RFP USAID Local Works Support 72036723R00001.pdf

Issuance Date: April 18, 2023 Closing Date/Time for Questions: April 27, 2023, 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

(9:45 P.M. Nepal Time) Closing Date/Time for Receipt of Proposals: June 01, 2023, 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time

(9:45 P.M. Nepal Time)

Subject: Request for Proposals No. 72036723R00001, USAID Local Works Support

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Nepal seeks proposals from local organizations operating in Nepal to provide services as detailed in the attached Request for Proposal (RFP). Responses will only be considered from local organizations who are authorized to operate in Nepal (See Section L for more details).

Responses to this RFP must follow all instructions and include the information outlined in Section L of this solicitation. Failure to follow or submit requested documentation may result in an Offeror being deemed non-compliant. Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria described in the Section M of this solicitation. Award of a Contract will follow the procedures of FAR Part 15 in order to determine the “Best Value” to USAID. This contract is anticipated to be awarded based on initial offers; however, the Government may choose to seek clarifications, if deemed necessary.

The Government contemplates awarding a single Time and Materials (Labor Hour with ceiling prices) type contract. The geographic code for this procurement is 937, and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this solicitation is 541611 “Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services.”

Offerors are responsible for ensuring proposals are received at USAID by the due date and time as specified above. Failure to comply with the submission deadline will deem any submission unacceptable and it will not be reviewed or evaluated. Pursuant to Block 12 of Standard Form 33 of this RFP, offers must remain valid for 220 days. Please ensure that your company’s registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) Central is current and up to date. SAM can be accessed at www.sam.gov. Any questions regarding the RFP’s requirements must be submitted no later than the time and date stated above to Contracting Officer, Robyn Bertholon, at rbertholon@usaid.gov, and Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, Pramila Dongol at pdongol@usaid.gov.

This RFP in no way obligates USAID to award a contract nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Award of a contract under this RFP is subject to availability of funds and other internal USAID approvals. This RFP can be viewed and downloaded from www.sam.gov. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Further, be aware that amendments to solicitations are occasionally issued and will be posted on the same website from which you downloaded the solicitation. USAID advises to regularly check the above website for amendments.

http://www.sam.gov mailto:mtelevantos@usaid.gov mailto:pdongol@usaid.gov http://www.sam.gov http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

USAID Local Works Support Solicitation No.: 72036723R00001

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation.

Sincerely, /RB/

Robyn Bertholon Contracting Officer USAID/Nepal

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

http://www.gsa.gov

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 4

PART I-SCHEDULE 8

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS 8

B.1 PURPOSE 8

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE 8

B.3 CEILING PRICE 8

B.4 LABOR 8

B.5 OTHER DIRECT COSTS (MATERIALS) 10

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK 11

a. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) 14

b. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) 15

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING 16

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993) 16

D.2 BRANDING STRATEGY 16

D.3 BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (BIP) AND MARKING PLAN (MP) 17

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 19

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 19

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 19

E.3 RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL 19

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 20

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 20

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 20

F.3 AUTHORIZED WORK DAY/WEEK 20

F.4 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE 20

F.5 JOB ORDER APPROVAL PROCESS 20

F.6 REPORTS AND PLANS 21

F.7 DELIVERABLES 30

F.8 PERSONNEL 31

F.9 PERFORMANCE MONITORING STANDARDS 32

F.10 AIDAR 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007) 33

F.11 AIDAR 752.7005, SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS (SEPT 2013) (Class Deviation OAA-DEV-13-01c) 33

F.12 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE PLAN (EPRP) (M.O. No. 304.1) 34

SECTION G—CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 37

G.1 AIDAR 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998) 37

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY 38

G.3 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE 38

G.4 PAYING OFFICE 38

G.5 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) 39

G.6 INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS 39

G.7 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID 39

G.8 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 41

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 41

H.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 42

H.2 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE 42

H.3 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM 42

H.4 LIMITATION ON ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (April 2018) (DEVIATION NOs.

M/OAA-DEV-FAR-20-3c and M/OAA-DEV-AIDAR-20-2c) (APRIL 2020) 43

H.5 LOGISTICS SUPPORT 44

H.6 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING 44

H.7 AIDAR 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014) 45

H.8 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 45

H.9 AIDAR 752.222-70 USAID DISABILITY POLICY (DEC 2004) 45

H.10 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE 46

H.11 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION 47

H.12 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND DISCLAIMER (DECEMBER 1991) 48

H.13 ADS 302.3.5.19 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (NOV 2017) 48

H.14 ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY (APRIL 2018) 50

H.15 USE OF GOVERNMENT FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL 51

H.16 RESTRICTIONS AGAINST DISCLOSURE (MAY 2016) 51

H.17 EXCHANGE VISITORS AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES 51

H.18 SEXUAL MISCONDUCT (DECEMBER 2020) 52

H.19 ADS 302.3.5.21 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL) (October 2014) 53

H.20 PROHIBITION OF ASSISTANCE TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS 54

H.21 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JAN 2002) 54

H.22 LIMITING PLASTIC POLLUTION AND MISMANAGED WASTE (MARCH 2020) 54

H.23 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT 55

H.24 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST 55

H.25 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS 57

H.26 PRESS RELATIONS 57

H.27 STANDARDS OF CONDUCT -- IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES 57

H.28 LOCAL TAXES 57

H.29 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007) 58

H.30 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION 58

H.31 AIDAR 752.231-71 SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR HOST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES (MAR 2015) 60

H.32 GENDER CONSIDERATION 60

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES 61

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES 61

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 61

I.2 FAR 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) 61

I.3 AIDAR 752.252-1 AIDAR SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (MAR 2015) 62

I.4 FAR 52.222-36 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES (JUN 2020) 64

I.5 FAR 52.223-99 ENSURING ADEQUATE COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS (OCT 2021) (DEVIATION #M/OAA-DEV-FAR-22-01c) 64

I.6 AIDAR 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007) 65

I.7 AIDAR 752.231-72 CONFERENCE PLANNING AND REQUIRED APPROVALS (AUG 2013) [DEVIATION

(APR 2020)] 66

I.8 AIDAR 752.245-70 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY – USAID REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (OCT 2017) 69

I.9 AIDAR 752.7013 CONTRACTOR-MISSION RELATIONSHIPS (OCT 1989) [DEVIATION (JUN 2020)] 71

PART III—LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS 73

SECTION J—LIST OF EXHIBITS AND ATTACHMENTS 73

PART IV – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS 74

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS 74

K.1 NOTICE LISTING FAR SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 74

K.2 FAR 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (SEP 2021) 74

K.3 FAR 52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO

SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (NOVEMBER 2021) 78

K.4 FAR 52.204-26 COVERED TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OR SERVICES- REPRESENTATION

(OCT 2020) 80

K.5 FAR 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (AUG 2020) 81

K.6 FAR 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT 2018) 83

K.7 FAR 52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR A

FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW (FEB 2016) 84

K.8 FAR 52.222-22 PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (FEB 1999) 85

K.9 FAR 52.222-25 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE (APR 1984) 85

K.10 AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS 85

K.11 SIGNATURE 85

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 86

L.1 FAR 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) 87

L.2 FAR 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984) 87

L.3 LIMITING COMPETITION 87

L.4 FAR 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006) 88

L.5 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS 88

L.6 PROPOSAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS 89

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL VOLUME 90

L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE PRICE VOLUME 94

SECTION M – EVALUATION CRITERIA 100

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION 100

M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA 100

M.3 PRICE EVALUATION 102

M.4 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITIVE RANGE 102

M.5 SOURCE SELECTION 103

M.6 CONTRACT AWARD 103

ATTACHMENT J.1 - INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION/REQUEST FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION

(RCE) 104

ATTACHMENT J.2 - CONTRACTOR PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION 118

ATTACHMENT J.3 - BUDGET FORMAT 119

PART I-SCHEDULE

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the “USAID Local Works Support” is to support the organizational capacity of current USAID/Nepal local implementing partners to manage, implement, and monitor their activities.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Time and Materials (T&M)-type contract.

B.3 CEILING PRICE

The total contract ceiling for performance of work required for this award is $1,989,000.

B.4 LABOR

(a) The Contractor must utilize fixed loaded (fully burdened rates) hourly rates (fixed hourly rates) for all labor under this requirement, and must only include the following:

- Salary cost or consulting fee of the individual providing the services

- Payroll costs (fringe benefits, etc.)

- Indirect costs applicable to labor

- Profit or fee, if any

(b) It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) adjustment to the workdays ordered for each functional position do not result in costs that exceed the ceiling price of the contract. Under no circumstances shall the COR’s adjustment authorize the Contractor to be paid any sum in excess of the ceiling price of the contract.

(c) The number of hours for any labor category may be used in any other labor category, subject to the prior written approval and direction by the COR. Once the level of effort or total ceiling has been fully expended, this requirement is complete.

(d) The Fixed Hourly Rates set forth below must be fixed for the contract period, and include subcontractors as set forth in Section H.23. Fixed hourly rates must include consideration of the Contractor's or Subcontractor's established personnel policies and procedures, and must not include what is covered as Other Direct Costs in B.5.

i. Table of Level of Effort (LOE) and Fixed Burdened Hourly Rates (Hourly Rate)

{The Successful Offeror’s proposal as per Section L.X will be inserted at award.}

Labor Category Level of Qualification FIXED LOADED HOURLY RATES

Level of Effort Hourly Rate

ii. Labor Categories - Level of Qualification

In order to perform the services set forth in Section C, the Contractor must provide to USAID the education and experience levels of its staff (e.g., CVs/resumes, in accordance with the below for the specific Labor Categories listed above. The qualifications in the categories must correspond to the applicable fixed hourly rates provided in Section B.4.(a)(1).

Level Academic Degree* Plus Minimum Years of Relevant Work Experience

Senior Ph.D.

JD /ABD

MS, MA, MBA, Bc, BA

Mid-level Ph.D.

JD /ABD

MS, MA, MBA

BS, BA

Junior Ph.D.

JD /ABD

MS, MA, MBA

BS, BA

Less than Bachelor’s

*Highest degree obtained should be related to work being performed.

(e) The inclusion of any costs in the above cost categories does not obviate the requirement for prior approval by the Contracting Officer 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 § 52.216-07, “Allowable Cost and Payment”); nor does it constitute a determination of allowability by the Contracting Officer of any item of cost, unless specifically stated elsewhere in this contract.

Also, these amounts may not be adjusted without a written modification signed by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor must not bill any amounts against this contract in excess of the amounts specified for each line item.

B.5 OTHER DIRECT COSTS (MATERIALS)

(a) Materials necessary for the performance of the work under “job orders” are authorized under this contract as defined in FAR 16.601(a), including travel, transportation, per diem, direct materials, supplies, workshops and seminar costs, translation services, IT supplies and services, communication costs, office rental, vehicle rentals, and incidental services for which there is not a labor category specified in the contract.

(b) The CO determines which other direct costs are allowable, allocable, and fair and reasonable in accordance with the applicable federal cost principles (i.e., FAR 31.2 and AIDAR 731.2 for commercial (for profit) organizations or FAR 31.3 and AIDAR 731.3 for educational institutions, or FAR 31.7 and AIDAR 731.7 for other not-for-profit organizations). For those other direct costs the CO authorizes, contractors are allowed to recover applicable indirect costs on these costs, if doing so is part of the contractor's usual accounting procedures, consistent with the applicable cost principles, and are included in the contractor's Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

(c) No profit or fee will be applied to other direct costs, in accordance with FAR 16.601.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

1. Background and Purpose

USAID is committed to addressing global development challenges by unlocking the ingenuity, creativity, energy, and innovative ideas of local people and organizations connected to the communities we serve1. Through USAID’s Acquisition and Assistance Strategy and New Partner Initiative, the Agency has updated how it views successful organizational capacity building, measuring success on how an organization achieves and sustains development results--and not just if they can receive and manage Federal funding. By fostering locally-owned, sustainable solutions from local non-governmental organizations, local entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, and partner country governments, we accelerate the ability of our partner countries to build diverse, inclusive economies and democratic societies2.

In Nepal, gender, caste, and ethnic disparities leave women and historically marginalized populations vulnerable. Poverty backsliding among vulnerable and socially excluded populations is compounded by the fact that these groups have limited social capital and possess little power in determining which services are prioritized and delivered, be they from the government, the private sector, or other development actors. Limited and inequitable access to health and education services in addition to an increased exposure to disasters and shocks, such as COVID-19, compound existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. As a result, women and girls, marginalized groups, and the poorest households are pushed towards further economic exclusion and poverty.

To address these issues in Nepal and across the world, Local Works, USAID’s flagship locally led development program, is active in over 30 countries to implement development approaches that are flexible, locally responsive, and locally sustainable3. Through Local Works, local people take the lead in the development process to set priorities, make decisions, and manage activities that benefit their communities4. USAID’s Local Works program will work with vulnerable communities to design and implement solutions to their self-identified development challenges, and promote locally-led development interventions that will be more resilient to shocks and stressors associated with poverty backslide.

In addition, and in support of the Agency’s strategic priorities, USAID/Nepal prioritizes Gender Equality and Social Inclusion across all programming, and while efforts are made to reach marginalized populations, sustained impacts on poverty reduction in the most marginalized and vulnerable groups continue to fall short--particularly in the wake of the pandemic. To address these gaps, USAID/Nepal is advancing locally-led development to empower local actors to take the lead in addressing the development challenges faced by marginalized and vulnerable populations. These local actors–people, communities, networks, organizations, private entities, and governments–are increasingly setting their own development agendas, coming up with solutions, and bringing the capacity, leadership, and resources to make those solutions a reality. To most effectively achieve these

4 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USAID_Local_Works_Fact_Sheet.pdf 3 https://www.usaid.gov/local-faith-and-transformative-partnerships/local-works 2 https://www.usaid.gov/npi 1 https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USAID_Local_Works_Fact_Sheet.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/local-faith-and-transformative-partnerships/local-works https://www.usaid.gov/npi https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid development goals, local partners require and request strengthened financial and organizational systems to reduce fiduciary risks and enhance technical expertise. In response, the USAID Local Works Support will provide services to local partners, including provision of technical assistance, to minimize organizational fiduciary risks, improve risk management, strengthen organizational capacity, and improve coordination and collaboration between local partners that will enable them to effectively address their development needs.

2. Activity Objectives

The objective of USAID Local Works Support is to assess and provide support services to our local partners, especially under the USAID Local Works Program, to accelerate locally-led development, including providing capacity development, third party monitoring and risk management, and/or Local Works coordination, as detailed below.

A. Capacity Development

For local actors to lead sustainable development initiatives that improve their communities and address pressing needs, they must strengthen their organization's financial and administrative capacity. The Contractor must provide services to strengthen the capacity of USAID’s local partners.

Services may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

● Perform organizational capacity assessments on financial management, administrative management, governance, internal controls, procurement, asset management, human resources management, information technology systems, and training needs (especially to map the needs of women employees or those from marginalized communities), including support for addressing the findings of any Non-U.S. Pre-Award Survey (NUPAS)5 or Fixed Amount Award Entity Eligibility Checklist6.

● Establish effective governance and oversight mechanisms, such as the establishment of effective Boards and periodic monitoring to ensure policies are adhered to, the organization remains in legal compliance, funds are fully accounted for, and the organization continues to contribute to its Mission.

● Assess and develop improved policies to incorporate and address diversity, gender equity, and social inclusion.

● Develop and deliver on-the-job training on policies, manuals, procedures and processes.

● Develop specialized toolkits and training material.

● Translate existing materials from www.workwithusaid.org library from English to Nepali.

● Support networking and linkages with national and international stakeholders for shared learning.

● Provide other non-audit financial management services.

● Develop, update and analyze policies and procedures manuals, including those addressing sexual harassment in the workplace.

● Support requested reforms to the organization structure to improve segregation of duties.

6 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/303mak.pdf 5 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303sam.pdf http://www.workwithusaid.org https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/303mak.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303sam.pdf

● Develop or update internal control procedures.

○ Improve human resource capacity through effective and sustainable approaches that are inclusive of women and other excluded groups.

○ Strengthen financial and accounting systems.

○ Improve financial management capability.

○ Improve procurement systems.

○ Improve organizational Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems.

● Establish an internal audit function in the organization, and train respective internal audit staff members on the roles and responsibilities of the function.

● Jointly develop a two-way complaint response mechanism for the organization and community members, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations, to improve accountability.

● Develop Risk Mitigation Plans and Capacity Building Plans and provide updates on progress against established milestones and timelines.

● Assist organizations in developing grant applications and broadening their funding base to attract greater and more diverse funding sources.

● Develop a medium- or long-term strategy for local organizations to transition away from the repeated need for capacity development support.

B. Third Party Monitoring and Risk Management

Through independent confirmation, the Contractor must ensure activities implemented by local partners are in programmatic and financial compliance with the terms and conditions of applicable USAID awards (i.e., grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements) in order to enhance financial and management transparency and effectiveness. The Contractor must also assist USAID/Nepal in identifying, mitigating, and managing risks that arise in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities over U.S.

foreign assistance to Nepal. Areas of emphasis must include but not be limited to reviews of financial, logistic, administrative, governance, procurement, asset management, human resource management, and information technology systems as well as the legal and regulatory environment in which these systems operate. Services may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

● Conduct compliance reviews and validations to monitor and ensure that the organization’s policies and procedures are being properly implemented and adhered to.

● Perform validation against agreed targets and frameworks to ensure continued compliance with standards and procedures.

● Perform financial monitoring and financial verification of USAID-funded activities.

● Verify activity deliverables through spot checks, such as monitoring of reported beneficiaries and deliverables or equipment and supplies procured.

● Develop financial management systems and assistance in developing financial statements and reporting.

