Amendment No1 RFP 72066821R00008 - RASS.pdf

Issuance Date: January 20, 2021 Pre-proposal Conference: See RFP cover letter below Questions Due Date and time: February 9, 2021 at 1500 local Juba time Closing Date and Time for Proposals: April 20, 2021 at 0900 EST time

SUBJECT: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 72066821R00008, Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in South Sudan is seeking proposals for services, as described in the attached RFP.

USAID anticipates awarding a single Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Completion Contract over a four (4) years period of performance.

USAID invites all interested and responsible organizations to submit offers in accordance with the requirements of this solicitation. USAID will conduct this procurement as a full and open competition under which any type of organization may submit a proposal. The procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) Part 15 will govern the procurement. The competition will utilize a Highest Technical Rated with Fair and Reasonable Price and Realistic Cost (HTR) process, not a tradeoff process. In this process, USAID is concerned with getting the best technical solution that has a fair and reasonable price and realistic cost. There will not be a tradeoff to justify paying a premium for a higher technical rated proposal.

USAID is utilizing a build-to-budget model for this acquisition and $24,500,000 is the amount of total funding reserved for this activity. Offerors are encouraged to maximize the use of the available funding and should consider this an operating constraint as part of the Statement of Objectives.

In addition, there will be a virtual pre-proposal conference on February 4, 2021. Interested organizations should provide email contact information for participants to the USAID individuals noted in this cover letter by 1700 Juba time on February 2, 2021 in order to receive the conference login and specific timing information. Participating is not mandatory, but recommended. Potential Offerors are responsible for ensuring that correct email addresses are provided. USAID takes no responsibility for connection quality. The objective of the conference is to allow for exchange on the content of the solicitation. Questions (“Q&A”) may be discussed, but only Q&A addressed in writing subsequently via the Q&A process will be authoritative.

All types of organizations are eligible to compete. The principal geographic code for this contract is 935 and the North American Industry Classification System (“NAICS”) Code is 541990.

RFP No. 72066821R00008 USAID/South Sudan Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan

If your organization decides to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation, it must be submitted in accordance with Section L of this RFP. Offerors must also carefully review Section M - Evaluation Factors as well at the attached Statement of Objectives. Proposals are to be submitted to USAID/South Sudan no later than the closing date and time stated above, to the email address designated in Section L for receipt of proposals. If the proposal is received after the closing date and time, or if it is incomplete, it will not be accepted or considered unless authorized by the Contracting Officer pursuant to FAR 15.208.

This RFP in no way obligates USAID to award a contract nor does it commit USAID to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Award of a contract under this RFP is subject to availability of funds and other internal USAID approvals. Furthermore, USAID reserves the right to reject any and/or all offers if such action is considered to be in the best interest of the Government.

All questions, comments, and/or requests for clarifications must be sent in writing to casaunders@usaid.gov and jgemenze@usaid.gov no later than the date and time indicated above.

This RFP can be viewed and downloaded from https://beta.sam.gov. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Further, be aware that amendments to solicitations are occasionally issued and will be posted on the same website. USAID advises interested parties to regularly check the above websites for amendments.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation.

Sincerely, /S/

Michael Capobianco Contracting Officer USAID/South Sudan mailto:casaunders@usaid.gov mailto:jgemenze@usaid.gov

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND COST/PRICES

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide technical assistance and services as described in detail in Section C for the implementation of the USAID/South Sudan Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan Activity.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND CONTRACT SERVICES

This is a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Completion type contract. For the consideration set forth below, the Contractor must achieve the performance objectives, deliverables, and outputs at the stated quality described in this contract.

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 for the contract period, if any is $TBD. The estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any is $TBD. The total estimated contract ceiling is

$TBD.

(b) Within the amounts 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 $[to be completed by the Government]. The Contractor must not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount in accordance with the Limitation of Funds Clause, FAR 52.232.22.

(c) Funds obligated hereunder are anticipated to be sufficient through [to be completed by the Government].

B.4 CONTRACT BUDGET AND CEILING

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

Description Amount

Total Direct Costs, exclusive of Construction and GUCs

$TBD

Construction Services – Plug $2,050,000 Grants Under Contract (GUCs) - Plug $1,000,000 Total Indirect Costs $TBD Fixed Fee $TBD Total Estimated Cost plus Fixed Fee $TBD

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

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD TBD 1/ 1/ 1/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

B.6 ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING ON CEILING INDIRECT COST RATES AND

FINAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR INDIRECT COSTS

a) The Contractor must make no change in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

b) Reimbursement for indirect costs must be at the lower of the negotiated final (or predetermined) rates or the following ceiling rates:

Description FY1 FY2 FY3 FY4

TBD __% __% _% _%

c) The Government will not be obligated to pay any additional amount should the final indirect cost rates exceed the negotiated ceiling rates. If the final indirect cost rates are less than the negotiated ceiling rates, the negotiated rates will be reduced to conform to the lower rates.

d) This advance understanding must not change any monetary ceiling, obligation, or specific cost allowance or disallowance. Any changes in classifying or allocating indirect costs require the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

IAW FAR 52.216-8, payment of fixed fee will be made upon receipt of a proper invoice and per the following table:

[to be inserted after award per the final fee table]

B.8 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN A DYNAMIC

ENVIRONMENT

Due to the extremely fluid nature of the South Sudan development context, including recent civil wars, ethnic violence, and now tentative peace, USAID/South Sudan must be able to adapt to changing circumstances on the ground. Adaptive management will be required from the implementer in order to maintain, sustain, or expand development gains achieved through activity implementation. The Contractor must anticipate the need to adapt to changing conditions on the ground either of a positive or negative nature in order to achieve the contract's objectives.

These objectives are defined in Section C.

Implementation of these changes will be governed by FAR 52.243-2 (Alternate I and Alternate

3) Changes Cost Reimbursement. The changes must be within the general scope of this contract.

These changes will be made to address changing circumstances in South Sudan. Examples of the circumstances include but are not limited to:

● Data indicates and the Mission Director determines in writing that there is a high probability of a crisis developing in the operating environment, requiring adjustments to ongoing programming.

● Data indicates and the Mission Director determines in writing that there is a high probability that peace will continue, and the operating environment will stabilize, requiring adjustments to ongoing programming.

The purpose of this section is to inform the Contractor of the very fluid nature of development work in South Sudan and the likely need to adapt to changing circumstances while still achieving the contract’s objectives. There may be other needs that require the use of the changes clause but the extreme fluidity of the operating environment in South Sudan warrants this section in order to increase the probability of success in achieving the contract’s objectives.

B.9 CANCELLATION CEILINGS

This contract is considered non-severable, and is therefore a multi-year contract as defined in FAR 17.103. Therefore, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106. Performance under this contract during the second and subsequent program years is contingent upon the appropriation of funds. All program years except the first are subject to cancellation.

Cancellation shall occur by the dates specified below if the Contracting Officer:

1. Notifies the Contractor that funds are not available for contract performance for any subsequent program year; or

2. Fails to notify the Contractor that funds are available for performance of the succeeding program year.

Cancellation Ceilings:

[END OF SECTION B]

Program Year Cancellation

Date Cancellation

Ceiling

Year 1 N/A N/A Year 2 1-Apr-21 $30,000 Year 3 1-Apr-22 $20,000 Year 4 1-Apr-23 $10,000

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVE

(SOO)

C.1 TITLE OF ACTIVITY

The activity title is Resilience through Agriculture in South Sudan.

C.2 PURPOSE

The purpose of this activity is to significantly improve food security, and community and household recovery and resilience by addressing the below objectives.

C.3. [TBD - Successful Offeror’s Performance Work Statement to be inserted here]

C.4 SCENARIO PLANNING

Given South Sudan’s current operating context, all planning under this contract must be conducted with an analysis of three possible scenarios: status quo (fragile peace); relative stability (formation of transitional government, increasing returns); return to war (presence of conflict, lack of access to some places). The scenario plan must be integrated in all planning activities with suggested activities for each scenario. All three scenarios must be modified by a pandemic situation (e.g. Ebola, COVID-19). When drafting the annual work plan, the Contractor must work with the COR to determine the scenario used to draft that annual work plan. If conditions change, the scenario assumption could be revisited and the annual work plan modified accordingly. The scenario plan must be integrated in all planning activities with suggested activities in a given scenario.

C.5 CROSS-CUTTING REQUIREMENTS

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting

To enhance sustainability of services, the Contractor must collaborate and link with other USAID projects in the Partnership for Recovery and Resilience (PfRR) candidate partnership areas where the Contractor is implementing. USAID may direct the Contractor's activities for implementation in target areas under the new strategy, where USAID/South Sudan operates to pursue intense co-location, coordination, layering, and community engagement to achieve convergence. Furthermore, the Contractor must collaborate with other USAID activities in USAID’s target counties when the Contractor is implementing in the same area. USAID/South Sudan defines convergence as evidence, community needs, Implementing Partners, and donor priorities working together coherently to plan and achieve development outcomes. Convergence requires intense collaboration between various stakeholders, and a shared vision among stakeholders.

