RFP 72016520R00003_Amendment 04 (final) CO signed.pdf

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

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

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

See Schedule

N/A

Not Applicable

00000

720165

REQ-165-20-000018See Block 16C

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

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.

Items 8 and 15, and returning

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

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

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

72016520R00003

CODE

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

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

USAID/North Macedonia Samoilova 21 1000 Skopje North Macedonia

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

NO. 04

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

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

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

appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

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

The purpose of this Amendment is to:

1) provide answers to all questions received by the set deadline of October 5, 2020,

2) provide a revised Attachment 2, Price Proposal Template, and

3) extend the proposals submission due date through October 29, 2020 at 2 pm Skopje time.

All other terms and conditions remain in full force and effect.

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

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

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

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

Nathan Hilgendorf

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

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

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM

11)

10/08/2020

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

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ISSUE DATE: October 8, 2020

REFERENCE: Request for Proposals (RFP) number 72016520R00003 – MEL Activity

SUBJECT: Amendment No. 4 – Questions and Answers

Dear Offerors, The purpose of Amendment 4 is to (1) provide answers to all questions received by the set deadline of October 5, 2020; (2) provide a revised Attachment 2, Price Proposal Template; and (3) to extend the proposal due date to September 29, 2020, 2:00 pm Skopje time.

Question 1: Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services? If so, could I please find out the contractor name and contract number?

Answer 1: This is a new requirement. There is no incumbent contractor currently performing these services.

Question 2: Based on the size of the contract and the emphasis on the Local Works Program, could USAID kindly clarify if this opportunity is geared toward local organizations?

Answer 2: This opportunity is restricted to local entities. Please see the RFP Amendment 1 for the complete definition of “local entity” and other eligibility requirements.

Question 3: We are a branch office in N. Macedonia, registered within the Public revenue office and with valid Tax and ID Numbers. Our headquarters are registered within SAM as a USA entity, and we do not have a separate registration as a branch office in N.

Macedonia.

Can we (the branch office in N. Macedonia) apply for this RFP as a local entity using the SAM registration of our HQ in the USA?

If not, can we register our Branch office in SAM and then apply for this RFP?

Answer 3: Please see RFP Amendment 1 for the complete definition of “local entity.” Please note that eligibility depends not only on whether an organization is registered under local law, but also considers whether the governing body and majority ownership are citizens of N. Macedonia.

Question 4: Can USAID clarify whether this contract will be funded through the Local Works Program?

If so, can USAID confirm that U.S-based organizations that have received more than $5 million from USAID in the past five years are eligible to apply to the referenced

RFP?

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Answer 4: This call is funded through the Local Works program; however, the solicitation is limited to local organizations. Please see RFP Amendment 1 for full eligibility information.

Question 5: Can USAID make available the value and scope of the Local Works Program in

Macedonia?

Answer 5: The available value of the Local Works program in North Macedonia is about 11 million dollars. The overall program scope includes the Community Self-Reliance Activity (CSRA)1, MEL Activity, and Partnership for Giving (currently in design).

Question 6: Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services, if similar services have been performed in the past, or if this is a new requirement.

If this is a follow-on requirement, could you please provide the previous contract or task order number?

Answer 6: See answer to question 1 above.

Question 7: Are the positions for key personnel (as stated on F.4) meant to be full time employment on the MEL activity or could be based on level of efforts of the key personnel for the requested deliverables?

Answer 7: It is up to the offerors to determine how they want to approach this. It can be done both ways. However, the key positions will have to be approved by USAID and, if needed, replaced only with USAID consent.

Question 8: Can we propose external collaborators of our company as key personnel?

Answer 8: If we understand correctly, the question is whether key personnel may be hired as subcontractors. The short answer is that engagement of key personnel should be done in accordance with the offeror’s internal policies, and if such engagement does not create an employer/employee relationship, then such key personnel would be considered subcontractors. Please note that the authorized geographic code for this procurement is 937. Source and Nationality Requirements for Procurement of Commodities and Services Financed by USAID apply in accordance with ADS 310.

