Annex 1 Draft SOW WADI II IDIQ.pdf

ANNEX 1: DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK

WATER AND DEVELOPMENT INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY

(WADI II IDIQ)

C.1 OVERVIEW

Water supply is stressed, undervalued, and not always prioritized. From floods to droughts to overuse to pollution, billions of people struggle on a daily basis because of challenges related to water access and competing demands. Further, over 890 million people globally do not use basic sanitation and practice open defecation—often in gutters, open water bodies, or fields. Open defecation and poor sanitation generally, pose enormous threats to a community’s health and cost the global economy at least $260 billion annually. Climate change will also affect access, quantity and quality of water, and will make sanitation systems vulnerable to shocks, such as increased frequency and severity of floods, compounding potential environmental health risks.

Billions of people lack reliable access to safe water and sanitation, particularly in poor countries where needs are often the greatest. Without access to sustainable services, nations will continue to experience increasingly stalled economic growth, food insecurity, disease, and poverty. Addressing both the persistent and emerging challenges to sustainable access to water, sanitation, hygiene and strengthened water resources management helps nations improve the health of people, along with their prosperity, and security. The World Bank estimates that many countries could see their economic growth decline by as much as 6 percent of GDP by 2050 as a result of water stress, a vicious circle that can increase state fragility and conflict. While progress on improved drinking water has been pronounced in recent years, especially compared to gains in sanitation, critical gaps remain including having consistently available drinking water of appropriate quality with reliable service delivery.

As noted, one of the most persistent challenges in the sector is the slow progress in increasing access to and use of safely managed sanitation. Political prioritization; expense; cultural norms;

and a lack of desirable, available, affordable sanitation products must all be addressed to catalyze more significant progress on sanitation and to realize associated health and environmental benefits. To achieve universal access to safely managed water and sanitation services by 2030, capital expenditures of $114 billion per year will be required, which amounts to three times current global investment levels. However, investments in water and sanitation services have the potential to be highly cost effective, with expected returns of between $2 and $5.50 for every U.S. dollar invested due to reduced health care costs and increased economic productivity for communities and individuals around the world.

The vision of the U.S. Government's Global Water Strategy (GWS) is a water-secure world, where people have sustainable supplies of water of sufficient quantity and quality to meet human, economic, and ecosystem needs while managing risks from floods and droughts. The Strategy aims to reduce disease and save lives, eradicate poverty, promote sustainable economic growth, increase food and energy security, and build peace and security by: (i) promoting sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation services and the adoption of key hygiene behaviors;

(ii) encouraging the sound management and protection of freshwater resources; (iii) reducing conflict by promoting cooperation on shared waters; and (iv) strengthening water sector governance, financing and institutions. A critical part of a country’s pathon their journey to prosperity and self-reliance is ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. The goal of USAID’s Water and Development Plan, appended to the GWS - in furtherance of Strategy

- is to increase the availability and sustainable management of safe water and sanitation for the underserved and most vulnerable, in alignment with U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. The USAID Water and Development Plan has four development results:

Strengthening sector governance and financing Increase sustainable access and use of sanitation and the practice of key hygiene behaviors Increase sustainable access to safe drinking water Improve management of water resources

Five complementary results from other USAID investments also indirectly contribute to increased availability and sustainable management of safe water and sanitation: improved land and resource governance; well-educated populations; healthy freshwater ecosystems; emergency water and sanitation; and efficient agricultural water management for food security.

The Center for Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene (hereafter referred to as the Water Center), under the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, in collaboration with other bureaus (e.g., Global Health, Regional Geographic Bureaus, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization), provides technical leadership to the Agency in the implementation of the GWS and the USAID Water and Development Plan.

The Water and Development II IDIQ (WADI II) is the Water Center’s central field support mechanism for missions and other operating units to access critical technical services in support of the GWS and the USAID Water and Development Plan.

The purpose of this IDIQ is to carry out Task Orders that reflect USAID’s strategic direction and focus on water security, sanitation, hygiene and water resources management (WRM) programming. This IDIQ Contract is meant to be a successor (and not a direct follow-on) to the previous Water and Development IDIQ (WADI) and builds on lessons learned over the past years.

C.2 OBJECTIVE

The Water Center provides leadership in the sector by providing technical assistance to USAID Missions, generating new evidence, strategically partnering with the private sector and other donors, and communicating with key audiences. The Water Center seeks assistance to provide services to USAID Missions and Bureaus to support the implementation of the Water and Development Plan. Task Orders performed under this IDIQ shall seek to provide services that maximize benefit across the Development Results of the Plan, the GWS and other Agency policies, strategies and priorities.

WADI II consists of two award categories: 1) unrestricted; and 2) total small or small disadvantaged business set-aside. The unrestricted category is intended to provide the broad range of services and tasks outlined in Section C.3 below with the exception of one technical area which has been reserved for small businesses. The provision of services and tasks in sections C.3.10 “Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning” have been set aside for small businesses with specific expertise in this technical area as they relate to the implementation of the Water and Development Plan. Small business primes must be capable of providing all of the services outlined in Section C.3 and not just the one technical areas discussed above.

The contractor shall respond to the Agency’s call to encourage co-creation, partnering, and innovation, particularly in these are areas where our traditional aid dollars are not getting results, technical areas where the sector itself has not yet identified the best interventions to address the development challenge including:

Market-based sanitation Hygienic environments Water Resources Management WASH Financing Professional O&M services for rural water systems that provide sustainable services to surrounding communities

Additionally, the contractor should take into account the wealth of research and evaluation findings, tools and reports created by USAID and other partners. These include findings emerging from USAID's implementation research agenda, the ex-post evaluation series and other research products. The contractor should seek to, where appropriate, collaborate with research activities, incorporate themes from the implementation research agenda into activity learning plans, as well as use results from research activities to design programs and/or adjust programming, including through regular pause-and-reflect meetings throughout implementation.

C.3 CROSS-CUTTING SERVICES

To achieve the goal of the Water and Development Plan, USAID seeks to encourage strategic approaches that build sustainable water and sanitation services supported by strong governance, professional service providers, and access to financing. In addition, the Agency notes that strengthened water resources management (WRM) is critical to sustainable services. WRM requires consideration of equitable allocation of supplies, expanded watershed protection to improve water quality and quantity, and a reduction of vulnerability to water-related risks and stresses.

The WADI II IDIQ will facilitate access to a broad range of services in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and WRM sectors, including: Data Collection and Management; Assessment and Analysis; Strategic Planning and Program Design; Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening; Policy, Regulatory and Institutional Support; Technical and Service Delivery; Shock Response and Adaptive Management; and Performance Monitoring and Evaluation for the implementation of field activities and projects. The cross-cutting technical areas may be applied singly or in combination in order to address any number of the technical areas outlined below in the next section.

The Agency continues to design activities to specifically reach poor and vulnerable people, measure that achievement, and/or advocate for strategies that address the elimination of inequities. In addition, the Agency promotes the involvement of marginalized populations - the poor, women, youth, urban populations and people with disabilities in program design, which is necessary to ensure that investments respond to different needs. USAID seeks the development and mainstreaming of meaningful and impactful participatory programming that promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls, and other marginalized populations by increasing their participation in leadership, consultation, education, and technical skills training.

Contractors shall provide services in the technical areas detailed below.

C.3.1 Data Collection and Management

Data collection, management and use are core to the ability to diagnose sector problems, construct remedies, and implement solutions. Access to timely and reliable data informs a baseline understanding of a situation and provides the basis for monitoring progress, which are critical to assessing the effectiveness of interventions. At the service delivery level, data on the location, specifications, operational status, governance, sustainability and demand for water and sanitation facilities are required. Service providers’ operational and commercial data are not only valuable to utility staff and management, but also to government, financiers and regulators.

Transparency of data in the sector has additional benefits to civil society, creating a framework of public accountability and allowing for more robust governance. However, data should only be collected if there is a clear understanding of how it will be used.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Supporting the establishment of cost-effective data collection systems and databases through technology transfer, knowledge management attributes of creation, learning and sharing, training, and the provision of technical advisory services. This will include:

support for data collection; storage, monitoring, analysis and processing, including the use of hydrologic and meteorological models; remote sensing; and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). .

