RFP_Employment_Entrepreneurship Activity_v4_Posted.pdf

Solicitation Issuance Date: November 4, 2021 Submission of Questions Deadline: November 10, 2021, 16:00 Central Africa Time (“CAT”) Submission of Concept Notes: November 30, 2021 16:00 CAT Submission of Briefing Materials and Offer: January 7, 2022, 12:00 CAT Oral Presentations: January 24 - February 4, 2022

Subject: Request for Proposal 720-696-22-R-00002 USAID/Rwanda Feed-the-Future Employment and Entrepreneurship Activity

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Agency for International Development Mission in Rwanda (“USAID/Rwanda”) intends to award a cost-plus-fixed-fee completion type contract to implement the USAID/Rwanda Feed-the-Future Employment and Entrepreneurship (“E&E”) Activity, as described in the Request for Proposal (“RFP”) below.

USAID/Rwanda invites all interested and responsible organizations to submit offers in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. The total estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any, ranges from $16,000,000 to $18,000,000. USAID/Rwanda will conduct this procurement as a full and open competition under which any type of organization may submit a proposal. The procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) Part 15 will govern the procurement. The North American Industry Classification System (“NAICS”) Code is 541990. The authorized geographic code for this contract is 935.

The competition will utilize a Highest Technical Rated with Fair and Reasonable Price and Realistic Cost (“HTR”) process--not a tradeoff process. In this process, USAID/Rwanda is concerned with getting the best technical solution that has a fair and reasonable price and realistic cost. There will not be a tradeoff to justify paying a premium for a higher technical rated proposal.

Offerors must submit electronic copies of offers to both gponkratova@usaid.gov and blawrence@usaid.gov in accordance with Section L, “Instructions to Offerors.” USAID/Rwanda will evaluate fully responsive and technically acceptable offers in accordance with the evaluation factors in Section M, “Evaluation Factors for Award.” USAID/Rwanda will not evaluate nonresponsive, incomplete, or technically unacceptable offers. Please note that USAID/Rwanda will find offers technically unacceptable if they fail to comply with or fully respond to the material terms of this RFP. Offerors must comply with FAR § 52.204-7, System for Award Management, and adhere to the requirements set forth in Section K, “Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors.”

Issuance of this RFP neither obligates USAID/Rwanda to award a contract nor commits USAID/Rwanda to pay for any costs incurred by the offeror in preparing and submitting an offer. Offerors incur such costs at their own risk. The execution of a contract remains subject to the availability of funds and other internal approvals.

Furthermore, USAID/Rwanda reserves the right to reject any and all offers when considered by the Contracting Officer to serve the best interests of the U.S. Government.

Thank you in advance for your interest in this development opportunity.

Sincerely, Justin Troy DiVenanzo Supervisory Regional Contracting and Agreement Officer Director, Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID/Rwanda and USAID/Burundi

Award PDF will contain fully executed SF 33.

Offeror must download most recent version of SF 33 on www.gsa.gov to prepare its offer

PART I—THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B—SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 Contract Purpose

The U.S. Agency for International Development (“USAID” or the “Agency”) requires (“[●]” or the “Contractor”) to provide services to implement the USAID/Rwanda Feed-the-Future Employment and Entrepreneurship (“E&E”) Activity through Contract [●] (the “Contract”), as described in Section C.

B.2 Contract Type and Services

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Completion-Type contract.

B.3 Total Estimated Cost, Obligated Amount, and Incremental Funding

(a) The total estimated cost for the performance of the work required for the Contract, exclusive of fixed fee, if any, is $[●]. The fixed fee, if any, is $[●]. The total estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any, is $[●].

(b) The total obligated amount available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the Contractor (and payment of fixed fee, if any) for performance under the contract is $[●]. The Contractor must not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) § 52.232.22, “Limitation of Funds.”

B.4 Budget

Line Item Total Direct Costs $[●] Grants Under Contract $3,000,000 Indirect Cost $[●] Fixed Fee $[●] Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee $[●]

(a) The inclusion of any costs in the budget does not obviate the requirement for prior approval by the Contracting Officer (“CO”) of cost items designated as requiring prior approval by any of the terms and conditions of this contract, including the applicable cost principles (see FAR § 52.216-7, “Allowable Cost and Payment”); nor, does it constitute a determination of allowability by the CO of any item of cost, unless specifically stated elsewhere in this contract.

(b) The Contractor must not adjust the above line items without a written modification signed by the

CO.

(c) The Contractor must not incur any costs against this Contract in excess of the amounts specified for each line item without the CO’s prior authorization.

(d) The Contractor agrees to furnish data that the CO may request on costs expended or accrued under this contract.

B.5 Advance Understanding on Ceiling Indirect Cost Rates and Final Reimbursement for Indirect Costs

(a) The Contractor must make no change in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

(b) Reimbursement for indirect costs must be at the lower of the negotiated final (or predetermined) rates or the following ceiling rates:

[To Be Determined at Award]

Description 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

TBD __% __% _% _% _%

(c) USAID will not be obligated to pay any additional amount should the final indirect cost rates exceed the negotiated ceiling rates. If the final indirect cost rates are less than the negotiated ceiling rates, the negotiated rates will be reduced to conform to the lower rates.

(d) This advance understanding must not change any monetary ceiling, obligation, or specific cost allowance or disallowance. Any changes in classifying or allocating indirect costs require the prior written approval of the CO.

B.6 Reimbursable Costs

USAID will only reimburse the Contractor for allowable costs in accordance with FAR § 52.216-7, “Allowable Cost and Payment,” FAR § 52.216-8, “Fixed Fee,” FAR § 52.232-20, “Limitation of Cost,” and FAR § 52-232-22, “Limitation of Funds,” if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003, “Documentation for Payment.”

B.7 Payment of Fixed Fee

USAID will pay a proportion of the Contractor’s fixed fee each month pursuant to FAR § 52.216-8, “Fixed Fee,” upon the receipt of an acceptable invoice. Contractor will, unless otherwise directed, submit confirmation of delivery of specific deliverable(s) or result(s) in its Quarterly Progress Report. Payment for associated fee will be included in the invoice for the month of Quarterly Progress Report. USAID acceptance of the associated Quarterly Progress Report will constitute approval of the deliverable(s) or result(s) and the associated fee. In the event the Contractor does not submit the required deliverables or achieve the required results at the conclusion of the period of performance, the CO will adjust the fixed fee proportionately to the deliverables and results accepted.

B.8 Multi-Year Contract

USAID considers this Contract non-severable. Therefore, as a multi-year contract as defined in FAR § 17.103, it remains subject to the requirements contained in FAR § 17.106. However, as a cost-reimbursement Contract, USAID will authorize the reimbursement for all allowable costs incurred by the Contractor pursuant to FAR § 52.216-7, “Allowable Costs and Payment.” As a result, the Contractor will not incur any costs that require amortization over the Contract’s period of performance in the event that the CO cancels the Contract pursuant to FAR § 52.217-2. Thus, $0 will serve as the cancellation ceiling for each cancellation date. Accordingly, no requirement to include cancellation dates in the Contract exists.

END OF SECTION B

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Contract Goal

This Contract will address the problem of insufficient employment opportunities and limited entrepreneurial success for Rwandans which negatively impacts the Rwandan economy and the country's development goals. The E&E Activity (i.e. “the Activity” or “E&E”) will facilitate capacity development of Rwandans— in particular women, youth, and persons with disabilities— in key technical and soft skills required to participate in a modern workforce (focusing on opportunities surrounding the agricultural economy) and will catalyze new entry and growth of inclusive enterprises. E&E will use facilitative, demand-driven, private-sector-led approaches to develop economic opportunities at scale.

The Activity will use a market systems development approach to support agriculture and complementary market segments (i.e. agri-businesses as well as finance, business development services, restaurant industry, training institutes, etc.) to add greater value to the economy through increased employment opportunities. Over the life of the Activity, E&E interventions will support a minimum of 23,000 job seekers to access new or improved employment, while the Activity’s support to agribusinesses will result in the creation of at least 19,000 jobs at partner firms.

C.2 Services Required

The E&E Activity will work to ameliorate the above development challenges within the agri-food system and supporting sectors. To accomplish this, E&E has three objectives/intermediate results, as described below. In order to succeed in delivering results across these IRs, the E&E Activity must apply a market systems development approach, working to identify and minimize the root causes of current market failures, and create incentives for existing market actors (such as agribusinesses, service providers, and financial institutions) to invest in developing solutions which will be sustained after the E&E period of performance ends.

C.2.1 Intermediate Result (IR) 1: Rwandans possess the knowledge and skills required to serve labor and consumer markets domestically, regionally, and globally.

Under IR 1, E&E will increase the requisite foundational1, technical, soft, and entrepreneurial skills that Rwandan jobseekers and would-be entrepreneurs can bring to market while also increasing their access to information around market opportunities within the agriculture and food system. Digital skills-building, especially to increase digital inclusion for women, youth, and persons with disabilities should be incorporated into IR 1 interventions. This IR has three sub-intermediate results:

● Under IR 1.1: Technical capacity to provide educational opportunities in agri-food systems is expanded at tertiary and technical institutes and/or is provided directly through employers and other actors, E&E will increase the availability of training programs which provide technical and soft skills required in a modernized agricultural economy.

● Under IR 1.2: Educational opportunities are increased, with particular emphasis on expanding opportunities regardless of socioeconomic status, gender or disability, E&E will increase access to new and existing educational opportunities to increase employability amongst beneficiaries, including but not limited to, those most difficult to employ.

● Under IR 1.3: Job seekers understand the professional opportunities available and the skills needed to attain them, E&E will identify and strengthen modalities by which the labor force can find information on job opportunities, labor market trends, skills sought after by the private sector, etc. in order to better inform their job searching and trainings.

1 This includes ensuring that target groups have the necessary functional literacy and numeracy to perform the jobs for which they are being trained for.

C.2.2 Intermediate Result 2: The private sector has access to the resources required to grow their revenue and employment.

Under IR 2, E&E will facilitate access to information and services among businesses engaged in the agriculture and food system sector that have growth aspirations. While E&E can work with businesses of all sizes and in all stages (start-up, pre-expansion, and growth) based on each individual business’s value proposition, and based upon recent USAID research, the Activity should target “toddler” firms with between 10-50 employees as these are more likely to create additional jobs than older firms are the engines of job creation. The resources E&E provides can be driven by factors at the macro-level; e.g., facilitating public-private dialogues related to regulations and incentives for business start-up and growth sectors), or at the micro-level, such as entities that provide support to individual businesses that seek growth. E&E will facilitate access to business services that have far-ranging relevance and are demand-driven rather than generic topics or services dictated by the Activity. Based on stakeholder consultations and learning from relevant previous Activities, business demand for services includes:

commercial financing; business planning; legal advising; technical capacity development; market development; linkages to finance, and/or to co-investment in upgrading their businesses to achieve economies of scale which will allow them to expand and hire, etc.

This IR has three sub-intermediate results, as outlined below.

● Under IR 2.1: The business enabling environment incentivizes firms to grow, E&E will identify key bottlenecks that are disrupting or emergent opportunities to further advance enabling environment areas that support business growth and job creation in Rwanda and work with public and private stakeholders to ameliorate those constraints or advance those opportunities..

● Under IR 2.2: The entrepreneurship ecosystem provides comprehensive, appropriate, and accessible services for firms of all sizes, E&E will facilitate the provision of technical and/or financial assistance to agribusinesses which require support to spur business growth and job creation..

● Under IR 2.3: Employers are linked with skilled workers who meet their labor needs within the local labor market, E&E will identify and strengthen mechanisms for firms to find, hire, and retain qualified staff. .

C.2.3 Intermediate Result 3: Businesses are incentivized to grow inclusively.

Under IR 3, E&E will increase the awareness of the social and business case for inclusion (primarily of women, youth, and persons with disabilities) within the business, education, and other institutions supported by or partnered with E&E. As with IR 2, this IR will work at the macro and micro levels; at the macro-level the Activity will advise on the creation and implementation of key anti-discrimination laws and work through institutions to sensitize the population about those laws and their importance. At the micro-level, partners under the Activity may be given individual training and advice for where and how to increase inclusion within their standard operating procedures. This IR has three sub-intermediate results, as outlined below.

● Under IR: 3.1 The enabling environment for inclusion is improved, and businesses are sensitized and incentivized to comply with anti-discrimination regulations, E&E will identify where and why anti-discrimination regulations aren’t being enforced by the private sector and work with private and public sector stakeholders to increase ease of compliance.

● Under IR 3.2: Awareness is raised at the societal-level about the importance of inclusion from social, macro-economic, and business-case perspectives, E&E will promote inclusion in high-level partnerships created under IR 1 and IR 2 interventions.

● Under IR 3.3: Businesses incorporate pro-inclusion hiring, administrative, and other policies and procedures, E&E will support individual businesses to improve their operating procedures to make their business more accessible to women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

https://www.marketlinks.org/blogs/show-me-data-serial-entrepreneurs-and-toddler-firms

C.3 Results and Indicators

E&E must measure and track indicators for each objective/intermediate result, including standard indicators in the Standard Foreign Assistance economic growth and education indicator reference sheets and the Feed the Future Indicator Handbook. E&E may also utilize custom indicators and/or review indicators included in reports of previous USAID agricultural activities found on the Development Experience Clearinghouse.

The table below lists two core FTF indicators with the minimum expected results, these indicators will be used as a basis for monitoring overall Activity progress and measuring contractor performance.

Additional FTF and custom indicators and associated targets for each IR and Sub-IR should be included.

Additional indicators should be well-aligned with the contract’s expected results and targets should be ambitious but realistic. Proposed indicators should capture intervention results across the output, outcome, impact, and systems-change levels. As reflects E&E’s prioritization of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, all targets should have targets for inclusivity.

Table: Minimum Results for the Feed the Future E&E Activity2

Indicator Minimum Target Minimum Inclusivity

Number of individuals with new or improved employment following participation in USG-assisted programs.

(Former EG 6.1/EG 4.6.3-2, archived in 2018; Derivative of current EG 6.12)

23,000 51% Women 26% Youth 4% Persons with Disabilities

Full-time equivalent (FTE) employment of firms assisted under USG programs. (EG 5.2, calculated as jobs added over baseline

19,00034 51% Women 26% Youth 4% Persons with Disabilities

C.4 Operating Priorities and Guidance

The Contractor will implement this Activity using a market systems development approach. E&E must address and integrate each of the following implementation principles:

C.4.1 Target Beneficiaries and Location

The Activity will work with a broad set of relevant actors in generating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, but will place special emphasis on groups who suffer from higher rates of underemployment and unemployment, such as women and youth (defined as between 16-30), with a secondary focus on persons with disabilities. While no groups will be excluded from participation, E&E must ensure that the participation of emphasized beneficiary groups is equal to or greater than their share of the general working-age population.

4 USAID expects there to be significant overlap between participants with new/improved employment as a result of E&E training and FTE jobs added at assisted firms.

3 At present, ~38,000 jobs per year are created by the private sector in Rwanda; the proposed cumulative 19,000 jobs created over the life of the Activity represents a 10% increase per year over this baseline value.

2 The contractor is encouraged to propose more ambitious indicator targets and inclusivity targets if possible.

E&E has no set location parameters; the Activity can work across Rwanda as market opportunities dictate. However, to the extent possible, geographic emphasis should be placed on the Feed the Future Zone of Influence which is currently Bugesera, Burera, Gakenke, Gatsibo, Karongi, Kayonza, Ngoma, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Ngororero, Rubavu, and Rutsiro districts. Interventions should be balanced between rural, urban, and peri-urban areas within the zone of influence and in Kigali and the surrounding areas given the importance of Kigali as the nation’s commercial hub.

C.4.2 Partnership with the Government of Rwanda

The E&E Activity will ensure close alignment with National Strategy for Transformation (NST) and relevant sector strategies and policies such as: the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of the Agriculture (PSTA IV), the MINICOM Industrialization policy, Education policy, and other relevant GOR’s agencies and Ministries policy and strategies. Maximizing the value for money of its interventions, the Activity will be flexible, strategically responsive to GOR regulatory changes and requests for technical assistance to its agencies and programs aimed at: improvements in technical and soft-skill educational provision; access to business development and advisory services to enable growth in employment; and improvements to the regulatory framework to promote the inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities into current and future employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. Final MOUs with motivated GOR partners will be negotiated after E&E contract commencement, but key partners may include: Rwanda Development Board (RBD)--investment and skills teams and/or the RDB Business Development Advisor cadre; Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI); the Business Development Fund (BDF); and the Rwanda TVET Board.

C.4.3 Relationship with other USAID-funded Activities:

The E&E Activity will complement ongoing USAID/Rwanda investments in agriculture, economic growth, health, and education. More in-depth parameters for partnership will be determined after award, but illustrative areas of complementarity with key Economic Growth office activities include: working with Nguriza Nshore to source businesses motivated for growth and/or to facilitate access to finance for E&E-sourced businesses; linking to and expanding Hinga Weze’s internship program; building on gender-focused value chain development work done by Hinga Weze and Orora Wihaze by helping women to find new markets, formalize their operations, etc.

In addition to working closely with the Economic Growth Office Portfolio per the above, E&E will work with and learn from the implementation of the USAID/Rwanda’s recently launched Umurimo Kuri Bose (Kinyarwanda for “Employment For All”) Activity which is aimed at creating an enabling environment for employment and economic empowerment for youth with disabilities. This could include creative sequencing in the implementation of activities related to persons with disabilities in order to best learn from UKB.

E&E should complement the Health Office’s Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) program, which has multiple activities that aim to provide employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for adolescent girls and young women.

E&E should collaborate with the CATALYZE EduFinance initiative in Rwanda which is expected to support the development of financing mechanisms for TVET, including providing lending to students for training programs which can be repaid upon securing employment post-graduation. E&E could support the scaling up of innovative financing models developed under this program to additional educational institutions.

E&E will also collaborate with the the Dufatanye Kubaka Ubutabera Activity (“DKU”) – Let’s Strengthen Access to Justice Activity from the USAID/Rwanda Democracy and Governance office to identify advocacy points of mutual interest and approaches to jointly move those forward.

Lastly, the E&E Activity should also seek to incorporate lessons learned from soon-to-be closing and recently ended USAID/Rwanda activities such as Huguka Dukore and the Private Sector Driven Agricultural Growth (PSDAG) Activity.

Outside of USAID/Rwanda programming, E&E should seek to leverage USAID regional and global initiatives and activities, for example collaborating with the Prosper Africa Initiative funded activities and the Aceli Africa market incentive facility, both of which are operating in Rwanda. For example, the E&E Activity will work to leverage Aceli Africa’s growing pipeline of agri-SMEs investments to explore and expand job creation opportunities.

C.4.4 Coordination and Collaboration with other Development Partners and Stakeholders

The Activity will facilitate strategic coordination with programs funded by other development partners.

E&E will be responsive to the donor landscape over the period of implementation, but key collaborators to start will be: the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) including the IMSAR Activity; Mastercard Foundation and their Rwandan Young Africa Works portfolio; GIZ Workforce of the Future programming; the IFAD/BMZ Rural Youth Employment Support (R-YES) project; and the World Bank.

C.4.5 Implementation Approach

The Activity will take a market systems approach, engaging and supporting existing market actors (both public and private sector actors) rather than creating independent structures of support. E&E must seek to catalyze change in markets through existing market actors, as opposed to having implementing partners directly deliver services that attempt to bridge market failures (e.g., providing business development services). Direct delivery impacts are difficult to sustain post-intervention and can displace market actors who should serve that market function. Therefore, E&E will emphasize the importance of using facilitation practices whenever possible. This may require supporting a mindset shift for those accustomed to thinking about direct outcomes and ownership of activities rather than indirect ripple effects and market-driven actions. E&E will primarily support the agri-food system, but the sub-sectors supported should be dictated by market dynamics, and the Activity will be free to take advantage of any opportunities in the agri-food system, so long as they present economic opportunities inclusive of women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

C.4.6 Employment versus Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship, self-employment, and wage-employment are all important avenues to increasing the economic participation and livelihoods of Rwandans, and therefore E&E interventions must be well-balanced to encourage marketable opportunities across all three avenues. For example, training interventions under IR 1 might include skills-building which helps unemployed Activity participants to harness both entrepreneurship and employment opportunities. Further, interventions under IR 2 could be open to established businesses as well as start-ups, and include targeted support windows for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, who are entrepreneurs but may face additional barriers to accessing the opportunities currently available in Rwanda.

C.4.7 Collaborating, Learning, Adapting

E&E implementation must incorporate strategic collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive management (CLA). CLA approaches to development include collaborating intentionally with stakeholders to share knowledge and reduce duplication of effort, learning systematically by drawing on evidence from a variety of sources and taking time to reflect on implementation, and applying that learning by adapting intentionally. E&E will routinely engage partners to reflect on progress, incorporate lessons, and adapt approaches in an evidence-based manner, adjusting to new information, emerging opportunities, and changes in the Rwandan context through CLA activities such as partner meetings, portfolio reviews, and after-action reviews.

C.4.8 Cross-Cutting Principles

C.4.8.1 Private Sector Engagement

The Activity will provide technical assistance and use a market systems development approach to support agri-businesses and complementary agriculture and food security market segments (i.e. finance, business development services, restaurant industry, etc.) to add greater value to the economy through increased employment opportunities.

C.4.8.2 Women’s Empowerment, Gender Equality, Positive Youth Development5, and Social Inclusion

E&E will work to build the technical (including digital literacy) and soft skills of targeted youth, women, and persons with disabilities to qualify for and obtain employment opportunities in the agribusiness sector. In addition, in recognition of the limited role of formal employment within the current economy, the Activity will facilitate employment opportunities by larger firms as well as by increasing the capacity of these groups to create their own self-employment opportunities. To ensure target groups are included at or above their share of the working age population, all data collected will be disaggregated by sex and age, and gender standard or custom indicators will be used where appropriate. In accordance with PYD, E&E will seek to include concrete and practical approaches that will not only address the challenges that youth face to accomplish the Activity results, but will also involve and support young people in the decision making.

C.4.8.3 Digital Information Systems and Tools Integration

The E&E Activity will work to integrate and undertake development of innovative, cost effective and flexible digital systems and tools to administer training, technical assistance, labor-market intermediation, and other relevant interventions, in line with USAID’s principles for digital development.

Digital tools can expand the reach of E&E interventions, for example, virtual training enables the participation of attendees across the country rather than mandating in-person attendance. However, given limited and biased access to digital resources, these interventions have the potential to further alienate participation by women, youth, and persons with disabilities, so interventions need to work to counteract that.

C.4.8.4 COVID-19 Adaptations

The employment and entrepreneurship enabling environment has changed considerably since the onset of COVID-19; in a survey conducted by USAID/Rwanda, more than 80% of firms reported having to either lay-off, reduce hours, or cut their employees' pay due to a reduction in market demand and business cash flow. The market will likely continue to change due to medium- and long-term impacts to tourism and trade as a result of COVID-19. In order to support the ecosystem to adapt to continued changes, E&E interventions must be flexible and responsive and incorporate a risk mitigation/adaptation lens for the current COVID-19 recovery and any future pandemic emergence.

5 Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a philosophy and an approach to youth development that “engages youth along with their families, communities, and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets, and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems.”More information about PYD can be found at:

https://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development-pyd-framework

C.5 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

The Market Systems approach puts into practice the adaptive management outlined in USAID’s recently revised Program Cycle guidance in ADS 201 (https://usaidlearninglab.org/programcycle-overview-page).

Three key principles of this guidance are:

1. Apply analytic rigor: Make strategic choices based on conclusions supported by evidence;

2. Manage adaptively: Make adjustments in response to new information and context changes; and,

3. Promote sustainability: Generate lasting changes that can be sustained by local actors.

The E&E Activity’s Work Plans will incorporate these principles, and life-of-activity and annual Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (“MEL”) Plans will test the efficacy of the implementation of this approach. The MEL Plan must take into consideration the measurable and verifiable set of deliverables that will be developed under each objective/intermediate result. USAID encourages innovative approaches to monitoring and evaluating Activity achievements. The MEL Plan will cover one year of programming and be reviewed, updated, and expanded each year as annual work plans are developed.

E&E will pursue a learning agenda which is aligned with the Activity goals and with the Mission’s Performance Management Plan (PMP). Key learning questions from the USAID/Rwanda Mission PMP which the Activity will be expected to contribute to include:

● How does the Mission’s programming benefit persons with disabilities? How is the identification of target beneficiaries with disabilities done to ensure data validity and reliability? (Gender and Social Inclusion Learning Agenda)

● How are the Mission’s investments contributing to gender equality and women’s empowerment?

(access to, control over, and benefit from resources, wealth, opportunities, and services -economic, socio-cultural, political). (Gender and Social Inclusion Learning Agenda)

● What set of skills lead to increased employability for youth? (Youth Development Learning Agenda)

● What are the trends in the duration of youth unemployment/underemployment? (Youth Development Learning Agenda)

● What are the unique barriers to employment for youth, women and persons with disabilities?

Which programming models are most effective at increasing employment for these vulnerable groups? (PROSPER Learning Agenda)

● What are the policy gaps and constraints that must be addressed to accelerate private-sector growth? What is the best role for USAID to facilitate this? (PROSPER Learning Agenda)

CLA: CLA must be embedded within the day-to-day work and operations of E&E, as CLA is crucial for the successful implementation of the Activity.

Adaptive management will require an intentional approach to making decisions and adjustments in response to new information and changes in context. The successful implementation of a market systems approach relies on quick feedback loops to identify the results of actions taken by the Activity, as well as the ability to generate lessons learned for pivoting towards successful actions and understanding what and why other actions have failed to deliver results. As such, data collection which will inform implementation decision points/milestones will be necessary throughout the life of the Activity, while leaving room for unexpected ‘pause and reflect’ moments prompted by contextual shifts and/or other triggers to occur outside what may be anticipated. The ability to promote internal reflection and learning within the implementation team as well as share lessons learned with other actors in Rwanda and beyond are critical for promoting and demonstrating success as well as learning from failures.

USAID/Rwanda will contract an independent entity to provide midterm performance evaluation which will be managed by USAID/Rwanda. A final evaluation might be considered based on the results of the midterm evaluation, if applicable, and regular monitoring of the Activity.

https://usaidlearninglab.org/programcycle-overview-page

C.6 Grants Under Contract

The use of competitive, performance-based grants will support the trial of innovative solutions to improve and increase employment and entrepreneurship in Rwanda. Grants to private sector stakeholders (including, but not limited to: established businesses, training entities, and entrepreneurs) will buy down risk,catalyze investment and reforms, and demonstrate proof of concept for larger-scale crowding-in necessary to achieve the E&E Activity’s intermediate results. Grant funding should be leveraged to mobilize private capital, to the fullest extent possible.

END OF SECTION C

SECTION D—PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 Branding Strategy

The Contractor must develop a broad Branding Implementation Plan (“BIP”) and Marking Plan (“MP”) for the Contract to describe how it will brand activity deliverables. The branding strategy for this contract, as specified in USAID ADS 320.3.2.1 is as follows:

(a) Activity Name: The Activity will be known as the “Feed the Future Employment and Entrepreneurship (E&E)” Activity. The activity will also use its Kinyarwanda name: Kungahara Uhanga Akazi, meaning Prosper While Creating Jobs. The Activity must use full branding—USAID and Feed the Future—on all materials and communications.

(b) USAID Logo: The USAID logo must be posted at every static support position. The USAID Identity (logo and the message that the assistance is from the American people) and Activity name must be used on all Activity reports, memoranda, printed materials and other Activity-related documents. Contractor employee business cards must be marked so that any person reading the card can know this is a Contractor employee. Contractor employee email and correspondence must be marked so that any person reading the document can know this is a Contractor employee. Where required, the USAID logo must be of equal or greater prominence than all other logos and symbols. Any materials and communications produced by any subcontractor must follow USAID branding requirements.

Standard USAID Identity:

“This project was made possible by the United States Agency for International Development and the generous support of the American People.”

(c) Desired level of visibility: The Contractor must ensure that the Activity (as well as the fact that it is made possible by the American people through USAID) receive broad visibility not only among its beneficiaries and counterparts, but also among the general public in Rwanda. USAID’s experience in Africa demonstrates critical importance and multiple opportunities for public outreach through information dissemination.

In the case of events, training, or conferences related to market-based solutions that are put on by private sector lead firms, the Government of Rwanda and not directly by the Contractor or its subcontractors, a reduced branding and marking approach may be applied. This is to promote more visibility for the role of the private sector and private sector actors in leading these events.

However, this does not apply when an event, training or conference is being directly sponsored by the Contractor and its subcontractors.

(d) Other organizations to be acknowledged: No other organizations are required to be acknowledged. The presence of any logo or symbol belonging to the Contractor must conform to the policy in ADS 320 and is subject to negotiation.

(e) BIP and MP: The Contractor must follow the approved plan during implementation of the contract unless a waiver or exception is requested and approved.

(f) Waivers: Waivers to Contract marking requirements may be granted per compliance with ADS 320.3.2.6.

(g) Exceptions: Exceptions to Contract marking requirements may be granted per the criteria described in ADS 320.3.2.5.

D.2 Branding and Marking Policy and Creation and Development of Website

This Activity must be branded and marked in accordance with ADS 320 requirements for USAID direct contracting and USAID’s Feed the Future branding guidance. Agency policy requires that implementing partners provide a "Branding Implementation Plan," indicating how they propose to name and promote the USAID-funded programs, and a "Marking Plan," detailing Activity materials that will showcase the USAID-Feed the Future identity.

A well-defined Branding Implementation Plan describes how the Activity is named and positioned; how it is promoted and communicated to beneficiaries, and Rwandan citizens; and how USAID will be identified and acknowledged. The Branding Implementation Plan must describe a communication strategy which the Contractor must develop in close coordination with the Mission communications team.

The Branding Implementation Plan will articulate a multi-year plan for producing success stories and other communications materials that summarize the impact of the interventions through partner government and beneficiary-centered communications, drawing upon impactful visuals.

The Branding Implementation Plan will identify the resources, key audiences, messages, and communication channels.

While implementing the Branding Implementation and Marking Plans, the Contractor must seek timely approval from the COR for all public and media documents, speeches and event preparation forms as per the Mission’s communication procedures.

A well-defined Marking Plan details the public communications, commodities, and Activity materials and other items that will visibly bear the USAID-Feed the Future identity.

The Marking Plan must discuss the treatment of anticipated deliverables/reports that the Contractor will mark, which may include, but are not limited to books and supplementary teaching and learning materials, training materials, commodities or equipment; printed, audio, visual or electronic public communications; studies, reports, publications, websites, and all promotional and informational products.

Note that COR approval is subject to the prior concurrence of the Mission’s Development and Outreach Coordinator (“DOC”), and must be received before using any printed materials which incorporate the USAID Feed the Future identity. The Contractor must build in time for these procedures. All news releases/media alerts must be coordinated with the COR and DOC for approval.

The Contractor must comply with the requirements of USAID “Graphic Standards Manual” available at:

www.usaid.gov/branding with the policies found at Automated Directives System (ADS) Chapter 320, or any successor branding policy and the USAID Feed the Future Branding guidance.

Prior to creation and development of any website, the Contractor must receive the approval of the Agency's Website Governance Board (WGB). The WGB, which is a part of the Agency's Management Operations Council, will review and approve all requests for new external facing websites. The following link is to request to redesign a site or create a new site at:

https://sites.google.com/a/usaid.gov/usaid-gov/request-creation-of-new-website.

http://www.usaid.gov/branding https://sites.google.com/a/usaid.gov/usaid-gov/request-creation-of-new-website

D.3 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

(a) It is USAID policy that USAID-financed commodities and shipping containers, and project construction sites and other project locations be suitably marked with the USAID emblem.

Shipping containers are also to be marked with the last five digits of the USAID financing document number. As a general rule, marking is not required for raw materials shipped in bulk (such as coal, grain, etc.), or for semi-finished products which are not packaged.

(b) Specific guidance on marking requirements should be obtained prior to procurement of commodities to be shipped, and as early as possible for project construction sites and other project locations. This guidance will be provided through the cognizant technical office indicated on the cover page of this contract, or by the Mission Director in the Cooperating Country to which commodities are being shipped, or in which the project site is located.

(c) Authority to waive marking requirements is vested with the Regional Assistant Administrators, and with Mission Directors.

(d) A copy of any specific marking instructions or waivers from marking requirements is to be sent to the Contracting Officer; the original should be retained by the Contractor.

END OF SECTION D

SECTION E—INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 Notice Listing Contract Clauses Incorporated by Reference

The following contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date) in accordance with FAR § 52.252-2, “Clauses Incorporated By Reference,” in Section I of this contract.

NUMBER TITLE DATE

Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1)

52.246-3 Inspection of Supplies—Cost Reimbursement MAY 2001

E.2 Inspection and Acceptance

(a) USAID/Rwanda inspection and acceptance of services, reports, and other required deliverables or outputs will take place at the following location: USAID/Rwanda, 30 KG 7 Avenue, Kacyiru, P.O. Box 28, Kigali, Rwanda.

(b) USAID/Rwanda reserves the right to inspect and accept any services, reports, and other required deliverables or outputs where the services are performed and where reports and deliverables or outputs are produced or submitted. The CO has delegated authority to inspect and accept all services, reports, and required deliverables or outputs to the COR, designated in Section G of this Contract. The COR’s acceptance of services, reports, and other deliverables may form the basis for payments to the Contractor.

E.4 Performance Standards

USAID/Rwanda will evaluate the Contractor’s performance in accordance with FAR § 42.15, corresponding USAID procedures, and the contractor’s adherence to the annual work plan, reporting against its MEL Plan, and quality of reports described in Section F below. USAID/Rwanda will evaluate the Contractor’s performance during the initial, intermediate, and final periods of the contract in accordance with the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (“CPARS”). The CO and the COR will jointly conduct the evaluation of the contractor’s overall performance. This evaluation will form the basis of the contractor’s permanent performance record under this Contract.

END OF SECTION E

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 Notice Listing Contract Clauses Incorporated by Reference

The following contract clauses pertinent to this section are hereby incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date) in accordance with the clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference, in Section I of this contract with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text.

See http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html for electronic access to the full text of a clause.

NUMBER TITLE DATE

52.242-15 Stop-Work Order – Alternate I AUG 1989

F.2 Period of Performance

[Note to Offerors: This language will be added to the award if it is based on the Foreign Assistance waiver. If the apparently successful offeror does not require a waiver, this additional language will be deleted from the award document.]

(a) The period of performance for this Contract is five years subject to the conditions set forth in Section H.7.

(b) The effective date of this Contract commences [●], 2022. The period of performance of this Contract concludes [●], 2027 subject to the conditions set forth in Section H.

F.3 Place of Performance

The place of performance under this Contract is Rwanda and the Contractor’s offices.

F.4 Key Personnel

(a) The Contractor must furnish five full-time positions deemed key personnel for the performance of this Contract.

No Key Personnel Position Individual 1 Chief of Party (COP) [●] 2 Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) [●] 3 [●] [●] 4 [●] [●] 5 [●] [●]

(b) The Key Personnel identified above are considered essential to the work being performed under this Contract. The Contractor must remain responsible for providing such Key Personnel for full-time performance for the term of this Contract unless otherwise agreed to by the CO.

(c) The Contractor must make Key Personnel available within 30 days of USAID approval Contract award. Approved expatriate staff, if any, should arrive in the country within 30 working days of the approval.

(d) The CO may consider the Contractor’s failure to provide the Key Personnel designated above nonperformance unless such failure exists beyond the control—and through no fault or negligence—of the Contractor.

(e) The Contractor must immediately notify the CO and the COR of any Key Personnel’s departure and the reasons therefore.

(f) The Contractor must take steps to immediately rectify the departure of Key Personnel and will propose a substitute candidate for each vacated position along with a budget impact statement in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on this Contract.

(g) The Contractor must not replace any of the Key Personnel without the written consent of the COR whether provided in advance or by ratification.

(h) USAID/Rwanda reserves the right to adjust the number of Key Personnel during the performance of this Contract; however, the Contractor must not provide more than five Key Personnel positions during contract performance.

F.5.1 Chief of Party

The Chief of Party (COP) serves as the primary point of contact with the USAID/Rwanda COR. The COP provides overall leadership and manages the Contractor’s efforts to achieve the activity results. The COP guides day-to-day implementation and management of the Contract to ensure timely, relevant, high quality services. The COP also has overall responsibility for assuring that all activity tasks are completed and the objectives of the Activity are successfully met. The COP supervises the work of all personnel assigned tasks under the Activity; ensures timely, accurate and user-friendly reporting on the progress and status of all services provided under the Activity; and ensures USAID-compliance and integrity of Activity operations. The COP is also responsible for facilitating communication and close coordination with all stakeholders of the Activity.

The COP must demonstrate the commensurate academic and professional experience as well as technical, leadership, administrative, and communication skills to match the above job description. The COP must meet the following minimum academic qualifications and work experience requirements:

● A Master’s Degree in a relevant field of study and a minimum of five years of experience in managing international development activities relevant to the SOW in the fields of market systems, workforce development, or positive youth development. OR a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study and a minimum of ten years of experience in managing international development activities relevant to the SOW.

● Proven leadership in the administration of similar size international donor support programs with skills in strategic planning, management, supervision, and budgeting.

● Proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse partners and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams.

● Evidence of strong communication skills, both interpersonal and written, to fulfill the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the Activity.