EVAL-ME III RFI 7200AA24RFI00019.pdf

MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY

From: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Planning, Learning and Resource Management (PLR)

To: All Large and Small Businesses

Subject: Bureau for Planning, Learning and Resource Management (PLR) Monitoring

Evaluation and Learning Services IDIQ (EVAL-ME) III

Reference: Request for Information - 7200AA24RFI00019

Issuance Date: July 23, 2024, 12:00 PM EST

Closing Date: July 31, 2024, 12:00 PM EST

The U.S Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Policy, Learning, and Resource Management (USAID/PLR), Office of Learning, Evaluation and Research (LER), Agency Learning and Evidence team is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to provide comments, opinions, and recommendations and demonstrate capacity on the approaches for the information in the document below.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code applicable to this notice has been determined to be 541618. This RFI is a preliminary call for expressions of interest to provide services for the activity currently titled “USAID/PLR EVAL-ME III IDIQ.” This is NOT a solicitation for work or a request for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations, and shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of USAID.

This RFI is structured with background information about the expected objectives and illustrative activities of the EVAL ME III IDIQ Contract, then questions, and finally details on how to respond with a capabilities statement. Interested organizations are encouraged to identify their interest and capability to respond to the objectives and capability statement requirements described below and by responding to the questions.

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by USAID to form a contract. This posting is strictly to gather “market research” information only. Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and USAID will not reimburse respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. This RFI is to solicit information and potential interest from organizations to provide technical and advisory services, depending on demand, at the Mission, Operating Unit, Bureau, Independent Office, and Agency-wide levels.

USAID will not pay respondents for any information provided in response to this RFI. Issuance of this RFI does not constitute a commitment on the part of the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award, or to be responsible for any costs associated with responses to this RFI. Any future solicitations of funding opportunities will be announced on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.sam.gov or at www.grants.gov at a later date. Please note that issuance of this RFI does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor will it give an advantage to any organization in a subsequent procurement. This document is to obtain information on the possible activity only. There will be no responses to any questions submitted in response to this request, and any such submission will be held confidential. Proprietary information should not be sent. Responses must be in writing and shall adhere to the instructions as outlined below.

Submission Instructions and Response Format:

Interested parties are invited to submit an electronic copy of your response in Microsoft Word as a single email attachment to: dewalker@usaid.gov with a copy to sdorman@usaid.gov. The email subject line must contain the following, “Response to the Request for Information PLR EVAL-ME III RFI #7200AA24RFI00019” in order to ensure consideration. Please submit your response via email by July 31, 2024, at 12:00 PM EST.

Responses must be in English, no more than five (5) pages in length (not including cover page, references, and tables/charts) total typed, 11-point Times New Roman font, single-spaced with one-inch margins on the electronic equivalent of 8.5 x 11-inch paper, with each page numbered consecutively. Also include the:

a. Organization name and address;

b. Point of contact name and contact information;

c. Size and type of organization, including if applicable U.S. small business (type) or other status;

d. Brief statement that indicates the organization’s interest in applying as a prime or subcontractor, if applicable.

Thank you for your interest in USAID’s activities. Submission via email is required; phone calls or hard copy delivery will not be accepted. The submission must be in English.

Sincerely, /s/

Nayo Tolbert Contracting Officer

M/OAA/IPI2

Attachment 1: SUMMARY OF DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK Attachment 2: QUESTIONS FOR RESPONDENTS

ATTACHMENT 1: SUMMARY OF DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK

PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide technical and advisory services for monitoring, evaluation, and collaborating, learning, and adapting (MECLA) at the Operating Unit (OU) and Agency-wide levels.

The purpose of these services is to support USAID in generating and using evidence to advance organizational and programmatic learning and adaptation.

BACKGROUND

Automated Directives System (ADS) Chapter 201, Program Cycle Operational Policy defines USAID policies and practices for MECLA throughout the Program Cycle. The purpose of monitoring, evaluation and learning practices is to apply knowledge gained from evidence and analysis to improve development outcomes and ensure accountability for the resources used to achieve them.

USAID relies on the best available information to rigorously and credibly make choices, plan effectively, manage adaptively, and learn systematically. This contract is a continuance to the EVAL- ME II IDIQ that has been in operation since September 2020.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

This activity will support USAID objectives to:

● Build and use evidence for decision-making;

● Make evidence more accessible and timely for internal and external users;

● Broaden and test new and promising approaches for monitoring, evaluation and collaborating, learning and adapting (MECLA) in international development programs;

● Develop MECLA capacity of USAID staff, partners, and local organizations;

● Strengthen organizational learning and knowledge management processes and practice; and

● Learn and adapt efforts as the organizational and programmatic context changes

To meet these objectives, USAID will use this activity to acquire technical and advisory services for evaluation, program monitoring, CLA, knowledge management, and MECLA capacity building worldwide, at the Mission, bureau, and Agency-wide levels. The services to be provided through this contract are expected to include, but are not limited to:

● Design and implementation of performance and impact evaluations to help achieve development outcomes;

● Provision of cross-cutting, contextual, sectoral, or other analytical services on a range of issues impacting USAID’s work;

● Evidence synthesis, including cost effectiveness evidence;

● Support for the use of evidence to inform decision-making in areas such as program design, programmatic or strategic adaptations, and other adaptive management needs

● Performance and context monitoring support, including third party and remote monitoring services;

● Design and facilitation of CLA activities;

● Production and dissemination of high-quality learning products;

● Development and dissemination of knowledge management tools and practices;

● MECLA capacity building for USAID staff, partners, and local organizations;

● Evaluation and analysis of high-priority strategic, and/or “state of the art” issues and lessons learned which may be of concern to the Administrator, Agency managers or key Agency customers;

● Pilot and test innovative approaches to monitoring, evaluation, and learning on request in order to fill gaps in USAID’s MECLA toolbox, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and coding services; and

● Implementation of MECLA platforms

TECHNICAL SKILLS

The MECLA services under this IDIQ will require skills in, but are not limited to:

● Evaluation, performance monitoring, and other evaluative studies and assessments design and methodology (e.g., qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis; impact evaluation methods including experimental and quasi-experimental designs; developmental evaluation;

participatory methods; systems analysis, and innovative and state-of-the-art research designs and methods);

● Cost benefit and cost effectiveness analysis;

● Data visualization, collection and analysis, including coding, to inform decision-making;

● Collection, standardization, and analysis of geospatial or geo-tagged data;

● Use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies;

● Evaluation and assessment report writing, data visualization and planning for use and dissemination of findings among multiple stakeholders;

● Management of evaluations and other analyses across countries and contexts;

● Evaluation synthesis;

● Knowledge management and the use of monitoring and evaluation evidence;

● Third party and remote monitoring;

● Production of high-quality learning products;

● Speaking and written proficiency in languages of countries where USAID works, including local and indigenous languages, as applicable;

● Knowledge management and organizational learning;

● Management of complex MECLA platforms, including the ability to flexible adapt to in-demand needs;

● Flexibility and adaptability;

● CLA and other learning approaches, including designing and facilitating learning activities and facilitating the use of evidence to inform learning and adaptation;

● Human-centered design; and

● MECLA training and capacity building, including with local organizations

ATTACHMENT 2: QUESTIONS FOR RESPONDENTS

Questions:

1) Do potential offerors have suggestions for additional services that PLR should seek under this award?

2) What, if any, additional information is needed for organizations to fully understand

PLR’s requirements for these services?

3) What is the technical expertise of your organization and what are examples of the kind of work your organization has already undertaken in this area?

4) Based on your experience, please describe approaches and models you would use to implement this activity.

5) What recommendations do you have to facilitate utilization and efficient management of the services envisioned under this award?

6) Do you have any additional feedback on the proposed activity?

7) Based on your experience what kind of labor categories would you propose for a requirement of this scope and size?

8) What recommendations would you propose on how to structure the cost for a requirement of this scope and size (provide examples as feasible)?

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[END OF RFI # 7200AA24RFI00019]