RFI No. SOL-72038820R00007 Draft SOW FTF Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development Activity.pdf

RFI No. SOL-72038820R00007 Feed the Future Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development Activity (Draft SOW)

(DRAFT) SCOPE OF WORK

Feed the Future Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development Activity

1. INTRODUCTION

The Feed the Future (FTF) Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development Activity, hereafter referred to as the “Agricultural Infrastructure Activity” or “Activity”, is a five-year activity to build upon and scale up results achieved under the seven-year FTF Bangladesh

Agricultural Infrastructure Development Program that ends on June 30, 2021.

This Activity will be implemented within the FTF Zone of Influence (ZOI) and Zone of

Resilience (ZOR) of Bangladesh with the goal of increasing the quality and quantity of agricultural produce for domestic, regional and international markets through a combination of infrastructure improvements:

● Upgrade and rehabilitation of rural roads to improve farmers’ access to markets and the delivery of agricultural inputs and services to farms;

● Construction and renovation of market centers, collection centers and cold storage facilities to improve post-harvest handling of agricultural produce in order to increase their market values; and,

● Rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage systems and flood protection to increase the number of hectares of farm land under irrigated cultivation, especially during the dry season.

Enhanced market efficiencies resulting from improved market infrastructure and connectivity facilities will play an important role in making food accessible and affordable for all people, especially for vulnerable households, while enabling employment opportunities for women and youth. The proposed activities aim to increase productivity while reducing the time of transportation to market, transportation costs, and crop losses.

Improvements in surface water management will also reduce the impact on aquifer depletion resulting from the overuse of groundwater for irrigation purposes.

The current Agricultural Infrastructure program is being implemented through a

Government-to-Government (G2G) mechanism with the Government of Bangladesh’s

(GOB’s) Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). In addition to the program’s objective of stimulating agricultural development, it aimed to strengthen LGED’s and

Upazila Administration’s capacity to plan, procure and implement infrastructure in a transparent and efficient manner that meets international standards. Based on lessons learned from the current program, this follow-on Activity will improve on the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure as well as scale up technical assistance to LGED on environmental standards, and private sector engagement with an emphasis on sustainable post-construction operation and maintenance of constructed facilities.

The Activity will coordinate closely with the FTF Bangladesh Architect & Engineer Support

Activity (the Architect & Engineer Activity). It will also coordinate and collaborate with other current FTF activities in order to ensure that constructed and rehabilitated roads, market and collection centers, cold storage facilities, and irrigation systems are designed to incorporate feedback from value chain actors who are beneficiaries of FTF interventions, in order to best serve their needs.

2. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

With over 164 million inhabitants, Bangladesh has a population greater than that of

Russia1, on an area roughly the size of Iowa2. One of the most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh is projected to have a population of up to 179 million by 2030.

Almost one in four Bangladeshi (24.3 percent of the population) live in poverty, and 12.9 percent of the population live in extreme poverty.3 Agriculture accounts for 48 percent of the actively employed labor force and 14.75 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), playing an integral role in the lives of the Bangladeshis (AIS-2017, MoA). While the harmful effects of high food prices are sharply felt by the poor throughout the year - especially by women and female heads of households - they are particularly acute in the lean seasons between September-November and March-April due to a chronic lack of employment opportunities for agricultural or day laborers. Food security problems are compounded by high food prices due to external shocks and fluctuating agricultural productivity. Poverty, lack of access to agricultural land, and poor dietary habits contribute to high levels of malnutrition.

Bangladesh’s agriculture sector evolved significantly over the last decade, evidenced by it’s self-sufficiency in rice production, including increased exports of rice and other food and nonfood agriculture, horticulture, livestock and aquaculture produce. However, challenges to agricultural-led growth remain. Despite significant gains in productivity, the yield for many crops in Bangladesh is still low compared to other countries in the region. The small size of farm plots and limited ability to expand household land holdings means that greater production per unit of land will be key to achieving increased rural incomes and food security. Post-harvest loss of up to 30 percent is common for many agricultural products due to improper timing of harvest, lack of field sorting and packing, and a lack of post-harvest infrastructure. Constraints in infrastructure required to process and move products to markets limit the agriculture sector’s ability to drive economic growth.

The growing middle class in large cities has increased the demand for high value and quality agricultural products. Responding to this demand could raise small farmers' incomes, but will require, among other things, improvement in agricultural infrastructure.

1 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/ 2 https://www.insidervlv.com/landmass.html 3 https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/10/24/bangladesh-continues-to-reduce-poverty-but-at-slower-pace https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/ https://www.insidervlv.com/landmass.html https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/10/24/bangladesh-continues-to-reduce-poverty-but-at-slower-pace

The impacts of intensifying floods and cyclones are also major constraints to agriculture development.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED)

LGED is housed under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and

Cooperatives and has primary responsibility for planning, implementing, and maintaining rural infrastructure in Bangladesh.

