RFP_72061718R00008_USAID_Uganda_Learning_Activity.pdf

Issuance Date: January 30, 2018

Closing Date for submission of questions: February 12, 2018 Closing Time for submission of questions: 4:00 p.m. (EDT) Washington, D.C.

Closing Date for submission of proposals: March 2, 2018 Closing Time for submission of proposals: 4:00 p.m. (EDT) Washington, D.C.

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) Number: 72061718R00008 USAID’s Learning Activity

Dear Sir/Madam:

The United States Agency for International Development Mission to Uganda (USAID/Uganda) is seeking proposals from qualified organizations interested in providing services that support USAID/Uganda to strengthen its performance and improve the performance of its Implementing Partners, with a focus on collaborating, learning and adapting, in order to enhance the impact and sustainability of USAID-supported contributions to Uganda’s development.

This procurement will be conducted under full and open competition under which any type of organization (U.S. and Non-U.S. commercial for profit firms, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations) is eligible to compete. The procedures set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15 apply.

USAID anticipates awarding a five-year Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) term type contract. The purpose of providing an estimated range for the contract is to help Offerors develop their proposals. Offerors will provide the lowest possible cost corresponding with their technical approach.

The RFP and any amendments to this solicitation will be issued and posted on the FBO website at https://www.fbo.gov. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the website periodically for official updates and amendments to the solicitation. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this RFP to ensure that it has been received from the internet in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

Offerors are encouraged to read the entire solicitation, which includes the closing date and time, all pertinent contract requirements, and the conditions and instructions required for submitting a proposal.

Pursuant to Block 12 of Standard Form 33 of this RFP, USAID requires that offers remain valid through a period of 250 days.

Offerors must e-mail questions and proposals in response to this solicitation to KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov in MS Word format. No other forms of submission will be accepted. The e-mail transmitting the questions and proposals must reference the RFP number and title on the subject line of the email.

The authorized geographic code for procurement of goods and services under this Activity is 935. The North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code for this Activity is 541990.

https://www.fbo.gov/ mailto:KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov

OFFICE OF ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE

USAID/UGANDA

PLOT 1577 GGABA ROAD

KAMPALA, UGANDA

Email: KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov

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

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM X I CONTRACT CLAUSES

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

X K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER 69

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within __250______ 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.

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

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

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT. 15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM

ABOVE - ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE

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

7. ISSUED BY

CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO

(If other than Item 7)

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

SOLICITATION

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

9. Sealed offers in original and Electronic only 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 n/a until (see Cover Letter and section L.7 for date and time).

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.

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

AREA CODE

+256-414

NUMBER

306-001

EXT.

6641 KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov

10. FOR INFORMATION CALL:

Janepher Nabitosi

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: 23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN ITEM REF SECTION G.5 (4 copies unless otherwise specified)

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

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

CODE

CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

Admir Serifovic

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

28. AWARD DATE

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 copy, Refer to Section G.5

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER RATING PAGE OF

PAGES

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER 4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION 5. DATE ISSUED

SEE COVER PAGE

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

N/A

72061718R00008 REQ-617-17-000081

X

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

(REV. 9-97) STANDARD FORM 33

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

CODE FACILITY 16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER 15A. NAME AND

ADDRESS

OF OFFEROR

(Type or print)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT 10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS (%) (See Section I, Clause No. 52-232-8)

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

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA X L INSTR., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

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

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

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

USAID/Uganda Learning Activity 72061718R00008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

B.4 BUDGET

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

D.2 BRANDING AND MARKING POLICY

D.3 BRANDING STRATEGY

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.4 REPORTS AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES OR OUTPUTS

F.5 DELIVERY SCHEDULE FOR REPORTS/ PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

F.6 KEY PERSONNEL

F.7 OTHER STAFFING REQUIREMENTS

F.8 TECHNICAL APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

F.9 PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL LEVEL OF EFFORT

F.10 TERM – LEVEL OF EFFORT

F.11 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS (SEP 2013) .. 56

F.12 CONSIDERATION OF INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998)

G.2 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.4 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

G.5 PAYING OFFICE

G.6 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.7 INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JAN 2002)

H.2 DEFENSE BASE ACT (DBA) INSURANCE FOR 2015-2020

H.3 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.4 LOGISTIC SUPPORT

H.5 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT

H.6 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

H.7 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)

H.8 752.222-70 USAID DISABILITY POLICY (DEC 2004)

H.9 752.245-71 TITLE TO AND CARE OF PROPERTY (APR 1984)

H.10 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.11 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION

H.12 MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

H.13 VALUE ADDED TAX AND CUSTOMS DUTIES

H.14 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014)

H.15 NONEXPENDABLE PROPERTY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

H.16 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

H.17 EMPLOYMENT COSTS OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS AND COOPERATING COUNTRY NATIONALS

H.18 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND MANAGEMENT

H.19 752.222-71 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012)

H.20 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM

H.21 BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL

H.22 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (AUG 2013)

H.24 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL) (OCT 2014)

H.25 752.231-71 SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR HG EMPLOYEES (MARCH 2015)

H.26 ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY (MAY 2016)

H.27 USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NOTIFICATION (MAY 2016) (DEVIATION NO. M/OAA-DEV-FAR- 16-1C) 76

H.28 CLOUD COMPUTING (MAY 2016)

H.29 ADS 302.3.5.16(A)(4) PROHIBITION ON THE PROMOTION OR ADVOCACY OF THE LEGALIZATION OR

PRACTICE OF PROSTITUTION OR SEX TRAFFICKING (SEP 2014)

H.30 ADS 302.3.5.16(A)(2) CONSCIENCE CLAUSE IMPLEMENTATION (FEB 2012)

H.31 752.7101 VOLUNTARY POPULATION PLANNING ACTIVITIES (JUNE 2008)

H.32 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

I.2 52.203-13 CONTRACTOR CODE OF BUSINESS ES AND CONDUCT (OCT 2015)

I.3 52.203-18 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS OR STATEMENTS REPRESENTATION (JAN 2017)

I.4 52.216-24 LIMITATION OF GOVERNMENT LIABILITY (APR 1984)

I.6 AIDAR 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2012)

I.7 AIDAR 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007)

I.8 AIDAR 752.245-70 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY—USAID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS JULY 1997

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND REFERENCED BY LINK

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS & OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS . 101

K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

K.2 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (NOV 2017)

K.3 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.4 52.204-3 TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION (OCT 1998)

K.5 52.204-20 PREDECESSOR OF OFFEROR (JUL 2016)

K.6 52.209-2 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH INVERTED DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS—

REPRESENTATION (NOV 2015)

K.7 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT 2015)

K.8 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (JUL 2013)

K.9 52.230-1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION (OCT 2015)

K.10 52.230-7 PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE--COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE CHANGES (APR 2005)

K.11 52.222-38 COMPLIANCE WITH VETERANS EMPLOYMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2016) .. 111 K.12 52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR A

FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW (FEB 2016)

K.13 52.203-18, PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS -REPRESENTATION (JAN 2017)

K.14 52.215-6 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE (OCT 1997)

K.15 52.222-56 CERTIFICATION REGARDING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS COMPLIANCE PLAN (MAR 2015) 112

K.16 AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS

K.17 SIGNATURE

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

L.2 302.3.5.16(A)(1) CONSCIENCE CLAUSE IMPLEMENTATION (ACQUISITION) – SOLICITATION PROVISION

(FEB 2012)

L.3 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

L.4 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

L.5 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.6 SUBMISSION/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

L.8 COST PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

L.9 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF BRANDING AND MARKING PLANS

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

M.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.3 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION

M.4 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITIVE RANGE AND CONTRACT AWARD

M.5 SOURCE SELECTION

M.6 CONTRACTING WITH SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND DISADVANTAGED ENTERPRISES

ATTACHMENT J-1: USAID DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS (SUPPORT CONTRACTORS)

CLARIFYING AREAS OF OVERLAP

ATTACHMENT J-2 USAID/UGANDA RESULTS FRAMEWORK

ATTACHMENT J-3: GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR IMPLEMENTING USAID /UGANDA’S

COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION STRATEGY

ATTACHMENT J-4 USAID/UGANDA MISSION LEADERSHIP CHARTER

ATTACHMENT J-5 RESULTS FRAMEWORK

ATTACHMENT J-6 LESSONS LEARNED FROM USAID/UGANDA’S ORGANIZATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

ATTACHMENT J-7: USAID POLICY ON DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE, EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

OPPORTUNITY, AND NON-DISCRIMINATION

Acronyms

AIDAR USAID Acquisition Regulation ADS Automated Directives System AMELP Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CLA Collaborating, Learning and Adapting CLIN Cost Line Item CMELP Contractor Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan CO Contracting Officer COR Contracting Officers’ Representatives CPFF Cost Plus Fixed Fee DDL Development Data Library DO Development Objective EAA Evaluation, Assessment and Analysis FAR Federal Acquisition Regulations FY Financial Year G2G Government-to-Government GDL USAID/Washington’s Global Development Lab GIS Geographical Information Systems GUC Grants Under Contracts HCC Host Country Counterparts (public, non-governmental and private) IL Implementation Letter IP Implementing Partner IR Intermediate Result LOE Level of Effort NGO Non-Governmental Organization OD Organizational Development PAD Project Appraisal Document PMP Performance Management Plan RFP Request for Proposal SITES Strategic Information Technical Support Contract SOW Statement of Work STIP Science, Technology, Innovation and Partnership TBD To Be Determined USAID United States Agency for International Development USG U.S. Government

