72061118R00001-LRZ_Solicitation.pdf

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Subdivision 694/Stand 100 Ibex Hill Road

PO Box 320373

Lusaka, Zambia – 10101 infozambia@usaid.gov

USAID.gov

March 19, 2018

Subject: Request for Proposals (RFP) Number 72061118R00001

USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity

Dear Prospective Offerors, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Zambia is seeking proposals to provide technical services for USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity as described in the attached Request for Proposals (RFP).

This procurement will be conducted under full and open competition procedures pursuant to

Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), under which any type of organization is eligible to compete.

USAID anticipates the award of a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee, Completion-Type Contract for a maximum five (5) year period of performance as a result of this RFP. USAID anticipates that the total estimated cost will range in the amount of $41 to $49 million. The North American

Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this solicitation is 541990 and the small business size standard is $15 million. The authorized geographic code for the prime contractor of this procurement is 935.

This solicitation requires certain aspects of the offerors proposal to be furnished via oral presentations. Two senior key personnel will be required to present, in-person at the Mission.

Please refer to Section L for detailed information regarding proposal requirements. A solicitation industry-day conference and webinar will be held as described below to help offerors understand the requirements of this RFP.

Action Date Time Submission/Location:

RFP Issuance Date March 19, 2018 N/A www.fbo.gov

Questions Due March 28, 2018 14:00 Lusaka Time oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov

Industry Day Conference &

Webinar

April 04, 2018

[See Section L.4]

13:30 Lusaka Time Zambia Mission

Proposals Due April 25, 2018 14:00 Lusaka Time oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov

Oral Presentations Tentatively from May 07-May

17th, 2018

[See Section L.7]

TBD Zambia Mission

Failure to comply with the submission date and time may result in a submission being deemed unacceptable, such that it will not be reviewed or evaluated. Faxed proposals are not acceptable, nor will they be reviewed or evaluated. Section M states the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated. Oral explanations or instructions given before award of the mailto:infozambia@usaid.gov http://www.fbo.gov/ mailto:oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov mailto:oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov mailto:oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov mailto:oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov

Request for Proposals (RFP) Number 72061118R00001

Contract will not be binding.

All questions related to the RFP must be submitted to oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov on the date and time indicated above. Unless otherwise notified by an amendment to the RFP, no questions will be accepted after this date.

This RFP in no way obligates USAID to award a Contract. Nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Award of a Contract under this RFP is subject to availability of funds and other internal USAID approvals.

This RFP and any future amendments can be viewed and downloaded from www.fbo.gov.

USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Further, be aware that amendments to solicitations are occasionally issued and will be posted on the same internet site from which you downloaded the solicitation. You are therefore advised to regularly check the above internet site for amendments.

Sincerely, Mohib Ahmed

Supervisory Contracting Officer http://www.fbo.gov/

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

RATING

N/A

PAGE OF PAGES

1 142

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

72061118R00001

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

SEALED BID (IFB)

X NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

03/19/2018

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

REQ-611-18-000001

7. ISSUED BY CODE ZAMBIA 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

Same as Item 7

USAID Zambia

Subdivision 694/Stand 100

Ibex Hill Road

P. O. Box 320373

Lusaka 10101

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and 1 electronic copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in Submission Must be in two separate electronic formats (Technical and Cost) until 1400 local time

(Hour)

04/25/2018 (Date)

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

A. NAME

Alfred Kapambwe

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

oaa-solicit-lusaka@usaid.gov

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

(X) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S)

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM 01 X I CONTRACT CLAUSES 70

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS 02 PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT 08 X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 92

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING 18 PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 20 X

K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 21

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 35 X L INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 117

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 40 X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 137

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

AWARD (To be completed by government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) ( ) 41 U.S.C. 253 (c) ( )

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) CODE 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

Mohib Ahmed

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

03/19/2018

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS (%)

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

15A. NAME

AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY 16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER

(Type or print)

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

ACRONYM LIST

1. AMELP Activity Monitoring Evaluation Learning Plan

2. CCN Cooperating Country Nationals

3. COR Contracting Officer’s Representative

4. CPFF Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee

5. CWPM Correct Words Per Minute

6. DFID Department for International Development

7. DO Development Objective

8. DOC Development Outreach and Communication

9. ECE Early Childhood Education

10. EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment

11. ES Education Service

12. GIS Geographic Information System

13. FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation

14. GRZ Government of the Republic of Zambia

15. IR Intermediate Result

16. JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency

17. JPAL Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

18. MOGE Ministry of General Education

19. NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations

20. NAICS North American Industry Classification System

21. NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

22. PTA Parent Teacher Association

23. RTS Read to Succeed

24. RFP Request for Proposals

25. SIR Sub-Intermediate Result

26. TaRL Teaching at the Right Level

27. TCN Third Country National

28. TLM Teaching and Learning Materials

29. TTL Time to Learn

30. UNICEF United Nations Children’s Funds

31. UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization

32. USAID United States Agency for International Development

33. VVOB Flemish association for Development Cooperation and Technical

Assistance

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is for the Contractor to implement the Let’s Read, Zambia activity in accordance with Section C – Statement of Objectives (SOO).