● Review reimbursement requests from implementing partners (IPs) to USAID and ensure that payments are made in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Award and the IP’s policies and procedures.

● Review and confirm the detailed expenditures of all payments, including reconciliations between Interim Payments Certificates and milestones.

C. Local Works Coordination

USAID/Nepal’s Local Works program works with vulnerable communities to design and implement solutions to their self-identified development challenges, and promote locally-led development interventions that will be more resilient to shocks and stressors associated with poverty backslide. The Local Works program contributes to wider learning on reaching remote and vulnerable communities that can be applied more broadly to strengthen USAID/Nepal programming across sectors.

By leveraging new opportunities created by federalism, the Mission’s Local Works program is testing new approaches to more effectively engage with, and reduce the vulnerabilities of marginalized and vulnerable communities. These communities will be placed at the forefront of activity design, leading to the identification of key gaps and the design of innovative locally-led solutions. Local Works is empowering communities to drive local development, and at the same time provide the USAID/Nepal Mission with a framework to better understand and incorporate local needs to meet the long-term development objectives of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

While working with local partners is not a new or unique approach for the Mission, the Local Works approach and principles are unique. As such, the Contractor must provide support, coordination, dialogue, and learning to Local Works implementing partners. Services may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

● Support the Mission in creating a Local Works network for implementing partners and USAID to strengthen ties and relationships across diverse geographies, and to communicate overall results and share challenges and lessons learned.

● Support the Mission in hosting regular virtual and in-person coordination meetings to discuss progress, direction, common themes, and overcoming obstacles.

● Identify common trends, opportunities, and best practices, and sharing them among Local Works partners

● Listen to Local Works implementing partners and design and deliver webinar or in-person training to address common technical, financial, or administrative needs.

● Conduct a communications and outreach campaign to promote successes and results of the Local Works program.

● Support Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning and associated reporting needs for Local Works implementing partners.

● Ensure data quality and support USAID reporting requirements.

● Support Local Works implementing partners to document learning and good practices for global sharing.

● Liaise between Local Works implementing partners and other USAID partners to leverage opportunities for synergy and up-scale good practices.

3. Cross Cutting Requirements

a. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)

Women’s ability to make decisions at the household/community level are constricted due to cultural and social norms and disparities in education. For women and marginalized groups, it is a major challenge to take on leadership roles due to their lack of access to information as well as domination by men from dominant caste groups. Therefore, to the greatest extent possible, the Contractor must seek to include both men and women in all aspects of this Activity including participation and leadership in meetings, training, etc. USAID policy requires that gender issues be addressed as appropriate in all USAID-funded activities. The Contractor must look for gender and social implications or opportunities in the Activity, seeking to address embedded gender and social inclusion issues and promote gender equity, diversity, and inclusion as appropriate, in all phases of program implementation and internal management.

To address inclusion, the Contractor must suitably engage women, youth, and socially excluded groups and marginalized populations in development efforts to increase incomes and empower women and youth from marginalized communities, and underserved populations and remote regions. This must support other USAID local partners’ to improve their ability to do the same (ref. Activity Objective A. Capacity Development).

b. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

The Contractor must consider DEIA in all aspects of this Activity. The Contractor must support other USAID local partners’ to improve their ability to employ DEIA approaches within their organizations and with the people/communities they work with supported by USAID.

USAID/Nepal’s working definition of DEIA is as follows: “Diversity is the practice of including many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, cultures and beliefs.

Equity is the consistent and systematic, fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals.

Inclusion is the recognition, appreciation, and use of the talents and skills of employees of all backgrounds. Accessibility is the design, construction, development and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them.”

[END OF SECTION C]

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 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 COR 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.

D.2 BRANDING STRATEGY

The Branding Strategy for this contract is as follows:

(a) Activity Name: The activity will be known as USAID Local Works Support.

(b) USAID Logo: The USAID Identity (logo) must be posted at every static support position. The USAID logo must be used on all reports and printed materials produced under USAID Local Works Support.

The Contractor will have the responsibility to position USAID’s name in each activity to be supported to ensure that people recognize and identify that this assistance is “from the American people.”

Contractor employee business cards will not be marked with the USAID logo but may include language so that any person reading the card can know this is a Contractor employee. Contractor employee email and correspondence to external sources will be marked so that any person reading the document can know this is a Contractor employee. Where required, the USAID logo should be of equal or greater prominence than all other logos and symbols.

(c) Desired level of visibility: Where required, the USAID logo must be of equal or greater prominence than all other logos and symbols. The Contractor must ensure that the activity, as well as the fact that this assistance is “from the American people,” through USAID, receives broad visibility amongst its beneficiaries and their communities, counterparts, and the general public with a focus on the host government of each country, community leaders, and students. The Contractor may identify additional groups/sub-groups of target audiences for the project’s public communications, in consultation with USAID. The Contractor must ensure high levels of visibility for the project and must integrate suitable communication and outreach as an intrinsic part of the policy reform.

(d) Other organizations to be acknowledged: Activity documents will not use the Contractor’s logo, but may acknowledge other organizations deemed as partners of an event or deliverables.

(e). Branding Implementation Plan (BIP) and Marking Plan: The Contractor must develop a Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan to describe how the activity will be promoted to beneficiaries and other stakeholders. All branding and marking plans under this program must comply with the “USAID Graphic Standards Manual and Partner Co-Branding Guide" available at www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm, or any successor branding policy.

USAID policy is to require exclusive branding and marking in USAID direct acquisitions. “Exclusive Branding” means that the activity is positioned as USAID’s. “Exclusive Marking” means Contractors may only mark USAID-funded programs, projects, activities, public communications, and commodities with the USAID Standard Graphic Identity and, where applicable, the host-country government or ministry symbol or another U.S. Government logo. It is USAID’s policy that Contractors’ and subcontractors’ corporate identities or logos must not be used on USAID-funded activity materials.

(f) Outreach: The Contractor must participate proactively in outreach activities to promote the goals of this Contract and to identify USAID as the funding source in accordance with the branding and marking requirements outlined in the Contractor’s approved Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan. The Contractor must also capture information on the qualitative progress of this program through success stories, case studies, press releases, drafted social media posts, photos, video, etc., as part of its overall reporting requirements.

D.3 BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (BIP) AND MARKING PLAN (MP)

The Contractor must produce and maintain a Branding Implementation Plan (BIP) and Marking Plan (MP) {to be incorporated after contract award}. The Contractor will follow the approved plan during implementation of this contract unless a waiver or exception is requested and approved.

The plan must specifically address the following:

a) How to incorporate the message, “This assistance is from the American People,” in communications and materials directed to beneficiaries, or provide an explanation if this message is not appropriate or possible.

b) How to publicize the program, project, or activity in the host-country and a description of the communications tools to be used. Such tools may include the following:

● Press releases

● Press conferences https://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm

● Media interviews

● Site visits

● Social media channels and/or content

● Success stories

● Beneficiary testimonials

● Professional photographs

● Print and online Public Service Announcements

● Videos

● Webcasts, e-invitations, or other emails sent to group lists, such as

● Participants for a training session, blast emails, or other Internet activities.

c) The key milestones or opportunities anticipated to generate awareness that the program, project, or activity is from the American People, or an explanation if this is not appropriate or possible. Such milestones may be linked to specific points in time, such as the beginning or end of an activity, or an opportunity to showcase publications or other materials, research findings, or activity success. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

● Launching the activity

● Announcing findings from the situational analysis

● Publishing reports or studies, including the transformation and sustainability plans

● Spotlighting trends

● Highlighting success stories

● Featuring beneficiaries as spokespeople

● Securing endorsements from ministry or local organizations

● Facilitating deals or transactions between beneficiaries and the private sector

● Promoting final or interim reports

● Communicating activity impact/overall results

● High profile visitors

The Contractor must comply with the requirements of the policy directives and required procedures outlined in USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) 320.3.2 “Branding and Marking in USAID Direct Contracts” (effective date: 01/08/2007) at https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/320.pdf , and USAID Graphic Standards Manual and Partner Co-Branding Guide, or any successor branding policy.

[END OF SECTION D]

https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/320.pdf

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 the clause at FAR “52.252-2, CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE” in Section I of this contract. Full text of the FAR clauses is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/ and the full text of the AIDAR clauses is available at http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/aidar-http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/300.

NUMBER TITLE

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION

(48 CFR CHAPTER 1)

DATE

52.246-6 Inspection-Time-and-Material and Labor-Hour MAY 2001

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

USAID inspection and acceptance of services, reports and other required outputs will be subject to the performance standards set forth in Sections C, H, and F. Inspection and acceptance will take place at USAID/Nepal, or at any other location where the services are performed and reports and deliverables or outputs are produced or submitted. The Contracting Officer, unless delegated to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) in Section G, has the authority to inspect and accept all services, reports, and required deliverables or outputs.

E.3 RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL

In accordance with FAR 52.246-6, “Inspection-Time-and-Material and Labor-Hour,” inspection of results or other deliverables required by contract must be made by the cognizant COR for that contract. Acceptance of services and reports or other deliverables by the cognizant COR must form the basis for payments to the contractor and will form the basis of the contractor’s permanent performance record with regard to this contract.

[END OF SECTION E]

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/ http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/aidar-http://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/300/300

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

NUMBER TITLE

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION

(48 CFR CHAPTER 1)

DATE

52.242-15 STOP-WORK ORDER AUG 1989

52.242-15 STOP-WORK ORDER - ALTERNATE I APR 1984

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is five years from {to insert at award} to {to insert at award}.

F.3 AUTHORIZED WORK DAY/WEEK

Work will be performed approximately 40-hours per week during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. USAID does not anticipate overtime or premium pay under this contract; however, a six-day work week may be authorized when and if necessary, with the prior written approval of the COR.

F.4 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance is Nepal.

F.5 JOB ORDER APPROVAL PROCESS

The Contractor’s required services and level of effort will be established as needs arise through a job order process. The following outlines the process for the types of job orders.

Job Order Type A - Assessment

a) The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) requests that the Contractor perform an assessment of local organization(s) taking into account the services contained in Section C. The COR will provide the scope to the Contractor with all pertinent information for the assessment, including name(s) of organization, location, and projected duration.

b) The Contractor will submit for approval a budget for this work, addressing level of effort (LOE) and schedule.

http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html

c) Once reviewed and concurred upon by the COR, the Contracting Officer (CO) will verify that the scope, schedule, and budget for this job order is within the parameters of the contract and provide written approval. The Contractor must not proceed with any work until the job order has been approved in writing by the CO.

d) The CO will issue a modification to reflect any incremental funds necessary to support new job orders.

e) The Contractor will perform the assessment, and produce and submit to the COR for approval an assessment report (in a format approved by the COR) that contains recommended interventions based upon the services contained in Section C.

f) Each job order will be assigned a tracking number by the COR. Contractor vouchers/invoices are required to separate costs by job order and reference the designated job order number.

g) For any job order, the Contractor must not exceed the approved Level of Effort without advance written permission by the CO.

Job Order Type B - Implementation of Activity Objectives

a) Based upon the COR’s recommendation to proceed and the assessment report (see Job Order Process A), the Contractor will generate a Job Order Packet that includes:

i) A draft scope of work (in a format approved by the COR) to address the needs of the local organization(s) based upon the assessment.

ii) Results to be achieved, specific timing, and benchmarks (if any) for each activity.

iii) Staff position, qualifications, and estimated level of effort for staff proposed to perform on the job order

iv) Estimated budget

v) Any other contractual information such as any need for waivers or new subcontracts.

The packet must also contain the.

b) The Contractor will submit the Job Order Packet to the COR.

c) Once reviewed and concurred upon by the COR, the CO will verify that the scope, schedule, and budget for those activities are within the parameters of the contract and provide written approval. The Contractor must not proceed with any work until the job order has been approved in writing by the CO.

d) The CO will issue a modification to reflect any incremental funds necessary to support new job orders.

e) Each job order will be assigned a tracking number by the COR. Contractor vouchers/invoices are required to separate costs by job order and reference the designated job order number.

f) For any job order, the Contractor must not exceed the approved Level of Effort without advance written permission by the CO.

F.6 REPORTS AND PLANS

In addition to the requirements set forth for submission of reports per AIDAR 752.242-70, “PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORT (OCT 2007),” the Contractor must submit the following reports and outputs to the

COR.

The Contractor must adhere to the following submission requirements:

a. All reports and deliverables or results must be submitted to the USAID/Nepal COR, unless otherwise indicated in the below table.

b. All draft reports and confirmation of completion of deliverables must be submitted electronically using either Email, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides applications to allow USAID to quickly share and provide feedback. Final versions of the deliverables must be submitted in Microsoft (MS) Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint or Adobe Acrobat (PDF)

c. All reports must be written in plain, grammatically correct English.

d. All reports are subject to inspection and acceptance by the USAID/Nepal COR unless otherwise indicated below.

F.6.1 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES MATRIX

The below matrix provides a schedule of required reports and deliverables or results to be submitted by the Contractor:

REPORTS MATRIX

Reports Draft Due Date (calendar days)

Final Due Date (calendar days)

Approving Official

REPORTS

Quarterly Financial Report Due 30 days after the end of each USG fiscal year quarter

7 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/

Alternate COR

(ACOR)

Quarterly Accruals Report Not Applicable (N/A) Due 14 days before the end of each quarter

COR/ACOR

Quarterly Performance Report

Due 15 days after end of each USG fiscal year quarter

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

Annual Report Due October 15th each year

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

Final Report Due 45 days prior to the end of contract

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

PLANS

Job Order Package Due 12 days after COR request, if initiated by

COR

7 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

REPORTS MATRIX

Reports Draft Due Date (calendar days)

Final Due Date (calendar days)

Approving Official

Annual Work Plans (Years 2 - 5)

Due August 30th each year

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Plan

Due 15 days after draft initial Work Plan

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

Branding Implementation Strategy and Marking Plan (see Section D)

Due 30 days after award 15 days after receipt of COR comments

CO

Communications and Outreach Plan

Due 60 days after award 15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR in consultation with the DOC

Closeout and Demobilization Plan, including Disposition Report

Due 90 days prior to the end of the contract

15 days after receipt of COR comments

CO

Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP)

60 days after award 15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

OTHER REPORTS

Analytical Studies Deadline established jointly with COR

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

GESI Analysis and Action Plan

Due 180 days after award

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

Biweekly Updates N/A Due the 4th Thursday of each month

COR/ACOR

Property Inventory List Due with Annual and Final Reports

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

Geospatial Reporting Requirements

Twice annually (as part of the 2nd quarterly performance report and Annual Report)

15 days after receipt of COR comments

COR/ACOR

REPORTS MATRIX

Reports Draft Due Date (calendar days)

Final Due Date (calendar days)

Approving Official

DELIVERABLES

Local Works Conferences Twice Annually N/A COR/ACOR

Annual Videos Together with the annual report draft

Together with the final annual report

COR/ACOR

Below please find more detailed information regarding the aforementioned reports.

F.6.2 REPORTS

a. Quarterly Financial Reports

The Contractor must submit quarterly financial reports detailing the amount of funding and level of effort spent and accrued during the quarter; balance of funds; cumulative spending; subcontract obligations; and estimates of expenditures for the next quarter. The report will contain, at a minimum, the following information:

● Total funds obligated to date by USAID into the Contract;

● Total funds expended by the Contractor to date, including a breakdown in the budget categories contained in the Contractor’s budget, with additional detail to be provided upon request by the COR;

● Pipeline (obligated funds minus expended funds);

● Variations from previous estimates (highlighted on any spreadsheets and addressed in a narrative, if significant);

● The budget estimate for the upcoming quarter;

● Estimated cost to complete;

● Funds and time remaining in the Contract; and

b. Quarterly Accruals Reports

The Contractor must submit a spreadsheet showing cumulative disbursements and estimated (undisbursed) accruals. Quarterly Accrual Reports must contain the following information:

● Total Estimated Cost remaining in the contract;

● Unliquidated balance in the contract;

● Accrual amount; and

● Estimated Pipeline amount.

c. Quarterly Performance Reports

The Contractor must submit quarterly performance reports that detail the activities conducted during the quarter, actual versus targeted results, and justifications for any major deviations of more than ten percent. The reports must include progress of major activities; problems encountered and proposed remedial actions. The Contractor must work with USAID to identify an agreed upon reporting format, including special information to be presented in annexes of this report serving as a tool by which USAID/Nepal monitors the performance of the Contractor, as well as the context. Within the annex, the Contractor will provide a spreadsheet noting expected field visits planned for the following quarter. USAID may opt to accompany the Contractor during some of these trips.

The second quarterly performance report of the USG fiscal year, the Contractor must submit a Google Slides presentation to the COR that covers generally the same information that regular quarterly reports do, in lieu of a MS Word/Google Doc report. Upon submission of the slide deck, the Contractor must host an in-person presentation to USAID that covers the performance for that quarter.

The annual report described below will replace the fourth quarterly report.

Activity reporting data must be compatible to feed into USAID/Nepal’s Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) through use of the USAID’s reporting system (note, use of the Development Information Solution (DIS) reporting system is optional). USAID will provide access to the DIS for reporting quarterly, semi-annual, and annual results.

Within the annex, the Contractor must provide success stories that align with USAID/Nepal’s CDCS and localization goals, and adhere to the branding and marking plans for this activity and USAID’s graphic standards manual templates for success stories.

d. Annual Reports

The Contractor must submit an annual report detailing the activities conducted during the prior fiscal year, actual versus targeted results, and justifications for any major deviations of more than ten percent. The reports must include progress of major activities; problems encountered; and proposed remedial actions. The annual report will replace the fourth quarterly report. The Contractor must work with USAID to determine the agreed upon reporting format, including special information to be presented in annexes of this report serving as a tool by which USAID/Nepal monitors the performance of the Contractor, as well as the context.