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to further strengthen USAID/Uganda performance and improve the performance of its Implementing Partners, with a focus on collaborating, learning and adapting, in order to enhance the impact and sustainability of USAID-supported contributions to Uganda’s development.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) term-type contract. For the consideration set forth below, the Contractor must provide the level of effort described in Section F.10 to accomplish the performance objectives or outputs described in Section C.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

(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) 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 must not exceed the obligated amount in accordance with the Limitation of Funds Clause, FAR 52.232.22.

(c) Funds obligated hereunder are anticipated to be sufficient through TBD.

B.4 BUDGET

CLIN Item Total ($) 001 Direct Costs (inclusive of subcontracts) TBD 002 Grants Under Contract (GUC)* $2,000,000 003 Indirect Costs TBD Total Estimated Cost TBD 004 Fixed Fee TBD Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee TBD

*The amount of up to $2,000,000 is a lump sum exclusively reserved for GUC. This amount does not include any relevant management or administrative expenses incurred by the Contractor.

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

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:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Base of Application: TBD

Type of Rate: TBD Period: TBD Source: TBD

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

The costs allowable will be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment (June 2013), FAR 52.216-8, Fixed Fee (June 2011), and AIDAR 752.7003, Documentation for Payment.

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

Payment of fixed fee will be in accordance with FAR 52.216-8 and 16.306(d)(2). The fixed fee is payable at the expiration of the agreed-upon period, upon contractor statement that the level of effort specified in the contract has been expended in performing the contract work. In the event that the Contractor does not provide the total LOE stipulated in Section F.10, the total amount of fixed fee will be reduced in similar proportion. Payment of fixed will be in accordance with the agreed upon payment schedule.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 INTRODUCTION

The Contractor will support USAID/Uganda to strengthen its performance and improve the performance of its Implementing Partners, with a focus on collaborating, learning and adapting, in order to enhance the impact and sustainability of USAID-supported contributions to Uganda’s development

C.2 SUMMARY SCOPE

USAID/Uganda manages a portfolio valued at roughly $400 million annually. The Mission supports improvements in the health and education sectors; promotes economic growth; supports environmental conservation; and advances democracy, human rights and good governance. Special programs are focused in the post-conflict regions of northern Uganda. Mission operations are managed by an approximately 170-person staff that includes Americans, Ugandans and third-country nationals. More than 60 contractors and NGOs, henceforth referred to as Implementing Partners (IPs), help USAID/Uganda deliver assistance. Together, USAID/Uganda and its IPs engage and support a diverse range of local and national government agencies, NGOs, private sector, and local Ugandan actors.

Staff members operate in a complex, politicized, often bureaucratically cumbersome environment in which the Mission is accountable to the U.S. Congress, USAID/Washington, US Embassy Kampala, and variety of inter-agency coordinated special initiatives. Moreover, staff members are subjected to frequent change and transition. Some of the change results from shifting priorities and directions, largely driven from Washington. Other change is a by-product of the regular staff turnover of U.S. direct-hire managers who rotate to other posts, and higher-than-USAID-average turnover among Ugandan staff that often have attractive opportunities outside USAID/Uganda. Staff turnover has resulted in a significant portion of staff being new to Uganda (viz. incoming American and third country national staff) or new to USAID (viz. incoming local staff and some American staff). Current staffing levels fall short of meeting ideal staff-to-portfolio ratios. Using common USAID staff-to-portfolio ratios, the Uganda mission requires 100 more staff. Official rightsizing numbers for FY 2018 are 226, 56 more than current levels. The combination of these factors translates for many into heavy, often stressful workloads.

Currently, the Mission is in the early stages of putting in place the activities intended to achieve the vision described in its 2016 to 2021 Country Development Strategy Statement (CDCS). The CDCS, which can be found at:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/CDCS_FINAL_26092017.tags_.pdf, significantly expands the programmatic integration initiated under the previous CDCS. It furthermore commits USAID to engaging Ugandan public, non-governmental and private sector counterparts in ways in which the country’s development is done “with” and “by” them rather than “to” them. Strengthening Mission performance in intra and inter-organizational collaboration; programmatic, operational and contextual learning; and iterative programmatic and operational adaptation are essential to the success of the new integrated CDCS, as well as to the new ways of doing business that will empower local counterparts and increase prospects for sustaining CDCS results.

