BAA_Number_72027918R00001_-_Yemen_SHARP.pdf

Yemen Systems, Health and Resiliency Project (SHARP) BAA Number: 72027918R00001

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The United States Agency for International Development

Broad Agency Announcement for

Open: May 30th, 2018

Close: June 30th, 2018

I. Overview

A. This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) seeks opportunities to co-create, co-design, co-invest, and collaborate in the research, development, piloting, testing, and scaling of innovative, practical and cost-effective interventions to strengthen Yemen’s Health Sector to a point of resilience within fluctuating humanitarian, early recovery and development cycle context. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) invites organizations and companies to participate with USAID in response to Yemen Health

Sector Resilience BAA issued under this BAA, as described below, to apply approaches to support sustainable development outcomes in the health sector.

B. Federal Agency Name: The United States Agency for International Development

(USAID)

C. Opportunity Title: Yemen Systems, Health and Resiliency Project (SHARP)

D. Opportunity Number: 72027918R00001

E. Announcement Type: Broad Agency Announcement

This BAA serves to inform the public of the opportunity for funding for the Yemen Health

Sector. The Yemen SHARP BAA will address problems, solutions, scalability opportunities, feasibility studies, and other research and development initiatives requiring approaches to support sustainable development outcomes in the health sector.

A. Authority:

This BAA is issued under Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 35.016 (c). This is not a FAR Part 15 Procurement.

B. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

98.001 USAID Foreign Assistance Programs for Overseas

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II. Collaboration

The intent of the BAA is to allow co-creation and co-design to the maximum extent to create high quality, effective partnerships with great efficiency in time and resources. The types of collaboration include:

1. Co-creation. Co-creation occurs after an Expression of Interest is selected for further discussion, but before the concept is developed. The potential partner, the Government, represented by the Activity Manager, and potentially others work together to determine the best course forward. This may also include one or multiple potential partners and/or industry experts.

Together, USAID and potential partners will write and/or revise the Concept Paper, and jointly present the Concept Paper to USAID’s Review Board.

2. Co-design/development. Co-design/development occurs after the Peer and Scientific

Review Board recommends the project for further development, and the Contracting

Officer/Agreement Officer has determined the proposer to be an Apparently Successful Partner.

At this point, the Contracting Officer/Agreement Officer may determine the general nature of the award type or the specific award type, depending on the nature of the project, to facilitate project design. During co-design, the Apparently Successful Partner and the Activity Manager will design the technical approach, general resource requirements, and management control of the project under the guidance of the Contracting Officer/Agreement Officer.

3. Co-invest. Co-invest refers to the Government’s strategic aim that the partnerships resulting from the individual BAA awards represent opportunities to achieve mutual or complementary development goals of the Partner, USAID, and potentially other resource partners, and therefore embrace shared responsibility, shared risk, and shared resourcing. Shared resourcing may be accomplished through funding by both parties, either through cash resources or the exchange of other resources, both tangible and intangible, such as in-kind contributions, expertise, intellectual property, brand value, high-value coordination, and access to key people, places, and information. Co-investing does not require equally shared resourcing (such as 1:1 leverage), but rather resource contributions that are appropriate to the specific project’s objectives, considering the comparative advantages brought by the participation of each party and the award type.

III. Specific Rights Reserved for the Government under this BAA

The Government reserves specific rights, in addition to rights described elsewhere in this document or by law or regulation, including:

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1. The right to award multiple awards, a single award, or no awards.

2. The right to make award without discussions, or to conduct discussions and/or negotiations, whichever is determined to be in the Government’s interest.

3. The right to accept proposals in their entirety or to select only portions of proposals for award or co-investment.

4. The right to select for award an instrument type that is appropriate to the specific development context, partner relationship, and proposal selected for award. Instruments types include but are not limited to contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, Global Development

Alliance agreements, Inter-Agency Agreements, Government to Government Agreements, Donor to Donor Agreements, and Memorandums of Understanding. In addition, the

Government may craft a new instrument type to meet the needs of a specific relationship.

Such instruments may or may not commit or exchange monetary resources

5. The right to co-create projects with one or more proposers under the BAA, when it is in the best interest of the Government.

6. The right to request any additional, necessary documentation upon initial review. Such additional information may include, but is not limited to, a further detailed proposal, budget, and representations and certifications.

7. The right to fund or co-invest in proposals in phases, with options for continued work at the end of one or more of the phases.

8. The right to remove proposers from award consideration should the parties fail to reach agreement on award terms, conditions, and cost/price within a reasonable time, the proposer fails to timely provide requested additional information, or the Government believes it is in its best interest.

IV. Problem and Challenge Statements

PROBLEM:

Yemen is witnessing the largest, complex humanitarian crises globally with over 22.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance including 11.3 million in acute need- an increase of

1.5 million people since June 2017 and representing approximately 76% of the population.

Humanitarian needs increased sharply across all sectors since the escalation of the conflict in

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2015, exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities, degrading community resilience and accelerating the collapse of public institutions. 16.4 million people lack access to basic health services. Less than 50% of the health facilities in Yemen are functioning, and these facilities face severe shortages in medicines, equipment, and staff. Yemen is home to the worst cholera outbreak on record approaching 1.1millon suspected cases. Health workers, credited with staving off an even larger cholera outbreak, have not been paid in two years. Unmet need for family planning (FP) remains high at 31.7%, while only 51.5% of women indicate demand for FP is satisfied.

Yemen’s collapsing healthcare system is projected to result in 1,000 maternal deaths per 68,000 pregnant women at risk. According to a 2017 humanitarian needs overview, only 32% of assessed host community sites for Internally Displaced People (IDP) provided maternal health services. In areas where services were available, 19% of sites had no female healthcare provider.

Women and children make up 76% of those displaced. An estimated three million women and girls are at risk for gender based violence (GBV); women seeking GBV services in Yemen increased by 36% in 2017. The rapid spread of diphtheria to over 1,300 people, mostly children, highlights major gaps in routine vaccination coverage and is another example of the collapsing health system. A driving force in the complexity and urgency of Yemen’s humanitarian and health crisis is the burden of the current food security crisis- standing as the largest globally.

Two out of three people in Yemen do not know where their next meal will come from. Out of the 17.8 million people in Yemen who are food insecure, approximately 8.4 million people are severely food insecure and at risk of starvation- an increase of 24% since last year. Some 1.8 million children under five and 1.1 million pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished- an estimated 400,000 children under 5 years old will suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2018. An estimated 7.5 million people are in need of nutrition assistance, with 2.9 million people who require treatment for acute malnutrition.

Reaching people in need with health services and support is limited by multiple barriers of varying complexity and specificity ranging from fuel shortages to conflict, medical facility neutrality, gender and local politics. Connecting innovative and best practices to key sectors and systems for long-term health sector and broader development resilience and improved health outcomes including protection, rule of law and flexible, effective and corruption free networks remains thin to non-existent. Sub-sector coordination including family planning and food security or nutrition and non-communicable disease prevention and care, among other considerations is limited in practice. Means to pay health workers are not consistent, available, transparent and reliable. Essential health services do not include mental health services and broader consideration for specific services for conflict impacted communities to address both short and long term health and development outcomes.

CHALLENGE: USAID is interested in finding opportunities for co-creation and co-design of programs that increase the resilience of Yemen’s health sector and improved health impact

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USAID is seeking expressions of interest from prospective partners who are capable of developing the best approaches to engage Yemenis, resulting in Yemen‐led solutions capable of addressing national and/or community issues and needs in inclusive, effective, and sustainable ways. USAID seeks co‐creation partners which either 1) have operational experience working inside Yemen, or 2) if they have not operated inside Yemen, can make a compelling case that they can bring unique talents or resources to this co‐creation process based on the experiences of their key personnel and/or extensive institutional experience working in equally challenging country contexts.

USAID is looking for collaborators who share our interest in utilizing approaches to: 1) produce breakthrough development innovations by sourcing, testing and scaling proven solutions to reach

Yemenis in most need with interventions that will improve their short and long term health outcomes; and, 2) Accelerate the transformation of the health sector to remain resilient for the short to long term in the face of cycles of conflict and peace including humanitarian and development assistance.

Problem set question examples include:

1. How can partners effectively work with authorities to promote best practices, improve quality and access for service provision? For example: successful importation and provision of pharmaceuticals; expanded access to quality maternal and child health services;

improved access to family planning services.

2. What is the best way to ensure the health and nutrition system is responsive to the population and fulfilling its duties to the community?

3. How can we improve management of acute malnutrition including the quality and coverage of treatment among different levels of service provision?

4. How can we create a system that best leverages the humanitarian to development nexus?

For example, how can we develop a health systems approach that recognizes shocks to the system, leverages humanitarian and development assistance and areas that are transitioning to stability, to best serve populations most in need?

5. How can we best address the issues surrounding health worker retention and salaries to ensure government ownership and sustainability?

Potential partners are encouraged to pose /answer their own questions based on the most critical needs, challenges and opportunities identified. This activity will take place in Yemen and is inclusive of every development sector in which USAID works with a focus on the health sector.

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V. General Criteria for Consideration

A. Submissions are not evaluated against other submissions, but solely against the evaluation criteria from the BAA.

B. Decisions regarding USAID’s pursuit of a particular project, technology, or relationship are based on the available evidence, data, and resulting analysis. USAID seeks solutions that have a significant impact (i.e. breakthroughs, not incremental improvements), and can achieve that impact at scale.

C. The past performance of an organization, , the ability to measure health outcomes to health impact and broader development impact level results, and the managerial and technical ability of the person or team of people engaged in the endeavor are considerations in assessing potential and risks associated with each award.

VI. Award Stages

The amount of resources made available under this BAA will be informed by concepts received and availability of funds. Some award types may not include any funding. The award process under this BAA has the following steps:

Stage 1: Expression of Interest: Potential partners will submit an expression of interest in response to, and in accordance with, the Yemen Health Sector Resilience BAA.

Criteria for Expressions of Interest:

A. Expressions of Interest must indicate the research or development idea which may lead to the discovery of solutions to the Problem and Challenge Statements by: increasing knowledge and understanding of potential solutions; exploiting scientific discoveries or improvements in technology, materials, processes, methods, devices, or techniques; advancing the state of the art; or using scientific and technical knowledge in the design, development, testing, or evaluation of a potential new product or service (or of an improvement in an existing product or service).

Any awards issued under this solicitation will be for Applied Research or Development, as those terms are defined in 48 USC 35.001, as follows:

“Applied research” means the effort that:

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(a) normally follows basic research, but may not be severable from the related basic research;

(b) attempts to determine and exploit the potential of scientific discoveries or improvements in technology, materials, processes, methods, devices, or techniques; and (c) attempts to advance the state of the art. When being used by contractors in cost principle applications, this term does not include efforts whose principal aim is the design, development, or testing of specific items or services to be considered for sale; these efforts are within the definition of “development,” given below.

“Development” in the applied research context means the systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge in the design, development, testing, or evaluation of a potential new product or service (or of an improvement in an existing product or service) to meet specific performance requirements or objectives. It includes the functions of design engineering, prototyping, and engineering testing; it excludes subcontracted technical effort that is for the sole purpose of developing an additional source for an existing product.

1. Expressions of Interest must demonstrate the potential to have a significant impact

(e.g. breakthroughs, not incremental improvements), that ultimately could achieve that even greater impact at scale.

2. Expressions of Interest must indicate the background and expertise of the organization, and the managerial and technical staff or team engaged in the endeavor.

3. Expressions of Interest must indicate what co-investment resources are available to bear on the solution, including those from the submitting organization and those from other third party businesses, donors, foundations, or other organizations. Such resources include cash and other resources, both tangible and intangible, such as in-kind contributions, expertise, intellectual property, brand value, high-value coordination, and access to key people, places, and information.

For those expressions of interest that are not selected to move forward, USAID will send a notification indicating such. Due to the large number of expressions of interest generally received, USAID is unable to provide details on why expressions of interest are not selected.

Stage 2: Development of the Concept Paper.

For Expressions of Interest which are deemed to have merit by USAID and pass criteria/eligibility stated within the BAA, USAID will issue an invitation to collaborate to the potential partner.

Working together, USAID and the potential partner will collaborate on a

Concept Paper. It is during this phase of co-creation and co-design that the parties will begin to

An invitation will be sent to a potential partner to participate in a co-creation workshop, conference, meeting, or the method designated by USAID to work together with all invitees to further develop the idea presented in the expression of interest. Details on the collaboration will be included in the invitation.

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Expression of Interest.

Additional Partners/Resources. During the project co-creation and co-design, both the partner and

USAID will identify additional partners and resources, and whether additional mechanisms are necessary to implement the project.

For those Stage 2 partners that are not selected to move forward to Stage 3, USAID will send a notification indicating such. USAID will provide a brief explanation on why the partner was not selected.

Stage 3

Technical Review. Concept Papers developed during Stage 2 will be reviewed by the technical review committee, comprised of experts from USAID, partners, and/or outside parties. The review committee will review Concept Papers and recommend which applicants should be considered Apparently Successful Partners. Using its technical expertise, the review committee will recommend whether to move forward with the project including revisions/additions to the project, and potential partners and resources. All potential partners may not move forward to

Stage 4.

Stage 4

Contracting/Agreement Officer Determination. The Contracting/Agreement officer will review the Peer and Scientific Review Board’s recommendations and consider other information, such as resource availability, preliminary partner responsibility assessment, and Agency priorities, and will make a determination that the respondent is an Apparently Successful Partner. The

Contracting/Agreement Officer may also make or narrow down the anticipated instrument type to facilitate project design.

Request for Additional Information. USAID will work with partners identified by the

Technical Committee, and co-design the project and assist the partner to provide additional information with respect to the proposer’s technical approach, capacity, management and organization, past performance, and budget, as well as representations and certifications, as needed.

Final Review and Negotiation. The USAID Contract/Agreement Officer will engage in final review, negotiation, and determination of instrument type, responsibility, cost reasonableness, etc., and will craft an award instrument with the Apparently Successful Partner. If the Apparently

Successful Partner and USAID cannot arrive at a mutually agreeable arrangement, the

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Contract/Agreement Officer will cancel the project at no cost to the Government.

Award. Where USAID determines that the award of an instrument is appropriate, the USAID

Contract/Agreement Officer will award the instrument.

VI. Award Information

Number of awards could vary and may not mirror the number of expressions of interests or invitees to co-creation.

A. Awards will be made based on responses to the Yemen SHARP BAA.

B. Only submissions that are responsive to the BAA will be considered. Any proposal, concept paper, or expression of interest received that is not in response to the BAA will not be considered.

C. USAID is seeking new applications of STIP that provide the best value to the Government and have the potential to substantially contribute to solving development challenges.

D. Proposals identified for negotiation may result in a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, Global Development Alliance agreement, Inter-Agency Agreement, Government to

Government Agreement, Donor to Donor Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding, or alternative agreement type, depending upon the nature of the work proposed, the required degree of Government involvement, and other factors. The Government

Contracting/Agreement Officer will determine award instrument type and negotiate instrument terms and conditions with selectees. USAID may select the award instruments it deems appropriate.

E. Eligibility Information. Public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, as well as institutions of higher education, public international organizations, non-governmental organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. governmental organizations, multilateral and international donor organizations are eligible under this BAA. All organizations must be determined to be responsive to the BAA and sufficiently responsible to perform or participate in the final award type.

F. Standard Clauses and Provisions of Award. The standard clauses or provisions for awards are generally prescribed by law and regulation and will vary considerably by award type.

Information regarding clauses and provisions will be offered to the proposer when the award type is identified.

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G. Organizations are encouraged to consider providing reasonable cost sharing, leverage, or other exchange of resource arrangements, and are encouraged to suggest creative approaches to resourcing projects.

VIII. Information Protection:

USAID’s goal is to facilitate the research and development that will lead to innovative, and potentially commercially viable, solutions. Understanding the sensitive nature of submitters’ information, USAID will work with organizations to protect intellectual property.

Expressions of interest should be free of any intellectual property that submitter wishes to protect, as the expressions of interest will be shared with USAID partners as part of the selection process. However, once submitters have been invited to engage in further discussions, submitters will work with USAID to identify proprietary information that requires protection.

Therefore, organizations making submissions under this BAA grant to USAID a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to use, disclose, reproduce, and prepare derivative works, and to have or permit others to do so to any information contained in the expressions of interest submitted under the BAA. If USAID engages with the organization regarding its submission, the parties can negotiate further intellectual property protection for the organization’s intellectual property.

Organizations must ensure that any submissions under this BAA are free of any third party proprietary data rights that would impact the license granted to USAID herein.

IX. Submission Instructions for Expressions of Interest:

A. Questions

Questions about this BAA may be submitted by email only to usaidyemensolicitations@usaid.gov with the subject “Yemen Systems, Health and Resiliency Project (SHARP) BAA Questions”. The deadline for question submission is June 7, 2018 at 5:00 pm EST. USAID will post answers to questions received by the deadline to Grants.gov and FBO.gov.

B. Expression of Interest Information:

a. Document must be submitted in English

b. Document must be no more than four (4) pages in length

c. Document must be in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format and use 12 point font;

d. Document must contain a header/footer on each page with the following information:

mailto:usaidyemensolicitations@usaid.gov

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Respondent Name/Group and Contact Information;

Response Title;

BAA Name and Number;

Page numbers

e. Document must be submitted no later than June 30, 2018, 19:00 Eastern Standard

Time (EST) to the following email address:

Craig Smith

Agreement Officer usaidyemensolicitations@usaid.gov mailto:usaidyemensolicitations@usaid.gov