RFI_USAID Cambodia Localization Support.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

RFI Number: RFI-442-24-002

Issuance Date: October 31, 2023

Responses Due Date: November 20, 2023 at 4:00 pm, Phnom Penh time

USAID/Cambodia Localization Support Activity

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Cambodia hereby issues an RFI regarding a new planned activity “USAID/Cambodia Localization Support” to support USAID/Cambodia efforts to ensure that local actors are leading Cambodia’s development.

Primary services under the prospective activity will cover the three categories: support for Mission staff to improve local partnership; monitoring, evaluation and learning; and capacity strengthening for local actors. These services will assist the Mission in contributing to the Agency’s localization agenda and indicators. These efforts align with the goal of USAID/Cambodia’s 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS): “Cambodia becomes a more open, prosperous, resilient, and inclusive partner in the Indo-Pacific region.”

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and is part of USAID’s market research. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP), nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue an RFP. Responses to this RFI shall not be portrayed as offers and will not be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding agreement. Issuance of this notice does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of comments.

Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and USAID will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. If an RFP is issued, it will be announced on the Sam.gov website separately at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that RFP separately from any response to this announcement.

Businesses should identify any proprietary information in their responses. Proprietary materials will neither be distributed, nor discussed with any other organization. Information submitted in response to this notice will be used at the discretion of the U.S. Government1. Further, the

1 FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997) information submitted will remain confidential insofar as permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.

INSTRUCTIONS

Responses (comments, suggestions, and enhancements) to this RFI are due to the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) at the identified e-mail addresses below by November 20, 2023 at 4:00 pm, Phnom Penh time. Interested parties must provide one (1) electronic copy of their response in Microsoft Word. Please email responses to Ms. Samsak Sao at ssao@usaid.gov with a copy to Mr. Francis Hall at fhall@usaid.gov with the subject title “Responses to USAID/Cambodia Localization Support Activity”.

mailto:ssao@usaid.gov mailto:fhall@usaid.gov

QUESTIONS

USAID seeks to solicit feedback (comments, suggestions, and enhancements) on the draft scope of work as laid out in Attachment 1 below and information on the following specific questions to inform the design of the planned activity. Please ensure comments are concise and specific to the information requested.

1. Which aspects of the scope of work would your organization find most challenging to accomplish and why?

2. How would your organization approach the Partner Landscape Analysis (PLA) to identify and assess local partners aligned with USAID’s priority focus areas?

3. What other areas not identified in the draft scope of work could contribute to more participatory and sustainable approaches for USAID to engage local NGOs/CSOs?

4. Given the objectives of the scope of work, what other considerations do you recommend to USAID?

5. If your organization is interested in this activity, please provide a brief statement of interest and capability statement along with the following information:

• Name, e-mail address and address of organization and primary point of contact (name, title, and e-mail address)

• General organization information and statement of capabilities, including staff and technical resources (limit to two pages maximum using 12-point font size)

Attachment 1- DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK

USAID/Cambodia Localization Support

C.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this activity is to support USAID/Cambodia efforts to ensure that local actors are in the lead for Cambodia’s development. This activity would provide the Mission with services under three categories:

● Support for Mission staff (to implement local partnerships);

● Monitoring, evaluation and learning; and,

● Capacity strengthening for local actors.

C.2 BACKGROUND

Fostering increased Locally Led Development, Systems Thinking and Practice, and Local capacity strengthening is a longstanding area of USAID’s work and a cornerstone of long-term, sustainable development. The USAID Administrator’s localization agenda and the local capacity strengthening policy require a broad but comprehensive approach to delivering compliance and capacity services.

This aligns with the goal of USAID/Cambodia’s 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS): “Cambodia becomes a more open, prosperous, resilient, and inclusive partner in the Indo-Pacific region.” The goal supports the United States’ approach to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and furthers Cambodia’s Self-Reliance through sustainable development, strengthened sovereignty, and enhanced cooperation. USAID’s localization efforts will help support local leaders and organizations to achieve their objectives, lead their communities’ development, and guide their country’s future.

USAID/Cambodia’s Localization Plan outlines how the mission will contribute to the Agency’s localization agenda. The plan has three overarching goals:

1. Goal 1 (2025): Programmed resources closer to communities

2. Goal 2 (2030): Empowered local leadership throughout our processes

3. Goal 3 (2025): Increased USAID/Cambodia staff capacity to achieve goal

Figure 1: USAID/Cambodia Localization Results Framework https://www.usaid.gov/locally-led-partnerships https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-systems-framework https://www.usaid.gov/localization https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-capacity-strengthening https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-capacity-strengthening https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VJciaNzMfpZd1P1xRTjjDlapAj43N6yrq3hf9vs_vwo/edit

To achieve the above goals, USAID/Cambodia needs support conducting outreach to new partners, learning from current partnerships, and developing more potential local partnerships.

Capacity strengthening for local partners may also be needed.

C.3 OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this activity is to ensure that an increased number of new, nontraditional, local partners have the opportunity, capabilities and resources to serve as prime partners for USAID (and other funders), and to ensure that USAID is effectively equipped to reduce the risks associated with new partner implementation. There are four service categories for this activity:

1. Support for Mission staff to improve local partnership: The implementing partner must provide a range of services to support USAID/Cambodia to improve localization programming and ensure the Mission is prepared for the increased demands related to these efforts. These services will cover support and logistics for USAID’s outreach, such as industry and reverse industry days, whole systems in a room discussions, co-creation, and other types of stakeholder facilitations.

2. Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL): As requested, the implementing partner provides MEL related support to the Mission including third party monitoring (TPM), implementing accountability and feedback plans (AFPs), Partner Landscape Analyses (PLAs), and Data Quality Assessments (DQAs).

3. Capacity Strengthening for Local Actors to apply, receive and manage USAID awards and other funding streams: The implementing partner must provide a range of support services to local organizations to ensure that they can be effective partners for Cambodia’s development. These services will cover the proposal writing stage, pre-award phase, design phase, award implementation phase, and help to strengthen the long-term sustainability of these organizations. The primary implementing partner of this award may consider partnering with another organization, including an international NGO, to accomplish these tasks.

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

The primary purpose of the Localization Support Mechanism is to provide USAID/Cambodia with technical, logistical, and advisory services to support the Mission’s increasing localization programming. The implementing partner must provide USAID/Cambodia with flexible and demand-driven services. Primary services under this Contract will cover the three categories:

support for Mission staff to improve local partnership; monitoring, evaluation and learning; and capacity strengthening for local actors. These services will assist the Mission in contributing to the Agency’s localization agenda and indicators.

It is instrumental that the implementing partner use flexible and adaptable systems to accommodate Mission’s immediate priorities and remain ready to adapt plans. The implementing partner must provide research, facilitation, and capacity strengthening expertise.

Additionally, the implementing partner may need to identify subcontract partnerships and - if requested- provide specific sectoral expertise (agriculture, private sector development, economic growth, education, health, democracy and governance, and peace and stability) and cross-cutting expertise (gender, youth, inclusion and resilience).

The implementing partner must efficiently and effectively manage performance under this activity to ensure all the necessary technical and business planning, organizing, managing, coordinating and tracking (e.g., cost, schedule, and deliverables), performance management, resource management, data management, and subcontract management required to perform activities are accomplished, as required by this Scope of Work. Accordingly, the implementing partner must provide personnel during normal operations and during surge or special situations to accomplish the requirements specified in this Scope of Work.

The following sections outline a menu of services for each overarching area of the activity.

C.4.1 SUPPORT FOR MISSION STAFF TO IMPROVE LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

C.4.1.a Purpose

The implementing partner must provide a range of services to support the implementation of USAID/Cambodia’s localization efforts and the increased demands related to these efforts.

C.4.1.b Overview of USAID Expectations

The implementing partner must meet the following requirements:

● Provide staff with the language and technical skills necessary to perform the activity.

● Provide conference facilities in select cities determined with USAID (e.g., Battambang, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap)

● Collaboration, learning and adapting: Ensure that USAID/Cambodia and the implementing partner itself are continuously learning from ongoing work in Cambodia as well as from elsewhere in the world and applying learning to improve practices and methodologies.

C.4.1.c Services to be provided

The implementing partner must provide a minimum of the following services, as and when requested by USAID, and may suggest others that will support the completion of this area of work.

● Partner Landscape Analysis

This area of work represents the first major undertaking under this award, setting the stage for future work.

o Identifying local partners aligned with Mission CDCS o Identify the potential of local partners and relevant areas with each office of the Cambodia Mission o Assessing local partners’ readiness to work with USAID o Updating USAID’s partner databases of local organizations to inform them of Requests for Information and funding opportunities o Facilitating partner registration via www.workwithusaid.org o Supporting due diligence vetting of applicants

● Staffing Support including hiring and training of:

o Facilitation professionals o Transportation professionals o Research professionals o Capacity strengthening professionals

● Translation o Translation of documents (e.g. USAID Office of Acquisition and Assistance documents) o Other translation

● Outreach, Listening Sessions and/or Industry Days to facilitate exchanges and familiarize potential local partners with USAID. This could be achieved by creating a series of live and/or recorded webinars/resources providing step-by-step guidance for becoming partnership-ready in Cambodia. Examples topics:

o How to stay aware of funding opportunities o USAID award processes https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/USAID_NPI_PartnerLandscapeFieldGuide_FINAL.pdf http://www.workwithusaid.org/ o Proposal and Concept Paper Development Training (not individual support, but potentially recorded webinars that are publicly accessible including in local languages) or virtual coaching sessions in best practices and general principles for writing competitive proposals and concept papers for all donor funding possibilities.

o An introduction to USAID processes, including the documentation, registration, compliance, and steps to become an eligible partner of USAID.

o Indirect costs/ de minimis rate o Fundraising and diversifying funding sources o Cybersecurity o Disposal

● Reverse Industry Days or Listening Tours (direct partners, indirect partners, potential partners). Example topics:

o Learning from successful local partners who have primed or sub-partnered with

USAID

o Barriers/ Challenges to applying for USAID awards o Barriers/ Challenges to managing USAID awards o Challenges in capacity strengthening

● Stakeholder Facilitation o Co-creation o Whole Systems in a Room

C.4.2 MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING

C.4.2.a Purpose

The implementing partner must provide MEL services to support localization, risk management, locally led development, and inclusive development.

C.4.2.b Overview of USAID/Cambodia Expectations

The implementing partner must meet the following requirements:

● Provide staff with the language and technical skills necessary to perform the activity.

● Collaboration, learning and adapting: Ensure that USAID/Cambodia and the implementing partner itself are continuously learning from ongoing work in Cambodia as well as from elsewhere in the world and applying learning to improving practices and methodologies.

C.4.2.c Services to be provided

● Staffing support including hiring and training of:

o Monitors https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/2022-05/cheat_sheets_of_tools_and_methods_for_local_knowledge_0.pdf o MEL Specialists

● Third Party Monitoring will be tailored to an activity’s needs and can range from traditional verification exercises to data collection for Accountability and Feedback Plans (here along with other key New Partnership Initiative (NPI) standard practices) or even Developmental Evaluations. Assignments will employ necessary data collection methods such as observation, verification, interviews, and surveys.

● Data collection for Accountability and Feedback Plans on activity context, implementation, and results from a variety of stakeholders such as direct/ indirect constituents, subcontractors and local leaders

● Data Quality Assessment

● Developing Work Plans and Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans

● MEL Capacity Strengthening

C.4.3 LOCAL ORGANIZATION CAPACITY STRENGTHENING

C.4.3.a Purpose

The implementing partner must provide demand-driven capacity strengthening services to local organizations to ensure that they can be effective partners for Cambodia’s development. Local organizations for the purposes of this activity include NGOs, CSOs, national and regional federations, faith based organizations, the private sector, non-government education institutions, and others as identified by USAID during the course of the activity.

C.4.3.b Overview of USAID/Cambodia Expectations

The implementing partner must adhere to the following:

● Collaborate with recipient organizations on identifying and assessing capacity needs.

● Tailor capacity strengthening tools and mentoring specifically for the local organization and its sector.

● Whenever possible, provide systematic capacity-building that is guided by evidence-based performance plans developed in partnership and tailored to the needs of the client organization being supported.

● Report against required indicators, such as CBLD-9 and CBLD- 11.

● Facilitate collaboration, learning and adapting: Ensure that USAID/Cambodia and the implementing partner itself are continuously learning from ongoing work in Cambodia (and elsewhere as appropriate) and applying learning to improving practices and methodologies.

https://www.usaid.gov/npi/npi-key-definitions https://www.usaid.gov/npi/capacity-building-indicator-resources

C.4.3.c Services to be provided

The implementing partner must be able to provide the following services, which will be further defined and streamlined during the work planning phases throughout the implementation of the activity, and may suggest others that will support the completion of this area of work.

● Staffing support, including hiring and training of capacity strengthening professionals

● Organizational Assessments

● Develop and provide customized capacity strengthening services using a variety of methods (training, mentoring, etc.) for local organizations based on issues identified in pre-award surveys and by the local organizations themselves, such as help with proposal writing. For example, helping organizations meet any NUPAS Special Award Conditions (SACs).

● Centralized support to secure SAM, UEI, and NCAGE registrations; includes support in local languages

● Support local organizations to apply USAID’s locally led development practices - putting the community in a lead role in their own development.

● Developing Organizational Performance Monitoring & Management Systems.

[END OF SCOPE OF WORK]

https://workwithusaid.org/resource-library/preparing-for-the-nupas-usaid-training-module