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND SERVICES

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion-type contract consistent with Federal

Acquisition Regulation 16.306(d)(1). The Contractor must provide the outputs as described in

Section C and the deliverables as described in Section F in accordance with the performance standards specified in Section F and H.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

In accordance with FAR Part 52.232-22 - Limitation of Funds:

(a) The estimated cost for the performance of the work required hereunder, exclusive of fixed fee, if any, is $TBD. The fixed fee, if any, is $TBD. The estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any, is $TBD.

(b) Budget

Line Item

Description

PERIOD

Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3 Yr. 4 Yr. 5 Total All Years

Salaries and Wages

Fringe Benefits

Travel, Transportation and

Per Diem

Equipment and

Supplies

Subcontracts

Participant Training

Other Direct Costs

Indirect Costs

Fixed Fee

Total Cost Plus

Fixed Fee

The contractor will not be paid any sum in excess of the Total Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee amount.

(c) Within the estimated cost plus fixed fee (if any) specified in paragraph (a) above, the amount currently obligated and available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the

Contractor (and payment of fee, if any) for performance hereunder is $TBD. The Contractor will not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount.

(d) In accordance with FAR 52.232-19, Availability of Funds, funds obligated hereunder are anticipated to be sufficient through o/a TBD.

B.4 52.216-8 FIXED FEE (JUN 2011)

The Government must pay the Contractor for performing this contract the fixed fee specified in Section B.3. The payment of fee will be in accordance with the following fee schedule which is tied to the deliverable schedule as outlined in Section F.5 and provided below:

% OF FIXED FEE

No Deliverables Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr.3 Yr. 4 Yr. 5 TOTAL

1 All Key Personnel Furnished 3% 3%

2 Approved Annual Work-plan 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 10%

Reading Intervention packages developed for each district [by official designated language] agreed to by the MOGE and Approved by

USAID

15% 15%

7 Meet the Metrics 20% 20% 40%

Completed and fully functional dashboard of the performance tracking system in place that is reviewed by MOGE and accepted by USAID.

4% 1% 1% 1% 2% 9%

Baseline for each school established and uploaded into Performance Tracking System.

3%

3%

School Based Assessments Tracked through the

Performance Tracking System (for every nine school based assessments completed in a school year [three per term]) and system fully functions to allow USAID and the IP to make informed programmatic decisions.

0.0% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 1.5% 6%

Parent, Community, and Private Sector

Engagement Plan and Execution Reports

Approved by USAID.

2% 1% 2% 5%

Periodic Progress Reports

13 Annual Progress Reports 1% 1% 1% 1% 4%

Other Reports

23 Final Activity Report 5% 5%

Total Fixed FEE 30.0% 5.5% 27% 6% 33% 100%

The following fee schedule breakdown applies for Deliverable 07:

Additional Fee Schedule for Deliverable 07

Results from Bilateral USAID Education Data

Activity

Proportion of

Overall Fixed Fee Percentage

Proportion of

Overall Fixed Fee Dollars

76%-100% 20% TBD

55%-75% 15% TBD

35%-54% 10% TBD

0%-34% 0% TBD

The following fee schedule breakdown applies for late delivery:

FEE SCHEULE FOR DELAY OF DELIVERABLE

No. Deliverables

% of

Fixed

Fee

Proportion of Overall

Fixed Fee

Dollars

Week

Delay

Proportion of Overall

Fixed Fee

Dollars

Week

Delay

Proportion of Overall

Fixed Fee

Dollars

3+

Week

Delay

Proportion of Overall

Fixed Fee

Dollars

All Key Personnel

Furnished

3% TBD 1% TBD 0% $0 0% $0

Approved Annual

Work-plan

2% TBD 1% TBD 0% $0 0% $0

Completed and fully functional dashboard of the performance tracking system in place that is reviewed by

MOGE and accepted by

USAID.

4% TBD 3% TBD 1% TBD 0% $0

Baseline for each school established and uploaded into

Performance tracking system.

3% TBD 2% TBD 1% TBD 0% $0

Final Activity

Report

5% TBD 2% TBD 0% $0 0% $0

B.5 TASK BUDGET

Task Description Total

TBD TBD

Total Estimated Costs

B.6 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

This contract is considered non-severable, and is therefore a multi-year contract as defined in

FAR 17.103. Therefore, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106.