USAID/Uganda has long been an Agency leader in Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) as a value-for-money approach to development challenges in Uganda. It was the first Mission to formally consolidate CLA into its program and internal operations, and its CLA-related innovations have been replicated elsewhere in the Agency. It is committed to achieving ever higher levels of CLA performance because it has proven to enhance program performance. The new strategy emphasizes integration to accelerate development outcomes, demanding greater resolve in using CLA. Integration demands deepening collaboration of USAID awardees to work together more closely than before. This collaboration will be successful when it accelerates iterative learning about what works best and works faster to achieve self-reliance and institutional strengthening. Together, the three elements that make up CLA substantially fortify prospects for the sustainable development impact that USAID, its IPs and its public, non-governmental and private sector host country counterparts (HCCs) seek to achieve.

Subject to the availability of funds, the five-year contract described herein will help USAID/Uganda strengthen overall CLA performance in order to, in turn, enhance program impact to accelerate USAID’s transition out of foreign assistance in Uganda. The Contractor will provide a broad range of technical assistance, professional development, logistics, small grants and other support to assist USAID staff and, to a lesser extent, as called upon by USAID, the staff of USAID Implementing Partners (IPs). From time-to-time, the Contractor will also be called upon to introduce and/or strengthen CLA within HCC organizations in the private, non-governmental and private sectors as well as other key stakeholders.

The Contractor will work in direct collaboration with other Mission support contractors. Particularly critical will be establishing a constructive collaborative relationship with the Strategic Information and Technical Assistance (SITES) contractor and the yet-to-be-selected Organizational Development Contractor. Detail on the anticipated division of responsibility between the Contractor, the Organizational Development Contractor, and Strategic Information Technical Evaluation (SITES) Contractor is included at Attachment J-1. Respective roles and responsibilities will evolve from what is described in Attachment J-1 as both Contracts and the relationships between the respective Contractors adapt to learning and changes in USAID needs/situation.

C.3 BACKGROUND

With its population doubling every 16 years, Uganda must rapidly increase economic opportunity; stem environmental degradation; reduce the burden of disease; equip its youth with the education and workforce training that enable them to lead productive lives in the modern world; and further entrench the good governance and democratic culture that underpin broad-based prosperity and national stability.

USAID/Uganda’s recently approved CDCS recognizes that, while challenges in each of these sectors are enormous in and of themselves, it is impossible to have a lasting and significant impact in any one sector without progress in related sectors. Thus, the CDCS abandons the sectorally-silo’d Strategic Frameworks that have guided Agency strategies in the past. Instead, it adopts a Strategic Framework that promotes a more sectorally-integrated approach to helping Ugandans lock their country onto an accelerated path to self-reliant development.

The CDCS’ Strategic Framework is included at Attachment J-2. The Framework has three Development Objectives (DOs):

● Community and household resilience in select areas and target populations increased.

● Demographic drivers affected to contribute to long-term trend shift.

● Key systems’ accountability and responsiveness to Uganda’s development needs improved.

The three DOs support a CDCS Goal of “Uganda’s Systems Are Accelerating Inclusive Education, Health and Economic Outcomes.” Five Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), as well as activities to be supported under each respective PAD, are currently under development to achieve the DOs. The five PADs will support activities that reinforce local efforts to strengthen resilience, health systems, demographics, market systems, and good governance. The imperfect alignment between the three DOs and the five PADs reflects the integrated nature of the CDCS and requires that results from each PAD are cross-walked to the Strategic Framework’s DOs and Intermediate Results (IRs).

A unique feature of USAID/Uganda’s CDCS is its focus on the average Ugandan. This turns out to be the fourteen year-old girl. Her circumstances frame our approaches and programs. She is one of six children, living in a rural area. Her family is poor and finds itself vulnerable to economic, political and environmental shocks. She has a one-in-four risk of becoming pregnant during adolescence, is at high risk of early marriage, and will likely drop out of school before reaching secondary level. Her status is the result of the combination of a number of factors: poor nutrition, low performance in school, cultural expectations related to early marriage and family size, and limited opportunity for economic advancement. Overall, systems are not supporting her ambitions to thrive. These systems must be transformed if Uganda is to elevate its performance on development indices and better realize the enormous potential of its vibrant people and rich natural resource endowment.

The integration proposition at the heart of the CDCS is best expressed in the equation that 1+ 1 > 2.

