RFI 72049720RFI00002 Teman LPDP.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Date of Issuance: September 11, 2020

Reference No.: 72049720RFI00002

Preliminary Activity Title: TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO

INDONESIAN LPDP SCHOLARSHIP

Deadline to Submit Responses: September 30, 2020; 8:00 am, Jakarta local time

Submit Responses to: proposals-indo@usaid.gov

Dear Interested Parties:

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to collect written information about an activity with the preliminary title of “Technical and Management Support to Indonesian LPDP Scholarship (Teman LPDP)” in which USAID seeks to strengthen management of the National Scholarship Program of the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (Lembaga Penjamin Dana Pendidikan/LPDP), as further described in Attachment 1.

Attachment 2 provides a list of inquiries for which any US or non-US organization may provide comments. This is an RFI, not a Request for Application (RFA) or Request for Proposal (RFP).

Do not submit any applications at this time; only the information requested in this RFI will be reviewed. Responses will be treated as confidential. USAID may revise the structure and concept of the activity based on comments received but is not obligated to do so. Please further note that organizations are not required to respond to this RFI. A solicitation is expected to be released in late 2020.

At this time, a decision has not been finalized as to whether the instrument type will be acquisition or assistance. Therefore, this RFI is being posted on both grants.gov and beta.sam.gov.

USAID currently anticipates that it may restrict eligibility/competition to entities that satisfy the following criteria:

1. Local Entities, which means a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:

(a) is legally organized under the laws of;

(b) has as its principal place of business or operations in;

(c) is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of; and (d) managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a country receiving assistance from funds appropriated under title III of this Act;

OR

RFI No. 72049720RFI00002 USAID Indonesia

2. Organizations that have received less than $25 million in USAID funding, at any tier, over the past five years.

USAID requests US and non-US organizations that meet the above criteria to submit a capabilities statement in response to the request set forth in Attachment 3. The information provided will be used to help identify whether there are adequate local, new or underutilized entities that possess the capability to provide the technical assistance described in Attachment

1. No final decision regarding limiting eligibility/competition has been made.

All responses should be sent using the cover page that is part of Attachment 2 - Response Form to this RFI. All comments must be submitted electronically via email to proposals-indo@usaid.gov with the subject of “RFI: USAID Teman LPDP” no later than the date/time stated above.

Please note that release of this RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S.

Government to issue any notice of funding opportunity or solicitation or ultimately award on the basis of this RFI. USAID is not responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this RFI nor will funding be made available prior to any award. Respondents are responsible for all costs incurred prior to award.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Indonesia’s programs and we look forward to your comments.

Sincerely, Alexis McGinness Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/Indonesia

Attachments:

1. Activity Description

2. Cover Sheet and Questions

3. Capability Statement

Attachment 1 - Activity Description

Preliminary Activity Title: TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO

INDONESIAN LPDP SCHOLARSHIP (TEMAN

LPDP)

Activity Purpose: To strengthen management of the National Scholarship Program of the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (Lembaga Penjamin Dana Pendidikan/LPDP)

Geographic Locations: Indonesia – National and USAID/Indonesia CDCS Priority Provinces1

Period of Performance: Five years Anticipated Funding: USD 4-5 million Instrument Type: TBD

I. Background and Context

The Government of Indonesia (GoI)’s current Midterm National Development Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional, or RPJMN, 2020-2024) places a high priority on increasing both the quality and competitiveness of the country’s human resources. It also calls for increased participation in higher education to fast-track the nation’s progress in creating a high-quality and productive workforce (RPJMN Technocratic Plan 2020-2024). Higher education will play a great role in achieving this through promoting innovation and technology and LPDP supports a range of fields from science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), arts and social sciences. The provision of scholarships, particularly at the graduate level, is one way to achieve this.

Through the Decree of the Minister of Finance (KMK) Number 18 / KMK.05 / 2012 dated January 30, 2012, the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (Lembaga Penjamin Dana Pendidikan/LPDP) was designated as a government Public Service Agency. Since then, the LPDP, as Indonesia's primary scholarship provider, has supported approximately 20,000 young Indonesians to become better equipped to participate in the advancement of Indonesian development. At the same time, USAID has proven to be one of the strongest scholarship’s players in Indonesia. Over the last couple of years, LPDP has shown interest in collaborating with USAID and has requested technical assistance to improve the management of its program.

LPDP has grown from a $100 million fund to almost $5 billion without a significant increase in staff and has asked USAID to help the fund improve its support to scholarship recipients. In 2017 only, LPDP budgeted $184 million to recruit 6,000 candidates with the actual recruited candidates less than 30% in 2018. USAID/Indonesia’s planned response represents an innovative departure from its usual practice of providing scholarships in moving towards building the self-reliant capacity of Indonesian institutions to do so on their own. It leverages the

1 As stated in USAID/Indonesia's Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2021-2025, which is part of a recent bilateral agreement with the Government of Indonesia/the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), USAID will concentrate and integrate at least two-thirds of CDCS funding for national level policy work in eight priority provinces, including Banten, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Jakarta Special District, North Sumatra, Papua, South Sulawesi, and West Kalimantan.

achievements of previous efforts, such as the PRESTASI program, which has established best practices in scholarship support, including a strong application process and pre-departure orientation, monitoring of scholars and scholarship effectiveness, and linkages with U.S.

universities.

Working directly with LPDP presents an important opportunity to increase the number of Indonesian students studying graduate programs in the U.S., with the majority of the costs being paid by the Indonesian government. Indonesia once ranked among the top 10 countries with the largest number of students in the United States: In 2001, the U.S. was the leading destination for Indonesian students interested in studying abroad. In the years since, these numbers have dropped, while other locations have become more popular. According to a 2019 Open Door report by the Institute for International Education (IIE), 8,356 Indonesian students are studying in the U.S., compared to more than 15,000 students in China, with the latter number expected to grow as the Chinese government plans to provide more scholarships for Indonesians to study masters and PhD degrees. Working with LPDP will thus also be an opportunity for USAID/Indonesia to re-invigorate the interest of young Indonesians to study in the U.S. Based on previous experience, Indonesian youth who study in the U.S. apply and share newly acquired skills, knowledge, and perceptions at their places of work, and with the broader community, and will be more likely to assume future leadership positions. First-hand exposure to U.S. institutions, laws, and norms have also been shown to promote tolerance and nurture appreciation of diversity.

II. Problem Statement

While Indonesia allocates 20 percent of its annual budget to education, youth participation in higher education, particularly for graduate programs, continues to be low compared to its closest neighbors, such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. Furthermore, the quality of Indonesian higher education is comparatively low (Sutrisno, 2019). To help address these challenges, LPDP provides opportunities for Indonesians to obtain higher degrees to prepare them as future leaders and professionals.

In 2018, LPDP set a target to provide scholarships for 4,000 students, with 35% of those students studying overseas, including in the United States. Despite this, the United States ranks only fifth in the number of scholarships sponsored by LPDP after the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands. A USAID scholarship assessment attributes this low rank to LPDP’s stricter process for U.S. universities, difficult entrance tests requirements, and long period in completing doctoral programs. Last year in 2019, there were 196 students who started studying in the United States.

According to its 2018 annual report, LPDP reached less than 50% of its target that year, selecting only 1,789 students through two batches of selection processes, with the following breakdown: in-country 964 students and 825 awardees for overseas scholarships, including in the United States. LPDP thus recognizes the challenges it faces in its management, including candidate recruitment and selection, pre-academic preparation, and monitoring of students.

Furthermore, it needs a stronger strategic approach to recruit more candidates and reach wider target audiences, for example to increase the number of candidates from Eastern Indonesia.

USAID’s 2019 scholarship assessment further finds that the program could afford to invest in these improvements utilizing its underspent funds.