Also please see the answers to questions 21 and 26.

Question 9: Is the baseline report envisaged to include secondary data collection only, or it should also include primary data collection (qualitative and quantitative)?

Answer 9: It should also include primary data collected by the potential implementing partner.

Question 10: Regarding the community-based face to face survey (under Analytical exercises) could you please state what it the acceptable margin of error for the representative samples?

1 See CSRA Annual Program Statement (APS) number 72016520APS00001 posted on www.grants.gov

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Answer 10: This is a regular representative sample survey (between 1200-1600 respondents depending on a potential oversampling in certain communities) where the margin of error is normally +/- 3%.

Question 11: Could you please advise on the frequency on updates needed in a year under deliverable GIS Mapping System?

Answer 11: This is an ongoing process, since as programs come on board, their activities must be mapped. In terms of frequency, quarterly updates are acceptable, with one of those coinciding with the annual report.

Question 12: How many implementing partners and activities are considered under Local Works program in the period for which MEL Activity is requested?

Answer 12: USAID anticipates between five and eight implementing partners and activities, and the timeframe depends on the funding requested.

Question 13: Is Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2020-2025 publicly available? If not, can we use Integrated Country Strategy available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1863/ICS_EUR_Macedonia _PublicRelease508_Current.pdf as an input to understand the Mission priorities, Strategic Framework, Goals and Objectives?

Answer 13: The CDCS was approved in September 2020 but the public version has not been cleared yet. However, we can share with you that the CDCS Goal, “USAID Partnerships Promote Prosperous, Well-Governed, and Resilient North Macedonia Committed to Euro-Atlantic Integration,” will be pursued through three Development Objectives: DO1 – Economic Competitiveness Improved; DO2 – Youth Contributions to Society Increased, and DO3 – Corruption Reduced. The Local Works activities are envisioned to contribute to all three objectives. For the Local Works goals, please see the Community Self-Reliance Activity Annual Program Statement as a guide to understand the priorities.

Question 14: Should the price proposal be based on deliverables using Attachment 2 -

RFP_72016520R00003?

Answer 14: Yes.

Question 15: Should we put the total value of the proposal in Attachment 1 -

RFP_72016520R00003 i.e. using just the first row in the excel document?

Answer 15: Attachment 1 is the Past Performance Information Sheet and should be filled with data related to offeror’s past performance (if any).

Attachment 2 is the Price Proposal Template, which must be used by offeror(s) to present their price for the listed deliverables. Revised Attachment 2 is enclosed with this amendment.

Question 16: If we submit our proposal in partnership with foreign organization do we need to have a teaming agreement and submit it together with the offer?

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Answer 16: Formal timing agreement does not need to be presented with the proposal. However, the cost 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. USAID discourages the use of exclusive agreements as this limits USAID’s and N. Macedonia’s ability to receive the best services.

Question 17: What is the status of implementation of Local Works in North Macedonia? Where are/will the projects be located?

Answer 17: As of the date of this amendment, no N. Macedonia Local Works awards have yet been made. The activities/projects will be located throughout the country and depend on the geographic areas proposed at the application level.

Question 18: Do all key staff need to be based in North Macedonia?

Answer 18: It is desirable, but not required, for all key staff to be locals because that is a basic tenet of Local Works and the Journey to Self-Reliance.

Question 19: As this will be 5-year project can you give us the estimate amount of the project value (or at least the value range) for preparation of price proposal?

Answer 19: The estimated price range for this project is USD $500,000 to $1 million.

Question 20: When can we expect to be informed about the results of the Call?

Answer 20: USAID anticipates making the award by the end of November 2020.

Question 21: Can a local organization as the prime contractor include foreign organizations as subcontractors?

Answer 21: Yes. In addition, see answer to question 16 above. Please note also per provision

H.14 302.3.5.17 Limitation on Subcontracting to Non-Local Entities (July 2014):

“… at least fifty (50) percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel must be expended for employees of the prime/local entity.”

Question 22: It is not clear if we should submit Branding and Marking Plan together with the offer?