Organizational Structure of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED)

Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development Program

The Final Performance Evaluation4 for the current Agricultural Infrastructure program found that improved roads have significantly increased access to extension services, agricultural inputs, new farming techniques, farm productivity, and access to markets, traders, and other business services. The improved roads also have contributed to reduced agricultural waste, increased sales of more fresh produce, and increased profits. Transportation costs per commodity unit also have been reduced. In general, travel is apparently now faster, easier, and usually less expensive, contributing to social benefits such as easier access to health services, including pre- and post-natal care; increased school attendance by girls and boys, especially during the rainy season; and greater mobility and safety for girls and women.5 LGED’s public awareness campaign related to responsible use of roads contributes to the longevity of the infrastructure and, therefore, the sustainability of all of these benefits.

The evaluation also found that market centers and collection centers have facilitated commodity aggregation, sorting, grading, and trading. The new roads have created a business-enabling environment for farmers and traders that enhances local economic development generally. The results of the evaluation and interaction with stakeholders also suggest increased income and land value due to improved agricultural infrastructure.

Improved nutrition and food security will also likely be sustained.

The current Agricultural Infrastructure program has also enhanced the capacity of LGED on

Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC), environment and safety compliance, and transparent tendering. The QA process by LGED and the QC process followed by the contractors have proven to be successful. In addition, LGED now has effective road maintenance management plans and training. The quality of workmanship and performance of maintenance and repair works on the roads, market centers, collection centers, and irrigation systems under the program are much better when compared to similar work done under other LGED programs (both GOB- and externally-funded).

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT:

This Agricultural Infrastructure Activity will scale up the interventions of the current

Agricultural Infrastructure program in the upgrade and rehabilitation of union- and village-level earthen roads; construction and rehabilitation of agricultural market centers and collection centers; rehabilitation of farm level irrigation and drainage systems and flood protection; and capacity building and technical assistance to LGED in environmental standards, and private sector engagement, with an emphasis on post-construction management of constructed facilities.

4 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TSPQ.pdf 5 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TR9W.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TSPQ.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TR9W.pdf

4. RELATIONSHIP TO USAID STRATEGIC GOALS

The Agricultural Infrastructure Activity will contribute to achieving the three objectives of the

USG’s Global Food Security Strategy for Bangladesh6: Inclusive and Sustainable

Agricultural-led Economic Growth; Strengthened Resilience among People and Systems;

and A Well-Nourished Population, Especially Women and Children. It will also contribute to

USAID/Bangladesh’s draft Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS)7

(2020-2025) goal of “Bangladesh is more committed to democratic principles and inclusive growth with increased capacity to economically diversify, address inequality, and become a resilient Indo-Pacific partner,” through Development Objective (DO) 1.1: Governance and

Fiscal Integrity of Institutions Enhanced, as well as DO 2: Opportunities and People's Lives

Enhanced to Create an Inclusive, Healthy Society, and Robust Economy, and DO 3:

Society’s Ability to Mitigate, Adapt to and Recover from Shocks and Stressors Improved.

In support of the President’s vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Activity will also contribute to the Economic Growth Pillar of the Indo-Pacfic Vision. More specifically, it will support the Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network (ITAN) Outcome 1:

Systems and structures for infrastructure planning, implementation, and governance improved.

The geographic focus of the Agricultural Infrastructure Activity will be within the FTF Zone of Influence and the Zone of Resilience as shown on the map below. Selection of sites for construction/rehabilitation by the Contractor must be undertaken in consultation with

USAID and LGED, and will be planned to complement other FTF activities in order to achieve the stated DOs and IRs above.

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6 https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1867/global-food-security-strategy-gfss-bangladesh-country-plan 7 DRAFT CDCS in the process of approval. This strategy has not yet been approved by USAID

In summary, activities will be implemented within the following districts: Barisal Division (Barisal, Bhola, Jhalokati, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali), Dhaka (Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Rajbari, Shariatpur), Khulna Division (Jessore, Jhenaidah, Magura, Narail, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Kushtia), and Chattagram Division (Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban).

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5. RELATIONSHIP TO HOST COUNTRY STRATEGIES

The Activity will contribute to achieving the GOB’s strategies and objectives laid out in the

7th Five-Year Social and Economic Development Plan for 2016-2020,8 to expand the rural road capacity to increase connectivity, provide greater access to social services and markets, and promote the agriculture sector. The 8th Five-Year Promoting Prosperity and

Fostering Inclusiveness Plan (FY2021-FY2025) is forthcoming.

It also supports the Bangladesh Delta Plan 21009; 2nd Country Investment Plan10; 2nd

National Plan of Action for Nutrition (FY2016-FY2025); and National Food and Nutrition

Security Policy (FY2021-FY2030) priorities.

6. RESULTS FRAMEWORK

The Agricultural Infrastructure Activity is based on a development hypothesis that if physical infrastructure is improved to facilitate access to markets, enhance post-harvest handling, and increase productivity of farmlands, then there will be increased availability of quality agricultural produce for domestic, regional and international markets.

Goal: Increased availability of quality agricultural produce for domestic, regional and international markets

Objective 1: Increased access to markets for agricultural produce, inputs and services

Objective 2: Enhanced post-harvest handling and storage of agricultural produce

Objective 3: Increased productivity and production of farmlands

Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1: Improved transportation of agricultural produce, inputs and services between farms and markets

IR 2.1: Increased access to post-harvest handling and storage infrastructure

IR 3.1: Improved irrigation and drainage systems for crop cultivation

IR 1.2: Improved capacity of LGED to maintain rural roads efficiently and sustainably

IR 2.2: Improved operation and maintenance of aggregation and storage facilities to ensure sustainability

IR 3.2: Improved maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems to ensure proper function and sustainability

Cross-cutting IRs

● Increased capacity of LGED to plan, procure, and oversee rural infrastructure projects http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/plancomm.portal.gov.bd/files/aee61c03_3c11_4e89_9f30_d79 639595c67/7th_FYP_18_02_2016.pdf 9 http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/site/files/0adcee77-2db8-41bf-b36b-657b5ee1efb9/Bangladesh-Delta-Plan-2100 10 http://fpmu.gov.bd/agridrupal/sites/default/files/file/CIP2FinalPDFPrintedCopy.pdf http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/plancomm.portal.gov.bd/files/aee61c03_3c11_4e89_9f30_d79639595c67/7th_FYP_18_02_2016.pdf http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/plancomm.portal.gov.bd/files/aee61c03_3c11_4e89_9f30_d79639595c67/7th_FYP_18_02_2016.pdf http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/site/files/0adcee77-2db8-41bf-b36b-657b5ee1efb9/Bangladesh-Delta-Plan-2100 http://fpmu.gov.bd/agridrupal/sites/default/files/file/CIP2FinalPDFPrintedCopy.pdf

7. REQUIRED INTERVENTIONS

Objective 1: Increased access to markets

IR 1.1: Improved transportation of agricultural produce, inputs and services between farms and markets

Rural roads contribute significantly to generating increased agricultural incomes and employment opportunities, benefiting the entire rural population through access to economic and social services. The Contractor will improve physical access to local and regional agricultural markets by rehabilitating and upgrading rural feeder roads (upazila, union, and village roads) that are critical in linking production centers of value chain commodities to market and collection centers. Road improvements shall consist of paving and upgrading of earthen roads or rehabilitation of previously paved roads. All work must be contained within the road alignment of the existing road to avoid environmental impact and land tenure issues. No new roads will be constructed. All road works must be conducted on GOB-owned lands.

The Agricultural Infrastructure Contractor (“the Contractor”) must identify roads for improvement (upgrade or rehabilitation) as part of the initial Site Selection Phase, after consultation with LGED, USAID, the Architect & Engineer Activity, and the beneficiaries of FTF activities.

Expected Results/Outputs:

● TBD kilometers of road identified, improved or constructed as a result of USG assistance; and,

● Utilization of the roads by at least 75 percent of beneficiaries of FTF activities

IR 1.2: Improved capacity of LGED to maintain rural roads efficiently and sustainably

Key to the sustainability of USAID’s, GOB’s, and other donors’ road investments is ongoing maintenance of the improved roads. LGED’s Rural Road and Culvert Maintenance Program11 provides a framework maintenance management system for road and drainage infrastructure. This includes both Routine and Periodic maintenance.

Routine off-pavement maintenance (shoulders, side slopes, culverts and surface drainage) is typically undertaken by organized female labor groups or other locally organized groups that are paid by LGED for specific tasks. The Contractor must also explore how FTF beneficiaries could provide support for the completion of this task. Routine maintenance of pavement and signage is performed by Mobile Maintenance Teams (MMTs) within LGED, based at the District level. Periodic maintenance including road resealing, overlaying, and http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/UploadedDocument/UnitPublication/7/23/Maintenance%20Guidelines%202010%20English .pdf http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/UploadedDocument/UnitPublication/7/23/Maintenance%20Guidelines%202010%20English.pdf http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/UploadedDocument/UnitPublication/7/23/Maintenance%20Guidelines%202010%20English.pdf rehabilitation is undertaken at specific intervals of time and is normally carried out by local contractors selected through an open tendering process.

As noted in the section above, the Final Performance Evaluation of the previous program found that LGED already has effective road maintenance management plans and training.

