Amendment No. 0002 to RFP No. 72030624R00009 (WAMA).pdf

(x)

72030624R00009 x x copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

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

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

x

N/A

Not Applicable

720306

00000 Office of Acquisition & Assistance USAID/Afghanistan

06/14/20240002

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

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

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

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

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

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

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

PAGE OF PAGES

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

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

06/14/2024

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

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

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

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

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

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

The purpose of Amendment Number 0002 to Request for Proposals (RFP) Solicitation Number

72030624R00009 are to:

1. provide responses to the remaining and additional clarification questions received; and

2. Revised the Request for Proposal (RFP) and Attachment J.1 Statement of Objective (SOO).

All other terms and conditions of the RFP, as amended, remain in full force and effect.

Please see the continuation pages for specific changes...

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

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

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

Eyole Luma

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 .

Amendment No.0002 - Solicitation No. 72030624R00009

Continuation pages:

Additional Questions and USAID Responses

Amendment No. 0002 to Solicitation No. 72030624R00009

Women and Men in Agriculture (WAMA) Activity

General Comments

• A revised RFP is provided as an attachment to this amendment 0002.

• Please note the revised due date for proposals in the attached Revised RFP.

• A revised SOO is also provided as an attachment to this amendment 0002.

1. Per page 147, the fixed fee appears to be further divided as per, "The Cost Proposal must reflect a fixed-fee that is divided between fixed payments (25%) and payments based on the completed Fixed-fee Schedule (75%) found below. For the deliverables indicated in the Fixed-fee Schedule, twenty-five percent (25%) of the fee will be attributed to the

Activity Deliverables, and seventy-five percent (75%) of the fixed-fee will be based upon the completion of the Performance deliverables." Would USAID please confirm that the fee will be divided into fixed payments (25 percent) and of the remaining 75 percent and

25 percent will be attributed to activity deliverables (or 18.75 percent of total fee) and that 75 percent will be attributed to performance deliverables (56.25 percent of total fee)?

USAID Response: No further division of the 75% fixed fee for the Performance

Deliverables of the Fixed Fee schedule. Please review the above statement from the RFP as highlighted in the above question.

2. Attachment J.1 (page 3) lists one of the “End of Activity Results” as “$6,000,000 million in new USG commitments and private sector investment leveraged by the USG in the agricultural sector to support food security and nutrition.” Is USAID referring to indicator

EG.3.1-15, “Value of new private sector investment leveraged by the USG to support food security and nutrition”? If so, could USAID revise this result to align with the indicator?

USAID Response: $6,000,000 new private sector investment leveraged by the USG to support food security and nutrition.

3. E.3 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) (p.20-21):

o The RFP notes that "the QASP proposed by the winning Offeror will be incorporated in this section after award. The QASP may require revision after selection for award to reflect the Contractor’s known strengths and weaknesses." In addition, on page

27, the RFP notes that the Activity MECLA Plan will include a Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan (QASP). However, in Section L.7 Instructions for the Preparation of the Technical Proposal, c) Organization, 8) Annexes (p. 137), the RFP does not specify that a QASP is required for Annex E - Abbreviated Draft Activity MECLA

Plan. Could USAID please clarify if Offerors are required to include a QASP as part of the technical proposal? If yes, could USAID confirm if the QASP should be included in Annex E - Abbreviated Draft Activity MECLA Plan?

USAID Response: Offerors should include a draft QASP as part of the

Abbreviated Draft Activity MECLA Plan. The draft QASP and Abbreviated

MECLA plan should be submitted as Annex E. The J.2 QASP template is no longer applicable and has been removed.

o The RFP states that “a variety of mechanisms may be used to monitor the progress/success of the activity and the Contractor’s performance…” The monitoring methods suggested on p. 20-21 differ from those listed in the “Methods of Surveillance” in Attachment J.2 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) template. Does USAID have a preference as to which list to use?

USAID Response: USAID prefers the monitoring methods suggested on p. 20-21 of the RFP.

4. General question: Can USAID please provide a revised RFP?

USAID Response: A revised RFP is provided as an attachment to this amendment 0002.

5. Amendment 0001, Question No. 3: given USAID’s confirmation that Offerors only need to complete Section A of the Past Performance Information Sheet if the contracts are listed in CPARs, can USAID please confirm that Offerors are not required to contact the points of contact for each contract included in Annex C prior to proposal submission if they are included in CPARs?

USAID Response: Yes.

6. Amendment 0001, Question No. 14: USAID confirmed that the Draft Year One Work

Plan may be included as an annex to the technical approach on 11x14 paper (exclusive of the 30-page limit).

a. Could USAID please confirm that the description of the Abbreviated Draft Year

One Work Plan found on p. 134 of the RFP now applies to the Draft Year One

Work Plan annex, including the three-page limit?

USAID Response: The description of the Abbreviated Draft Year One Work Plan found on p. 134 of the RFP remains unchanged. The Offeror may provide additional information related to the draft Year One Work Plan in Annex G: Other

Charts and Figures.

b. Could USAID please confirm the required content for the Management Approach is now only “6.1 Key Personnel and Other Personnel Plan” and “6.2

Organizational Structure?”

USAID Response: Required content for the Management Approach is 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3. Additional information may be provided in Annex G.

c. Could USAID please clarify if Offerors should use one of MS Word’s standard paper sizes, such as Tabloid (11”x17”), instead of 11”x14”?

USAID Response: Yes, Offerors may use MS Word’s standard paper sizes.

d. Could USAID please confirm that the Draft Year One Work Plan will be included as a separate annex in the list of annexes listed on p.131-132 of the RFP?

USAID Response: The Draft Year One Work Plan should be provided in 6.3 and/or Annex G. See USAID response to Question No. 6 (a) through (c).

7. Amendment 0001, Question No. 15: USAID confirmed that Offerors may use an 11”x14” paper size for Annex G: Other Charts and Figures. Could USAID please clarify if the paper size should be Tabloid (11”x17”) instead of 11”x14”?

USAID Response: See USAID response to question No. 6 (c).

8. Amendment 0001, Question No. 30: Given USAID confirmed that Proposed

Subcontractor Signed Letters of Commitment should be included in the Cost volume only, could USAID please confirm the new order of annexes for the Technical Proposal?

USAID Response: The new order of annexes for the Technical Proposal can be found in the revised RFP.

9. Amendment 0001, Question No. 41: The End of Activity Results (pg. 3 of Attachment J.1

Statement of Objective (SOO) WAMA Activity) includes "6,000 individuals engaged in community work aimed at increasing access to water such as rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure and building water managements structures in their communities."

However, USAID’s response to Question No. 41 states: "Construction will not be allowed under the contract. Minor rehabilitation and cleaning of existing community water infrastructure will be permitted." Can USAID confirm if WAMA will be allowed/expected to replicate small-scale water infrastructure improvements, including using concrete to improve these structures? Building a water management structure, check dam, or a new canal/excavating an existing canal to enlarge it, would most likely require some sort of site preparation and excavation which would be considered construction.

USAID Response: No building or construction is allowed under WAMA. The word

“building” is replaced to say “installing, cleaning and rehabilitating small scale”. Please see revised SOO.

10. Amendment 0001, Question No. 50: USAID confirmed that the Gender Analysis is due

210 days after award and the Women’s Integration Strategy Plan is due 75 days after award. However, Attachment J.1 Statement of Objective (SOO) WAMA Activity notes that the “the Contractor must incorporate a detailed Gender Analysis and Gender Action

Plan into the annual Work Plan that will demonstrate a gender assessment of each intervention and how it has the potential to affect men and women differently.”

a. Given that the Initial Work Plan for Year 1 is due within 75 days of award, but the

Gender Analysis is due 210 days after award, could USAID please confirm that the Year 1 Work Plan due within 75 days will not require a Gender Analysis?

USAID Response: Two gender analyses are required as detailed under “F.7.1

PLANS AND REPORTS”. The comprehensive Gender Analysis which is due

210 days after award and the Women’s Integration Strategy Plan is due 75 days after award and must be integrated in the first year work plan.

Any references to a “detailed Gender Analysis and Gender Action Plan” that are due 75 days and should be included in the first year work plan are replaced with a

“Women’s Integration Strategy Plan”.

b. Could USAID elaborate on the intended objective and desired focus for the

Gender Analysis Report?

USAID Response: This is due in 210 days after award, and USAID will provide further details to the contractor after award.

c. Could USAID please also clarify if the Gender Action Plan is a separate deliverable from the Gender Analysis and Report and the Women’s Integration

Strategy Plan?

USAID Response: There are only two required gender related reports. The

Gender Analysis and Report that’s due 210 days after award, and the Women’s

Integration Strategy Plan that’s due 75 days after award and will be integrated in

Y1 work plan.

i. If yes, could USAID please provide more information on what is expected of the Gender Action Plan and what the due date is?

USAID Response: There will be only two gender related reports as referenced above.

d. Could USAID please clarify the “gender assessment” referred to above is synonymous with the Women’s Integration Strategy Plan?

USAID Response: There are only two required gender related reports. The

Gender Analysis and Report that’s due 210 days after award, and the Women’s

Integration Strategy Plan that’s due 75 days after award and will be integrated in

Y1 work plan.

e. Could USAID please provide further detail on what is expected in the Gender

Analysis versus what is expected in the Women’s Integration Strategy Plan?

USAID Response: The Gender Analysis is more comprehensive and detailed than the Women’s Integration Strategy. The comprehensive Gender Analysis will inform and support WAMA’s years 2-7, and the women’s integration plan will feed into the Y1 work plan that is due 75 days after award.

i. As it is currently written in Amendment 0001, the original RFP, and the

SOO, it seems the Women’s Integration Strategy Plan is expected to incorporate an initial needs assessment (p. 7 of the SOO), a gender assessment of each intervention (p. 9 of the SOO), and an integration strategy plan (p. 24-25 of the RFP). Could USAID please confirm if this understanding is correct?

USAID Response: Yes. The Gender Integration Strategy Plan will be developed to support Y1 workplan and is due in 75 days after award. It’s up to the offeror to identify all what’s needed to support the first year work plan. The gender assessment is more detailed and is due in 201 days and will guide the project from years 2-5.

11. Amendment 0001, Question No. 51: The initial question asked USAID to provide guidance on what is expected in the “Section No. for Req. Service” and “Required

Service” columns included on p. 3 of the QASP template (Attachment J.2). USAID’s response notes that the QASP will be based on the PWS but does not specify what is expected to be included in the “Section No. for Req. Service” and “Required Service” columns. Would USAID please provide more detail on what Offerors are expected to include in these columns?

USAID Response: The J.2 QASP template has been removed. Please see USAID response to Question No. 3. (first bullet point) and the revised RFP.

12. Amendment 0001, Question No. 55: Given that the USAID-provided Branding and

Marking Plan template is 6 pages, would USAID consider removing the 3-page limit for the Draft Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan Annex?

USAID Response: The 6-page plan will be submitted by the successful offeror after award. At this stage we only require a 3-page draft B&M plan that would be expanded after award into the final B&M plan.

13. Amendment 0001, Question No. 61: USAID confirmed that sections 7.1 Institutional

Capacity and 7.2 Past Performance in the Technical Proposal should include the three most relevant contracts, grants, or Cooperative Agreements in the last five (5) years. This information is also requested to be presented in Annex C: Past Performance Information

Sheet. Would USAID please reconsider requiring Offerors to include this information in these three sections of the Technical Proposal and instead only require this information to be presented in Annex C?

USAID Response: Offerors are required to provide the information requested under 7.1.

Offerors are required to submit 7.2 as Annex C. See revised RFP.

14. Amendment 001, Question No. 66: Could USAID please confirm the new order of parts and annexes of the Cost Proposal?

USAID Response: See revised RFP.

15. Amendment 0001, Question No. 72 (c): USAID notes that the Grants under Contract funds can be used to assist vulnerable populations through concept notes or in-kind contributions.

a. Given the confirmation that concept notes can be used to support vulnerable populations, would USAID consider allowing the Partnership Approach to encompass GUC and any other technical assistance (delivered by local subcontractors or international/local consultants) procured outside of a grant?

USAID Response: Technical assistance (delivered by local subcontractors or international/local consultants) procured outside of grants should not be considered part of the GUCs

b. Would USAID please also clarify if this also applies to entrepreneurship start-ups that may struggle to meet the 40% minimum contributions requirement?

USAID Response: Correct. Start-ups and women run businesses could provide in-kind contributions, or less than 40% minimum contribution.

16. RFP Section L.7 Instructions for the Preparation of the Technical Proposal, 8. Annexes, Annex A: Resumes of Key Personnel including Three (3) References (p. 135): The RFP notes that “the Offeror shall also submit three (3) references, with complete contact information (names, position title, relationship, and current email address, mobile, and office telephone numbers) for the proposed candidates, including their most recent supervisor.” Given the potential sensitive nature of candidate employment status, providing the most recent supervisor as a reference places undue hardship on proposed candidates and can jeopardize their current employment. In lieu of requesting a most recent supervisor as a reference, would USAID accept providing "most recent or former supervisor" as one of the three references?

USAID Response: Yes.

17. In Section M, Institutional capacity is noted as Factor 2 and thus more important than the

Management Approach which is noted as Factor 3. This makes sense if you intended for institutional capacity to hold more weight. However, in Section L, on page 131, it is reversed: Institutional capacity is noted as Factor 3 and Management Approach as Factor

2.

USAID Response: See revised RFP.

18. On page 3 of the SOO, the first required minimum result is "At least 50,000 households

(50% women)..." Can you clarify if this is households or individuals?

USAID Response: This is over a period of 5 years, and it includes households not individuals. 50% refers to either women-headed households or rural or vulnerable women in households headed by men.

19. Can USAID please make available all the reports, including work plans and MECLA plans, for the programs and activities noted on page 2 of the SOO.

USAID Response: To request access, please send an email from an official business/company email address to hramin@usaid.gov. In your request please note the email addresses that will require access to the reports.

● Following up on this, there are titles on the DEC; however, there are no reports.

Can USAID add the reports to the DEC?

https://dec.usaid.gov/dec/search/FusionSearchResults.aspx?q=Afghanistan+Value

+Chains

USAID Response: To request access, please send an email from an official business/company email address to hramin@usaid.gov. In your request please note the email addresses that will require access to the reports.

mailto:xxx@usaid.gov https://dec.usaid.gov/dec/search/FusionSearchResults.aspx?q=Afghanistan+Value+Chains https://dec.usaid.gov/dec/search/FusionSearchResults.aspx?q=Afghanistan+Value+Chains mailto:xxx@usaid.gov