95332418Q0060_0_US_final_signed_by_CO.pdf

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95332418Q0060

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Listing of Incorporated Purchase Requisitions Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs Section C - Description/Specifications/Work Statement Section D - Packaging and Marking Section E - Inspection and Acceptance Terms Section F - Delivery or Performance Section G - Contract Administration Data Section H - Special Contract Requirements Section I - Contract Clauses Section J - List of Documents, Exhibits, and other Attachments Section K - Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award

Listing of Incorporated Purchase Requisitions

Incorporated Purchase Requisition Numbers:

DCO-PR-18-0150

Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

Item Number Base Item Number

Supplies/Services Quantity Unit

0001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stunting for

Timor-Leste Compact Development, Contract Period:

Base 9 months

Contract Type:Time and Materials Unit Price

Other Direct Costs Extended Price

Description:

Purchase Requisitions DCO-PR-18-0150

IDC Type: Not Applicable

Item Number Base Item Number

Supplies/Services Quantity Unit

1001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stunting for

Timor-Leste Compact Development, Contract Period:

Option One, 12 months

Contract Type:Time and Materials Unit Price

Other Direct Costs Extended Price

Description:

Purchase Requisitions

IDC Type: Not Applicable

Item Number Base Item Number

Supplies/Services Quantity Unit

2001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stunting for

Timor-Leste Compact Development, Contract Period:

Option Two, 12 months

Contract Type:Time and Materials Unit Price

Other Direct Costs Extended Price

Description:

Purchase Requisitions

IDC Type: Not Applicable

Item Number Base Item Number

Supplies/Services Quantity Unit

3001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stunting for

Timor-Leste Compact Development, Contract Period:

Option Three, 12 months

Contract Type:Time and Materials Unit Price

Other Direct Costs Extended Price

Description:

Purchase Requisitions

IDC Type: Not Applicable

Item Number Base Item Number

Supplies/Services Quantity Unit

4001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stunting for

Timor-Leste Compact Development, Contract Period:

Option Four, 12 months

Contract Type:Time and Materials Unit Price

Other Direct Costs Extended Price

Description:

Purchase Requisitions

IDC Type: Not Applicable

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the contract is procure services for the Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/StuntingProgram for Timor-Leste Compact Development.

NOTE: The following document has been automatically generated by an electronic system. Some errors in spacing, formatting and punctuation may have occurred throughout the document and are out of our control.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Time-and-Material(T&M) contract. For the consideration set forth in the contract, the Contractor shall provide the del iverables described in Section F and comply with all contract's requirements.

B.3 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES AND PAYMENT

The Total Estimated Price of this contract is $ TBD. The maximum dollar amount awarded to the contractor cannot exceed the Total Ceiling Price.

ITEM

NUMBER

DESCRIPTION OF

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

0001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stuntingfor Timor-Leste Compact Development

Contract Period: Base 9 months

POP Begin: TBD

POP End: TBD

NTE $TBD

0001A Direct Labor Hours See Table of Labor Rates and Categories

Below

$TBD

0001B Other Direct Costs 1.00 Lot $TBD $TBD

1001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stuntingfor Timor-Leste Compact development

Contract Period: Option One, 12 months

POP Begin: TBD

POP End: TBD

NTE $TBD

1001A Direct Labor Hours See Table of Labor Rates and Categories

Below

$TBD

1001B Other Direct Costs 1.00 Lot $TBD $TBD

2001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stuntingfor Timor-Leste Compact development

Contract Period: Option Two, 12 months

NTE $TBD

POP Begin: TBD

POP End: TBD

2001A Direct Labor Hours See Table of Labor Rates and Categories

Below

$TBD

2001B Other Direct Costs 1.00 Lot $TBD $TBD

3001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stuntingfor Timor-Leste Compact development

Contract Period: Option Three, 12 months

POP Begin: TBD

POP End: TBD

NTE $TBD

3001A Direct Labor Hours See Table of Labor Rates and Categories

Below

$TBD

3001B Other Direct Costs 1.00 Lot $TBD $TBD

4001 Reduce Impaired Child Growth & Development/ Stuntingfor Timor-Leste Compact development

Contract Period: Option Four, 12 months

POP Begin: TBD

POP End: TBD

NTE $TBD

4001A Direct Labor Hours See Table of Labor Rates and Categories

Below

$TBD

4001B Other Direct Costs 1.00 Lot $TBD $TBD

TOTAL NTE $TBD

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies, transportation, and other services required to provide services to the MCC in accordance with Section C, Statement of Work, and the terms and conditions contained herein. The Total Contract Price includes labor and other direct costs to perform all required services.

