Performance References.

28 Section L.6 requires a Branding and Marking Plan to be submitted as an annex to the Technical Proposal. We kindly request USAID to confirm that this annex is to be included in the Cost Proposal instead of the Technical.

o Further, we kindly request that USAID consider a 5-page limitation for the Branding and Marking Plan. The solicitation currently limits this section to 2 pages.

Branding Implementation and Marking Plans are to be included as an Annex h to the Technical Proposal and will be limited to 2 pages

29 Section L.7 requires the AID 1420-17 Biographical Data Sheets to be submitted for “all long-term, short-term expatriate personnel and all long-term and short-term cooperating country personnel being proposed. Further, in Part 9 of Section L.7, No change

USAID requires the Biographical Data Sheets for all key and non-key identified personnel.

We kindly request that due to circumstances of COVID-19 and the difficulty for staff to gain access to a printer and scanner, that the 1420 forms be provided for all Key Personnel and for all expatriate personnel traveling outside of the United States.

30 Section L.7 requires for budget tables to be submitted in both PDF as well as MS Excel format. We kindly request that offerors are to submit the Detailed Budget in the MS Excel format and for the Budget Narrative to be submitted in PDF.

For Technical proposal Microsoft Word and/or Adobe PDF is preferred. For Cost Proposal – Budget must be submitted in MS Excel with unlocked formulas, narrative part in MS Word and/or PDF.

31 Question: In Section C.5 of the RFP, USAID refers to “cost-share grant.” Would USAID please define “cost-share grants”?

These are grants that require matching from the recipient, a cost share represents the amount that the recipient is willing to invest during the implementation of the proposed project.

Loans and in-kind contributions may be used to meet matching requirements.

32 Can USAID confirm that the grant threshold limits mentioned in Section C.5 (limit of $30,000 under component 1, limit of $300,000 under sub-component 2A, limit of $1.5 million under sub-component 2B, and limit of $500,000 under component 3) are per grant, in line with what is stated in Section H.31?

33 In C.6 and throughout the RFP, USAID includes a mandatory cost share component. We agree with the need for partner buy-in; however, we have the following concerns. Per ADS 303.3.5.3, a fixed amount award cannot be used in a program that requires mandatory cost sharing. ADS 303.3.10.1 also states that cost share should be flexible and case specific. Moreover, cost share increases the administrative burden of submitting receipts and backup documentation for the grantee, and could discourage some organizations from applying. We are concerned that the use of mandatory cost sharing in the grants fund may unfairly limit competition, as well as limit the type of grant mechanism that the contractor may utilize. Given these factors, would USAID consider removing the mandatory cost share

No, mandatory cost-share contributions will not be removed.

Yes, the requirement puts a certain burden of reporting on both the grantee and the Contractor. However, grants under Components of 2 and 3 are big and recipients of those grants are expected to have a financial and accounting system in place.

The reference to ADS 303.3.5.3 is not directly applicable as this policy is specific for when USAID is issuing a grant or cooperative agreement notice. As the intended award type for this solicitation is a contract, this policy is not applicable.

requirement, and accept targets for leverage instead? Contractors would still require the grantee to report on the funds and resources brought to the partnership but with lower administrative burden on the grantee.

34 We respectfully request that USAID change the language in G.4 to state “In order to receive payment for costs incurred for services rendered under this contract, such costs and the work performed must be verified and approved by the COR. Fixed fee will be paid monthly based on the contractor’s effort towards completing each deliverable. The entire Fixed Fee will be paid upon completion of services and deliverables, pursuant to FAR 16.306(d).”

No change

35 Section H.15(b)(1) and (2) of the RFP holds offerors to 3% annual salary increases for expats and 5% annual salary increases for TCNs and CCNs. We respectfully request that the above-mentioned salary restriction be removed from the RFP as it appears to be inconsistent with AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel Compensation, incorporated in the contract under Section H.15 which stipulates that personnel compensation be in accordance with the contractor’s established policies, procedures, and practices, with reimbursement subject only to the USAID Contractor Salary Threshold. The salary restriction above may preclude contractors from following their established policies, procedures, and practices, as required by AIDAR 752.7007.

For Section H.15, the subsection entitled, “Additional Requirements for Personnel Compensation” is deleted. It is replaced with AIDAR provisions 731.205-6 and 722.170.