Cancellation Dates:

Contract Year Date Amount in %/$

Contract Year 2 TBD 20% or $TBD

Contract Year 3 TBD 14% or $TBD

Contract Year 4 TBD 8% or $TBD

Contract Year 5 TBD 2% or $TBD

Cancellation Ceiling:

This is a cost reimbursement completion-type contract where the Contractor is authorized to be reimbursed for all costs which are allowable in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, “Allowable

Costs and Payment.” Therefore, the Contractor must not incur any costs which would have been amortized over the life of the contract should the contract be cancelled in accordance with FAR 52.217-2. The cancellation ceiling for each cancellation date is indicated above.

B.7 INDIRECT COSTS

The Contractor is authorized to recover applicable indirect costs, if it is part of the contractor's usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR Part 31, and Negotiated Indirect

Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs will be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases as below:

[To be inserted at the time of Award]

Contractor Fringe

Rate %

Overhead

Rate %

G&A

Rate %

PRIME (insert)

Type of Rate (insert)

Base of Application (insert)

Source: (insert)

Period: (insert)

SUBCONTRACTOR(S)

(insert)

Type of Rate

Base of Application (insert)

Source: (insert)

Period: (insert)

NOTE: Insert additional indirect rates as needed for all primes and subcontractors in the above table.

NOTE: The un-shaded columns in the indirect cost table are the current approved indirect cost rates for the prime and subcontractor(s).

NOTE: Contractors are allowed to recoup indirect costs (OH, G&A, etc.) as other direct costs if it is part of the contractor’s usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR 31 and the contactor’s NICRA.

NOTE: Major subcontractors are those subcontractors whose proposed costs exceed 20% of the Offeror’s proposed total cost or perform a key element of the RFP.

NOTE: The Contractor will make no change in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

Reimbursement for indirect costs shall be at final negotiated rates.

B.8 COST REIMBURSABLE

The U.S. dollar costs allowable will be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 31 (Contract Cost Principles), 2 CFR Part 200 (Cost

Principles), FAR 52.216- 7 (Allowable Cost and Payment), FAR 52.216-8 (Fixed Fee) if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003 (Documentation for Payment), may be reimbursable under this contract.

B.9 LABOR

(a) Compensation of personnel under this contract or any resulting subcontracting must be in accordance with AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel compensation (July 2007) , and will be based upon a combination of factors including the Mission’s Local Compensation Plan for the professional category being negotiated and consideration of the individual's education, work experience and recent relevant salary history. Unless otherwise authorized by the Mission

Director or AA having programmatic responsibility, the compensation for CCN and TCN labor must not exceed the Missions’ Local Compensation Plan and must be paid in the currency of the cooperating country.

(b) All locally hired national personnel and other non-U.S. expatriates must be paid in accordance with AIDAR 722.170(a). Third Country Nationals (TCNs) and Cooperating

Country Nationals (CCNs) who are working in the United States or are legal residents of the

United States at the time they are hired, must be extended benefits, and be subject to restrictions on the same basis as U.S. citizens who work in the United States.

(c) The work day and work policies and method of accounting for paid absences including holidays for the contractor and major subcontractors is set forth the contractors policies and procedures which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

C.1 ACTIVITY TITLE

The activity title is USAID Let’s Read, Zambia.

C.2 PURPOSE

The purpose of USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity is to improve reading outcomes for approximately 1.4 million children attending pre-primary (kindergarten) through Grades 3 in

Zambian public and community schools.

C.3 BACKGROUND

Zambia’s primary education system faces challenges in its ability to provide minimally quality primary education services. A high pupil-teacher ratio (59:1), high pupil-textbook ratio (10:1), and extremely poor learning outcomes in critical areas, such as reading and math, are compounded by a weak education management system and poor-quality infrastructure. Only

30 percent of children who enter the school system – either through community or public schools – manage to complete Grade 12. Encouragingly, however, since school fees were abolished in 2002, Zambia has made significant gains toward ensuring near universal access to primary education, with approximately 3.2 million children currently enrolled in Grades 1 to 7.

In 2014, the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) rolled out the Primary Literacy

Program, a revised curriculum that recognizes a child’s mother tongue as the most appropriate language of instruction for the early grades.

Let’s Read, Zambia will support the GRZ’s Primary Literacy Program, which seeks to improve reading outcomes for approximately 1.4 million children attending public and community schools from pre-primary through Grade 3. Let’s Read, Zambia is also aligned with Goal One of the USAID Global Education Strategy: “Improving Reading Levels for a Hundred Million

[primary-school]” learners. This activity directly supports the USAID/Zambia 2011-2018 CDCS

Development Objective (DO) No. 3, ‘Human Capital Improved,’ and under that DO the

Intermediate Result (IR) “Educational Achievement in Math and Reading Improved.” The activity responds directly to Sub-Intermediate Result (SIR) 3.1.2 ‘Public and Community School

Performance Improved’ and contributes to the achievement of SIR 3.1.1 ‘Ministry of Education

Systems Strengthened’ as depicted in the results framework below:

Learning to read in the early grades is the foundation for learning at all levels and in all subjects.

USAID’s development hypothesis in the education sector is premised on the understanding that improving the quality of primary education requires increased emphasis on basic reading skills and strengthening education policy and management for long-term sustainability and sector impact.

The Development Hypothesis for the activity holds that if time spent on reading instruction is sufficient; if children are taught to read in a language that they speak and understand; if there are relevant teaching and learning materials in the seven local languages; if teachers are well-trained, mentored, and coached to teach and formatively assess reading acquisition in local languages using the appropriate approaches; if the education system is equipped to test early grade reading skills and report and analyze results; and if families and communities are involved in the education of their children; then early grade students will be able to read with fluency and comprehension at grade level.

The USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity is a parallel activity to the USAID Education Data

Activity; currently under procurement, please refer to Attachment J.17 for the Performance

Based Work Statement (Section C). The USAID Education Data Activity is specifically responsible for the tracking the reading progress made via the Early Grade Reading Assessment

(EGRA) and measuring reading outcomes under the Let’s Read, Zambia Activity.

C.4 SUCCESS

Successful implementation of this activity will achieve sustained improvements in reading with fluency, comprehension, and write at grade level in one of the seven official local languages within target schools for children in pre-primary through Grades 3. The contractor will meet and/or exceed the targets set herein along with the indicators. Further success will be measured by the achievement of the objectives as outlined in Section C.8 below and validated through the separate bilateral USAID Education Data Activity award.

C.5 KEY STAKEHOLDERS

IR3.1 Educational Achievement in Reading and

Math Improved

SIR 3.1.1

Ministry of

Education

Systems

Strengthened

SIR 3.1.2 Public and Community

School

Performance

Improved

SIR 3.1.3

Equitable Access to Education

Increased

SIR 3.1.4

HIV/AIDS Impact on Education

Mitigated

Implementation of this activity will require coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders. The following list provides key stakeholders and their respective roles and responsibilities within the USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity:

Stakeholder Role

USAID/Zambia USAID/Zambia will have oversight of the performance of the Contract.

USAID/Zambia will serve as a liaison between the Contractor and

MOGE, and will obtain necessary approvals to facilitate activity implementation in the provinces, districts and schools.

Ministry of General

Education (MOGE)

The MOGE will be involved and consulted during activity planning and implementation to ensure alignment with policy provisions and institutionalization of reading related activities in the education system.

The Contractor must work closely with the MOGE’s Directorate of

Planning and Information Management, Directorate of Curriculum and

Standards, Directorate of Early Childhood Education, and Teacher

Education and Specialized Services, to inform, develop and/or finalize the content of teaching and learning materials, and ensure alignment reading interventions with the Primary Literacy Program and curriculum. The MOGE will actively participate in provincial, district, zonal and school level activities. In addition, other directorates will collaborate with the Contractor as deemed necessary.

Provincial Education

Offices and

District Education Board

Secretary Office

The Provincial and District Education Offices will work with the

Contractor to coordinate sub-national level activities, which include;

preparation for teacher training and providing necessary authorizations;

and, supporting teacher mentoring and coaching including school based assessments. As implementing units of education programs, the provincial and district levels collaborate in planning, management, monitoring and evaluation of the USAID Let’s Read, Zambia activity.

Target Schools These are the intended primary beneficiaries of this activity. Students will receive reading interventions and will be assessed to track progress on reading outcomes.

Cooperating Partners

(Irish Aid, JICA, UNICEF, World Bank & China

Fund-in-Trust/UNESCO, DFID)

These include other donors providing funds for education activities independently but aligned with the objectives of the USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity. In addition, donors such as JICA could potentially complement numeracy teaching in early grades. Therefore, collaboration with these stakeholders will be necessary to ensure alignment of activities.