However, the Agricultural Infrastructure Activity will continue to support LGED District and Upazila Offices to ensure they have the capacity to effectively plan and implement maintenance in order to extend the safety and usability of road improvements. Interventions under this IR will be focused on the District and Upazilas receiving road improvements through IR 1.1, however, the Activity may work at the Region, Division, or Headquarter level where necessary to achieve sustained results.

Expected Results:

● LGED collects and uses annual average daily traffic (AADT) and roughness data to facilitate impact assessments of road projects;

● Each TBD number of supported LGED District develops annual maintenance and repair plans, and effectively implements those plans in accordance with their Rural Roads and Culverts Maintenance Guidelines; and,

● Users of improved roads understand and avoid practices that damage the infrastructure or reduce its longevity.

Illustrative Activities:

● Support LGED to establish baseline AADT and roughness (surface irregularities) for all roads constructed under the activity and help institutionalize this practice for all road projects;

● Support LGED to fully operationalize its Road and Structure Data Management System (RSDMS);

● Support LGED Districts and Upazilas to prioritize maintenance projects and develop annual maintenance and repair plans;

● Build the capacity of LGED to effectively implement maintenance and repair plans, including contracting for preventative maintenance works as appropriate;

● Ensure LGED Districts have a capable Mobile Maintenance Team (MMT) for routine road maintenance. Provide support to MMT formation and/or training as needed to effectively fulfill their role; and,

● Support LGED to expand its public awareness campaign on responsible use of roads to support safety and longevity of the infrastructure.

Objective 2: Enhanced post-harvest handling and storage of agricultural produce

IR 2.1: Increased access to post-harvest handling and storage infrastructure

Through the construction or rehabilitation/expansion of rural market centers (typically found at the district level), collection centers (typically found at the village level), cold storage facilities, and other vertical infrastructure, the Activity will help facilitate aggregation, postharvest handling and sales of local agricultural produce. This will help reduce post-harvest spoilage of agricultural produce, increasing their shelf-life and, thereby increasing the availability of quality produce for sales, processing and consumption.

All constructed facilities must have clear ownership by the GOB, market management committee, or other community organization as appropriate. The site selection and design of market and collection centers by the Contractor must be based on consultations with LGED, USAID, the Architect & Engineer Activity, and FTF beneficiaries, incorporating gender considerations to enable gender empowerment and accessibility. Facilities must include provision of handwashing and washing blocks for cleaning of agricultural produce as determined from consultations. Information on coordination, collaboration and leveraging of resources with other FTF activities are in section 12.2: Linkages with USG Programs".

Community inputs and private sector investment will be leveraged to the maximum extent possible. For example, where communities identify a need for latrines, LGED, private sector actors that are involved with the facilities or the local community could be encouraged to undertake the construction.

Expected Results/Outputs:

● At least TBD market centers or cold storage facilities, and TBD collection centers constructed or rehabilitated

● Value of new USG commitments and private sector investment leveraged by the USG;

and,

● At least 75 percent of FTF beneficiaries are utilizing the facilities.

IR 2.2: Improved operation and maintenance of aggregation and storage facilities to ensure sustainability

The sustainability of provided infrastructure and its long-term operation and maintenance must also be considered when selecting sites that support this Objective. Market and collection centers typically become the responsibility of the Upazila Administration upon handover and they often lease out the facility while retaining responsibility for its long-term maintenance. The Contractor must ensure that there is a plan for operation and maintenance of facilities upon handover, whether by the local government or other entity.

This includes confirming that there is a plan for sufficient revenue generation from the operation of the facilities to cover maintenance, providing training and capacity building to responsible parties, and/or identifying local businesses or tradespersons to support responsive and preventative maintenance of the facilities.

Cold storage facilities and other similar vertical infrastructure require equipment and technology to serve the intended purpose. Where the Activity constructs or rehabilitates facilities that require additional investments or technical inputs, the Contractor must coordinate with other FTF activities to identify and engage existing agricultural value chain actors early in the planning process to make the complementary investments and provide the associated operation and maintenance services upon handover.

Models for operation and maintenance of these facilities by the private sector or community-based organizations may vary by locality, type of facility, and landscape of existing value chain actors. The Contractor must identify and assess options for the operation and maintenance of these facilities. In addition, it must support LGED to structure and finalize operation and maintenance agreements for the constructed or rehabilitated facilities. Similar models may also be applied to market centers where sufficient local government, private sector and/or community interest exists.

Expected Results:

● Private sector and/or community are involved in the operation and maintenance of constructed and rehabilitated facilities;

● Private sector and/or community invest in the equipment or other ancillary work to support the functioning of cold storage facilities and other vertical infrastructure of cold storage facilities and other similar vertical infrastructure, as well as in their operation and maintenance; and,

● LGED has established models for private sector and/or community operation and maintenance of constructed and rehabilitated facilities.

