Amendment No 01 to the RFP 72011523R00002 signed.pdf

To All Applicants:

From: USAID/CA Regional Mission Acquisition and Assistance Office Park Palace Building 41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan 050010

Date: April 5, 2023

Subject: Amendment No. 01 to Request for Proposals (RFP) No.: 72011523R00002 Central Asia Mechanism for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning the title is changed by this Amendment to Central Asia Regional Platform for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (RP‐MEL)

The purpose of this Amendment No.01 to the above referenced RFP is to incorporate changes in the RFP, provide answers to questions received (Annex No.01 to this Amendment).

Accordingly, the changes are as follows:

1) The activity title is changed from Central Asia Mechanism for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning to Central Asia Regional Platform for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (RP‐MEL). All references to “Central Asia Mechanism for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning” are hereby replaced with “Central Asia Regional Platform for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (RP‐

MEL)”.

2) COVER PAGE, Closing Date/Time, replace “April 14, 2023, 10AM, Almaty Time” to read as follows: “May 10, 2023, 10AM, Almaty Time”.

3) Page 8 – SECTION B.6 LABOR, revise to read as follows:

“B.6 LABOR

The Contracting Officer has determined that a full‐time key personnel position is not necessary or required to administer the IDIQ.

(Only applicable to CPFF completion type TOs):

a) IDIQ central management costs will be handled through one of the following methods:

1) Contractors will not be authorized to bill USAID directly for IDIQ management costs under this IDIQ or under task orders. Contractors must adopt a centralized management structure that allows for recovery of IDIQ management costs as part of its indirect costs.

Or

2) Contractors will be authorized to bill USAID directly for IDIQ management costs as specified in a task order issued to the Contractor.

The method to be applied will be determined at the Task Order solicitation and award stage.

(b) The workday and workweek policies and method of accounting for paid absences including holidays for the contractor and major subcontractors must be in accordance with the Contractor’s organizational policies and acceptable accounting procedures, which should be compliant with the cost principles applicable to the Contractor and the terms of this contract.

(c) All locally hired national personnel and other non‐U.S. expatriates must be paid in accordance with USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) 722.170. Salaries for individual locally hired personnel and other non‐U.S. expatriates under this Contract and any resulting subcontract must be in accordance with AIDAR 752.7007, Personnel Compensation (July 2007), and should be based upon a combination of factors including the prevailing compensation paid to personnel performing comparable work in the cooperating country as determined by USAID and consideration of the individual’s education, work experience and recent relevant salary history.

4) Page 9 – SECTION B.8 CEILING ON INDIRECT COST RATES, remove in its entirety.

5) Page 30 – SECTION F.8 PERSONNEL – remove the first sentence and replace it with the following sentence: “For Task Orders the Contractor must furnish personnel as stated in task orders”.

6) Page 78 – PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS, SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS, remove Attachment 2 “Illustrative Daily Rate Chart” from the solicitation, replace it with Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work”, add revised Attachments and add the new Attachments to the subject solicitation. The Attachments are provided by this Amendment and are as follows:

Attachment 1 “Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal” Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” Attachment 3 “Past Performance Information Sheet” Attachment 4 “SF 33 Form” Attachment 5 “Local Compensation Plan for Kazakhstan” Attachment 6 “Local Compensation Plan for Kyrgyzstan” Attachment 7 “Local Compensation Plan for Tajikistan” Attachment 8 “Local Compensation Plan for Turkmenistan” Attachment 9 “Local Compensation Plan for Uzbekistan”

7) Page 89 – SECTION K.8 52.230‐1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION

(JUNE 2020), remove in its entirety.

8) Page 93, Section L.2 52.216‐1 Type of Contract (APR 1984), replace to read as follows:

“The Government contemplates award of a single award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract resulting from this solicitation. Task Orders issued under this IDIQ contract may be

KAZAKHSTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional either Firm‐Fixed‐Price (FFP), Cost‐Plus‐Fixed‐Fee (CPFF) (term or completion), Cost‐Plus‐Award‐Fee (CPAF) or Cost‐Plus‐Incentive‐Fee (CPIF).

(End of provision)”

9) Page 95 – SECTION L.4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS, bullet (h), replace “Solicitation ‐ 72011518R00003, USAID/Central Asia Learning from Evaluations & Assessments for Development (LEAD) Activity” with “Solicitation ‐ 72011523R00002, Central Asia Regional Platform for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (RP‐MEL)”

10) Page 96 – SECTIONS L.4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND L.5 DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS, replace www.fbo.gov and www.fedbizopps.gov with the correct website www.sam.gov.

11) Page 97 – SECTION L.6.1 Organization of the Technical Proposal, revise to read as follows:

The technical proposal should address how the Offeror intends to carry out the Statement of Work contained in Section C. It should also indicate a clear understanding of the work to be undertaken and the responsibilities of all parties involved. The technical proposal should be organized in accordance with the technical evaluation criteria listed in Section M.