C.6 LINKS TO OTHER PROGRAMS

The activity will coordinate with the USAID Education Data activity and other USAID supported programs as well as other partners that support the education sector in Zambia. The

Education Data activity will provide distinct assessment, data management, research, and evaluation services to monitor and track the progress of the Let’s Read, Zambia activity via the

EGRA. The Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), also known as Catch up program, will complement the Let’s Read, Zambia activity in some target provinces by providing remedial reading interventions for students in Grades 3 through 5. To enable district and sub-district government engagement and community mobilization, the USAID Let’s Read, Zambia activity will collaborate with a planned USAID district governance strengthening activity. The collaboration include attending joint planning and review meetings coordinated by the MOGE with other partners in the education sector including joint field visit trips. The implementation of this activity will be coordinated with other donor funded programs in the Zambian education sector. Additionally, six donors support the education sector in Zambia, as summarized below:

Agency Sub-Sector Focus

African Development Bank Technical Education and Vocational

Training

DFID Sector Wide Approach

Irish Aid Sector Wide Approach

Japan Sector Wide Approach, Teacher Education

UNICEF Early Childhood, Primary

USAID Pre-Primary and Primary-Projects and

Government to Government

C.7 SCOPE

The USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity will target approximately 1.4 million students in the five target provinces of Eastern, Muchinga, Southern, Northwestern and Western. Within the five target provinces, there are approximately 4,250 public and community primary schools, including Early Childhood Centers in 56 districts that are made up of a clustering of 425 zones.

This Activity will ensure that:

● Pre-primary (Kindergarten) students in the targeted provinces will develop oral language skills and emergent literacy skills in one of the seven official local languages to prepare them for successful transition to Grade 1; and,

● Grades 1-3 students in the target provinces within public and community schools learn to read with fluency, comprehension, and write at grade-level in one of the seven local official languages of instruction:

Province Official Language of Instruction

Eastern Chinyanja

Western Silozi Muchinga Icibemba North Western Lunda, Luvale, Kiikaonde Southern Chitonga1

● 20,000 teachers trained in literacy instruction and receiving mentorship and support;

1 Parts of Kazungula district is predominantly Silozi speaking

● 4,250 head teachers, 4,250 deputy head teachers and 425 Zonal In-service

Coordinators receiving continuous professional development training to support reading interventions;

● 3,155 public and 1,095 community schools reached with reading interventions.

The activity will support and work through the decentralized management structures of the

MOGE national, provincial, district, zonal and school-levels including communities.

C.8 OBJECTIVES

In order to reach the vision of Success as stated above, the following objectives must be achieved:

Objective 1: Reading Intervention Package

The reading intervention package must be customized and based on school needs and evidence.

The contractor’s objective is to identify and deliver a package of reading interventions to each school per grade that would create the largest impact on reading outcomes through the life of the activity. The intervention package would evolve through implementation and be unique to each cohort entering and exiting the grade levels. Having a uniform system, is one of the largest failures which has been determined through previous interventions. The contractor will integrate the use of technology in teaching reading, as appropriate.

The contractor will define the number of students that will receive the intervention package and delineate by year and grade. The MOGE 2016 Statistics Bulletin and pre-primary statistical

Information [Attachment J.1] has been provided as an additional resource.

Mid-Line

EGRA

End-Line

EGRA

Grades Yr. 1 Yr. 2 Yr. 3 Yr. 4 Yr. 5

Pre-Primary

To be provided within the offerors PBWS.

Total

Objective 2: Meet the Metrics

The contractor's objective is that at least 75 percent of the students sampled through the separate bilateral USAID Education Data Activity reach the following minimum benchmark across target provinces:

EGRA Results Correct non-words per minute

(decoding skills)

Correct words per minute ( oral reading fluency)

Comprehension of passage read (% of questions answered correctly out of a total of 5)

Grade 2 Targets 15 cwpm 20 cwpm 40 percent

The contractor will be responsible for tracking and reporting on the following indicators which are linked to reporting requirements in Section F [AMELP] through the life of the award.

EDUCATION INDICATORS

ES.1-1 Percent of learners who demonstrate reading fluency and comprehension of grade level text at the end of grade 2 with USG assistance

ES.1-5

Number of learners reached in reading programs/interventions at the primary level with

USG assistance ES.1-8 Number of primary or secondary school educators who complete professional development activities with USG assistance ES.1-9 Number of primary school educators who complete professional development activities on implementing evidence-based reading instruction with USG assistance ES.1-10 Number of primary or secondary school educators who complete professional development activities on teaching students with special educational needs with USG assistance

ES.1-12

Number of primary or secondary textbooks and other teaching and learning materials

(TLM) provided with USG assistance

ES.1-13

Number of primary school classrooms that receive a complete set of essential reading instructional materials with USG assistance

ES.1-14 Number of education administrators/officials who complete professional development activities with USG assistance ES.1-15 Number of parent teacher associations (PTAs) or community-based school governance structures engaged in primary or secondary education supported with USG assistance Custom Amount of new revenue/leverage generated through Objective 04

Objective 3: Performance Tracking System

Three times a school term, each school is required to conduct a School Based Assessment in

Literacy to track student performance. This School- Based Assessment is not the EGRA, but a government established policy requirement. The contractor’s objective is to establish a baseline for each school (per grade level) at the beginning of the Activity and create a system to track progress over time. The “system” cannot be proprietary and must be open source. The purpose of developing this tracking system is to be able to systematically and progressively determine exactly which schools and grades within the schools need greater resources for interventions. Further, it will track cohorts as they progress through the intervention cycle.

