Framing DRC RFI USAID DRCs Flagship Feed the Future activity Updated.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Subject: Request for Information on USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo’s Feed the Future flagship agriculture activity

Notice Type: Request for Information (RFI) No. 72066024RFI00001

Issuance Date: December 11, 2023

Closing Date/Time: Updated to January 30, 2024

The United States Government, represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is publishing a Request for Information (RFI) in order to obtain information and recommendations from interested non-governmental, public and private parties on the development of resilient agriculture and food market systems that support the accessibility and consumption of safe and nutritious food in the DRC Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI). At this time, the likely ZOI is expected to be in Kasai Central and Kongo Central, with an anticipated total area of 2.3 million hectares and an estimated population of 2.33 million people.

This RFI is to solicit information for planning purposes, and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Application (RFA). Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in any future solicitations. This RFI does not represent any award commitment on the part of the US Government or obligate the US Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any response.

Responses shall be emailed with the attached Response file to dkopo@usaid.gov with the subject line RFI No.72066024RFI00001- DRC Feed the Future flagship - Organization Name.

Thank you in advance for your valued perspectives and interest in supporting USAID in the DRC.

Sincerely, Michele Maximilien

Contracting Officer

USAID/DRC

Attachments:

1) USAID/DRC Flagship Feed the Future Background and Objectives

2) RFI Questions

3) Expression of Interest

Attachment 1: USAID/DRC Flagship Feed the Future Background and Objectives

BACKGROUND

In spite of tremendous agronomic potential, DRC remains one of the poorest and most food insecure countries in the world. Estimates suggest that DRC’s agriculture sector, if fully developed, could provide enough food to feed the whole of Africa. In reality, DRC does not even produce enough food to feed its own population. In 2022, DRC had the largest number of people experiencing high food insecurity in the world with about 26.4 million people–over 26% of the population–experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity.1,2 Experts estimate that from January to June 2023, 24.5 million people will likely be at serious risk of acute food insecurity identified as Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC Phase 3 or above.

Persistently high levels of hunger have had devastating consequences for nutrition in DRC. As of 2020, 40% of the population is undernourished.3 Measures of poverty in DRC are equally grim:

nearly 70% of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day. GDP per capita stands at just $577,4 and 37% of the population is in severe multidimensional poverty.5 Multiple factors have aggravated the situation in DRC including conflict, stagnated economic development, dependence on food imports (DRC is a net food importer), Ebola, lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s war on Ukraine. The DRC agriculture sector’s anemic growth is largely the result of underinvestment in agricultural market systems and supporting infrastructure, as well as broad lack of confidence due to policy and regulatory gaps. Both the public and private sector have neglected to invest in agriculture, preferring to score quick wins in extractive industries and the commodities sector.

Consequently, more than 37 million Congolese are suffering from malnutrition.6 Nearly 43% of children under the age of five are stunted and 7% are wasted.7 Micronutrient deficiencies are common: 60% of young children and 38% of women of childbearing age (15-49 years) are

1 “Democratic Republic of Congo: Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Situation September 2021 - August 2022 : IPC - Integrated Food Security Phase Classification,” IPC Portal, accessed 2023, https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1155280/.

2 Reliable sex-disaggregated data in the DRC is sparse. Many indicators are derived from outdated surveys, and figures are often only available every few years. In addition, national-level data is largely modeled after assumptions built on the country's last census, which was carried out in 1984. Where possible, the data presented are disaggregated by sex.

3 Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) - Congo, Dem. Rep. | Data (worldbank.org) 4 “Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing, Value Added (% of GDP),” World Bank Open Data, accessed 2023, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS.

5 Current practices in Labour Market Information Systems Development for, accessed 2023, http://www2.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_103881.pdf.

6 Concern USA; 2022 humanitarian response plan (HRP) 7 2018 MICS survey https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1155280/ https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS?locations=CD https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS http://www2.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_103881.pdf http://www2.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_103881.pdf https://www.concernusa.org/story/hunger-in-drc-worlds-largest-food-crisis/#:%7E:text=That%20means%20over%2037%20million,areas%20most%20affected%20by%20violence.