The technical proposal must include the following information:

Cover Page (not to exceed 1 page) Cover Letter (not to exceed 1 page) Table of Contents List of Acronyms Executive Summary (not to exceed 2 pages) Technical Proposal (not to exceed 20 pages)

1. Technical Approach (part of 20‐pages limitation)

2. Management Plan (part of 20‐pages limitation)

3. Contractor’s Past Performance Information (separate Annex – not to exceed 7 pages) Requested Technical Proposal Annexes:

Contractor’s Past Performance Information. See Section L.6.3.3 (not to exceed 7 pages);

Illustrative charts, graphs and other information as determined by the Offeror as necessary

(not to exceed 5 pages);

Branding Strategy and Marking Plan (to be submitted only by the apparently successful offeror in accordance with template which will be shared by USAID)

12) Page 97 ‐ SECTION L.6.2 Page Limitations, revise to read as follows:

The Technical Proposal is limited to 20 pages. USAID will not evaluate information submitted above this page limit. Proposals must be written in English and typed on standard 8.5” x 11” paper (216mm x 297mm), single spaced, Calibri font not less than 12 points in size, with margins no less than one inch of each border. Number each page consecutively. The text in any text boxes included within the technical proposal must not be less than 10 points in size.

Tables, graphics, charts, graphs, other information related to the Technical Proposal may be included, where appropriate, in the technical proposal. If the Offeror decides to provide additional tables, graphics, charts, graphs, other information it may provide those in an annex which is limited to five pages. Text in tables, graphics, charts, graphs, etc. should not be smaller than 10 points in size.

Not included in the 20‐page limitation are the following:

1. Cover Page (not to exceed 1 page)

2. Cover Letter (not to exceed 1 page)

3. Table of Contents

4. List of Acronyms

5. Executive Summary (not to exceed 2 pages)

5. Requested Technical Proposal Annexes

All information from appendices must be referenced in the technical proposal and summarized and included in the annex section.

13) Page 98 – Section L.6.3 Content of the Technical Proposal, add the following paragraph to clarify what information is to be included in the Cover Page:

“Cover Page, include the offeror’s name submitting the proposal and the organization’s DUNS number. Major subcontractors must be clearly identified, along with their DUNS numbers; major subs are defined as those expected to perform at least 25% of the Offeror’s total proposed budget, or a prominent part of the technical effort. Include a contact person for the proposal, including his/her name (both typed and signed), title or position with the organization, address, telephone, and email address. Also state whether the contact person is the person with authority to Contract for the Offeror, and if not, that person should also be clearly identified.

Offerors may choose to submit a cover letter in addition to the cover pages, but it will serve only as a transmittal letter to the Contracting Officer. The cover letter will not be reviewed as part of the evaluation criteria”.

14) Page 98 – Section L.6.3.1 Technical Approach, revise to read as follows:

“This section must reflect the Offeror’s technical understanding of the operational environment, as well as the objectives identified in Section C of the subject solicitation. Given that the approach will vary depending on the Task Order, the Offeror should broadly note how they would approach each objective identified in Section C and briefly share as part of the technical approach their technical approach to the Illustrative Scope of Work (please see Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” provided with this Amendment). USAID will consider the technical approach in response to the illustrative scope of work as part of the technical evaluation.

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

15) Page 98 – Section L.6.3.2 Management Plan, revise to read as follows:

“The Offeror must convincingly describe their approach that demonstrates organizational capability to: manage the IDIQ, recruit expatriate and local staff and/or local consultants; ensure timely response to individual task orders; and effectively recruit, mobilize, and organize staff into teams that can undertake the tasks in this award. Priority must be given to local/regional specialists or subcontracts with local/regional organizations with appropriate expertise. The Offeror is expected to demonstrate capability to provide strong, competent direction and oversight during the implementation of the potential task order and establish routine communications with the USAID Mission issuing the task order. Additionally, the Offeror should briefly share their management plan for the illustrative Scope of Work (please see Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” provided with this Amendment). USAID will consider the management plan in response to the illustrative scope of work as part of the management plan evaluation.”

16) Page 98 – Section L.6.3.3 Contractor Past Performance Information, bullet 1, add the following: Please use Attachment 3“Past Performance Information Sheet” to the subject RFP;

Bullet 2, add the following sentence: please use Attachment 3 “Past Performance Information Sheet” for providing the information on past performance.

17) Page 99 – Section L.6.3.4 Technical Proposal Annexes, bullet 1 related to the Branding Strategy and Marking Plan, revise to read as follows:

“1. Branding Strategy and Marking Plan. Apparently successful offerors will be requested to provide a Branding Strategy and Marking Plan in accordance with the Branding Strategy and Marking Plan template and requirements provided in Section D.3 of the IDIQ. The IDIQ Branding Strategy and subsequent Branding Implementation and Marking Plan will apply to all task orders under the name of the IDIQ. Branding implementation and Marking Plans from the apparently successful Offeror will be reviewed and be subject to the CO approval prior to IDIQ award.”