LABOR RATES

CLINs Labor Category Labor Rates Base 9 months

Labor Rates

Option Year 1

Labor Rates

Option Year 2

Labor Rates

Option Year 3

Labor Rates

Option Year 4

0001 Team Leader Stunting Reduction Specialists Stunting Reduction Local Specialist

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

1001 Team Leader Stunting Reduction Specialists Stunting Reduction Local Specialist

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

2001 Team Leader Stunting Reduction Specialists Stunting Reduction Local Specialist

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

3001 Team Leader Stunting Reduction Specialists Stunting Reduction Local Specialist

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

4001 Team Leader Stunting Reduction Specialists Stunting Reduction Local Specialist

TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

* The term "Stunting Reduction" specialist is a broad term to indicate a specialist with skills, experience and expertise listed in Section C, TABLE 2: Qualifications/experience that the Team Should Cover. The offeror should replace the title "Stunting Reduction" Specialist with a position title that best reflects the skills, experience or expertise held by the consultant proposed.

TOTAL LABOR HOURS

Labor Category Labor Hours Base 9 months

Labor Hours Option Year 1

Labor Hours Option Year 2

Labor Hours Option Year 3

Labor Hours Option Year 4

Team Leader

Stunting Reduction Specialists ( estimated LOE total for three people)*

Stunting Reduction Local Specialist ( estimated LOE total for 2 people)*

TOTAL LOE for the team

1930 2635 2609 2583 2505

*Number of Stunting Reduction and Stunting Reduction Local Specialists are illustrative. The consultant should propose well-functioning team to successfully complete the SOW keeping the total LOE for the team unchanged.

B.4 ADDITIONAL LABOR CATEGORIES AND COUNTRIES

During the performance of this contract, it may become desirable to add new labor categories to Section B. In such cases, the Government or the Contractor may identify additional labor categories and the Contractor may propose additional labor categories and rates.

In addition, during the performance of this contract, it may became necessary to add other MCC Compact-Eligible countries.

Section C - Description/Specifications/Work Statement

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Acronym, Abbreviation Definition

CA Constraints Analysis

COR Contracting Officer Representative

CPARS Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GoT-L Government of Timor-Leste

IC Investment Committee

MCA Millennium Challenge Account, the accountable entity

MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation

MCHN Maternal Child Health and Nutrition

PII Personally Identifiable Information

PM Project Monitor

PPAM Project Proposal Assessment Memo

QCP Quality Control Plan

RFQ Request for Quotations

RMS Recruitment Management System

SAM System for Award Management

TBD To Be Determined

WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

C.1 INTRODUCTION

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation formed to help low income and low middle income countries reduce poverty through the promotion of sustainable economic growth. MCC operates on the principle that aid is most effective when it strengthens good governance, economic freedom and investments in people. MCC awards multi-year grants known as "Compacts" to partner countries that meet its selection criteria and propose programs that address their constraints to economic growth. Once developed and agreed, MCC compacts must be implemented by those partner countries within terms of not more than five years.

Through this solicitation, MCC seeks to procure due diligence services to support a response to the Impaired Child Growth and Development/Stunting constraint to economic growth identified in Timor-Leste Constraint's Analysis.

C.2 BACKGROUND

I. Timor-Leste Threshold Program Background

The MCC Board of Directors selected Timor-Leste as an eligible country to develop a Compact in December 2016. After selection, MCC began the first step in the development: conducting an integrated Constraints Analysis (CA) in collaboration with the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL). Coordination among donors, particularly the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) contributed significantly to the analysis. The CA was finalized and approved by the MCC's Investment Management Committee (IMC) in October 2017. In November 2017, an official letter from Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri was received confirming the GoTL's agreement with the findings of the CA, described below. In 2017, Timor-Leste passed the scorecard and was eligible to receive a Compact Program. On December 20, 2017 the MCC Board of Directors selected Timor-Leste for a Compact Program. Starting in early 2018 MCC is expected to transition Timor-Leste from a Threshold Program to a Compact Program.

This is the second threshold program for Timor-Leste. Approved in May 2010, the first Timor-Leste Threshold Program was designed to reduce corruption by building a network of anti-corruption institutions and actors, and to improve access to immunization services through the creation of a more effective community health system. Timor-Leste I was administered by USAID under the previous MCC threshold model.

II. Constraints Analysis

When Timor-Leste gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 the country faced high rates of poverty and extremely low levels of human development. Since independence, the country's development has been shaped by the challenges resultant of a legacy of conflict, as well as discovery of oil, which allowed Timor-Leste to reach the highest level of government capital expenditures in the world, as a percentage of GDP. Spurred by government spending, GDP, poverty, and health indicators saw improvement. However, gains have not been equitable, as many Timorese have not witnessed significant improvements in their health, income, or food security. For instance, in 2014, poverty was 28% in urban areas while it was 47% in rural.

Furthermore, private investment remained flat and economic growth of the non-oil sector has been stagnant since 2011.

Going forward, private sector-led growth, enabled, but not driven by government, will be critical for the sustainability of Timor-Leste's social and economic progress.

The following binding constraints limit private sector-led growth:(1)

1. Low sustainability and effectiveness of fiscal expenditures – Government expenditures are on an unsustainable path that could lead to the exhaustion of resources in the Petroleum Fund and a resultant fiscal crisis. Government expenditures must also improve their efficiency and targeting to promote private investment and economic growth.

2. Weak policies and institutions to enable market transactions (business enabling environment) Timor-Leste has not yet put into place the policies and institutions needed to support a market economy. The country lacks a legal framework and judicial institutions to support contracts and their enforcement. This leads to inefficiencies and limits the number of business transactions that can occur, especially within the finance and land markets.

3. Low human capital: Lack of high skilled workers and poor nutritional outcomes – While Timor-Leste has made progress developing its human capital from a very low base, more gains are needed. Early childhood health and nutrition is poor; over half of children under the age of five are stunted. Water and sanitation coverage is low in rural areas – about 69% and 27% respectively. About 8% adolescent girls are married and adolescent birthrate is 54%. Human capital challenges are further exacerbated by the multiple deprivations involved. Constraints in progress in each of these areas have had implications for the others. While secondary school enrolment is 56% in 2015, completion rate is still low. In the workforce, the lack of tertiary education is costly to firms and has resulted in 30-40% of professional jobs being filled by foreign nationals.

A. Impaired Child Growth and Development

Timor-Leste suffers from one of the highest rates of stunting in the world.(2) Among children 0-59 months of age, 50.2% are stunted(3). Stunting undermines children's cognitive development and ability to succeed at school. Impaired child growth and development (or stunting) is not a condition caused solely by food and nutrition insecurity or a lack of dietary diversity.

Factors such as the quality of health care provided at the household and/or health service center, exposure to pathogens (generally due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH] conditions, other environmental pollutants, and unsafe food preparation) and maternal health, education and status can negatively affect a child's physical and cognitive development and contribute to a child's impaired growth and development. The 2016 World Bank assessment(4) and 2015 Food and Nutrition Survey(5) identified water and sanitation as having significant correlations with stunting in Timor-Leste. This suggests that disease burden is a contributor to stunting outcomes and is consistent with the lack of investment in water and sanitation in Timor-Leste. The share of the population with access to improved sanitation facilities declined in ruralareas from 2007-2015 and now stands at 27%. For an in-depth assessment and discussion of the nutrition situation in Timor-Leste and determinants of malnutrition offerors are encouraged to read the World Bank's Malnutrition in Timor-Leste: A review of the burden, drivers, and potential response(6), especially chapters two and three.

C.3 SCOPE OF WORK

This scope of work covers services that will be needed to support MCC in the Timor-Leste Compact Development. MCC is looking for a contractor which can clearly demonstrate regional experience in Asia and satisfactory completion of previous assignments to reduce impaired child growth and development/stunting or the drivers of impaired child growth/stunting within the past 12-15 years.

This scope of work will require a contractor who is able to assemble a team of experts familiar with evidence-based interventions that have been proven to reduce stunting. The consultant will need to be able to assess and analyze: a) the Timor-Leste specific research, program evaluation and data, b) the international body of evidence related to stunting and c) the qualitative data collected by their own assessment in order to identify the key drivers to stunting (or the root cause of stunting) in Timor-Leste.

The Government of T-L, donors and aid organizations have been working in Timor-Leste for many years with the objective of reducing stunting. Although stunting has decreased from 58% in 2009-10(7) to 50.2%(8) in 2013, many of the actors in the stunting space have expected to see much more drastic reductions as a result of their interventions. It will be critical for the consultant to undertake a thorough landscape analysis to ensure the T-L Compact does not duplicate what other actors are doing or repeat interventions that have not seen the results expected. The consultant should make clear their successful experience conducting an analysis of the complex drivers of stunting in a region, country or subnational context, designing a program that responded to the identified drivers and supporting or directly implementing a program that was able to either reduce stunting or reduce the targeted drivers of stunting in the particular context.

In order for the consultant to determine if pathogens and toxins from poor WASH behaviors/conditions feature as a priority determinant of stunting in the T-L context an assessment of the water and sanitation situation in T-L is necessary. Literature confirms that poor WASH behaviors are causal to impaired child growth and development in some contexts. The consultant's task is to assess and understand the unique WASH context in T-L. A WASH assessment will allow the consultant to understand how factors such as population density, geographic/climatic aspects, practices, services available/unavailable, etc … factor into the WASH-Stunting relationship in -TL and then prioritize WASH among the other determinants to stunting in TL. If WASH conditions or behaviors are identified as a significant driver of stunting in T-L (under task 1) and the current government or donor interventions are not adequately addressing problem, then the consultant may be required to propose additional specialists and services to conduct a more thorough or targeted assessment of the WASH related root causes of stunting.

Provided the contract is annually renewed past the base period, the Contractor will provide services to MCC over each phase of the MCC project cycle:

• Root Cause Analysis

• Concept and Project Proposals

• Economic Rates of Return Analysis

• Due Diligence during Project Implementation

It is likely that the first two years contemplated for this contract will focus on root cause analysis and assessing country proposed program design with the last three years spent in providing due diligence services in support of MCC's overall supervision of the Project.

TABLE 1. MCC Project Cycle

MCC Project Phase Timing Contractor Services Specific to this Contract

Constraints Analysis / Root Cause Analysis

Base Period Assessments, studies, analysis, field trips, recommendations and reporting to support MCC and GoT-L to identify the root causes of stunting in Timore-Leste

Literature Reviews – Health, Nutrition, WASH, country status, programs, gaps, all potential drivers of stunting

Qualitative field assessments – physical, social conditions, practices, challenges, behaviors, focus groups, key informant interviews, etc.

Quantitative analysis – review of existing datasets, statistical analysis of trends and project impacts, identification of possible causal pathways for stunting, identification of evidence and data gaps

Concept and Project Proposals

Base Period – Year 1

Support MCC to due diligence concept notes and project proposals proposed by the GoT-L

Critically evaluate the root cause analysis of stunting provided by the GoT-L and intervention areas proposed to resolve problem. Elaborate root- cause understanding and recommend, as needed, evidenced-based interventions to resolve identified problems

Economic Rates of Return and Beneficiary Analysis

Year 1 – Year

Provide data and information needed by MCC for a cost-benefit analysis of a proposed project, critically analyze assumptions used to estimate an economic rate of return, gather credible evidence to inform assumptions and program logic for the project

Identify evidence that establishes the plausible links between proposed health, nutrition or WASH interventions on beneficiaries and economic effects

Project Design Year 1 – Year

Support to MCC to due diligence the implementation plans and proposals by the GoT-L (TORs for implementation contractors, Government Implementing Entity Agreements, Partnership Agreements, etc

Further develop initial project proposals through the development of specific objectives, associated activities required to overcome health, nutrition and WASH-related constraints to development identified.

Due Diligence during Project Implementation

Year 2/3 through Year

Review of all aspects of implementing contractor or partner work per MCC guidance

Targeted assessments and training that provide data for detailed project design

Quality control in all aspects of selected health, nutrition or WASH programming – hardware, enabling environment, behavior change, etc..

In order for the Contractor to be able to rapidly and effectively mobilize to support MCC in evaluating initial Compact project proposals and alternatives and defining data/information needs, this scope outlines work and expertise that is expected to be needed during a Base Period of nine months, starting approximately in May 2018 and four additional one-year Option Periods.

It is anticipated that as project development progresses into later phases, technical directives issued under this contract will be targeted to one or more sub-sectors, and the Contractor's team may evolve to include additional specialists who can review the GoT-L's project design.

The objective of this contract is to provide MCC support in:

i) assessing the drivers and root causes of impaired child growth and development or stunting(9) in Timor-Leste, the efficacy of past and present projects, and the donor landscape;

ii) reviewing, assessing, analyzing, and providing feedback on the GoT-L's proposed compact design documents(10),

iii) identifying and collecting, as needed, data to inform a cost benefit analysis of possible interventions to improve child growth and development outcomes and additional data/information needs for "deep dive" project design studies to be carried by the GoT-L's.

iv) support MCC to due diligence the implementation of the compact by the GoT-L; and

v) Other duties as required.

C.4 TASKS

Base Period (Tasks 1 – 3)

Task 1: Assess the drivers and root causes of impaired child growth and development/stunting in Timor-Leste, the efficacy of past and present projects, and the donor landscape;

Within the Human Capital constraint MCC has determined to focus on the problem of impaired child growth and development/stunting. Since stunting is a cross-cutting problem calling for a multi-sectoral response and systematic reviews have identified interventions for which there is compelling evidence of their impact on childhood stunting and considering that the government of Timor-Leste and other donors have been working to address the problem of stunting, the Contractor shall work with MCC and the GoT-L to:

• Assess the drivers of impaired child growth and development/stunting in Timor-Leste, analyze how those factors interact, and prioritize through analysis the most significant determinants(11) of stunting. Among significant drivers, specify if there are differential effects by age, income, gender, location, or other relative characteristics.

Support this assessment with rigorous, evidence-based literature and quantitative analysis of the best available data. Key Questions include:

o What are the main causing of poor child growth and development/stunting in Timor-Leste? What is the relative role of nutrition? Health? Water and sanitation? Other factors?

o What are the cultural practices and factors that may contribute to the current status quo?

o How are different government and non-governmental programs working to address the problem? What has been their impact?

• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of all key actors, including the government of Timor-Leste, donors, and

NGOs to address impaired child growth and development/stunting through nutrition sensitive and nutrition specific programs(12). Identify the gaps in current programming and explain why those gaps have persisted.

• Assess and explain the unique challenges or opportunities in the Timor-Leste context to effectively improve child growth and development/stunting considering: geography, climate, patterns of human settlement, culture, history, religion, gender and social dynamics, education, literacy, poverty, social and welfare programs, government financing, behavior change factors, etc.

• Conduct a detailed assessment of the water, sanitation and hygiene situation in Timor-Leste.

• Assess the donor landscape, including government, donor, NGO and community-based programs/projects.

Assemble a list of all major nutrition specific or sensitive programs in Timor-Leste from 2007 to present and include pertinent details such as donor, budget, timeline, outcomes/impact, etc. Link this project/intervention list to a geo-spatial map and analyze indicators related impaired child growth and development/stunting in relation to the geographic interventions. Consider multi-country or regional programs that have included Timor-Leste.

• Assess what is unique about MCC's role in the donor landscape and explore how MCC's investment could be uniquely leveraged to impact stunting.

• Analyze the information provided in the above objectives and recommend the interventions to significantly reduce stunting considering the estimated Compact project budget and five year timeline.

The technical directive for this activity has already been developed and is included in Annex 1: Technical Directive 1 – Determinants of Impaired Child Growth & Development/Stunting. Please review for additional details and instructions related to the objectives listed above.

Additional notional activities that may be included as part of this initial task include:

• Facilitating consultations with key stakeholders(13) and conducting root cause analysis workshops to ensure government understanding of and buy-in to potential approaches;

• Developing modalities for implementation and organizing and facilitating discussions with potential stakeholders;

• Organizing and facilitating roundtables with donors, the private sector or other stakeholder to raise awareness of the

MCC program under development, garner ongoing feedback towards program design, and promote opportunities for parallel investment.

• Preparing tender documents and budgets for follow-on activities identified in the above tasks.

Task 2: Review, assess and provide feedback on the GoT-L's proposed compact design documents(14)

At this point in the Timor-Leste compact development the Constraints Analysis (CA) has identified binding constraints to economic growth and the preliminary root cause analysis had identified stunting as one of the most critical issues that drives or contributes most significantly to the binding constraint of human capital. The GoT-L will soon form a Compact Development Team who will develop and submit a short, written proposal, or Concept Note. The Concept Note should explain the core problem and its root causes, offer a broad outline or strategic approach designed to resolve or address it, and define the primary objective. These aspects—problems, approaches and objectives—form concepts, the foundations upon which more detailed projects can later be proposed and developed. The contractor will be asked to assess the Concept Note the GoT-L proposes and the Contractor's assessment will be a key input into the proposal MCC presents before its Investment Committee (IC). The proposal MCC presents to the IC is called the Opportunity Memo.

MCC's Investment Committee will determine which concepts to develop further into projects. If a Concept Note related to the problem of stunting is selected, the GoT-L will develop a Project Proposal, further defining the project's components, total costs, expanding the preliminary theory of change into a more complete project logic that connects each component to a series of intermediate outputs and long-term impacts, identifies expected beneficiaries and begins to quantify the benefits they are likely to receive, indicates the conditions and timeline for their implementation, and highlights the full range of potential risks and other issues associated with the proposed project. The contractor will be asked to assess the Project Proposal the GoT-L submits and it is the Contractors assessment of the Project Proposal that is a key input into the Project Proposal Assessment Memo (PPAM). MCC writes the PPAM and approval of the PPAM triggers approval of the compact by the MCC Investment Committee.

When the compact is approved the GoT-L begins detailed design of the interventions. The Contractor will support MCC to due diligence the detailed design the GoT-L proposes. Please refer to MCCs Compact Development Guidance found here for further information about how the compact development process works. Depending on the programmatic focus of the Compact it may become desirable to add new labor categories to the contract. See Section B for additional details.

Therefore, activities for this task will include:

• Assessment of Concept Notes - to assess the GoT-L proposed concept notes and other compact documents the consultant will need to determine: i) if the problem identified is well researched and understood, ii) provide an evidenced-based solution to the problem identified, iii) determine if proposed interventions that can be successfully implemented within the compact lifecycle based on past programming experience/evidence.

• Review of the Opportunity Memo. The Opportunity Memo is the document and presentation MCC develops for the MCC Investment Committee recommending which of the GoT-L's proposed concept notes to further into Project Proposals. The Opportunity Memo is drafted considering the consultants feedback on the GoT-L's Concept Notes.

• Assessment of Project Proposals, including geographic target areas (if proposed) – The Project Proposal further defines the project's components, total costs, expanding the preliminary theory of change into a more complete project logic that connects each component to a series of intermediate outputs and long-term impacts, identifies expected beneficiaries and begins to quantify the benefits they are likely to receive, indicates the conditions and timeline for their implementation, and highlights the full range of potential risks and other issues associated with the proposed project. The consultant's assessment of the Project Proposals should assess the quality, logic, evidence base and risks in the proposal and offer ideas or recommendations for improvement or alternate solutions.

https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/guidance-compact-development-guidance

• Analyze sustainability risks with the proposed project and propose mitigation strategies

• Review and strengthening of MCC drafted documents or presentations

• Provide data and information needed by MCC for a cost-benefit analysis of a proposed project and critically analyze assumptions used to estimate an economic rate of return in line with MCC's Guidelines for Economic and Beneficiary Analysis

• Provide data and information needed for a beneficiary analysis of a proposed project following MCC's Guidelines for Economic and Beneficiary Analysis, including the gathering of credible evidence to inform assumptions and program logic for the project

• Provide feedback and support on development of monitoring indicators and targets to measure progress and potential project evaluation designs, including impact evaluation design

• Identify baseline data needed in support of evaluation, if feasible

• Provide feedback on staffing needs for the proposed program

• Advise MCC on government responsibility/actions which may need to be considered as conditions for investment.

Additional activities may include:

• Identify opportunities to leverage existing donor investments and successful programs, and note where there is potential for redundancy (expand on existing donor map)

• Support MCC's Gender and Social Integration Assessment team on development of the project's social/gender integration strategy

• Further consultations

• Literature review of proposed interventions

• Recommendations on best-practice

• In-depth sector analysis

• Advising MCC on critical decision points and concerns related to project design

Task 3: Identify and collect, as needed, data to inform possible interventions or project design studies to be carried by the GoT-L.

During the course of Compact development the Contractor may identify additional data/information needs to further support concept development and project design,including to better understand system constraints, social and gender constraints, flesh out appropriate entry points and activities, inform geographic target areas, beneficiary selection and partnerships.

Activities under this task may include:

• Identifying data/information needs and proposing methods to obtain information needs

• Collecting data/information

• Supporting the GoT-L Compact Development Team and/or MCC to design studies and/or SOW to obtain the information needed

• Assessing findings of data collection studies and making recommendations on project design based on study findings.

Option Periods (Task 4)

Compact development is a multi-year process (see TABLE 1 Above). Depending on the pace of compact development in Timor-Leste Base Period tasks may be required in Option Years 1 or 2. Once the Compact Agreement is signed between the GoT-L and MCC, and assuming Option Years are exercised, the Contractor will support MCC to due diligence the implementation of the compact by the GoT-L.

Task 4: Support MCC to due diligence the implementation of the compact by the GoT-L

After the Compact signing, the GoT-L will hire the Millennium Challenge Account Timor-Leste (MCA-TL). The MCA-TL is a team of local national experts, who will be responsible to assist in the Compact implementation, as agreed upon between the GoT-L and MCC. MCC provides support, oversight and due diligence to the Compact project plans proposed by the MCA-TL. The Contractor procured through this solicitation will assist MCC to provide oversight and due diligence support to the MCA-TL and the contractors the MCA-TL procures or organizations through which it chooses to implement. It is the MCA-TL that is responsible for the final design and implementation of the Compact Program.

Sub-tasks during compact implementation are expected to include the following:

• Provide support to MCC in defining the position description for MCA-TL staff, developing technical interview questions, reviewing short listed CVs and/or participating as an observer during MCA-TL staff interviews.

• Provide due diligence support to MCC in the review of MCA-TL proposed detailed project concept notes, workplans and budgets.

• Provide due diligence support to MCC in the review of MCA-TL proposed project evaluation methodology and survey instruments, including baseline, midline and end line surveys and reports.

• Provide support to MCC in the review of Implementing Entity Agreements (IEAs), TORs and/or RFPs developed by the MCA-TL for implementation services and the proposals submitted in response.

• Advise MCC by conducting periodic in-country and desk reviews to provide assurance to MCC that the program deliverables and implementation are on track and as per MCC policies and best practices.

• Review and monitor implementation status of program activities and technical assistance.

• Review and support the management of additional procurement activities.

• Monitor quality and content of program activities and contractor deliverables and performance.

• Review general compliance of contractors implementing the relevant projects and activities of the Compact

Program.

• Provide recommendations to strengthen, re-orient or develop Program activities to best achieve Program results.

• Review compliance with condition precedents and government commitments.

• Support monitoring of risks associated with performance, implementation, or results.

• Review and/or draft technical and/or management papers, memoranda, presentations and other documents.

• Review key MCA technical staff (technical and management capacity)

• Provide general technical and/or contractual advice, opinion, recommendations, judgements, ad-hoc analysis, and assistance related to the relevant activities

• Develop lesson learned to inform program design and investment by the GoT-L, MCC or other donors operating in similar contexts.

C.5 REQUIRED RESOURCES

General Requirements for Personnel

MCC requests the Contractor propose a team of international and national Contractors who can accomplish the contracts objectives, indicating key and non-key positions. At least six people should be identified as key personnel. If the contractor proposes a team of less than six, all proposed personnel will be key personnel. The Contractor might propose the fewest number of individuals needed to accomplish the tasks described above, indicating their title and years of qualification/experience. The Team Leader duties shall be incorporated within one of the key personal positions the contractor proposes.

MCC has estimated direct labor needs based on a team of six key personnel, two of whom being local (Local consultants should be based in Timor-Leste; they may be nationals or expatriates. ) experts. The Contractors should critically consider the experience, expertise and availability of the key personnel they can identify and propose the number needed to fulfill the qualifications/experience required for the tasks outlined above.

Key Personnel are:

1. Team Leader

2. Stunting Reduction Specialists – three people

3. Stunting Reduction Local Specialists – two people

The term "Stunting Reduction" specialist is a broad term to indicate a specialist with skills, experience and expertise listed in TABLE 2: Qualifications/experience that the Team Should Cover. The offeror should replace the title "Stunting Reduction" Specialist with a position title that best reflects the skills, experience or expertise held by the individual.

The Contractor is encouraged to propose a team that will be best suited to complete the SOW. The positions above are illustrative as well as the number of people.

C.6 MINIMUM PERSONNEL SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

1. Team Leader

i) A minimum of a Master's degree, or equivalent accreditation if a non-U.S. institution, in public health, health systems strengthening, or in a relevant area.

ii) Ten (10) or more years of experience in a private or public entity designing or implementing international projects that dealt with Health Systems Strengthening, Maternal Child Health & Nutrition and/or Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. A minimum of 10 years of proven experience working with large, complex international programs.

iii) Demonstrated experience in Health Systems Strengthening, Maternal Child Health & Nutrition and/or Water, Sanitation and Hygiene assignments for a complex, multinational organization or in a context outside the United States.

iv) Proven strong leadership and team work skills and ability to deliver results within specified and often changing timeframes.

v) Strong capacity to multi-task, including managing, prioritizing and fulfilling competing demands in real time.

vi) Strong oral and written communication skills in English is required and working knowledge of Portuguese is preferred

(not required).

The team of international and local experts that the Contractor proposes should have the following qualifications:

1. A minimum of a Master's degree or equivalent of a U.S. university degree (equivalency accreditation if a non-U.S.

institution).

2. At least 5 years work experience in a professional field;

3. Prior experience on Health Systems Strengthening, Nutrition, Health, Water and/or Sanitation projects in developing countries (whether in country or remotely);

4. Working knowledge and fluency in written and oral English is required, and working knowledge of Portuguese/local language is preferred for the Stunting Reduction Specialists and is required for at least one (1) Stunting Reduction Local Specialist.

TABLE 2: Qualifications/experience that the Team Should Cover

Skill/Expertise Required

Category Title

Description of requirements or qualifications to meet Skill/Expertise Category

1. Institutional Reform Assessment Experience

1. At least ten years' experience assessing the capacity and effectiveness of national actors to reduce stunting. Expertise should include the ability to assess the national laws, policies and institutions, or lack thereof, in order to identify institutional reform priorities and goals;

2. Prioritizing Determinants of Stunting Experience

2. Experience ranking or prioritizing determinants of stunting;

3. MCHN and/or WASH Behavior Change Programming Experience

3. Experience designing, implementing and evaluating behavior change programs related to nutrition, health and/or WASH;

4. Institutional Reform Implementation Experience

4. At least five years' experience supporting government and non-government actors to implement institutional reform with an end goal of improving the nutrition and health of the population, regional or Timor-Leste experience desirable (not required);

5. Cost Benefit Analysis Experience 5. At least five years' experience conducting quantitative cost-benefit analyses for nutrition, health and/or WASH interventions including estimates of net present value, benefit-cost ratios, and/or economic rates of return;

6. Gender and Social Inclusion related to MCHN or WASH Expertise

6. Experience in assessing and designing programs that consider social and gender, behavior change and gender based violence issues; experience in evaluating/assisting national actors to provide nutrition, health, water and/or sanitation services with consideration for the needs and rights of disadvantages groups, including women;

7. WASH Assessment, Design and 7. Expertise in WASH programming, with an integrated background that includes

Financing Expertise WASH related technical, institutional and behavior change aspects, with innovative financing experience and private sector involvement. At least fifteen years' experience designing and implementing/supporting water and sanitation services at a national or sub-national level in developing countries. Familiarity with rural, peri-urban, and urban water supply infrastructure, waste water treatment technologies, design of small scale septic systems and water delivery systems.

Experience in building private sector and public sector capacity to manage and sustain WASH investments. Familiarity with design and implementation of WASH behavior change approaches including CLTS and the current status of the literature.

8. Statistics and data expertise in quantitative analysis

8. Experience in assessing the quality and implication of MCHN and WASH data/survey results and peer-reviewed articles summarizing findings. The ability to analyze large scale datasets, including panel data, and link them to projects.

Experience in regression analysis, impact evaluation, and geospatial data is desired.

9. M&E Expertise 9. At least seven years' experience developing terms of reference, analyzing data and reporting in oral and written form for both qualitative and quantitative assessments or evaluations. Note that qualitative assessment experience is critical to accomplish the objectives of the first task order;

10. MCHN Timor-Leste Expertise 10. At least seven years' experience designing, supporting or implementing Nutrition and Health projects in Timor-Leste or in the region. Experience working with the Ministry of Health is desired.

11. WASH Timor-Leste Expertise 11. At least seven years' experience designing, supporting or implementing WASH projects in Timor-Leste or in the region, including experience with Timor-Leste's/ regional decentralized approach to the provision of water and sanitation services.

Experience working with the Timor-Leste Ministry of Public Works or other institutions that oversee federal or municipal water and sanitation services or policies is desired (not required).

12. Local Language Expertise 12. Sufficient proficiency in the local language to conduct and translate interviews with non-English speaking stakeholders (health service providers, village leaders, municipal employees, etc..) in Timor-Leste.

C.7 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

In accordance with the principles of FAR Subpart 9.5 and MCC policy, the Contractor shall be ineligible to furnish, as a prime or subcontractor or otherwise, implementation services which result in response(s) to findings, proposals, or recommendations written by the Contractor, unless this provision is expressly waived by MCC.

The Contractor and its subcontractors would be precluded from bidding on work and services to be procured by the local Accountable Entity or using funds advanced under a Compact in the relevant country, unless the contractor submits a mitigation plan sufficient to ameliorate any conflict of interest pursuant to the rules applicable to the procurement process.

C.8 SUBCONTRACTS

Sub-contracts are allowed and encouraged in order to complete the proposed in-country work.

Section C Footnotes:

(1) "An uncompetitive real exchange rate (Dutch disease)" was identified as a fourth binding constraint, but not recommended for further analysis due to the unlikelihood of MCC programming in this area. This constraint acknowledged the impact that the rapid inflow of resources, enabled by oil, has had on the inflation of prices of local inputs. As a result, it is difficult for tradeable sectors such as manufacturing and tourism to compete against lower cost international producers.

(2) International Food Policy Research Institute (2016). Global Nutrition Report 2016: From Promise to Impact: Ending Malnutrition by 2030.

(3) TLFNS 2013. The 2016 DHS is expected to report a similar prevalence rate of stunting. 50.2% is less than the previous 2009-10 DHS that reported a 58% prevalence rate of stunting.

(4) Provo, A., et. al. 2016. Malnutrition in Timor-Leste: A review of the burden, drivers, and potential response. The World Bank, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, Australia, and the financial contribution from the http://www.globalnutritionreport.org/the-report/ http://www.globalnutritionreport.org/the-report/ http://www.globalnutritionreport.org/the-report/

European Commission.

(5) Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (2013). Timor-Leste Food and Nutrition Survey, Ministry of Health. Final Report 2015.

Dili.

(6) Provo, A., et. al. 2016. Malnutrition in Timor-Leste: A review of the burden, drivers, and potential response. The World Bank, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, Australia, and the financial contribution from the European Commission.

(7) Ibid.

(8) TLFNS 2013.

(9) Children are defined as stunted if their height is low for their age. Low height-for-age is an indication of impaired child growth and development.