The contractor will have a “dashboard” or other accessible means for USAID to review data and see (by color coding, GIS, and/or other display) how each school per grade is performing and possible trends that can be identified. This is a real-time system which would be updated as the School-Based Assessment Data is collected. For those schools where the Assessment is not being collected, USAID is to be notified immediately to work with MOGE to get the school in compliance with Zambian education policies.

Objective 4: Increase Parent, Community, and Private Sector Engagement

Research clearly shows that there is a strong positive relationship between a student’s success in school and the level of engagement by his or her parents with the school. Educators recognize that to produce lasting positive achievement, it is vital to engage parents/caregivers meaningfully and consistently in the children’s education. In spite of this fact, getting parents involved in their child’s learning is hugely difficult. There is emerging evidence that community engagement strategies employing social behavior change communication strategies such as community theatre, reading competitions, local posters, community meetings on reading, and radio shows on how parents can read with children, can result in significant increases in parental perception of their ability to support their children in learning to read. The contractor’s objective is to create and implement a plan that will engage parents/community to support reading activities for improved reading levels. Further increasing private funding to support early grade reading programs is key to sustainable education programming. The contractor’s objective is to identify and create networks with private sector entities that will leverage additional resources.

C.9 GENDER INTEGRATION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

USAID/Zambia understands that gender issues and challenges exist across the education sector. Activities developed as part of Let’s Read, Zambia will directly strengthen reading outcomes for both girls and boys. Special efforts will target increased female and marginalized groups participation in learning and school management at the local level. To ensure that all students benefit from project activities, gender equality and social inclusion will be integral components of project design in accordance with the USG‘s Development

Policy which prescribes investments that benefit women and girls and men and boys from all socioeconomic groups. USAID/Zambia is also promoting disability inclusion by training teachers for special needs children and developing teaching and learning materials for learners with disabilities. The contractor’s objective is to ensure gender considerations are taken into account through the entire design of the Activity and implemented accordingly.

The USAID/Zambia’s gender analysis identified that gender bias and inequitable learning conditions in schools continue to undermine educational achievement for both boys and girls. Poor educational outcomes exacerbate gender inequalities and often leave young

Zambians with few skills or the ability to participate in the economy.

To ensure integration of gender considerations, the activity aims to:

Ensure that community members can participate in planned capacity development activities and civic engagement events, such as Parent-Teacher Association meetings, by scheduling them at times and in places that are compatible with their involvement.

Include integrated approaches in program design to build accountability and integrity and promote a culture of gender inclusiveness.

Require all person-level data to be disaggregated by sex, age and regions.

C.10 SUSTAINABILITY

Let’s Read, Zambia is geared to catalyze MOGE participation and leadership in its implementation. To ensure sustainability and for best results, the activity will, therefore, be implemented within the MOGE policies and structures down to the schools and the communities they serve. The contractor’s objective is to function as an integral part of the

Zambian education system and to strengthen that system to ensure the affordability and sustainability of reading approaches and outcomes after the intervention comes to an end.

C.11 OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS

Specific challenges to any effort to improve learning outcomes and increase literacy at the primary school level include; but are not limited to:

School Cycle:

The Zambian School cycle is from January through December. Depending on the timing of the award, the contractor will have to ensure that the intervention package begins at the start of a school year. Therefore, timing considerations are of the utmost importance as the possibility between award and the start of the school year may or may not impact the execution of the package.

Language of Instruction:

There are 72 languages and dialects currently spoken in Zambia. Of these 72, one or more of seven major regional languages are spoken or understood by virtually all Zambians. The MOGE has accordingly designated seven official local languages of instruction, in addition to English.

These languages are used in primary Grades 1 to 4. English is the official language of instruction from Grade 5 onward in all public schools. Some children throughout Zambia, however, still attend schools where instruction is conducted in a language that they do not speak or understand. As might be expected, this is a challenge for students learning to read and write.

Additionally, some teachers do not speak or understand the specific language of instruction that they are assigned to teach, which provides unique challenges for teaching reading and writing.

Regional Variations in School Performance:

Early grade reading assessments conducted under USAID/Zambia activity Read to Succeed

(RTS), USAID Time to Learn (TTL) and the national EGRA baseline show that there are variations in performance among provinces, districts and schools, and languages. For instance, the 2014 national EGRA data showed variations on Oral Reading Fluency (Number of correct words per minute) per language as follows: Chitonga (Southern): 1.85; Cinyanja (Lusaka and

Eastern): 4.11; Kiikaonde (North Western) 3.46; Lunda (North Western): 6.28; Luvale

(Northwestern): 4.32; Silozi (Western): 8.4; and Icibemba (Copperbelt, Luapula, Central and

Muchinga): 7.62.