These provisions will be included as Sections H.32 and H.33 respectively.

36 Section H.15(b)(2) and (c)(2) of the RFP requires that we adhere to a local compensation plan. We respectfully request that the above-mentioned salary restriction be removed from the RFP as it appears to be inconsistent with AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel Compensation, incorporated in the contract under Section H.15 which stipulates that personnel compensation be in accordance with the contractor’s established policies, procedures, and practices, with reimbursement subject only to the USAID

See newly incorporated Section H.33 referenced in the Answer 35 above incorporating AIDAR 722.170, specifically 722.170(b).

Contractor Salary Threshold. The salary restriction above may preclude contractors from following their established policies, procedures, and practices, as required by AIDAR 752.700.

37 Section L.6 includes past performance in the section “Required Order of the Technical Proposal.” Can USAID please confirm that past performance is not counted in page limitation?

Yes. See answer to question 2.

38 Would USAID kindly consider removing the requirement in Section L.6 of the RFP for the technical and staffing approach to have each “paragraph numbered consecutively”?

Paragraph numbering is not required.

39 Section L.6 (list item 7.d) of the RFP calls for resumes “not to exceed 2 pages.” However, Section L.6.2 (2nd paragraph) states that “Resumes/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length …. Resumes/CVs for non-key personnel must not exceed 1 page in length.” Would USAID kindly clarify the page limits for each type of resume?

See answer to question 4

40 In Section L.6.3 (Quality of Contractor Past Performance), please confirm that the reference to “Past Performance Information Questionnaire” refers to Attachment 2 - Past Performance Matrix. Additionally, as Attachment 2 is not printer-friendly and would not comply with the 8.5 x 11 page limitations (the table stretches over multiple pages and some of its columns would feature disproportionally more text than other columns), would USAID please allow offerors to select a different reader-friendly format to present the information that is required on page L-9 of the RFP?

See answer to questions 2 and 11. The Past Performance Matrix is meant to streamline the presentation and review of past performance information.

41 The RFP makes it clear that public colleges and institutions may be potential grantee partners for the implementation of new short- and long-term programs. Per ADS 302.3.4.13, these public organizations would only be eligible for in-kind grants unless USAID has conducted a PAD/D&F with those specific organizations. Can USAID confirm that only in-kind grants will be allowed for public colleges, or if there has been a PAD/D&F

Please refer to ADS 220.3.3.2(d) for additional information and requirements on grants (including grants under contract) to universities and other educational units of the partner government.

conducted? If there has been a PAD/D&F, could USAID share which organizations are eligible for more flexible grant mechanisms than in-kind provisions?

42 Section H.31(1) states that grants may not be issued to U.S.

organizations, which appears to not be in line with ADS

302.3.4.13. Would USAID consider removing this provision to

maximize flexibility within the grants fund?

No Change

43 RFP pages C-3–C7, Section C-4 Detailed Work Requirements, provides grant programming guidance for Components 2 and 3 but not for Component 1. However, page C-7, Section C.5 Approach to Providing Cost-Share Grants states, “Cost-share grants under the Component 1 will be used to incentivize private sector to pilot initiatives and innovative practices of engagement in skills development. The maximum grant size for this Component must be $30,000 per recipient.”

Would USAID please provide further guidance about the expectations for the grants for Component 1 (similar information as it is provided for Components 2 and 3) including cost-share requirements?

RFP page F-3, Section F.6 Reports and Deliverables, Sub-Section a). Start-up and Preliminary Work Plan states “Note: The contractor’s Chief of Party is required to arrive in-country no later than 30 days following the contract award date.”

Would USAID please consider adding “subject to COVID-19 travel restrictions” to this?

The Contractor must design the Component 1and propose the best use of cost-share grants to pilot initiatives that incentivize employers, sectoral associations/councils, industry groups, and other private sector bodies to participate in innovative practices of cooperation with skills training providers that strengthen linkages between skills training and high-value employment opportunities. Minimum cost-share requirement for the Component 1 is not defined in the RFP and must be proposed by the Contractor, based on the analyses, and as part of proposed design. Eligible grant recipients for all components are described on page-C-7 of the RFP, and include public and private VET colleges and universities;

employer, professional, or business associations, and NGOs registered in Georgia and their partnerships.

With regards to the timing of arrival of the COP, yes, this travel is subject to applicable COVID restricts in place at the proposed time of travel.

44 RFP page F-11, Section F.9 Key Personnel, states, “The contractor must provide other long-term positions as well as a strong roster of short-term consultants required to undertake the work. The contractor is encouraged to utilize qualified Georgian professionals for long-term and short-term positions.” RFP page L-7, Section L-6, Instructions for Preparation of Technical Proposal provides the required order of the Technical Proposal, with résumés listed as an annex.

Resumes are required for all proposed known personnel except TBDs

Would USAID please confirm that résumés for all proposed personnel are required and not only for proposed key personnel?

45 RFP page L-7, Section L-6, Instructions for Preparation of

Technical Proposal lists Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan as one of the required Annexes under the technical proposal. However, RFP page L-14, Section L-7, Instructions for Preparation and Submission of Cost/Business Proposal, Sub-section (h) Part 8 – Branding and Marking Plan states, “Offeror(s) shall submit a preliminary BIP and MP (not to exceed two pages) as a separate annex to the cost proposal, which complies with Section D.”

Would USAID please consider requiring the BIP and MP from the apparently successful awardee in advance of award?

Offeror(s) shall submit a preliminary BIP and MP (not to exceed two pages) as a separate annex to the cost proposal, which complies with Section D. Detailed BIP and MP will be required from the apparently successful offeror in advance of award

46 RFP page L-7, Section L-6, Instructions for Preparation of Technical Proposal lists Letter of Commitment for Key Personnel as one of the required Annexes under the technical proposal.

However, RFP page L-14, Section L-7, Instructions for Preparation and Submission of Cost/Business Proposal, Sub-section (i) Part 9 - Employee Biographical Data Sheets for Key Personnel states, “Offerors must provide Biographical Data Sheets (SF-1420-17) for all key and non-key identified personnel.

Offerors must also include letters of commitment signed by each person proposed as key personnel confirming their present intention to serve in the stated position and their present availability to serve the project.”

Letters of Commitment are often large file sizes.

Would USAID please confirm that Offerors are required to submit the Letters of Commitment for Key Personnel in the Technical Proposal only, and SF- 1420-17 forms in the Cost proposal?

1. Yes

2. Yes

Would USAID please confirm that letters of commitment from proposed non-key personnel are not required?

47 RFP page L-7, Section L-6, Instructions for Preparation of

Technical Proposal states, “Résumés (Résumés not to exceed 2 pages for each individual and are not included in the page limitation).” However, RFP page L-9, Section 2. Staffing Approach states, “Résumés/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length. Résumés/CVs for non-key personnel must not exceed 1 page in length.”

Would USAID please confirm the page limitation for key and non-key personnel résumés?

See answer to question 4

48 RFP page L-9, Section 3. Quality of Contractor Past Performance describes the major subcontractor as the one whose proposed cost exceeds 20% of the proposed total cost.

Since managing grants is often the responsibility of a prime, it may be challenging to meet a 20% major sub-requirement given the operating budget will be around $11 million. Therefore, would USAID please confirm that the major sub definition of 20% of the proposed total cost excludes the grant portfolio of $13 million for the purposes of the major sub definition?

Would USAID please consider reducing the major sub definition to 10% of the total proposed cost minus matching grants portfolio, which will permit Offerors to demonstrate the full capacity/qualifications of their consortium, since the large grants portfolio skews the major sub percentage requirement and prevents USAID from considering the relevant experience of key partners?

1. The $13 million in grants should not be excluded from the calculation of a major subcontractor as these are still funds given to the contractor to manage.

2. No change

3. Past performance references are required for the prime offeror and major subcontractors. There is no page limitation for past performance references which should be placed in an Annex that will not be counted towards the 20-page limit. Offerors can provide past performance references for all proposed subcontractors if they choose so.

4. The major subcontractor is defined as the one whose proposed cost exceeds 20% of the total proposed cost.

Would USAID please consider allowing Offerors to provide past performance references for all proposed subcontractors?

Would USAID please allow a subcontractor with critical technical implementation responsibility to be considered as a major subcontractor?

49 RFP page L-9, Section 3 Quality of Contractor Past Performance, states, “The Offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide (1) a summary of its relevant Past Performance, and

(2) a completed Past Performance Information Questionnaire for itself and each major subcontractor…. Regarding the summary of its Past Performance, the Offeror must address the following: 1.

Briefly describe how the Offeror’s Past Performance, and its team is relevant to performance of the Contract. 2. List in the Annex to the Technical Proposal up to five of the most recent (within the past five years) and relevant projects managed by the Offeror…. 3. Provide for each of the contracts or orders listed above, a list of contact names, job titles, mailing addresses….”

a. Would USAID please confirm that (1) a summary of its relevant Past Performance is the same as the statement above: “Briefly describe how the Offeror’s Past Performance, and its team is relevant to performance of the Contract” and should be included in the Past Performance Section after Staffing Approach?

b. If yes, would USAID please confirm that the Past Performance will not count toward the page limit of the Technical Proposal?

c. Would USAID please confirm that (2) a completed Past Performance Information Questionnaire for itself and each major subcontractor consists of a Project List and Past Performance References?

d. Would USAID please clarify if an Offeror should provide past performance references for its major

a. Yes. See also answer to question #2.

b. Yes. See also answer to question #2.

c. Offerors must provide all information that is included in the Past Performance Matrix

d. Yes

e. All offerors are responsible for submitting relevant information to support their bid in compliance with requirements of the RFP. No changes.

sub-contractor in addition to the five past performance references submitted for itself?

e. Would USAID please confirm that Offerors may use both cooperative agreements and contracts as past performance references as well as may list them in the Project List?

50 RFP pages C-8 and C-9, Section C-6. Contract Deliverables provides a Results Table to be included as an Annex to the Technical Proposal listing contract deliverable indicators. RFP pages F-4 and F-5, Section F.6.c, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning Plan, lists additional illustrative indicators.

a. Would USAID please clarify whether it expects Offerors to include the illustrative indicators from Section F-4 in the proposal with annual and life-of-project targets?

b. If so, would USAID please clarify in which Section of the proposal these indicators should be incorporated?

The offeror must complete the table included in section C-6 and submit it as an annex.

Inclusion of illustrative indicators from section F-4 in the proposal is not a requirement. The Contractor and USAID will agree upon the final choice of performance indicators useful for timely management decisions and credibly reflecting the actual performance of the project as part of MEL plan development.

51 Attachment 4, Budget Template provided for the detailed budget contains some terms that are more appropriate for a cooperative agreement such as: i. DRI Cost Share; ii. Contracts (instead of Subcontracts); iii. Subgrants (instead of Grants Under Contract).

a. Would USAID please provide further guidance on those line items provided?

This is a sample budget. Offerors are encouraged to use it and revise, as necessary.

52 Attachment 4, Budget Template: the Excel template for the detailed budget includes formulas containing links to an external document that was not provided. For example:

=F8*$F$8*'\Documents and Settings\yadelberg\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK201\[government estimation format.xls]Escalation Factors'!$D$19

a. Would USAID please provide further guidance on this? or

See answer to Question 51

b. Would USAID please provide a link to those external documents?

53 RFP page H-7, Section H.15 AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel

Compensation, Sub-Section a) Limitations states, “(1) If, during Contract performance, the contractor proposes salary or wages for a new individual(s), or proposes promoting a current staff member, that exceeds the individual’s current salary or wage or the highest rate of annual salary or wage by more than 5%, the Cognizant Contracting Officer’s approval is required.”

This requirement seems to be inconsistent with USAID's recent change to the biographical data form (1420-17), which removes prior salary history. This will not be an issue for any current staff member whose salary information is known by the Offeror.

However, for new staff members, if Offerors follow this contract requirement, it will contravene USAID guidance on not requesting prior salary history in biodatas and instead looking at market-based salaries.

Would USAID please consider changing requirement to apply only to an Offeror’s existing staff at the time of the proposal preparation?

See answer to Questions 35 and 36.

54 RFP page H-8, Section (c) Consultants, (1) U.S. Consultants states, “Compensation must not exceed (A) the highest rate of annual compensation received by the consultant during any full year of the immediately preceding three years or (B) the maximum daily salary rate as described in H.15, whichever is less.”

c. Adhering to this requirement would require Contractors to contravene the new approach set out by USAID with its 2019 update to the biographical data form, which intentionally omits past salary and consultant rate history.

Would USAID please remove this requirement and instead require that consultant rates be in line with market rates?

See answer to Questions 35 and 36.

55 RFP page H-8, Section (c) Consultants, (2) TCN and CCN Consultants states, “Compensation must not exceed the maximum rate of the highest senior FSN position authorized under the Mission Local Compensation Plan. Requests for a waiver to this compensation guidance must be fully justified and requires the advanced written approval of Mission Director through the contracting officer.”

Our understanding is that the Mission Local Compensation Plan applies to employees, not consultants, particularly because consultants do not receive benefits such as paid leave, retirement contributions, or healthcare. Consultants are often compensated at a higher daily rate to account for this variance. Additionally, Federal Register Volume 81, No. 161 (August 19, 2016) includes the following: “USAID is seeking comments on the proposed rule as described below: (1) 722.170 Employment of Third Country Nationals (TCNs) and Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs). In response to numerous inquiries, USAID is proposing a revision of this section of the AIDAR to clarify that employment requirements for TCN and CCN employees of a contractor do not apply to consultants. It is the responsibility of a contractor to determine whether an individual being hired is an employee or a consultant.” We respectfully request that USAID Georgia amend p. H-8, Section (c) accordingly.

See answer to Questions 35 and 36.

56 Section C, Scope of Work, Component 1, pg C4, top paragraph makes mention of “The initiatives designed and piloted under this Component must be applied to ensure employers’ meaningful participation in Components 2 and 3…….Within the first 120 days of start of the Program, the Contractor must conduct a constraints analysis of private sector engagement in skills development and use findings from this analysis,……” Is it also possible that initiatives put forward for design and piloting under Component 2 and 3 inform actions that may have to be put forth under Component 1. Please confirm

It is possible and will depend on the design of the Component 1 proposed by the offeror.

57 Can USAID shed some light on how it came up with the maximum threshold amounts for grants under each of the 3 components?

The maximum threshold amount for grants under each component is based on the past and current experience of

USAID and other donors implementing skills development programs in Georgia.

58 Does USAID have a key counterpart in the government that this program will need to work with closely? Does this program allow for the contractor to have the flexibility to propose how it intends to interact with various entities? Does USAID participate in any donor coordination groups related to this proposed initiative?

The Program must work closely with the Government and secure commitment to support implementation and sustain results over the long-term. The format of the contractor's interaction with the Government will be agreed between the Contractor and the COR.

59 Can USAID confirm if the 2019 Labor Market Information Survey (LMIS) was prepared under the ILO recommended approaches to support PAPI and CAPI data collection?

LMIS survey is managed by the Ministry of Economy and implemented by GeoStat and questions on methodology can be addressed to them.

60 Component 1, 2 and 3 activities speak largely to creating employment activities? How about self-employment and entrepreneurship that also will help in job creation?

Yes, self-employment will be counted as job creation.

61 How does USAID define short-term and long-term training under Component 2? Is there any flexibility in duration?

There is definitely the flexibility in duration, and will be different for each training. Mostly, the long-term training will result in a defined qualification and diploma, while the short-term training will be focused on acquiring certain skills, and will result in a certificate.

62 Recognizing that certification and alignment with the NSQF does take time, is there flexibility to begin skilling activities prior if the co-investment is forthcoming from the grantee? This will help enable better piloting.

General principles of co-investment timing and modalities will be described in the Grants manual to be developed by the Contractor and approved by USAID.

63 Section F.9, Key Personnel which sets forth the criteria/qualifications for the COP and DCOP requires that the for the COP English language skills are required, and Georgian is desirable, but not required. It also requires that for the DCOP position Georgian and English fluency are required. Can the contractor be provided the flexibility to propose a COP that is fluent in both English and Georgian, and a DCOP who is fluent in English, but not Georgian. Would USAID consider this alternative arrangement compliant, This could accommodate a

Offerors are expected to propose key personnel in accordance with the stated requirements.

situation in which a contractor wants to place someone in the DCOP position who is intimately familiar with its operating procedures as well as overseeing large grant programs?

64 Section H.15, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION, (c) Consultants, pg H-8, indicates that “U.S. Consultants: Compensation must not exceed

(A) the highest rate of annual compensation received by the consultant during any full year of the immediately preceding three years….” Could USAID please confirm that this does not conflict with the recently updated Form 1420-17 Biodata form that removed the salary history requirement?

See answer to questions 35 and 36.

65 Section L.6, pg L-7, States that “The combination of the Technical Approach and the Staffing Approach is limited to 20 pages …… with each page and paragraph numbered consecutively”. Could USAID please confirm the requirement to number each paragraph.

Yes

66 Section L.6, Required Annexes (d), pg L-7, indicates that page limit for resumes is 2 pages, however Section L.6 section 2 staffing approach pg L-9, indicates that Resumes/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length. Could USAID please confirm the requirements.

See answer to question 4

67 Section L.6, Required Annexes (d), pg L-7, Resumes a. Is there a limit on number of resumes to be included? b. Does USAID want to see resumes for both long and short term personnel?

Resumes are required for all long-term personnel – see answer to question 44.

68 Section L.6, Required Annexes (h), pg L-7, lists the Branding and Marking Plan as an annex to the technical proposal, however section L.7 (h) Part 8 – lists the Branding and Marking Plan as an annex to the Cost proposal. Could USAID please confirm the guidance on this issue.

See answer to Question 14 and 28

69 Past Performance: Section L.6, pg L-7 lists past performance as a section of the technical proposal as well as Annex (f) to the technical proposal. Could USAID please, a. Confirm the content of the main body section vs what is intended for the annex. b.

Confirm that the past performance section in the main body doesn’t count against the page limit, and any page limitation to this section.

See answers to Questions 2 and 11

70 Section L.6.1 Technical Approach, pg L-8, second paragraph states that “The offeror’s technical approach narrative section must include a results table by program year”. However, in the list of annexes the Results Table is listed as Annex B. Could USAID please confirm the requirement?

Results Table should be presented as an Annex.

71 Section L.6.1 Technical Approach, pg L-8, third paragraph states that “As part of their proposal, offerors shall also provide an illustrative first year work plan not to exceed 3 pages.”

However, in the list of annexes the Illustrative Work Plan is listed as Annex A without specifying the period to be covered in the annex. Could USAID please confirm the requirement?

The Illustrative work plan is required for the first year.

72 Past Performance: Section L.6.3, pg-L-9, Quality of Contractor Past Performance, Bullet point 3 requirements are not consistent with that of the Past Performance Matrix provided under Attachment 2, Could USAID please confirm the requirements

For contracts not listed in the PPIRS, offerors must provide the required additional information in the format provided in Attachment 2 Past Performance Matrix.

73 Would USAID please confirm if budget narrative is required from Subs? If so, please clarify if that applied for major subcontractors only, or all subcontractors

Budget narratives are required from major subcontractors

74 Can USAID please advise under which section/part of the cost proposal the “Lobbying for Activities Form”, should be included.

Attachment to the Cost proposal

75 Section L7 (b), Part 2, J Indirect costs pg – L12, 4th Paragraph, states that “If the Offeror or major subcontractor does not have a cognizant Government Audit Agency, the proposal must include……”, Will USAID also allow for the use of time and material and/or fixed price contracts with subcontractors based on competitive loaded rates that a subcontractor has received for providing similar services to other clients?

Yes.

76 The RFP indicates that the duration of the program is five years, while the provided budget template (excel sheet) is for two years only. Would USAID confirm the program duration and associated budget template.

Program duration is 5 years. Budget must be submitted for the entire 5-year period

77 Section L7 (b), Part 2, (E) Equipment and Supplies: Would USAID please clarify how it would like offerors to distinguish between Equipment and Supplies?

See ADS Chapter 518 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/518.

pdf about:blank

78 On page L-7, Section L.6 presents the required order and elements of the technical proposal, which includes Past Performance as a requirement under item 6. However, item 6 seems an addition to the 20 pages that are allocated to Technical Approach (15 pages) and Staffing Approach (5 pages). Past performance references are also listed as a project annex. Could USAID confirm that “6. Past Performance” is a narratives section that should be submitted in addition to the 20-page limit of the Technical Approach and Staffing Approach?

See answer to question 2

79 On page L-9, the RFP states “offerors must provide (1) a summary of its relevant Past Performance, and (2) a completed Past Performance Information Questionnaire…” Could USAID confirm that the summary of relevant past performance would be the PPR form and that the past performance information questionnaire is referring to the provided template?

See answer to question 2 and 11

80 Page L-9 states "Resumes/CVs for key personnel may not exceed 3 pages in length and must demonstrate the communication skills, managerial capabilities, and technical capacities of key personnel, among other relevant factors as determined by the offeror. Resumes/CVs for non-key personnel must not exceed 1 page in length." However, on page L-7, it states that "Résumés (Resumes not to exceed 2 pages for each individual and are not included in the page limitation)." Could USAID confirm the page limit for resumes/CVs?

See answer to Question 4

81 On Page L-9, Section L6.3, item 2 requests that the Offeror provides “up to five of the most recent (within the past five years) and relevant projects managed by the Offeror.” Then the RFP adds that “the Offeror must consider such factors as:

contracts of similar size, scope and complexity of the work, and how recently they were performed.” Can USAID confirm that the Offerors can also submit similar projects that are cooperative agreements?

See answer to Question 49

82 In section C, page C-8, USAID provides a results table that is required to be included in the proposal and USAID requests that no additional indicators should be added. However, additional illustrative indicators are listed in section F, page F-4. Can

See answer to Question 50

USAID confirm that the set of indicators in Section F are relevant for the final MEL Plan and for the proposal the Offeror should only include the results table from Section C?

83 On page L-8, Section L.6.1, the RFP states that the “technical approach narrative section must include a results table by program year…” Can USAID confirm the results table will be in Annex b. only and does not need to be included in the technical approach?

Yes

84 On page L-8, Section L.6.1, the instructions for the Technical Approach says “offerors are reminded to provide a summary statement re: management, partners, and subcontractors and their respective roles and responsibilities, technical expertise and experience, and methods utilized as part of their technical approach.” On page L-9, Section L.6.2, instruction for the Staffing Approach state that “offerors must discuss teaming, partners, and subcontractors and their respective roles and responsibilities, technical expertise and experience, and methods that the offerors will use to oversee the performance of partners.” Can USAID confirm that a summary statement on management, partners, and subcontractors and their respective roles and responsibilities, technical expertise and experience should only be within the Staffing Approach?

Yes, management, subcontractors, their experience and roles will be within the staffing approach, however, how this expertise is utilized for the proposed technical approach must be summarized under the Technical approach.

85 On page C-5, Section C.4, within Component 2B, the RFP states that “skills training program supported by this Sub-component must either be internationally certified or be compatible with an internationally-recognized certification by the end of the Program.” Can USAID further explain the expectations for certifications that are “compatible with an internationally-recognized certification” or confirm that they will not be expected to be directly transferable to jobs beyond Georgia’s borders, rather they will be required to offer the same quality and similar content as internationally certified programs?

Yes, it is expected that they will be similar in quality and content.

86 Could USAID share the USAID/Georgia’s Country Development and Cooperation Strategy for 2020 –2025, as referred to in the RFP?

USAID/Georgia’s Country Development and Cooperation Strategy for 2020 –2025 can be found at https://www.usaid.gov/georgia/cdcs

87 Can USAID confirm that Offerors are not required to submit a monitoring and evaluation plan at the proposal stage?

Yes, the offeror is required to complete an Activity MEL Plan which includes baselines and targets within 60 days of signing.

88 On pages B-1, C-7, and L-12, the grants under contract is listed as $13,000,000. However, on Page H-19 it states, “The cumulative value of GUCs under this activity is anticipated not to exceed $13 million”, while on Page 22 it states “…The activity is expected to allocate at least $13 million during the course of the activity for grants to public and private VET colleges and…” Can USAID confirm the GUC amount requirement?

Yes, allocation of at least $13 million is expected, and it is anticipated that the value of GUC not to exceed $ 13 million, however offerors can propose higher amounts in their proposal if feasible.

89 On page B-1, Section B.4, budget is exhibited as CLIN based and is broken into 5 CLINS. However, the budget template given (separate Excel file) and on the table in Page 115, it is in the all-inclusive 424 detail budget format. Could USAID confirm which template to use for submission?

CLIN based budget represents the CLIN lines which…