Partnerships

The Contractor must establish different partnerships under the activity. There is no required number of partnerships, but a strong commitment to a partnership-based approach is necessary for activity success. Additionally, as there are other donors and actors working in this field and on these issues, for all proposed activities, the Contractor must coordinate interventions to ensure there is no duplication of effort and that the interventions are complementary to other ongoing activities, both internal to USAID and external to USAID. This will likely include the sharing of work plans and results information.

Construction

The Contractor must perform construction services at USAID’s direction. All construction work must be done to the standards specified by USAID and be in accordance with the approved construction implementation plan. All construction work must be done via firm-fixed price subcontracts. The Contractor must perform construction activities and their monitoring in accordance with the approved Initial Environmental Examination (IEE). The Contractor is responsible for implementing all IEE conditions pertaining to activities to be funded under this contract. Prior to any construction activity, the Contractor must receive written agreement from the relevant recognized local community authority that they will operate and maintain the finished work, and the Contractor must certify that the authority has the current capacity to do so.

If there is no relevant authority, the Contractor must work to establish one and build its capacity to an appropriate level before considering any construction activity, or not do any construction in that area. All construction subcontracts must be fully-funded.

The Contractor must undertake engineering and construction components through sub-contracts using a design-bid-build delivery method where architect and engineering (A/E) services and construction works are performed under two separate but complementary subcontracts. The Subcontractor that undertakes the A/E services (design and construction bidding support) must provide quality assurance and construction oversight services in the construction phase. A/E Subcontractors must be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications. In order to ensure construction activities are performed appropriately under this contract, the Contractor must utilize a licensed A/E firm (licensed in the U.S.). The cost of any design must not exceed 6% of the cost of the associated construction. The Contractor must propose and justify the appropriate contract type for the A/E services when submitting the subcontract consent request.

Monitoring visits during construction activity is critical for overseeing work and progress on construction projects. The Contractor must maintain a schedule of announced and unannounced visits to verify that construction work is carried out at an appropriate level of quality that is stipulated for the activity. The Contractor must visit the construction site at various critical steps in the construction process, such as pouring of a foundation, construction of walls, or roof installation to certify the quality of the work and that specific benchmarks have been attained. The Contractor is also required to engage under the activity an Infrastructure Manager with experience in small-scale, low-cost, context-appropriate infrastructure design and management and be a US-licensed Professional Engineer with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

The Contractor must develop a construction implementation plan at the outset of this contract per Section F to ensure that all construction activities are conducted in an organized and appropriate way in accordance with the plan. The Contractor must submit all construction and A/E subcontracts to the Contracting Officer (CO) for consent prior to their award. The Contractor must follow USAID’s preferred approach to construction (see ADS reference 201maw) and follow all required analyses and steps unless granted an exception in writing in advance by the CO. When submitting construction or A/E subcontracts for consent, the Contractor must identify how the Contractor has addressed the principal elements in Section V of the ADS reference. All deliverables from these subcontracts must be provided to the COR and the CO.

[END OF SECTION C]

SECTION D - BRANDING AND MARKING

D.1 MARKING AND BRANDING STRATEGY

The Contractor must submit a final branding implementation plan and marking plan no later than 30 days after award. The plan must be in accordance with ADS 320.3.2. The plan must be submitted to the COR for approval.

The Contractor must comply with the requirements of the policy directives and required procedures outlined in USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) 320.3.2 “Branding and Marking in USAID Direct Contracting” at http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/320.pdf; and USAID “Graphic Standards Manual” available at www.usaid.gov/branding or any successor branding policy.

Anticipated elements of marking plan: Deliverables to be marked, include products, equipment and inputs delivered; places where program activities are carried out; external public communications, studies, reports, publications and informative and promotional products; and workshops, conferences, fairs, media related activities and any such events. Publications authored by Contractors or other non-USAID employees must include the following disclaimer on the title page: “The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.” Threats and restrictions to the security of the program need to be identified and assessed in order to request any necessary exception from the marking requirement in accordance with ADS 320.3.2.

USAID’s web page contains the electronic version of the Graphic Standards Manual that is compulsory for all Contractors. Marking under this contract must comply with the “USAID Graphics Standards Manual” available at http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/branding/acquisition-awards.

D.2 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

a) It is USAID policy that USAID-financed commodities and shipping containers, and project construction sites and other project locations be suitably marked with the USAID emblem.

Shipping containers are also to be marked with the last five digits of the USAID financing document number. As a general rule, marking is not required for raw materials shipped in bulk (such as coal, grain, etc.), or for semi-finished products which are not packaged.

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

c) Authority to waive marking requirements is vested with the Regional Assistant

Administrators, and with Mission Directors.

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

[END OF SECTION D]

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date) in accordance with the clause at FAR "52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE" in Section I of this contract. See http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html for electronic access to the full text of a clause

NUMBER TITTLE DATE

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

USAID inspection and acceptance of services, reports and other required performance objectives or outputs will take place at USAID/South Sudan c/o US Embassy Juba, South Sudan. Or at any other location where the services are performed and reports and performance objectives or outputs are produced or submitted. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) in Section G has been delegated authority to inspect and accept all services, reports and required performance objectives or outputs.

[END OF SECTION E]

52.204-14 Service Contract Reporting Requirements OCT 2016 52.246-5 Inspection of Services – Cost Reimbursement APR 1984 http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

In accordance with FAR "52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE" in Section I of this contract, the following contract clauses are hereby incorporated by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text.

Seehttp://acquisition.gov/far/index.html and http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf for electronic access to the full text of a clause.

NUMBER TITLE DATE

52.242-15 STOP-WORK ORDER - Alt I AUG 1989

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is four (4) years from the date of contract award, *subject to the conditions set forth in Section H.25.*

*[Note to Offerors: This language will be added to the award if it is based on the Foreign Assistance waiver. If the apparently successful offeror does not require a waiver, this additional language will be deleted from the award document.]*

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance is South Sudan. Interventions must occur within the following 13 counties, which are the targeted areas in the Mission’s Strategic Framework: Budi, Kapoeta North, Akobo, Uror, Pibor, Duk, Ulang, Baliet, Leer, Panyijar, Mayendit, Wau and Jur River, and must be tailored to the needs and specific circumstances of each county in achieving the objectives. The Contractor must request and receive prior written approval from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to implement any intervention outside of the 13 counties.

F.4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

The Contractor must perform all work to satisfactorily achieve the objectives in Section C.

Evaluation of the Contractor’s performance will be conducted in accordance with the performance standards set forth in Section E, the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), the Contractor’s overall performance toward achievement of results and objectives in Section C, provision of deliverables in Section F, and the Contractor’s compliance with all other terms and conditions of the contract, including achievement of activities in the Annual Work Plan. Each evaluation will be conducted jointly by the COR and CO and will form the basis of the Contractor’s performance record with regard to this Contract and as required in FAR part 42.15 and AIDAR 742.15.

The QASP may require modification and/or updates after selection for award to reflect the Contractor’s known strengths and weaknesses. The Government reserves the right to modify performance standards and/or metrics during the life of this contract, in order to ensure that the http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf right outcomes are being assessed and that the performance standards are appropriate. It is the Contractor's responsibility to follow up with the COR to ensure the QASP monitoring process is implemented and updated.

F.5 DELIVERABLES

In addition to other required reports and deliverables in this contract, the Contractor must deliver the following for the approval of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), unless otherwise noted below. The Contractor must allow at least 10 business days for review and comments from the COR on any draft report submission.

Note: USAID’s fiscal year starts on October 1 and ends on September 30. The four fiscal quarterly periods in the year begin October 1. January 1, April 1 and July 1.

a. Quarterly Progress and Financial Report

The Contractor must submit a combined Quarterly Progress and Financial Report no later than thirty (30) days following the end of each USG fiscal quarter. The report must reflect the structure of the Annual Work Plan and address at least the following points:

● Activities completed under each planned intervention;

● Activities to be undertaken in the following quarter;

● Outputs accomplished in comparison to annual targets set in the quarter;

● Any challenges during the implementation period and proposed solutions;

● Lessons learned during the implementation period and proposals on how to apply the lessons;

● Collaboration and coordination with other relevant USAID and donor activities and other partners within the implementation environment;

● Aggregate outputs accomplished and results realized since project inception;

● Budget execution, clearly showing actual versus planned expenditures, and a forecast of the expenditures for the remainder of the project;

● Demonstration of steps taken to analyze the Contractor’s own progress against desired results and to devise solutions, propose course corrections, and identify whether new stakeholders should be engaged to ensure program success;

● Electronic and hard copies of all reports, success stories, and other relevant documents prepared during the quarter (to be submitted as attachments);

● Total funds obligated to date by USAID into the contract;

● Total funds expended by the Contractor to date, including a breakdown by the budget categories provided in the Contractor’s cost proposal and between Technical and Administrative services, with additional detail to be provided upon request by the COR;

● Pipeline (obligated funds minus expended funds) any time as requested by COR;

b. Annual Progress Report

The fourth Quarterly Progress Report must constitute the Annual Progress Report. The Annual Report is due on October 31st of each year. It must be a comprehensive narrative report summarizing the previous year’s activities and accomplishments using the annual work plan as a framework. The report must include status of personnel, project activities, and must summarize services delivered and progress towards achieving results identified in the Statement of Objectives. It must document both successes and failures of the interventions, and discuss reasons for shortcomings and recommend actions to overcome them. For each action, the Contractor must designate responsible parties and establish a timeframe for completion. The report must also include Annexes as follows:

● A comparison of project accomplishments to date vs. project benchmarks and overall progress

● Annual financial status reports

● Project bibliography, including reports prepared by the Contractor and others.

● A list of all technical assistance activities, including names of specialists, purpose and duration of consultations, achievements, and problems encountered.

● A list of all in-country workshops, forums, trainings organized and numbers of participants.

c. Annual Work Plan

The Annual Work Plan (AWP) must form the basis for activities to be implemented in each year of the contract. For the purpose of the Annual Work Plan, “Annual” is defined according to the U.S. Government fiscal year. The initial work plan covering the first year of the contract period (until September 30th) must be submitted to USAID South Sudan for approval within 30 days of the award of the contract and must include plans for mobilization and start up. This plan must include a description of the activities the Contractor intends to implement during the first year of the contract through September 30, 2022. The AWP must include an Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP), see Section H. Subsequent AWPs must be submitted no later than August 31st of each subsequent contract year.

The Contractor must collaborate with the COR, and consult with key stakeholders, in determining appropriate activities for each year. The Contractor must consult with other partners within relevant sectors, and other relevant stakeholders during the development of the activities for the Work Plan. The COR must review the AWP and provide comments within two weeks of receipt. The Contractor must incorporate these comments and provide a revised version within one week of receiving USAID’s comments.

The Work Plan must include major activities that must be undertaken; rationale behind these activities; anticipated results of these efforts and how they will be measured; projected budget per objective; costs of short-term assistance and training to be delivered during the year; the kind and cost of commodities to be provided; and a timeframe for when activities will commence and end. Details of collaboration with other USAID or relevant donor-funded implementing partners must also be included, as well as planned activities to promote Private Sector Engagement.

Modifications that respond to changed conditions may be made; however, major modifications to each Annual Work Plan are subject to the approval of the COR.

d. Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan

Thirty (30) days after award, the Contractor must submit a draft version of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP). The Contractor must submit a final MEL Plan no later than 15 days after receipt of comments from USAID. The MEL Plan must be updated and revised annually and/or as needed in collaboration with USAID. The MEL Plan must include specific benchmarks and indicators for measuring progress for all activities, including results outlined in the Section C, and risks and assumptions to be monitored over the life of the contract.

The Indicators proposed must include Foreign Assistance Framework Standard Indicators and custom indicators suggested by the Contractor. Additionally, the MEL Plan must address how the Contractor must monitor and collect data to measure and demonstrate progress: (1) the methodology of how the Contractor must track progress and measure results; (2) A description of the theory of change; and how data presented contributes to the objectives of the project. The plan will specify how data will be collected and analyzed. The MEL Plan must also highlight how data collected will show the influence and effectiveness of program approaches and methodologies employed and how the data will contribute toward enhancing understanding of promising practices within the activity sectors. The MEL Plan must detail methodologies and processes for Collaborating, Learning and Adapting during project implementation. All data should be disaggregated by sex, urban, rural, disability and age etc, whenever applicable. The AMELP must highlight how the Contractor will collaborate with USAID/South Sudan’s third party monitors and the COR to conduct regular monitoring of activities.

e. Construction Implementation Plan (CIP)

The Contractor must submit a CIP for CO approval no later than 45 days after award.

Once approved, the Contractor must follow all requirements in the CIP and may only deviate after receiving advanced written approval from the CO. The CIP must include the standard operating procedures and risk mitigation measures employed by the Contractor for construction related activities throughout the life of the project. The CIP should describe the Contractor’s approach to construction activities and include details of all construction activities throughout the contract. The CIP must be organized by the different phases of a project (i.e. pre-design, design, procurement, execution, and handover), and must describe the requirements at each of those phases. At a minimum the CIP must include how the Contractor will address/manage the following issues and any associated requirements:

● The process for developing designs, receiving A/E review and approval of designs, and building to designs, including the process for development, reviewing, and submitting "as-builts".

● Process for developing independent estimates. The Contractor is required to develop an independent estimate and submit it to the COR for approval before moving forward on any phase of the project.

● Process for developing and managing schedules. Schedules must be done via the critical path method.

● The Contractor must receive all required permits before any construction begins.

● Site supervision:

o Quality assurance/quality control requirements.

o Health and safety at site. All health and safety plans must require all workers to wear protective footwear, safety vests, head and face protection, and appropriate clothing, and must have a reporting and tracking system of accidents that are reported to the COR and CO.

o Suspension of work processes.

● Differing sites and how these conditions will be managed.

● Constructions changes and claims: The Contractor must engage the CO and receive their approval prior to negotiating and settling any claim.

● Custody of materials

● Building standards/codes: All A/E and construction work must meet or exceed the minimum standards required by the Government of South Sudan’s regulatory framework.

Any work found not to meet these standards is considered an unallowable cost.

● Bonding and licensing of A/E and construction firms: All A/E firms must be licensed in the US. All construction work must include a minimum performance bond or guarantee of 10% of the construction subcontract price.

● Design defects and corrective measures: Any design defects must be the responsibility of the A/E firm at no additional cost to the Contractor and are not an allowable cost under the contract.

● Construction management training for site supervisors.

● Inspection and acceptance of key construction phases, including final walk through, punch lists and final acceptance.

● Warranties of work, poor workmanship and retention. All work must be warranted for one year after acceptance.

● Handover to beneficiaries, including operations and maintenance manuals and training.

f. Short-Term Consultant Reports, Technical Reports, Developed Materials

The Contractor must provide electronic copies of all technical reports including analyses, policy recommendations, comparative studies, etc. to the COR within 10 days after they are developed.

The Contractor must submit copies to the COR of selected materials developed under the project, including but not limited to, course curricula and training materials; conference reports; and procedure and operating manuals. For reports and materials in languages other than English, the Contractor must provide a full translation in English.

g. Demobilization and Disposition Plan

The Contractor must submit a Demobilization Plan to the CO for approval no later than 6 months prior to the end of the Contract. The Demobilization Plan must include an illustrative Property Disposition Plan, a plan for the phase-out of in-country operations, a delivery schedule for all reports or other deliverables required under the contract and a timetable for completing all required actions in the Demobilization Plan, including the submission date of the final Property Disposition Plan to the CO. Both the illustrative and final Property Disposition Plan must include the inventory schedule required by FAR 52.245-1, a plan for the disposition of property to eligible parties and a timeline for the disposition of such property. In addition, the Contractor must describe how all required prime and sub-award audits will be conducted after the demobilization of the Contractor.

h. Final Contract Completion Report

A draft report must be provided not less than sixty (60) days prior to the end of the award period to the COR. USAID will provide written comments concerning the accuracy and completeness of the report to the Contractor. The Contractor must revise and submit the final report no later than 30 days after receipt of comments. The Project Completion Report summarizes the accomplishments of this contract, methods of work used, best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations regarding unfinished work and/or project continuation, and the financial status of the contract. The final Completion Report must also contain an index of all reports and information products produced under this contract. Along with the Completion Report, an electronic depository must be submitted, containing all written documents, reports, and presentations. The depository must be organized in a user-friendly system.

i. Quarterly Notification of Changes Certification

No later than ten (10) days after the end of the fiscal quarter, the Contractor must submit a certification to the Contracting Officer indicating that either there have or have not been changes to the contract during the preceding quarter. If there have been changes with notification given per FAR 52.242-7, then the Contractor must summarize the changes in the certification. If there have been changes, but no notification has been given per FAR 52.242-7, the Contractor must provide the required information per the clause and an explanation why notification was not provided.

j. Branding and Marking Plan

See Section D.1

k. Security Plan

No later than sixty (60) days after award, the Contractor must submit a revised Security Plan (including all associated protocols and standard operating procedures) to the COR and CO. The CO may solicit review from USAID/South Sudan’s Partner Liaison Security Office, or other appropriate security personnel, and may provide recommendations to the Contractor. The Contractor must periodically review and update the plan based on the security situation in South Sudan. Any updates to the plan must be provided to the COR and CO.

F.6 KEY PERSONNEL

The Contractor must furnish the following full-time positions deemed Key Personnel for the performance of this contract. The Key Personnel must be based in South Sudan. The Contractor must provide the minimum requirements for each position, as well as general roles and responsibilities. Key personnel must have the requisite skill set to implement the approach set forth in Section C, achieve sustainable results, and coordinate and cooperate with a wide range of stakeholders as well as complementary donor-funded programming in the agriculture and food security sectors.

The following Key Personnel are required for the performance of this contract.

1. Chief of Party

2. [to be completed at the time of award, as needed]

3. [to be completed at the time of award, as needed]

4. [to be completed at the time of award, as needed]

The Key Personnel identified above are considered essential to the work being performed under this contract. The Contractor must remain responsible for providing such Key Personnel for full-time performance for the term of this contract unless otherwise agreed to by the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor must immediately notify the Contracting Officer and the COR of any Key Personnel’s change or departure and the reasons therefore. The Contractor must take steps to immediately rectify this situation and must propose a substitute candidate for each vacated position. The Contractor must not replace any of the Key Personnel without the written consent of the Contracting Officer and the COR, whether provided in advance or by ratification.

Chief of Party: The Chief of Party (COP) must act as the primary point of contact with USAID/South Sudan with regard to day-to-day implementation and management matters relating to the contract. The COP must also have overall responsibility for assuring that all assistance provided under the contract is technically sound and appropriate for the needs to be addressed.

The COP is also responsible for facilitating communication and close coordination with all stakeholders of the activity. In order to allow for proper implementation and quick adaptive management, the COP must have the ability to speak for and bind the Contractor.

The COP must have:

● at least 10 years’ experience in international development;

● at least 5 years’ experience managing agriculture, food security and/or resilience projects;

● prior experience in supervising long-term field staff and short-term U.S., third country, and local experts; and

● a graduate degree or higher in the field of management, international development or a related technical field.

[additional Key Personnel to be added at award, as needed]

F.7 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor must create a detailed GUCs Management Plan to be submitted to the Contracting Officer for approval within 60 days of award. Chief day-to-day management responsibility must be with the Contractor. Commensurate with ADS 302.3.4.13.c, USAID must be significantly involved in establishing the selection criteria and must approve the Recipients of GUC awards. GUCs are subject requirements that apply to all USAID-executed grants. It is the duty of the Contractor to ensure that GUCs meet all standards described in ADS 303 and to maintain adequate policies and procedures to achieve these standards. Subject to USAID’s discretion, evaluation will be conducted by internal and/or external evaluations. Monitoring will be conducted by the COR, the Mission’s Third Party Monitoring service provider, dedicated M&E staff hired by the award, and the grantees themselves. GUCs may not be treated as cooperative agreements and must not be issued to any government entities.

F.8 FEE TABLE

[to be completed at the time of award based on the approved PWS]

F.9 AUTHORIZED WORK WEEK

Short-term labor, who are assigned to the contract for less than 120 days at a time, are authorized to work a six-day (6-day) work week (8 hours per day). No overtime or premium pay is authorized. The Contractor must keep the same operating schedule as the US Embassy in South Sudan.

[END OF SECTION F]

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 AIDAR 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998)

(a) Claims for reimbursement or payment under this contract must be submitted to the Paying

Office indicated in the schedule of this contract. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is the authorized representative of the Government to approve vouchers under this contract. The Contractor must submit an electronic version of the SF-1034-Public Voucher for Purchases and Services Other Than Personal. Each voucher must be identified by the appropriate USAID contract number, in the amount of dollar expenditures made during the period covered.

(1) The SF 1034 provides space to report by line item for products or services provided. The form provides for the information to be reported with the following elements:

(2) The fiscal report must include the following certification signed by an authorized representative of the Contractor:

The undersigned hereby certifies to the best of my knowledge and belief that the fiscal report and any attachments have been prepared from the books and records of the Contractor in accordance with the terms of this contract and are correct: the sum claimed under this contract is proper and due, and all the costs of contract performance (except as herewith reported in writing) have been paid, or to the extent allowed under the applicable payment clause, must be paid currently by the Contractor when due in the ordinary course of business; the work reflected by these costs has been performed, and the quantities and amounts involved are consistent with the requirements of this Contract; all required Contracting Officer approvals have been obtained; and appropriate refund to USAID must be made promptly upon request in the event of disallowance of costs not reimbursable under the terms of this contract.