Physical Access to Schools and Community Responses:

In communities that do not have ready access to public schools due to excess geographic distance from the nearest public schools, inability to pay user fees and other costs prescribed by schools, and/or lack of available space in such public schools that may be physically accessible, parents have organized what are known in Zambia as “Community Schools.” Given the circumstances under which they come into being, and despite the fact that their creation is an indication of the importance placed on education by such communities, these schools are typically poorly-resourced (untrained teachers, poor infrastructure, scant teaching and learning materials), and are largely managed by local community volunteers. The implementer will have to work with both the Zambia public and community schools.

Geographic and Infrastructural Obstacles to School Performance Management and Oversight:

Challenges exist in communication and delivery of resources to individual schools and in data collection, analysis and utilization. This is due, in some cases, to their extreme geographic remoteness, the generally poor road and transportation network outside of Lusaka and the main national road network, lack of modern communications infrastructure (including very limited to no internet connectivity). These conditions require data collection and analysis to be done manually, greatly slowing the flow of data from the school to the zone, district, provincial and national education offices, and vice versa, making school performance management and oversight by the MOGE exceedingly difficult.

Quality of Reading Instruction and Learning Materials:

Reading instruction has changed significantly in many countries over the past twenty years, in large part due to extensive research that identifies how to improve teaching and instructional practices and close performance gaps between groups of students. Results of the most recent national Early Grade Reading Assessment (2014 EGRA), show that Zambian children are still performing well below average in early grade reading subtasks. Data generated through past

USAID education activities show a range of outcomes from no intervention effects to very small to modest gains although some improvements were statistically significant. In schools where the Read to Succeed (RTS) project was implemented, midline Survey (2014) results show that 63.7% of students in Grades 2 and 3 were not able to read one word. The Time to

Learn (TTL) project baseline (2012) and midline (2014) EGRA data show that the percentage of learners scoring zero on the Midline was 63.7%, a decrease from 84% on baseline.

The majority of primary school children and teachers do not have the necessary reading and instructional materials – specifically, books - in languages that children speak and understand.

The multiplicity of official languages of instruction creates unique problems for early-grade instruction.

With the development of the 2013 National Literacy Framework, the GRZ is on the right track for beginning to address these challenges, having codified the necessary components to significantly improve reading outcomes.

Inadequate Provision for Remedial Reading Instruction:

Recognizing that learning achievement in reading among public-school pupils is not only modest but highly-uneven, Zambia’s MOGE - in conjunction with the United Kingdom’s Department for

International Development, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty

Action Lab (J-PAL) and the Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical

Assistance (VVOB) - has launched a Catch Up program. The Catch Up program is based on evidence that learning outcomes can be improved significantly by focusing on teaching students during the reading class according to their skill-level group, rather than on the basis of their official grade level. This approach is intended to assist pupils that struggle most in learning to read with enhanced opportunities to attain the level of comprehension expected of their age and grade (e.g., to “catch up” with their more successful classmates). Research has shown that providing instruction to students grouped by skill level – as opposed to age and/or grade - can significantly increase the rate of student learning.

C.12 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

A categorical exclusion with conditions has been reached for this award. The contractor is subject to the terms and condition for Environmental Compliance as defined in Section H.

C.13 ADDITIONAL REFERENCE MATERIALS

For additional reference materials regarding the past USAID Education activities, please refer to

Attachment J15.

[END SECTION C]

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

(a) It is USAID policy that USAID-financed commodities and shipping containers, and program construction sites and other program locations be suitably marked with the USAID emblem. Shipping containers are also to be marked with the last five digits of the USAID financing document number. As a general rule, marking is not required for raw materials shipped in bulk (such as coal, grain, etc.), or for semi-finished products which are not packaged.

(b) Specific guidance on marking requirements should be obtained prior to procurement of commodities to be shipped, and as early as possible for program construction sites and other program locations. This guidance will be provided through the cognizant technical office indicated on the cover page of this Contract, or by the Mission Director in the cooperating country to which commodities are being shipped, or in which the program site is located.

(c) Authority to waive marking requirements is vested with the Regional Assistant Administrators, and with Mission Directors.

(d) A copy of any specific marking instructions or waivers from marking requirements is to be sent to the Contracting Officer; the original should be retained by the Contractor.

D.2 BRANDING AND MARKING POLICY

(a) USAID policy on the branding and marking of the work products of this contract is contained in the USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) Chapter 320. The Branding and

Marking Implementation Plan communicates to beneficiaries and stakeholder audiences that the work of this contract is from the American people. Requested exceptions to ADS Chapter 320 requirements, shall be included in the Branding and Marking Implementation Plan. (PROJECT

NAME) activities will adhere to USAID branding and marking guidance in the USAID Graphic

Standards Manual and Partner Co-branding Guide and available at:

http://www.usaid.gov/branding.

