RFI_Center_of_Excellence.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

USAID/MEXICO

1. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, USAID is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website or Grants.gov and local mediums. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

2. Introduction and Purpose of the RFI

The purpose of this RFI is to seek information and gather ideas for the development of an independent research-based, think-tank entity that could serve as a “Center of Excellence” (CoE) on citizen security and crime and violence prevention in Mexico.

Given that crime and violence prevention is a relatively new policy priority in Mexico and the region, there is a need for greater knowledge, capacity, and expertise in this technical field. Therefore, USAID, in coordination with the Government of Mexico (GOM), is exploring opportunities to engage interested non-governmental partners in co-creating a CoE that would address existing gaps in expertise, analysis, research and technical capability on citizen security and crime and violence prevention in Mexico.

USAID is using this RFI to gather initial information, interest, and ideas from organizations both in Mexico and abroad about the CoE’s design, structure, financing and strategic goals. No funding is associated with this RFI.

USAID envisions being part of a strategic alliance with other local and international organizations, universities, think-tanks, and private and public sector partners to support the establishment of a CoE for citizen security and crime and violence prevention in Mexico. The CoE would serve as an independent think-tank and learning platform on crime and violence prevention for the country, act as a clearinghouse for successful crime prevention models and best practices, provide recommendations based on robust data analysis and evidence to inform public policy decisions, and support the development and widespread application of effective crime and violence prevention interventions. The CoE would be uniquely positioned to promote interdisciplinary research strategies to address problems associated with crime and violence prevention across sectors, inform public policy and help build public and private capacity to design, implement and oversee evidence-based crime and violence prevention initiatives.

Perhaps most importantly, as a non-government entity, the CoE would be positioned to ensure the continuity and application of best practices and lessons learned across GOM administrations. The legitimacy of the CoE will be enhanced by its cadre of technical and academic experts and support from a variety of national and international stakeholders

Confidentiality

All information shared with USAID as a result of this RFI is confidential and only for the recipient’s knowledge. No information included in this document or in discussions connected to it may be disclosed to any other party unless otherwise indicated in the submission document or in future conversations.

3. Background

USAID/Mexico supports the GOM’s efforts to build stronger and more resilient communities that can withstand the effects of crime and violence as part of Pillar IV of the Merida Initiative, which is a bilateral security initiative between the United States and Mexico to fight organized crime and associated violence. Crime and violence prevention was declared a high priority by the GOM when President Enrique Peña Nieto took office in December 2012, and it continues to be a key area of focus for his administration.

USAID’s efforts complement GOM investments in crime and violence prevention and help build GOM capacity through targeted technical assistance aimed at improving public policies and facilitating the replication of effective crime and violence prevention models throughout the country.

In line with this bilateral vision, USAID/Mexico’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy, specifically Development Objective 1, supports Pillar IV of the Merida Initiative by developing and testing crime and violence prevention models and approaches that can be shared and ultimately replicated by local stakeholders. USAID supports sustainable institutional approaches to help prevent crime and violence by working in partnership with the GOM to improve capacity at the federal, state and municipal level.

USAID recognizes that addressing the risk factors associated with crime and violence requires the participation and collaboration of a diverse body of actors including GOM, academic/research entities, private sector actors, CSOs etc. USAID is committed to building strategic alliances with a variety of different partners in Mexico to achieve shared goals that will support innovation, improve sustainability, and increase impact of joint efforts in crime and violence prevention. In the field of crime and violence prevention, there is a need for enhanced quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques to better evaluate and inform policy discussions. The CoE would support improved data collection to further enhance analysis and dialogue on crime and violence prevention and citizen security. Supporting the establishment of a CoE, in partnership with other committed local and international partners, is directly in line with achieving USAID’s objective of building a stronger more resilient Mexico that can withstand the pressures of crime and violence and facilitate the replication of proven crime and violence prevention models.

4. Statement of Needs

One of the key strategic objectives for USAID and the GOM is to build the technical capacity, skills and knowledge around crime and violence prevention in Mexico. A critical element of USAID/Mexico’s crime and violence prevention strategy is to promote evidence-based approaches, best practices, tools and successful crime prevention and violence models throughout the country. USAID is exploring opportunities to foster national learning and exchange on best practices related to citizen security and crime and violence prevention. Crime and violence prevention is a relatively new technical field in tackling public insecurity in Mexico and Latin America and there is a need for greater knowledge, capacity, and expertise in this area. Additionally, recognizing that there does not currently exist an independent entity that can serve in this capacity, USAID, in coordination with the GOM, is exploring opportunities to partner with a range of partners to co-create a solution to the problem of limited expertise, analysis, research and technical capability on crime and violence prevention. At this stage, the idea of creating a CoE in Mexico is just a concept and USAID is using this RFI to gather initial information, innovative ideas, and expertise to support this concept from interested parties both in Mexico and in the international sphere.

Through this RFI, USAID is reaching out to gauge the interest and expertise that exist both in Mexico, as well as internationally, to inform the development of a CoE, or learning platform, in Mexico.

5. Objectives

This RFI serves two main objectives:

1) Gather information and innovative ideas from interested parties about how to create and sustain a CoE (think-tank and learning platform) on citizen security and crime and violence prevention in Mexico, and

2) Identify expertise and potential resources (technical and financial) from both local and international organizations to partner on this CoE concept.

6. Responses

Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with the following information:

1. Organization Name:

Organization Address:

Organization Webpage:

Primary Point of Contact (name/email/phone):

2. Provide general information and innovative ideas on how your organization would create and sustain a CoE in Mexico.

3. Describe why and how your organization might partner with USAID on this concept (institutional capacity/expertise/resources).

4. Provide recommendations on other organizations that should be considered as possible collaborators and partners in the development and operations of the CoE.

5. Please indicate if your organization would be willing to participate in an open discussion led by USAID, with other interested parties, to discuss this concept of the CoE in more detail following this RFI.

Information is to be submitted in a format that is compatible with Microsoft Word for Office 2000 via email to Rodrigo Diaz at the following email address – rdiaz@usaid.gov.

Information is due no later than 14 August 2015, 17:00 Mexico City Time.

Responses shall be limited to 5 pages. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED.

7. Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to gather information, ideas and expertise around the potential creation of a CoE in the area of citizen security and crime and violence prevention in Mexico. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the U.S. Government. USAID has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become U. S.

Government property and will not be returned.