opp95332418N0002-cidNOFOAPS-instructions.pdf

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)

NOFO APS No: 95332418N0002

PARTNERSHIPS with MCC Program

November 09, 2017

Cover Letter

Dear Applicants, The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is pleased to launch this Notice of Funding Opportunity

(NOFO) Annual Program Statement (APS) for opportunities to support MCC in achieving our mission of poverty reduction through growth. Specifically, this NOFO is reaching out to organizations with demonstrated interest, relevant experience, creativity and know-how to participate in Partnerships with MCC to achieve specific outcomes and optimize impact of our investments.

This is the initial announcement for this new funding opportunity. The Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) number is 85.002 MCC Foreign Assistance for Overseas Programs. For the purposes of this Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) the term "Grant" is synonymous with "Cooperative

Agreement"; "Grantee" is synonymous with "Recipient"; and "Grant Officer" is synonymous with

"Agreement Officer".

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application should read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the nature of the work required, eligibility and application submission requirements, and the evaluation process. The funding opportunity number is 95332418N0002.

MCC defines “Partnership” as a collaborative relationship between two or more entities -- governmental or nongovernmental -- in which the partners work together to achieve a common purpose or undertake a specific task and to share risks, responsibilities, resources, competencies, and benefits. The partners mutually determine the goals, structure, governance, roles, and responsibilities of their collaboration. This

APS is aimed at fostering extensive collaboration and partnerships with external organizations, including but not limited to businesses, foundations, academic institutions, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations, to achieve a greater development impact. Through the APS, MCC aims to foster proactive collaboration and engagement among MCC and the partner(s) around specific areas for collaboration, co-financing, catalytic investment, and innovation that advance MCC’s mission. By partnering with other entities in the public, private, and civil sectors, MCC and its country counterparts can increase the scale, impact, and sustainability of MCC compact and threshold program investments.

Partnership opportunity areas for this APS are:

1. Growth Diagnostics and Economic Policy Reform

2. Urban Economic and Social Context Analysis

3. Agribusiness in Niger

4. Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire

5. High Frequency Monitoring Data

6. Data Collection and Analysis in Sri Lanka

Other partnership opportunities may be added throughout the year.

Key dates related to this NOFO are as follows:

Items Target Dates

NOFO Issue

Date November 9, 2017

Pre-submission Phase I teleconferences

Will be scheduled in November and beginning of December 2017; and beginning of May 2018; details will be provided later in

Amendments

The first teleconference is tentatively scheduled for November 30, 2017 at

10.00 am EST. More information will be provided later through an amendment.

Review Windows for

Concept Papers Phase I submissions between the following dates

Review Window 1 - Concept papers submitted from the APS issuance date through December 13, 2017

Concept Papers due by 2.00 pm EST on

December 13, 2017

Review Window 2 - Concept papers submitted from December 14, 2017 through

February 2, 2018

Concept Papers due by 2.00 pm EST on

February 2, 2018

Review Window 3 - Concept papers submitted from February 3, 2018 through

March 30, 2018

Concept Papers due by 2.00 pm EST on

March 30, 2018

Review Window 4 - Concept papers submitted from March 31, 2018 through May

31, 2018

Concept Papers due by 2.00 pm EST on

May 31, 2018

Review Window 5 - Concept papers submitted from June 1, 2018 through July

31, 2018

Concept Papers due by 2.00 pm EST on

July 31, 2018

Review Window 6 - Concept papers submitted from August 1, 2018 through

November 08, 2018

Concept Papers due by 2.00 pm EST on

November 08, 2018

Deadline for the Phase

I Concept Paper

Questions

Questions for Review Window 1 is due by

2.00 pm EDT on December 4, 2017.

Responses will be issued several times upon receipts of questions before December 4, Questions for Review Windows 2-7 are due

15 calendar days from the start date of each window at 2.00 pm EST

For example, the questions for Review

Window 2 is due on December 28, 2017

Awards

Multiple awards may be issued throughout the year for each technical area of the partnership opportunity.

Each review window is open to all technical areas announced.

Successful Applicants will be selected through a two-phase application process that will be completed consistent with the Open Contracting Principles.1 Additional notification milestones pertinent to this process will be posted on www.grants.gov and are further described in Section H.

Program Name: MCC Partnerships

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: 95332418N0002

NOFO APS issuance date November 09, 2017

Questions and correspondence for this NOFO should be directed to the point of contacts specified in Section

D. MCC’s responses will be posted on www.grants.gov under this NOFO number.

Issue of this NOFO does not constitute a commitment from MCC to award the program. All applications and submission costs are at the Applicants’ expense. MCC reserves the right to reject any or all concept notes and applications received and to fund any or none of the applications submitted under this APS.

We encourage you to apply to this exciting new opportunity!