(b) The Contractor must develop a Branding Implementation Plan (BIP) and Marking Plan

(MP) for the contract to describe how program deliverables shall be branded. The BIP will implement USAID branding strategy for the USAID Let’s Read, Zambia Activity:

Activity Name: “USAID Let’s Read, Zambia”

Branding: The branding will incorporate the message that the assistance is “From the

American People through USAID”.

Desired Level of Visibility: High. USAID identity must be prominently displayed in the following: commodities or equipment, printed, audio, or electronic public communications; studies, reports, publications, web sites, and all promotional and informational products; and at all events.

http://www.usaid.gov/branding

Organizations to be acknowledged: With concurrence from the USAID/Zambia’s

Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) team and COR, equipment, publications, and materials developed and produced under this activity may be co-branded with the Zambian Government’s official seal, cooperating partners’ logos, and where applicable, other U.S. Government agencies and initiatives. The Marking Plan must enumerate all of public communications, commodities, infrastructure projects, program materials, events, deliverables, and other items that will be marked with the

USAID identity or brand.

The Marking Plan may include requests for exceptions to marking requirements for programmatic reasons, to be approved by the Contracting Officer. Waivers, as defined by ADS

320, may be necessary for compelling political, safety or security concerns, or if the marking will have an adverse effect in the host country. Marking and attribution for physical structures may need to be visible as soon as work commences. Contract deliverables to be marked with the

USAID identity must follow design guidance for color, type, and layout in the Graphic Standards

Manual, available at www.usaid.gov/branding, and all successor branding policies (if any).

D.3 BRANDING STRATEGY, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND MARKING

PLAN

The Contractor must comply with the requirements of the policy directives and required procedures outlined in USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) 320.3.2 “Branding and

Marking in USAID Direct Contracts” (effective date: 01/08/2007) at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/320.pdf, and USAID Graphic Standards

Manual and Partner Co-Branding Guide, or any successor branding policy.

The Contractor’s Branding Strategy and Implementation Plan dated TBD is hereby incorporated into the contract as Attachment TBD.

D.4 SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE OUTREACH

Social media is often part of an integrated communications campaign. It should always be used to communicate directly with stakeholders or beneficiaries in host countries. It should never be used to promote a program or contractor. Social media channels may be approved as part of a project’s marking plan in consultation with the CO, COR, and DOC team. To avoid confusion with official USAID social media channels, the USAID logo should not be used as a profile picture. A photo reflective of the project should be used as a profile picture.

A USAID-branded photo should be displayed as the banner photo, and acknowledgement of

USAID support should appear in the “Profile” or “About” section. For more information, please refer to the USAID Graphic Standards Manual and Partner Co-Branding Guide.

[END OF SECTION D]

http://www.usaid.gov/branding https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/320.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1869/USAID%20Graphics%20Standards%20Manual%20and%20Partner%20Co%20Branding%20Guide%20February%202016.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1869/USAID%20Graphics%20Standards%20Manual%20and%20Partner%20Co%20Branding%20Guide%20February%202016.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1869/USAID%20Graphics%20Standards%20Manual%20and%20Partner%20Co%20Branding%20Guide%20February%202016.pdf

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY

REFERENCE

The following Contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated by reference

(by Citation Number, Title, and Date) in accordance with the clause at FAR 52.252-2

"CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE" in Section I of this Contract. Full text of the

FAR clauses is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/ and full text of the AIDAR clauses is available at http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/aidar-http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/300.

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR Chapter 1)

NUMBER TITLE DATE

52.246-5 Inspection of Services—Cost Reimbursement APR-1984

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

USAID inspection and acceptance of services, reports and other required or outputs will be subject to the performance standards set forth in Sections C, H, and F. Inspection and acceptance will take place at:

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Subdivision 694/Stand 100 Ibex Hill Road

PO Box 320373

Lusaka, Zambia – 10101 or at any other location where the services are performed and reports and deliverables or outputs are produced or submitted. The Contracting Officer, unless delegated to the

Contracting Officer Representative (COR) has the authority to inspect and accept all services, reports and required deliverables or outputs.

E.3 RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL

In accordance with the clauses of this contract entitled “Inspection – Cost – Cost

Reimbursement” (FAR 52.246-5), inspection of results or other deliverables required by the contract will be made by the cognizant COR. Acceptance of goods/services and reports or other deliverables by the cognizant COR must form the basis for payments to the contractor, and will form the basis of the contractor’s permanent performance record with regard to this contract.

[END OF SECTION E]

http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/300

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED…