RFI-263-21-00002 Osra Activity.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RFI-263-21-00002

Osra (Family) Activity

Issuance Date: April 15, 2021 Response Due Date: April 29, 2021 Response E-mail Address: sbiblawy@usaid.gov

To All Development and Private Sector Partners and Members of the Development Community

The United States Agency for International Development in Cairo, Egypt (USAID/Egypt) seeks to improve family health outcomes for all Egyptian families by increasing the use of quality voluntary family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) services and empowering women.

The design, USAID/Egypt Osra (Family) Activity, will support and contribute to the Government of Egypt’s (GOE) National Population Strategy (NPS) 2015-2030 and the three-year National Program to Plan Population Growth (2021-2023). The potential program will strengthen high impact practices in family planning and incorporate innovative, promising approaches to improve family health outcomes.

The Mission will jointly work with the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), the National Population Council (NPC), and potentially other Ministries in a multi-sectoral endeavor to support the achievement of the NPS milestones.

This Request for Information (RFI) aims to provide public information to parties interested in USAID’s support in Egypt as well as to collect suggestions, recommendations, concrete examples, and evidence to advance the Mission’s efforts in the FP/RH sector.

The RFI is issued solely for informational and planning purposes. – it does not constitute a request for proposal or application, nor promise to issue a future solicitation. This RFI does not commit the U.S.

Government to procure any supply or service. Further, USAID/Egypt is not seeking proposals or applications at this time. Interested parties are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any costs associated with responding to this RFI. Responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to any organization in any subsequent procurement.

If a future solicitation is issued, it will be announced on one of two U.S. government sites (www.grants.gov or beta.sam.gov) depending on the type of instrument selected. All interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately, if applicable, from any response to this announcement.

mailto:sbiblawy@usaid.gov http://www.grants.gov/

We welcome feedback on the attached Osra (Family) Activity Overview, and in particular, we appreciate any perspectives or insights on some or all of the following questions. Please note that you do not have to answer all questions.

1. Describe how this Activity can incentivize the private sector (profit and non-profit) to play a greater role in voluntary FP/RH in Egypt.

2. Provide examples of relevant health interventions that have produced positive and sustainable family health outcomes which could be integrated in this Activity.

3. Given the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)’s current digital environment, describe any innovative digital health advances this potential activity could adapt and employ to improve uptake of quality voluntary FP/RH services and bolster family health outcomes.

4. The goal of the Osra activity is to improve family health outcomes, particularly in FP/RH.

Explain what health systems the Activity should prioritize in order to achieve this goal.

5. Explain how digitization would help the Activity to strengthen critical health systems ensuring interoperability.

6. Provide examples of successful women’s empowerment interventions in the MENA region which could be adapted to the Egyptian context to improve family health outcomes. As applicable please:

● Describe how harmful practices can be addressed successfully.

● Explain how this activity could link with current employment and financial empowerment interventions to improve women’s health outcomes.

● Explain approaches or strategies to more deeply engage men and other key influencers to increase the use of voluntary FP/RH services.

7. As Egypt continues to address the primary and secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, explain what promising interventions and models may be employed to strengthen voluntary FP/RH service delivery.

8. To expand demand for voluntary FP/RH services, this potential activity aims to scale up promising and high impact practices. Describe interventions that the Activity could adapt, replicate, and scale up in the Egypt context.

9. Describe approaches to bolster health care professionals’ knowledge and practical competencies in FP/RH to deliver quality, updated, and safe family services.

10. The current number of physicians and nurses is insufficient to staff health care facilities and centers throughout Egypt. Describe successful models and interventions that the Activity could adapt to address the shortage of health care professionals.

11. Provide proven examples of innovative interventions used to engender a conducive environment for priority populations to adopt healthy and safer FP/RH practices.

12. Describe how voluntary FP/RH programming can collaborate and/or create partnerships with other sectors to maximize impact in family health.

Please send all responses to this RFI via email to Sherry Biblawy at sbiblawy@usaid.gov by the date indicated above with the subject “RFI-263-21-00002 Osra Activity”. Responses must be limited to seven (7) pages and include the organization’s name, address, point of contact, and e-mail address. You will receive a confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, but will not receive feedback on any comments or suggestions.

Thank you for your assistance and valuable feedback to USAID.

Sincerely, /s/

Justin Gunnoe Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/Egypt

Attachment: I - USAID/Egypt Osra (Family) Activity Overview

II- Osra (Family) Activity Results Framework mailto:sbiblawy@usaid.gov

Attachment 1: Osra (Family) Activity Overview

A. Background: Population and Family Planning in Egypt

Between 1976 and 2008, Egypt achieved significant success in reducing the total fertility rate (TFR) from

5.6 to 3.0 and in increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) from 18.8 percent to 60.3. However, the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) documented a precipitous increase in the TFR from 3.0 in 2008 to 3.5 in 2014, an unprecedented reversal not seen in other countries worldwide. In 2020, Egypt’s population reached over 100 million1. If current fertility trends continue, the annual number of births would more than double from today’s levels, increasing to 5.6 million per year by 2040 and resulting in a total population of 170 million. The impact of this rapid population growth is reflected in Egypt’s economic and social sectors and places tremendous strain on limited natural resources such as water and arable land, significantly hindering the country’s ability to achieve social and economic progress and political stability.

B. Current Context: Egypt’s National Population Strategy

The GOE renewed its official commitment to family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) through its National Population Strategy (NPS) 2015 – 2030 and appointing a Deputy Minister to oversee its implementation. The NPS seeks to find a balance between population and development through an inter-sectoral framework and an implementation plan to guide governmental and non-governmental interventions. The target is to reduce fertility rates from 3.5 children per women in 2017 to 2.4 children in 2032 and to 1.9 children in 2052 by concentrating on four overarching pillars: Reproductive Health and Family Planning; Youth Development; Girls’ Education: and Women’s empowerment.

Political will is high as evidenced by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi’s recent speeches, one of which promoted two children per family2. The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Hala Al- Said, announced that the “National Program to Plan Population Growth (2021-2023)” to support the NPS is a family planning program involving numerous ministries in implementing four key measures: (1) Raise income of women (18-45 years of age) with productive small-scale projects; (2) Offer free family planning services particularly in rural areas; (3) Sensitize Egyptians about the adverse impact of over-population; and (4) Enact legislation to address harmful practices such as early marriage and child labor.3 Details of the Plan were still underway during the drafting of the RFI.

1 The World Bank 2019. November 2020.

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=EG 2 Ahramoline. February 16, 2021. http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/404165/Egypt/0/An-annual-population-growth-rate-of-,-would-allow-.aspx 3 Ahramonline. February 25, 2021. http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1201/404731/AlAhram-Weekly/Egypt/Family-planning-in- Egypt-to-the-fore.aspx http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/404165/Egypt/0/An-annual-population-growth-rate-of-,-would-allow-.aspx http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/404165/Egypt/0/An-annual-population-growth-rate-of-,-would-allow-.aspx http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1201/404731/AlAhram-Weekly/Egypt/Family-planning-in-Egypt-to-the-fore.aspx http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/50/1201/404731/AlAhram-Weekly/Egypt/Family-planning-in-Egypt-to-the-fore.aspx

USAID/Egypt has invested over $370 million in the FP/RH sector since over the last 30 years, contributing to the country’s reduction in the total fertility rate and in infant, child and maternal mortality, and an increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate. Current USAID activities focus on improving quality in FP/RH service delivery, increasing demand for voluntary contraceptive use, and enhancing data systems and use for targeted planning, decision-making and to inform policies. Concurrently, partnerships with the private sector are being forged to sensitize factory workers about FP/RH and providing referrals and linkages to seek services.

C. USAID/Egypt Osra (Family) Activity

The Mission seeks to expand the family planning and reproductive health through the Osra (Family) Activity with involvement from and in consultation with the MOHP. This expansion arrives at an opportune time, coinciding with the Mission’s “Country Development Cooperation Strategy, 2020-2025” and the GOE’s “The National Program to Plan Population Growth (2021-2023)” that will be jointly implemented by different governmental stakeholders.

In striving to take a more comprehensive approach to voluntary FP/RH, the Osra (Family) design may consider integrating other health technical areas such as MNCH, immunization, nutrition, and WASH with FP/RH interventions to increase impact. Scaling up promising FP/RH local practices will be considered such as private sector engagement to expand industry’s role in quality service delivery while also exploring innovative digital health opportunities to improve Egyptian’s access to quality FP/RH services. The Activity may further include strengthening key health systems in data management and human resources for health (HRH) to build the capacity of health care professionals. Finally, pivotal to meeting the GOE’s NPS goals and objectives, elements of women’s empowerment may be weaved through the Osra (Family) Activity.

Attachment II: Osra (Family) Activity Results Framework

Family Health Outcomes Improved

Women Empowered to improve FP/RH outcomes

1. Access to FP/RH services increased

3. Demand for FP/RH increased

Uptake of Family Planning Services Increased

Cross-cu�ng theme: Digital Health

Cross-cu�ng theme: Private Sector Engagement

Goal

Result

2. Quality of FP/RH services improved

IR

5. Women's participation in decision making increased

6. Attitude, knowledge, and behaviors promoting the prevention of VAW increased

4. Health Systems

Strengthened