BY: _____________________________________________________

TITLE:

DATE:

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

(Document Number: XXX-X-XX-XXXX-XX)

Line Item No.

Description Amt. Vouchered to Date Amt. Vouchered this Period

0001 Product/Service $XXXX.XX $XXXX.XX

0002 Product/Service $XXXX.XX $XXXX.XX Total $XXXX.XX $XXXX.XX

(b) Local currency payment. The Contractor is fully responsible for the proper expenditure and control of local currency, if any, provided under this contract. Local currency must be provided to the Contractor in accordance with written instructions provided by the Mission Director. The written instructions must also include accounting, vouchering, and reporting procedures. A copy of the instructions must be provided to the Contractor's Chief of Party and to the Contracting Officer. The costs of bonding personnel responsible for local currency are reimbursable under this contract.

(c) Upon compliance by the Contractor with all the provisions of this contract, acceptance by the

Government of the work and final report, and a satisfactory accounting by the Contractor of all Government-owned property for which the Contractor had custodial responsibility, the Government must promptly pay to the Contractor any moneys (dollars or local currency) due under the completion voucher. The Government shall make suitable reduction for any disallowance or indebtedness by the Contractor by applying the proceeds of the voucher first to such deductions and next to any unliquidated balance of advance remaining under this contract.

(d) The Contractor agrees that all approvals of the Mission Director and the Contracting Officer which are required by the provisions of this contract must be preserved and made available as part of the Contractor's records which are required to be presented and made available by the clause of this contract entitled "Audit and Records-Negotiation".

G.2 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE

The Administrative Contracting Office is:

Mr. Michael Capobianco Supervisory Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/South Sudan/OAA C/O 4420 Juba Place Washington, DC 20521-4420

Email: mcapobianco@usaid.gov.

Telephone: Mobile +211 912 164 792

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

The Contracting Officer’s Representative is [TBD]. A separate Administrative letter issued by the Contracting Officer at the time of contract award will designate the COR. The Contracting Officer will provide a copy of the COR designation letter to the Contractor.

G.4 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

(a) Technical direction is defined to include:

(1) Written directions to the Contractor which fill in details, suggest possible lines of inquiry, or otherwise facilitate completion of work mailto:mcapobianco@usaid.gov

(2) Provision of written information to the Contractor which assists in the interpretation of drawings, specifications, or technical portions of the work statement

(3) Review and, where required, provide written approval of technical reports, drawings, specifications, or technical information to be delivered. Technical directions must be in writing, and must be within the as detailed in Section C.

(b) The COR is authorized by designation to take any or all action with respect to the following which could lawfully be taken by the Contracting Officer, except any action specifically prohibited by the terms of this Contract:

(1) Assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract in accordance with the contract terms, conditions, and specifications.

(2) Perform or cause to be performed, inspections necessary in connection with a) above and require the Contractor to correct all deficiencies; perform acceptance for the Government.

(3) Maintain all liaison and direct communications with the Contractor. Written communications with the Contractor and documents will be signed as "Contracting Officer’s Representative" with a copy furnished to the Contracting Officer.

(4) Issue written interpretations of technical requirements of Government drawings, designs, and specifications.

(5) Monitor the Contractor's production or performance progress and notify the Contractor in writing of deficiencies observed during surveillance, and direct appropriate action to effect correction. Record and report to the Contracting Officer incidents of faulty or nonconforming work, delays or problems.

(6) Obtain necessary security clearance and appropriate identification if access to Government facilities is required. If to be provided, ensure that Government furnished property is available when required.

LIMITATIONS: The COR is not empowered to award, agree to, or sign any contract (including delivery or purchase orders) or modifications thereto, or in any way to obligate the payment of money by the Government. The COR may not take any action which may impact on the contract schedule, funds, or scope. All contractual agreements, commitments, or modifications must be made only by the Contracting Officer.

(a) The COR will meet at least quarterly/semi-annually/annually with the Contractor and the

Contracting Officer concerning performance of items delivered under this contract and any other administration or technical issues. Telephonic reports may be made if no problems are being experienced. Problem areas must be brought to the immediate attention of the Contracting Officer.

(b) Contractual Problems - Contractual problems, of any nature, that may arise during the life of the contract must be handled in conformance with specific public laws and regulations (i.e., Federal Acquisition Regulation and Agency for International Development Acquisition Regulation). The Contractor and the COR must bring all contracting problems to the immediate attention of the Contracting Officer. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to formally resolve such problems.