Achieving integration varies according to the specificities of the development objective. For building resilience, integration is assuring convergence of services through programs so that targeted individual families and communities receive a full range of support across sectors. Building sustainable systems to accelerate transition away from foreign assistance requires complementarity between sector-specific interventions that generate mutually reinforcing results. For transforming the life of the Ugandan 14 year-old girl whose isolation, oppression and deprivation are well documented, both convergence and complementarity in programs are essential. The theory of change in each PAD will define the kind of integration required.

During the CDCS development process, the Mission learned that, contrary to current convention, the quality of the process to develop the CDCS was just as important as the result. Based on that and other lessons learned during the process, the Mission agreed upon a set of Guiding Principles to shape approaches to CDCS implementation. The Principles can be found in Attachment J-3. Several Principles, but particularly Guiding Principle #1, are directly relevant to support sought under this contract. Guiding Principle #1 is to “apply a holistic approach to Collaborating, Learning and Adapting.”

The Principle commits the Mission to “throughout the program cycle, and through organizational leadership and resilience,” to:

● Collaborate internally to enable cross-sector integration, problem convergence, enhanced development results, and resilient, effective teams; and collaborate externally to maximize limited U.S. Government resources, build trust and engage stakeholders.

● Learn systematically, using appropriate data and revealing tacit knowledge to inform and improve programming, management approaches, operation processes, and staff engagement.

● Adapt with shifts at activity, project and strategy levels, requiring incentives and behavior change.

Guiding Principle #1 goes on to state that the “strategy will be iterative, flexible and responsive to the development context, incorporating ongoing analytical approaches to inform adjustments, addressing development challenge root causes from a long-term perspective.” Implicit in the Principle is improving performance constantly and systematically.

The Mission is, thus far, pleased with its performance in adhering to the Principle. The CDCS emerged through a CLA process. A Mission Leadership Council, including U.S. and local staff from all Mission offices, led the collaborative CDCS development effort. Input was solicited from Mission-wide retreats and open weekly meetings. The CDCS was further informed by meetings with HCCs, Embassy and other donor colleagues, and other stakeholders; and learning sessions with beneficiaries. USAID/Uganda conducted the range of evaluations, analyses and assessments typically undertaken by USAID Missions worldwide preparing strategies. It also undertook a number of atypical analytical efforts. Among these were futures modeling in human development, economic development and governance; a spatial analysis of human vulnerability; a political/economy analysis of the central/local government relationship, and peer reviews of other Mission CDCSs. The CDCS was repeatedly refined and modified as iterative learning took place, and new data, facts and evidence was incorporated into our thinking.

Now deeply embedded in the Mission’s DNA, CLA is the scaffolding that underpins the start-up of the program described in the recent CDCS as well as the ongoing implementation of the expiring strategy.

Extensive internal and external collaboration continues to inform Mission decision-making; futures modeling and other analyses remain essential sources of Mission learning; and new innovative learning mechanisms are being piloted. One piloted learning mechanism that has proven particularly useful is the Mission “Learning Review.” These reviews, which tap readily available stakeholder and research resources to facilitate rapid learning and adapting, are focused on revealing specific, narrowly defined implementation bottlenecks. Field-based portfolio reviews and “Pause and Reflect” moments built into Mission operations are other learning tools the Mission has applied successfully. The Mission has also been at the forefront of testing and rolling out procurement innovations. It has demonstrated the value of adaptive contractual mechanisms and had success with “co-creation,” a practice in which USAID “workshops” activity designs collectively with a wide range of current and potential stakeholders. All of these tools generate qualitative and quantitative data about what is working well and what needs to change. To put it simply: we learn so that we are improving everyday all the time. Shortening learning loops makes success happen faster.

At the bedrock of the Mission’s CLA culture is its “Mission of Leaders” Charter. The Charter, which is included at Attachment J-4, is based on the beliefs that: (i) ALL staff have a leadership role to play, no matter where s/he sits in the organizational hierarchy; and (ii) to be successful at becoming a Mission of Leaders, leadership capacity must be built simultaneously at the individual, office, team, and Mission-wide levels. Capacity is being built through regular retreats, training and other activities. The focus is on: (i) improving Mission communications and collaboration skills through greater awareness of and sensitivity to self and colleague operating styles; (ii) building individual and team resilience for change (planned and unplanned); and (iii) strengthening organizational structures and business processes. The idea is to capture the mutual reinforcing synergies of a high performing team and a learning organization, and drawing on those synergies to enhance the quality of USAID results.