Illustrative Activities:

● Support LGED to enhance their networking and coordination locally with other government agencies and the private sector to maximize impact for communities;

● Assess the landscape of potential private sector actors or community based organizations for operation and maintenance of constructed and rehabilitated facilities;

● Identify public-private partnership, service contract, or other models for investment, operation, and maintenance of cold storage facilities and other similar vertical infrastructure. In addition, assist LGED and the local government to structure and negotiate operation and maintenance agreements prior to handover; and,

● Train responsible parties on operation and maintenance of constructed and rehabilitated facilities with a focus on gender empowerment and access.

Objective 3: Increased productivity and production of farmlands

IR 3.1: Improved irrigation and drainage systems for crop cultivation

Rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage systems as well as flood protection will increase the productivity and production of farm lands, as well as create both off- and on-farm jobs under non-rainfed agricultural production. To enhance irrigation in the dry season and improve drainage in the wet season, the Contractor must improve publicly owned irrigation and drainage systems that serve multiple farms and optimize the utilization of surface water resources to increase productivity. Irrigation and drainage infrastructure improvements are limited to tertiary (serving multiple farms) canals and water management, including a network of drains to avoid prolonged waterlogging. Where the roads that are improved under Objective 1 transect agricultural fields, u-drains and roadside irrigation drains must be provided to improve irrigation and drainage, thereby contributing to this Objective.

The site selection and rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage systems by the Contractor must be based on consultations with LGED, USAID, the Architect & Engineer Activity, and FTF beneficiaries, incorporating gender considerations to enable gender empowerment and accessibility.

Expected Results/Outputs:

● At least TBD hectares of farmland with improved irrigation and drainage; and,

● At least 50 percent increase in farm production and productivity of FTF beneficiaries.

IR 3.2: Improved operation and maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems to ensure proper function and sustainability

Maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems is generally done in accordance with LGED’s Rural Roads and Culverts Maintenance Guidelines. LGED retains primary responsibility for maintenance for public drainage infrastructure. However, management committees are typically formed for regular cleaning of canals and drains, and other low-skill maintenance work, to ensure that drainage and irrigation systems continue to perform as designed. The Contractor must work with LGED, the Architect & Engineer Activity, the local government, and other USAID FTF activities to strengthen the capacity of management committees to ensure that they can fulfill their role effectively upon handover.

Expected Results:

● Management committees have the capacity to provide regular cleaning and basic ongoing maintenance of drainage and irrigation systems; and,

● Management committees are more gender-balanced.

Illustrative Activities:

● Building the capacity of management committees to be able to conduct routine maintenance of drainage and irrigation infrastructure;

● Facilitate gender balance in the membership of the management committees; and,

● Train responsible parties on operation and maintenance of irrigation and drainage systems.

8. INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS

The scope of this contract includes providing professional services for the construction of agricultural infrastructure. The Contractor must provide all required resources to fully complete the work described under the scope of this contract, including but not limited to:

site surveys, testing, construction documents, permitting as well as management, labor, materials, equipment and all other provisions, whether of a temporary or permanent nature.

The Contractor must also identify opportunities for private sector participation in operation and maintenance.

The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that selected sites have the required securing all land use agreements and permits for executing the work requirements, as well as ensuring that construction is implemented in accordance with the Construction Drawings, Construction Quality Control Plan, Health and Safety Plan, EMMP, and the conditions of this Contract.

Where construction is implemented through sub-contracts, awards will be made through an open and transparent competition. This does not preclude the Contractor from partnering with or prequalifying construction contractors. Prior to signing subcontracts, the Contractor must submit a request for subcontracting approval along with the cost for COR approval.

Proposed deviations from the Construction Drawings and approved Bid Package, as provided by the Architect & Engineer Activity, must be approved in writing by the CO prior to implementation. Work performed outside of the approved documentation will not be reimbursed. USAID reserves the right to reject such work when not approved by the CO.

Prior to implementation, the Contractor will deliver to the COR a plan to engage women labor groups during construction and maintenance operations to the greatest extent practicable.

8.1. Site Selection

The Contractor must receive an initial list of potential sites, compiled by FTF Activities and will work with LGED and the Architect & Engineer Activity to prioritize and select potential infrastructure improvements that support the objectives of this Activity while complementing other FTF interventions in the ZOI and ZOR. The Contractor must consult and coordinate with FTF Activities, the relevant regional and local authorities at the district, upazila, union, and village level, USAID, and other development partners in conducting the analyses.

When engaging with local stakeholders, special attention should be paid to manage expectations since not every community will be selected for improvements given the available budget.

During the Site Selection Phase, the Contractor must concurrently work with LGED and Architect & Engineer Activity to institutionalize an approach to site selection, including gathering additional information through social, economic, environmental, and risk assessments.

Considerations for site selection include:

● All works will be conducted on titled, GOB-owned land to the greatest extent possible. When clear legal title is not available on uplands, submerged lands, and waterways within the proposed working area for each respective site, work will be conducted only on lands historically demonstrated to be granted to the GOB for construction and/or utilization for the public good. Construction will take place wholly within the footprint of existing infrastructure to the greatest extent practicable.

● No interventions will be considered on lands or on existing infrastructures that are under legal dispute.

● Interventions will be bundled for maximum efficiency. Priority must be on linking market and collection centers, cold storage facilities, rural roads, and farm level irrigation and drainage improvements to best complement FTF target value chains from farm to market, and leveraging public private partnerships.

● The sustainability of the provided infrastructure must be considered. This includes, but is not limited to local capacity for operation and maintenance and how the site fits into relevant community or government plans.

● The Contractor must comply with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 22, Part 216 (22 CFR 216) and USAID Automated Directives Systems Chapter 204 relative to environment compliance. Activities must adhere to the requirements of the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE). It must also adhere to local environmental laws and regulations. Sites that potentially have significant adverse environmental and social impacts must be excluded.

For each potential site, the following minimum information should be documented:

● Existing infrastructure

● Beneficiary data collected from FTF activities in order to demonstrate infrastructure demand

● Recommended scope of construction/rehabilitation with initial cost estimate

● Initial feasibility, including land availability

● Environmental considerations

● Any planned or ongoing activities by the GOB, other donors, or USAID within the community

● Potential private sector entities for operation and maintenance (vertical infrastructure and irrigation)

● Site specific risks / challenges

● Initial recommendations on phasing of sites for construction/rehabilitation throughout the period of performance

Once the COR has approved the site selection, the Contractor must coordinate with LGED, the Architect & Engineer Activity, and the local community to finalize the scope and obtain concurrence from the village or union administration and other relevant authorities prior to the site specific design phase. The Contractor must work with LGED to establish clear ownership of lands prior to design and construction of each project.

Deliverable: Site Selection Report

8.2. Management/Administrative Services

The Contractor must manage all activities under the site including management of any subcontractors for construction and other related services. The Contractor must also provide the following related to the infrastructure scope:

● Maintain a Gantt chart showing all of the various infrastructure projects and keep USAID/Bangladesh up to date on the progress of each site.

● Prepare and submit a Construction Quality Assurance / Quality Control Plan and Health and Safety Plan in accordance with the requirements in Section F Reports and Deliverables.

● Provide Progress Reports during construction, summarizing the physical progress made on each site, challenges, and any issues which may require USAID or LGED engagement to resolve. To document physical progress, reports should include date and time stamped photos for each construction activity.

Deliverables: Construction Quality Assurance / Quality Control Plan, Health and Safety Plan, Progress Reports, and others as requested.

8.3. Operation and Maintenance Training

The Contractor must identify local government departments or agencies, or private entrepreneurs or organizations responsible for ongoing operation and maintenance (O&M) of the provided infrastructure and must involve them as needed throughout the design and construction phases to ensure that they are prepared to assume responsibilities upon handover.

The Contractor must also assess the potential for private sector engagement in the O&M of the facilities and other provided infrastructure to ensure its sustainability. This could include local businesses that provide construction materials, spare parts, supplies, and/or maintenance and repair services for systems requiring specialized expertise. The Activity must be inclusive of women and other marginalized groups when considering entities and modalities for long-term operation and maintenance of the facilities.

The Contractor must prepare and submit an O&M manual and training plan to the COR for approval prior to implementing any training and well in advance of facility handover.

Language and technical concepts for manuals and training must be appropriate for local stakeholders. Training programs must cover operations, maintenance, costs, fee collection, financing, and logistics, as needed. The Contractor must also develop projections of the cost to operate and maintain infrastructure investments and ensure that local stakeholders understand and have the capacity to update O&M budgets.

Deliverables: O&M Manuals, Training Plan, and training conducted.

9. MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING

The Activity’s monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plan is a strategic tool for monitoring performance and reporting on the progress made towards the achievement of target results. The MEL plan must be aligned with USAID/Bangladesh’s CDCS and its results framework. It must include information on GIS technology and geographic data, and describe a clear results framework, approved indicators and life of activity targets, detailing how they will achieve the activity’s expected outcomes. Outcomes and indicators, and planned evaluations and proposed schedule must be clearly displayed in the plan. The MEL plan must include the following elements: objectives/results; indicators (both Feed the

Future standard and others); data source; means of data collection; frequency of data collection; baseline; and target delineated by the U.S. Government’s fiscal year (i.e., October 1 – September 30) or part thereof.

At a minimum the Contractor must report on the following indicators:

● EG. 3.1-1: Kilometers of roads improved or constructed as a result of USG assistance

● Number of market centers (or cold storage facilities) and collection centers constructed or rehabilitated

● Number of hectares of farmland with improved irrigation and drainage

● Reduction in travel distance, travel cost and travel time required to transport agricultural commodities to market

● Volume of agricultural and other commodity transactions at constructed/rehabilitated market and collection centers

● Value of sales of agricultural commodities at constructed/rehabilitated market and collection centers

● Number of value chain actors reporting changes in productivity, production and quality

● GNDR-2 Percentage of female participants in USG-assisted programs designed to increase access to productive economic resources

● YOUTH-3 Percentage of participants in USG-assisted programs designed to increase access to productive economic resources who are youth (15-29)

Other indicators must be developed in consultation with the COR as part of the MEL plan, and may include measurement of gender-related outcomes, number of officials trained in maintaining structures, number of private sector entities or community based organizations engaged in maintenance, among others.

The activity results framework must include critical assumptions. Sex-disaggregated data needs to be collected where applicable as per ADS 205. Gender sensitive indicators must be used to measure the gender outcomes as per GEFE policy and ADS 205. Progress against the indicators must be included in the quarterly and annual reports submitted to USAID. This Activity’s MEL system will be coordinated with other FTF activities to ensure similar reporting formats and robust, methodologically valid and comparable data that can be aggregated at the highest level to show multiple projects’ impacts. The MEL plan must detail the Activity approach towards learning and the systems, tools and processes it will use to capture, document, and integrate the learning into the activity implementation throughout the life of the activity.

USAID will perform a mid-term and/or final evaluation to monitor performance and recommend adjustments to the Activity in order to best achieve the stated goal and objectives. USAID may also conduct an Impact Evaluation to assess the socio-economic impact as a result of the improved infrastructure.

10. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) technology and geographic data is increasingly important in USAID’s effort to geographically target investments and effectively report on the scope and impact of the Agency’s investments. Collecting and analyzing geographic data with GIS technology is integral to achieving the objectives set forth in the USAID Policy Framework (2011-2015) as well as increasing overall aid effectiveness. Use of GIS also contributes to the Agency’s aid transparency and open data goals.

The Contractor must apply geospatial methods using GIS to support USAID/Bangladesh’s effort to incorporate geographic data and analysis into the Agency’s overall development planning, design, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). Geographic data collection, analysis and submission methods must be included in the annual work plan and MEL Plan. The type of geographic data collected will include activity location data, thematic data and activity specific data for reporting and analysis, and specific data of beneficiaries such as value chain actors, and smallholder farmers. The Contractor must coordinate with other FTF activities in the collection of GPS data. All geospatial data to be collected needs to maintain the same Projection System and prescribed industry standard data format.

When created or acquired using USAID funds, these datasets are considered USAID’s property and must be submitted to USAID.

11. COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION

In addition to working directly with the Architect & Engineer Activity, LGED and Upazila administrations, extensive collaboration is required with other GOB partners, relevant donors, and other FTF and USAID activities in order to ensure there is no duplication of efforts and that impact of interventions is maximized within the ZOI and ZOR. The Contractor must also consult local authorities, local private sector, civil society organizations, member(s) of district councils, and communities in order to ensure a participatory approach and buy-in for all interventions.

LGED’s Project List12 serves as a reference for ongoing projects, but does not include information for all planned activities.

11.1. Linkages with Donor Programs

A summary of the primary donor programs that support similar interventions is included below.

Asia Development Bank (ADB) Rural Connectivity Improvement Project. The project aims to improve the road network connecting the rural population to agriculture value chain development zones in Bangladesh. Investments will be made to (i) upgrade about 2,630 kilometers (km) of rural roads to all-weather standards in 34 districts located in five

12 http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/ProjectList.aspx http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/ProjectList.aspx divisions, (ii) improve the capacity of the rural infrastructure agency to address institutional constraints relating to rural road development, and (iii) finance enhancements to the country’s rural road master plan to enable the selection of priority rural roads for improvement using a geographic information system covering the entire country. The project will include pilot routine maintenance in civil works contracts for 5 years for 242 km to encourage the LGED to adopt maintenance contracts in future projects to ensure better asset quality and improved maintenance. The project will also strengthen maintenance planning and asset management through the attached TA.

World Bank. The Operation for Supporting Rural Bridges Program aims to improve connectivity and climate resilience in 19 coastal districts. It also supports existing efforts by the government to plan, design, and manage rural bridges through the rehabilitation of at least 29,000 meters of bridges, and build another 20,000 meters of new bridges in 61 districts across Bangladesh. The Second Rural Transport Improvement Project is helping support the rehabilitation of 1,433 km of Upazila and Union roads that were damaged from the floods and heavy rainfall of 2017, and the maintenance of almost 6,000 km of rural roads in 26 districts. The project also promotes community road safety campaigns and road safety measures for public and private transport users. In addition, the recently launched Western Economic Corridor and Regional Enhancement (WeCARE)13 project aims to improve connectivity and rural logistics along a regional transport corridor in Western Bangladesh; and strengthen road sector management. WeCARE will work in ten districts namely Jashore, Jhenaidah, Magura, Satkhira, Kushtia, Pabna, Natore, Chuadanga, Meherpur and Sirajganj. Phase I will begin Jashore - Jhenaidah.

JICA Northern Bangladesh Integrated Development Project. The project aims to vitalize rural economies by supporting measures to develop rural towns and markets as nucleus of rural development, and strengthen rural-urban linkages, namely the linkages between the nucleus's and their surrounding rural areas socially and economically. Potential candidates of the nucleus include Pourashavas (municipalities) in rural areas, Upazila towns, Growth Centers (GCs), and rural markets. By strengthening rural-urban linkages, both rural and urban people will benefit from improved access to transport infrastructure, expanded markets, improved access to education and health services, and more job opportunities. In addition, the project will seek to improve the quality and quantity of public goods and services to local residents. This includes not only basic public services such as education, health and sanitation, but also provision of basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and markets. The improvement in basic infrastructure will contribute to vitalizing local economies and improving access to services in health and education, and creating job opportunities. The activity is scheduled to end in June 2021.14

13 https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P169880?lang=en 14 http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/ProjectAbout.aspx?projectID=276 https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P169880?lang=en http://oldweb.lged.gov.bd/ProjectAbout.aspx?projectID=276

11.2. Linkages with USG Programs

Current FTF Bangladesh Portfolio includes the following activities:

1 FTF Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition Activity

2 FTF Bangladesh Nutrition Activity

3 Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)-Mechanization and

Extension

4 FTF Bangladesh Livestock Production for Improved Nutrition Project

5 FTF Bangladesh Agricultural Policy Activity

6 FTF Bangladesh Rice and Diversified Crops Activity

7 FTF Bangladesh Improving Trade and Business Enabling Environment

Activity

8 FTF Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development Program

9 FTF Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Support Activity

10 FTF Bangladesh IRRI Rice Breeding Public-Private Partnership Platform

11 South Asia Biosafety Program

12 FTF South Asia Eggplant Improvement Partnership

13 FTF Biotechnology Potato Partnership

16 USDA Food Safety and SPS activity

17 FTF Bangladesh Farmer 2 Farmer Food Safety and Quality Program

(Farmer to Farmer Program)

18 Fall Armyworm Activity (FAW) of the Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural

Research and Development (BHEARD)

19 FTF Bangladesh Horticulture, Fruit, and Non-Food Crops Activit

20 FTF Bangladesh Digital Agriculture activity

12. GENDER & INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

An implementation process that is inclusive of women, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups is critical to achieving broad impact. Infrastructure constructed under the Activity should be designed to respond to the needs of whole populations of rural poor and vulnerable households. In particular, markets, collection centers, and other vertical infrastructure should accommodate the specific needs of women and people with disabilities. The Contractor must ensure that inclusive development is integrated across activities, incorporating procedures into the work plans and appropriate indicators in the MEL plan to measure activity progress toward equality for women, people with disabilities, and vulnerable households and marginalized groups. The Contractor must also ensure that women, youth, vulnerable and marginalized groups are meaningfully engaged and equally represented in decision making, such as community assessments, as well as capacity development interventions.

13. CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT

Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, with risks such as tropical cyclones, seasonal flooding, sea level rise, and rising temperatures. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ranked Bangladesh the top country in the world in vulnerability to tropical cyclones. Seasonal flooding significantly affects Bangladesh; in an average year, 20-25 percent of the country is inundated due to river spills and drainage congestions.

Climate risk management (CRM) is required for all USAID-supported activities with limited exceptions. Climate risk is the potential for negative consequences on activity objectives and/or outcomes due to changing climatic conditions. The focus of climate risk management at USAID is on the risk to USAID development programming. The CRM process may also identify potential development opportunities associated with current and expected climatic and meteorological changes, including chances to achieve additional development objectives (including increasing climate resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions).

Climate risks can be manifested through potentially severe adverse consequences for development programs resulting from the interaction of climate-related hazards with the vulnerability of societies and systems. A climate risk may arise when an activity element, target, or beneficiary is exposed to a climate hazard such as higher temperatures, flooding or drought. The level of risk increases both as the severity and probability of negative impact increases. Per USAID internal guidance, construction activities are considered to have high climate risks. The Contractor must conduct climate risk screening for all project sites. As such, engineering analysis preceding design activities must include consideration of climate change and its potential impacts on the location (siting), functionality and sustainability of resulting infrastructure and infrastructure services.