Supporting the development of Monitoring Platforms and/or Management Information Systems (MIS) at a national or sector-wide level which work to integrate available data sources with consideration for standard protocols and systems integration needs, and provide a single point of entry for sector data.

Designing and implementing innovative approaches to collect, analyze and use sector data in real time, including the use of mobile technologies.

Supporting the development and adoption of comprehensive, scientifically-sound, data-driven, and feasible systems for monitoring the productivity, viability, and sustainability of water resources and their dependent ecosystems.

Collecting, managing and sharing with relevant stakeholders, on a user-friendly and widely utilized platform, the data necessary to improve sector performance at a sub-national or service authority level, including the establishment of utility benchmark data, business plans for infrastructure investment, capacity building plans, water point mapping, cost of service data, sustainability plans etc.

C.3.2 Assessment and Analysis

Technical assistance services that relate to assessment and analysis activities inherent to water and sanitation shall be provided by the contractor. Work may be required at all scales ranging from local, site-based assessments to service area, basin-scale, national, or regional analyses.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Collecting and analyzing data on the broader site-specific political, cultural, and legal contexts to develop options for effective policy and program implementation.

Developing and implementing decision-support systems based on sound data, information, and analysis, such as assessing the potential ecological, climate, gender, health, and socioeconomic impacts and risks of activities and projects.

Identifying potential water related conflicts, including transboundary conflicts.

Modeling future development scenarios under a variety of water sector options and conditions, and assessing proposed development approaches.

Modeling extreme events, such as droughts, sea level rise, and flooding, as well as understanding their potential impacts in a basin-scale context, and developing mitigation plans.

Modeling the linkages across complementary results between WASH, water resources, and food security, with the understanding of the impact of changes in water quality and water quantity to develop sustainable, scalable, and cost-effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Assessing the economic and other values of sanitation, water and related systems, including market and non-market, direct and indirect values.

Conducting formative research studies, including quantitative and qualitative methods, to uncover the barriers and motivations to a variety of WASH and WRM behaviors.

Conducting research to fill key evidence gaps and complete assessments, literature reviews, and other activities aimed at incorporating emerging science and technology into WASH and WRM sector programming.

Conducting sustainability and scalability analyses of USAID water and sanitation sector projects and activities.

Tracking and creating sound social and economic data collection necessary to inform project and activity design, including, construction risk assessment, climate risk assessment, acceptability studies and willingness and ability to pay studies.

C.3.3 Strategic Planning and Project Design

USAID Missions and Bureaus, as well as host country partners and counterparts, often require assistance in strategic planning and project/activity design in order to achieve sustainable and scalable outcomes. Support may also be needed in programs undertaken by or with host country institutions for which the development of management plans often serves as a fundamental underpinning for long-term, sustainable, and scalable water and sanitation sector development.

The contractors shall provide technical capability that draws on sound data, information, and analysis at all scales in the areas of strategic planning and project/activity design.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Assisting in the development of Development Objectives, Outcomes, Outputs, and Results Frameworks, and in identifying targets and indicators related to water, sanitation and hygiene projects and activities.

Providing analysis, input, or recommendations related to WASH for Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCSs) and Project Appraisal Documents (PADs).

Assisting in the design or redesign of WASH and WRM activities and projects, including the development of Concept Notes, Statements of Work, Program Descriptions, etc.

Engage public and other stakeholder participation in developing WASH and WRM strategies, programs and action plans, including social and behavioral change (SBC) strategies and interventions.

Assisting in problem identification and conflict resolution for WASH e and WRM issues at the local, national, and regional scales.

C.3.4 Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening

Activities to build host country individual and institutional capacity on the Journey to Self-Reliance will be required in country and region-specific Task Orders for any and all technical sub-sectors of water and sanitation.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Providing technical assistance to counterpart national or subnational benefiting organizations in defining capacity building needs, or in preparing recommendations for organization staffing and staff development.

Supporting training of technical personnel within host country institutions on topics including: SBC, water and sanitation sector monitoring, assessment and planning, information acquisition and management, regulation, stakeholder participation in governance, conflict resolution, asset management of infrastructure, supply chains, innovative financing tools, mobilizing and leveraging financing, and site-based management practices.

Supporting targeted service provider staff development and training in the financial and administrative aspects of water and sanitation projects and utility management.

Assisting beneficiaries with development of strategies, action plans, and systems for financial tracking, and strengthening their institutional systems and capacity to carry out planning on an ongoing basis and improve governance.

Organizing training and workshops that are built upon adult learning principles in the design and execution with a strong focus on stakeholder participation.

Capacity building activities should also leverage credible institutions’ capacity building programs and initiatives to maximize impact and resources.

Evaluating, designing, and implementing institutional options for sector management and operation that will enhance and improve sector governance and accountability, service delivery and stewardship of resources. These may include re-alignment of roles and responsibilities within the sector, definition of organizational structures, and delineation of roles and duties within institutions.

Developing practical guidance related to emerging issues in WASH sector programming based on knowledge of how guidance is best received and internalized by intended users.

Designing and executing outreach strategies and other methods to promote adoption of best practices and technologies for sustainable management of WASH sector projects and activities, at all scales.

Developing and implementing participatory, locally-based models that promote sustainable systems for collective action, local capacity and engagement among government agencies, civil society organizations (CSOs), NGOs, community-based organizations, and the private sector.

C.3.5 Policy, Legal, Regulatory and Institutional Support

The contract will enable USAID Missions to implement and manage water and sanitation projects and activities that embrace a broad range of policy, legal, regulatory and institutional reform efforts to increase sustainable management of water and sanitation services and the sustainable management of water resources. These reforms will anchor long-term transformation of the water and sanitation sector, leading to sustainable and scalable service provision and WRM on an equitable basis. Technical support to host country public and private institutions may be required to carry out these activities on a long-term basis.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Recommending and supporting the development and implementation of enabling policies in order to increase coverage and equitable access, financing and cost-recovery, rationalization and management of demand for water resources, inclusive decision-making, decentralization, accountability, transparency, reduce corruption, and protect natural resources at local, regional, and national levels.

Examining the effectiveness of laws, policies, and regulations and their application for sustaining water resources and for providing water and sanitation services, recommending options for improving laws and related institutional and regulatory structures, and supporting implementation of desired reforms.

Assessing regulatory options for improving environmental protection, resource allocation, and service provision. Developing, recommending and implementing regulatory improvements including institutional changes, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

Developing and implementing regulatory instruments including regulations, guidelines, standards, performance agreements, and licenses.

C.3.6 Technical Assistance and Service Delivery

This IDIQ will enable USAID Missions to design, implement and manage water and sanitation programs that incorporate evidence-based and emerging approaches to increase, improve and sustain water and sanitation service delivery. Using current sector knowledge, these approaches will enhance USAID’s ability to have a significant and measurable development impact and will enhance the knowledge base of the sector through the implementation of approaches that are considered to have significant potential for impact at scale.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Supporting a strategic approach to planning and programming for the Agency and other partners to consult, strategize, align, collaborate, and implement with the private sector for greater scale, sustainability, and effectiveness to enhance and extend service delivery for water and sanitation, as well as the management of the resource base.

Supporting the analysis of the private sector’s role in terms of addressing the problem on its own, if there is a market-based approach to the problem, roles and interests of the private sector, constraints to addressing the problem and the role of the Agency as well as other stakeholders.

Engaging with water and sanitation service providers (utilities, kiosk operators, maintenance service providers, pit emptiers, treatment providers, masons, hardware stores, manufacturers, etc.) across the supply chain. A range of activities may be included: from facilitating the hiring and training of private operators to managing infrastructure investments; from business training for entrepreneurs to developing regulatory guidelines and oversight of small and large scale operators; from unlocking investment and financing for providers to establishing joint ventures and formal contractual relationships between public and private partners.

Designing approaches that help mobilize financing to the sector and support financial sustainability. These might include creative ways to: facilitate and stimulate customer payment for service; broker relationships between financiers and providers; develop new financial flows to sub-national entities in support of decentralization; mobilization of risk-mitigation techniques including access to partial loan guarantee arrangements; and development of new financing mechanisms and watershed protection or resource user fee programs.

Advancing efficiencies in service provision through the analysis of resource use and allocation, as well as the identification of ways to maximize the value of inputs. This may include new energy technologies, loss reduction programs, refinement of operational approaches, and increased accountability and regulatory incentives for efficiency.

Developing sustainability plans that focus on ensuring operation and maintenance of services and developed, implemented and transferred to local ownership.

Providing support in the development and management of partnerships with foundations, other bilateral or multilateral donors, academic institutions, professional associations, NGOs, faith-based organizations, or community institutions to execute collaborative development programs related to water, sanitation, and hygiene service delivery.

C.3.7 Shock Response and Adaptive Management Support

This IDIQ will enable USAID Missions to design and implement activities that can be adapted to reflect a changing development context and improve the ability of people, households, communities, countries and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates economic growth. Each task order under this IDIQ is expected to include crisis and shock modifiers. By applying this approach, Missions can anticipate and plan for shocks and changes in context and build in a high degree of programmatic and operational flexibility to be able to respond quickly and effectively at the appropriate scale.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Developing and integrating crisis modifiers into task orders that can support early responses to drought and other shocks between Missions and the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), ensure an agreed up funding cap per event and per year to provide emergency funds in shock prone environments, and ensure the modifier is limited in scope and funding.

Designing flexible budgets into the task order to allow for the authorized transfer of costs between line items, and flexible work plans that allow for work plan adjustments in response to a shock or incorporate a phased approach to implementation.

Providing assistance in developing other approaches to shock response including more detailed guidance on procurement mechanism options, including establishing a fixed price for a recurrent response need (annual drought, etc.), or a verbal Request for Proposal (RFP) to be issued and responded to immediately following a shock event.

Identifying and incorporating emerging evidence or findings from learning activities in a timely manner to adapt and improve the effectiveness of ongoing implementation.

C.3.8 Knowledge Management, Information Sharing, Cooperation, and Coordination

The Water Center and extended team staff engage in numerous partnerships and international collaborations with other USG agencies, international donors, NGOs, the private sector, and host country government counterparts to share knowledge and best practices. USAID may require technical and Knowledge Management support services in connection with development and dissemination of knowledge to USAID staff and with the implementation of these international partnership, program, and initiative responsibilities.

The Contractor shall provide services including, but not limited to, the following:

Organizing and executing conferences, seminars, and workshops that facilitate international collaboration, technical leadership, and information sharing, including facilitating the participation of field Missions and USAID/Washington staff, other USG agencies, host countries, and other donors.

Researching, writing, editing, producing, and disseminating information in connection with national, regional, and international programs, initiatives, conventions, and agreements to help advance USG interests and objectives in water security.

Providing assistance in the production and dissemination of outreach materials, including researching, writing, editing, producing. Materials may employ diverse media and be directed to a variety of internal and external audiences. Technical support may range from contractor-produced to counterpart-assisted production of materials. Under some circumstances, translations may be required in locally appropriate languages.

Integrating knowledge creation, capture, sharing and learning attributes through learning events, documents, trainings, capacity development initiatives, etc. into programming and developing resources to capture programming lessons learned.

C.3.9 Commodity Procurement

USAID’s partners in the public and private sectors may require equipment and other commodities to carry out their work effectively. Technical assistance and advisory services may be required through this Contract to procure necessary goods for execution of water program work and operations. Any funding for commodities under a Task Order must be in support of the Task Order activities or objectives.

The Contractor shall provide services including but not limited to, the following:

Assessment, analysis, procurement, and development of specifications for commodities and equipment required by public and private organizations receiving USAID assistance.

C.3.10 Performance Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (Task Orders predominantly in this technical area are reserved for small business set-aside)

Task Orders executed under this contract will make provisions for performance evaluations consistent with the Agency’s January 2016 Evaluation Policy [ https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1870/USAIDEvaluationPolicy.pdf].

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) activities under this contract will build on existing MEL systems within the Agency, as outlined in the Agency’s Automated Directive System Chapter (ADS) 201, to support enhanced performance of the USAID Water and Development Plan.

In addition, the Contractor shall provide services including but not limited to, the following:

Assisting with developing and implementing performance monitoring systems and indicators at the strategic, sectoral, and activity levels for WASH projects and activities, and within the context of USAID Water and Development Plan Results Framework.

Developing indicators in conjunction with partners and implementers for tracking performance of broader USG initiatives or multi-institutional water and sanitation sector partnerships, and assisting in tracking and reporting on progress against those indicators.

Conducting water-related performance evaluations at the activity, project, strategic, or Agency-wide level.

Implementing analytic activities that seek to understand why certain interventions are effective, how to adapt interventions to different contexts, how to catalyze investments at scale, and how to ensure sustained outcomes.

Conducting impact evaluations, which measure the change in a development outcome that is attributable to a defined intervention, or to Mission-specific or Regional projects / activities.

Integrating Collaborating Learning and Adapting (CLA) approaches to help ensure activities are coordinated with others, grounded in a strong evidence base, and adapted during implementation as needed.

C.4 PERFORMANCE TECHNICAL AREAS

The following is a list of illustrative subsectors of water and sanitation and WRM for which technical expertise may be required under this IDIQ. This list provides a summary of the wide range of technical areas which may be included in a Task Order Statement of Work, in any combination, and at one or multiple scales of intervention. The cross-cutting technical areas described above may be applied singly or in combination in order to address any number of the technical areas outlined below.

The list of illustrative technical areas has been subdivided into several categories, with recognition that many of them are applicable to more than one category and that USAID’s priority areas are WASH and WRM.

Water Resources Management Equitable Allocation of Water Resources Watershed Management Water Demand Management and Water Conservation Water Recycling and Wastewater Reuse Groundwater Aquifer Management Hydrometeorology/Meteorology/Agrometeorology Land Use Planning Urban Storm Water Runoff Management Water Source Quality Weather/Seasonal Climate River/Coastal and Extreme Event Forecasting, Warning, Risk

Mitigation and Resilience, and Post-Disaster Assessment and Recovery Water Rights/Water Allocation Decision-Making and Management Seawater Intrusion Wetlands Management Desalination Water Accounting

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Environmental Health Urban, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Service Delivery Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Service Delivery Social and Behavioral Change for WASH and WRM

Menstrual Health and Hygiene City-wide Inclusive Sanitation Market-Based Sanitation Area-wide Sanitation approaches Targeted sanitation subsidies Drinking and waste water Treatment Water and Wastewater User Tariff and Subsidies Scheme Development Water and Wastewater Utilities Performance, including Operation and Maintenance Water Well Drilling, Well Maintenance, and Repair Surface and Groundwater Drinking Water Source Protection Drinking Water Storage Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Remediation Drinking Water Desalination Solar Water Pump systems and maintenance Remote Sensing and Data Acquisition Epidemiology Toxicology Service Provider Management Multiple Use Water Services (MUS)

Resilience, Nutrition and Food Security Nutrition and Wasting Soil and Water Conservation Preparation and Recovery from Recurrent Shocks and Stressors (Drought, Floods, Conflict, etc.)

Impact of Water Quality on Food Security Salinity Management Water Conflicts and Cooperation

Environment

Global Climate Change Mitigation, Vulnerability, and Adaptation Climate Risk Management and Analysis Domestic (Urban and Rural) and Industrial Water Pollution Prevention and Control Water Quality Management, Modeling, Regulation, Permitting, Analysis, Enforcement and Monitoring Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention and Control Environmental Remediation and Contamination Mitigation Plans Environmental Flows and Freshwater Inflow Management Aquaculture Environmental and Social Impact Reduction, Mitigation, and Management

Economic Growth and Energy Private Sector Engagement and Improved Service Delivery Private Sector Landscape Analysis Resource Economics and Financing Hydropower Planning and Institutional Development Water/Energy Efficiency, including Water Loss Identification and Recovery

Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism, and Recreation Development Water Drainage and Storage Infrastructure Design and Management Promotion of Green Businesses and Green Certifications Economic Planning and Development, including Income Generation and Diversification

Democracy and Governance

Public Administration and Accountability Contracting and contract supervision Monitoring and monitoring systems Community Development and Participation Environmental Education and Communication Social Science/Anthropology Conflict Resolution Environmental Law Natural Resource Subsidy Management Property Rights Management Economic Rent or Fee for Management Program Development Strengthened Enforcement Capacity and Judicial Systems Transboundary Water Resources/Water Rights

Innovation, Research and Evaluation

Emerging Technologies Sustainability Analysis Scalability Analysis Program Evaluation Performance Evaluation Performance Management Impact Evaluation Scenario Analysis Risk Assessment Life Cycle Assessment Laboratory and Field Research Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis methods Baseline/endline assessment Formative research for behavior change

Knowledge Management

Exchange of Information across Multimedia Platforms Mass Communication Computer-Mediated Communication Database/Library/Knowledge Base Management Technical Training Programs Social Computing Tools Social Media Management

Policy Analysis

Country-Led Programming and Self-Reliance Private Sector Engagement Youth Gender Environment and Natural Resources Urban Management

C.5 Gender

Women and girls face additional challenges as a result of lack of access to water and sanitation. Women, in much of the developing world, are responsible for finding and providing water for their families. Particularly in underserved rural areas, improving access to safe water, and thereby reducing the time women and girls spend on collection, can lead to increased girls’ attendance at school and women’s involvement in income-generating and community activities, as well as increasing time for much needed leisure. The provision of adequate and safe services can serve as a means of promoting equity and opportunity within partner country societies, which in turn contributes to the establishment of equality and the erosion of long-standing discrimination and norms that have reinforced traditional roles and expectations.

The contractor will help to ensure that the Agency’s water and sanitation activities promote gender equality by increasing women’s participation in leadership, consultation, education, and technical skills training. Alleviating the constraint of lack of adequate sanitation facilities in schools, workplaces and public spaces (e.g., private, clean, and gender-segregated) is especially critical for ensuring that girls and women participate in education, the economy and public life. Activities that address the challenge range from design standards for facilities, to educational resources for both males and females, to ensuring menstrual hygiene management (MHM)–related supplies are available where feasible.

The Agency continues to recognize that some countries may have legal, administrative, or customary restrictions on the rights of individual women. USAID expects this IDIQ’s activities to be in line with the agency policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment. Activity-specific gender issues will be addressed at the Task Order level under this IDIQ.

C.6 IDIQ MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

It is expected that all approaches by the contractor for each Task Order under this IDIQ will be undertaken with the understanding that water and sanitation services and WRM should be managed in a manner that: (1) reaches the most vulnerable and seeks opportunities to empower those populations, including women, youth, and indigenious people; (2) underpins the importance of strengthened governance and and mobilizing finance to ensure long-term sustainability; and (3) maximizes impact and access.

The contractor shall furnish personnel having substantial experience and expertise, both practical and conceptual, to perform the cross-cutting services and the range of activities described by this Statement of Work, and as further delineated in each subsequent Task Order. The contractor may be requested to set up an in-country office to provide services under a Task Order with local staff managed by a host country national or an expatriate, and to utilize local organizations or other firms, as deemed appropriate by the sponsoring unit.

Additional management requirements of this IDIQ are detailed below.

C.6.1 IDIQ Manager

The Contractor shall provide the central management necessary to fulfill all the requirements of the contract and all Task Orders. This includes cost and quality control of all tasks and assignments. Individual task orders will have their own Task Order management approach and structure. The contractor shall designate an IDIQ Manager as the primary point of contact whom USAID may contact for procedural and substantive matters. The IDIQ Manager shall be the individual bearing primary responsibility for technical aspects of contract performance, as well as procurement, personnel, reporting, and other management related requirements of the contract.

Specifically, the IDIQ Manager shall:

Respond to task order requests, and provide central management and oversight of task orders under this award, working collaboratively and often with USAID central and field project managers, technical officers, Contracting Officers, and meeting and consulting regularly with the IDIQ COR.

Select, provide technical and administrative direction and guidance to, and place and support all technical experts carrying out technical requirements.

Report to USAID technical and contract personnel in accordance with USAID reporting requirements in Section F.

Ensure quality and control methods in a consistent and transparent manner for all contracted tasks and functions.

The IDIQ Manager must have strong writing and oral presentation skills, and be knowledgeable about the overall WASH/WRM sectors. The Manager must take administrative and logistical responsibility for the effective, efficient, and timely implementation of all activities undertaken by the contractor. S/he must have demonstrated experience managing projects of a similar size and scope in an international context. Oral and written English language skills must be commensurate with a U.S. professional environment.

The IDIQ Manager must have a minimum of 10 years of project management experience. S/he should be able to provide vision, direction, and leadership in working with and bringing together performance improvement and disparate technical areas that span all regions of the world.

C.6.2 Coordination with Other Activities and Mechanisms

In many of the countries in which USAID works, there are many USAID and other donor-funded contractors and cooperators implementing WASH and WRM programs. The contractor shall seek direction from the Task Order Contracting Officer Representative (TOCOR) or Task Order activity manager on how cooperation and coordination with these other programs can best be enhanced for compound mutual benefit and to ensure that efforts are not duplicated.

The contractor shall work under the technical direction of the COR or Task Order activity manager and shall cooperate with them to ensure that the expertise provided is appropriate to the needs of the activity and that contract resources are used in a cost-effective manner.

C.6.3 FAR Part 36 Applicability for Task Orders

The services under this IDIQ are not substantially or predominately architectural and engineering (A&E) and construction services. As part of the overall effort, the contractor may be required to purchase and install commodities and equipment. A&E and construction services may not constitute more than 40% of any task order.

Any construction activities at the Task Order level must comply with relevant FAR clauses, and USAID’s ADS 201 Construction Risk Management guidance (https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/200/201maw).

Prior to the issuance of all task orders, and during their implementation, USAID will also assure compliance with the Construction Policy. The task order contracting officer’s representative (TOCOR) will assure that any statements of work that are to be submitted to the IDIQ COR are in compliance with USAID’s Construction Policy. The TOCOR will also monitor compliance during the implementation of the task order. The IDIQ COR will review all statements of work submitted for his/her approval to ensure conformity with USAID’s Construction Policy.

Activities under the Equipment/Supplies (E/S) Procurement and Installation area may include:

Assessing, analyzing, developing specifications for, and installing commodities or equipment required by public and private organizations receiving USAID assistance

Procuring and/or installing approved commodities and equipment for USAID partners according to USAID regulations

This could include computer and office equipment, telecommunications equipment, testing and metering equipment, field and training tools, and other commodities, supplies, and equipment required for carrying out the USAID assistance program. No contractor hardware or software is expected to be installed on or interact with USAID systems.

Contractors are strongly encouraged to procure construction services through local firms to the maximum extent practicable. The Agency strongly encourages the use of an independent third party A&E firm to conduct site inspections, design and specification reviews, quality control and assurance testing, as well as other construction management functions to ensure projects are implemented in accordance with the contract documents and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The Contractor must undertake construction components through sub-contracts using a design-bid-build delivery method where the A&E services and construction works are performed separately as well as use other approaches presented in ADS 201. Contractors must work with the TOCOR to ensure that A&E is separate from construction, either through a parallel USAID mechanism or within the task order.

Construction in a development setting can be challenging. National laws and regulations could restrict importing materials not found locally. This, combined with inconsistent availability of quality local products, can make sourcing materials or equipment difficult. Countries may also lack certified independent testing laboratories. In addition, construction in fragile or conflict-prone states may face additional challenges such as physical security, fraud, and corruption.

C.6.4 Grants Under Contract (GUCs)

GUCs have been approved at the IDIQ level. Funds may be available in individual task orders for the award and administration of subgrants. The contractor shall solicit, negotiate, award and administer grants under task orders in accordance with USAID policy. These grants will be secondary or minor to the overall work performed under the task order. Grants are not allowed for construction / rehabilitation services.

Grants management tasks may include contractor(s) participation in or responsibility for the drafting and publication of Requests for Applications (RFAs). However, the program direction, focus, type of grantees and final grant approval will remain with the tasking Bureau Task Order Contracting Officer (TOCO) or Mission TOCO. The contractor shall be responsible for working with local groups to develop and evaluate grant proposals, establish grants agreements, deliver financial and in-kind assistance, and monitor implementation and grant close-out. The Contractor’s responsibilities may also include: screening potential grantee partners, design of the grant, database entry, and/or monitoring and evaluation of the grantee deliverables. The Contactor(s) must review all grant proposals before final approval to ensure they are consistent with USAID policies and procedures (including restrictions on construction under assistance), grant format and disposition of property. The TOCO must approve grants unless otherwise stated in the task order.

The process for approving grants will be specified in the task orders.