RFI_USAID Asia Program Cycle Management Support.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Reference Number: 72048620RFI00001

USAID Asia Program Cycle Management Support

Release Date: January 23, 2020 Response Due Date: February 7, 2020 at 4:00 PM (Bangkok local time)

The United States Agency for International Development, Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) is in the process of gathering information to support anticipated Activity design in support of the U.S. Government’s efforts to strengthen USAID Asia Program Cycle Management.

USAID/RDMA anticipates restricting competition for this future opportunity to organizations that are qualified as US Small Businesses.

Through this Request for Information (RFI), we are seeking responses from interested individuals and organizations to provide information and recommendations that can help shape our strategy for USAID Asia Program Cycle Management Support.

USAID is seeking feedback on the Statement of Work (in Attachment A) included in this RFI. Please note USAID is not seeking technical or cost proposals at this time. Responses to this RFI are voluntary and responders are free to address any or all of the questions. Any future development activities related to this sector will be announced separately on https://beta.sam.gov/ at a later date.

Please note issuance of this RFI does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of responses.

Thank you for your assistance and interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Gregory Wang Regional Agreement/Contracting Officer USAID/RDMA, Bangkok, Thailand http://www.fbo.gov/ https://beta.sam.gov/

ATTACHMENT A - DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / STATEMENT OF WORK

TITLE OF ACTIVITY

USAID Asia Program Cycle Management Support

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The ordering period for this Contract is from September 2020 to September 2025 (5 years).

TOs may be issued at any time during the ordering period. Task Orders may be initially ordered for up to 5 years period of performance. Task order may not extend past September 30, 2030.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Performance of this Contract and TOs issued must be in the Asia region as well as the Pacific Islands.

PURPOSE

The overall purpose of this Contract is to support USAID Missions/Operating Units (OUs) in Asia and their partners/stakeholders to be more efficient, effective, and transparent in achieving and reporting results through the use of empirical data/information and adaptive management. By providing technical and/or support services to USAID Missions/OUs, their implementing partners (IPs), and key stakeholders throughout the Asia Region, it is anticipated that this Contract will assist USAID to strengthen development programming, accelerate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) quality and standards, as well as foster collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) and knowledge management (KM) through a participatory process to support stronger capturing of results and relevant empirical data to improve evidence-based decision making. This, in turn, will promote more effective use of the Agency’s development assistance resources and provide greater transparency.

Specifically, this Contract will support the implementation of the U.S. Government’s and USAID’s current priorities such as the Indo-Pacific Vision and the Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR), as well as future priorities that may arise during the life of the Contract, in relation to the design, M&E, CLA, KM, and dissemination of results and learning at all levels of programming.

BACKGROUND

The Asia region is home to over half of the world’s population; of the world’s 30 largest cities, 21 are in Asia. While still poor, Asia should remain the fastest growing region in the world for the next decade. Stretching from the Central Asian Republics through the population-dense countries of South Asia across the dynamic countries of East Asia to the expansive stretch of the Pacific Islands, the region has become a key driver of global politics and economies, and is closely tied to U.S.

security and prosperity. While much of Asia has experienced robust economic growth, the region continues to grapple with large pockets of poverty, malnutrition, food insecurity, gender inequality, environmental degradation, and fragile governance institutions/states. Trans-border threats such as climate change, human trafficking, and pandemic diseases are increasingly affecting global health and security.

USAID partners with bilateral and regional Asian governments, business sectors, civil society, and non-profit organizations to tackle these challenges. By harnessing the innovation and expertise that exists throughout the region, USAID and its partners work to create a healthier, safer, and more inclusive and prosperous future for the people of Asia and the United States. Within the “Asia-Pacific Region,” USAID operates 23 bilateral programs in Asia (with or without a presence of USAID Mission in the country) including: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. In addition, USAID operates several regional platforms that address critical and trans-boundary development challenges while providing technical and operational services to bilateral programs in the region through three regional missions/office including: Central Asia Programs in four Central Asia Region under USAID/Central Asia Regional Mission in Kazakhstan; programs cover 11 countries in the Pacific islands managed by USAID/Philippines’s Pacific Islands Office based in Papua New Guinea; and programs across “Asia-Pacific Region” operated by USAID/Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) in Thailand. In addition, USAID/RDMA serves as a strategic learning platform by convening development stakeholders from the Asia region and beyond to share and disseminate state-of-the-art development findings and practices. USAID/India and USAID/RDMA also serve as a hub to support the implementation of theIndo-Pacific Vision in the South and Southeast Asia sub-regions.

