Terrestrial_sector_activity_design_RFI_v2.pdf

Subject: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) / SOURCE SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) Activity Title: USAID/Indonesia New Environment Activity Release Date: June 17, 2019 Response Date: July 8, 2019, 8:00 AM Jakarta Time Response To: proposals-indo@usaid.gov

Dear Interested Parties:

The United States Agency for International Development’s Mission to Indonesia (USAID/Indonesia) is in the process of gathering information to support an anticipated design for a new Environment Activity, as described in Attachment 1 - Background.

A. Request for Information

This is a Request for Information (RFI) and is not a commitment to issue a solicitation, contract, grant or cooperative agreement. Any future solicitations or funding opportunities to the new Environment Activity will be announced on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.fbo.gov or at www.grants.gov at a later date.

USAID/Indonesia is not seeking technical or cost applications/proposals at this time.

This RFI is open to interested US and non-US organizations to provide responses to questions outlined in Attachment 1 - Information Requested. Responses to this RFI are voluntary. In responding to this RFI, significant emphasis should be placed on discrete and actionable interventions USAID/Indonesia could potentially take to support implementation of the new Environment Activity. Respondents are free to address any or all the questions, as well as provide additional information they think is relevant to the new Environment Activity. USAID/Indonesia may use information obtained from this RFI to develop an activity design.

Submission instructions for this RFI are provided in Section III.A of Attachment 1.

B. Sources Sought Notice (SSN)

Additionally, this is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) to identify qualified organizations that are interested in and capable of performing the type of work described in Attachment 1 - Background. Your responses to the information requested will assist

USAID/Indonesia - New Environment Activity

USAID to plan the acquisition strategy, including whether a U.S. small business set-aside is possible.

Submission instructions for this SSN are provided in Section III.B of Attachment 1.

USAID/Indonesia is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information, answer questions or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Please note issuance of this RFI/SSN 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 comments.

Thank you for your assistance and interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, /s/ Albert E. Carrera Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/Indonesia

ATTACHMENT 1

I. BACKGROUND

USAID/Indonesia’s new Environment Activity seeks to reduce the threats to biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use in Indonesia. At a national level, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) demonstrates capacity and commitment towards improved biodiversity conservation and natural resource management through international and domestic pledges. Along with these pledges, Indonesia strives towards a “self-reliant” vision of long-term development. Despite the GOI’s efforts to plan, finance, and implement biodiversity conservation and greenhouse gas emission reduction programs, the GOI and academic research acknowledge that biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions from land use continue. The underlying threats to these issues are related to weak governance and a lack of capacity and commitment of subnational governments to plan, finance, and implement programs that sustain and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. Further, in Indonesia’s system of decentralized governance the lack of incentives for sustainable natural resource use at subnational levels induces excessive natural resource exploitation.

Through this activity, USAID will continue to work together with the GOI at all levels to further advance its capacity and commitment to plan, finance, and implement programs that address these issues in a transparent and accountable manner. To accomplish this, USAID will draw on the expertise and resources of the GOI, the U.S. Government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and like-minded partners.

USAID has identified the following two strategic objectives as initial areas of focus.

1. Subnational political jurisdictions achieve a level of environmental governance that advances sustainable management in biodiversity conservation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from land use.

2. Agricultural, forestry, and extractive industries fully implement private sector environmental and social sustainability goals that reduce threats to biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use in priority supply chains.

II. INFORMATION REQUESTED

USAID is specifically interested in feedback and comments on the following questions.

1. Where and to what extent do biodiversity threats across Indonesia align with historical and projected greenhouse gas emissions from land use? What criteria or methodology should be employed by USAID to inform the geographic focus of this proposed Environment Activity?

2. What are examples of sustainable and scalable approaches that USAID can implement to reduce threats to biodiversity conservation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use in Indonesia? What approaches to reduce threats to biodiversity conservation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use in Indonesia have been overlooked or discarded by development partners and should be revisited?

3. In Indonesia, what constraints face subnational governments when implementing sustainable development, green growth plans, and biodiversity conservation programs? What innovations can be adopted to better align resources with evolving political will?

4. What approaches to engage smallholders have proven successful in improving sustainable rural livelihoods that also protect biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use in Indonesia?

5. How and where can USAID engage best with the private sector to advance biodiversity conservation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from land use, and sustainable commodity production in Indonesia?

6. To what extent does gender equality and women's empowerment in forest and land management groups affect biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental governance outcomes in Indonesia? What are examples of sustainable and scalable initiatives to promote gender-responsive programs in biodiversity conservation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from land use in Indonesia?

III. RESPONSES SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

A. Request for Information (RFI)

All comments and recommendations to the questions presented in Section II (Information Requested) must be submitted electronically to proposals-indo@usaid.gov with the subject title: “RFI: USAID/Indonesia new Environment Activity”, no later than the date/time stated above.

The submitted response should include:

Reference: USAID/Indonesia new Environment Activity Organization Name Organization Address Contact Information

Attachments: Respondents may attach any documents that support your comments to the above questions.

B. Sources Sought Notice (SSN)

Interested qualified organizations should submit a tailored capability statement to proposals-indo@usaid.gov with the subject title: “SSN: USAID/Indonesia new Environment Activity”, no later than the date/time stated above.

The cover page of the capability statement should include:

Reference: USAID/Indonesia new Environment Activity DUNS Number Organization Name Organization Address Contact Information

All proprietary information should be marked as such. Responses will be reviewed only by USAID personnel and will be held in a confidential manner.

No electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response nor individualized feedback on any suggestions will be given. No basis for claims against the U.S.

Government shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI/SSN or from the Government’s use of such information. Specific questions about this RFI/SSN should be directed only to the email addresses identified above.

[END OF RFI/SSN]