72011423RFI00006 - USAID Data-Driven Collaborating and Adapting_FINAL.pdf

SUBJECT: Request for Information and Sources Sought Notification DOCUMENT NO: 72011423RFI00006 - USAID Data-Driven Collaborating and Adapting Activity ISSUANCE DATE: August 4, 2023 CLOSING DATE: August 24, 2023 at 10:00 am Tbilisi Time

Dear Interested Parties:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Georgia is designing an activity with the preliminary title of USAID Data-Driven Collaborating, Learning and Adapting Activity that aims to use a transformational, human-centered approach to enabling USAID/Georgia to more effectively function as learning organization by creating new knowledge products; analyzing and synthesizing existing data; facilitating Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA); and supporting and expanding USAID’s organizational strengthening efforts, as further described in Attachment 1.

The Mission seeks market information as well as comments/recommendations on the draft concept (Attachment 1).

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to conduct market research, determine the interest of capable organizations, particularly Georgian local entities, to provide USAID/Georgia with technical and advisory services, and request comments and recommendations from stakeholders.

This is an RFI, not a Solicitation or Request for Proposals. This RFI is open for comments from any U.S. or non-U.S. organization. The instrument type will be acquisition. No final decision regarding limiting eligibility/competition has been made. Responses will be treated as confidential. USAID may revise the structure and concept of the activity based on comments received but is not obligated to do so. A solicitation is expected to be released in December 2023.

Issuance of this RFI will not restrict the U.S. Government’s ultimate approach. USAID is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of this information, answer questions, or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information provided. Any information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation.

Any funding proposals submitted in response to this request will not be considered. Responses to this notice must be received no later than the closing date and time stated above in this notice. All materials submitted will become the property of USAID and will not be returned. USAID reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for USAID’s own purposes. While it is not the intention to make public any response to this RFI, proprietary and sensitive information should not be sent.

Please note that release of this RFI is not construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue any solicitation or ultimately award on the basis of this RFI. USAID is not responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this RFI.

All comments and submissions must be in English and must be submitted electronically to the following email addresses:egamezardashvili@usaid.gov and mschronce@usaid.gov with the subject “RFI: No.

72011423RFI00006, USAID Data-Driven CLA Activity” no later than the date and time stated above.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Georgia’s programs and we look forward to your comments.

Attachment 1. Activity Description Attachment 2. Questions Attachment 3. Sources Sought Response Form mailto:mschronce@usaid.gov

Attachment 1 - Activity Description

Preliminary Activity Title: USAID Data-Driven Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting

Activity Activity Purpose: To enable data-driven decision-making and evidence-based collaborating, learning, and adapting within and amongst USAID/Georgia and its implementing partners to improve program management and development impact.

Period of Performance: Five (5) years Anticipated Funding: $9,000,000 - $10,000,000 Instrument Type: Acquisition Anticipated Number of Awards: One award

Purpose

The purpose of this contract is to enable data-driven decision-making and evidence-based collaborating, learning, and adapting within and amongst USAID/Georgia and its implementing partners to improve program management and development impact.

USAID in Georgia

USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. Over 30 years of partnership with Georgia, USAID has supported the country’s transformation into a developing democracy that is increasingly integrated into Western political, security, and economic institutions. USAID programs strengthen Georgia’s resilience to malign influence, consolidate democratic gains through enhanced citizen responsive governance, and enable high-value employment through inclusive economic growth. Since it began partnering with the Government of Georgia in 1992, USAID has provided more than $1.9 billion in assistance. The Mission currently oversees 39 active development projects, cumulatively valued at approximately $373 million, operating in Tbilisi-administered territory and Russia-occupied Abkhazia.

Problem Statement

In recent years, USAID/Georgia and its development programs have struggled with adapting to the rapidly-changing and dynamic operating environment in Georgia. This evolving operational context requires the Mission to have access to up-to-date contextual information available on demand as well as the systems and processes in place to coordinate timely programmatic responses. Currently, USAID/Georgia lacks a core set of relevant and timely qualitative and quantitative data on the context affecting its development programming. Moreover, the Mission does not have sufficient systems and processes in place to process, analyze, and utilize existing performance and contextual data. Although the Mission has recently invested in specialized talent, such as in the areas of human and institutional capacity development, digital development, private sector engagement, and geospatial analysis, this work could be expanded and amplified for greater development impact with additional support. The Mission also lacks comprehensive knowledge capture, retention, transfer and management practices to support evidence-based decision-making, nor is the Mission set up to efficiently and effectively facilitate collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) within USAID Georgia and amongst implementing partners.

Finally, the Mission requires regular and consistent review and redesign of its standard operating procedures and practices to keep up with and incorporate the evolving USAID policies and priorities into its programming. The current situation is impeding the efficacy of USAID programming.

Transformational, Human-Centered Approach

USAID/Georgia aims to become an organization skilled at creating, acquiring, systematizing, retaining, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. This ambition is not an end-goal for the Mission, but rather a necessary precursor along the pathway to achievement of better development results in Georgia. As such, the activities of this support mechanism must have a clear connection to improvements in the management and impact of USAID/Georgia’s development programming (see model below). This support service is expected to transform USAID/Georgia into a data-driven learning organization that is better able to generate development impact in Georgia.

An internal review of past experiences from other USAID Missions with similar support services found that the services were most effective when built upon the principles of human-centered design.

Therefore the Contractor must design its efforts with the user experience at the center of the approach.

For USAID/Georgia, this means the Contractor should focus on people and their context. When implementing a task, the Contractor must work with USAID to understand and solve the right problems, the root problems. In undertaking its work, the Contractor must recognize that its efforts are part of a complex system with interconnected parts. In guiding the Mission through this learning transformation, the Contractor should undertake small interventions and continually prototype, test and refine its products and services to ensure that the solutions being offered truly meet the needs of the people being supported.

Overview of Objectives and Clients

Based on the problem statement and the transformational, human-centered approach discussed above, this support service is expected to advance the following objectives:

1. Generate new data sets, analyses, and knowledge products;

2. Analyze and synthesize existing data and information into accessible knowledge products;

3. Facilitate collaboration, learning and adaptation amongst USAID, implementing partners, beneficiaries, and other key stakeholders;

4. Support and expand USAID’s ongoing organizational strengthening efforts.

The clients of this support service will primarily be: senior management; technical advisors; staff who oversee, manage, and have close contact with USAID programs and who support monitoring, evaluation, and learning; and USAID implementing partners. However, there may be times when the nature of the organizational problem or administrative burden requires engagement of the entire Mission. As well, this support service will engage USAID beneficiaries and other partners, as needed.

Workstream 1: Generation of New Data and Evidence on Program Performance and Operational Context

This workstream includes all the steps required to collect, systematize, synthesize, and analyze data, and turn information into knowledge. The Contractor is required to conduct research, assessment, evaluations, and data analysis to support the Mission in achieving the best outcomes for strategy, and activity objectives. Using data collected directly by the Contractor through research and assessments, as well as aggregating the data already collected by the Mission’s implementing partners and/or third-party sources, the Contractor must develop data visualizations that allow Mission leadership to easily engage with the data for making evidence-based management decisions. This workstream also involves sharing the resulting analysis and information with different audiences, as mandated by USAID/Georgia.

The Contractor must undertake any or all of the following tasks, as requested by USAID.

Task 1.1. Polls and Surveys

Important tools to be developed and implemented under this component may include interviews, focus groups, polls, and surveys that collect information not available in secondary sources. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

a. Engage with Mission’s decision-makers at multiple levels, including AOR/CORs, Office Directors, and the Front Office, to identify the existing data gaps and develop a plan for generating and absorbing data insights.

b. Develop statements of work and detailed designs for polls, surveys, and other data collection efforts, in close consultation with USAID/Georgia COR, implementing partners (as needed), and/or technical teams.

c. Collect beneficiary feedback through direct engagement with USAID beneficiaries in multiple languages.

d. Design national- and sub-national survey instruments that collect qualitative and quantitative data.

e. Administer surveys and public opinion polls, collecting, systematizing, analyzing and presenting survey data at the national and subnational level.

f. Conduct third-party monitoring in Abkhazia to collect, analyze, and present performance and other contextual data through sub-contracts or other arrangements.

g. Produce new data through aggregating, systematizing, synthesizing, analyzing and presenting the existing data sets created by USAID contractors and grantees or third party sources using creative cross-tabulations, long-N longitudinal analyses, and regression analysis.

h. Collect, synthesize, analyze and/or present data for select performance indicators included in the Missions Performance Management Plan (PMP).

i. Input data into USAID’s Development Information Solutions (DIS), and/or submit the date through any other system or format, as instructed by USAID.

Task 1.2 Assessments

Although assessments may also include information about USAID projects or programs, they are generally designed to examine country or sector contexts, the existing development trends and gaps, and other relevant information to inform USAID/Georgia strategy or project activities. Assessments may include research activities that provide information and knowledge on culture, environment, institutions, politics, economics, social and geography dimensions and the application of this knowledge base to devise new strategic approaches and interventions and adjust current ones. Assessments help inform policy, strategic direction of programs, and overcome barriers to implementation in developing country settings. The Contractor may implement on average three assessments annually. Examples of activities under this task include but are not limited to:

a. Engage with Mission’s decision-makers at multiple levels, including AOR/CORs, Office Directors, implementing partners (as needed), and the Front Office, to identify assessment and analytical needs.

b. Develop statements of work and detailed designs for assessments and studies, in close consultation with USAID/Georgia COR, technical teams, and implementing partners (as needed).

c. Develop comprehensive analytical products such as political economic analyses (PEAs), regional case studies, and thematic and sectoral assessments to inform USAID/Georgia strategy, approaches, and/or programming.

d. Conduct the analyses necessary to inform USAID/Georgia’s activity designs, such as stakeholder analysis, gender equality and female empowerment analysis, sustainability analysis, conflict analysis, institutional analysis, analysis of local capacities, environmental impact analysis, social soundness analysis, and ADS 220 analysis, and others.

e. Conduct special studies, academic research, literature review and synthesis, situational analyses, rapid appraisals, feasibility studies, cost-benefit analyses (CBA), cost- efficiency analyses (CEA), and others on certain sectors or issues relevant to USAID’s programmatic or strategic areas.

f. Analyze, prepare reports, and present data and findings obtained in the assessments.

g. Submit data as required to USAID/Washington-maintained repositories.

Task 1.3 Evaluations

Per ADS 201, USAID Missions must conduct: (a) at least one evaluation per Intermediate Result (IR) defined in the strategy; (b) at least one evaluation per activity (e.g., contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements) with a total estimated cost of $20 million or more; and (c) an impact evaluation, if feasible, of any new, untested approach that is anticipated to be expanded in scale or scope through foreign assistance or other funding sources (i.e., a pilot intervention). Furthermore, all Missions may conduct non-required evaluations internal or external for learning or management purposes as needed at any point during or after implementation of a strategy, project, or activity. The Contractor must support USAID/Georgia to design and implement independent performance, impact, and/or ex-post evaluations, in accordance with the aforementioned requirements and USAID policy (see ADS 201). Impact Evaluations measure changes in development outcomes that are attributable to a defined intervention, program, policy, or organization, use models of cause and effect, and require a credible and rigorously https://www.usaid.gov/about-us/agency-policy/series-200/201 defined counterfactual to control for factors other than the intervention that may account for observed changes. Performance evaluations (mid-term, end-of-program, or ex-post) encompass a broad range of evaluation methods, incorporate before-and-after comparisons, but generally lack a rigorously defined counterfactual. Examples of services the Contractor must provide include but are not limited to the following:

a. Engage with Mission’s decision-makers at multiple levels, including AOR/CORs, Office Directors, and the Front Office, to identify evaluations to be supported.

b. Develop statements of work and detailed designs for performance and impact evaluations, in close consultation with USAID/Georgia COR and technical teams.

c. Assemble teams with the appropriate methodological and subject matter expertise to conduct high quality evaluations.

d. Along with international consultants, engage local consultant/s and/or organization/s of relevant expertise in each evaluation team, thus contributing to building the local capacity in the evaluation field in Georgia.

e. Conduct performance evaluations and impact evaluations, with performance evaluations comprising the majority. The contractor may be required to implement an average of 3-5 high quality evaluations per year plus a maximum of three impact evaluations during the life of this contract, as/if mandated by USAID.

f. Organize and lead presentations to communicate the evaluation plan and/or findings to multiple stakeholders.

g. Ensure collection and submission to the Mission of materials such as conflict of interest form signed by each evaluation team member and information collection forms: all data sets, quantitative data and code books, interview questionnaires, focus group transcripts, etc.

prepared for submission to DDL.

h. Submit evaluation reports that meet criteria defined by USAID’s policy, and make it available to the public on-line in a fully searchable form by submitting to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) www.dec.usaid.gov within a week of receiving a Mission approval on the final report.

i. Ensure quality and timely submission of all deliverables. The deliverables for each evaluation at a minimum will be: evaluation design plan (including the workplan); in brief and out brief with the mission; draft evaluation report; and final evaluation report.

j. Assist implementing partners in planning their own evaluations and assessments to ensure that they meet USAID’s requirements and standards.

Workstream 2: Analysis and Synthesis of Existing Data and Evidence into Accessible Knowledge Products

For USAID programs and operations to efficiently achieve their development objectives, people need access to curated, synthesized, and packaged knowledge that is actionable and tailored to their context and the functions they are performing. Under this workstream, the Contractor must turn existing data from USAID/Georgia, its implementing partners, and third-parties into easily digestible knowledge products for use in decision-making at all levels. The Contractor is responsible for utilizing human-centered design to ensure accessibility of those knowledge products. This means, per the Agency’s forthcoming Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning Policy, knowledge needs to be available, organized, searchable, screen readable, translated when possible, intellectually clear and understandable across different learning styles, mindful of equity, and inclusive of diverse knowledge frameworks systems. Knowledge products must be framed and socialized to help people understand and use them. The management implications of context and performance data are not always self-evident. Insightful data analysis and a compelling visual display of performance and context information can help spur achievement and demonstrate the need for changes in USAID strategies, projects, and activities.

Task 2.1 Secondary Analysis of Data Sets The Contractor must analyze existing data collected through either USAID/Georgia itself, its implementing partners, or third-party sources. The Mission, through the Agency’s DIS system, annually collects large volumes of IP-generated data, including performance indicator data for both standard F indicators and the Mission’s PMP indicators. In addition, the Mission currently maintains five geographic operational datasets: activity location, investment location, beneficiary location, local partners, and site visit monitoring. This data is used to create the Mission’s annual geographic analysis.

The Contractor must utilize these existing data sources, along with other third-party sources, such as Geostat, World Bank, etc., to create accessible and easily understood data visualizations that can be used for decision-making at all levels. The Contractor must work in consultation with USAID to identify key learning questions, then review USAID and third-party sources to analyze existing data to be used in the creation of visualizations. Visualizations can take the form of Tableau dashboards, infographics, or other useful formats determined in conversation with USAID.

Task 2.2 Creation of repository of existing studies conducted by IPs without replicating the DEC While USAID assessments are uploaded to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC), the existing system has limited search functionality, making it difficult to effectively utilize as a source of information. The Contractor must identify what relevant assessments are available currently, on the DEC or elsewhere, and compile a searchable database within the Google Suite that contains links to available studies. The Contractor must also ensure that new assessments conducted under the life of the award are uploaded promptly to the DEC and linked to the database where they can be easily accessed by USAID staff for decision-making purposes. This will require working with USAID staff and implementing partners to understand what assessments have already been completed and what assessments are currently underway or planned in order to ensure no relevant or USAID-funded assessments are missed.

Task 2.3 Synthesis of Related Assessments In addition to the assessments conducted by USAID/Georgia itself, the Mission’s implementing partners conduct many targeted assessments over the lifetime of their awards. These assessments are often technical and lengthy, requiring an investment of time and resources to both conduct and process. The Contractor must utilize human-centered design techniques to synthesize and create more digestible knowledge products, allowing for easy dissemination of key points. In collaboration with USAID, the Contractor must develop a consultative process that involves both USAID staff and implementers to ensure the Contractor is aware of upcoming assessments to include in this process, as well as to inventory past assessments which may be relevant to the current context and valuable in informing programmatic approaches. The Contractor and USAID will jointly select assessments for synthesis.

Workstream 3: Facilitating collaboration, learning and adaptation amongst USAID, implementing partners, beneficiaries, and other key stakeholders during strategy development, implementation and review

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting helps the Agency to adapt to rapidly changing events by incorporating lessons learned and past experiences into decision-making and program planning decisions, helping the Mission to effectively support Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. The Contractor must assist USAID/Georgia to incorporate CLA at key points under the Mission’s current Country Development Cooperation Strategy, both by developing the enabling conditions to successfully integrate CLA across USAID/Georgia’s strategy and portfolio and by actively supporting CLA throughout the Program Cycle. The CLA Framework includes specific enabling conditions, such as fostering a climate of openness, encouraging the use of relationship and networks to broaden situational awareness, and update individual and collective knowledge, and fostering continuous learning.

Task 3.1 Support Mission Development, Implementation, and Closeout of Country Development Cooperation Strategy Developing a Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) is a time-intensive process that requires engagement with stakeholders across the Agency and across the partner country. USAID’s CDCS is grounded in development theory, practice, literature, and experience from implementation and supports USAID’s mission to promote and demonstrate democratic values abroad, and advances a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. USAID/Georgia’s CDCS is valid through 2025. Under the lifetime of this contract, USAID/Georgia will go through the process of preparing and implementing a new CDCS. The brunt of this work takes place over three phases, which the Contractor must be prepared to support through coordination, facilitation, and provision of logistical support.

The official CDCS process consists of three phases:

● Phase One: Initial Consultations and Parameters Setting: During Phase One, Missions initiate a formal dialogue with relevant Washington Bureaus and Independent Offices (B/IOs) and interagency stakeholders to ensure that subsequent drafts of their CDCS reflect a corporate view of Washington’s expectations. In addition, they discuss the relative strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities in their partner countries based on their assessment of the most relevant Mission- or third-party sourced data and other evidence. This phase culminates in agreement between the Mission and Washington on priorities, sectoral focus, and other parameters for the CDCS. It also results in agreement on the Mission’s plan for developing the CDCS during Phases Two and Three. The Contractor may be asked to facilitate Phase One of the CDCS preparation, including facilitating internal meetings and discussions, preparing materials, etc. The Contractor may also be asked to conduct sectoral assessments to inform this process (as part of Task 1.1 above).

● Phase Two: Development of a Results Framework: During Phase Two, Missions finalize key analyses, assess evidence and/or other types of information, engage with local stakeholders (Government of Georgia, civil society, private sector, other donor organizations) and relevant Washington B/IOs to establish their initial development hypothesis; finalize their budget scenarios; prepare the Summary Paper and Matrices annex associated with their Results Framework; and outline the next steps to prepare the full CDCS. This phase culminates in Agency agreement on the approaches the Mission will use to advance its strategic goal, budget scenarios that reflect strategic priorities, and an organizing framework that will inform the subsequent development of their CDCS, PMP (see ADS section 201.3.2.15), and projects and/or activities (see ADS section 201.3.3 and 201.3.4). The Contractor may be required to facilitate Phase Two of CDCS preparation, including organizing brainstorming sessions with internal and external stakeholders, preparing initial paperwork, arranging logistics, etc.

● Phase Three: Preparation and Approval of the CDCS: During Phase Three, Missions apply findings from additional analyses and consultations, further refine their strategy, and prepare and submit the full CDCS. This phase culminates in the final approval of the Mission’s CDCS. The Contractor may be required to facilitate Phase Three of CDCS, including but not limited to support with drafting and finalizing the final strategy, both internal and public copies.

Task 3.2 Support Regular Mission Portfolio Review Processes Portfolio reviews are opportunities for Missions to periodically examine designated aspects of the Mission’s strategy, projects, or activities. Per ADS 201.3.2.18, Missions must conduct at least one portfolio review per year that focuses on progress toward strategy-level results. Missions may conduct additional portfolio reviews, such as semi-annual portfolio or Development Objective (DO)-level reviews, and the objectives, content, and format of these additional portfolio reviews may vary depending on the needs of the Mission. Portfolio reviews play an important role in a Mission’s ongoing learning and adapting, serving as a pause and reflect moment for the Mission to generate and apply new learning across a broad range of programmatic and operational approaches, including from changing circumstances or context in the country. Missions may also leverage portfolio reviews to further enhance strategic collaboration and stakeholder engagement, to strengthen knowledge transfer among staff and partners, and to address organizational practices and culture to better enable adaptive management. The Contractor may be required to plan, prepare, organize, and facilitate, and follow-up on portfolio reviews for the Mission.

Task 3.3 Facilitate the Development and Implementation of the CLA Agenda and Implementation Plan In collaboration with USAID, the Contractor must develop an annual CLA Agenda and Implementation Plan at the start of each year. The Agenda must include a schedule of all learning events planned for the year both internally for USAID and externally among implementing partners and other key stakeholders.

Illustrative examples of learning events include:

● IP meetings

● Learning workshops

● Pause and reflect sessions

● Donor coordination meetings

● Key points for direct beneficiary feedback collection

● Community of practice meetings

Some of the activities that will be included in the CLA agenda and Implementation Plan are also outlined below (tasks 3.4; 3.5; and 3.6). The Contractor must implement the activities agreed upon in the CLA agenda, through the provision of planning and logistics, facilitation, and follow up on outstanding action items.

Task 3.4 Develop and Assist in Key Knowledge Sharing Practices and Facilitate Sectoral and Development Objective-Level Pause and Reflect Sessions with USAID, Implementing Partners, and Other Key Stakeholders The Contractor must conduct and support events, learning fairs, workshops, and seminars that promote collaboration and learning among USAID, IPs, and other stakeholders, including beneficiaries.

Workshops and learning fairs will provide a forum for sharing best practices, summarizing lessons learned from evaluations and analyses, discussing changes to the development context in Georgia related to the critical assumptions outlined in the CDCS, reviewing progress towards the achievement of DOs, determining whether the CDCS and DOs remain relevant in light of the changing development context, discussing sector-level challenges and gaps, and brainstorming solutions. The Contractor must also facilitate periodic meetings with partners, learning networks, and/or other stakeholders to facilitate learning and knowledge sharing at sector- or sub-sector levels. The Contractor must organize logistics for the events, covering costs of non-USAID participants, providing a venue, facilitation and soliciting and organizing content (such as presentations, round table discussions, technical discussions, contests, networking opportunities etc.) from among participating stakeholders. The Contractor must document and make available in useful form analytic results, studies, evaluations, meeting notes, decisions made, and follow up from learning engagements. Opportunities for knowledge sharing must be built into the CLA Agenda and Implementation Plan. The contractor must also produce a collaboration and learning e-newsletter and propose other innovative knowledge sharing products.

Task 3.5 Support Communities of Practice at the Mission and Implementing Partner Level USAID communities of practice are smaller voluntary working groups or learning networks focused on exploring challenges, successes, and opportunities relating to specific cross-cutting topics. Communities of practice give members the opportunity to learn from one another, explore shared challenges, and, importantly for USAID’s work, develop working relationships across the Mission’s portfolio that can lead to unexpected opportunities for cross-cutting collaboration. USAID/Georgia currently operates internal communities of practice among its staff on a range of topics. In addition, USAID/Georgia’s specialized advisors run two external communities of practice for implementing partners, one focused on private sector engagement and another - on positive youth development, with plans to add additional communities based on the results of surveys and conversations with implementing partners. The Contractor must support the USAID technical advisors to organize and facilitate community of practice meetings, as well as maintain engagement with the communities of practice in the interim between in-person or virtual meetings.

Task 3.6 Develop and deliver training courses for implementing partners USAID/Georgia occasionally has the need for one-off or ad hoc training courses for implementing partners. This can be in response to changing requirements from Washington or changing priorities within the Mission as it aims to improve the quality of its own processes. As part of this task, the Contractor must prepare, organize, and deliver relevant training as it arises. Examples of previous and possible training events include but are not limited to: MEL plan writing using standardized MEL templates, rollout of new PMP and F indicators, guidance on indicator collection methodologies, capacity building for data collection and entry, understanding performance indicator reference sheets, etc.

Workstream 4. Supporting and expanding USAID’s ongoing organizational strengthening efforts.

This objective covers all the tasks necessary to ensure that USAID staff and teams have the skills, systems and processes in place to be a learning organization. A learning organization is one skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. The Mission’s commitment to organizational change extends beyond this support service and includes in-house managed training and workshops for Mission staff and redesign of internal processes to use analytical rigor in decision-making. Human capacity means development or improvement of individual knowledge, skills, technical expertise, and ability to adapt and be resilient to policy and leadership changes.

Task 4.1 Develop knowledge retention and transfer practices for staff onboarding and offboarding Due to USAID’s frequent turnover of US Direct Hire staff, it is essential to develop regular processes for the capture and transfer of knowledge, both explicit and tacit. Strong knowledge management processes are a key enabling condition for effective collaboration, learning, and adapting.

USAID/Georgia, as part of its ongoing organizational strengthening efforts, has recently developed a New Employee Orientation Training that leverages existing resources and Mission capacities to improve the onboarding experience for new staff. This training focuses on preparing new staff ahead of and upon their arrival to Georgia. The Contractor must support these efforts at knowledge transfer while developing better processes for capturing knowledge from outgoing staff ahead of their departures to prevent the loss of important institutional memory.

While explicit knowledge is more easily surfaced, managed, documented, and shared, special care must be taken to surface, synthesize, and share important tacit knowledge before USDH staff depart to their next posts. Tacit knowledge refers to the knowledge, skills, and abilities staff acquire through experience. USAID’s forthcoming Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning policy states that, rather than trying to make it explicit, tacit knowledge can be more meaningful when shared in context and via peer-to-peer discussion. In developing knowledge retention and transfer practices, the Contractor must take into account both types of knowledge.

Task 4.2 Deliver annual Georgia 101 training course for new hires and incoming staff The purpose of this onboarding training is to impart critical contextual knowledge about Georgia to incoming and recently arrived personnel, most of whom will be in leadership positions and have a high degree of engagement with a wide array of stakeholders in Georgia as part of their duties. Participants of the training course will be equipped with the necessary understanding of Georgia’s political, socioeconomic, and cultural background, enabling them to adapt and integrate into their new environment effectively.

USAID/Georgia is currently developing a 25-hour training course, including training curriculum and training material, on contemporary Georgian politics, economy, and society. The course is intended for USAID personnel and will be delivered at the U.S. Embassy premises over five days. The Contractor must deliver this course at least once per year. In delivering this training, the Contractor must bring together qualified and well-regarded lecturers, specialists, researchers, and/or activists with knowledge of Georgia, the Caucasus, and the broader geopolitical context. This group of experts must be diverse, and it must include a mix of Georgian and non-Georgian, as well as minority voices to ensure a balance between a diverse and inclusive range of all perspectives. It is critical that the Contractor bring together a team that is able to provide a neutral, unbiased stance, and make extra efforts to demonstrate differing positions and perspectives in Georgian society. The proposed team must have a proven track record of delivering fact-based, well-balanced training courses using advanced methods and tools in adult learning and training design and delivery.

Lectures will include essential topics such as understanding Georgia’s political history, transitions, and current status; U.S.-Georgia history and relations, with a focus on USAID programmatic history;

geopolitical dynamics, including Georgia’s complicated relationship with Russia; economy; human rights;

geography, religions, cultures, and ethnic diversity; society, customs, and attitudes. This intensive examination of the political, historical, economic, social, and cultural features of Georgia will provide a pertinent analytical account of Georgia’s current political and developmental challenges and opportunities. The course will provide USAID personnel with the necessary foundational knowledge in beginning or continuing their tours in Georgia.

The Contractor must deliver all lectures, working alongside the relevant subject-matter experts, as well as facilitating all discussions. The Contractor must deliver the course at least annually using participant-centered, interactive, and innovative approaches. The Contractor must deliver the training course on the U.S. Embassy premises. After delivery, the contractor must conduct a feedback survey.

The contractor must continue to refine the curriculum based on participant input, as well as changes to USAID/Georgia’s operating context within the county in order to ensure that incoming staff in the future are receiving accurate and up-to-date information upon their arrival. In the case of substantive changes to the curriculum, the Contractor must work with international and local experts to ensure a nuanced and high-quality product.

Task 4.3 Develop a paid internship program for Georgian youth USAID/Georgia aims to be an example for its implementing partners, who are encouraged and sometimes expected to engage Georgian youth through internships within their organizations or programs. The Mission currently lacks a funding mechanism to allow it to provide paid internships at USAID. The Contractor must help the Mission to develop an internal internship program and must budget to provide an agreed upon level of compensation to interns from its project budget. The Contractor is also expected to work with USAID Mission Staff to design and plan the internship program, including the identification of timelines, schedules, as well as roles and optimal tasks that can be assumed by interns in order to both advance the Mission’s organizational capacity and enhance the knowledge of Georgia’s youth.

Task 4.4 Organize and Facilitate Regular Organizational Development Pause and Reflect Sessions at the Mission, Leadership, and Office Level Through experience, the Mission believes that combining all-staff, team-specific, and senior staff pause and reflect sessions as part of a Mission-wide approach to organizational development has proven fruitful in achieving the Mission’s CLA objectives at various levels across the organization, by creating a culture of continuous learning that leverages and builds interpersonal and professional relationships.

In designing the organizational development pause and reflect sessions, the contractor must propose a process by which key data related to organizational dynamics, team, and Mission-wide issues are identified for prioritization. The contractor must work with the existing Mission Oversight Committee to convert diagnostic information into organizational development sessions agenda items that align with the action plan developed by the Mission following its most recent organizational development session.

This may also include a survey, focus group, informant interviews (or other tool) that requires minimal time commitment from staff, while providing critical input into agenda design.

Across all aspects of the organizational development pause and reflect sessions, USAID/Georgia requires:

● Utilization of the DiSC Model, including completing initial surveys and ensuring the accompanying analysis for all staff, including those that have joined since the tool was last offered in April 2023;

● A schedule prioritization of activities/interventions to enable follow-up and operationalization of any action items, individual or shared commitments made during the sessions;

● A particular focus on inclusion, ensuring all voices are heard, including those that may be more reticent or contrary;

● Facilitating a candid but constructive and appreciative dialogue among staff, with an emphasis on problem-solving, individual responsibility, team spirit, mutual respect and empowerment;

● Consistent reinforcement of the Mission's (and Agency's) emphasis on leadership behavior and development and explicit values.

Specific activities for each session would be designed based upon initial consultations with Mission leadership and team leads and the proposed needs assessments and/or diagnostics as proposed by the facilitator(s) to gather additional background information on potential issues and areas for further development.

The contractor must work with the Mission's Executive Office (EXO) to coordinate all organizational development session logistics and preparations and ensure all necessary materials and audio-visual equipment are on-site for the successful execution of each scheduled organizational development session.

Task 4.5 Develop and Deliver Core Capacity-building Sessions for USAID Staff In order to successfully strengthen the organization as a whole, one must strengthen the people who comprise it. USAID/Georgia has a talented staff with many specialized skills. Building core capacities among them will increase the capacity of USAID overall and allow for better collaboration, learning, and adapting. The contractor must develop and deliver capacity-building sessions on key communication skills that will increase staff effectiveness through a deeper personal awareness of individual behaviors and a shared understanding of interpersonal and team dynamics. Examples of skill development sessions include but are not limited to:

● Facilitation skills

● Public speaking

● Meeting management

● Inbox management

● Google suite

Task 4.6 Provide Short-Term Technical Assistance Services to USAID The Contractor must provide short-term technical assistance services (STTA) to USAID, such as meeting facilitation, as requested by USAID.

Management Modality

The contractor must use a combination of core staff to manage regularly scheduled work and deliverables and bring in additional local or expatriate short-term advisors, experts and specialists to conduct the periodic or one-off tasks.

Use of local experts and sub-contractors: Rather than have full time permanent staff conducting all of the work the Contractor must hire Short Term Technical Advisors (or bring them in from the home office) on an as-needed basis for specific work, and sub-contract other firms, research institutions, or individuals. In selection of Short Term Technical Advisors and sub-contractors the Contractor must utilize, to the maximum extent possible, the expertise and capabilities of local individuals and local organizations. The Contractor must strive to ensure that during the course of evaluation, data collection, and analytical work, Georgian experts and institutions will perform the bulk of the work, with oversight, guidance, and quality control by the Contractor. The use of local firms and experts will increase the quality of analysis by bringing a more nuanced and authentic perspective to development problems, decrease the cost of the work by eliminating costly foreign travel, and contribute to national capacity development and sustainability. The Contractor is ultimately responsible for overseeing the quality of the work provided to USAID/Georgia.

Eligibility and Conflict of Interest

The Contractor will not be eligible to conduct any evaluations that include examination of awards for which they are an implementing partner, whether as prime contractor or subcontractor. With regard to potential disqualifying conflicts on other procurements or awards under USAID/Georgia’s CDCS, determination of potential conflicts will be made by the Contracting officer in consultation with the Resident Legal Officer at the time the conflict arises.

Attachment 2 - Questions

USAID seeks input, comments, and recommendations on any or all of the following questions below.

Please note that you are not obligated to provide responses to all questions. Please limit the responses to these questions to no more than five (5) pages.

A. Given the problem statement, do the suggested interventions appear appropriate, necessary, and sufficient to achieve the stated objectives? If not, what tasks/objectives need to be added, deleted, or modified and why?

B. How can a learning-oriented approach be cultivated to ensure continuous improvement throughout the program's implementation?

C. What commitment is required on the side of USAID in order to fully transform practices in a way that leads to a sustainable culture shift within the organization?

D. Is there capacity among Georgian organizations to fully manage and implement this program? To what extent do Georgian organizations have access to a pool of qualified international experts to implement some of the tasks listed in the Attachment 1?

E. What would be the effective mechanism to identify experts/organizations for implementing various interventions under the program?

F. What suggestions would you have for the composition of a core team to implement the program?

G. What would be the approximate range of costs to conduct representative polling on a regional level?

H. What other factors should USAID consider in the design or implementation of this program that have not been explicitly mentioned?

I. Is there interest among international firms to partner with Georgian organizations to implement this award? What should be the optimal management structure of this award? What would be the role of Georgian organizations - prime vs. sub?

Any other suggestions you may wish to offer that will improve program design and implementation are welcome. In responding to the above inquiries, please complete the sources sought page and include your responses.

Attachment 3 - Sources Sought Response Form

The information provided will be used to identify whether there are adequate local, new or underutilized entities that possess the capability to provide the services described in Attachment 1. No final decision in regards to limiting competition has been made.

All responses to this notice must be in English and should include the following:

General Information

Name of Organization: _______________________________________________

Contact Person:

Name: _______________________________________________

Position Title: _______________________________________________

Email Address: _______________________________________________

Type of Organization:

____ US Organization (other than small business) ____ US Organization, Small Business ____ US Organization that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding in the past five years ____ US Organization, Non-Profit Organization ____ Local/Georgian Organization ____ Non-U.S. or Georgian Organization ____ Other - Please indicate: _________________________________

Responses:

1. Capabilities Statements:

a. Does your organization possess the capacity, knowledge, and experience to perform all aspects of the activity described above (e.g., Workstreams 1-4)

b. If not all aspects, which specific workstreams does your organization possess capability to perform?

2. Please provide a brief description of the organizations’ capacity, experience, and methods demonstrating capability to perform the tasks identified in Attachment 1.

3. Please provide responses to the questions set forth in Attachment 2. A response to every question is not required (not to exceed five pages).

Any other suggestions you may wish to offer that will improve program design and implementation are welcome.