Answer 22: No. See Section L.10 (e) of the RFP.

Question 23: Do we have to include the DBA amount as separate budget line for each year in the budget or this should be added to the total amount?

Answer 23: No. DBA should be calculated and included within the overall quoted price.

Question 24: As GIS is part of the Project and budget, does this mean we should purchase this system, or we can produce tailor made GIS software/application for this purpose?

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Answer 24: There are at least half a dozen open source GIS that can be adapted to the needs of this contract. You can certainly use a system that you already have or have developed, as long as it complies with the U.S. Government requirements.

Question 25: The objective of this contract is to holistically assist monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and collaborating, learning and adapting (CAL) over the implementation of the Local Works Program. Thus, we are interested to know if certain exclusion criteria would apply for the awardees in future applications in the Local Works Program (for example the Community Self-reliance Activity) or any other program in USAID?

Answer 25: The intention and goal of this MEL contract is to monitor ALL Local Works activities (projects) in North Macedonia. This includes the Community Self- Reliance Activity (CSRA, the APS for which will result in several small awards) and the Partnership for Giving (P4G), a standalone Local Works activity that is still in design. The successful offeror for the MEL contract will not be eligible to apply for CSRA or P4G.

Question 26: The “Limitation on Subcontracting to Non-Local Entities (July 2014) in Section

H.14” explained in Amendment 1 in the documents. Does this mean that the prime/contractor of this bid must be local organization and the subcontractor can be an international organization?

Answer 26: The stated limitation on subcontracting outlined in H.14 of the RFP sets limits that must be observed in the case of a local prime contractor and non-local subcontractor(s). See also the answer to question 21.

The prime contractor must be a local entity (see Amendment 2 of the RFP), while the subcontractor(s) may be either local or foreign entities, as long as they comply with the funding requirements stated above and ADS 310.

Question 27: Can you explain the conflict of interest situations for experts that already work on the implementations of the projects in the Local Works Program and their possibility to be included in the USAID MEL bid as short term experts or even in the position of Capacity Building Specialist?

Answer 27: It depends on the capacity in which these experts will be engaged and their role in the final outcome of the particular intervention. For example, they cannot be the lead experts in an evaluation of an activity under the Local Works Program. Individual determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Question 28: Is the Local works project in Macedonia the same as Community Self-Reliance

Activity project?

Answer 28: Community Self-Reliance Activity (CSRA) is the largest part of the Local Works

Program in North Macedonia. The Local Works program also contains two additional activities, one of which is this Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) award. The main focus of the MEL award will be to monitor and evaluate the activities under CSRA. See also the answer to question 25.

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Question 29: How many implementing partners there are so we can have a better insight on the scope of work?

Answer 29: Please see answer to question 12.

Question 30: We are registered in the SAM with DUNS and CAGE number but we cannot update our status to "active" for almost a year. Would that be a problem for applying?

Answer 30: An offeror with inactive or nonexistent SAM registration may submit a proposal.

However, USAID can only make an award to organization that has an active SAM registration. It is offeror’s responsibility to complete the registration. We encourage offerors to begin the process early because the registration process can take quite some time.

Please contact SAM Helpdesk to resolve any issues you may have at:

www.fsd.gov US Calls: 1-866-606-8220 (Option #1) International Calls: 334-206-7828

Question 31: Do any of the personnel or all of the personnel (Project Director, Senior Performance

Monitoring and Learning Specialist, and Senior Evaluation and Capacity Building Specialist) need to be in-country for a specified length of time? How long and what is the proposed plan given COVID-19 travel restrictions? Or can the work be conducted remotely since we have experience doing such, and/or with a local team?

Answer 31: Given the fact that the solicitation is limited to local offerors, it is generally assumed that most of the personnel will be local. This is also in line with the Journey to Self Reliance principles.

Nonetheless, given the current conditions, there is not an explicit prohibition on proposing non-local personnel, assuming a strong presence is maintained in country to guide the team. Keep in mind that particular tasks, like focus groups or face-to-face interviews with random sampling, cannot be conducted remotely.

