Program Cycle Activity RFI 7200AA24RFI00016.pdf

MARKET RESEARCH Purposes only

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:

Reference Number: 7200AA24RFI00016 US Agency for International Development

Office: USAID/PLR Location: Washington, DC Notice Type: Request for Information Posted Date: April 22, 2024 Responses Due By: May 3, 2024

Send Responses To: dewalker@usaid.gov with the Subject Line:

Response to the Request for Information USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract

Subject: “MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY”

Title: RFI USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract

Questions: USAID welcomes questions. USAID reserves the right not to respond to questions

Dear Interested Parties, The U.S Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management (USAID/PLR) is issuing this Request for Information to provide comments, opinions, and recommendations and demonstrate capacity on the approaches for the information in the document below.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code applicable to this notice has been determined to be 541611. This RFI is a preliminary call for expressions of interest to provide services for the activity currently titled “USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract.” This is NOT a solicitation for work or a request for proposals, proposal abstracts, or

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract mailto:dewalker@usaid.gov quotations, and shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of USAID.

This RFI is structured with background information about the expected objectives and illustrative activities of the USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract, then questions, and finally details on how to respond with a capabilities statement. Interested organizations are encouraged to identify their interest and capability to respond to the objectives and capability statement requirements described below and by responding to the questions.

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

USAID will not pay respondents for any information provided in response to this RFI. Issuance of this RFI does not constitute a commitment on the part of the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award, or to be responsible for any costs associated with responses to this RFI. Any future solicitations of funding opportunities will be announced on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.sam.gov or at www.grants.gov at a later date. Please note that issuance of this RFI does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

Government, nor will it give an advantage to any organization in a subsequent procurement.

This document is to obtain information on the possible activity only. There will be no responses to any questions submitted in response to this request, and any such submission will be held confidential. Proprietary information should not be sent.

Responses must be in writing and shall adhere to the instructions as outlined below.

Submission Instructions and Response Format:

Interested parties are invited to submit an electronic copy of your response in Microsoft Word as a single email attachment to: dewalker@usaid.gov, with copies to tsavage@usaid.gov and hrisley@ usaid.gov. The email subject line must contain the following, “ Contractor Name - Response to RFI #7200AA24RFI00016 for the USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract” in order to ensure consideration. Please submit your response via email by May 3, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST.

Responses must be in English, no more than five (5) pages in length (not including cover page, references, and tables/charts) total typed, 11-point Times New Roman font, single-spaced with one-inch margins on the electronic equivalent of 8.5 x 11-inch paper, with each page numbered consecutively. Submission via email is required; phone calls or hard copy delivery will not be accepted.

The submission must be in English.

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 2 http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:dewalker@usaid.gov

Please do not submit applications, proposals, or resumes as they will be discarded. USAID reserves the right not to respond to any questions or comments submitted on behalf of this posting. Capability statements will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date.

Phone calls and hard copy responses will not be entertained. Responses must be received no later than the closing date and time indicated above. You will only receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response but will not receive individualized feedback on any suggestions. No basis for the claims against the U.S. Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the Government’s use of such information. Thank you for your interest in USAID’s activities.

Sincerely, Nayo Tolbert Contracting Officer

M/OAA/IPI2

Attachment 1: Summary or Draft Statement of Work Attachment 2: Questions for Respondent

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 3

ATTACHMENT 1: SUMMARY OR DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK

PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract will be to strengthen Program Cycle (PC) practices, including the integration of Agency priorities, based on continuous learning. This contract will support the USAID Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management (PLR), USAID Missions, and, and USAID/Washington Bureaus and independent offices (B/IOs). The contract has four objectives in support of this purpose:

● Support PLR, missions and other USAID operating units to apply PC good practices, as codified in ADS 201 and Agency-produced Additional Help and How-To guidance, through capacity building activities and direct technical assistance

● Generate and share evidence, good practices and lessons learned related to PC implementation to foster continuous learning among Agency staff and partners

● Support peer-to-peer learning across networks of stakeholders that share responsibility for instituting PC practices and Agency priorities

● Enable PLR to effectively lead on key initiatives by providing backbone support to working groups, secretariats, and other multi-stakeholder collaboration structures

BACKGROUND

The Bureau for Planning, Learning and Resource Management

PLR enhances USAID leadership and program effectiveness by setting a coherent development policy agenda for the Agency and facilitating evidence-based programming that unites USAID and its partners around a common vision for achieving development goals. In support of U.S.

national security and foreign policy objectives, PLR defines and coordinates U.S. development and humanitarian policy with our internal and external stakeholders, and shapes policy to support USAID’s elevated role at the National Security Council. PLR also leads USAID engagement with bilateral donors and multilateral organizations to influence global international development policies, standards and best practices.

