AF SFOP0009525 Q & A 3.31.pdf

Questions and Answers – 03/31/2023

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of African Affairs

Staff Mentorship to the Somali National Army (SNA) HQ and SNA-Danab

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY #: SFOP0009525

Question #1: Do you anticipate full time in-country mentorship or is hybrid assistance acceptable for advising key government offices engaged in security sector reform efforts?

DOS Response: Mentorship is expected to occur full time in-country.

Question #2: Is the 10 page limit per attachment or cumulative for the three mandatory attachments (A-C)?

DOS Response: Cumulative.

Question #3: Should CVs be provided, and is there a page limit for them? They are not listed in the PSI document as an attachment (Roles and Responsibilities are listed), but Page 2, Paragraph 4 says that CVs don't count toward the 20-page limit for Proposal Narrative.

DOS Response: CVs/Roles and Responsibilities do not count toward the 20-page limit.

Question #4: - Is a Risk Assessment to be included in the proposal? If so, should this be included as an attachment, or integrated within the 20-page proposal narrative?

DOS Response: The risk assessment requirements are outlined on page 9 of the NOFO.

Question #5: Is the page limit for the three listed mandatory attachments (Roles and

Responsibilities, Timeline/Schedule of Activities/Project Monitoring Plan) 10 pages in total, or for each attachment individually?

DOS Response: 10 pages total.

Question #6: Can additional attachments (aside from the mandatory attachments) be submitted, and if so, are they subject to a page limit?

DOS Response: Yes, they would be subject to the page limit.

Question #7: Is it correct that the MEL Plan referenced in the NOFO and the PMP referenced in the PSI are the same?

DOS Response: No, the MEL Plan and PMP are complementary. The evaluation of proposals will consider “Performance Monitoring, Evaluating, and Learning” (referenced on page 20 section 5 in the NOFO) which includes the “Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

Approach” (referenced on page 8 in the NOFO) as well as the “Project Monitoring Plan”

(referenced on page 5 section C in the PSI).

Question #8: On Page 2, the PSI states: "Proposal Narrative (not to exceed 20 pages), should be organized using the following section headings: Executive Summary, Organizational Capacity and Past Performance, Program Strategy, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, and

Management Plan. Is it correct that the Proposal Narrative should include a discussion (and heading) of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, and that separately, a PMP should be included as an attachment (but not counting toward the 20-page limit)?

DOS Response: The proposal narrative should include both 1) Performance Monitoring and

Evaluation and 2) Management Plans as headings. A Project Monitoring Plan (PMP) should be included as a mandatory attachment (referenced on page 5 section C in the PSI).

Question #9: The PSI states: "Please see the 'Narrative Components' section below for details on the information to include in the proposal." There doesn't appear to be a "Narrative

Components" section; is there any additional guidance?

DOS Response: The following sentence should be disregarded: Please see the “Narrative Components” section below for details on the information to include in the proposal (referenced on page 4 section 4 in the PSI).