Proud of CLA achievements thus far, the Mission recognizes there will always be room to grow if it is to maintain its standing as a premier development organization. It intends to deepen practices that have proven successful while, simultaneously capitalizing on opportunities for achieving ever higher levels of performance. Key opportunities include but are not limited to the areas described below:

● Collaboration: Collaboration helps to capture intra- and inter-institutional synergies in programming, resourcing and learning. It is vital to breaking down the sectoral silos that will undermine achieving the goal and objectives of USAID/Uganda’s integrated CDCS.

The Mission has made a strong start in developing the organizational structures that facilitate internal collaboration. It is now operationalizing those structures. Their success will require creating a work environment in which staff and Implementing Partners (IPs) have the competencies, time and incentives that cross-sectoral collaboration requires.

A number of factors complicate effective internal collaboration. Following are just a few:

• USAID worldwide has historically taken sectoral approaches to development. Many of its systems are still sectorally oriented and staffs have limited experience with integrated implementation. While USAID/Uganda has more experience than most Missions with integration, it has not yet reached the top of the learning curve.

• Integration requires added effort for both USAID and its IPs. Time constraints are a major hindrance, especially given the complexity of USAID/Uganda’s portfolio. There is also sometimes confusion working through lines of accountability to sectoral offices and integrated teams, respectively.

• IPs are sometimes in situations in which elsewhere in the world they are competitors. This can be a disincentive for IPs to share learning and to collaborate more generally. To promote IP collaboration, USAID/Uganda includes CLA and Organizational Development language in all grants and contracts awarded by the Mission, as shown in Section C.5.

Externally, the Mission collaborates primarily with HCCs, other donors and other USG agencies. With regard to HCCs, the Mission collaborates with the Government of Uganda at the national, regional, district and local levels as well as with local NGOs. It has been increasingly active in facilitating the cross-sectoral, inter-organizational collaboration that will contribute to the achievement and sustainability of its integrated CDCS results. Illustratively, the Education, Child Development and Youth Office supported a national forum on the state of Uganda’s children, based on research data of the challenging circumstances faced by children across the country, that brought together donors, government partners from different ministries, civil society and other stakeholders; and has since replicated the effort in several regions. The Action Plan that emerged as a result has formed the basis of new government policies and programs, and facilitated new partnerships with civil society. The Economic Growth Office is planning a similar effort for agriculture. A Mission-funded Resilience Support Unit facilitates cross-sectoral, inter-organizational collaboration to improve development prospects in Karamoja, Uganda’s poorest region;

and the Mission is in the early stages of supporting collaboration among government and civil society actors in Uganda’s northern region. The Mission is further facilitating collaboration with HCCs through Implementation Letters (ILs) which set forth respective roles and responsibilities of USAID and participating government counterparts.

Beyond strengthening its own collaboration with HCCs, USAID has an interest in helping to increase formal and informal collaboration among HCCs, independent of USAID’s participation. The interagency collaboration spelled out in ILs will encourage such collaboration. USAID also seeks to help establish communities of scientists, women, cross-sectoral regional development groups and other associative groups that once formed, USAID can step away from and leave behind local capacity to propel and self-sustain Uganda’s development progress. There is further opportunity for the Mission to build on past performance in establishing, operationalizing and/or strengthening networks and collaboration groups with opinion shapers.

Overall, effective collaboration with HCCs can:

● Help USAID/Uganda sharpen the contextual relevance of assistance.

● Increase local advocacy/counsel/participation in resolving implementation issues.

● Strengthen local ownership and encourage local leadership in sustaining CDCS results.

● Increase Ugandan awareness of U.S. Government (USG) support.

USAID participates actively in donor coordination groups in over 10 development-general, sectoral or sub-sectoral areas. It is Uganda’s largest bilateral development partner in a crowded donor community and, after the World Bank, its largest donor overall. Given the relative size of its budget, USAID is often called upon to play an outsized role in ensuring the functionality of donor groups. Unfortunately, the size of its program budget is not matched by the staff resources it would require to realize the opportunities for leveraging expertise, learning and resources that donor groups offer. That these opportunities exist is demonstrated by the donor partnerships, reduced duplication of efforts, and shared knowledge across sectoral and institutional boundaries that have emerged in instances in which donor cooperation is strong.

USG interagency collaboration is perhaps most obvious in curbing the impact of HIV/AIDS but USAID and other agencies of the USG collaborate on a number of other fronts as well. A sampling includes joint efforts to help Uganda deal with the massive influx of refugees into some of the country’s poorest regions from South Sudan and other bordering countries; to support efforts to rehabilitate former members of the Lord’s Resistance Army; to dull threats to Uganda’s democracy, such as initiatives to quiet civil society voices; and to strengthen U.S.-Ugandan business ties.

● Performance Monitoring: There are several opportunities for squeezing greater value from Mission monitoring systems. Currently monitoring is done primarily to track progress toward targets and meet reporting requirements. Monitoring systems must additionally improve programmatic decision-making, enable faster learning by staff and programs, inform mid-course adjustments, help USAID better tell the stories of its contributions to Uganda’s development, and inform statements of work for evaluations, assessments and analyses. For monitoring systems to fully realize their value, the Mission must do a better job on a number of fronts, including: ensuring data quality; identifying and paying special attention to a small, select group of indicators determined to be most critical to decision-making; developing and tracking contextual indicators; more diligently examining programmatic indicators in light of contextual indicators for better decision-making; monitoring the methodologies of interventions both in terms of cost and quality; and disciplining itself to take advantage of portfolio and other review meetings as occasions for reviewing monitoring data not just for tracking progress toward meeting performance targets but also for performance management.

● Evaluation, Assessment and Analysis (EAA): Continuing to deepen the Mission’s EAA capacity is essential to CLA and ultimately to the success of the CDCS. The Mission’s strong performance in EAA thus far is due, in part, to the analytical capacity the current contractor has on the ground to guide and complement the work of incoming short-term consultants. A willingness to look beyond traditional EAA has been another key to success. The Mission has been particularly pleased with applications of the Pardee Center’s International Futures Model. There are further opportunities to increase the value of EAAs by expanding the participation of HCCs in EAA exercises in order to improve the relevance of the EAAs and to increase local ownership of conclusions, recommendations and follow up actions. USAID/Uganda is interested in EAA both because of its value in helping shape and adapt its activities and also because dissemination of EAA reports can create opportunities to stimulate public discussions on topics of local interest and, in this way, promote host country actions and attitudes that can improve the Ugandan enabling environment for USAID development investments.

● Mapping and Data Visualization: Mapping and data visualization tools have proven to make it easier for the Mission to engage with external actors and for decision-makers to absorb large amounts of information and more wisely consider options. USAID/Uganda is on a continuous quest to improve the use of mapping and data visualization, including interactive visualization tools, in: (i) decision making; and (ii) outreach and communications, to better inform the Ugandan public of USAID support and to facilitate higher quality dialogues within USAID/Uganda collaboration networks with HCCs, other donors and other stakeholders.

● Science, Technology, Innovation and Partnership (STIP): USAID/Washington supports a Global

Development Lab (GDL) to partner with external actors to harness the power of innovation to accelerate and deepen development impact. The GDL seeks to be open, evidence-based, catalytic and agile in leveraging the promise of science, technology, innovation and partnership to solve pressing development challenges. USAID/Uganda is convinced that many of the GDL approaches could be transplanted to advance development in Uganda. Implementing STIP activities in collaborative and partnership modes will leverage USAID/Uganda resources and enhance prospects for sustainability.

● New Ways of Doing Business: USAID/Uganda is undertaking new ways of doing business to improve its aid effectiveness, to encourage country-led development, and to position itself to respond nimbly to an ever-changing development environment. Most significantly:

o Programmatic integration that took place under the 2011- 2015 CDCS is expanded exponentially in the 2016-2021 CDCS. The integration anticipated will require multi-dimensional (sectoral, cross-sectoral, and from the perspective of the 14 year-old girl) approaches with which USAID has limited experience, including multi-dimensional collaboration, learning and adapting; and improved capacity for systems thinking o The CDCS commits the Mission to converge with Uganda’s local country systems rather than operate in parallel; and to engaging Ugandans in ways in which the country’s development is done “with” and “by” them rather than “to” them. To realize this commitment will require new ways of engaging HCCs. The 2016 - 2021 CDCS commits USAID to engaging with government and its related entities in a systematic manner to ensure sustainability of development initiatives. It is also rethinking the role of USAID staff. In the years ahead, staff will be expected to become more multi-faceted. While continuing to be responsible for managing the Mission portfolio, they will spend more time exercising leadership in the wider Ugandan development community providing technical assistance; brokering relationships and building/strengthening networks and partnerships; and leveraging expertise, learning and resources. In sum, staff will become development catalysts, amplifying the impact of USAID/Uganda programs.

o As part of efforts to better monitor performance, better understand local context, strengthen collaboration with local partners, and catalyze development progress, Mission staff will spend greater time in the field. For this to happen, Mission efficiencies must be increased significantly to allow greater time for engagement.

● Project and Activity Manager Performance: Heavy workloads are already stretching project and activity managers thin. Workloads, however, are certain to become heftier as more time is required for programmatic integration and collaboration; as staff become the multi-hatted development catalysts envisaged; and as staff spend more time in the field. Thus, support in the form of project manager assistants, enumerators for field monitoring, and other administrative staff that will relieve managers of routine tasks will be necessary to maintain and improve the performance of managers.