In 2018 LPDP did not support any scholarships to China though encouraged graduates to study in the country. Meanwhile, the post-graduate programs offered by the Chinese government have grown ten fold compared to last year. In 2019, Indonesian students received 820 scholarships, including 380 students for masters and PhDs and the remainder for vocational programs and short-term training. In 2020, the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta announced that the People’s Republic of China would sponsor 3,000 scholarships for Indonesians to study in China for masters and PhDs degrees, and 600 scholarships for vocational and technical studies and 1,500 for short-term training opportunities.

In contrast, scholarship searchers/recipients report difficulty enrolling in U.S. universities due to the limited information on graduate program options and their application processes. Moreover, LPDP scholarships have required candidates to enroll only at top tier U.S. universities, despite strong options being offered by other U.S. universities. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, through the Public Affairs Section, has been advocating that LPDP consider other accredited universities with strong graduate programs/fields, without success. The justification for choosing U.S.

universities, and the criteria, for expanding the approved list is unclear. Working with the EducationUSA and with some staff members having an office within LPDP compound will increase the activity to advocate more intensively.

III. Development Hypothesis (Theory of Change)

If LPDP, as the national scholarship provider, improves the management of its selection, recruitment, pre-academic preparation, and student monitoring; and if its targets for selecting candidates can be fulfilled so that more young Indonesians are able to obtain higher education at high-quality U.S. universities; and if scholarship opportunities are made available to a wider population in Indonesia, then Indonesia will benefit from a greater pool of qualified and skilled graduate degree holders, increasing Indonesian competitiveness.

The theory of change assumes that the U.S. will grant student visas, that international travel will not be inhibited by COVID-19 in the longer term, that Indonesian students will be increasingly interested in studying in the U.S., and that they will return to Indonesia to serve their communities and their country using their new knowledge. HCP will engage in rigorous collaborating, learning, and adapting strategy to ensure that the activity can respond to contextual changes.

IV. Goal and Objectives

The Technical and Management Support to Indonesian LPDP Scholarship (TEMAN LPDP) activity will increase the number of Indonesians successfully completing U.S. graduate programs by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of LPDP. This will increase the pool of skilled Indonesians, enhance the country’s workforce productivity, stronger research in STEM related fields and propel its economic growth.

The objectives of TEMAN LPDP are to:

1) Strengthen LPDP's ability to meet and exceed student recruitment targets for masters and

PhD programs in U.S. universities.

2) Enhance the ability and sustainability of LPDP's student support services pre- and post-departure.

3) Foster the development and sustainability of LPDP’s university and student networks.

V. Relationship to Mission CDCS and ICS

USAID’s CDCS goal - “Indonesia is an advanced, just, prosperous, and self-reliant Indo-Pacific partner” - centers on Indonesia’s own self-reliance goal for the GOI’s medium-term development plan (RPJMN 2020-2024). The CDCS includes USAID’s intention of Redefining the Relationship with the GOI by fostering and advancing Indonesian-led development outcomes. The proposed activity follows this priority by providing technical assistance to support LPDP in achieving Indonesia-owned and sustained results, and strengthening host country capacities, in alignment with the GOI priority on Improving the Quality and Competitive Human Resources.

The activity will support the CDCS Development Objective 2: Inclusive Economic Growth Increased, Intermediate Result (1R) 2.1 Workforce Productivity Increased, and Sub IR 2.1.1 Access to Quality, Global Standard University Strengthened. Assisting LPDP to better meet its targets in recruiting students and managing its scholarship program will increase the number of participating students and provide the opportunity for more Indonesians to access quality education and global standard universities worldwide, including in the United States. A more skilled youth population will increase workforce productivity and enable the country’s youth to compete more broadly not only in Indonesia but also in the Asia Pacific region.

VI. Activity Description

The proposed activity will provide technical assistance to the LPDP scholarship program to strengthen its management capacity in candidate selection and recruitment, pre-academic preparation, and monitoring and evaluation. This will include:

• Embedding an office within the LPDP compound, which will work with LPDP staff and have direct contact with selected candidates; respond to questions on U.S. universities, admission processes, test requirements; and develop study objectives.

• Developing and transferring/handing over graduate preparation test courses (e.g. Graduate Record Examinations [GRE]) to increase the likelihood of candidate acceptance to U.S.

universities.