USAID programs/activities throughout the region primarily focus on improving environmental and natural resources conditions; promoting democratic governance and education; supporting trade, agriculture, and economic reforms; promoting an integrated Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) community; increasing effective responses to infectious diseases; managing humanitarian assistance for vulnerable populations; mitigating the impact of natural and human-made disasters;

strengthening local system especially local capacity and commitment/ownership to local development; promoting gender equality and female empowerment as well as inclusive development, PSE, and other cross-cutting issues.

In order to more effectively measure and strengthen the impact of U.S. development assistance, USAID seeks to enhance the design, M&E, CLA, and KM capacity of its staff, IPs, and stakeholders in the region. All Missions in the Asia region support the implementation of Indo-Pacific Vision and J2SR through a managing for results approach characterized by defining realistic expected results, monitoring progress toward achievement, measuring impact, integrating lessons learned into management decisions, and reporting on performance.

OBJECTIVE

This is a demand-driven Contract and specific requirements will be detailed in each TO. The IDIQ provides the overall scope of the Contract and standard provisions that govern all TOs issued under the IDIQ.

The Contractor must provide technical support and/or services on relevant components of USAID program cycle. This includes support to the robust design, M&E, CLA, and KM at all levels from a Mission’s Strategy to Project and Activity. Overall, the ultimate expected results of this Contract are to strengthen USAID’s program cycle systems in the Asia region and to enhance the capacity of local/regional entities in order to improve accountability and the use of empirical evidence for programming, learning, and adaptive management. The four key objectives of this Contract are described below:

1. To provide a broad range of technical support/services to USAID, IPs, and other relevant stakeholders throughout the program cycle elements focusing on the design and M&E of Strategy, Project, and Activity;

2. To provide innovative CLA, KM, and advisory services to USAID, IPs, and other relevant stakeholders to inform decision-making in order to strengthen development programming as well as to capture and maximize the use of results for adaptive management during the course of Strategy/Project/Activity implementation;

3. To strengthen, reinforce, and expand the capacity of USAID on the design, M&E, CLA, and KM at all levels of the program cycle; and

4. To strengthen capacities of IPs and other relevant stakeholders to foster local/regional sustainability as part of the J2SR.

STATEMENT OF WORK

The ability to engage across all technical and support offices at USAID Missions/Operating Units (OUs) throughout Asia, including IPs and other stakeholders to ensure that the support/services are inclusive, participatory, and utilization- focused, is critical for the success of this Contract.

The Contractor must provide direct services and operational support to fulfill all requirements of the base IDIQ and potential TOs as illustrated below. When implementing the services/support, the Contractor must take into account USAID program cycle and other relevant principles and requirements. In addition to sector-specific expertise, the Contractor must provide support/services that reflect the most recent and innovative techniques and approaches.

1) Management of the Base IDIQ Contract

The Contractor must manage the base IDIQ and TOs through the following tasks:

1. Establishing a variety of mechanisms to recruit qualified experts and firms/organizations/ institutions with expertise in USAID’s programmatic areas in Asia such as health, economic growth, governance, environment, vulnerable populations, gender and inclusive development, and priority policies and cross-cutting approaches. The sourcing of regional and national expertise, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of expertise provided, must be prioritized;

2. Managing the solicitation, screening, scheduling, and deployment processes for the support/services tasked under TOs, and ensuring the quality and timeliness of the support/services delivered;

3. Developing and regularly updating the Contract’s deliverables such as the number and types of TOs, their status, as well as the types of support/services provided;

4. Providing oversight for all support/services delivered under this Contract; and

5. Consulting with the IDIQ’s COR to share challenges faced and ways to mitigate them, as well as reporting progress and results of support/services under this Contract.

2) Expected Task Order Services

The following tasks are examples of the range of possible required services required in this IDIQ. It is important to note that these do not cover the full range of support services required under this IDIQ’s objectives and that some of the examples listed below are interlinked and/or partially overlapping.

1. Technical Assistance in the Design and M&E of USAID Strategy, Project, and/or Activity (Objective 1)

a. Providing support/services on the Strategy, Project, and/or Activity design. This may include a range of tasks such as:

i. Conduct a desk review and/or field assessment to identify relevant data/information as an input to the design process. This may include support on producing an evidence library/catalog;

ii. Conduct in-depth analysis, data synthesis, and statistical modelling (e.g., futures analysis and trends analysis) of key development outcomes;

iii. Design, prepare, and facilitate consultations among relevant partners/stakeholders;

iv. Design, prepare, and facilitate workshops needed for the design, e.g., problem and/or stakeholder analysis, a theory of change and/or logic model development, etc.; and

v. Assist in the development of Mission-Wide Performance Management Plans (PMP) and MEL plans at Project/Activity levels. This may also include assisting in the selection and/or development of appropriate indicators, as well as the collection, verification and analysis of PMP data especially those obtained from sources other than USAID-funded Activities.

b. Providing support/services on monitoring of the Strategy, Project, and/or Activity. This may include a range of tasks such as:

i. Assist in tracking the progress of USAID Missions toward achieving Development Objectives and Intermediate Results as measured by indicators in the Missions’ Results Frameworks and Performance Management Plans (PMP), and recommending revisions of the Results Frameworks and/or the PMP as appropriate;

ii. Assist USAID staff to prepare for Mission-wide portfolio reviews by aggregating data as required;

iii. Map USAID interventions through the use of Geographic Positioning System (GPS) coordinates and cataloguing relevant data such as Activity name and type, IP name, brief Activity description, beneficiaries, etc.;

iv. Support and/or establish a Geographical Information System (GIS) that will collect, input, store, and manage key M&E and other related data;

v. Support data preparation/cleaning to prepare for data migration to the Mission’s and/or the Agency-wide Management Information System (MIS), such as the Development Information Solution (DIS);

vi. Collect baseline data and developing protocols for consistent and ongoing quality data collection by IPs under USAID guidance;

vii. Conduct field monitoring visits in those instances when USAID staff are unable due to political, logistical or security barriers;

viii. Support other monitoring efforts led by USAID staff such as Data Quality Assessments, as required and deemed appropriate; and

ix. Support missions to develop complexity-aware M&E systems that allow for adaptive management

c. Full implementation of high quality and timely special studies of all types. This may include a range of special studies at Strategy, Project, and/or Activity levels such as:

i. Performance evaluations that may involve a variety of common approaches (e.g., a mixed method or household/population-based survey), unconventional methods (e.g., a developmental evaluation or outcome harvesting); and at different time frames (e.g., at baseline/mid-term/endline of a Project/Activity);

ii. Impact evaluations which may include experimental or quasi-experimental design, and may also include qualitative data; and

iii. Various types of research, analysis, and/or assessments on sector-specific and/or cross-cutting issues such as desk research/literature review, situation analysis, formative assessment, feasibility study, GIS or other types of mapping, gender and/or inclusiveness analysis, youth analysis, cost-benefit and/or cost-effectiveness analysis.

2. CLA, KM, and Advisory Support/Services at Strategy, Project, and/or Activity Level

(Objective 2)

a. Organize and/or facilitate innovative learning platforms and activities to facilitate knowledge sharing and management such as Evidence/Learning Summits, Symposia, and learning activities among USAID, sector experts, government/non-government representatives, other donor agencies and other relevant individuals/entities to co-design new Strategy/Project/Activity and/or to take stock of the existing ones. This may also include documenting and making available in useful form analytic results, notes, decisions made, or other types of knowledge, as well as dissemination of results following the learning engagement;