18) Page 99 – Section L.6.3.4 Technical Proposal Annexes, bullet 2, revise to add other information as part of the Annex and remove requirement to submit the Organizational Chart. It should read as follows: “Illustrative charts, graphs, other information (not to exceed 5 pages).”

19) Page 100 – Section L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL, revise to read as follows:

“The cost proposal (please see Part 2 – Proposed Costs/Prices in this section) must be submitted under separate email from the technical proposal. The cost proposal must be compatible with Microsoft Excel with unlocked formulas. The narrative for the cost proposal must be in Microsoft Word, Calibri, font size 12, or PDF, text accessible.

There is no limit on the number of pages for the cost proposal. Offerors must propose costs that they believe are realistic and reasonable for the work in accordance with the Illustrative Scope of Work (please see Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” to this Amendment document) and the technical approach and staffing plan proposed. The cost proposal will be evaluated as part of the best value determination for the IDIQ.

NOTE: All cost exhibits must be generated using EXCEL, and all formulas / algorithms used to develop the proposed costs must be viewable in these EXCEL files for ease of review.

Offerors must submit a separate Cost Proposal and include the following information described herein below. Failure to include all information, or to organize the proposal in the manner prescribed, may result in rejection of the proposal as being unacceptable. The following guidance is provided with respect to the organization of the cost proposal.

Part 1 ‐ Standard Form (SF) 33

The Offeror must submit the cover page (Section A) of this request for cost proposal [Standard Form (SF) 33, “Solicitation, Offer, and Award”], with blocks 12 through 18 completed, with an original signature of a person authorized on behalf of the Offeror to sign the offer. Please see Attachment 4 “SF 33 Form” to this Amendment document.

Part 2 – Proposed Costs/Prices

The Budget and the Budget Narratives to the Illustrative Scope of Work (please see Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” to the subject Amendment)

Offerors are requested to provide the Cost Proposal (please see Attachment 1 “Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal” for a sample budget template) to the Illustrative Scope of Work (please see Attachment 2 to this Amendment). The Contracting Officer will use this budget to determine the offerors' ability to propose reasonable costs and prices for work under the IDIQ. For cost purposes, assume that the Task Order will begin on October 1, 2023, with the period of performance of 12 weeks. The total estimated cost of the Task Order for the illustrative scope of work provided in the Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” is in the range from $150,000 to $200,000. Please note that the Attachment 1 is provided as an example. The Offeror may adjust and include costs other than provided in the sample budget from the Attachment 1 “Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal” as determined by the offeror as necessary for the provided illustrative scope of work.

As part of the Cost proposal offerors should also include a budget narrative explaining how the costs were derived for proposed budgeted categories such as Direct Labor, Travel, Transportation and Per Diem, Other Direct Costs, G&A (if applicable), Subtotal Before Fee, Subcontractor Costs (if applicable), Total Estimated Cost, Fixed Fee, Total Estimated Firm Fixed Price Amount, other costs as proposed by the offeror in the illustrative task order budget proposal.

The offeror shall provide budget narratives to support the costs proposed in the Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal. The narrative for the cost proposal must be in Microsoft Word, Calibri font size 12, or PDF, text accessible.

USAID’s goal is to achieve low administrative costs and focus funds for local engagement and program implementation.

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

The guidance/format below is provided for the use by Offerors in developing the Budget and Budget narratives in response to the Illustrative Scope of Work provided in Attachment 2.

1. Direct Labor Salary and Wages: FAR 31.205‐6, AIDAR 731.205‐46 and AIDAR 752.7007 provides for compensation for personal services. Direct labor salary and wages must be proposed in accordance with the Offeror’s personnel policies and must meet the regulatory requirements, and must be allowable, allocable and reasonable. Costs of long‐term and short‐term personnel must be broken down by person years, months, days or hours.

2. Fringe benefits: FAR 31.205‐6 provides for allowances and services provided by the Contractor to its employees as compensation in addition to regular wages and salaries. If fringe benefits are provided for as part of a firm’s indirect cost rate structure, see FAR 42.700. If not part of an indirect cost rate, a detailed cost breakdown by benefits types must be provided for both international and local staff.

3. Travel, transportation, and per diem: FAR 31.205‐46, AIDAR 731.205‐46 and AIDAR 752‐ 7032 provide for costs for transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses. Costs must be broken down by the number of trips, domestic and international, cost per trip, per diem and other related travel costs. Per diem must be based on the Federal Standardized Travel Regulations for cost estimates.

4. Equipment and supplies: FAR 2.101 provides for supplies as all property except land or interest in land, FAR 31.205‐26 provides for material costs, and FAR 45 prescribes policies and procedures for providing USG property to Contractors, Contractors’ use and management of USG property, and reporting, redistributing, and disposing of Contractor inventory. Costs must be broken down by types and units.

5. Subcontracts: FAR 44.101 provides for any Contract entered into by a subcontractor to furnish supplies or services for performance of a prime Contract or a subcontract. The cost and pricing proposal must describe all potential subcontracting arrangements. Information sufficient to determine the reasonableness of the cost of each specific subcontract expected to be hired must be included. Similar information must be provided for all consultants provided under the category for personnel. Cost element breakdowns should include the same budget items as the prime as applicable.

6. Allowances: AIDAR 752.7028 provides for differentials and allowances with further references to Standardized Regulations. Allowances should be broken down by specific type and by person, and should be in accordance with Offeror’s policies and the applicable regulations.

7. Other direct costs: FAR 31.202 provides for the allowability of direct costs. Costs will be broken down by types and units. Specific information regarding the type of communication cost at issue (i.e. mail, telephone, cellular phones, internet etc.) must be included in order to allow an assessment of the realism and reasonableness of these types of costs. This can also include report preparation costs, passports and visas fees, medical exams and inoculations, insurance (other than insurance included in the Offeror’s fringe benefits), as well as any other miscellaneous costs. The narrative must include a breakdown and support for all other direct costs.

8. Indirect Costs (e.g., overhead, G&A, material & handling): FAR 31.203 and FAR 42.700 provides instructions for those remaining costs (indirect) that are to be allocated to intermediate or two or more final cost objectives. Indirect costs and bases are provided for in an Offeror’s indirect cost rate agreement with the Government, or if approved rates have not been previously established with the Government, a breakdown of bases and pools as method of determining the rates and description of costs.

As applicable the Offeror and each proposed major subcontractor shall include a complete copy of its most current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or other documentation from its cognizant Government Audit Agency, if any, stating the most recent final indirect cost rates. The proposal shall also include the name and address of the Government Audit Agency, and the name and telephone number of the auditor.

If the Offeror or any major subcontractor does not have a cognizant Government Audit Agency and an NICRA, the proposal shall include:

(a) audited balance sheets and profit and loss statements for the last two complete years, and the current year‐to‐date statements (or such lesser period of time if the Offeror is a newly‐formed organization), must be included in the proposal. The profit and loss statements should include detail of the total cost of goods and services sold, including a listing of the various indirect administrative costs, and be supplemented by information on the prime contractor’s customary indirect cost allocation method, together with supporting computations of the basis for the indirect cost rate(s) proposed; and

(b) the most recent two fiscal year pool and base cost compositions along with derived rates, the bases of allocation of these rates and an independent certified audit by a certified accounting firm of these rates.

The prime and all major subcontractors may propose lower overhead rates than their established NICRA and sign the letter found in ADS 300, Mandatory Reference for Best Practices Guide for Indirect Costing. Indirect rates proposed cannot be higher than the rates established in their NICRA.

Please read further instructions below if your organization does not have a NICRA.

(i) The Offeror and each major subcontractor must include a complete copy of its most current NICRA or other documentation from its cognizant Government Audit Agency, if any, stating the most recent provisional indirect cost rates. The proposal must also include the name and address of the Government Audit Agency, and the name and telephone number of the auditor.

(ii) If the Offeror or major subcontractor does not have a cognizant Government Audit Agency, the proposal must include:

Audited balance sheets and profit and loss statements for the last two complete years, and the current

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional year‐to‐date statements (or such lesser period of time if the Offeror is a newly‐formed organization).

The profit and loss statements should include detail of the total cost of goods and services sold, including a listing of the various indirect administrative costs, and be supplemented by information on the prime contractor’s customary indirect cost allocation method, together with supporting computations of the basis for the indirect cost rate(s) proposed; and

The most recent two fiscal year pool and base costs compositions along with derived rates, the bases of allocation of these rates and an independent certified audit by a certified accounting firm of these rates.

Part 3 ‐ Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors

The Offeror in response to this IDIQ and each proposed subcontractor, if any, must complete Section K, “Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors”.

The submission of these items in accordance with these instructions will, if the USG accepts the offer, contractually bind the USG and the successful Offeror to the terms and conditions of the prospective Contract (i.e., sections A through K). The USG advises prospective Offerors to read the terms and conditions of the prospective Contract carefully and to refer any questions of interpretation to the individuals listed in Section L.4 of the solicitation in writing.

At the stage of award issuing, the contractor and all proposed subcontractors must ensure they are registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) per FAR part 4.

Part 4 ‐ Policies and Procedures

If the Offeror does not have prior Federal contracting experience submit a copy of its personnel policies, especially regarding salary and wage scales, fringe benefits, merit increases, promotions, leave, differentials, travel and per diem regulations, etc.

Part 5 ‐ Information Concerning Work‐Day, Work‐Week, and Paid Absences

The Offeror must include the following information for their own and all proposed subcontractors, if any:

● State the number of hours and days in its normal workday and workweek, both domes cally and overseas, for employees and consultants.

● State specifically how paid absences (U.S. holidays, local holidays, vacation and sick) will be reimbursed under this contract.

A normal work‐year, including paid absences (holidays, vacations, and sick leave) is 2,080 hours (260 days x 8 hours per day). However, some organizations do not have an 8‐hour work‐day, and some accounting systems normally provide for direct recovery of paid absences by using a work year of less than 2,080 hours to compute individuals’ unburdened daily rates. The Offeror must describe their workday and workweek policies as well as for each subcontractor.

The workday and workweek policies and the method of accounting for paid absences for the Offeror and subcontractors in effect at time of award will remain in force throughout the period of the award.

Part 6 ‐ Joint Venture Information.

If two or more parties have formed a partnership or joint venture (see FAR Subpart 9.6), for the purposes of submitting a proposal under this Solicitation and, if selected, would perform the Contract as a single entity, they must submit, as an attachment to the Cost/Business Proposal, the Corporate Charter, By‐Laws, or Joint Venture or Partnership Agreement. In addition, the teaming arrangements must be identified, company relationships must be fully disclosed, and respective responsibilities and method of work must be expressly stipulated. The joint venture or partnership agreement must include a full discussion of the relationship between the organizations, including identification of the organization, which will have responsibility for negotiation of Task Orders under the resultant contract, which organization will have accounting responsibility, how work will be allocated, and profit or fee, if any, shared. In addition, the principles to the joint venture or partnership agreement must agree to be jointly and severally liable for the acts or omissions of the other.

Part 7 ‐ Evidence of Responsibility

The Prime Contractor and subcontractor(s), if any, must submit sufficient evidence of responsibility for the Contracting Officer to make an affirmative determination of responsibility pursuant to the requirements of FAR Subsection 9.104‐1. To be determined responsible, a prospective contractor must address FAR 9.104. If the Offeror fails to submit sufficient evidence for the Contracting Officer to make a determination of responsibility, then the Contracting Officer may make a determination of non‐responsibility and the Offeror may be precluded from being awarded a contract.

However, in the case of a small business Offeror, the Contracting Officer will comply with FAR 19.6.

Part 8 ‐ Consent to Subcontractors

The Offeror must address and include in the proposal each of the elements in FAR 44.202‐2 in order for all proposed subcontractors, if any, to be considered should the CO determine that it is in the best interest of the USG to provide consent to subcontract at the time of award.

Part 9 ‐ Letters of Commitment (Major Subcontractors)

If applicable, the Cost/Business Proposal must include a letter, on subcontractor letterhead, and signed by an authorized representative of each subcontractor, which specifically indicates the subcontractor's agreement to be included in the Offeror's proposed teaming arrangement. A letter of commitment from regional/local partners is highly preferred but not required, unless they are also major subcontractors.

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

Part 10 ‐ Legislative Reporting Information

Provide the following information in a separate page; this information will be used for Congressional reporting if your organization is selected:

● The Offeror’s name and address (street, city, state, zip code). In the case of commodity awards, please indicate the place or places of U.S. production if known.

● The Offeror’s contact name and telephone number.

● The following subcontract informa on (if applicable):

(a) the total value of anticipated subcontracting included in the total estimated cost or price; and

(b) for each anticipated subcontract of $100,000 or more to a U.S. organization, please provide:

(1) the name and address of the subcontractor;

(2) the name and/or U.S. telephone number of the subcontractor contact, if known;

(3) a brief description of the services or commodities to be provided;

(4) the estimated cost or price; and

(5) the period of the subcontract.

[END OF SECTION L]”

20. Page 107, SECTION M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA, revise to read as follows:

“M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

The criteria listed below are presented by major category, in descending order of importance.

Offerors should note that these criteria serve as the standard against which all technical information will be evaluated, and serve to identify the significant matters which Offerors should address.

Offerors should note that these criteria serve as the standard against which all technical information will be evaluated, and serve to identify the significant matters which offerors should address. These criteria have been tailored to the requirements of this RFP and serve to (a) identify the significant matters that the offerors will address in their proposals and (b) set standards against which all offerors will be evaluated. Offerors’ technical proposals will be evaluated based upon the degree to which the proposal successfully addresses the SOW in Section C and in the Illustrative Scope of Work provided in the attachment to the subject solicitation and reflects a thorough understanding of the overall objectives, as well as convincingly demonstrates the credibility of their general technical approach for each objective.

M.2.1 Technical Approach

The extent to which the proposed technical approach convincingly demonstrates an understanding of the technical requirements and an ability to achieve the desired objectives of the Scope of Work in Section C and in the Illustrative Scope of Work provided to the subject solicitation.

M.2.2 Management Plan

The extent to which the proposed staffing plan convincingly demonstrates the Offeror’s ability to manage the IDIQ and to recruit and mobilize qualified personnel as well as to identify and partner with organizations to achieve the objectives from the Scope of Work of the subject solicitation and from the illustrative Scope of Work provided to the subject solicitation.”

21. Page 109, SECTION M.3 COST/PRICE EVALUATION, remove in its entirety and insert the following: “The proposed Task Order Budget Proposal submitted by the Offeror in response to the Illustrative Scope of Work will serve as the basis for the cost evaluation. It will be evaluated for cost realism, completeness, reasonableness and accuracy to ensure the costs are realistic for the work to be performed and to reflect a clear understanding of the requirements.”

Sincerely, Joshua Schramm Contracting Officer

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

Attachment 1 “Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal” Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” Attachment 3 “Past Performance Information Sheet” Attachment 4 “SF 33 Form” Attachment 5 “Local Compensation Plan for Kazakhstan” Attachment 6 “Local Compensation Plan for Kyrgyzstan” Attachment 7 “Local Compensation Plan for Tajikistan” Attachment 8 “Local Compensation Plan for Turkmenistan” Attachment 9 “Local Compensation Plan for Uzbekistan”

Annex A – Questions and Answers:

Question 1: In Section L.7, Offerors are asked to provide an illustrative budget for the Task Order Firm Fixed Price Proposal. However, there is no description of the technical work to be performed in the Task Order. Can USAID please provide a description of the technical work that Offerors are being asked to price?

USAID Response to Question 1: Illustrative Scope of Work is provided as an Attachment 2 to this Amendment, in response to which the offerors are expected to submit Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in previous section.

Question 2: Is registration required in any of the Central Asian countries?

USAID Response to Question 2: All countries included in the Place of Performance have registration requirements. It is not necessary for an offeror to obtain that registration prior to receiving an award. Offerors who currently have registration shall not have a competitive advantage over other offerors.

Question 3: Is the contractor expected to establish an office in any of the Central Asian countries and how should such an office be costed? Would that occur only at the TO level or for the overall IDIQ?

USAID Response to Question 3: No, the contractor is not expected to establish an office in the Central Asian countries.

Question 4: What is the average amount of time a task order will be issued for if USAID is able to provide guidance on that?

USAID Response to Question 4: This may vary depending on the task order. At a minimum, expect 3 months for an ad hoc analysis. An evaluation could be longer (1+ years).

Question 5: To develop the costing template and labor rates, can USAID provide the local compensation plans for all 5 countries covered?

USAID Response to Question 5: The most recent Local Compensation Plans (LCPs) for five countries are provided by this Amendment as Attachments. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in previous section.

Question 6: Of the three services listed in Section C, is there a greater focus on the MEL or any of the three groups.

USAID Response to Question 6: There isn’t a greater focus on any of the three groups; however, it’s likely there will be more task orders issued under Objective 1: Evaluations and Objective 2: Ad Hoc Assessments given program requirements and current demands.

Question 7: Are the paragraphs related to engine local entities and building capacity related to all three objectives or only objective 3?

USAID Response to Question 7: Local capacity building relates to all three Objectives.

Question 8: Is this mechanism new and do the Central Asian missions have a current mechanism for procuring such services?

USAID Response to Question 8: This is a new mechanism. There is a current IDIQ mechanism, but the scope for this one has changed.

Question 9: Will USAID allow text boxes and graphs to have font size at 10 point?

USAID Response to Question 9: Yes, the text in any text boxes included within the technical proposal and the text in tables, graphics, charts, graphs, etc. should not be smaller than 10 points in size. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in previous section.

Question 10: Given the focus on working with locally registered companies to support MEL task orders and build their capacity, is the offeror required to name such entities or should the proposal describe the approach by which the offeror would engage such entities at the task order level.

USAID Response to Question 10: Both approaches will work.

Question 11: Given the upcoming Easter holiday period, will USAID consider extending the deadline for submission by 2 weeks?

USAID Response to Question 11: The due date for proposals submission has been extended through May 10, 2023, 10AM Almaty Time. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 12: The RFP (pg. 98) states that “Priority must be given to local/regional specialists or subcontracts with local/regional organizations with appropriate expertise.” Can USAID explain whether this means the prime offeror is required to name such local entities or have subcontractors in place at the time of submission (overall IDIQ), or is this required at the task order level? What does it mean that priority is placed and is this part of the evaluation criteria?

USAID Response to Question 12: The offeror can provide a list of local/regional contractors, sub‐ contractors if they have such a list at the time of the IDIQ submission. This will help us to understand if the Offeror knows the local market. The priority must be given to local/regional subcontractors at Task Order level, it is not a requirement at the IDIQ level.

Question 13: Is contractor past performance submitted as part of the 20‐page technical or the 5 pages annexes? What is the individual page limit for past performance as many small business offerors like ourselves are not listed in CPARS. As a result, we must provide the relevant information about the contract. Is USAID willing to waive the page limit on the 5 past performance.

KAZAKHSTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

USAID Response to Question 13: As provided in the solicitation, Section L.6.3.3 “Contractor Past Performance Information”, the information on past performance should be submitted as part of the Annexes to the Technical Proposal. The page limitation requirement for the separate Annex with Past Performance Information is added by this Amendment, which is not to exceed 7 pages. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 14: Pg 100 of the RFP related to costing states “Contractor Biographical Data Sheets must be submitted in PDF format, duly signed by both the employee and the contractor and must be put in alphabetical order” however the RFP does not require CVs or biodata for personnel. Can USAID confirm that is an error that should be deleted.

USAID Response to Question 14: The Solicitation is revised to clarify that requirement for completed Biographical data sheets applies to the Task Orders which have not been solicited and issued yet under the subject IDIQ. Biographical Data Sheets and CV for personnel are not required at this stage.

Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 15: Budget docs refer to 5 years, however the RFP states the rates must be in effect for 7 years. Can USAID clarify how to show the rates for 7 years if the budget only has categories for 5 years?

USAID Response to Question 15: At the IDIQ level we request offerors to submit Illustrative Task Order Budget Proposal for a 12‐weeks period. Attachment 1 is revised accordingly.

Question 16: Given the time required to complete SAM registrations under the new SAM US Government system, are local subcontractors required to have completed SAM Registration or can they show the registration is in process?

USAID Response to Question 16: According to FAR 4.1102, paragraph 3 (ii), it is not required to be registered in SAM at the stage of proposal submission. Though, based on past experience, the process of registration in SAM may take a long time in some cases. That is why in situations when it is possible, we recommend offerors to start registering in the system as early as they can.

Question 17: The RFP states that the offeror must provide an illustrative task order budget as part of the cost evaluation. However, the Attachment 1 does not contain any narrative from which the offeror should develop the task order budget, including an underlying scope of work, other than that the services to be provided are a performance evaluation for 12 weeks.

USAID Response to Question 17: Illustrative Scope of Work is provided by this Amendment as an Attachment 2 to the subject solicitation, in response to which the offerors shall submit the Task Order Budget Proposal.

Question 18: Secondly, if the evaluation is for 12 weeks, should we remove the summary by year costs in the Annex 1 summary TO budget since it is not relevant?

USAID Response to Question 18: The Attachment 1 is revised by this amendment to include the period of 12 weeks in the Illustrative Budget Template.

Question 19: How many countries, what level of programming, what sector are we to assume the performance evaluation is to be based upon, this includes to develop the sample budget for travel.

USAID Response to Question 19: Attachment 2 “Illustrative Scope of Work” is added by this Amendment.

Question 20: The sample budget under Attachment 1 does not include space for subcontractors, such as if the prime were to engage a local subcontractor for parts of implementing the performance evaluation. How should that be shown or should the offeror edit the template as needed to show all costs?

USAID Response to Question 20: Attachment 1 is an illustrative template, intended to provide examples of potential costs. Offerors can edit and adjust as needed to show all costs they propose for a notional 12‐week Task Order that may be issued within the illustrative scope of work provided as an Attachment to the subject Amendment to the solicitation document.

Question 21: On page 97, Section L.6.2 Page Limitations, would USAID consider not including the title page in the technical proposal 20‐page limitation?

USAID Response to Question 21: Yes, the solicitation has been revised. The Title Page is replaced with Cover Page and is not part of the 20‐pages limitation.

Question 22: On page 99, Section L.6.3.4 Technical Proposal Annexes, it states that “only those annexes listed below or specifically required in other parts of this solicitation can be submitted.”

Would USAID consider allowing additional documents and information to be included under the annexes such as summary tables and matrices which would provide more clarity in meeting the requirements listed in the RFP?

USAID Response to Question 22: No, the offerors shall follow the page limitations for Annexes as provided in the solicitation (5 pages limit for the Annex with the information related to the Technical Proposal, including graphs, charts, other and 7 pages limit for the Annex with Past Performance information).

Question 23: On page 99, Section L.6.3.3 Contractor Past Performance Information (PPI), the RFP reads that offerors should “list in an annex to the technical proposal up to five (5) of the most recent (active or ended no more than 3 years ago) and relevant contracts/agreements for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal.” Should Offerors submit the five PPIs on J.2 Past Performance Report‐Short Forms or use another format?

USAID Response to Question 23: The solicitation has been revised to add the Attachment 3 with the Form for the Past Performance Information.

Question 24: Can USAID provide Offerors copies of the most up to date local compensations plans for all five countries in the Central Asia region?

USAID Response to Question 24: The most recent Local Compensation Plans (LCPs) for five countries are provided as Attachments to the subject Amendment to the solicitation.

Question 25: Under B.6 Labor, USAID states that “Contractors will not be authorized to bill USAID directly for IDIQ management costs under this IDIQ or under task orders. Contractors must adopt a centralized management structure that allows for recovery of IDIQ management costs as part of its indirect costs”. Per a Contractor’s approved NICRA, it may not include recovery of program management costs as part of its indirect structure. In such cases, could the Contractor propose labor categories under each task order to recover management and operational costs through direct billing?

KAZAKHSTAN TAJIKISTAN TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN

41 Kazibek Bi Street, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; tel: (727) 250-7612; mission website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional

USAID Response to Question 25: The subject requirement is kept the same in the subject solicitation. USAID will negotiate this requirement with the Contractor at the Task Order stage accordingly.

Question 26: The Cover Page lists Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 72011523R00002. However, a different RFP number is provided on page 95 of the RFP within the Questions submission instructions:

“NOTE: Each email must use the following format for the subject line: Solicitation ‐ 72011518R00003, USAID/Central Asia Learning from Evaluations & Assessments for Development (LEAD) Activity – [Name of organization] Questions/Comments. USAID may consolidate and/or not respond to questions/comments.” Page 96, Section L.5 Delivery Instructions state: “The subject of each email must read as follows: Solicitation ‐ 72011523R00002, USAID Central Asia Mechanism for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning ‐ [Name of Offeror] Technical Proposal, [Email _ of _]”. Could USAID please confirm that the RFP No. for this solicitation is 72011523R00002 and not 72011518R00003?

USAID Response to Question 26: USAID confirms that the correct number of the subject solicitation is 72011523R00002. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 27: Is this IDIQ a follow‐on to the USAID/Central Asia Learning from Evaluations and Assessments for Development (LEAD) IDIQ?

USAID Response to Question 27: No, this is a new IDIQ contract.

Question 28: Would USAID consider extending the proposal deadline by 1 week to allow Offerors adequate time to incorporate USAID responses to bidders’ questions?

USAID Response to Question 28: The closing date for proposals submission is changed from 10 AM on April 14, 2023 to 10 AM on May 10, 2023. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 29: Does USAID have additional guidance/an illustrative Task Order Statement of Work (SOW) for the purpose of developing the “Illustrative Task Order Firm Fixed Price Budget Proposal” and the “Illustrative Daily Rate Chart”?

USAID Response to Question 29: The Scope of Work is provided by this Amendment as an Attachment 2 to the solicitation.

Question 30: Section F.8 on page 31, states, “The contractor must designate the primary point of contact whom USAID may contact for procedural and substantive matters.” Could USAID please confirm whether Offerors are required to name the IDIQ Manager in their proposals?

USAID Response to Question 30: The offerors are not required to name the IDIQ Manager in their proposals at this stage of proposals submission to the solicitation.

Question 31: Page 98, Section L.6.2 Page Limitations: Would USAID also allow a Title Page (not to exceed 1 page, and not included in the 20‐page limit) to be submitted in addition to the 1‐page Cover Letter?

USAID Response to Question 31: Sections L.6.1 and L.6.2 are revised to include a Cover Page (not included in 20‐pages limitation) to be submitted in addition to the Cover Letter. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 32: Pages 98‐99, Section L.6.3.3 Contractor Past Performance Information states, “List in an annex to the technical proposal up to five (5) of the most recent (active or ended no more than 3 years ago) and relevant contracts/agreements for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal for the Offeror and up to (3) three for each major subcontractor.”

a. It is stated above that the Contractor Past Performance Information is to be included as an annex to the technical proposal. It is also listed as an Annex under “Section L.6.3.4 Technical Proposal Annexes” on page 100 of the RFP. However, on page 97 of the RFP, Contractor Past Performance Information is listed as Part “3.” of the Technical Proposal organization. Could USAID please confirm that Contractor Past Performance Information is an annex to the Technical Proposal, and therefore not included in the 20‐page limit?

USAID Response to Question 32 (a): Yes, the Past Performance Information should be submitted as an Annex to the Technical Proposal and is not part of the 20‐page limit. The solicitation is revised to specify a 7‐pages limitation for the separate Annex with Past performance Information. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

b. Does USAID have a preferred Contractor Past Performance Information template for Offerors that they can share with Offerors in Amendment 01 to the RFP?

USAID Response to Question 32 (b): The solicitation has been revised by this Amendment to add the Form for the Past Performance Information as an Attachment 3 to the solicitation (please see Attachment 3 Past Performance Information Sheet).

Question 33: Page 100, Section L.7 Instructions for the Preparation of the Cost/Business Proposal, states, “Contractor Biographical Data Sheets must be submitted in PDF format, duly signed by both the employee and the contractor and must be put in alphabetical order.” Could USAID clarify whether only the biographical data sheet of the proposed IDIQ Manager is required at this time with the Offeror’s proposal submission?

USAID Response to Question 33: The Biographical Data sheets and CVs for any personnel are not required at this stage of proposals submission. The solicitation is revised accordingly. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 34: Considering the number of upcoming public holidays across Central Asia, will USAID consider extending the proposal submission deadline beyond April 14?

USAID Response to Question 34: The closing date for proposals submission is changed from 10 AM on April 14, 2023 to 10 AM on May 10, 2023, Almaty Time. Please see revisions to the solicitation provided by this Amendment in the previous section.

Question 35: B.8, Ceiling on Indirect Cost Rates, Page 9.