Amendment 2 to 72061122R00007 Zambia Integrated Health Activity Questions and Answers.pdf

72061122R00007 Zambia Integrated Health Activity Amendment #2

Questions and Answers

# Question USAID Response

1 On page 27, under Section F.9, the qualifications for the Finance Management and Operations Director require a graduate degree or higher. Would USAID consider a combination of education and 20+ years of experience to substitute for a graduate degree? This may prevent Offerors from proposing high level candidates with extensive USAID experience in finance and administration leadership who have relevant Bachelors degrees.

No.

2 On page 27, under Section F.9, the Strategic Information Management Director description states “Strategic Information Management Director or MERL Director.”

Can USAID confirm which title should be used?

Strategic Information Management Director. This has been updated in the RFP.

3 On page 28, under Section F.9, the Technical Director is referred to as both the “Technical Director” and the “Technical Director for Clinical Services”. Can USAID confirm the title of this position?

Technical Director for Clinical Services. This has been updated in the RFP.

4 Could USAID please clarify how contracts in CPARS will be selected for review as part of the past performance section?

USAID/Zambia will select relevant past performance information in accordance with the criteria in Section L.7.7

5 If the offeror knows that a contract in CPARS has not been updated in the past year, may offerors include past performance information for this contract in the past performance section?

Yes.

6 As a follow up to question number 33, and USAID currently supports the annual FTE for 1,256 in order to properly budget, please provide the number of direct service delivery (DSD) staff by facility. How many staff in the current districts are presently supported by

USAID?

positions. There are currently 42 annual FTEs for Project Management, 502 FTEs in “other” category, 252 annual FTEs for clinical healthcare workers, and 656 ancillary healthcare workers. The Offerer should be aware that these total should and will likely be adjusted to meet the needs of clients in these districts over the lifespan of the activity. HRH is monitored in the annual HRH Inventory tool.

7 Per the amended RFP instructions in section L, page 94 sates that the “Technical Proposal must be written in ….., Times New Roman point 12 font size (except for the cover page and tables/charts which can be no smaller than 10 point font).” Can USAID confirm that graphics can also be in 10 point font?

Yes. This has been updated.

8 The Technical Proposal must be written in English and typed on standard A4 paper, single spaced, one-sided, Times New Roman point 12 font size (except for the cover page and tables/charts which can be no smaller than 10 point font) with each page numbered consecutively.

We don’t see a question here.

9 Can USAID please provide a list of equipment and supplies, including vehicles, that will be transferred to this project from other USAID projects?

No, offerors are to assume nothing will transfer.

10 Will the Activity support Provincial and District offices by providing in-kind support such as for per diems, transport?

This is up to each offeror’s approach.

11 Can USAID clarify if it expects the project to procure clinical equipment and supplies such as for VMMC or MCH and, if so, what types of equipment/supplies?

Yes. Specifics will be determined during work planning.

12 Where will the M&E contractor data be uploaded on September 30?

The DEC.

13 Is U$D 120 Million meant for all applicants to be shared or it is meant for one applicant?

One (including the prime and all subs).

14 Where and what are the selected province or district of implementation of this project and are

Please refer to sections C.3 and C.4 of the RFP and the previous Q&A from Amendment 1.

we required to select one, two or three provinces/ districts of operations?

15 NOFO, page 20 sub title F.5.1 Motivation plan to page F.5.15 sub title Branding Implementation plan & Marketing plan. Here, are we supposed to write our own plans to be submitted to USAID together with the technical applications OR their specific forms like e.g.

SF-424 to be filled in?

Each of these deliverables has their own requirements that are specified in Section F. Some have standard templates.

16 Upon submitting this application for evaluation, are we required to submit together with the proposed Organ-gram showing all the parties including sub grantees or not?

Please refer to Section L.6 of the RFP

17 NOFO, page 12. Sub heading C.9. What is the exactly total percentage (%) is required to be sub contracted to the indigenous organizations?

Between 10% and 15%?

15% Local Organizations 10% Indigenous Organizations

18 On budget attachment + J +5 +Budget Template, cell 42. What type of cost is G&A and what does the letters G&A stand for?

General and Administrative (G&A) are overhead costs or indirect costs

19 NOFO, page 3. Sub title B.3 ESTIMATED

COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED

AMOUNT, USAID has kept on mentioning $TBD. What type of cost is TBD?

TBD means “To Be Determined”. These figures are not known at the time of the RFP as some are proposed by the apparent successful offeror and incorporated into the contract, and some are directed by USAID depending on the initial funding amount.

20 On the same page 3, USAID has given a simple budget table. Then line 2 is named Construction worth U$D 2 Million. What is this money meant for?

$2 Million is the plug figure for construction activities

21 As applicants, are we supposed to name this project with a new name?

No.

22 Would USAID clearly state the Starting MM/YYYY and the ending MM/YYYY, you have not stated when the project is supposed to start only saying it’s for five years.

The exact starting date is not known (but see Section L.7.4). This is a 5 year activity from the effective date of the award.

23 Under this NOFO, is partnership (sub grantees) mandatory or its option? If mandatory, what is the minimum and maximum number of sub grantees are required?

Optional, except for the minimum subcontracting requirements.

24 NOFO, page 8 sub title C.3 Purpose, paragraph one. This statement, does this means USAID

Please refer to Section C in its entirety allows us to combine program activities of HIV/AIDS and TB/HIV

25 On the same page 8, paragraph one. USAID has given 3 provinces where this project will be implemented namely N-Western, Copperbelt and Central province. Q. Are supposed to select one out of three provinces or we have to implement this project in all provinces?

Implementation will be in all the named provinces

26 How many organizations are expected to be awarded under this opportunity?

One.

27 What is the right term does USAID call us applicants under this NOFO between “Contractors and Offerors”?

Offerors.

28 Which target are we using and stick to on this project between 90%,90%,90 % and 95%,95%,95%?

95-95-95.

29 NOFO, page 12, sub title C.10 Construction:

i. What is the total percentage % of the total budget have to be used on construction or renovating of health facilities?

ii. Does USAID allow us to budget for a construction of a new health facility in a community where we discover that people are traveling long distances to seek health care services?

iii. How many youth friendly corners (Minimum and Maximum) in number does USAID recommends or accept to be upgraded during project implementation till completion?

iv. Can USAID allow applicants to budget for construction of a health facility toilets if discovered that there is need of such service?

v. Are we allowed to renovate or construct a staff house at health facility?

i) Please refer to Sections B.3 and C.10.

ii) Only the amount in Section B.3 ($2m) is available for construction.

iii) This would be decided in the work plan.

iv) Only the amount in Section B.3 ($2m) is available for construction.

v) Possibly.

30 NOFO, page 14. Sub title D.2 Branding Implementation and Marking Plan. Does

No.

USAID require us to submit this proposal application with the ART work of our proposed BARNDING plan what?

31 SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, SF-33

Forms, and other forms that are mandatory to be submitted together with the USAID application.

Are they supposed to be signed by each organization namely (Prime and Sub-grantee) applicants?

Please refer to Section L for submission requirements.

Both subs and primes have to sign certain forms that are applicable to their respective organizations.

32 Would USAID guide the total % of the funding that prime and sub grantee can use in:

i. Staff salaries, Administration costs

ii. Procuring of project vehicles, office equipment’s, office furniture’s

iii. International and Local travelling’s

iv. Branding of all project assets v. Insurance

No. The offeror proposes the amounts.

33 NOFO, page 19, sub title F.5. Reports and Deliverables. This table given by USAID, is it fixed to be followed or can be re-changed by applicants?

No. It must not be changed.

34 Reading through the NOFO, have not seen any proposed/ given Milestone by USAID, to be met by applicants. Does this mean that we have to propose our own Mile stones or mile stones and cost them under this NOFO are not needed?

No, this is not a milestone based award.

35 At what stage are we supposed to submit the “Contractor must submit a CIP for CO, Gender Assessment and Implementation plan, MEL plan, Demobilization plan for approval” as it is stated in the NOFO?

Please see the table in Section F.5.

36 NOFO, page 23, sub title F.5.7. When are we required to develop EMMP and describe how the initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Conditions apply to the activity?

Please see the table in Section F.5.

37 What is the total number of Key Personnel’s C.

Vs page limits has to be submitted to USAID and are these C. Vs counted together with the technical application page limit?

Everything counts towards the page limit in the technical proposal.

38 USAID has stated that, applicants has to proposal the qualification of the other two Key Personnel’s. What titles are these positions supposed to be named and what does USAID mean when they say TBD positions?

Please see Section L.6. The Offeror must propose the and name the “TBD” positions

39 Would USAID highlight the application general instructions to be used (Font Size, Font Type, Aligning, Paragraph spacing, and highlight if applications has to be submitted in PDF or Word format)?

Please refer to Section L.6

40 USAID has given us the budget excel to be used. Does this means that we are not supposed to write our own budget where we can add budget notes other than the excels given by

USAID?

Budget narratives are a part of the cost proposal. Please follow the instructions under Section L.7.

41 NOFO, page 35, sub title G.6, point (a) and (b), is USAID trying to say that all payments including administration costs will be completed only if COR approves?

Yes.

42 NOFO, Page 39, sub title H.10. Paragraph (a, b, c & d). Is USAID including all local organized seminars, meetings, retreat, symposium etc

Please see the applicability in H.10(b).

43 Is USAID allowing applicants who has never received funding from USAID and PEPFAR to participate under this opportunity?

Yes.

44 What is “The Government contemplates award of a cost-plus fixed fee completion type contract as a result of this solicitation”.

This is the type of contract being proposed by the US Government. Please see Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.306.

45 Subcontractors Letters of Commitment are they also counted as part of page limit on the application technical application?

If they are included in the technical proposal, yes.

46 USAID says on page 104, “Offerors must provide Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SFLLL), if applicable. The form is available on GSA’s Forms Library at www.gsa.gov/forms” Is this mandatory to submit SF-LLL form or its optional?

Mandatory.

47 L.7.10 Employee Biographical Data Sheets for Key Personnel Offerors must provide Biographical Data Sheets (Attachment 6) for all Key Personnel. Offerors must also include letters of commitment signed by each person proposed as Key Personnel confirming their present intention to serve in the stated position and their present availability to serve the project. USAID discourages the use of exclusive agreements as this limits USAID’s ability to receive the best services.

Biographical Data Sheets are part of the cost proposal, not the technical proposal. If they are submitted as part of the technical proposal, they count towards the page limitation.

Q. Does these biographical data sheets of key personnel’s counts on the total number of technical application page limit?

48 From NOFO, the full proposal is requested. Is there a standard format to be used or we can write the proposal using any format?

There is no standard format. Please follow the instructions under Section L.

49. Project vehicles, Office furniture’s, Project Electrical equipment’s, Office rentals. Are we required to collect quotations and submit them with the project proposals?

No, but you need to explain the basis for the estimates you would provide.

50 D.S.A, what is USAID rate of D.S for Rural and Urban towns?

Please see the following website to find USG per diem rates: https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp

51 Salaries. What is USAID accepted rates/ or ranges for the following staff’s per Annum?

KEY PERSONNEL’S

i.) Chief of Party ii.) HIV Technical Director - Priority Populations iii.) HIV Technical Director - Key Populations iv.) Strategic Information Director

SUPPORTING STAFF’S. (NOTE: Advise who does not qualify for USAID salary) i.) Executive Director ii.) Director Finance/ Admin iii.) Project Coordinator iv.) Drivers v.) Secretary vi.) HIV Councilors vii.) Security offices

This is based on the market value of the position. Please refer to Section H.2 of the RFP for additional guidance.

52 Project vehicles: Looking at the project, we have seen that it involves working with communities, health centers regardless of the given road network good or bad. Therefore, we would love to know how many vehicles can be bought

The offeror can propose the number of vehicles based on what they believe is required.

53 Partnership: Are we allowed to budget for working partners in fighting HIV e.g. Women’s clubs, Youth Sports clubs, Traditional leaders, District Local NGO’s?

Yes, if that’s a part of your technical proposal.

54 University and Colleges: Is the project allowing to work with these learning institutions?

Yes.

55 International traveling: We saw in NOFO a part saying about international trips. Who qualifies for these trips?

This depends on the offeror’s policies, the technical proposal, and the specifics of the trip to then determine the allowability of the cost for the trip.

56 Are we allowed to budget for Ministry of Health workers who will be working with us e.g. Meal allowances, Transport Refund, Out of pocket?

Please see the requirements on salary supplements. When offering DSA, the contractor is precluded from paying more than the GRZ rate, or the USG rate, whichever is less.

57 Do USAID through this project allow funding an Income Generating Activity for the vulnerable and victims of HIV/ AIDS in groups of e.g. 10 Members and for project sustainability after USAID funds finishes

Possible, it would depend on the specifics of the activity.

58 Does this project recognizes the budget for board member meeting allowances?

It depends if the offeror can demonstrate the costs are allowable.

59 Are we allowed to budget buying an office premises instead of paying rentals all the time?

No.

60 Adolescents: Are we allowed to empower them with skills and finances?

This is up to the offerors.