72051422R000013 - Q-A.pdf

Q&A DOCUMENT FOR SOL-72051422R000013

Technical

1. The RFP cover letter (page 1) has the NAICS code as 541990. However, Section K.2 (page 74) states that the NAICS code for this acquisition is 541620. We kindly request that USAID clarify which NAICS code to use in response to this RFP.

USAID confirms the NAICS code to use in response to this RFP is 541990, as stated in the cover page and Section K.2 of the initial RFP.

2. Section H.15, part 4, (page 49) states: “Implementation of sub-grant and investment activities cannot go forward until sub-activities are registered in the Monitor System and approved by USAID.” Could USAID please confirm that, for activities implemented under grants that meet the definition of categorical exclusion per the approved IEE, no additional approval is required if the contractor has documented the categorical exclusion in the environmental screening form?

Implementation of sub-grant and investment activities cannot go forward until sub-activities are registered in the Monitor System and approved by USAID.

Activities or sub-activities implemented under grants that meet the definition of categorical exclusion must also be registered in the Monitor system and approved by USAID prior to going forward. In summary, all sub-activities, regardless of whether they are CatEx and/or NegDet, must be registered in Monitor and approved by USAID before implementation begins.

3. The amended RFP, published on September 12, 2022, eliminates Section L.5.6 (page 106), Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan. However, Section L.6, part 12, (page 117), states: “The Offeror must prepare a Branding Implementation Plan describing how it will implement the Branding Strategy provided in Section D.2,” and “[t]he Offeror must prepare a Marking Plan that will enumerate all of the public communications, commodities and program materials that visibly bear or will be marked following the guidance in the Branding Strategy provided in Section D.2.” Could USAID kindly confirm that neither a Branding Implementation Plan nor a Marking Plan are required for this activity at the proposal stage?

The Branding and Marking Plan instructions were duplicated in the initial RFP. The Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan is a requirement at the proposal stage as part of the cost proposal.

72051422R000013 Human Rights for Peace Activity

4. This RFP does not mention any sub-activities or collaboration with the Colombian national police or law enforcement. However, the objectives laid out in Attachment J.1, Statement of Objectives, Section C.3.1, imply potential collaboration with local law enforcement. Existing USAID policy limits the extent to which implementers can engage local law enforcement, such as the Lahey Amendment and AIDAR 752.225-70, which under b) (3) lists “Commodities and services for support of police and other law enforcement activities” as ineligible goods and services. Does USAID envision engaging police and local law enforcement as part of the scope of this contract? If so, does USAID either have an authorization in place, or envision providing one for the contractor to provide direct assistance to police, such as community policing training? Finally, will USAID grant a deviation from AIDAR 752.225-70 to allow the contractor to be reimbursed for costs associated with these efforts?

It is possible that the activity may engage with law enforcement through training to help local authorities understand their human rights protection responsibilities under Colombian law. Such training would not fall under the definition of services of support for law enforcement and require an AIDAR deviation. Participants in such training would still be subject to the Leahy vetting process.

5. Section F.7.2, page 14 and F.8 Reporting and Deliverables Matrix, page 26: the draft Annual Work Plan for Year 1 is due within 60 days after award; however, it requires inclusion of the Private Sector Engagement Strategy which will be in draft form under review at that time and finalized later. To align the deliverables, would USAID like to update F.8 Reporting and Deliverables Matrix to align the finalization of the Annual Work Plan with the finalization of the Private Sector Engagement Strategy?

The first draft Annual Work Plan and the Draft Private Sector engagement strategy are both due 60 calendar days after award, as indicated in the Section F.8 Table. The private sector engagement strategy is expected to be finalized within 10 calendar days, but the annual work plan may require more time to finalize.

6. Section F.7.2, page 14 mentions a Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy as part of the Annual Work Plan. Would USAID consider adding this to F.7 and the F.8 Reporting and Deliverables Matrix as a separate deliverable?

The Gender and Social Inclusion strategy is considered an annex to the Annual Work Plan as stated in section F.7.2., and due as part of that plan.

7. Section F.7.4, page 19 and Section F.7.5, page 20 mentions a Communications and Outreach Plan; however, this plan is not included in F.7 Reports and Deliverables or F.8

Reporting and Deliverables Matrix. Would USAID consider adding this to F.7 and the F.8 Reporting and Deliverables Matrix as a separate deliverable?

The Communications and Outreach plan is considered an annex to the Annual Work Plan, and due as part of that plan.

8. Section H.15, page 50, references an Indigenous Peoples Implementation Plan that will be submitted within the first 60 days. Would USAID consider adding this to F.7 and the F.8 Reporting and Deliverables Matrix as a separate deliverable? Can USAID provide more information about this deliverable?

The Indigenous Peoples Implementation Plan is considered an annex to the Annual Work Plan, and due as part of that plan. Section F has been updated to clarify the requirement.

For more information on the deliverable, please consult the link to USAID’s “POLICY ON PROMOTING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (PRO-IP)” included in Section H.

9. Section L of the RFP, L.5.3, notes on page 103 that “The technical approach narrative will also include proposed monitoring and evaluation systems and approaches to assess activity performance.” Would USAID like this section of the technical approach narrative in the proposal structured to follow the AMELP template?

The proposed monitoring and evaluation systems and approaches to assess activity performance in the technical approach section does not have to be structured following the AMELP template, as only a narrative is required.

10. With regards to Section L.5.3. Technical Approach and page 103, can USAID confirm what you want included in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) or if USAID wants only the “interventions and activities proposed to achieve the Activity Goals and Objectives.” In addition to interventions, would USAID like offerors to include in the PWS any of the following?

a. Overall approaches

b. A context section

c. Proposed methodologies or approaches for interventions

As stated in L.5.3. the PWS lists and describes specific interventions and activities proposed to achieve the Activity goals and objectives. The additional sections suggested would be acceptable to include in the PWS, which will be included in the final contract.

11. With regards to Section L.5.3. Technical Approach and page 103, can USAID provide a general page count in mind for the Performance Work Statement?

USAID does not have a general page count to share, but it is anticipated that the PWS will not be as lengthy as the Technical Approach. The PWS details what the offeror will do to meet the objectives delineated within the SOO, and the technical approach provides the opportunity for the offeror to provide additional information on their approach that will not be incorporated into the contract.

12. In the SOO, USAID presents the three objectives. However, in the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) (72051422R00013+-+Attachment+J.7+-+IEE), USAID includes intermediate results (IRs) for the objectives. Can USAID confirm that offerors can use, modify, and/or add to these IRs in the IEE?

Yes, the offerors can use, modify, and/or add to these IRs. The IRs in the IEE represent the type of potential sub-activities that were anticipated related to the categorical exclusion.

13. Attachment J.1 SOO and Attachment J.7 IEE have different Special Objective 3. The SOO states ‘ Special Objective 3: Coordination with USAID activities to strengthen response to human rights violations’ and IEE states “Special Objective 3: Strengthened response to human rights violations through Inclusive Justice and Resilient Communities.” Can USAID confirm which version of the Objective they want to be included?

The narrative in the SOO under this objective includes coordination with the mentioned activities. Therefore, either wording may be used.

14. Attachment J.1 C.5.5 requires Offerors to establish a consortium with at least two local human rights organizations. Can those two or more organizations be GUC recipients (with budgets included within the 25% GUC pool) or does USAID expect separately budgeted subcontracts from consortium members?

USAID would permit consortium members to be GUC recipients if the Contractor believes that is the optimal legal relationship, but please note that regardless of mechanism USAID prefers a more peer-to-peer relationship for consortium members than may exist for more traditional GUC recipients.

15. Section C.4 of Attachment J.1, Statement of Objectives (page 5), states that offerors must incorporate indicators from the USAID/Colombia Performance Management Plan (PMP).

Can USAID please make the PMP available to offerors?

The PMP is not publicly available. Offerors must propose indicators and targets based on the technical approach and interventions included in their submission. Offerors must incorporate Foreign Assistance (F) Standard Indicators. However, upon award the awardee or implementing partner will be provided a list of relevant PMP indicators. The IP will then negotiate with USAID which indicators to report that align or can be used from the PMP. Additionally, a non-comprehensive list of F indicators is listed in the

SOO.

Cost

16. RFP Section B.3 (page 7) reflects a summary budget template with five lines and no CLINs. Attachment J.3 – Budget Guidance and Template reflects a summary budget template with two CLINs. Can USAID please confirm:

a. Which summary budget template to include in the cost application?

i. Budget template was updated to reflect the new summary template.

b. Can Offerors assume this project is 100% CLIN 0001?

i. Yes

c. Assuming the summary budget template in Section B.3 (page 7) is the selected budget template, can USAID please confirm that “Direct Costs” include all costs that are not one of the other three categories (GUCs, Indirect Costs and Fixed Fee)? Specifically, that subcontracts that are not GUCs should be included as “Direct Costs”?

i. Yes, “Direct Costs” include all costs that are not one of the other three categories (GUCs, Indirect Costs and Fixed Fee). Yes, that subcontracts which are not GUCs should be included as “Direct Costs”.

17. RFP Section B.7 Payment of Fixed Fee (page 8) states “payment of fixed fee will be based on completion of the deliverables”. Are Offerors required to submit a Fixed Fee Schedule at this time (as part of the initial application) or will USAID ask the leading Offerors (s) to develop a Fixed Fee Schedule at the time of Questions & Answers/Best- And-Final?

Offerors do not need to submit a Fixed Fee Schedule with their proposal. The Section F.9 payment schedule TBD amounts breaking down how the contract fixed fee will be paid will be determined later.

18. Attachment J.3 – Budget Guidance and Template, Detailed Budget, section C. Travel.

Can USAID please confirm that per diem should be budgeted/presented under its associated trip and not as its own sub-budget category (separate from the trip’s airfare, ground transport etc.)?

Per diem is a budget sub-category recommended to be included in the detailed budget under Travel & Transportation.

19. Attachment J.8 – Budget Guidance and Template, Detailed Budget, includes a budget section “G. Activity Fund”. Can USAID please confirm that this section is intended for Grants Under Contracts (GUCs) and Subcontracts? If not, can USAID please confirm under which section GUCs and subcontracts should be budgeted, and what type of costs are intended to be budgeted under “Activity Fund”?

The budget template has been updated. Grants Under Contracts line must not be used for expenses outside of this category. If subcontracts are considered, a separate sub-category needs to be added to the budget under ODCs.

20. Attachment J.1 C.5.3 mentions a “Rapid Response Fund”. Can USAID please confirm which section of the detailed budget should include this Fund and a placeholder amount for the Fund?

Offers have broad latitude to outline a Rapid Response Fund that supports the goals/objectives of the Human Rights Activity. There is no recommended placeholder amount, and the amount of the Fund will not be included in the Section B.3 contract budget. To promote collaboration and adaptability, USAID anticipates working with the Contractor during annual work plan development to strategize Fund needs/utilization.

21. Section C.5.3 of Attachment J.1 (page 7) states that the Human Rights for Peace Activity will develop a Rapid Response Fund. Could USAID kindly provide parameters on the amount offerors should reserve for the Rapid Response Fund in the cost proposal?

The Rapid Response Fund will be activated only when all other alternatives are unavailable or exhausted. Offerors can propose an amount/purpose for the Rapid Response Fund that fits with their technical approach.

22. Regarding Attachment J.8, Budget Guidance and Template, could USAID please confirm or provide additional information for the following?

● Could USAID please provide guidance about where to budget for international subcontract funds? Subcontracts can be budgeted under ODCs.

● Could USAID please provide guidance about where to budget for grants under contract? Please see response to question 19.

● Could USAID please provide guidance about what should be included in the Activity Fund line item? The budget template has been updated to remove the Activity Fund line item.

● The RFP has no requirements for CLIN budgeting but the budget template in

Attachment J.8 references CLIN 0001 and CLIN 0002. Could USAID please confirm that there are no requirements for CLIN 0001 and CLIN 0002?

There are no requirements for CLIN 0001 & CLIN 0002. Please see question 16.

● Could USAID please confirm that offerors may add standard cost categories to the Detailed Budget tab, such as “Equipment/Supplies”?

Yes, offerors may add standard cost categories to the Detailed Budget tab.

● The LOE tab references ceiling rates by labor category. Could USAID please confirm that ceiling rates by labor category are not required for this proposal? Not required.

[END OF Q&A DOCUMENT FOR SOL 72051422R000013]