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/hno_2022_drc_20211224vf.pdf anemic.8 Furthermore, only 54% of children are exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age and dietary diversity is very low.9

In 2022, DRC was identified as a Feed the Future target country, laying the foundation for a focused approach for realizing a 20% reduction in poverty and stunting over a five-year span in areas where USAID works. Agriculture transformation and development sits at the crux of this initiative which aims to reduce global hunger, malnutrition, and poverty through inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth while strengthening resilience among individuals, households, communities, and systems. A well-nourished population, especially among women and children, is the expected result. As part of the Feed the Future process, a Country Plan for the DRC has been developed. This Country Plan includes a defined Zone of Influence (ZOI) that specifies the population where FTF interventions are to have the largest impacts on poverty, hunger, and malnutrition reductions. The ZOI is currently anticipated to be in Kasai Central and Kongo Central, which is also where progress on key Feed the Future outcomes will be monitored and assessed.

The DRC is also a USAID-designated resilience focus country. This means that there is an expectation of overlap between the FtF ZOI and the Resilience Focus Zone where Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) activities are programmed. Recently, three new BHA Resilience and Food Security Activities were awarded and close collaboration between these activities and the FtF portfolio are expected.

Additionally, USAID/DRC is taking a resilience approach to the entire Mission portfolio which includes health, democracy and governance, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, and education. The Mission will use both layering, sequencing and integrating, and crowding-in of USG resources as a means to improve the ability of households, communities and systems to manage and withstand shocks and stressors. Poverty reduction, nutrition and resilience are higher level objectives of the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS), and are an essential part of any future FtF program solicitation. Inclusion of gender, youth and marginalized populations in programming as well as opportunities for locally-led and private sector-led development are important. Climate change is a USAID priority and should be a consideration in all aspects of programming within the agri-food system and the agriculture sector.

8 Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 2014. Democratic Republic of Congo: Demographic and Health Survey, 2013-2014.

https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR300/FR300.pdf 9 DRC MICS report - 2018 https://www.dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR300/FR300.pdf

USAID/DRC is in the process of shifting its agriculture resources into the newly defined ZOI and will build on lessons learned and successes of previous development gains from USG, host government and other donor interventions throughout the country.

Challenges in the agriculture sector and opportunities for transformative agriculture-led economic growth are vast within DRC and USAID/DRC will be focused and selective in prioritizing its interventions. Additionally, in responding to the specific questions listed below, “the development of resilient market systems that support the accessibility and consumption of agricultural products which are safe and nutritious” refers to the entire agri-food system: from research on improved inputs and their utilization, to the food ending up on the plate. Nutritions agriculture products may encompass staple crops, fresh vegetables, animal source protein such as eggs, fish, milk, rabbits, etc.; and potentially fruit and/or edible oil.

ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES

This is the initial request for information as part of the FtF Flagship Agriculture Activity award design process. USAID/DRC is reaching out for input to identify high priority, high impact interventions appropriate for the provinces of Kongo Central and Kasai Central and which align with the GFSS primary objectives of inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth;

strengthened resilience among people, communities, countries, and systems; and a well-nourished population, especially among women and children. Higher level objectives of the Flagship Agriculture activity include the following:

1. One or more Congolese organization(s), with business plans and sources of revenue not solely dependent on donor funding, assisted to achieve NUPUS compliance and developed to lead organized and coordinated efforts across the Zone of Influence that advance agri-food system development objectives, particularly those related to nutritious agriculture, while empowering value chain actors to expand their markets and implement solutions to constraints limiting growth of the agriculture sector. These organizations are expected to identify risks and support approaches that build the resilience of actors and the sub-systems engaged throughout the agri-food system to better manage and mitigate potential shocks and stresses.

2. Increase food security with reduced food loss and year-round availability and access to safe and nutritious food.

3. Improved nutritional status with improved food safety, increased dietary diversity and increased frequency of consumption.

4. Stimulate the establishment and growth of job-creating enterprises across all aspects of the food system.

5. Promote agriculture or agroforestry-related initiatives and livelihood opportunities that advance USAID/DRC’s climate strategy–particularly ones that utilize climate-smart or regenerative agriculture approaches or that offer alternatives to forest conversion and wild meat consumption.

Attachment 2: RFI Questions

USAID’s Feed the Future mandate is funded by agriculture resources and is required to reduce poverty and malnutrition while building the resilience of households, communities and systems to better manage shocks such as market price, drought and conflict.

The submitted response should include the following information:

Reference Number: RFI no.72066024RFI00001- USAID/DRC’s FtF Flagship activity Date:

Name/Email:

Affiliation/Organization:

Address:

Attachments: Please attach any documents or include hyperlinks to resources that support your comments to the questions below. Respondents may also include self/organization information including past experiences working in this subject area, experience working with other stakeholders, or capacity information.

Respondents can choose to answer all or some of the questions below. USAID appreciates brief and concise responses that will help inform activity planning and asks that responses, which may include hyperlinks, be limited to 12 pages inclusive of any preamble or conclusion.

1. What local organizations in the DRC exist or could be established that could then be leveraged to perform and advance the activity’s objectives and potentially continue and extend the activity’s work with farmers, agri-food processors and associated businesses beyond the life of the activity?

2. How can collaborative efforts be strategically designed to improve nutrition outcomes and foster dietary diversity, demand creation for healthy diets and markets-based interventions which enhance accessibility, affordability, adequacy, and sustainability of safe and nutritious food? What are the options available and which local organizations in the DRC could be mobilized or established to lead these initiatives, ensuring lasting impact and cultivating local ownership even after the conclusion of USAID funding?

3. What are the key constraints within the agri-food sector that limit efficiencies and growth? What action can USAID and development partners take to support local solutions and ownership to address these challenges, ensuring long-term solutions to poverty, malnutrition and food insecurity? What specific actors would you identify as key partners?

4. What are some aspects of donor-driven activities that are influencing agriculture and the agri-food transformation and either helping or inadvertently harming local food systems or industries? Are there any opportunities for quick-wins? What evidence-based lessons can be shared?

5. How could this activity work to support enterprises that create and increase opportunities for enterprise establishment and growth or for meaningful employment while building resilience among persons with disabilities, marginalized populations, the landless, women, and youth in the agri-food sector or or enterprises engaged on agriculture or agroforestry-related initiatives and livelihood opportunities that offer alternatives to forest conversion and wild meat consumption?

6. What are the risks associated with working within the agriculture and agri-food sector and what approaches can be used to reduce that risk? What opportunities are there to reduce the impact of and drivers of climate change within the sector?

7. What other information would be useful to consider in the design of this activity? This could include opportunities and potential pitfalls; past successes and failures in agriculture-led growth and agri-processing interventions; opportunities to leverage existing efforts, resources, and trends; gaps to address; social impact analysis; hazards to avoid; necessary conditions for success; political economy analysis of specific sectors;

and individual or institutional perspectives on programs, policies, research, data, activities, and/or development approaches, etc.

Attachment 3: Expression of Interest

USAID is seeking information regarding organizations’ interest and capacity to support USAID objectives and improve food security, nutrition, resilience and food market system development outcomes in the DRC. Please see the following template for submitting and expression of interest in this programming.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Name of the organization:

Address of organization:

Name and position of contact person:

Email:

TYPE OF ORGANIZATION:

Please indicate your organization type:

● US Organization (other than small business)

● US Small Business

● Higher Education Institution

● Public International Organization (e.g. United Nations)

● Non-US Organization

● Local Entity (defined in ADS 303)

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST:

● Provide a summary of your organization’s core technical and structural capabilities.

● Provide examples of experience and achievement, geographic coverage, models of service delivery, and health system strengthening approaches.

● Share how your organization has increased citizens’ demand for services and/or adoption of healthy behaviors; strengthened community engagement; increased private sector engagement; and/or improved financial management or organizational capacity of the DRC health system.

● Share any previous experience receiving donor funding.

PAST PERFORMANCE:

● Types of activities, programs, and other partners, relevant to this RFI, that your organization has experience with. (Note: Respondents are encouraged to provide hyperlinks to websites, activity documents, and/or evidence-based research and studies regarding the effectiveness of these activities.)

● Duration of past activities, budget, and geographic coverage of your organization’s largest projects.

● Information on the populations reached through your organization’s activities.

● Any other information you would like to share that demonstrates your organization’s ability to manage and implement health projects.

- End of the RFI no.72066024RFI00001 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/303.pdf