Support in the form of trainers, coaches and mentors is also required to strengthen skills of current project/activity staff and to accelerate the process of bringing new staff at USAID, as well as Contractor administrative staff, up-to-speed quickly.

C.4. STATEMENT OF WORK

C.4.1 Objectives

The Contractor will ensure that CLA contributes measurably to achieving the goal, DOs and IRs set forth in the CDCS Strategic Framework. This means that the Contractor will support USAID’s continuous pursuit of improved collaboration, learning and adaptation in program implementation. The Contractor will support the CDCS by helping USAID achieve the Goal and Objectives indicated below.

Contract Goal: Strengthened collaboration, learning and performance fortify the impact and sustainability of USAID-supported contributions to Uganda’s development.

Contract Objectives:

● Collaboration: Strengthened collaboration, both internally and with external stakeholders, enables USAID to better leverage expertise, learning and resources; and deepens local ownership.

● Learning: Systematic learning, through applied research, monitoring and evaluation, informs and improves the relevance, quality and cost- effectiveness of programs and operations.

● Performing: Adaptive management of program implementation and meta-level interventions improve the quality of USAID program outcomes.

A framework of Contract objectives is shown below. More detailed frameworks, providing further detail for the Collaboration, Learning and Performing objectives, are provided in Attachment J-5.

Contract Results Framework

Impact and sustainability of USAID-supported contributions to

Uganda's development enhanced

Collaborating Strengthened collaboration enables USAID to better leverage expertise, learning and resources; and deepens local ownership

Mechanisms facilitating external collaboration are operationalized, strengthened and contributing to CDCS results

Internal collaboration facilitating the successful implementation of the integrated CDCS

Strengthened thought leadership advancing development

STIP realizing new solutions to Uganda’s development challenges

Learning Systemic learning informs and improves the relevance, quality and cost-effectiveness of

USAID programs and operations

Monitoring systems strengthened for improved reporting and performance management

High quality evaluations, analyses, and assessments strengthening program performance

Deliberate contextual and programmatic learning taking place and informing adaptive management

Operational learning strengthened and informing adaptive management of internal operations

Performing Adaptive management and meta-level interventions improve quality of program and operational outcomes

Capacity to deliver development results increased

Quality, timeliness and USAID-compliance of Mission operations increased

High quality technical and logistics services provided in a timely, responsive manner

CLA performance continuously improved through the application of CLA

Upgrading collaboration, learning, adapting and performance throughout USAID/Uganda’s program cycle is expected to improve the quality, relevance and sustainability of USAID/Uganda’s development contributions by:

● Grounding decision-making in evidence.

● Facilitating iterative learning and nimble, effective adaptive management in response to the learning.

● Leveraging expertise, learning and resources from local stakeholders and other donors.

● Strengthen local ownership and the sustainability of USAID-supported results.

C.4.2: Tasks

Objective 1: Collaborating (20 percent of Level of Effort (LOE)): The Contractor will help USAID achieve Objective 1: Strengthened collaboration enables USAID to better leverage expertise, learning and resources; and deepens local ownership.

Collaboration helps break down the sectoral and institutional stovepipes that undermine the systemic change that development progress often requires; and strengthens the capacity of stakeholders to amplify the benefits of their respective programs by capturing cross-program synergies for mutually-reinforcing impact. It also has a host of other benefits as described in Sections C.3 and C.5.

Result 1.1: Mechanisms facilitating external collaboration operationalized, strengthened and contributing to CDCS results.

Under Result 1.1, the Contractor will strengthen USAID/Uganda’s performance in convening and collaborating with Ugandan counterparts, other donors, the private sector, and, to a lesser extent, with other USG agencies. The Contractor will also help USAID facilitate the formation, operations and sustainability of Ugandan-to-Ugandan collaboration groups that will enrich the environment in which USAID operates and help Uganda strengthen and sustain its development performance. Illustratively, with regard to Ugandan-to-Uganda collaboration, USAID intends to help operationalize regional coordination groups for strategic planning.

It is anticipated that Sub-Results 1.1.1, 1.1.2, and 1.1.3 will, for the most part, support collaboration that falls along the cooperation, colocation and coordination elements of Collaboration Spectrum described in USAID’s CDCS. Sub-Result 1.1.4 will support partnerships which fall further along USAID/Uganda’s Collaboration Spectrum at collaboration and convergence, where a common goal and shared decision-making, risks and responsibilities are called for.