Question 32: How often do you anticipate needing personnel to travel to Macedonia from the U.S if you are looking at considering a US team to do the work? If individuals travel, will USAID cover the additional costs attributable to COVID-19 specifications of quarantine?

Answer 32: Please see the answer to question 31.

Question 33: Are you looking specifically for a member of the team and personnel to be an expert on Macedonia or an expert in-country?

Answer 33: If a local company/consulting firm/think tank (any local entity eligible to submit an offer) decides to use “an expert on Macedonia” from abroad, that is their prerogative.

Keep in mind that the solicitation is locally restricted, with the inention of utilizing local experts and local knowledge.

Question 34: Is there an existing incumbent that you've worked with previously for this project or that you're currently considered for this work? If so, who is it? What has worked

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Answer 34: See answer to question 1 above.

Question 35: Is there any specific information you can share that has arisen or you anticipate to arise as a result of COVID-19 restrictions that have changed/impacted the current work?

Answer 35: Any rules and measures that apply to all other USAID Implementing Partners, both from the mission and the Commission for Infectuous Diseases of North Macedonia, will apply to the potential winner of the MEL award. Redirection to online training and remote management have been standard protocol since the crisis started.

Question 36: Will you consider small business, minority owned, disadvantage, woman owned certifications as a consideration for this proposal?

Answer 36: Please see RFP Amendment 1 for eligibility information. Note that this procurement is locally limited. Small business, minority owned, disadvantaged, and woman owned businesses are encouraged to apply but do not receive special preference.

Question 37: What type of current support exists in-country for this program and to support the monitoring and evaluation work?

Answer 37: The MEL solicitation will be the main program that supports monitoring and evaluation of the Local Works program. Additional support exists within USAID/NMK and is provided by the USAID Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.

Question 38: Could you please confirm whether an advanced education degree is required or preferable for the position of the Project Director? Based on the description of the Project Director in the RFP this is not clear.

Answer 38: If the question refers to a specific degree in the field of education, then the answer is no.

Question 39: Can the same person proposed for key personnel be part of different proposals or exclusivity is required in the proposal stage?

Answer 39: Yes. No exclusivity is required. Please also see the answer to question 16.

Question 40: Under technical proposal guideline for the management plan it is required that the offerors must describe and demonstrate their organizational capacity and structure to implement and manage activities under each component. Could you please explain what constitutes ‘component’? Are the components areas mentioned in C.4 section?

Answer 40: The components are as follows:

a) Monitoring at a higher level and across awards

b) Evaluating individual activities

c) Collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA)

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d) Capacity building of implementing partners to jointly develop measurement of success with the communities

Question 41: Is it possible to obtain the Local Works program objectives and planned activities for 2020-2025? Are these activities in line with the CDCS or local works will support activities that are outside of the CDCS?

Answer 41: For the Local Works objectives see Section 1: APS Description of the Community

Self-Reliance Activity (CSRA), APS number 72016520APS00001, posted on www.grants.gov. The CSRA objectives are the Local Works Program objectives for 2020-2025. Most of the activities are in line with the newly approved CDCS but Local Works does have a mandate to implement activities outside the strategy if the applications provide for that.

Question 42: Will Local Works opt more for a regional approach or geographic targets or the planned activities will be more at national scale?

Answer 42: It depends on the applications under the CSRA APS: they can opt for national outreach or a focus on a specific region.

Question 43: What types of entities are eligible for Local Works funding in the country? Will those be CSOs, private entities or local governments?

Answer 43: If you are referring to the Community Self Reliance Activity under Local Works, please see APS number 720165APS00001, Section 2: Eligibility and Award Information, posted on www.grants.gov. If you are referring to eligibility of entities under the Local Works MEL contract, please see the answer to question 2.

Question 44: Is it possible to obtain the E3/LS Research and Learning Agenda for Locally Led

Development mentioned in the 2020 Local Works Guidance?

Answer 44: Unfortunately, the agenda is in development, thus is not ready to be shared.

This concludes the answers to all questions received by the set date of October 5, 2020.