Sincerely, Taylor Wolf

Agreement Officer

MCC/Washington

1 For more information refer to:

http://www.opencontracting.org/2013/06/20/introducing_the_open_contracting_principles/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.opencontracting.org/2013/06/20/introducing_the_open_contracting_principles/

Table of Contents

Contents

SECTION A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

I. AUTHORITY

II. INTRODUCTION

III. BACKGROUND

IV. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

2. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

3. MCC’s and PARTNERS’ RESPONSIBLITIES

V. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND KEY MILESTONES

SECTION B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

I. PURPOSE OF AWARD

II. ESTIMATED FUNDING AND NUMBER OF AWARDS

III. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND START DATE

IV. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

SECTION C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

I. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

II. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

III. PARTNER RESOURCE COMMITMENT OR FUNDS LEVERAGING

IV. PROGRAM INCOME

SECTION D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

I. MCC’s POINTS OF CONTACT

II. OVERVIEW OF APPLICATION PROCESS

III. SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS AND TELECONFERENCES

IV. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

1. Application Submission Instructions

2. Content and Format of Application Submissions

V. DUNS AND SAM REQUIREMENTS (PART I ONLY)

VI. EVIDENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY (PART I ONLY)

VII. REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, ASSURANCES AND REPRESENTATIONS

VIII. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

IX. INTERGOVERNMENT REVIEW

X. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

XI. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

SECTION E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

FEDERALLY-FUNDED AWARDS

MERIT REVIEW CRITERIA IMPORTANCE

PHASE I: CONCEPT PAPER - PASS OR FAIL

PHASE II: COMPLETE APPLICATION, BY MCC INVITATION ONLY

REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

EVALUATION FOR COST EFFECTIVENESS AND COST REALISM (PHASE II ONLY)

SECTION F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION

I. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICES

II. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

III. MCC TECHNICAL OFFICE INVOLVEMENT

IV. REPORTING

SECTION G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S)

SECTION H. OTHER INFORMATION

I. OPEN CONTRACTING PRINCIPLES IMPLEMENTATION

II. SMALL BUSINESS UTILIZATION

List of Acronyms

APS Annual Program Statement

CGM Contracts and Grant Management

CLEAR Embrace Collaboration; Always Learn; Practice Excellence; Be Accountable;

and Respect Individuals and Ideas

COR Contracting Officer Representative

DCO Department of Compact Operations

DPE Department of Policy and Evaluation

MCA Millennium Challenge Account

MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation

PM Project Manager

RCD Resident County Director

SECTION A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

I. AUTHORITY

Pursuant to the Millennium Challenge Corporation Act of 2003, as amended, the United States Government

(USG), as represented by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), is seeking support for the activities described below, and requests applications from organizations to help mobilize, join, and implement partnerships that advance MCC’s mission. The prime award(s) resulting from this NOFO will be administered in accordance with the following:

2 CFR 200 UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND

AUDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL AWARDS (http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl)

MCC’s STANDARD PROVISIONS (attached to NOFO)

MCC’s GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT MANUAL

II. INTRODUCTION

MCC is a government corporation as defined in section 103 of title 5, United States Code, established by the U.S. Congress in the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, 22 U.S.C. 7701, et seq. It is an independent agency separate from the Department of State and the United States Agency for International

Development (USAID). MCC applies an innovative philosophy to foreign aid; its mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizens. Eligible countries develop, in coordination with MCC, a program agreement (Compact) that is then implemented during five years. MCC also supports programs to assist countries seeking to attain eligibility for Compacts by supporting targeted policy and institutional reforms (“Threshold

Programs”). Our model is defined by core principles, of selectivity, country ownership, transparency, and a focus on results. For more information on MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov.

MCC is issuing this APS in order to develop partnerships2 with organizations that share compact and threshold program and MCC institutional goals and align with the needs of MCC’s current portfolio.

Partnerships may support program priorities and objectives through every stage of the compact and threshold cycle - selection, development, implementation, and closeout as well as to the benefit of the organizational effectiveness of the agency. Partners may include academic and research institutions, businesses, non-governmental organizations, development-oriented investors, philanthropies and foundations, think tanks, other donors, or other public and private sector entities.

In considering partnerships, MCC is seeking to identify and engage new resources, expertise and technologies in MCC’s mission to reduce poverty through economic growth. Successful partnerships are expected to bring financial and/or technical resources to support MCC’s ability to achieve its mission and programmatic goals. Partnerships must also concentrate on priority development activities which fall

2 MCC defines a partnership as “. A collaborative relationship between two or more entities -- governmental or nongovernmental -- in which the partners work together to achieve a common purpose or undertake a specific task and to share risks, responsibilities, resources, competencies, and benefits, and mutually determine the goals, structure, governance, roles, and responsibilities of their collaboration.” As used in this APS, the term “partnership” is not intended to mean or be construed as a partnership as defined by law.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl within MCC’s mission and meet its core principles of results, good policies, and accountability. MCC funds activities in the public sector where the government role is clear and preeminent, but hopes to draw more broadly on non-governmental partners to leverage MCC resources and to stimulate additional investment and innovative development practices. MCC recognizes that such partnerships offer the possibility of promoting greater effectiveness and sustainability in programming, and thus offer an opportunity to substantially increase the impact of MCC-funded programs.

By publicly posting this NOFO APS, MCC is soliciting interest in innovative partnership opportunities. In addition to the opportunities described in the APS, at its discretion, MCC may also issue addenda or updates to this APS as and when new partnership opportunities arise.

III. BACKGROUND

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an innovative and independent United States foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. Created by the MCC Act in 2003 with strong bipartisan support, MCC is changing the conversation on how best to deliver U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results. MCC works with some of the world’s poorest countries, provided they are committed to good governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizens.

MCC provides selected well-performing countries with large-scale grants, in the form of compacts, to fund country-led solutions for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. MCC compacts are implemented over five years and complement other U.S. and international development programs.

MCC is managed by a Chief Executive Officer, who is part of the nine-member Board of Directors. The

Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development serve on the board along with four private sector representatives. Countries that receive MCC assistance are referred to as “MCC Partner Countries” and the accountable entity designated by each country to oversee implementation of its MCC-funded program is often referred to as a Millennium Challenge Account (or “MCA”). During implementation of the

MCC-funded program, MCC maintains an oversight role, including a rigorous and transparent program of funds control and monitoring and evaluation.

IV. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

This APS will focus on federally-funded partnerships. Through this APS, MCC may choose to provide funding to support the partnerships application. In determining whether to provide such funding MCC will consider the nature of the concept paper and application, available funding, and the appropriate funding mechanism.

It is important to note that MCC is committed to country ownership, and some partnerships will be subject to agreement of the parties and, as appropriate, engagement of MCC Country Partners. MCC recognizes that partners will want to carefully consider their relationship to government agencies and projects. Where appropriate, MCC will support and facilitate this relationship where necessary to achieve effective and meaningful partnerships based on mutual interests and objectives. Concept papers and applications may potentially be shared with MCC Partner Countries.

2. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

MCC is interested in receiving concept papers for partnerships in the following areas:

1. Growth Diagnostics and Economic Policy Reform

2. Urban Economic and Social Context Analysis

3. Agribusiness in Niger

4. Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire

5. High Frequency Monitoring Data

6. Data Collection and Analysis in Sri Lanka

TECHNICAL AREA 1: GROWTH DIAGNOSTICS AND ECONOMIC POLICY REFORM

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Since 2007, growth diagnostics (called “Constraints Analyses” at MCC) have played a central role in informing how MCC targets investments in our partner countries. Notably, beginning after the publication of various papers on how to implement growth diagnostics in practice, MCC adopted the approach generally outlined in the Mindbook (Hausmann, Klinger, and Wagner 2008). As MCC’s experience applying the methodology has grown, MCC has developed a catalogue of techniques and practices which could help inform future diagnostic exercises. In addition, MCC has identified areas where a more elaborated theoretical foundation and practical guidance would be of value for practitioners;

for example, the dynamics of structural transformation, identifying issues related to state ownership in the economy, barriers to entry and imperfect competition, urbanization, inclusion and job creation, sector-specific constraints, and systemic or macro distortions related to the political economy, state capacity, and governance of the country. MCC seeks a partner with both academic/analytical and practical expertise to take stock of existing techniques, address key methodological questions commonly faced, and to advance new ideas on making the growth diagnostic methodology more robust. One output of the partnership will be a published guide to doing growth diagnostics that builds on previous literature3, updating it where necessary, and connecting the theoretical foundation of diagnostics to practical guidance on implementing.

MCC seeks to identify and alleviate the root causes of binding constraints to growth. Depending upon how “root causes” are defined, these often include policy and institutional failures, often underpinned by more general governance failures. MCC seeks a partnership with an academic institution that has theoretical and practical expertise in designing and implementing reforms in areas such as labor market regulation, fiscal management, tax policy, regulatory regimes, competition policy, civil service reform and state capacity-building, and other areas of economic policy and institutional strengthening in developing countries. MCC would bring value to the partnership through its ongoing engagements with countries, permitting policy analysts and researchers to shape their agenda using the real world constraints faced by donors and partner countries. For MCC, this partnership would result in real time advice to

MCC and partner countries on designing and implementing policy reforms, including in how to build them into compact programs, and an enhanced ability to draw upon the latest research findings and approaches advanced by academic practitioners to achieve policy reform. For the partner, key outputs would be case studies and the opportunity to publish a framework and/or design principles for advancing economic reforms.

MCC is particularly interested in partnering with academic institutions, especially those with research institutes with a focus on development economics, and/or development policy faculties or schools, and/or other development assistance agencies confronting similar challenges. Partners should be able to bring at

3 Mindbook, Hausmann, Klinger, Wagner (2008); Growth Analytics, Pritchett (2008); Growth Diagnostics, Hausmann, Rodrik, Velasco (2005) least two leading economists with the applicable expertise, as well as a broader expert community upon which to draw as mutually beneficial.

TECHNICAL AREA 2: URBAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONTEXT ANALYSIS

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

MCC is looking for partners who can give MCC access to the latest thought leadership, research, and practice related to 1) analyzing the role of urban agglomeration in economic growth and the contribution of urbanization to poverty reduction, 2) the effects of urban land policy and its implementation in enabling economic growth and poverty reduction, and/or 3) design and implementation of policies, institutional practices and tools or systems to help government institutions better manage and monitor urbanization in order to more fully achieve its benefits.

Partners would work with MCC to develop operational tools and methodologies for addressing the urban agglomeration and growth dimensions of MCC’s growth diagnostics; for MCC root cause and problem analysis associated with urbanization or urban environments; and for MCC due diligence and design of projects in urban or urbanizing contexts, with particular emphasis on the policy and institutional enabling environment for urban management and urban growth. Partners could also contribute to the development of methodologies and tools to identify the outcomes and quantify the benefits of urban land-oriented investments.

In addition to any financial resources provided by MCC, partners would have the opportunity to influence the form of MCC’s engagement in urban environments and MCC’s analysis leading to investment choice and scope. Partners would also have the opportunity to work with MCC (and be expected to work with

MCC) to apply thought leadership and tools developed under the partnership to concrete, real-world cases among compact or threshold program eligible countries.

MCC is particularly interested in partnerships with entities considered to be leaders and influencers on urban matters, and with entities with standing programs or initiatives related to urbanization and urban management. Use of technology/new technology as an area of leadership, practice and testing is of interest, as are proposals from consortia of more than one entity.

MCC would work with the partner to refine the annual work plan and approach if needed to align to

MCC’s portfolio or operational needs at the time of award. MCC also recognizes that for some applicants, proposals to this Technical Area 2 may have overlaps with aspects of Technical Area

1, above.

TECHNICAL AREA 3: AGRIBUSINESS IN NIGER

The MCC Niger Compact team seeks agribusiness value chain partners to provide offtake of commercial agricultural products from the Compact’s smallholder beneficiaries and invest in processing facilities and other intermediate infrastructure as part of their business strategy. The Compact team also seeks private sector partners interested in last-mile, market-based provision of inputs (including fertilizer, improved seeds, small-scale irrigation and other equipment) to Nigerien smallholders.

MCC’s $437 million Compact with the Government of Niger was signed in July 2016. In partnership with the Government of Niger, the MCC compact will strengthen Niger’s agricultural sector by improving water availability, infrastructure, and market access, with the potential to benefit more than 3.9 million people.

The Compact consists of two Projects – an Irrigation and Market Access project which pairs major investment in two large-scale irrigation perimeters and market access roads with integrated technical support to farmers, cooperatives, and womens’ savings groups in the intervention areas; and a Climate

Resilient Communities project which implements a community-driven approach to investing in small-scale infrastructure and sustainable natural resource management in livestock and agriculture. The Climate

Reslient Communities project also supports entrepreneurial activities of farmers groups, women and youth, and micro, medium, and small enterprises focused on resilience, productivity, and diversification. More information on the Compact and its projects can be found here. The government of Niger has set up a dedicated counterpart entity to MCC called MCA-Niger to implement the Compact activities with MCC oversight and funding.

MCC’s significant investment in the productive potential of important Nigerien agricultural regions and in market linkages creates opportunities for commercially and socially-minded partners to propose interventions that involve smallholder farmers in agricultural value chains. Niger is a leading regional producer of several agricultural commodities, including onion, cowpea, sesame, moringa, millet, sorghum, and livestock, and a major supplier to West African regional markets including Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, and

Ghana. Niger also has a critical need for improved supply of inputs such as fertilizer, seeds, and irrigation equipment. Please see the table below for a description of each opportunity.

Category Partnership Opportunity

Offtake/Value Chain

Partnerships

Irrigation & market access investment will result in significant production increases and improved farmer organization. This offers opportunities for private firms to source products like onion, cowpea, sesame, peanuts, souchet, rice, moringa, gum arabic, and livestock products that are highly demanded in regional markets. MCC’s programs will assist with farmer/cooperative organization, technical assistance, and logistics infrastructure investments. This also offers agribusinesses the opportunity to establish local processing facilities.

If these investments involve partnerships with local firms or cooperatives, they may be eligible for partial grant funding under MCC’s Climate Resilient

Agriculture Grant Facility.

Input Supply

(Fertilizer and improved seed distribution, irrigation equipment, etc.)

MCC’s investments will significantly increase demand for agricultural inputs

(including fertilizer and improved seeds) and small-scale, low water-use irrigation equipment. The Niger compact will implement institutional reform that will facilitate increased private sector involved in input distribution. MCC seeks partners who have a strategy to enter Niger with market-based, sustainable provision of inputs and/or technologies that can reach smallholders at the last mile. Sustainable strategies may include a training and sensitization component and a financing component so that smallholders can afford the inputs & equipment.

MCC is open to receiving applications from any organization with a sustainable business plan addressing one or both of the opportunity areas above, including but not limited to commercial agribusinesses, cooperative organizations, and social enterprises. Applications should be primarily commercial and not exclusively philanthropic in nature. Selected organizations will be expected to engage with MCA-Niger as well as MCC to finalize the implementation. MCA-Niger will employ a Private Sector Engagement

Manager who will serve as the primary on-the-ground contact for selected partners. Applications should specify the support requested from MCC/MCA-Niger. While applications are expected to reach commercial viability within a reasonable time period, MCC may be able to provide limited co-investment in projects that partner with local cooperatives, farmers groups, enterprises, and/or women’s and youth groups in

MCC’s target intervention areas (see MCC Compact for details). In addition, MCC through its existing https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/niger-compact program investments may also provide support through farmer/cooperative organization, investment in infrastructure, technical assistance and capacity building to smallholders, and policy reform.

TECHNICAL AREA 4: DATA COLLABORATIVES FOR LOCAL IMPACT (DCLI) IN

TANZANIA AND COTE D’IVOIRE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Cote d’Ivoire - Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI)

MCC seeks co-investment and collaboration partners for creating a 'dataLab-like' entity or organization in

Cote d’Ivoire. The dLab will need capacity to support data analytics that can inform investments at national and sub-national levels in areas of health, education, and youth.

MCC is interested in reviewing concept notes from businesses or large non-governmental organizations that seek to improve health, education, or economic growth outcomes via data analytics and/or data science; donors and foundations interested in increasing country capacity in “data for development”, open data, data transparency, and data accountability; telecommunications firms interested in “big data” and innovation; and financial services firms interested in increased access to credit initiatives in Cote d’Ivoire.

Tanzania - Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) The DCLI team seeks funding and in-kind donation partners for the sustainability of an independent Tanzania Data Lab (dLab). Needs include:

building a customer base for the dLab; co-funding and co-investment, training, data science services, in-kind support, employee engagement, and regional/international collaboration.

MCC is interested in reviewing concept notes from Information and Communication Technology/data-focused private sector firms that are interested in utilizing the dLab as a service delivery mechanism for data science training; developing a strong data ecosystem in east Africa; building a pipeline of prospective tech-savvy employees; engaging employees in developing market capacity building; and/or gaining access to new markets through better analytics and data science. MCC is also interested in concept notes from donors or foundations that emphasize African development and/or digital technology, youth, and livelihoods.

TECHNICAL AREA 5: HIGH FREQUENCY MONITORING DATA PARTNERSHIP

OPPORTUNITY

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) seeks technical recommendations and methodological guidance to improve its evidence gathering methods. Since its inception, MCC has been dedicated to the idea of rigorously evaluating every project. However, recently MCC has identified the need to collect higher quality monitoring data and, in many cases, higher frequency monitoring data. MCC’s approach to development assistance hinges on its smart and extensive use of evidence to inform investment decisions, guide program implementation strategies, and assess and learn from its investment experiences. The rapid expansion of new data gathering and analytic modalities promises to improve the utility of its evidence and/or reduce its costs. The adaptation of these new types of data to inform MCC’s evidence requirements will require a systematic assessment of both MCC’s needs for evidence, an ability to assess the capabilities and maturity of the newly emerging modalities, and an ability to inform MCC’s choice of cost-saving or results-improving modalities.

Some of the new modalities MCC has considered for high frequency data include (but are not limited to):

remote imaging; crowd-sourced data; smart-sensors; electricity and water grid meters; traffic counts and origin/destination checks using cameras; and continually updated, confidentiality protected administrative data. The key features sought with these modalities include embedded geospatial information, known and acceptable data quality descriptors, low marginal costs of expanding geographic or target population coverage, and low costs of repeated or temporally-continuous reporting.

MCC’s Data Needs and Current Limitations

MCC’s data collection activities serve multiple functions including:

- Informing the investment choices of MCC and partner countries;

- Monitoring and improving program implementation; and

- Evaluating the effectiveness of these investments to help inform future investment decisions.

These activities have relied on a variety of traditional evidence-gathering modalities; modalities that are often slow to adapt to new data gathering opportunities – for good and practical reasons. For example, impact evaluations typically rely on micro-level individual, household and establishment surveys to document relevant characteristics and conditions. While these microdata can provide critical insights to investment decisions and results, they can be costly.

MCC wants to better study key assumptions in our program logics and the causal chains that result in project impacts. Persistent, high frequency, consistently measured data enhance opportunities to more accurately model causal patterns of development constraints and investment impacts. This is especially true when key intermediate outcome measures are not stable over time or when more immediate outcomes have great bearing on the probably that we will be able to detect an effect through an impact evaluation.

For example, if teachers do not consistently attend and actively participate in trainings, we cannot expect to see a change in their pedagogy and thus in student learning outcomes. Or, if a project rehabilitates a water treatment plant expecting more water to get to customers, there should be high frequency monitoring of both rainfall and pressure in the pipes to ensure the supply of water is available to be treated and is getting to customers as would be expected.

New high frequency data gathering modalities provide opportunities to cost-effectively measure key program outcomes and provide valuable supplementary or alternative sources of evidence of program impacts. This sort of evidence will complement the rich micro-survey data, if it can reliably assess the observed micro-relationships affecting our projects.

MCC is looking for partners that can provide technical expertise and thought leadership on high frequency data gathering across multiple sectors. Partners should be able to provide guidance on the kinds of data that are feasible to collect; be able to collect the data or find additional partners that can collect the data; and provide analysis, as needed. All data should be in compliance with MCC’s open data guidelines. MCC is particularly interested in partnerships with research and academic institutions.

Pilot of this approach for the El Salvador Logistical Infrastructure Project

One page of the concept paper should be devoted to addressing the need for high frequency monitoring data for the Logistical Infrastructure Project (LIP) under the El Salvador Investment Compact . MCC needs to collect high frequency data for its upcoming evaluation of LIP, which includes the Coastal https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/guidance-evaluation-microdata-guidelines https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/guidance-evaluation-microdata-guidelines https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/el-salvador-investment-compact

Highway Expansive Activity (Activity 1), and the Border Crossing Infrastructure Activity (Activity

2). Activity 1 will finance expansion form two to four lanes of about 24 km between Zacatecoluca and the Comalapa Highway at the airport entrance and rehabilitate/improve about 3 km of the two lane segment connection between the Comalapa Highway and the intersection to La Libertad. Additionally, in conjunction with Activity 1 and it Compact Condition Precedent, MCC will work with GoES to improve long term sustainability of road maintenance. Activity 2 will rehabilitated and improve of a 5.74 km road from Agua Salada to El Amatillo; and, improve and modernize the border crossing facilities on the

Salvadoran side of the La Amistad Bridge and the site on the Pan American Highway.

The necessary high frequency data includes, but is not limited to, Daily Traffic Counts (DTCs), road roughness data, and Origin-Destination Surveys of vehicles traveling along the road.

TECHNICAL AREA 6: DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS IN SRI LANKA PARTNERSHIP

OPPORTUNITY

The MCC Sri Lanka Compact team seeks a partnership with a firm, research institution, NGO, or academic institution to collect and analyze data for policy research to aid in Compact design and inform

Compact monitoring and evaluation.

Sri Lanka was selected by MCC to develop a Compact in December 2016. The constraints analysis (CA), completed in February 2017, identified weaknesses in transport and logistics infrastructure and planning, and access to land as key binding constraints to growth in Sri Lanka. Using the CA as a guide, in May

2017 the MCC country team and GOSL conducted a root cause analysis to further unpack the issues related to transportation and land access; specifically:

Transportation: 1) bottlenecks resulting in traffic congestion in the Western Province and 2) the slow movement of people, goods, and services between the Western Province and other regions;

and

Land: the difficulty of the private sector in accessing land for commercial purposes.

Now entering the program design and due diligence phase, the MCC country team recognizes the need to quickly collect time-sensitive data to better understand both the transportation and land constraints. MCC seeks a partnership to collect and analyze multiple sources of data in Sri Lanka to inform decision making during program design, monitor program implementation, and aid an independent evaluation. In addition to guiding program design, MCC expects the partner’s research may be used to establish baselines, targets and/or other program milestones, inform real-time course corrections or other decision making, and possibly feed into a program evaluation.

An illustrative set of research questions for each sector are detailed below to give potential awardees a sense of the data gaps that MCC currently faces. Additional data collection, research questions, areas of focus, or geographic may be added as needed, in collaboration with the partner, to inform better project design.

MCC encourages applicants provide a SOW for transportation and land separately. MCC may choose to fund one or both SOWs. If applicants submit SOWs for both sectors, MCC is also interested in understanding where the two sectors overlap and what data could be used to better understand those synergies.

Illustrative Research Questions

Transportation:

Transportation Infrastructure & Use:

What public transit services are available in Sri Lanka? More specifically, what options are available in Colombo?

What are the characteristics of transit users in Western Province? Colombo?

What transportation mode(s) are passengers in Western Province currently using?

o Why are they choosing that transportation mode? (reliability, quality, trip duration, etc) o What factors would influence their decision to change modes?

o What are the socio-economic characteristics of passengers using different modes?

How does harassment on buses affect women’s modal choice and economic decisions?

What is the economic impact of passengers’ transit mode choices? (i.e. women’s participation in the work force)

How much are passengers of different modes willing to pay for public transportation? For improved public transportation options? For improved bus options?

Road infrastructure and use:

o What are the land use characteristics of key transportation corridors?

o What are the population characteristics of greater Colombo and Western Province?

o What are the economic characteristics of key road corridors?

o How do people and goods traffic move in greater Colombo (with special regard to the effects of congestion) and Western Province?

Land Access:

What is the demand for land and what information about land valuation is available?

o What is the current value of land with different characteristics?

o How can we measure current and changes in the value of land?

What is the search time and cost of other hurdles for investors to identify viable land for investment?

What is the number and duration of land disputes?

What is the current state of land tenure security and how can we measure changes in it?

o How can we measure the economic effects of improving land tenure security?

More information about Sri Lanka and compact development can be found on MCC's website.

MCC is looking for a partner to with experience in innovative data collection and analysis, preferably with expertise in either transportation, land, or both. MCC is looking for a team that can collect and analyze multiple types of data (including high frequency data) with machine learning and big data analytic techniques that are informed by socio-economic survey data to drive project design in the near term and project monitoring in the medium term. Experience in Sri Lanka is strongly preferred.

The partner should propose deliverables that answer the research questions listed in the problem statement. All deliverables produced should include the data with the associated analysis. All data should be in line with MCC’s open data guidelines.

OTHER TECHNICAL AREAS might be added later in the year.

https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/sri-lanka-compact https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/guidance-compact-development-guidance https://www.mcc.gov/resources/doc/guidance-evaluation-microdata-guidelines

3. MCC’s and PARTNERS’ RESPONSIBLITIES

MCC envisions relationships with partners as collaborative ones. In the interest of creating a successful and functional partnership, the following is a list of illustrative activities and responsibilities for MCC and for partner organizations. The exact nature of the responsibilities of each partner will be determined during discussions and/or negotiations leading to the formalization of the award.

After Phase I applications are be submitted for each phase, MCC may hold collaboration and co-creation design sessions with one or more of the partners who submitted applications; and any given design session(s) may include one of more of the partners who submitted applications participating concurrently at MCC’s invitation. The goal of these sessions will be to create an open space for idea sharing, partnering, and collaboration before MCC invites submission of complete applications in Phase II. More information will be provided in the amendments.

1. Examples of MCC Responsibilities

a) Provision of relevant personnel and expertise, as required for implementation of partnership

b) Collaboration in establishing annual work objectives and approval of an annual work plan;

c) Collaboration in assessing progress and identifying issues that arise which may impact the success of the project;

d) Approval of key personnel and any subsequent changes in the positions during the life of the award;

e) Collaboration on developing monitoring and evaluation standards;

f) Participation on advisory boards, management committees, etc.;

g) Collaboration on development of technical documents/publications;

h) Linkages to MCC Country Partners; and

i) Provision of agreed upon funding for partnership implementation.

2. Examples of Partner Responsibilities

a) Provision of relevant personnel, expertise and/or technology, as detailed in the application;

b) Participation on a management committee/advisory board overseeing the partnership;

c) Collaboration in establishing annual work objectives and work plans of the implementing partner(s);

d) Collaboration in assessing progress and identifying issues that arise which may impact the success of the project;

e) Provision and application of technical skills, knowledge, products or services;

f) Conducting ongoing assessment of progress and a final evaluation, and submitting annual reports according to the requirements outlined in the award;

g) Programmatic and financial reporting, including reporting on leverage contributions;

h) Coordination of communication; and

i) Provision of agreed upon leverage for partnership implementation.

V. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND KEY MILESTONES

A. Period of performance: Applicants may propose activities covering no more than five years from the date of award. The majority of awards period of performances will be one to three years, though some may be up to five years.

B. Anticipated Number of Awards and Funding Availability: Pending the availability of funding, MCC reserves the right to make multiple awards or no awards at all through this APS for each technical area. MCC reserves the right to fully or incrementally fund selected application(s) as well as to partially fund selected application(s). Issuance of this APS does not constitute an award commitment on the part of MCC, nor does it commit the MCC to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any application.

C. Type of Award(s): MCC anticipates funding Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and/or Fixed

Amount Awards as a result of this APS.

D. System for Award Management: Recipients must be registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) website (www.sam.gov) before they submit an application to MCC. Please see the information regarding registration below on page 31.

E. The competition will be conducted in two phases – Phase I Concept Paper submission, and

Phase II Complete Application. Submitted concept papers for Phase I will be reviewed based on the schedule in the cover letter. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a complete application for Phase II. Each Phase has a separate merit review criteria specified below. Please see more detailed two-step process in Sections D and E.

SECTION B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

MCC will issue Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and/or Fixed Amount Awards as the successful result of an evaluation process for each key technical program area, which is detailed in Sections D and E.

The applications will be evaluated in a two-step process review: Phase I Concept Paper submission, and

Phase II Complete Application. The number of awards will dependent upon the number of meritorious applications and availability of funding. Accordingly, MCC reserves the right to award none, one, or multiple awards as a result of its review of concept papers and subsequent full applications for each technical Partnership Opportunity.

I. PURPOSE OF AWARD

The principal purpose of the relationship with the Recipient under an assistance instrument is to transfer funds to accomplish a public purpose of implementing the MCC Partnerships as described in Section A.

The successful Recipient will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the Partnership tasks and the efficient and effective administration of the award through the application of sound management practices. The Recipient will assume responsibility for administering USG funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, activity objectives, and the terms and conditions of the USG Federal award.

The Recipient using its own unique combination of staff, facilities, and experience, has the primary responsibility for employing whatever form of sound organization and management techniques may be necessary in order to assure proper and efficient administration of the resulting award.

II. ESTIMATED FUNDING AND NUMBER OF AWARDS

MCC estimates that the program amount of funding associated with the implementation of the

Partnerships as described in Section A for each partnership opportunity is from $50,000 to $5,000,000

(federal funding) over a period of 12 to 60 months; though MCC may increase the funding amount for a given partnership opportunity depending on the U.S. Government’s need.

The estimated USG funding range for each /technical area is the following:

1. Growth Diagnostics and Economic Policy Reform - from $100,000 to $250,000.

2. Urban Economic and Social Context Analysis - from $100,000 to $200,000.

3. Agribusiness in Niger - from $50,000 to $500,000.

4. Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire - from $50,000 to

$300,000.

5. High Frequency Monitoring Data – from $200,000 - $400,000. The El Salvador Roads portion is an additional/separate $150,000 - $250,000.

6. Data Collection and Analysis in Sri Lanka - from $200,000 to $500,000.

Applicants may propose partnerships for all technical areas funded by private funds with no USG funds included.

Partnership application must provide cost share from 2-10% (See Section C.2), or matching funding up to

10%, or leverage funding with a ratio of 1:1 or higher.

After review of complete applications, MCC intends to:

• Award an application without negotiations;

• Award a portion of the application;

• Not to award an application.

MCC intends to award multiple grants, cooperative agreements, and fixed amount award pursuant to this

NOFO – and reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. The U.S. Government may make an award without negotiations. Therefore each application must contain the applicant’s best technical and financial terms when invited to participate at Phase II.

III. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND START DATE

The period of performance anticipated herein is the date of MCC’s Agreement Officer’s signature of the award. The entire total period of performance will depend upon the application submitted but cannot exceed five years.

IV. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

According to MCC’s Grants and Cooperative Agreements Manual, MCC will be substantially involved in the implementation of Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and/or Fixed-Amount Awards as described below:

• Approval of the Recipient's Implementation Plans. MCC will approve the annual budget, project monitoring and evaluation reports in accordance with 2 CFR 200.327, annual work plans, performance indicator data reports; monthly travel (domestic and international if needed); all other relevant outcomes/deliverables as noted in Section A of the Project Description; and planned and actual expenditures under the award in accordance with 2 CFR 200.328.

• Approval of Key Personnel.

• Agency and Recipient Collaboration or Joint Participation. All other aspects of the agreed-upon work plan, and notably:

a. Collaborative involvement in selection of technical advisory committee members. MCC together with the other members will participate as member in the committee. Technical advisory committees will only deal with technical or programmatic issues, and not routine administrative matters.

b. Approval of the Recipient's monitoring and evaluation plans.

c. Approval of subawards and subcontracts (if any).

d. MCC monitoring to permit specific direction or redirection because of interrelationships with other projects and MCC Compacts.

SECTION C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

I. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible as an Applicant under this NOFO, an organization must be a Non-USG Federal Entity per 2

CFR 200.69 (Non-Federal entity means a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), or nonprofit organization that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or sub-recipient).

MCC welcomes applications from many types of organizations including U.S. and non-U.S. private businesses, business and trade associations, foundations, U.S. and non-U.S. Non-Governmental

Organizations (NGOs), international organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. colleges and universities, civic groups, regional organizations, etc. All applicants must be legally recognized organizational entities under applicable law.

An individual cannot apply as an applicant.

Other U.S. Government departments and agencies may not apply for MCC funding under this

APS. Host…