Attachment___2_Questions_&_Answers_-_Ghizaiat_Amendment_01.pdf

Attachment # 2: Questions & Answers RFP # 72039119R00010– Amendment # 1

Questions & Answers - Ghizaiat Nutrition Activity

SECTION B.4 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE:

Question 1 Reference Section B.4. Section B.4 states that payment of the fixed fee will be divided between fixed payments for activity deliverables in F.6 and the completed performance indicators/targets found in Section C.6 of attachment J.1. We are concerned that tying the payment of fixed fee to specific performance indicators and targets may remove the flexibility that both USAID and the contractor need to reprogram activities and effort to be responsive to stakeholder needs, capitalize on windows of opportunities, and achieve greater results. Since the Ghizaiat Nutrition Activity is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) type contract structured to incentivize the contractor to meet certain targets while maintaining flexibility to adapt implementation to achieve these results, we request that USAID remove the first paragraph of B.4 and allow offerors to propose a fee payment schedule based on their annual work plan.

As USAID uses annual work plans to manage a contractor’s progress towards completing a contract, adjusting the fee payment schedule with each annual work plan allows the contractor to readjust and reallocate effort and resources as needed to achieve the most results attainable within the total estimated cost. Any unpaid fee due to the contractor not achieving a certain result beyond its manageable control, such as the changing needs of local counterparts, can be reallocated among other or new deliverables in the work plan for the upcoming year.

USAID Response: Section B.4 will not be removed from the solicitation and will stand as it is, however, the final contract will have the selected offeror’s fixed fee schedule (negotiated between the offeror and USAID) which will be inserted at the time of award for which we have left blank space in the RFP.

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES:

Question 2 With regard to the point of “commercialization and consumption of nutritious foods” as mentioned in the Statement of Objectives for Ghizaiat – Nutrition Activity, we would like to understand if the program seeks to promote entrepreneurship with regard to food systems, to support communities to grow and produce locally available food in a cost-effective manner and support the development of local enterprise at the community level?

USAID Response: Commercialization means developing market for locally produced nutritious food and it will include promoting entrepreneurship with regard to food systems, to support communities to grow and produce locally available food in a cost-effective manner and support the development of local enterprise at the community level.

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE:

Question 3 Based on our reading of the RFP documents, an International PIO is eligible to bid for the RFP “Ghizaiat Nutrition Activity” Solicitation Number: 72039119R00010 due to its establishment as a non-governmental organization / non-profit organization in Pakistan/US. We seek your clarification that such establishment is sufficient to demonstrate eligibility.

USAID Response: This competitive procurement is full and open and Public International Organizations may submit a proposal in accordance with the RFP instructions. Please note, this solicitation will result in a contract and not any of the various agreements found in ADS 308.3.9.

Question 4

Reference Section F.6.17: Section F.6.17 of the RFP states that USAID has approved the use of grants under contract; however, the specific authorizing language is not included in Section H of the RFP. Could USAID please incorporate the language authorizing grants under contract taken from ADS 302 (namely ADS 302.3.5.6 and ADS 302.3.4.13) into Section H of the RFP?

USAID Response: The same Section F.6.17 mentions that “Each grant awarded by the Contractor on behalf of USAID under this Contract shall comply with the Contractor's grant manual, which requires USAID Contracting Officer approval and must follow the requirements found in ADS Chapters 302, 303 and in compliance with the applicable CFR”. Also, the use of grants under contract is optional and utilization of such is in accordance with an Offeror’s technical approach in response to the Statement of Objectives. However, the requested language has been included in Section H of the amended RFP.

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS:

SECTION H.3 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE:

Question 5 With regards to the Geographic Code 937, does that also apply to sub-partner organizations? If so, would USAID be open to waiving this requirement and/or amending the code to 935 to allow organizations based in Europe to sub under a consortium?

USAID Response: Geographic Code 937 also applies to sub-partner organizations. USAID will consider a waiver but cannot guarantee approval of the waiver.

Question 6 Reference Section H.11.b: Cost-reimbursement contracts are managed with the understanding that the work proposed is based on an estimate of costs for the anticipated work, and that not all costs can be planned and executed with sufficient accuracy as to hold to exact line items in the contract budget.

Adjustments in technical activities will likely require the contractor to deviate from the original cost proposal. Thus, limiting our ability to purchase non-expendable property to what is listed in the contract could result in delays in implementation while awaiting approval. As such, we respectfully request that USAID remove this approval requirement from H.11 of the resulting contract.

USAID RESPONSE: Section H.11 is now deleted in the amended RFP and replaced with Grants Under Contract. Please refer to Section I.13 of AIDAR 752.245-70 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY—USAID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (OCT 2017) for the non-expendable property.

Question 7 Reference Section H.19.b: Section H.19.b of the RFP states that TCN/CCN salaries “shall not exceed, without specific approval by the Contracting Officer, the prevailing grade under the U.S Government’s Local Employee Compensation Plan (LECP) for CCNs of equivalent qualifications employed by the USAID Mission in the country in which the TCN/CCN is employed.” This salary restriction may preclude contractors from following their established policies, procedures, and practices, as required by AIDAR 752.7007, which governs all USAID cost-reimbursement contracts. In this regard, we respectfully request that reference to the LCP be removed from Section H.19.b of the RFP, as it appears to be inconsistent with AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel Compensation, which stipulates that personnel compensation be in accordance with the contractor’s established policies, procedures, and practices, with reimbursement subject only to the USAID Contractor Salary Threshold.

USAID Response: USAID cannot remove this requirement. Please see AIDAR 722.170.

SECTION L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL

PROPOSAL:

Question 8 Reference Section L.6.c:

Question 8 (a) Section L.6.c of the RFP states that the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan counts towards the page limit and should be included as Annex A, not to exceed 10 pages. Yet Section L.6.c.6 (page 97 of the RFP) indicates that the MEL plan does not count towards the page limit.

Could USAID please confirm that the draft MEL Plan is excluded from the page count and should be presented as Annex A, not exceeding 10 pages?

USAID Response: MEL Plan does count towards the page limit of 35 pages for the Technical Proposal. Section L.6.c.6 has been amended accordingly in the revised RFP.

Question 8 (b) Section L.6.c.4 states that the offeror should include an Annex D: Small Business References as part of its technical proposal. Instructions regarding Annex D refers to Section L.7, which corresponds to instructions for the cost proposal. Can USAID please confirm that instructions corresponding to Annex D are those indicated in Section L.6.c.8.?

USAID Response: Instructions corresponding to Annex D are those indicated in Section L.6.c.8 (Performance in Using Small Business (SB) Concerns). The RFP has been amended accordingly.

Question 8 (c) Section L.6.c states that Past Performance counts towards the page limit, whereas Section L.6.c.8 states that Past Performance does not count towards the page limit and that this information should be included in Annex B. Could USAID please confirm that all past performance information should be included in Annex B only, using the template included in the Attachment J.9 of the RFP?

USAID Response: Past Performance Information does not count towards the 35 page limit for the Technical Proposal. Section L.6.c and L.6.c.8 have been amended accordingly in the revised RFP.

Question 8 (d) Section L.6.c.7 states that each offeror “must describe its organizational structure and staffing approach for the contract.” Could USAID please confirm that an organizational structure graphic can be submitted as an annex to the Personnel and Management Approach, and that this annex would not count against the page limit?

USAID Response: An organizational structure graphic can be submitted as an Annex to the Technical Proposal. This annex does not count towards the 35 page limit of the Technical Proposal.

This annex (Annex G) has been added to the amended RFP.

Question 8 (e) Section L.6.c.7 states that “the offeror must include recommended position descriptions for all proposed Key Personnel positions in the Annex.” Yet Section L.6.c.4 does not include any annex related to Key Personnel. Could USAID please confirm what Annex document the RFP is referring to? Additionally, should offerors decide to include CVs for Key Personnel, could USAID please confirm that a dedicated Annex G should be added in the technical volume?

USAID Response: Offerors are not required to submit CVs of Key Personnel, therefore there is not a corresponding Annex listed. Should Offerors choose to submit CVs of Key Personnel, this may be submitted as an Annex to the Technical Proposal as stated in L.6.c.4.

SECTION L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST PROPOSAL:

Question 9 Reference Section L.7.a.6: Section L.7.a.6 of the RFP states, “The Offeror must not include burdened rates in its budget or subcontractor budgets. The Offeror must break down all direct and indirect costs to their component parts.” If a subcontractor’s cost accounting structure only allows for burdened rates, could USAID please confirm that offerors should include such burdened rates in the subcontractor’s budget?

USAID Response: The Offeror must not include burdened rates in its budget or subcontractor budgets.

Question 10 Reference Section L.7.c: Section L.7.c of the RFP states that the maximum amount of fee applied to grants under contract is 2 percent. This appears to be inconsistent with FAR 15.404-4 and ADS 302.3.6.8, which state, inter alia, that pre-negotiation fee objectives must be determined according to a structured approach that considers contractor effort, risk, and other special factors. Grants require significant effort to administer and carry risks for the contractor. Additionally, the statutory underpinnings of fixed fee at 10 USC 2306(d) and 41 USC 254(b) discuss fee definitions and limitations in terms of total estimated cost, which would include grants in this case. Given these considerations, we respectfully request that USAID reconsider this maximum 2 percent fee on grants and allow offerors to charge a fee that represents an appropriate compensation for the risks involved based on their proposed grants program, which may be higher than 2 percent.

USAID Response: 2% refers only to Grants Under Contract (GUC) and not to fixed fee.

Question 11 With regards I want to just ask that I went through all the lines in the given RFP of this USAID (Ghizaiat Nutrition Activity) project but I couldn't find any detail anywhere regarding the exact method, how to send the proposal/other requirements? Sir any email or website to apply on please? I shall be really thankful.

USAID Response: Please see SECTION L – “INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFEROR” for application submission instructions.

Question 12 Regarding eligibility: we were unable to find an explicit mention to the eligibility criteria in the RFP/solicitation documents. I would like to cross-check if there is an eligibility clause that we need to be aware of?

USAID Response: There is no additional eligibility criteria other than that already mentioned in the solicitation. Please see Sections I and K for specific eligibility requirements.

USAID Response: Section H.11 is now deleted in the amended RFP and replaced with Grants Under Contract. Please refer to Section I.13 of AIDAR 752.245-70 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY—USAID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (OCT 2017) for the non-expendable property.