MAA_RFP_Amendment_No._01.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 72048218R00006

Myanmar Analytical Activity

Amendment No. 01

SECTION I – REVISION OF THE RFP

1- Attachment I, Section 3. Activity Description, second paragraph, DELETE “The information and analysis provided will support the development and modification of planned and ongoing USAID development activities in Myanmar” and REPLACE with “The information and analysis provided to USAID will support the Agency's ability to better develop and implement activities in Myanmar.”

2- Attachment I, Section 7, DELETE “Illustrative”, and CHANGE title with “Table of Deliverables.”

3- Attachment I, Section 7, Monthly Atmospheric Report, Quantity, DELETE “23 over the base period of the contract.”

4- Attachment II, Section 3. Additional Instructions to Offerors, 1. ADD “ 8 1/2" x 11", with at least one inch margins on all sides, using not smaller than times new Roman 12-point type.”

5- Attachment II, Section 3. Additional Instructions to Offerors, sub-section 2, Past

Performance, DELETE in its entirety and REPLACE with the following:

“Summary of at least five projects that the offeror has successfully provided similar services to within the past five years. This section must include a description of the similar service provided, as well as point of contact information at the customer organization that USAID/Burma may use to evaluate past performance. The past performance section is limited to five pages.”

6- Attachment II, Section 4 (a), after Past Performance, ADD “ Monthly Report.

USAID will evaluate the quality, presentation, and analytical insights of the example .PDF monthly report."

7- Attachment III, Contract Clauses, DELETE the following:

- 752.7003 Documentation for payment (Nov 1998)

- FAR 52.222-12 Termination – Debarment

- FAR 52.232-1 Payments

- FAR 52.249-1 Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed-price) (short form)

- FAR 52.249-4 Termination for Convenience of the Government (services) (Short form)

- FAR 52.243-1 Changes-Fixed Price

- FAR 52.249-14 Excusable Delays

8- All other terms and conditions of the original solicitation remain unchanged.

SECTION II – RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS

Responses to questions received by the deadline provided in the original solicitation are provided below. Similar questions are combined to avoid duplication.

General Questions:

Q1: If available, please provide the incumbent contract number.

R: There is no incumbent. This is a new requirement.

Q2: Has a contractor performed similar work to this for the government in the past?

R: No

Q3: Will this be an IDIQ or C-type contract?

R: This will be a Firm Fixed Price contract with Fixed Price for each deliverable.

Q4: USAID recently updated it’s procurement forecast to include this activity with a listed budget range of $1M-$3.99M. While we are aware that the RFP always trumps the procurement forecast, we would appreciate any clarification USAID can provide as to whether this is their official expected budget range for the Myanmar Analytical Program or not.

R: An estimated range will not be provided for a Firm Fixed Price contract solicitation.

Q5: Can USAID Burma consider increasing the cost range for this procurement? The USAID forecast for this procurement estimated the cost range from $1M to $3.99M. Based on our experience doing similar monitoring and reporting work for USAID in other countries, we would expect the range to be from $5M to $10M.

R: An estimated range will not be provided for a Firm Fixed Price contract solicitation.

Q6: Could USAID provide a budget ceiling for this Activity?

R: An estimated range will not be provided for a Firm Fixed Price contract solicitation.

Q7: Can USAID clarify how and if the “Multiple Offers” requirement described in FAR 52.212- 1 (e) is applicable to the tasks/deliverables listed in the RFP?

R: The Offerors will submit a proposal in response to the requirements of the RFP. At the same time and in addition, Offerors may submit alternative proposal(s). An additional offer is not a requirement.

Q8A: In the cover letter of the solicitation, USAID encourages multiple proposals in accordance with FAR 52.212-1 (e). USAID also indicates that it will evaluate proposals for best value. If an offeror were to submit multiple proposals, do they all need to fall within the range prescribed in the Business Forecast, i.e. $1M - $3.99M?

R: USAID is not prescribing a price range.

Q8B: Will multiple submissions from one offeror be ranked and compared to other offerors' submissions or will only one be ranked and compared to other offerors' submissions.

R: USAID will evaluate each offer on its merits.

Q9: In accordance with the type of award (firm fixed price), can USAID please confirm the offeror may propose billing recurring costs on a firm fixed price basis separate from the deliverables in Attachment I, Section 7? This would allow the offeror to recover recurring fixed costs which benefit all deliverables but that may not be recovered through deliverables ordered on an ad hoc basis.

R: The Offerors will submit proposal in response to the requirements of the RFP. At the same time and in addition, Offerors may submit alternative proposal.

Q10: Please clarify if the ceiling for the entire period will not exceed USD 7 Million?

R: An estimated range will not be provided for a Firm Fixed Price contract solicitation.

Q11: The USAID Business Forecast that was updated on March 2, 2018 has the award length for this opportunity listed as 2 years and the total estimated cost as $1M - $3.99M. On March 22, 2018, the award length of the contract was changed to 5 years but the total estimated cost remained unchanged as $1M - $3.99M. Can USAID please provide an updated total estimated cost to reflect the longer award length?

R: The contract is for 5 years. An estimated range will not be provided for a Firm Fixed Price contract solicitation.

Q12: Given the need for each offeror to show a network of organizations and contacts in Myanmar and the region and the limited number of available organizations, we respectfully request that USAID prohibit exclusive arrangements with local and regional groups for this proposal.

R: USAID discourages exclusive arrangements.

Q13: Can USAID please disclose which office within USAID/Burma will be responsible for this activity?

R: The Office of Democracy, Governance, and Humanitarian Assistance.

Q14: Will USAID consider a secure forum for the delivery of Task Orders?

R: USAID does not understand the question.

Q15: Would USAID please confirm in which language(s) the Mission will require the reports under this project? And in which language(s) the Mission will require accessible data via the analytical database?

R: English.

Q16: Will USAID confirm whether the Offeror must open a country office? Similarly, does the winning company upon award need to register in Burma?

R: The Offeror does not need to open a country office. Registration is based on the organizational status and activities to be conducted in Burma and is a determination left to the offeror.

Q17: Regarding the request for Geographic Data Analysis and Mapping, does USAID intend for the offerors to use Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology owned by the Mission? Or should offerors budget for necessary licensing and technology?

R: No. The offerors must budget for any technology they propose to use.

Q18: Would USAID provide either the full or a redacted PAD related to this RFP for Offerors to utilize in developing a best value response for USAID?

R: PAD is an internal document and cannot be shared outside of the agency.

Q19: On page 5 of the RFP, Task 4 Analytical Database states, “The contractor must develop or maintain a database of analytical information.” ADS 548 has a strict independent verification and validation (IV&V) process for developing information technology systems, including databases, that involves coordinating with OCIO. Moreover, the agency may have certain internal policies that currently prohibit contractors from building new databases and websites with acquisition awards such as the Myanmar Analytical Activity in advance of the forthcoming Development Information Solution (DIS). Could USAID clarify if the successful offeror must undergo the IV&V process for this analytical database, and if so, if OCIO is open to approving that database if its five-year cost threshold exceeds $100,000 (per ADS 548).

R: USAID/Burma has received conflicting information regarding this requirement. We will continue to research it. It is likely that it will need to be resolved after award.

Conflict of Interest:

Q20: Are current implementers of USAID programming in Burma precluded from bidding on this Activity due to perceived conflict of interest?

R: No.

Q21: Page 4 of 42 (Attachment 1, Statement of Work) states that “The information and analysis provided will support the development and modification of planned and ongoing USAID development activities in Myanmar.”

Could USAID clarify whether the prime contractor who is successfully awarded and implements the Myanmar Analytical Activity will be precluded from projects released through the USAID/Burma in which the contractor, through this activity, may have played a role in some capacity (for instance, through data collection, research, or another capacity)?

R: The prime contractor who is successfully awarded and implements the Myanmar Analytical Activity will not be precluded from projects released by USAID/Burma.

The following line of the RFP has been removed:

The information and analysis provided will support the development and modification of planned and ongoing USAID development activities in Myanmar.

It has been replaced with the following:

The information and analysis provided to USAID will support the Agency's ability to better develop and implement activities in Myanmar.

Q22: Could USAID clarify whether this Conflict of Interest (COI) also exists for any subcontractors who implements this Activity, or could the subcontractors be firewalled from such COI?

R:USAID does not believe any COI will exist for the Prime or any sub-contractor.

Attachment I – Statement of Work:

Period of performance

Q23: The cover page of the RFP states that the period of performance is five years, whereas on RFP page 8, the quantity of Monthly Atmospheric Report deliverables implies a twenty-four month “base period of the contract.” Can USAID please clarify the period of performance of the contract including base year and option year periods?

R: The period of performance is five years. RFP Page 8, “base period of the contract” has been deleted.

Q24: Can you please confirm that the contract is not divided into base and option periods?

R: The contract will be 5 years without options.

Q25: The notice on the Federal Business Opportunities for this solicitation states that the duration of the activity is 2 years, whereas the RFP states that the duration is for 5 years. Could USAID confirm what the duration of this Activity is intended to be?

R: The Federal Business Opportunities combined solicitation/synopsis for this solicitation has been revised. The duration of this Activity will be five years.

Place of performance/Geographical areas

Q26: Is place of performance primarily Myanmar, but could also be at the Contractor’s Facility in CONUS?

R: The contract does not require a local office in Myanmar.

Q27: Can USAID provide a list of geographic areas anticipated to be covered by USAID programming? This will help in the pricing of monthly atmospheric reports.

R:This is addressed on page 3: Activity Description, second sentence.

Q28: Per RFP page 3, Section 3 Activity Description, can USAID please clarify if offerors are expected to provide any primary data collection in the region outside of Myanmar, i.e. Thailand, China, and Bangladesh?

R: This capacity may be required over the life of the contract, but will not be the primary focus.

Q29: Will Geographic Data Analysis and Mapping (Page 5, Task 3b) of project or activity locations involve primary data collection across Myanmar, or will location data be provided to the project by USAID?

R: USAID will not be providing any data.

Q30: Is USAID able to confirm whether there are U.S. Government restrictions currently in place for travel to Rakhine State by each of the following groups: USAID contractors, USAID subcontractors, expatriate personnel, and local consultants?

R: Yes, travel restrictions are in place and change frequently in their scope and application.

Deliverables

Q31: Task 3(b): Geographic Data Analysis and Mapping. Would USAID consider amending the geographic data analysis and mapping deliverable to include a cloud-based map visualization tool that is updated in real time in place of or in addition to the 6 quarterly maps? We believe that such tools are now widely available in the market and would tremendously benefit USAID during internal and interagency meetings. Moreover, these tools can connect directly to the analytical database and offer a seamless transition between maps and trend-based charts.

R: USAID welcomes alternative offers. Alternative offers may provide alternative deliverables.

Q32: Task 4: Analytical Database. We respectfully recommend USAID require either a) that offers present a link to a video demo of their proposed analytical database and geographic data analysis solution or b) USAID require an oral presentation that includes a software demonstration. While we understand that technology is an accessory to this procurement (as opposed to the sole focus) it is our understanding that government usually obtains a better product when they require a demo as part of the procurement process.

R: While USAID finds the suggestion interesting, it will not add the requirement.

Q33: In the Table of Illustrative Deliverables, can USAID please confirm that due dates are business days (i.e., monthly atmospheric reports are due on the third business day of each proceeding month)?

R: Yes, due dates are business days.

Q34: Would USAID please confirm that the example report must be an original report presenting information from Myanmar developed by the offeror in response to this RFP, i.e., not an example of a previous monthly atmospheric report created by the offeror?

R: The directions to offerors states, “An example PDF monthly report in accordance with Statement of Work and Deliverables”.

Q35: How many states does USAID expect to cover for each monthly atmospheric report?

R: Please see page 4 of the RFP: “Not all topics will be covered in each monthly report, and themes and geography may change based on developments in Myanmar.” (Emphasis added).

Q36: The geographic data analysis and mapping requirements (6 per quarter) seem to overlap with the quarterly special report and the monthly atmospheric reports since both the quarterly report and the monthly report will include maps in their reports. Can USAID please remove the separate requirement for the geographic data analysis and mapping?

R: This is an additional requirement beyond the Monthly and Quarterly reports. These are intended to address additional requests by USAID outside of the set reporting schedule, or specialized requests such as maps or info-graphics.

Q37: On page 1 of the RFP, it states that the contract is anticipated to have a “period of performance of five years.” On page 8, section 7, under the Quantity column for Monthly Atmospheric Report, it says “23 [Monthly Atmospheric Reports are required] over the base period of the contract.” On page 4, section 4.(A), it says “The first report will not be due until two months after award.”

Given that there will be 60 months in this project, and the first report will not be due until two months after award, can USAID please confirm that there are 59 Monthly Atmospheric Reports required over the period of the contract, and not 23?

R: Confirmed.

Q38: USAID/Burma recently released a separate RFP, Community Strengthening Project (CSP), RFP No. 72048218R00005, which outlines tasks that overlap significantly with MAA’s tasks.

Specifically, in CSP RFP section C.5.1, pages 12-13, objective 1 tasks “(a) Monthly Contextual Report,” “(b) In-depth Analysis,” “(d) Ad hoc Analytical Reporting” and “(e) Analytical Database” are very similar to MAA’s “Task 1: Monthly Atmospheric Report,” “Task 2:

Quarterly Special Report,” “Task 3: Ad Hoc Reporting and Geographic Data Analysis and Mapping,” and “Task 4: Analytical Database,” listed in section 4. (A), 4. (B), 4. (C) and 4. (D), pages 4-6. Could USAID please provide guidance on how it sees these activities in CSP and MAA aligning without duplicating efforts?

R: The Analytical requirements of CSP are specific to the geographic focus area the context of community development activities. MAA is broader in scope, including geography and potential thematic/sectoral focus.

Q39: In order to price this firm fixed price contract, Offerors will need more precise requirements for the quarterly special reports and the ad hoc reports. Can the government provide examples of the scope of each type of report?

R: The length and types of information for each type of report is described in the RFP (p. 4.

Section 4(A)). Quarterly Special Report topics are likely to derive from trends and events covered in the monthly reports.

Q40: Will the analytical database include monitoring data from USAID Implementing Partners?

R: The contractor should not anticipate having access to monitoring data from USAID Implementing Partners.

Q41: For pricing purposes, can USAID confirm that the contract tasks/deliverables described in Attachment I. Section 4 and in Section 7. Table of Illustrative Deliverables will remain unchanged and are not illustrative?

R: The word illustrative has been removed. Offerors must submit a proposal that responds to all described deliverables. Alternative offers may provide alternative deliverables.

Q42: In addition to the deliverables listed in Attachment I, Section 7, may the Offeror propose additional deliverables for tasks included in Attachment I, Section 4 (e.g. Task 5: Mission Consultations)?

R: USAID welcomes alternate offers. Alternative offers may provide alternative deliverables.

Q43: On page 7, section 5.(B), the RFP states that “USAID/Burma, at its discretion, may provide the contractor with quantitative and qualitative reports and data from its current or past implementing partners.” Can USAID please provide existing examples of “quantitative and qualitative reports and data” from IPs that we may receive?

R: The contractor may be permitted to review or use reports including but not limited to political economy analysis, sector analyses, project reports, and public opinion surveys. Offerors are also encouraged to access relevant data and reporting available on USAID’s Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC).

Q44: The RFP’s Statement of Work specifies a table of Illustrative Deliverables (Attachment I, item 7, page 8) specifying 5 specific sets of deliverables, including:

i. Monthly Atmospheric Reports

ii. Quarterly Special Reports

iii. Ad hoc Reports (4 requests per quarter)

iv. Geographic Data Analysis and Mapping

v. Analytical Data Base

Given that USAID is requesting these deliverables be priced on a firm, fixed-priced basis, can USAID please confirm that offerors should assume that no other tasks or deliverables will be required to be produced or provided unless agreed to in writing, with a renegotiation of contract payments terms?

R: USAID confirms that offerors should assume that no other tasks or deliverables will be required to be produced or provided unless agreed to in writing, without a renegotiation of contract payments terms.

Q45: Section (a) Ad Hoc reports on Page 5 of the RFP states that” The timeline will generally be seven to 14 days, but may be more or less based on the request.”

Given the short turnaround time for Ad Hoc reports, can USAID please confirm that no conventional primary data collection techniques will be required to be used by the contractor, and only the open source data collection will be required to complete ad hoc reports?

R: Primary data collection techniques will not be required to complete ad hoc reports, however triangulation of open source information by contacts in Myanmar may be useful.

Q46: Can USAID Burma clarify the Table of “Illustrative Deliverables” on page 8? The scope of work states that these deliverables are required, not illustrative.

R: The word illustrative has been removed. Offerors must submit a proposal that responds to all described deliverables. Alternative offers may provide alternative deliverables.

Q47: Would USAID please clarify if there are ongoing data collection and reporting activities currently supported by USAID/Burma that the Mission would like to be considered and included into the methodology and approach for data collection, analysis, and reporting activities under this Activity?

R: There are no ongoing data collection and reporting activities currently supported by USAID/Burma.

Q48: Would USAID please confirm if it is currently using a data reporting and analysis system of any kind for its other activities and data monitoring needs? For example, is USAID/Burma currently aggregating activity indicator data in a database such as MONITOR?

R: No. USAID/Burma does not have a common or central system in which it is currently collecting and aggregating data.

Q49: What is the scale of the primary research for the Quarterly Special Report (Page 5, Task 2), i.e. sample size and data collection team size needed?

R: The Quarterly Special Report is likely to utilize multiple data-collection methods that vary based on the specific topic provided. Given the timelines for the deliverables, USAID does not anticipate extensive quantitative data collection (i.e., national or large-scale public opinion surveys).

Attachment II – Solicitation Provisions

Competition:

Q50: Does USAID intend to open this solicitation only for small businesses? Or is this full and open for all?

R: This is full and open competition for all.

Q51: Attachment II, Item 4, FAR 52-212.2 Evaluation, Commercial Items Oct 2014, page 14, indicates that the evaluation criteria will be on a “Best Value” basis and that the technical criteria factors “when combined are approximately equal in importance to price.”

We would strongly urge USAID not to assign such a large weighting to price, as this will encourage offerors to submit bids reflecting minimally acceptable, or even substandard, technical quality. For example, an offeror that submits a bid receiving a technical score of 90 out of 100 points and has 20% higher cost would be deemed equivalent to an offeror’s bid earning 70 technical points and 20% lower cost.

This substantial technical differential would have significant negative consequences, seriously limiting the availability and quality of resources for ad hoc and special reporting and jeopardizing the ability of the project to achieve its goals. Yet the relatively small dollar savings associated with this potential shortfall in technical capacity and delivery may not represent best value to the government, given the challenging environment that MAA will be operating in and the quality of analysis and reporting desired by USAID. We therefore respectfully request that USAID reduce the weight of price as an evaluation factor.

R: USAID has not changed this aspect of the RFP.

Q52: According to page 14 of the RFP, The "evaluation criteria (i.e., corporate experience, methodology and approach, and past performance), when combined, are approximately equal in importance to price.” This would mean that 50% of the grading criteria is going toward pricing.

Will USAID please confirm this understanding is correct?

R: While they are equal in importance, USAID is not assigning weight to price.

Q53: The RFP makes reference to several GSA forms that may be associated with GSA schedules and, by association, pre-approved vendors that are allowed to bid on the Myanmar Analytical Activity solicitation. For example, the RFP references SF 1034 (instead of the more common SF 33) and SF 1449. Yet, the FBO page appears to signal that this is a full and open competition.

1. Can USAID kindly confirm that qualified offerors who are not GSA schedule holders can bid on this opportunity?

2. Can USAID kindly confirm that the awardee would follow 52.212-4(g) for invoicing and payment as this is award is planned as a FFP Commercial Item Contract.

R: The 52.212 clauses are not specific to GSA. Holding a GSA schedule is not required. USAID expects the awardee would follow 52.212-4(g) for invoicing and payment as this is award is planned as a FFP Commercial Item Contract.

Example of monthly report:

Q54: Per RFP Attachment II, Provision 3 Additional Instructions to Offerors, Offerors must submit an "example monthly report in accordance with Statement of Work and Deliverables" as part of our technical proposals. However, due to the politically sensitive nature of the types of activities performed under the Statement of Work, the most similar and relevant examples are considered by our clients to be "sensitive but unclassified" (SBU). In order to ensure that the most relevant and high quality example monthly reports are included in proposal submissions, would USAID/Burma be willing to allow the Offeror's USAID COR submit the example monthly report on the Offeror's behalf, so as to preserve the sensitive nature of these documents?

R: If the offeror were to choose such an option, it would be at its own risk. USAID/Burma would not be responsible for ensuring the document was received.

Q55: In Section 3, Additional Instructions to Offerors, is USAID amenable to receiving an example PDF report that is relevant to the SOW for the Myanmar Analytical Activity, even if it is not a monthly report? As annexes can sometimes make a report very long, is USAID amenable to receiving a report, or portions thereof, that is up to 15 pages in length, minus the annexes?

R: An example PDF monthly report in accordance with Statement of Work and Deliverables.

The example monthly report must not exceed 15 pages (letter-sized pages, 8.5" x 11 ").

Q56: On page 4, section 4.(A), the RFP states that “the contractor will produce a monthly atmospheric report…” On page 13, section 3.3, the RFP states: “an example PDF monthly report in accordance with Statement of Work and Deliverables” is required to be included in the proposal. Can you please confirm that the example “PDF monthly report” as described in section

3.3 on page 13 is referring to the monthly atmospheric report?

R: Confirmed, this refers to the “Monthly Atmospheric Report.”

Q57A: Section 3.3 of Attachment II, page 13 of the RFP references a requirement to submit an example PDF monthly report not to exceed 15 pages. Can USAID please confirm: Whether the report is meant to be an existing report that the offeror has previously prepared?

R: The report may be an existing report.

57 B. Whether the requested report is an example monthly atmospheric report?

R: The requested report is an example monthly atmospheric report.

57 C Can the report be included as an annex?

R: In effort to make the solicitation requirements as simple as possible, the Directions to Offerors does not proscribe formats.

Q58: Does USAID expect the example PDF monthly report (not to exceed 15 pages) about Myanmar to contain actual contemporary content or is an illustrative sample that clearly shows the template we envision but with illustrative data and/or annotations expected?

R: Offerors have the discretion to decide whether to provide an actual report, an illustrative example, or a previous report.

Q59: Would USAID please provide additional clarification on the required example PDF monthly report, specifically:

Does USAID expect the example report to cover a specific period of time, i.e. the report will present data from the month of February 2018? If so, please specify the specific month to be reported on.

Recognizing that monthly reports will vary based on USAID’s specified needs and interests for that month, would USAID please provide additional details regarding specific themes and geography that would be most beneficial to USAID for the offeror to include in the example report?

R: There is no specific time period.

Q60: Page 13 of the RFP requires the submission of “(a)n example PDF monthly report in accordance with Statement of Work and Deliverables. The example monthly report must not exceed 15 pages (letter-sized pages, 8.5" x 11 ").” Please clarify if the example should be an illustrative report on Burma or if it can be from a similar (and existing) activity outside of Burma.

R: Offerors have the discretion to decide whether to provide an actual report, an illustrative example, or a previous report.

Q61: Are there specific data sources USAID would like us to include in the sample monthly report? Is primary data required for the sample report?

R: There are no specific data sources USAID would like offerors to include in the sample monthly report. Primary data is not required for the sample report.

Personnel:

Q62: Can USAID please confirm whether offerors are required to submit a resume or CV in support of the Key Personnel, Senior Consultant? If offerors are required to submit a resume or CV, can USAID please confirm that it can be included as an Annex? Will USAID please confirm that any required CVs are outside of the page limitations stated on page 13 of the RFP?

Will USAID please clarify if supporting documents are required for the Senior Consultant Key Personnel position (Page 7, #6), such as a CV, USAID Biodata, and/or Letter of Commitment. If so, can these be provided as an Annex?

R: No CVs are to be submitted as part of the proposal including the key personnel, Senior Consultant. CV, USAID Biodata, and/or Letter of Commitment are not required.

Q63: Does USAID have a senior consultant already in mind? The qualifications are very specific, lending us to wonder if USAID Burma already knows who they want in this role.

R: No

Q64:The Senior Consultant is supposed to liaise with Ambassadors, Flag Officers and C-Level persons. Can USAID describe in more detail who these people are and the nature of the interaction?

R: These positions are illustrative to demonstrate that the Senior Consultant must be able to effectively communicate with Senior level officials.

Q65: Can USAID describe the Senior Consultant's role in meeting with Military Officers (flag officers), as this seems unusual for such a position?

R: This is illustrative.

Q66: On Page # 7, key personal of the RFQ, USAID “strongly prefers a Senior Consultant based in the region to facilitate communications and required consultations”; will USAID please provide further clarification on the responsibilities?

R: The requirements of the contract are likely to necessitate frequent communications with the Contracting Officer’s Representative. USAID believes that this communication would be more effective if our primary point of contact on the contract was based in the region.

Management Plan:

Q67: Please confirm that a separately Management Plan is not required as part of the technical proposal.

R: A Management Plan is not required.

Proposal submission:

Q68: Will USAID please clarify whether there is a specific font type, size, and/or line spacing desired for the preparation of the Technical Proposal including font size differences for regular text and for graphics?

R: 8 1/2" x 11", with at least one inch margins on all sides, using not smaller than times new Roman 12-point type.

Q69: Can USAID please confirm it expects to receive a budget in Microsoft Excel and a budget narrative in Adobe PDF for the price proposal?

R: Correct.

Q70: Can USAID please confirm that a cover page, cover letters, table of contents, acronyms list, and executive summary may be included in the technical proposal and will not be counted against the page limits prescribed in RFP Attachment 2 but will still be read and considered by

USAID?

R: Cover page and cover letters, acronym list and table of contents are not required. If provided, they will not be counted against the page limits. Any Executive summary would be counted against the page limits.

Q71: Given the space limitation of seven pages for the Methodology and Approach section, we respectfully request that we be able to include charts and tables in a two-page annex that will not count towards the page limitations.

R: USAID will only be reviewing the documents requested.

Q72: Would USAID please confirm that offerors are expected to complete and submit with their proposal the Representations and Certifications on page 16 of the RFP, and if so, can they be included as an annex to the Price Proposal?

R: This can be included as an annex to the Price Proposal.

Price proposal:

Q73: Attachment II, Item 3, Additional Instructions to Offerors, number 4 (Price Proposal), page 14, requires offerors to submit a Price Proposal as follows: “The price proposal by deliverable by year. No page limit.”

Can USAID please confirm that the Price Proposal should itemize and price all deliverables specified in the table of Deliverables (Attachment I, item 7, page 8) and that no specific level of effort, salary information, or cost data is required to be submitted?

R: Correct. No specific level of effort, salary information, or cost data is required.

Q74: In Section 3. Activity Description, on page 4 the first paragraph discusses the types of research methods of interest to USAID that the contractor will need to employ under the contract:

“…These tools can be complimented by more conventional techniques including key informant interviews, engagement of scholars and researchers, focus groups discussions, or quantitative surveys. The tools used by the contractor will be used to develop the required analytical reports, mapping, and consulting services detailed under Contract Tasks.”

However, the Contract Tasks include ad hoc and special reports for which the subject is currently unknown, and therefore, data collection requirements and methodologies are also unknown, making it impossible to estimate on a firm fixed price basis.

We therefore respectfully request that USAID provide parameters against which all offerors can budget for these tasks (e.g. an assumed number of surveys and participants, numbers of focus groups per quarter, etc.) to ensure that all offers are submitted against the same requirements.

R: The Quarterly Special Report is likely to utilize multiple data-collection methods that vary based on the specific topic provided. Given the timelines for the deliverables, USAID does not anticipate extensive quantitative data collection (i.e., national or large-scale public opinion surveys). However, this does not preclude geographically prescribed or limited sample surveys to support the contractors reporting.

Q75: On 41 item 4. 752.7003 Documentation for Payment states that “(a) Claims for reimbursement or payment under this contract must be submitted to the Paying Office indicated in the schedule of this contract.” However, the AIDAR seems to indicate for 752.7003 Documentation for payment - “The following clause is required in all USAID direct contracts, excluding fixed price contracts…”

Can USAID please clarify if the anticipated Firm Fixed Price Contract will have any cost reimbursable component?

R: 752.7003 has been deleted. This contract will not include cost reimbursable component.

Q76: At the bottom of page 41, Section 4. 752.7003 Documentation for Payment, item (b) states:

“Local currency payment. The Contractor is fully responsible for the proper expenditure and control of local currency, if any, provided under this contract. Local currency will be provided to the Contractor in accordance with written instructions provided by the Mission Director. The written instructions will also include accounting, vouchering, and reporting procedures. A copy of the instructions shall be provided to the Contractor's Chief of Party and to the contracting officer. The costs of bonding personnel responsible for local currency are reimbursable under this contract.”

We have the following questions related to this reference:

a. Can USAID please clarify how much and for what purposes contractors will be paid in local currency? For budget development purposes, it is critical to estimate local currency payments at the proposal stage, to account for currency exchange rate fluctuations and other financial risks under Fixed Price type contracts.

b. Can USAID please clarify if bonds are expected and how the cost for such bonds will be recovered?

R: 752.7003 has been deleted.

Q77: For informational purposes and in order to assist offerors in developing the fixed prices for this requirement, would USAID please provide a copy of the Local Employee Compensation Plan for USAID/Burma?

R: Please find below the Local Compensation range by category.

Employee Classification Salary Range (US $)

Administrative staff $ 9,000- $ 19,000

Junior level tech staff $15,000 – $22,000

Mid level technical staff $16,000 - $30,000

Senior level technical staff $26,000 – $47,000

Q78: What are the expected cost proposal elements, as well as page limits and level of detail?

R: There are no page limits. The deliverables are the cost elements.

Past Performance:

Q79: In Section 3, Additional Instructions to Offerors, would USAID consider increasing the page allotment for (2) Past Performance from 3 to 5 pages. Five references are to be provided, which could each take 1 page. Would USAID confirm that the past performance may include any subcontractor(s) included in the proposal?

R: The page limit for past performance has been increased to five pages. Past performance may include subcontractors.

Q80: RFP Attachment 2 indicates that “Corporate Experience” and “Past Performance” should be distinct sections of the proposal that will be evaluated separately. Can USAID please elaborate on the instructions and evaluation criteria for each of the two distinct sections?

R: The instruction for “Corporate Experience” is in section 3.1.a. (page 13) and the evaluation criteria is in section 4 (a) first criteria (page 14).

The instruction for “Past Performance” is in section 1.2 and the evaluation criteria is in section 4

(a) third criteria (page 14).

Generally speaking, corporate experience describes whether the firm did similar work. Generally speaking, past performance is what other people, besides the firm, say about well the firm worked.

Q81: On page 13, section 3.2, it asks for: “Past Performance. Summary of at least five organizations that the offeror has successfully provided similar services to within the past five years.” Can USAID please clarify if “five organizations” should be read as “five projects?”

R: It should read five projects.

Q82: Would USAID please confirm that the required section Past Performance is limited to three pages and does not count toward the limit of seven pages (total) required for the Corporate Experience and Methodology and Approach sections?

R: Past performance is now five pages. It is a separate section. It does not count against Corporate Experience and Methodology and Approach section page limits.

Q83: Page 13, under 2. Past Performance, calls for a “summary of at least five organizations that the offeror has successfully provided similar services to within the past five years.”

Will USAID please confirm whether Offerors must provide a list of five different organizations or whether this section can describe five different projects where similar services were provided?

If it is confirmed that five organizations are requested, can it be understood that various bureaus and missions within USAID count as different organizations?

If it is clarified that five different projects/examples of similar services are requested, will USAID please clarify whether these projects may differ from the projects presented in the Corporate Experience section?

R: Five different projects where similar services were provided. This may differ from the project presented in the Corporate Experience section.

Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan:

Q84: RFP Attachment 2 states that Branding Implementation and Marking Plans will be negotiated prior to award. Can USAID please confirm that the Branding Implementation and Marking Plan need not be submitted as part of the proposal and will only be requested from Offerors during final negotiations?

R: Branding Implementation and Marking Plans must be submitted as part of the proposal.

Q85: If a Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan is required, would USAID please confirm that this falls outside of the page limitations as outlined in the RFP?

R: Yes. This falls outside of the page limitations.

Q86: Section 5 of Attachment II, page 15 of the RFP contains instructions for completing a Branding Implementation Plan (BIP) and a Marking Plan (MP). Can offerors submit the BIP and a MP as an annex?

R: Yes, BIP and MP can be submitted as an annex.

Attachment III- Contract Clauses

Q87: It is our understanding that FAR 52.222-12 Termination – Debarment applies to construction contracts. Can USAID please remove this clause?

R: FAR 52.222-12 has been removed.

Q88: It is our understanding that FAR 52.232-1 Payments is only applicable to non-commercial item financing. Can USAID please remove this clause?

R: FAR 52.232-1 has been removed.

Q89: According to CFR 49.502 Termination for Convenience of the Government (link), 52.249- 1 and 52.249-4 cannot be used simultaneously, as 52.249-1 is for solicitations with an anticipated value of less than $150,000. Additionally, these clauses are duplicative and contradictory to the termination language in FAR 52.212-4. Can USAID please remove both 52.249-1 and 52.249-4?

R: FAR 52.249-1 and 52.249-4 have been removed.

Q90: FAR 52.243-1 Changes – Fixed Price is for supplies. Can USAID please substitute with FAR 52.243-1 Changes – Fixed Price Alternate 1, or remove it entirely due to the changes language already found in 52.212-4?

R: FAR 52.243-1 Changes - Fixed Price has been removed.

Q91: 52.249-14 Excusable Delays is only for use in cost reimbursement, time-and-material, or labor-hour contracts, in addition to being duplicative and contradictory to 52.212-4. Can USAID please remove this clause?

R: FAR 52.249-14 has been removed

Q92: Our interpretation of the RFP is that the awardee would follow 52.212-4(g) for invoicing and payment, as this is award is planned as a FFP Commercial Item Contract. Please confirm R: Correct.

Q93: FBO shows the NAICS code of this procurement to be 541990 – All other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services. Yet, on page 41, under the Documentation for Payment section, the RFP references SF-1034 -Public Voucher for Purchases and Services Other Than Personal. The cover letter states that the procurement is for “commercial items.” Can USAID please clarify if this procurement is a professional and analytical personal services contract, as delineated by the NAICS code, or if it is a purchase order for non-personal services, as suggested by payment procedure and cover letter.

R: This is Technical Services contract, but not a personal services contract.

[END OF RFP AMENDMENT]