MO300-3 Harmonization of Per Diem Rates for GOM Officials and Stipends for CHVs.pdf

DATE: March 20, 2023

TO: All USAID/Madagascar Implementing Partners

FROM: Nya Kwai Boayue, Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer, USAID Southern Africa

SUBJECT: Revised In-Country Per Diem, Lodging, and Transportation Payments to Government of Madagascar Officials, Civil Society Organizations, and Private Sector Staff and Stipends for Community Health Volunteers

REF: Mission Order 300-1 dated March 18, 2023

This memo supersedes the memo dated May 6, 2021 signed by the Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer establishing the rates of per diem and eligibility requirements for Government of Madagascar Officials, civil society organizations, and private sector staff, and rates and eligibility for the payment of stipends for Community Health Volunteers (CHVs).

Further to the Ministry of Public Health and the South-West Region Governor’s notes soliciting technical and financial partners to increase the per diem rates, USAID Madagascar initiated a broader discussion among representatives from each office. The review carefully weighed several factors, including current practices, recommendations from USAID implementing partners, the Donor’s Restricted Dialogue Group on Cooperation (GDC-R), and cost-realism.

Eligibility and rates are detailed below:

A. Harmonized In-Country Per Diem and Transportation Rates

1. Per diem

a. Eligibility for per diem:

● Absences of more than 8 hours involving official travel away from the employee’s normal work/office location for training, workshops, seminars, field trips, and supervision.

● A trip without an overnight opens the right to 40 percent of the per diem if and only if the conditions below are met:

- Traveling more than 35 km from the workplace; and

- Lunch is not offered.

● 25 percent of meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) will be paid for the day of return from the trip (day of arrival at the duty station).

Nya kwai Boayue

Digitally signed by Nya kwai Boayue Date: 2023.03.20 11:12:58 +02'00'

b. Applicable per diem rates:

Per diem rates are limited to the following ceiling depending on the locations:

Regional Capitals: MGA 150,000 District Center and Other Locations: MGA 100,000

c. Reduction in per diem rates when meals or lodging are provided at no cost:

The per diem rate is to be reduced by the following percentage when meals or lodging are provided at no cost to the traveler:

- Breakfast 10%

- Lunch 15%

- Dinner 15%

- Lodging 60%

d. Per-diem rates for senior GOM officials

Partners are authorized to pay lodging expenses (not to exceed the authorized USG amount for the geographic area) above the rates given above when the traveler is a senior member of the GOM. For purposes of this memo, a senior member is defined as:

- A Cabinet-level Minister or equivalent

- Secretary General of a Ministry or Presidency

- Provincial Governor

- President of a University or other recognized institution of higher education

- President and Vice President of the Senate

- President and Vice President of the National Assembly

- Head of a Parliamentary Committee in the National Assembly or Senate

- Presidents of the Judicial Bodies of Madagascar (High Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Court of Cassation, Court of Accounts.)

Payment of lodging expenses for any other official above the rates mentioned in Section C above require CO/AO approval. As a general rule, additional lodging expenses should only be provided for GOM officials occupying a position equivalent to a Secretary General of a Ministry or higher.

2. Transportation

a. If not provided, necessary travel expenses by the most commonly-used means may be reimbursed to travelers at actual cost. Receipts are required.

b. In compensation for the various travel costs of the resident participants (from the workplace to where the activities are carried out), the travel package below has been adopted:

Antananarivo city Regional Capitals Other cities

Fixed amount/day MGA 30,000 MGA 20,000 MGA 16,000 To/From Airport (roundtrip) MGA 100,000 MGA 30,000 MGA 30,000

c. Fuel reimbursement is allowable at the actual price of fuel paid and is limited to:

- Motorcycle: 5 liters per 100 kilometers

- Car (sedan): 10 liters per 100 kilometers

- Car (4x4): 15 liters per 100 kilometers

B. Stipend/indemnity Payments for Community Health Volunteers

This section applies only to Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) or Agents

Communautaires (ACs). CHVs are not GOM employees.

1. Stipends

a. Eligibility for Stipend/indemnity Payments:

Absence from home of over eight (8) hours for a non-regular activity* requiring travel from the fokontany to the commune center or health center within the same commune.

*Non-regular activities are training, workshops, group supervision, and campaign work that take place 5 kilometers or further from the CHV’s permanent residence.

b. Rates:

● Training, workshops, group supervision:

- M&IE: MGA 15,000 per day

- Lodging: MGA 10,000 per day

● Campaign:

- M&IE: MGA 15,000 per day

2. Transportation

Necessary travel may be provided to CHVs either at actual cost or at the rate of 300 Ariary per kilometer.

C. Prohibition of Double/Multiple Payments

Payments, of per diem or transportation, are only payable from a single (one) source (partner/donor) and cannot be supplemented by other organizations (e.g., no payments of per diem or transportation from multiple sources).

We appreciate the collaboration received in the development of these harmonized rates. For clarification of any of the above, please contact USAID/Madagascar Acquisition and Assistance Specialists with a copy to the AORs/CORs, who will confer with the relevant Contracting/Agreement Officer and others as applicable.

In the case of conflict between this notice and the terms and conditions of an award, the conditions of the respective Contract/Agreement will prevail.

Drafted: Leonie Raoelina, Financial Analyst

Clearances:

OFM: Andrew Williams, Controller __AW Cleared_

EXO: Debbie Jackson, Supervisory Executive Officer __ DJ Cleared 3/8/2023 ____

OAA: Nya Kwai Boayue, Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer 3/9/2023 clear________

PO: Sherry Ward, Office Director ___SWard cleared 3/7/2023______

SEED: Agathe Sector, Office Director ___AS cleared 3/8/2023_________

HPN: Sophia Brewer, Office Director _SB cleared 2/28/2023_

IDEA: Randy Chester, Office Director ___RC clear 2/28/2023__________