AMENDMENT NO. 0001 TO RFP No. 72066323R00001.pdf

Office of Acquisition and Assistance

Date RFP Issued: October 26, 2022 Closing Date: December 12, 2022, 16:00 Addis Time Date Amendment No. 0001 Issued: November 11, 2022

REFERENCE: AMENDMENT NO. 0001 TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

72066323R00001; Partner Liaison Security Operations (PLSO II) Activity

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Government (“USG”), represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development Mission in Ethiopia (“USAID/Ethiopia”) hereby amends the above-referenced RFP.

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. Provide answers to questions submitted in response to the RFP. The answers provided are listed in Attachment No. 1 to this Amendment.

2. Extend the proposal submission date from November 28, 2022 to December 12, 2022.

Except as specifically amended herein, all terms and conditions of the RFP remain unchanged.

Thank you for your consideration of this USAID initiative.

Sincerely, /Signed/

Alula Abera Contracting Officer USAID/Ethiopia

Attach.: Attachment No.1 – Questions and Answers Attachment No. 2 – Cost Proposal Budget Templates

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) No. 72066322R00001 Partner Liaison Security Operations (PLSO II) Activity

AMENDMENT NO. 0001

ATTACHMENT NO. 1: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Technical

1. Regarding Section C.2 (Background, Country Context), page 10, " Additionally, the

Mission provides a range of support services to Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, and the African Union.”

Question: Can the USG elaborate if this is part of the tender and must be included in the planning and budgeting?

USAID Response - Mission implements cross-border programs. The PLSO will not be responsible for providing services to operations that IPs are conducting outside of Ethiopia.

2. Regarding Section C.4.4, page 12, “Develop and maintain a bulk SMS…. Is this available for Ethiopia? Is this a service through Ethio Telecom or another provider?”

Question: What is currently being done to support this?

USAID Response -USAID would like offerors to explore how to maintain this and using available platforms.

3. Regarding Section C.4.4, page 13, “Develop and maintain a database of Ethiopia incidents….”

Question: How is this being tracked currently?

USAID Response - USAID expects the offerors to propose ways of maintaining a database of incidents in Ethiopia.

4. Regarding Section C.4.4, page 13, “Regarding Section C.4.4, page 13, “Develop and maintain a database of Ethiopia incidents….”

Question: At what level?

USAID Response - USAID would like the database to be at all levels where USAID implementing partners have interventions. The offeror can propose what it believes is most appropriate, relevant and achievable in the Ethiopian context.

5. Regarding Section C.4.4, page 13, “Develop and maintain a database of contact information for USAID IP Chiefs of Party….”

Question: Will USAID provide contact information for all programs?

USAID Response - Yes

6. Regarding Section C.4.4, page 14, “Develop and maintain GIS maps…digital platforms, AMENDMENT NO. 0001

PLSO website and the "Information Sharing and Emergency Reporting Platform (ISER).”

Question: What is the ISER? Is this something already in place or that we need to develop?

USAID Response - Offerors are expected to develop their own ISER. Please see response to Question # 13.

7. Regarding Section C.4.5.d, page 16, "The contractor must not actively monitor IP movements or activities throughout the country….”

Question: Is this in contradiction to the deliverable for the "real-time database…"?

USAID Response - The contractor will have information about USAID IP presence in the different parts of Ethiopia. However, the primary purpose is not actively following the movement of the IPs but incidents that affect IP movement and implementation.

8. Regarding Section C.6 f. Logistical Information, page 19, "The Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing all logistical support in the USAID/Ethiopia geographical area and worldwide to meet the terms and conditions of the contract. These shall include but are not limited to all support for databases and systems, travel arrangements, communications, appointment scheduling, administrative services, report preparation services, printing, and duplicating.”

Question: Does the USG intend that vehicles will be required for this project? Does the USG have any USG-owned excess property (vehicles, safety equipment or other logistical supplies available...turned from other projects) that will be available for this contract? Does the USG anticipate armored vehicles f(AV) on this program? Do any projects use armored vehicles?

USAID Response - The offeror, depending on how they see their management and personnel arrangements and presence, will propose if they need vehicles or not. Even if there is a need for vehicles, no armored vehicle is anticipated for this activity. There may be a possibility of getting vehicles ready for disposition from closed activities. However, offerors should propose required assets. Please see Response to Question # 35.

9. Regarding Section C.6 Key Personnel., page 20, " The COP and DCOP should possess significant high-level experience working on similar activities as required by this Contract.”

Question: Please define specifically what is meant by “significant high-level experience?

USAID Response - It means they need to have at least ten years of relevant security management experience in contexts like Ethiopia.

10. Regarding Section F.7.1., page 27, "The USG mentions LME, CLA and MEL” Question: Are these all the same?

USAID Response - LME and MEL are interchangeably used. However, CLA refers to collaboration, learning and adaptation.

11. Regarding Section H.11 Environmental Compliance, page 44, " The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, Section 117 requires that the impact of USAID’s activities on the environment be considered and that USAID include environmental sustainability as a central consideration in designing and carrying out its development programs.”

Question: Does this need to be explained in the proposal or after award?

USAID Response - It needs to be explained in the proposal.

12. Regarding Section H.11, Environmental Compliance page 44, Question: Are bidders required to identify climate change impacts and to include a risk mitigation and GHG emission reduction plan in their proposal?

13. On page 14 of RFP, third row from top, it states, "Develop and maintain digital platforms, including the PLSO website and the Information Sharing and Emergency Reporting platform (ISER)." There appears to be no other details about this ISER platform within the RFP yet there is a very specific name used for it in the RFP for this reporting platform.

May the potential offeror propose its own platform/website and its own name for the platform?

USAID Response – Yes

14. On page 15 of RFP, at the bottom of the table, it states, "In addition to the above activities, USAID allows offerors to suggest additional activities and categories based on their past experience." Would it also be possible for the offeror to suggest new categories that might more intuitively capture the various activities listen in the default categories provided in the RFP activities tables? Any new categories suggested would certainly be inclusive of all activities USAID has suggested in RFP as well as directly support the purpose and objective of the Activity.

USAID Response - Yes. USAID encourages innovative ways that are relevant and more efficient.

15. On page 30 of RFP, near bottom of bulleted list under F.7.2., it states that "Performance indictor(s) with targets." should be included in the draft workplan in the annex of technical approach. As the draft workplan in the technical approach annex is submitted before the Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation (LME) plan is developed and submitted, what would be the expectation regarding these potential indicators, particularly as the LME plan will present a complete plan with all final indicators.

USAID Response - Offerors could propose illustrative indicators with targets measuring change.

16. On page 116 of RFP, the last annex listed is called, "Case study". Can you please clarify if this is a requirement for the RFP submission? If yes, please provide further details for Case Study.

USAID Response - Yes, it is a requirement. The case study should be no more than two pages. Offerors should provide a case study of a relevant, previous activity, which demonstrates an ability to identify a problem, design an intervention, and successfully address the challenge in a context similar to Ethiopia. This can be in the ‘Annexes’ section.

17. On page 117 of RFP, three general things that should be included in the Technical

Approach are presented. Are these elements intended to be formal section heads within the technical approach or general elements that are expected to be addressed somehow within the body of the technical approach? In particular, the element called, "Partnerships and Collaboration" seems like something that could be woven throughout the technical approach in relation to a variety of activities.

USAID Response - It is better if they are treated as section heads.

18. General – Specific areas Ips located? For travel planning purposes, could you please provide us with an overview of the geographical footprint of current IPs?

USAID Response – USAID implements activities throughout Ethiopia.

19. General – Staffing - What is the current staffing plan utilized to implement PLSO in

Ethiopia? Does USAID have a preference on how the contract should be staffed?

USAID Response - Offerors should propose their own staffing plan.

20. C.4.4 (page 14) - Develop and implement a broad security training curriculum for IPs.

Online ‘Know-Before-You-Go’ training and new arrival security awareness briefings.

Internationally certified training for leaders, staff and drivers [online and in-person]. Is the contractor required to provided certified training to all IPs under the cost of this award, or will each training be billed to USAID individually? If the former, will all trainings occur in Addis? And what is the frequency of the training?

USAID Response – Offerors can propose required trainings as it sees fit. Any proposed training should be included in the proposed budget for this activity.

21. C.2. a Country Context (page 11)- While USAID’s relationship with its IPs dictates against providing prescriptive guidance on security or mandatory reporting by the IPs, the Mission is establishing the PLSO as a tool to enhance communication between USAID and its IPs regarding security information to help IPs better manage and mitigate their respective security concerns. Is training prescriptive or non-prescriptive?

USAID Response - USAID views training as skill enhancing and capacity building tools and not prescriptive.

22. C.4.4 (Page 13) – Develop and maintain a real-time database to track the location of IPs to better respond to emergent security threats. Does this requirement relate to tracking of IP personnel with a tracking platform - or maintaining a database of areas that they are currently operating in? If the former, in order for contractors to provide accurate pricing, please provide details of how many staff need to be tracked. - Further, does USAID currently maintain a tracker of where all IPs are operating and the number of staff they employ? And will that information be shared upon contract award?

USAID Response - The overall purpose here is to provide IPs with real-time information (analysis and advice) about the security conditions in their operating environment.

Monitoring IP personnel movements is not required.

23. C.4.4 (Page 13) - Develop and maintain a real-time database to track the location of IPs to better respond to emergent security threats. Can you please clarify the scope of tracking the location of IPs in a real-time database? How will this reconcile with not actively monitoring IP movements or activities in Section C.4.5d?

USAID Response – Please refer to response to Question # 22 above.

24. C.4.4. (Page 13) - Develop and maintain a database of Ethiopia incidents reported by

USAID IPs. The database will be able to produce reports for IPs and the Mission/Embassy to inform their decision-making in various regions. The information will be all open source and include reports from IPs, media, and other sources. Contributing USAID/Ethiopia offices will be able to access database to track incidents. (New) Does contributing office refer to USAID-run offices such as the CO, or is access required for all IPs? It the latter please provide number of IPs that would require access to allow for costing.

USAID Response - Access is required for all IPs. USAID has approximately 110 Ips implementing approximately 170 activities in-country.

25. C.4.4. (Page 12) - Develop and maintain a bulk SMS text message notification system to contact IPs when/if there is a total blackout of internet connectivity. There shall be a differentiation between “emergency” alerts and “useful information.” For example, traffic and bad weather is useful, but not necessarily worthy of an “emergency” text. When referring to "blackout" of telecommunications systems, does this include internet?

26. C,4,5,f Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation (LME) (Page 16) - For proposal submission, the offeror needs to only describe the overall approaches to learning, monitoring, and evaluation of the Activity, without going into the details. Is this against us for delivery of the activity or for IPs?

USAID Response - It is for the offeror to present or submit the overall approach to Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

27. L.10.1 (Page 116) – Draft MEL Plan - Page 16 stated we only have to describe the overall approach; however this section requires we submit a draft plan. Which is correct? Further, both MEL and LME are used within the RFP, please confirm they are referring to the same?

USAID Response – Offerors are required to only describe the overall approach in the body of the technical proposal. However, the draft LME plan is also required to be submitted as an annex. MEL and LME are used interchangeably in the RFP.

Cost

28. Regarding Section H.3, page 27, "Prior written approval by the Contracting Officer, or the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) if delegated in the Contracting Officer's Representative Designation Letter, is required for all international travel directly and identifiably funded by USAID under this contract.”

Question: Does the USG expect international travel for USAID directed travel for Conferences, training and or meetings? Will this be a separate pot of money or does the USG want us to add this to our budget? How much should we budget annually?

USAID Response - Offerors can propose necessary international travel as part of their cost proposal. There will be no separate pot of money.

29. Regarding Section L.11, page 121 “Part 2–Proposed Costs/Prices” (first paragraph), Question: Is a separate budget required to be submitted for subcontractors?

USAID Response - Yes, separate budgets are required for each major subcontractor.

30. Regarding Section L.11, page 121 “Part 2–Proposed Costs/Prices, (2) Detailed Budget”

Question: Is there a specific format or template that bidders should use for the detailed budget?

USAID Response - Please follow the guidance on Section L.11.b.2. “Budget Line Headings”. An excel template is also attached here. (Attachment 2)

31. Regarding Section L.11, page 121 “Part 2–Proposed Costs/Prices,” Question: Are there specific training and/or conferences that are required for this Activity?

USAID Response - Offerors can propose required training and conferences for this activity.

32. Regarding Section L.11, page 121 “Part 9 – Policies and Procedures,” it says that “Upon request of the Contracting Officer, the Offeror will submit policies and procedures, especially regarding salary scales, fringe benefits, merit increases, promotions, leave, differentials, travel, procurement and per diem, etc., as they relate to this project and the CO may determine that a pre- award survey is necessary.”

Question: Could USAID please clarify if these are required to be submitted as part of the proposal?

USAID Response - These are not required to be submitted as part of the proposal.

33. Regarding Section L.11, page 125 “Part 4–Evidence of Responsibility,”

Question: What documents qualify as “evidence of responsibility” for each of the eight items listed here?

USAID Response - Please note that this information is only required upon a specific request from the Contracting Officer or his representative.

34. Regarding the proposal deadline on page 1 of the RFP, Question: The Closing Date for Submission of Proposals is early in the morning on November 28, U.S. time. Considering that the Closing Date falls on Thanksgiving weekend, a major holiday in the U.S., and that most U.S. companies will be closed for most of the week preceding the Closing Date, would USAID please extend the proposal deadline by 1-2 weeks?

USAID Response - Deadline for proposal submission is extended by two weeks until December 12, 2022.

35. General – Assets - Will any assets be handed over from the incumbent? Or will the contractor be required to purchase these? Are there USAID-owned vehicles under the current project?

USAID Response - Offerors should propose an estimated budget for procurement of required assets.

36. General – Additional Questions - Following response from USAID to these clarifications, will USAID offer an opportunity for bidders to seek additional clarification? Or request follow-up for more clarity?

USAID Response - This concludes the questions and responses for this RFP. No further questions will be accepted for this RFP. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

AMENDMENT NO. 0001

37. B.3 Anticipated Cost - Within the RFP, the estimated cost and estimated cost-plus fixed fee information are not provided. What does USAID anticipate the estimated cost of the program to be? If no estimate is available, what budget is allocated to the project?

USAID Response - This is for offerors to propose reasonable cost and fee for the activity. The budget is estimated between $7.95 - 9.95 million.

38. General – Communications regarding the RFP – Will notifications and clarifications related to the RFP be emailed to bidders in reply to their questions?

USAID Response - Any communication, notification or clarification will be posted in sam.gov via an amendment.

39. We are performing independent research on the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation

(72066323R00001). We would like to know if this is a brand-new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

USAID Response - There is an incumbent performing these services. Contract # - 72066320C00004.

[ End of Amendment No. 0001 to RFP/Solicitation No. 72066323R00001]