• Strengthening pre-academic preparation to facilitate cultural and adaptation learning for candidates, covering topics such as academic life, opening bank accounts, staying healthy while overseas, and American customs and cultures.

• Supporting LPDP staff member/s or Indonesian Embassy officials as advisors to help Indonesian students with international students offices, health care systems, U.S. insurance, etc.

• Enhancing monitoring and evaluation of students through periodic site visits, email communication, and/or virtual meeting with students and advisors, and developing and transferring to LPDP impact assessment models.

• Building on ongoing collaboration between EducationUSA and LPDP, including yearly education fairs to expand LPDP’s university network and developing and transferring a network of LPDP alumni from U.S. universities associated with EducationUSA.

• Cultivating a pool of U.S. university admissions advisors among LPDP staff to facilitate the admissions process in the future.

• Fostering a university network among universities included in the LPDP list, to help students better understand university requirements, increase acceptance rates, and advocate for deserving graduate programs be added to the LPDP scholarship list.

At the end of five years, USAID expects:

• Improved management of LPDP in recruiting,selecting, and supporting Indonesian students to study in U.S. universities.

• Strengthened and broadened LPDP relationships with U.S. universities and alumni network.

• Increased number of future Indonesian leaders holding master’s and PhD degrees from U.S.

universities, the target is approximately 250 students per year.

• Expanded pool of Indonesian youth who will share their new knowledge and skills in their workplaces and communities to increase their productivity.

Illustrative indicators may include:

• Number of candidates awarded LPDP scholarships to study in the United States.

• Number of students receiving LPDP pre-departure assistance.

• Number of U.S. universities participating in the LPDP network.

[End of Attachment 1]

Attachment 2 – Response Form

RESPONSE FORM

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NO. 72049720RFI00002

General Information

Name of Organization: _______________________________________________

Contact Person:

Name: _______________________________________________ Position Title: _______________________________________________ Email Address: _______________________________________________

Type of Organization:

US Organization, Large Business

US Organization, Small Business

Indonesian Organization

Other - Please indicate: _________________________________

Questions (Please note that you are not obliged to answer all questions)

1. What additional activities should be included to achieve the objectives and goals?

2. What are potential challenges/obstacles and opportunities?

3. How could the activity design be enhanced to better achieve the sought results?

4. In addition to those already described in Attachment 1, what other student monitoring systems/activities would be beneficial to ensure activity results are achieved? How would you propose to best monitor students’ performance during their scholarship program?

5. Please provide comments and suggestions as to Attachment 1, including regarding the theory of change; proposed results; proposed tasks/activities; and proposed indicators.

Attachment 3 - Capability Statement

CAPABILITIES STATEMENT FORM

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NO. 72049720RFI00002

Responses to this request must not exceed three (3) pages. As set forth above, this is not a request for application or request for proposal but rather this information will be utilized to conduct market research regarding potential sources available.

Responses to this notice must include the following:

1. General Information

Name of Organization: ___________________________________ Contact Person Name: ___________________________________

Position Title: ___________________________________

Email Address: ___________________________________

Type of Organization: (please check as appropriate)

Local Entity

Local Entity that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding

Locally Established Entity that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding

US Organization that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding

US Small or Disadvantaged Business that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding

2. A capability statement demonstrating the ability to undertake the tasks and work identified in Attachment 1, including addressing:

● Please describe the type of services/support that you provide relevant to the work described in Attachment 1.

● What is your experience managing graduate scholarship programs?

● How many students have you supported or have used your services in the last three years?

● Does your organization have experience working with host government agencies? If yes, what type of activities did you manage?

● How many years of experience does your organization have providing admission assistance to students for graduate-level programs?

● Please describe your relationships with U.S. graduate schools, particularly with the admission division.

● Please describe any experience of your organization monitoring students during their scholarship/graduate studies programs.

3. Please list your relevant past performance as a prime contractor or major subcontractor;

nature of work/scope related to similar programs; and recent-ongoing services performed during the past five years related to the subject matter.

[END OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION]