Amendment 0014 to provide responses to WEE questions.pdf

Amendment 0014 for the NOFO APS No: 95332418N0002

NOFO APS Name: “PARTNERSHIPS with MCC Program” The purpose of Amendment 0014 is to provide responses to the questions for the technical area #9

“Women’s Economic Empowerment Partnerships” asked during the Webinar on September 10, 2018 and submitted by email this week.

I. The key highlights for the WEE technical area are:

The deadline for questions has been extended until is 5.00 pm EST on September 19, 2018

Concept Papers for Phase I are due on September 27, 2018 at 2.00 pm EST

ESTIMATED FUNDING AND NUMBER OF AWARDS

Technical area #9: Women’s Economic Empowerment Partnerships - $100,000 - $300,000 per award. Required cost share contributions – minimum 25%

All applicants are required to use the following email addresses for submitting WEE applications:

apspartnerships2018@mcc.gov hollna@mcc.gov jonesbm@mcc.gov

II. TECHNICAL AREA #9 Women’s Economic Empowerment Partnerships.

The responses to the questions during the Webinar and submitted later via an email are:

Q: In terms of what you mean by "partnering around tools and methodologies"...can you spell out what that looks like in practical terms? We offer our tools and you offer them to MCAs, if they are interested they can contact us? Or some other kind of mechanism?

A: MCC works with our country counterparts throughout the process of design, implementation and closeout, and ensures country ownership and buy-in of approaches that would be applied in specific country contexts. This partnership would entail collaborating directly with MCC to develop or adapt frameworks, methodologies and tools that could be utilized by MCC to improve program and project design and implementation. MCC is specifically interested in collaborating with partners to develop and apply new ways to maximize the project impact as it relates to evidence-based approaches to women’s economic empowerment.

Q: Can you please repeat the geographic scope, which countries are eligible? Do potential partners need to be operating in MCC countries? How can we know what countries you are interested in, and are you looking for multicounty or single country submissions? Does MCC want the applicant to identify countries (e.g., for case studies) in the concept paper?

mailto:apspartnerships2018@mcc.gov mailto:hollna@mcc.gov mailto:jonesbm@mcc.gov

While it’s useful to know about topics and country priorities through this presentation, how we can know more about what aspects of the three (very broad) topics are more or less relevant to any given country.

Are there any particular MCC partner countries where women’s access to public transport, or access to small loans for business development, is a greater priority than in other places?

A: This Annual Program Statement (APS) opportunity is not country-specific. MCC is seeking partnerships that would impact our work in multiple countries across the existing and/or future portfolio.

Our expectation is that the Phase 1 Concept Papers will provide ideas on how MCC and the applicant might work together on frameworks, methodologies, and tools would strengthen the impact of women’s economic empowerment across MCC’s global portfolio. MCC welcomes thoughts about how a proposed collaboration might impact one or more countries in MCC’s current country portfolio, but any country-specific dimensions of work would be agreed between MCC and potential partners as part of co-creation sessions with qualified applicants.

Concepts proposed should be relevant to countries in the MCC portfolio (see the posted powerpoint for a list of countries active in program design or implementation) and/or in similar operating contexts. Case studies or examples could strengthen your application if they can be included within the given page limits. Applicants do not have to be operating in MCC countries to submit Concept Papers via this APS.

Q: Can you kindly clarify which MCC countries of operation will be considered under this technical area of the APS? Does it include current compact countries only, or also threshold programs and/or countries in program development? Would you be able to provide a list of eligible countries?

A: Please see the posted PowerPoint from the WEE Webinar on September 10, 2018 for a list of countries active in program design or implementation.

Q: Are you interested in submissions of ideas that could especially benefit MCC, MCAs or both simultaneously? This means, would you also be interested in supporting your own internal analytical processes before you begin working with MCAs?

A: We are looking for ideas, in line with the stated objectives of the Women’s Economic Empowerment

APS partnership opportunity statement, that benefit MCC’s ability to evaluate, assess or appraise a project at the development stage or to effectively oversee performance and assess the results of a project during and after implementation.

Q: Can you provide additional information on co-creation process?

A: After Phase 1 applications are submitted and evaluated, MCC will invite selected applicants for co-creation sessions. The goal of these sessions will be to create an open space for brainstorming, idea sharing, innovation, dialogue, and feedback before MCC invites submission of complete applications in

Phase 2. During the co-creation session(s), MCC and invited prospective partner(s) will confirm a shared understanding of the needs and objectives for a prospective partnership; identify prospective approaches and challenges to addressing the needs outlined in the Partnership Opportunities; and discuss where, when, and how each organization could bring complementary capabilities to a potential partnership.

MCC and invited prospective partner(s) will refine their mutual understanding of the Partnership

Opportunity, the potential capabilities and contributions each partner might bring to a partnership; risks and challenges to potential partnership; and the envisioned benefits of and approaches to partnership.

The co-creation session(s) also present an opportunity for MCC and prospective partner(s) to consider whether inviting other organizations (e.g., businesses, foundations, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, etc.) could allow for a more effective partnership approach to achieving the goals outlined in the Partnership Opportunity statement. See also Section D, pages 22-23 of the NOFO APS.

Q: If applicants have multiple tools or methods, one concept or separate?

A: One or more partnership Concept Papers may be submitted from an organization at the discretion of the applicant. One Concept Paper may also cover multiple themes.

Q: Where can we find the instructions (page limit, content requirements, submission instructions, etc.) for the Phase 1 concept paper? How many pages should the phase 1 proposal should be?

A: See NOFO APS File Name “MCC Partnership APS final.pdf” section IV, page 24 for Phase 1 application requirements and instructions:

The following are the page limits:

Cover Page – (1 Page Limit).

Organization Overview – (2 Page Limit) Concept Paper – (3 Page Limit)

Attachments – (3 Page Limit)

Please review the complete instructions before submission.

Q: Can an organization receive more than one award?

A: Yes

Q: Are private businesses eligible?

A: Yes, please see 2 CFR 200.69 for eligibility requirements and also Section C of the NOFO APS, page

19.

Q: What is the total funding available?

A: We estimate that each award will be $100,000-$300,000 USD. The number of awards will depend on quality and relevance of submissions as well as funding availability.

Q: Also, what partnerships does MCC have in mind and are there any limits to proposed partners under this call? Are there opportunities to partner with past awardees to collaborate to make a bigger impact? (ie - sharing tools, training, etc.)

A: There are no eligibility requirements for proposed subpartners, and entities may submit a joint partnership Concept Paper.

Applicants may partner with other organizations to meet the WEE technical objectives. If a partnerships consortium is formed, one organization must serve as the Prime Applicant (known throughout this NOFO as “Applicant”), and will be accountable for execution of the entire project by the consortium. MCC encourages the Prime Applicant to consider strategic partnership opportunities early during the application process. The partnerships are NOT expected to be exclusive and one organization may partner with more than one prime. The proposed structure of partnerships needs to be indicated in the organization/management and staffing plans with indicated roles and responsibilities, and subpartners’ strengths highlighted in the technical application. A partnership approach might be used for cost sharing requirement.

Q: For the Phase 1 Concept Paper: should the budget be included in the write-up or is that something that is addressed in Phase 2? Does the cost include only for tool development, training or need to consider travel costs to the country?

A: Phase 1 Concept Papers submissions should include estimated high-level budgets and proposed cost share. Additional detail can be included at the discretion of applicants.

For Joint Partnerships, please identify prime and sub partners budgets, including cost share.

These submitted budgets would be considered preliminary and most likely will change if applicants are invited to join MCC for a partnership co-creation session and to submit complete applications under

Phase 2.

Q: What are the time frames for the $100k-$300k awards? Over the course of how many years?

Can it vary? Are extensions possible?

A: The award amount depends on your application. It can be anywhere from 1-5 years, but MCC best practices have shown 1-3 years is the practical timeframe. The duration of a prospective partnership and timeframe for award(s) will be discussed during the co-creation session(s).

Q: What are the specific conditions for procurement? Are consultancy firms eligible partners that can tender for projects that would be fully funded by the MCC? What are the pros and cons that you identify in regards to submitting projects proposals versus conducting a procurement process?

A: The Annual Program Statement (APS) is a mechanism for open, fair, and transparent competition of prospective funded partnerships with MCC and is not a “procurement mechanism” based on FAR. MCC is seeking partners who wish to co-create and co-invest in partnership activities around the states objectives in the Women’s Economic Empowerment APS opportunity statement listed in amendment 0012.

Consulting firms are eligible to propose partnership ideas in Phase 1 Concept Papers, See Section C

Eligibility Information MCC is not seeking via this APS to identify firms to run a procurement process on behalf of MCC or MCAs. APS is an assistance instrument based on 2CFR 200 and FAR does not apply.

See Section A.I page 5 of the NOFO APS.

Q: I believe you mentioned "sub grants". Can you explain what you mean by that?

A: Please see 2 CFR 200.92 Subawards and 2 CFR 200.93 Subrecipient definitions

Q: Under the first area, Women's Economic Empowerment, will MCC consider approaches that would increase women's participation in the informal sector as well as the formal sector?

A: Yes.

Q: Will MCC prioritize or encourage sub-partnering with global women's organizations, movements or businesses? In addition, will MCC require implementers to have gender equality policies in place?

A: We are open to any ideas that have an impact; sub-partnering is not required. MCC’s gender policy is located at https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/gender-policy.

Q: Are there any references/examples of past related projects that we can get some insight on the type of proposals that would need to be proposed/detailed?

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200/content-detail.html https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/gender-policy

A: This NOFO APS is a new call for partnerships and so we do not have examples of past partnerships with this specific scope. Examples of gender and social inclusion in our programs can be found here:

https://www.mcc.gov/initiatives/initiative/gender and a broader review of gender and social inclusion approaches here: https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/principles-into-practice-gender-equality-and-poverty-reduction-through-grow.

More on MCC’s program development process can be found here: https://www.mcc.gov/resources/pub-pdf/guidance-compact-development-guidance .

Q: It seems you are seeking methodologies for analytics at the pre-compact phase as well as design phase, not ideas for interventions. Is this correct?

A: MCC seeks partnership ideas that could be relevant to any stage of the compact, including design, implementation, closeout, and/or post-compact evaluation. This could include tools for broader analysis of women’s economic empowerment context in a country, to help inform design of interventions, and/or to maximize the impact of existing interventions.

Q: Can we get a list of participants by e-mail?

A: MCC will not publish the list of participants in the September 10, 2018, webinar, as participants were not asked and did not grant consent that their names be published. Per established APS rules, MCC will publish the names of all organizations, including primary point of contract name and email address, that submit Phase 1 Concept Papers. Please see Section H Open contracting principles implementation, last page.

Q.: As I understand from the instructions, it is required that we submit at least 3 letters of references for past experience. We don't have any past experience with this as this is a new partnership. Any suggestion as to how we should proceed?

A: For Phase 1 Concept Paper in an Appendix we require information about the Relevant Past

Performance and Past Experience Information (Prime and Key Partner Organizations). In case an organization does not have relevant past performance, partnering with subpartners might provide it and also past experience of proposed Key Personnel will be considered.

Q: What can be included as cost share? Can we estimate the value of existing frameworks, tools and platforms?

A: Cost-sharing includes shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third party in-kind contributions. Such contributions may be mobilized from the recipient; other multilateral, bilateral, and foundation donors; host governments; and local organizations, communities and private businesses that contribute financially and in-kind to implementation of activities at the country level.

Applicants may propose utilization of existing frameworks and platforms, provided an estimated value is included in the cost application (MCC may have to determine on a case-by-case basis what is allowable based on related guidelines). Cost sharing or matching are accepted when they meet all the following criteria specified in 2 CFR 200.306 Cost sharing or matching. Please check the guidelines before submitting an application.

Taylor Wolf

Agreement Officer

End of Amendment 0014 https://www.mcc.gov/initiatives/initiative/gender https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/principles-into-practice-gender-equality-and-poverty-reduction-through-grow https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/principles-into-practice-gender-equality-and-poverty-reduction-through-grow https://www.mcc.gov/resources/pub-pdf/guidance-compact-development-guidance https://www.mcc.gov/resources/pub-pdf/guidance-compact-development-guidance