Notice of Funding Opp_WGSA_72039122RFA00002_ApprovedSigned.pdf

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION: 3

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 3

GUIDANCE: 3

TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS: 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 8

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 18

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 21

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 22

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 38

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 46

SECTION H: OTHER INFORMATION 62

ANNEX 1 - SUMMARY BUDGET TEMPLATE 63

ANNEX 2 - STANDARD PROVISIONS 64

ANNEX 3 - SAMPLE SECURITY PLAN 67

ANNEX 4 - PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION 68

Issue Date: February 17, 2022 Deadline for Question: March 01, 2022 Closing Date: March 20, 2022 Closing Time: 05:00 PM (Pakistan Standard Time)

Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: 72039122RFA00002

Program Title: Water Governance for Sindh (WGS) Activity

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 98.001

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the WGS Activity. Eligibility for this award is restricted to local Pakistani organizations.

USAID intends to make an award to the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO subject to a risk assessment. Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process.

The total estimated amount range of the cooperative agreement award is $1-3 million.

To be eligible for an award, the applicant must provide all information required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in Section C of this NOFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity and to ensure that the NOFO has been received from the internet in its entirety.

USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process.

If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

USAID may not award to an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements detailed in Section D. The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process.

http://www.grants.gov mailto:support@grants.gov

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section D. The deadline for questions is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Judy J. Webb Supervisory Agreement Officer USAID/Pakistan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section A – Program Description Page-6

Section B – Federal Award Information Page-17

Section C – Eligibility Information Page-20

Section D – Application and Submission Information Page-22

Section E – Application Review Information Page-39

Section F – Federal Award Administration Information Page-47

Section G – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts Page-63

Section H – Other Information Page-64

Annexes:

Annex-1 Summary Budget Template

Annex-2 Standard Provisions

Annex-3 Sample Security Plan

Annex-4 Past Performance Information

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

C.1 TITLE OF ACTIVITY

Water Governance for Sindh (WGS) Activity.

C.2 BACKGROUND

In 2010, USAID/Pakistan entered into a partnership with the Government of Sindh (GoS) to improve provision of basic municipal services. Beginning in 2014, USAID/Pakistan financed the Municipal Services Program-Sindh (MSP-S) in Jacobabad City, capital of the Jacobabad District in Northern Sindh. MSP-S had three components: (1) water and sanitation infrastructure upgrades; (2) civic engagement for inclusive governance; and (3) establishment of management information systems. As a result of the infrastructure upgrades, which include household connections for all of the estimated 35,000 households in Jacobabad, approximately 350,000 citizens will have improved access to safely managed drinking water in their homes. As this component of the MSP program nears completion, USAID is looking for procurement of services to improve wastewater, effluent and solid waste management for Jacobabad.

Existing USAID intervention and Sindh Government Partnership: A summary of direct financial support from USAID and from GoS for Jacobabad’s drinking water system is shown below:

● USAID support to Program Management Unit (PMU) in Karachi/Project Support Unit (PSU) in Jacobabad for contracting for construction (to date);

● USAID support for Architecture and Engineering (A&E) services for design and construction supervision in Jacobabad;

● USAID Support for Civic Engagement/Community Mobilization;

● GoS Support to Municipal Committee Jacobabad.

Governance Challenges in Jacobabad MSP: The overall MSP-S project implementation has encountered a shifting political landscape in terms of local governance. There have been several failed efforts at reform in water and sanitation service delivery in Sindh, and the sector has suffered from lack of institutional clarity on roles and responsibilities. However, after several decisions that moved the authority to manage municipal services in Jacobabad from one body to another, the Chief Minister, on advice from USAID and other stakeholders, has made Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ) the main government body that will manage and supply services to the residents of Jacobabad city.

Ownership and Sustainability: Issues with the poor quality of municipal services in Jacobabad and other Sindh municipalities are not only technical or infrastructure-related. They are also the result of the municipalities’ lack of accountability to the public and lack of engagement on the part of citizens.

Historically, provision of municipal water has been provided virtually free of charge, with no consequences for non-payment. This creates a vicious cycle of low revenues, lack of investment in the utility, and poor water service for which people are unwilling to pay. The municipality is also limited in its ability to set tariffs above a set ceiling. Even if the documented operational costs are above this ceiling, the province must approve the proposed new tariff. Add to that the unwillingness of politicians to be associated with a rate hike for water, and the conditions become financially unsustainable for the municipality.

Cognizant of USAID’s significant investment in infrastructure in Jacobabad (water supply and a new hospital), the Provincial Government of Sindh has approved a monthly grant of 15 Million PKR (approximately $1.2 Million per annum) to the Municipal Committee Jacobabad. While the Municipal Committee Jacobabad has a staff of 800 people, they are mostly sanitation workers, not technical staff. The new water system will require significant systems and technical capacity building to support sustainable service delivery.

RELATIONSHIP TO SPECIAL OBJECTIVE 1 PROJECT APPRAISAL DOCUMENT

The WGS includes activities contributing to improved Special Objective 1 (SpO 1): Strengthened Global Health Security Capacities in Pakistan. In line with USAID/Pakistan’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), the activity aims to focus on the implementation of the 2019 United States Global Health Security Strategy and the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) , by preventing, detecting, and1 2 responding to infectious disease threats in Pakistan. Under SpO 1, this activity will support Intermediate Result IR (SpIR) 1.1: Infectious disease prevention and detection improved. The WGS activity in Jacobabad and Sindh will support Sub-SpIR 1.1.2: Water supply and sanitation improved.

The activity scope for Sindh may cover other interventions under this Sub-SpIR, as described in the SpO PAD. However for Jacobabad the following elements of Sub-SpIR 1.1.2: ‘Water supply and sanitation improved’, would be applicable:

● Work in close coordination with the provincial and local governments, for strengthening municipal services capacity.

● Assist communities by the transfer of knowledge on how to avail services along with sustainable behaviour change.

● Improve the solid waste collection, transportation, and management system.

● Support WASH interventions to promote access to safe water and sanitation, as it is critical for disease prevention.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION (AD), OBJECTIVES, AND PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS

This AD is designed to provide technical assistance and a wide range of practical capacity building interventions to the Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ) and other stakeholders, to increase the ability to deliver clean drinking water, manage waste water and solid waste management services for the people of Jacobabad. The recipient will work with the MCJ and civil society to build human and institutional capacity to improve the operations, maintenance and repair of the water and solid waste system. Capacity building approaches will be customized based on both needs and context analysis, and implemented as an

2 Global Health Security Agenda. Internet: https://ghsagenda.org/

1 United States Government Global Health Security Strategy. 2019. Internet:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GHSS.pdf https://ghsagenda.org/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GHSS.pdf integrated process, in close coordination with the construction effort by USG/GoS.

The activity has a period of performance for three years and will be funded up to $3M (subject to availability of funds). The purpose of the activity is that MCJ delivers sustainable and effective municipal services building trust and ownership of the local community, leading to MCJ becoming financially self-sustainable. The recipient is expected to execute activities that contribute to the following IRs and Sub IRs of the activity:

1. IR1: Strengthened Municipal Committee Jacobabad capacity and commitment to deliver municipal services.

a. Sub-IR1.1: Training and technical assistance for the management of WASH service facilities including developing and implementing manuals, SOPs, business and operational plans.

b. Sub-IR1.2: Operational and political relationships with local, provincial government offices are formalized.

c. Sub-IR1.3 Policy reforms, public private partnerships and digitalization are aligned to leverage support and smooth function.

2. IR 2: WASH aware citizens paying for municipal services.

a. Sub-IR2.1: Improved community awareness and behavior change on WASH practices and their linkages to diseases.

b. Sub-IR2.2: Improved Municipal services access awareness including any complaint and redressal mechanisms.

The outcomes for the above IRs and Sub-IRs shall be measured through these targets:

● Ensuring drinking water delivery and wastewater drainage for the households, connected to the filtration plant and to the wastewater treatment plant as a result of USG assistance, are delivering quality service to the citizens. (Illustrative indicators should be reflective of regularity, quality, % of Households (HH) served, customer satisfaction, complaint mechanism and staff & operational capacity of MCJ).

● The City of Jacobabad has a functioning solid waste management system in place with institutional know-how and capacity. (Illustrative indicators should be reflective of regularity, quality, % of HH served, customer satisfaction, complaint mechanism and staff & operational capacity of MCJ).

● Citizens of Jacobabad understand the importance of WASH and disease prevention, the linkage of WASH to the municipal services and how to interface with the municipality for service delivery.

(Illustrative indicators should reflect, % of HH trained and adapted to new behaviors)

● Citizen’s understanding should be reflected through behavior change as well as through willingness to pay for all the municipal services. (Illustrative indicators should reflect, % of HH with connection paying for service, rupees collection as a % of total billing).

● USAID standard indicators, PMP and other indicators as appropriate and reflective of progress in building institutional capacity, information systems and business models for sustainability of operation should be proposed by the recipient. Some notional indicators are follow:

○ Number of Households connected and receiving water as a percentage of planned and total

Household (HH coverage for Jacobabad city);

○ Number of customers paying versus receiving service;

○ Percentage of revenue collection to billing

○ % of MCJ customers with WASH awareness and willingness to pay

○ Percent of USG-assisted organizations with improved performance (CBLD-9)

Target groups of the WGS activity include:

● Executive management, technical and financial managers within local government and in particular those responsible for budgeting, water tariff proposal development; and tracking funding and revenues for integrated water and waste management system

● The MCJ staff directly responsible for supervision of the water utility operations; budget and finances; non-revenue management; accounting and financial management; consumer relations;

and water source protection

● Mayor, members of the Local Council, and the Neighborhood WASH Committees, both men and women

● Current and future households benefiting from water supply and sanitation services. Special efforts must be made to strengthen the existing forums of participation which include women and other vulnerable populations in the target groups.

IR 1: Strengthened Municipal Committee Jacobabad capacity and commitment to deliver municipal services.

The objective of this IR is to improve the capacity of the Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ) to manage, operate, maintain and repair the water, drainage and solid waste management systems in order to ensure smooth functioning of the entire infrastructure. This would include the technical capacity to manage the system as well as being versed in management systems and processes that would allow sustainable and self-reliant operations for MCJ beyond the life of the activity. For sustainable operations it is vital that MCJ has the political and operational relationships aligned with the operational aspects of the municipality.

Relationships such as those with the power company to ensure smooth supply or with the irrigation department to ensure proper waste disposal, are integral to running successful operations. Clarity in relationships via policy, agreements, documentation and reporting are an important part of the activity to ensure that various government offices are on the same page and that the political environment remains supportive of MCJ’s work. The activity will seek to work with the Government of Sindh to explore public private partnerships and the possibility of engaging the private sector in areas where objectives are aligned.

Sub-IR1.1: Training and technical assistance for the management of WASH service facilities.

Technical assistance for this Sub-IR would entail technical capacity on the operational side and also management capacity to run the municipality successfully. Technical capacity would cover all aspects needed to operationalize the services of MCJ and would include components such as routine maintenance, wastewater infrastructure management, wastewater treatment and disposal management, water pressure management, repairs throughout the water system, filtration and treatment plant operations and maintenance (O&M), water chemistry/laboratory capacity and water treatment process controls. The recipient will work with the MCJ staff and other partners to identify specific technical needs and upgrade them in order to enable MCJ to become a self-reliant and sustainable government organization.

Specific technical areas may include planning such as developing a Water Safety Plan in collaboration with the community to address and inform current and future threats to the municipality's water quantity and quality and/or an Emergency Response Plan for drought or flooding. Technical assistance to MCJ may require that the staff develop an information system for tracking water service performance, monitoring and benchmarking systems. MCJ should also develop a plan for testing water quality at relevant touch points as this closely ties into the quality of service provided to end customers.

Management and Systems capacity building would require developing the systems, SOPS, manuals in partnership with MCJ management would help the organization carry out its operations. This may also include a transparent and effective system for bill collection along with tracking of non-revenue accounts and developing a customer services center which can leverage the community mobilization efforts in IR2 to build trust for the services offered by MCJ. The Recipient will work with the relevant management and government departments to put together business, HR and operational plans needed by MCJ.

Sub-IR1.2: Operational and political relationships with local, provincial government offices formalized.

The activity envisions close coordination with the PMU and the construction components of the larger MSP project. The WGS activities support the larger MSP. Therefore alignment and coordination are important to ensure that MCJ business plans and customer outreach are in sync with the ongoing infrastructure development. Relationships with provincial and local governments need to be clearly defined in terms of reporting structures, roles & responsibilities, fiscal support etc. and reflected through formal agreements and contracts between them as necessary.

Coordination with other departments such as power, irrigation and related departments is an imperative if service provided by MCJ is to be reliable. Previous experience has shown that long power outages have had an adverse effect on the performance of the filtration plant. Similarly, irrigation channels and drains are a necessary part of the operation for MCJ which will require maintenance and support from the irrigation department. Agreements between such departments and MCJ should be formalized to minimize disruption for service delivery by the municipality.

The Recipient will ensure that there is alignment between various stakeholders such that the relationships are long-term and supportive beyond the life of the activity itself. Where appropriate, the recipient will help MCJ formalize roles, responsibilities and processes between institutions through documented agreements.

In line with the USAID Learning Agenda, the WGS activity will serve as a model that the Government of Sindh could then scale up for other cities in the Province. Implementation under this component will support the development of a set of modules documenting the processes adopted to build the capacity for management and operations, describing activities, materials, staffing plan and budget, for potential scale-up in other municipalities where water and sanitation infrastructure investments are planned or are being undertaken. This may involve assessments or other basic support to local governments.

Sub-IR1.3 Policy reforms, public private partnerships and digitalization are aligned to leverage support and smooth function.

WGS activity will support legal reform, policy formulation and any other support to the Government of Sindh which helps create an enabling environment for efficient health and municipal service delivery. This may start with documenting bureaucratic or policy issues that require reforms and then working with the requisite departments to streamline policy and operations. Assistance may also include areas such as exploring models for sustainable delivery that are applicable to the needs of MCJ and GoS.

The Recipient will support the GoS in exploring public private partnerships, working in close coordination with departments such as the Public Private Partnership (PPP) node. SpO1 private sector engagement presents various options for engagement at commercial, social impact and enabling environment levels and these will be explored by the Recipient in furthering sustainability for MCJ. The Recipient will take into account relevant findings from the Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) commissioned by the Mission. Digitization can play an important role in supporting the activity with its goal and also the overall MSP project. Digital billing, real time data, digital payment, digital banking, improved customer service experience and improved linkages with operational customers and for management, are all opportunities that directly support improving the capacity of MCJ to improve efficiency and effectiveness of its services. They are also areas for partnerships that enhance sustainability and scalability for MCJ. The PSE section discusses in further details the engagement opportunities that support the activity and SpO1 objectives.

Implementation under this component will support the following desired results:

1. Management, technical and operational staff with increased capacity to perform and provide sustainable water and waste management services over time

2. Standards and key performance indicators for water service and waste management provision adopted and tracked

3. Increased coverage of water supply/drainage and solid waste management in Jacobabad

4. MCJ technical teams and customer service centers have the tools and understanding to deliver efficient service to the community.

IR 2: WASH aware citizens paying for municipal services.

This component of the activity focuses on community mobilization with the residents of Jacobabad who are customers of MCJ. The objectives of this IR are two folds: First, to raise awareness about WASH practices, importance of hygiene and to bring about behavior change related to this awareness so that incidence of disease is reduced and the second is to link this awareness to the services offered by MCJ so that there is trust in the municipality and customers are willing to pay for service. This will involve building customer service teams within MCJ (as discussed in previous IR) with a community focus, working alongside community groups formed for WASH activities and other community groups.

Sub-IR2.1: Improved community awareness and behavior change on WASH practices and their linkages to diseases.

The Recipient will work with the community building on previous community mobilization efforts in order to raise awareness about WASH and its relationship to diseases. Building on existing community groups formed through previous USAID programs the Recipient will extend WASH coverage to all districts of Jacobabad being serviced through MCJ infrastructure. Training Materials and IEC should link the themes of WASH, its role and relationship with disease prevention and its practical application in the form of service delivery of water and waste management through the larger MSP-S project.

Behavior change is an integral part of the overall sustainability of the activity and the municipality itself.

The community needs to not only understand the importance of a managed clean water delivery and waste service but must be willing to take ownership and pay for the service. The Recipient and MCJ staff, during WASH and other community sessions, should explain and emphasize the importance of billing and payment, and how it works to serve the community. The goal of the municipality is the provision of good quality, affordable services over the long term. Both the municipality and the public must understand their respective roles toward disease prevention and have the appropriate channels to fulfill that role.

Sub-IR2.2: Improved Municipal services access awareness including any complaint and redressal mechanisms.

In addition to the technical capacities discussed in the previous component, the Recipient should assist and involve the Customer Services field unit staff with the WASH groups for activities such as expanding outreach or developing and implementing Customer Satisfaction scorecards in collaboration with the community. In order to build trust and collaboration with MCJ, the community should be well versed in understanding the basics of water quality they are to consume. Customers understanding water quality reports as part of community groups is vital in building ownership and trust in the municipal services which will lead to paying for service. The Recipient should look for innovative solutions that will have long term behavior change impact working with the community such that hygiene best practices are adopted and customers understand the importance of paying for service. Partnerships with banks and mobile wallets may be integrated and community trained on them so that customers have payment and banking options needed for smooth operations.

Complaint and redressal mechanisms should be developed in collaboration with the community and MCJ staff, to ensure accountability and community ownership. Perspectives around service utilization, access to the service, and associated issues must reflect views from women and men separately. The Recipient should ensure that the community understands how all the physical mechanics of the system works and how it links and integrates with SpO1 WASH objectives.

Implementation under this component will support the following desired results:

1. Community/customers have complete understanding of the water delivery and waste disposal systems and how these link to disease prevention and the services offered by MCJ.

2. MCJ has improved service so that customers can access the services easily, including clear channels for complaints and redressals and emergency responses.

3. Community/customers are paying for service (target %) and show WASH behavior change.

4. A Customer Satisfaction scorecard developed and implemented (baseline and endline at a minimum)

REPORTS and DELIVERABLES

Based on activity requirement and scope a minimum of the following deliverables and repare expected from the offeror:

1. Baseline & Capacity Assessment Report due 12 weeks after the start of agreement. Report will identify areas for technical assistance in line with all the task areas given in the activity scope.

Report will also provide a baseline assessment of where the Municipality stands as a going concern in terms of financial feasibility, operational and information systems, management and political relationships. The Report will form the basis of the Recipient’s initial work-plan.

2. Work-Plan to be delivered within 4 month from the start of activity and at the start of each year, for approval. The Plan will articulate the steps needed to achieve the activity objectives highlighted in the IRs given above and as informed by the Capacity Assessment Report. The work-plan, while integrated, will address each of the IR and Sub-IR components in detail. Capacity building plans and community engagement planning (to support the infrastructure activity) must be clearly articulated. Milestones and timelines should be part of the work-plan as well as MEL plan, Gender Analysis for the activity, and a Private Sector Engagement Plan.

3. Documentation such as revenue/billing collection models, business, management and HR plans, revenue strategy, outreach plans and community engagement plans. This may include sharing specific documents such as water safety plans, customer satisfaction scorecards, lab reports, billing numbers, agreements with partners or other provincial offices - documents related to achieving activity objectives. The Recipient will share documents and plans as they become available in line with the work-plan.

4. Weekly, monthly and quarterly progress reports as agreed upon with the AOR at the approval of the work-plan.

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING

The offeror is expected to submit an illustrative monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan that shall fully articulate and describe how this activity, over the course of its life, shall be monitored and evaluated. The MEL Plan would include milestones, inputs / outputs, and outcomes and form the basis of the USAID/Pakistan management, monitoring, tracking, assessing, and implementing of this activity The MEL plan should include baseline and endline surveys at a minimum to show change in community behavior and improvement in MCJ performance. In addition, the MEL Plan should include Theory of Change that clearly depicts how the activity interventions will bring about the intended change.

The MEL plan will work closely with the overall MSP activity in Jacobabad and will synchronize its monitoring efforts with those of the construction components. The activity would engage community feedback as part of monitoring, thus complimenting the construction component by adding more details and nuance to what USG is holistically delivering to GoS for its community.

MEL plans from the Special Objective 1 Project Appraisal Document will serve as a guide for the WGS activity. Implementation of the MEL Plan will need to be adaptive as interventions learn from the context of Northern Sindh, and Jacobabad in particular.

The monitoring plan should cover deliverables, milestones, intended outputs and higher level outcomes and cover both the operations and maintenance components and also the community engagement activities. MEL should strengthen the effectiveness and impact of MSP-S through implementation of its existing Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and further disseminate knowledge on sanitation and hygiene. The Recipient should propose a list of indicators in alignment with the USAID MEL approach and any evaluations and surveys should be clearly given up front in the work plan. USAID/Pakistan will provide templates for the MEL plan and period reporting templates.

The partner will be responsible for populating data in Pak Info on a quarterly basis or at the frequency decided between USAID and the implementing partner. This includes entering data against the assigned indicators in Pak Info, quarterly/biannual/annual reports and entering/updating site locations.

GENDER ANALYSIS & CONSIDERATIONS

Women’s role in household decision making in North Sindh is limited and inequality is significant when it comes to access and use of resources, including water and sanitation facilities. Women and girls trek long distances, for example, to fetch water to meet their families’ basic needs. The time demands are enormous and put an extra burden on women and girls. Improved access to clean and safe water, solid waste and waste water management systems, put in place through this activity’s intervention, will have multiple beneficial impacts on women's daily life. In addition to saving time by having clean water available in their homes, efficient disposal of solid and water waste from homes will help reduce incidences of disease spread. With fewer incidents of sickness, the activity may also contribute to reducing the time women have to spend providing care for the sick children and household members, who are prone to illness due to contamination in open water and germs from exposed solid waste.

The Offeror is expected to undertake a detailed activity specific Gender Analysis for the activity and generate a Gender Action Plan which must include concrete measures to address the gender inequalities and gaps as highlighted by the Gender Analysis. The Offeror is expected to design specific measures into the activity to include the opinions and voices of women. The activity will ensure that relevant engagement channels for women are available and functioning with the municipality, and ensure that MCJ understands and integrates within its working a gender sensitive approach to the overall municipal service it provides to the community. Some of the questions that the Gender Analysis will explore would be as follows:

MCJ Service Delivery: How is the municipal services impacting each of these groups differently?

This would be along the lines of physical changes in daily routine (less time spent fetching water for women and girls) to social implications of the service (does less time outside translate into further restricting women’s independence? How is empowerment linked to service or is it not?).

What are the implications and differences in engagement for municipal services for women-led households?

Community Mobilization: How are the community mobilization efforts different for men, women and girls? There are different social norms and restrictions that each group abides by and the approach to community mobilization and the ensuing course of action by the community needs to take into account the limitations and options for different groups.

The MEL plan should include the following components as part of gender integration:

1. Conduct Gender Analyses at the outset to establish baseline and endline for results;

2. Collecting and reporting of sex-disaggregated data for all people level indicators;

3. Developing performance and context indicators to track changes in key gender gaps from baseline to end-of-activity results;

4. Applying mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) to gather and analyze relevant gender sensitive data;

5. Tangible plans for integrating gender considerations into MCJ’s service delivery and clear women engagement and access to service plans

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT AND DIGITALIZATION

SPO1 under the GHSP in Pakistan has the objective of improving water and sanitation for Jacobabad in order to improve disease prevention. The WGS activity working towards this larger objective supports capacity building of MCJ while raising awareness and bringing behavior change within the community/customers of the municipality. Both these two main Intermediate Results of the WGS would be strengthened through engagement with the private sector and digitalization.

The PSE and digital Analysis of SPO1 has several ways for engaging the private sector for improved basic services. In line with the CDCS, the SPO1 envisions pursuing four tracks of private sector engagement (PSE), Commercial Impact: Market-based solutions with the private sector, Social Impact: corporate philanthropy programs, mobilizing resources from high net worth individuals, Resilience/humanitarian:

challenges as a result of a humanitarian crisis, Enabling Environment: Improving operating, legal, policy, regulatory and institutional environment for enhancing private sector investments in the health, water and sanitation sectors.

Given this framework the WGS activity presents several opportunities for engaging the private sector in various ways. Some of these are presented below as illustrative examples but the Recipient will develop a strategy for engagement as dictated by the requirement, the needs as articulated by GoS and the private sector and the actual situation on the ground:

1. Exploring ways to leverage existing activities such as community mobilization

2. Target diaspora for engagement

3. Work with GoS on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)

4. Strategically Integrate Digitization and Innovation

The Recipient will assess and analyse the following questions as part of the Private sector engagement and digital solutions potential:

● Can the Recipient achieve the desired objectives itself or by engaging the private sector and whether mainstreaming digitization can help achieve objectives more efficiently and effectively?

● Could there be a market-based approach to addressing the development challenge of the activity?

● What can be the roles and interests of the private sector and digitization in addressing this challenge?

● Are there factors constraining the private sector from involvement and investment?

● Are there factors constraining capitalization on digital potential for greater efficiencies and effectiveness?

● Is there a role for USAID to help alleviate or eliminate these constraints and improve basic services outcomes for targeted beneficiaries of the activity and low income groups in general?

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

This activity is covered under the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) # OAPA-13-SEP-PAK-0023 (Attachment xx.) for the Municipal Services Program approved by the Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO) on September 4, 2013. The environmental determination for all the sub activities is a Categorical Exclusion pursuant to 22 CFR 216.2.(c)(i), (ii), (iii) and (v) as these do not have an adverse effect on the natural or physical environment. The Memorandum to File-2 (MTF-2) # OAPA-11-APR-PAK-0023-MTF-2 (Attachment xx) was approved by the BEO on June 8, 2020 with a validity date of September 30, 2023.

CLIMATE CHANGE INTEGRATION

Karachi Office completed the mandatory climate-risk assessment as part of the process of designing Water Governance for Sindh (WGS) using "USAID's Climate Risk Screening Tool" (Attachment xx) to assess the potential climate risks for the project. The assessment identified low climate-related risks associated with this activity. As the assessment identified low risks, no additional measures to mitigate climate risk are required.

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated

USAID intends to award one (1) Cooperative Agreement pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide up to $3 million in total USAID funding over a three (3) year period.

2. Expected Performance Indicators, Targets, Baseline Data, and Data Collection

[Guidance: Program goals and objectives should be derived from program planning and design.

See 2 CFR 200.202 and 200.301 for more information.]

3. Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Awards

The anticipated period of performance is 36-months. The estimated start date will be TBD.

4. Substantial Involvement

The award under this NOFO will be a cooperative agreement. Potential applicants should note that USAID’s policy prohibits the payment of fee/profit to the recipients under assistance instruments.

Consistent with ADS 303.3.11, USAID will be substantially involved in the implementation of this Activity. The intended purpose of the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) involvement during the implementation of the program is to assist the recipient in achieving the supported objectives. It is expected that the AO will delegate the following approvals to the AOR:

(a) Approval of the Recipient's Implementation Plans USAID will approve annual work plans and the life-of-project exit strategy, and any subsequent revisions.

(b) Approval of Specified Key Personnel USAID may designate as Key Personnel only those positions that are essential to the successful implementation of the Recipient’s program. The following positions have been designated as key to the successful implementation of the program objectives of this Cooperative Agreement and require USAID approval:

1. Chief of Party (COP)

2. Technical Manager (TM)

The applicant may propose additional key personnel positions, based on the focus and specific activities included in the application. USAID/Pakistan recommends gender balance in the team of proposed key personnel. The applicant may propose additional key personnel, based on the specific needs of the program design. In accordance with the

Substantial Involvement clause of this award, these personnel are subject to the approval of the Agreement Officer:

(c) Agency and Recipient Collaboration or Joint Participation When the Recipient's successful accomplishment of program objectives would benefit from USAID's technical knowledge, the AO may authorize the collaboration or joint participation of USAID and the Recipient on the program. The AO may include appropriate levels of substantial involvement such as the following:

1. Collaborative involvement in selection of advisory committee members, if the program will establish an advisory committee that provides advice to the Recipient. USAID may participate as a member of this committee as well.

Advisory committees must only deal with programmatic or technical issues and not routine administrative matters.

2. Concurrence on the substantive provisions of sub-awards –including subcontracts to carry out work of a technical nature under the award (examples include, carrying out a study or a training of a technical nature, etc.). 2 CFR

200.308 already requires the Recipient to obtain the AO’s prior approval for the sub-award, transfer, or contracting out of any work under an award. This is generally limited to approving work by a third party under the agreement.

3. Approval of the Recipient's Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

(AMELP).

4. Monitor to authorize specified kinds of direction or redirection because of interrelationships with other projects.

(d) Agency Authority to Immediately Halt a Construction Activity The AO may immediately halt construction activity if identified specifications are not met.

An award shall be made only when the Agreement Officer makes a positive determination that the Applicant possesses, or has the ability to obtain, the necessary management competence in planning and carrying out assistance programs and that it will practice mutually agreed upon methods of accountability for funds and other assets provided by USAID. For organizations that are new to USAID, or organizations with outstanding audit findings, it may be necessary to perform a pre-award survey in accordance with ADS

303.3.9 and ADS 591.3.4.2.

(e) Approval of annual work plans

(f) Approval of the final report

(g) Approval of MEL Plan

5. Authorized Geographic Code

The geographic code for the procurement of commodities and services under this program is Code 937.

6. Nature of the Relationship between USAID and the Recipient

The principal purpose of the relationship with the Recipient and under the subject program is to transfer funds to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation of the Water Governance for Sindh (WGS) Activity which is authorized by Federal statute. The successful Recipient will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the program objectives and the efficient and effective administration of the award through the application of sound management practices. The Recipient will assume responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award.

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SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility for this NOFO is restricted. The eligibility to implement the WGS Activity is open only to Local Pakistani Organizations. Applications will not be accepted from any other types of organizations or individuals.

Competition will be limited to local Pakistani entities in accordance with Section 7077 of Public Law 112-74, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-74), as amended by Section 7028 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76), is titled “Local Competition Authority”. U.S. and international firms and organizations are not eligible to submit an offer.

Only local organizations as defined below are eligible for an award. USAID defines a “local entity” as an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:

(1) Is legally organized under the laws of; and

(2) Has as its principal place of business or operations in; and

(3) Is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of; and

(4) Is managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the country receiving assistance.

For purposes of this section, ‘majority owned’ and ‘managed by’ include, without limitation, beneficiary interests and the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization's managers or a majority of the organization's governing body by any means.

These eligibility requirements apply to both the principal applicant and to any sub-awardee.

Applicants must have established financial management, monitoring and evaluation processes, internal control systems, and policies and procedures that comply with established U.S.

Government standards, laws, and regulations. The successful applicant(s) will be subject to a responsibility determination assessment (Pre-award Survey, if applicable) by the Agreement Officer (AO).

3. The Recipient must be a responsible entity. The AO may determine a pre-award survey is required to conduct an examination that will determine whether the prospective recipient has the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with the terms and conditions of the award.

4. The applicant is reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the Recipient to ensure compliance with these

USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.

Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

USAID has established that no Cost Share is required for this WGS Activity.

3. Other

a. Organizations shall submit only one application under this NOFO.

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Agency Point of Contact

Primary:

Name: Sohail Humayun Title: Acquisition and Assistance Specialist Email: shumayun@usaid.gov

Alternate:

Name: Muhammad Yasser Title: Administrative Agreement Officer Email: Myasser@usaid.gov

2. Questions and Answers

Questions regarding this NOFO should be submitted to shumayun@usaid.gov with a copy to Myasser@usaid.gov no later than the date and time indicated on the cover letter, as amended.

Any information given to a prospective applicant concerning this NOFO will be furnished promptly to all other prospective applicants as an amendment to this NOFO, if that information is necessary in submitting applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective applicant.

3. General Content and Form of Application

Preparation of Applications:

Each applicant must furnish the information required by this NOFO. Applications must be submitted in two separate parts: the Technical Application and the Business (Cost) Application.

This subsection addresses general content requirements applying to the full application. Please see subsections 6 and 7, below, for information on the content specific to the Technical and Business (Cost) applications. The Technical application must address technical aspects only while the Business (Cost) Application must present the costs, and address risk and other related issues.

Both the Technical and Business (Cost) Applications must include a cover page containing the following information:

● Name of the organization(s) submitting the application;

● Identification and signature of the primary contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address) and the identification of the alternate contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address);

mailto:shumayun@usaid.gov mailto:shumayun@usaid.gov mailto:shumayun@usaid.gov mailto:Myasser@usaid.gov

● Program name

● Notice of Funding Opportunity number

● Name and DUNS number of any proposed sub-recipients or partnerships (identify if any of the organizations are local organizations, per USAID’s definition of ‘local entity’ under ADS 303.

Any erasures or other changes to the application must be initialed by the person signing the application. Applications signed by an agent on behalf of the applicant must be accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

Applicants may choose to submit a cover letter in addition to the cover pages, but it will serve only as a transmittal letter to the Agreement Officer. The cover letter will not be reviewed as part of the merit review criteria.

Applications must comply with the following:

● In addition to the title page and annexes, USAID will not review any pages in excess of 25 pages. Please ensure that applications comply with the page limitations.

● Written in English.

● Use standard 8 ½” x 11”, single sided, single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1” margins, left justification and headers and/or footers on each page including consecutive page numbers, date of submission, and applicant’s name.

● A 10-point font can be used for graphs and charts. Tables however, must comply with the 12 point Times New Roman requirement.

● Submitted via Microsoft Word or PDF formats, except budget files which must be submitted in Microsoft Excel.

● The estimated start date identified in Section B of this NOFO must be used in the cost application.

● The technical application must be a searchable and editable Word or PDF format as appropriate.

● The Cost Schedule must include an Excel…