b. Facilitate the development and implementation of organizational and technical learning agendas for USAID Missions/OUs/Offices to align policies, practices, and processes with learning and adaptation. This may include assisting in the design and implementation of CLA activities (also the development/selection of indicators to measure CLA and adaptive management) to track, evaluate and/or review the progress of USAID Missions/OUs/Offices toward achieving Development Objectives and Intermediate Results as measured by indicators in the Results Frameworks and PMPs/MEL Plans, and recommending revisions of the Results Frameworks and/or the PMPs/MEL Plans as appropriate;

c. Assist USAID to conduct comprehensive reviews of MEL findings and disseminating key evaluation findings and recommendations, good practices, and lessons learned across Missions/OUs and beyond through traditional and innovative means;

d. Support the systematic use of empirical data derived from M&E and CLA efforts to assist USAID to modify current Projects/Activities or to develop new Projects/ Activities as deemed appropriate. This may also include the utilization of a MIS/ GIS platform for data management and use; and

e. Support the collection of information that will lead to a better understanding of challenges and opportunities across USAID portfolios, as well as cross-cutting program areas. This may include compiling findings and recommendations on key priority areas; identifying common trends/issues; and supporting Missions/OUs in incorporating the knowledge into their works.

3. Building, Reinforcing, and Expanding the Design, M&E, CLA, and KM Capacities of USAID

(Objective 3)

a. Deploy relevant experts (as parts of technical support team from RDMA to its client Missions/OUs and/or as parts of the Mission-/OU-managed support team), to supplement the capacity/bandwidth of the Missions/OUs by developing high quality tools/materials/products that will serve as solid examples for future application and adaptation, and/or systems/protocols/procedures that ensure self- reliance after the completion of deployment, while filling critical gaps;

b. Provide expert advice/support on organizational Design & MEL System strengthening to ensure capacity and commitment for sustainability;

c. Design and conduct various types/approaches for capacity strengthening on topics related to design, M&E, CLA, and KM at Strategy, Project, and/or Activity level for staff at USAID Missions/OUs. This may include formal/informal training, workshop, mentoring, coaching, and/or other forms of capacity building as deemed appropriate; and

d. Design and/or convene/facilitate a MEL Community of Practice or working group to share and encourage good practices.

4. Strengthening Capacities of IPs and other Relevant Stakeholders (Objective 4)

a. Provide expert advice/support on organizational MEL System strengthening to ensure

MEL capacity and commitment for sustainability;

b. Provide expert advice/support to the IPs and/or other stakeholders on MEL Plan development and implementation. This may include advising/supporting MEL questions/agenda, development/selection of quality indicators, design of monitoring tools and procedures, design/develop concepts for evaluation and/or other types of research, support and/or lead internal/hybrid evaluation teams to bolster the capacity of IPs/stakeholders, and support the incorporation of M&E learning into portfolio reviews as well as any course corrections/adaptive management; and

c. Design and conduct various types/approaches for capacity strengthening on topics related to design, M&E, CLA, and KM at Activity level for USAID’s partners/ stakeholders.

This may include formal/informal training, workshops, mentoring, coaching, and/or other forms of capacity building as deemed appropriate.

Notes:

I) This could be accomplished through a formal partnership with the IP/stakeholder or as a third party’s technical assistance to the IP/stakeholder or other relationships as deemed appropriate by the ordering Missions/OUs.

II) The Contractor must not serve a dual role for internal and external evaluations of the same

Activity.

3) Other Requirements

All of the work performed under this Contract must be performed to comply with USAID Policies and Automated Directive System (ADS). Given the varying needs of and internal processes and approaches employed by each USAID Mission/OU in Asia, additional specific requirements may be detailed in each TO. The description below does not intend to provide an exhaustive list but rather the ones that will be applied more frequently according to the anticipated support/services under this Contract.

1. USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) and Its Mandatory References related to USAID Program Cycle

This largely includes the 200 and 300 series of the ADS. Of which, the following current ADSs are anticipated to be applied in most, if not all, support/ services to be delivered under this Contract.

● ADS 200 (Development Policy)

● ADS 201 (Program Cycle Operational Policy)

● ADS 205 (Integrating Gender Equality and Female Empowerment in USAID’s Program Cycle)

● ADS 253 (Participant Training for Capacity Development)

● ADS 302 (USAID Direct Contracting)

● ADS 318 (Intellectual Property Rights)

● ADS 320 (Branding and Marking)

● ADS 540 (USAID Development Experience Information)

● ADS 579 (USAID Development Data)

2. Other Relevant Policies and Guidance related to USAID Program Cycle

This mainly includes USAID’s and international standards for M&E and research ethics and those related to the key cross-cutting issues. The following USAID policies and guidance are likely to be generally applied for tasks under this Contract.

● USAID Evaluation Policy

● USAID Scientific Research Policy

● USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Principles and Policy

● USAID Inclusive Development

● USAID Youth in Development Policy

● USAID Private Sector Engagement Policy

● Complexity-Aware M&E

3. Appropriate Use of Innovative, Creative, and State-of-the-Art Tools and Methods

While balancing the needs and available resources, as appropriate and to the largest extent possible, the Contractor must maximize utilization of the most efficient and accessible technologies that go beyond conventional/convenient methods during any stages of activities during implementation of the IDIQ and all TOs, as well as support sustainability of the efforts. The Contractor must also reflect cutting-edge development theories, practices, and tools for Project/Activity design, M&E, and CLA at all stages from their design, planning, and implementation and share these innovations with USAID, IPs, and relevant stakeholders.

Methodologies applied for activities must be state-of-the-art and reflect the most current best practices.

Unless otherwise specified in each TO, all special studies (evaluations and other types) performed by the Contractor must follow other internationally recognized standard and ethical practices in developing and conducting research. In particular, the Contractor must ensure that informed consents and personally identifiable information of all informants/respondents/ participants are appropriately obtained, collected, stored, safeguarded, and redacted in accordance with international standards. The Contractor must also follow the research requirements and protocols set forth by the host governments, in consultation with ordering USAID Missions/OUs. In addition, the studies must use a mixed method, data be triangulated and substantiated, and triangulated results clearly presented in the reports or other forms of products.

4) Management Modality and Coordination

The Contractor must manage the entire contract including staffing, costs, schedules, and control of quality standards of all tasks and assignments undertaken to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of all tasks. Implementation of the base Contract and TOs is to be managed by relevant team(s) of the Contractor, in close consultation with the IDIQ’s COR and/or CORs of the TOs from respective Missions/OUs/Offices. The Contractor may subcontract specialized services as necessary.

For all TOs, the Contractor must recruit and deploy specialized technical and/or support staff, as outlined in the TOs. Priority must be given to local/regional specialists or subcontracts with local/ regional organizations with appropriate expertise in order to benefit from: 1) better access to local communities in the region; 2) improved validity and reliability of relevant assignments as international experts may lack the knowledge on local/regional contexts; 3) language skills; and

4) culturally appropriate approaches in implementing relevant activities. It is envisioned that the engagement of local/regional personnel will help strengthen local/regional capacity on Project/Activity design, M&E, research, CLA, and KM. Local field personnel (e.g. field monitors and surveyors)from the respective geographical regions, should be prioritized.

The Contractor must also work in close consultation with relevant office(s) at the client Missions/OUs. Collaborative working relationship among the Contractor, relevant USAID staff, and/or IPs/stakeholders is highly expected from this Contract. The Contractor should work with relevant staff at Missions/OUs to ensure participation by national/regional counterparts and other stakeholders, both people and institutions and also including beneficiaries, during each assignment as appropriate under guidance of relevant CORs/COs. Specific coordinating activities, in addition to the above, will be identified in the individual TOs. The Contractor should collaborate with other organizations/agencies/firms providing services to relevant USAID Missions/OUs in the Region to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the support/services. The Contractor may also be required to work closely with the Development Outreach and Communication (DOC) teams of USAID Missions/OUs, especially on dissemination of M&E/CLA results and learning, as required.

To ensure compliance and advancement of USAID Gender and Inclusive Development in the region, the Contractor must appoint and maintain a Gender/Inclusive Development Specialist to provide services under this IDIQ.

EXPECTED RESULTS

Individual TOs will include specific deliverables, and/or indicators measuring anticipated results as required, of the support/services tasked.

The ultimate expected results of this Contract are to help USAID Missions/OUs in Asia to accomplish high standard and cost-effective M&E and CLA exercises as well as the sustainable M&E and CLA capacity building through internal and external MEL system strengthening. Specifically, it is anticipated that the base IDIQ Contract will achieve the overall results as listed below:

1. All TOs successfully achieved in a technically sound way and timely manner, which in turn will generate more demands for quality support/services;

2. USAID Missions/OUs in the Asia region received satisfactory assistance and/or support/services for M&E and/or CLA according to their needs;

3. M&E and CLA resources (e.g. reports, presentations, tools/protocols, etc.) developed and broadly made available to USAID;

4. M&E and CLA capacity of local/regional organizations strengthened; and

5. Collaborative learning and working relationship between USAID/RDMA and the Contractor with

USAID client Missions/OUs established and enhanced.

The Contractor must work with the IDIQ’s COR to develop a set of indicators to measure the expected results in consultations with relevant Missions. Illustrative indicators may include, but are not, limited to the following:

● Percentage of TOs requests fulfilled in a technically sound and timely manner;

● Percentage of support/services that met or exceeded client expectations;

● Number and percentage of support/services conducted, disaggregated by type (project design, PMP development, evaluation, other special studies, CLA events, etc.);

● Number of regional and local partners/subcontracts identified and tasked;

● Number of regional and local consultants identified and deployed;

● Number of local/regional organizations received M&E/CLA technical and management support that have improved relevant capabilities;

● Number of technical briefs of innovative M&E/CLA methods and/or good practices produced and disseminated;

● Other relevant indicators as required by the Foreign Assistance Standardized Program Structure and other policies.

USAID may conduct an internal evaluation(s) and/or commission and external evaluation(s) on the performance of this Contract.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Preclusion from Implementation Contract (September 2018)

Task orders under this contract may require the Contractor to furnish important services in support of the design of specific activities. In accordance with the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5 and USAID policy, the Contractor will be ineligible to furnish, as a Prime or Subcontractor or otherwise, the implementation services for any activities for which it provides substantial design services except for such services that may be furnished under this contract, unless the Head of the Contracting Activity authorizes a waiver (in accordance FAR 9.503) determining that preclusion of the Contractor from the implementation contract would not be in the Government's interest. When a task order includes a work requirement that will preclude the Contractor from furnishing implementation services, a special contract requirement stating the preclusion will be included in the task order.

Preclusion from Furnishing Certain Services and Restriction on Use of Information (September 2018)

(a) Task orders under this contract may require the Contractor to furnish important services in support of evaluation of Contractors or of specific activities. In accordance with the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5 and USAID policy, the Contractor will be ineligible to furnish, as a Prime or Subcontractor or otherwise, implementation services under any contract or task order that results in response to findings, proposals, or recommendations in an evaluation report written by the Contractor. This preclusion will apply to any such awards made within 18 months of USAID accepting the report, unless the Head of the Contracting Activity authorizes a waiver (in accordance FAR 9.503) determining that preclusion of the Contractor from the implementation work would not be in the Government's interest.

(b) In addition, by accepting this contract, the Contractor agrees that it will not use or make available any information obtained about another organization under the contract in the preparation of proposals or other documents in response to any solicitation for a contract or task order.

(c) If the Contractor gains access to proprietary information of other company(ies) in performing this evaluation, the Contractor must agree with the other company(ies) to protect their information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary, and must refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. The Contractor must provide a properly executed copy of all such agreements to the CO.

Preclusion from Competing for Future Activities:

Due to the nature of the work, the contractor is precluded from all future activities from USAID/RDMA during the life of the contract, and for one year after the end of the contract, with the exception of the follow-on contract (if any). This does not automatically flow down to subcontractors and the specific work subcontractors perform will be analyzed for OCIs at that time.

OCI Mitigation Plan

The Contractor must maintain and follow the OCI Mitigation Plan approved as part of the IDIQ award.

At a minimum, the plan must always address unequal access to information and impaired objectivity issues. Any modifications to the plan must be reviewed and approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

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Preclusion from Implementation Contract (September 2018)