As USAID’s lead for program planning, PLR strengthens the Agency's capacity to develop and implement evidence-based and innovative programming. PLR promotes a culture of learning and adaptive management to improve USAID’s impact, inform decision-making, and ensure efficient use of foreign assistance resources. Finally, PLR serves as the technical and operational home to more than 350 career Foreign Service Program Officers and builds the capacity of Agency Contract and Agreement Officer Representatives to enhance USAID’s programmatic results. The PLR Bureau consists of the Office of the Assistant to the Administrator and six line offices (Program; Policy Implementation and Analytics; Development Cooperation; Strategic & Program

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 4

Planning; Learning, Evaluation & Research; and Budget and Resource Management).

1. Office of the Assistant to the Administrator (PLR/AtA): Serves as the principal advisor to the Agency and the Administrator on developing and implementing Agency strategy, planning, resource management, donor coordination, and learning and evaluation essential to the Agency’s mission. AtA/PLR houses the AtA and four Deputy Assistant Administrators whose primary responsibilities include maintaining strong linkages among the PLR offices, the Office of Policy, Office of the Chief Economist, and other USAID operating units and external partners. AtA/PLR also promotes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) principles into the Bureau’s policies and practices and supports the Bureau’s DEIA Committee. PLR’s Communications Team also sits in this office.

2. Program Office (PLR/PO): Facilitates and provides cohesion and guidance to the priorities of PPL through programmatic, administrative and financial management, and serves as the technical and operational home of the Agency’s Program Officers. These functions include, but are not limited to the facilitation of assignments for current and new Foreign Service Program Officers, and support for the professional development and training of Program Office staff worldwide.

3. Policy Implementation and Analytics Office (PLR/PIA): Guides the formulation, implementation, revision, and retirement of the Agency’s development and humanitarian policies, and is responsive to emerging international development and foreign policy issues.

4. Donor Cooperation Office (PLR/DC): Facilitates the Agency’s engagement with bilateral and multilateral donors, reports official USG development assistance statistics and advances international development cooperation policy coherence and USAID priorities within the international arena.

5. Strategy and Program Planning Office (PLR/SPP): Leads the Agency in institutionalizing an iterative and adaptive planning process that supports USAID operating units in designing, implementing, assessing and adjusting country strategies and activities based on the best available information to achieve and sustain results.

6. Learning, Evaluation and Research Office (PLR/LER): Supports the Agency's transformation into a learning organization that captures and disseminates knowledge gained from experience, builds Agency staff capacity to generate information and evidence through monitoring and evaluation for what does and

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 5 does not work in development and to use evidence to guide program and policy decisions.

7. Budget and Resource Management (PLR/BRM): Leads all aspects of USAID’s program resource processes and budget capabilities that prioritize investments and are informed by policy priorities and anticipated impacts.

PLR Staffing

PLR is staffed through a variety of direct and non-direct hire employment mechanisms, including U.S. Government Civil Service (CS), Foreign Service (FS), Foreign Service Limited (FSL), Political Appointee, U.S. Personal Services Contractor (PSC), and Institutional Support Contracts (ISC).

Together there are currently 182 personnel.

USAID Program Cycle

The Program Cycle is USAID’s operational model for planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming in a given region, sector or country to advance U.S. foreign policy. It encompasses guidance and procedures for:

● Making strategic decisions about programmatic areas of focus and associated resources;

● Designing projects and associated activities to implement strategic plans; and

● Learning from performance monitoring, evaluations, and other relevant sources of information to make course corrections as needed and inform future programming.

PLR’s current Program Cycle Support Mechanism provides expert technical support and advisory services in strategy program planning and implementation; program monitoring; evaluation; and collaborating, learning, and adapting. The mechanism develops and disseminates new and innovative tools and guidance, delivers training and workshops, supports internal and external web-based knowledge management platforms, and places subject matter experts to serve as change agents around issues relevant to USAID’s Program Cycle across the Agency. The mechanism is scheduled to end in 2025.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Among other solutions, this contract aims to provide technical services to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of USAID interventions in order to achieve lasting development outcomes by building Agency capacity to implement the Program Cycle effectively and cohesively.

For the purposes of this new activity, USAID intends to communicate a broad interpretation of what work may fall under the Program Cycle umbrella. In addition to work that would fall under the explicitly

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 6 referenced phases of the Program Cycle (Strategy, Project/Activity Design/Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting) as well as Development Policy, Budget and Resources, Program Cycle support also includes other efforts that directly strengthen Program Cycle implementation. Examples of these efforts include systems thinking, Government-to-Government (G2G) programming, capacity building for AORs and CORs, the Agency Learning Agenda, donor coordination, and strengthening evidence use overall. For more detail on the Program Cycle, please refer to Program Cycle Operational Policy contained in ADS Chapter 201.The proposed USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network will:

● Support PLR, missions and other USAID operating units to apply PC good practices, as codified in ADS 201 and Agency-produced Additional Help and How-To guidance, through capacity building activities and direct technical assistance

● Generate and share evidence, good practices and lessons learned related to PC implementation to foster continuous learning among Agency staff and partners

● Support peer-to-peer learning across networks of stakeholders that share responsibility for instituting PC practices and Agency priorities

● Enable PLR to effectively lead on key initiatives by providing backbone support to working groups, secretariats, and other multi-stakeholder collaboration structures

Illustrative tasks this new activity may undertake include:

● Develop Program Cycle related guidance and tools based on new learning and changes in context

● Provide virtual and in-person facilitation and event/workshop support related to Program Cycle activities

● Develop and support technology solutions to manage knowledge around the Program Cycle and support evidence use

● Support policy reviews, policy implementation assessments, and development of white papers/technical briefs

● Manage a network of Program Cycle subject matter experts that can provide short (ex. 1 week) and medium-term (ex. 6-18 months) technical assistance to USAID missions and other operating units, and ensure that learning is shared back with PLR

● Manage a network of facilitators who have a background in Program Cycle processes, with a particular emphasis on Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) approaches, who can respond to short turnaround requests from Missions

● Support Missions to evaluate, prioritize, and incorporate appropriate Agency priorities and initiatives throughout the Program Cycle

● Support different parts of the Agency in strategic communications and outreach, both internally and externally, including translation support for products and graphic design

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 7 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/201.pdf

● Enable PLR offices and teams to lead by supporting new collaboration structures, learning across offices, and adaptive management of strategic initiatives

● Provide basic analytical support to different parts of the Agency to inform new Program Cycle products, policy initiatives or overall PLR bureau or office strategic planning

USAID anticipates a total estimated cost of approximately $90 to $95 million for this contract over a 5-year period.

SPACE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 8

ATTACHMENT 2: QUESTIONS FOR RESPONDENTS

Through this RFI, PLR seeks information and feedback as outlined in the questions below.

1) What is your organization’s experience incorporating AI technology into development and/or humanitarian assistance capacity strengthening activities related to aspects of the Program Cycle?

2) How would your organization effectively incorporate USAID’s localization-related priorities into this award? What opportunities do you see to integrate local organizations, such as private sector companies and/or universities, into implementation?

3) Also regarding localization, how would your organization approach supporting USAID’s integration of locally led development into our programming through technical assistance? Examples of potential needs of localization integration into Program Cycle processes may include supporting PLR and/or Missions’ ability to institutionalize locally led development principles in strategic planning and country strategy development, activity design and implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes.

4) What management structure, including some key roles, would you suggest enabling activity-wide learning and innovation while implementing a broad range of tasks across the Agency, including the need to respond to the likely event of changing political priorities?

5) What would be your organization’s approach to addressing short-term staffing requests (ex. a week of LOE for facilitation services) from multiple OUs, while balancing longer-term technical assistance requests (ex. up to 18 months of LOE for a combination of services)?

6) How would your organization approach learning from all of the Program Cycle related activities, and communicate that learning back to the client to ensure adaptive management throughout the award?

7) How would your organization ensure a collaborative management approach to this contract that is adaptable to USAID’s priorities and new initiatives as they evolve over time?

RFI # 7200AA24RFI00014 - USAID/PLR Program Cycle Support Network Contract 9

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES