RFQ No. 95332420Q0067 - Freight Transport Market Analysis and Political Economy Analysis - Benin and Niger.pdf

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95332420Q0067

Kapakasa, Yembeka J

10/21/20 01:00 PM

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See Schedule

953324

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09/15/2020

MCC-HQ

Millennium Challenge Corporation, Contracts and Grants Management Division, 1099 Fourteenth St NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC, 20005-3550, US

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95332420Q0067

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Listing of Incorporated Purchase Requisitions Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs Section C - Description/Specifications/Work Statement Section D - Packaging and Marking Section E - Inspection and Acceptance Terms Section F - Delivery or Performance Section G - Contract Administration Data Section H - Special Contract Requirements Section I - Contract Clauses Section J - List of Documents, Exhibits, and other Attachments Section K - Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award

Listing of Incorporated Purchase Requisitions

Incorporated Purchase Requisition Numbers:

Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

Item Number Base Item Number

Supplies/Services Quantity Unit

0001 Regional Compact Freight Transport Market Analysis and

Political Economy Analysis

Contract Type:Time and Materials Unit Price

Other Direct Costs Extended Price

Description:

Regional Compact Freight Transport Market Analysis and Political Economy Analysis

Tasks 1-4

Period of Performance (Estimated):

Start: 12/18/2020 End: 12/17/2021

Purchase Requisitions

IDC Type: Not Applicable

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

B.1. FAR 52.216-1 Type of Contract (APR 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a time-and-materials (T&M) contract resulting from this solicitation.

B.2. Funding Type

The contract will be funded, at the time of award, with no-year Due Diligence funds. As such, funding obligated to this contract may be used during the life of the contract.

B.3. Limitation of Funds Incrementally Funded Contracts

In accordance with clause MCC 52.232-72, "Limitation of Funds Incrementally Funded Contracts," funds in the amount of [TBD] have been allotted to this contract. It is contemplated that funds now obligated under this contract will cover the work to be performed until [TBD]. If the contractor considers the funds obligated under this contract to be insufficient to cover the work to be performed until the date specified herein, or another date agreed to by the parties, the contractor shall notify the contracting officer in writing and indicate the date on which it expects expended funds to approximate 75 percent of the total amount obligated. The notice shall state the estimated amount of additional funds required to continue performance through the date for which incremental funds are provided.

The Contractor shall not perform work on the contract which exceeds the total amount actually allotted by the Government to the contract. The Government is not obligated to reimburse the Contractor for costs incurred in excess of the total amount allotted by the Government to this contract. The contractor assumes the risk for any increased costs beyond what the Government obligates.

B.4. Price Breakdown: Labor Rates and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

Labor rates at the inception of a contract period will carry through as "fixed-price" without adjustment for the life of that contract period.

Hours by labor category and pricing under ODCs are estimates only and may be increased/decreased as necessary for successful completion of the contract requirements and as approved by the COR/PM. However, the contractor's expenditures at any given point shall not exceed the total obligated amount or the total ceiling price for this contract as specified below.

Using the template below, Offerors must include all proposed labor categories, fully-burdened hourly rates and Other Direct Costs (ODCs) for the scope of work identified in Section C, over the contract period identified in Section F.

BASE PERIOD

CLIN Description(2) U/I Qty Rate Total

LABOR

0001 Freight Transport Market Structure Economist (Key) hr.

Political Economy Analysis Expert (Key) hr.

hr.

hr.

hr.

Total Labor Hours - -

Labor Sub-Total $0.00 ODCs(1)

0001 Data Collection Subcontract(s) Lot 1 $60,000.00 $60,000.00

ODC Sub-Total $0.00 Total Estimated Value $0.00

NOTE (1): MCC anticipates approximately $60,000.00 worth of data collection subcontracting costs for which the requirements are unknown at this time. To be fair to all vendors providing a quotation, a plug number is utilized for data collection subcontracting costs. However, if you believe this plug number is inadequate, please advise during the Question and Answer period of the solicitation. "Data Collection Subcontract(s)," as used in the table above, refers only to the cost of subcontracting a data collection firm and any associated indirect costs (e.g., subcontract handling fees). It does not include any prime contractor labor associated with overseeing/managing the data collection effort and/or analyzing the data once collected; this time should be incorporated into the level of effort proposed under the Labor section of the price template.

Subcontracting costs for data collection are subject to the requirements of FAR 52.244-2, Subcontracts.

NOTE (2): A job description shall be included for each labor category proposed. The job description must identify essential and non-essential tasks that are assigned to a specific position. It must also identify reporting relationships and shall also describe required qualifications, minimum education and experience requirements, working conditions and desirable qualifications.

(End of SECTION B)

Section C - Description/Specifications/Work Statement

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

Section C - Description/Specifications/Work Statement

C.1. Introduction

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a United States Government Corporation created pursuant to the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as amended (P.L. 108-199, and codified at 22 U.S.C. 7701, et seq.). MCC's mission is to reduce poverty through assistance designed to further economic growth in developing countries. MCC works only with those countries committed to strengthening good governance, encouraging economic freedom and promoting investments in people.

MCC provides its assistance in the form of grants to countries selected by its Board of Directors as eligible to participate in one of two programs. The first is an MCC "compact," which is a large, five-year grant for countries that pass MCC's eligibility criteria. The second is an MCC "threshold" program, which is a smaller grant awarded to countries that come close to passing MCC's eligibility criteria and are firmly committed to improving their policy performance.

In 2018, the AGOA and MCA Modernization Act was signed into law and provided MCC with new authority to utilize cross-border regional investments that address economic challenges, expand regional markets for a larger-scale impact on poverty reduction, and facilitate increased trade and investment.

C.2. Benin & Niger Regional Integration Transport Program Background

MCC's potential Benin & Niger Regional Integration Transport Program involves rehabilitating portions of the existing transport corridor between Cotonou in Benin and Niamey in Niger, while addressing some of the institutional and market constraints that raise the financial and time costs of transporting goods along this corridor. This corridor is considered one of the most heavily traveled north-south corridors in West Africa, at up to 5,000 vehicles per day, with a high percentage of trucks. The

Benin-Niger border crossing is perhaps the busiest crossing between any coastal and land-locked country in the region, with an average of approximately 1,000 vehicles per day.

Important market and institutional constraints along this corridor include uncompetitive and extractive freight allocation arrangements; inefficient trucking industries; dysfunctional border crossings and customs processing; weak maintenance regimes, especially in Benin; and weak application of regional axel load limit regulations. A concurrent regional program involving this transport corridor would therefore need to be accompanied, and perhaps preceded, by reforms to address one or more of these constraints. While fully understanding these issues will be time consuming and addressing them challenging, the pay-off to unlocking them could be quite high.

C.3. Objectives of the Freight Transport Market Analysis and Political Economy Analysis for the Cotonou-Niamey Corridor

The objective of these analyses is to develop and refine an understanding of the causes or influences underlying the following obstacles to economic growth and poverty reduction through regional integration:

o High freight prices o High and variable freight shipment duration o Rapid road deterioration

Both the competitiveness of Benin and Niger's exports and the purchasing power of their consumers are highly dependent on efficient importation of production inputs and consumer goods. High freight prices and inventory expenses raise the cost of these inputs and consumer goods, reducing returns on private investment and lowering consumer purchasing power. High shipment duration raises the working capital tied up in inventory in transit, while variable duration requires either uncertainty coping expenses (such as purchase and storage of excess inventory) or interruption of production activities dependent on inputs whose shipment is delayed. The third obstacle, rapid road deterioration, contributes to high freight transport costs (separate and distinct from high freight prices), while potentially diverting scarce government and donor funds from other critical investments. Related policy and institutional reform (PIR) issues along the portion of the corridor in Benin appear to have substantially shifted following the start of the Talon administration in April 2016, necessitating a current assessment of the magnitude and root causes of these obstacles that o Assesses barriers to freight transport sector competitiveness and their impact on freight prices, as well as freight shipment duration and variability in duration.

o Describes the key institutions (both formal and informal) and individual actors that structure activity in the freight transport and road maintenance sectors.

o Recommends potential policy and institutional reform options to address the key obstacles identified above.

o Identifies entry points for dialogue with key stakeholders on these potential reforms, as well as key challenges and risks associated with successful implementation within a 5-year project timeframe.

Our central concern is the potential for transport market structures and political economy factors to undermine the objectives of the project, which may include reducing freight transport prices, freight transport duration and variability in duration, and road deterioration rates. MCC requires that the objective of each project satisfy the following conditions: (i) can be measured cost-effectively through an independent evaluation; (ii) is clearly specified, such that there is no ambiguity about what would be measured or how to interpret results (e.g. has a quantitative target that is derived from a documented baseline); (iii) is achievable within a reasonable period of time usually no more than five years following completion of the compact; (iv) is clearly linked to the benefit streams modeled in the cost-benefit analysis and summarized in the economic rate of return (ERR) estimate; and (v) based on available evidence and literature, can be directly attributed to the proposed set of investments to be funded via the project.

The three key sub-questions are:

1) How and to what extent does the freight transport market structure drive up freight prices and could continue to do so despite potential MCC investment in rehabilitating road infrastructure

2) What is the allocation of profit across the freight transport sector value chain actors, with particular attention to middlemen;

3) To what extent does the market structure create uncertainty (or, conversely, transparency) for transporters, and how does that uncertainty (or transparency) affect transporter decision-making?

C.4. Methodological Requirements

MCC intends to engage a Contractor with substantial experience and knowledge of freight transport sector markets and political economy (see Attachment J.1), preferably in Benin and Niger, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), or other West African contexts. The assigned staff are expected to carry out interviews, observations, and discussions with key stakeholders within Benin and Niger, analyze the structure of the freight transport market using collected information and existing data sources, gauge the evolving political situation based on media reports and expert opinions, and review relevant documents such as existing policies, laws and regulations affecting the freight transport sector along the Cotonou-Niamey corridor. The contractor will also organize workshops, roundtables, focus group discussions and stakeholder surveys as needed to carry out the assignment.

The work will be concluded with a final report on findings. This report shall be structured to explicitly address the three key sub-questions above, as well as each item below.

C.4.1. Market Analysis: Assess barriers to freight transport sector competitiveness (the ability of more efficient firms to enter the market and to increase market share).

a) What are the roles and incentives of the main parties (e.g. shippers, carriers, receivers, logistic services providers, and associations) intermediating freight transport service supply and demand, including but not limited to C&F agents, shippers' councils, coxeurs and unions, trucking companies, and sub-contractors for carriage of goods? What key institutions affect their behavior?

b) For each intermediary type, how much market share is controlled by the top few firms? To what extent is the market for provision of each intermediary service oligopolistic?

c) What is the process by which freight allocation occurs? What are the key drivers of non-competitive freight allocation and information asymmetries?

• For example, what is the process by which Niger's 2/3 transit cargo allocation of non-strategic goods is often reallocated to trucks not registered in Niger (are any informal payments made)?

• Are any unofficial and official quotas and restrictions still in place?

• Is the tour de role (queue) still functional in any cases? If so, who enforces 'first in first out' allocation?

• Are prices entirely demand/supply driven? Is the official 53k price ignored?

• To what extent does the bilateral transit agreement prevent direct contracting between shippers and carriers?

d) Who would be the likely winners and losers of increased competition in the road transport sector along the corridor?

e) How would financial benefits from a reduction in vehicle operating costs and/or uncertainty coping expenses likely be distributed between shippers, intermediaries and carriers?

f) Who would be the likely winners and losers of increased axel load enforcement? To what extent are the 5 expected weighing bridges and mandatory weighing on exit from the port likely to limit overloading? For containers transiting directly to Niamey, is overloading possible/likely if the sealed containers depart the port below the weight limit? What share of freight transported along the Cotonou Niamey corridor has been unstuffed and reallocated to containers in Allada?

g) Produce a simple spreadsheet showing the typical freight shipment cost structure as best understood from available data and qualitative interviews. A separate breakdown should be performed for each key freight shipment type as appropriate (e.g. large/medium/small carriers; agricultural/non-agricultural freight;

formal/informal etc). This would include the typical revenue/payment from the shipper, subtract out fees and rents extracted by intermediaries (according to the best information available), and then subtract variable and fixed trucker costs, tolls and taxes, and truck depreciation. This should be compared to what the hypothesized ideal cost structure would be if the market operated efficiently, according to the best information available. How does the actual compare to an ideal cost structure? Is there evidence of undue rent extraction? What is the price reduction that could be obtained by moving to the ideal for each case?

h) To what extent are customs procedures unnecessarily complex and/or lack transparency?

• Is the price charged by Benin control substantially higher than the cost of services provided?

• Why does customs not identify containers for Benin control before vessels arrive?

• Is there unnecessary paper handling that could be reduced?

• Is there scope to increase the fluidity of customs passage procedures (to what extent has single window implementation been effective)?

• What is the policy justification for the high-value cargo tax? To what extent is this tax distortionary?

i) To what extent are the processes laid out for the customs union respected at the Port of Cotonou and the Niger/Benin border?

j) To what extent do official/unofficial checkpoints and roadblocks on the Nigerien side of the border increase shipment duration length and uncertainty? To what extent are there unnecessary delays in Gaya and Niamey?

k) Do shippers and receivers complain more about price, duration or unpredictability of duration along the Cotonou-Niamey corridor? Do these complaints vary by shipper and receiver type? How do these complaints compare to those of shippers and receivers regarding other corridors in the region (if data available)? Is it possible to benchmark using quantitative data?

l) What are the key drivers of variation in shipment duration?

C.4.2. Describe institutions & power structures. Describe the key institutions (both formal and informal) and/or individual actors that structure activity in the sectors, with a focus on how decisions are made, how accountability is organized, and how exchange (of information, favors, and funds) is conducted. Describe the de jure and de facto structures of power and control in each sector, and how these intersect with, shape, or undermine key institutions.

This component of the analysis should also address the following specific topics and questions. However, MCC will be conducting further analysis and these topics and questions may change slightly due to MCC's increased understanding of the corridor. Thus, we will work with the contractor to develop and refine these further:

a) Assess power and capacity of key Government and Non-Governmental organizations affecting the freight transport sector, including but not limited to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, National Agency for Territorial Planning (ANAT), etc in Benin; and the Niger Ministry of Equipment, the Niger Ministry of Transport, the Customs Directorate (La Direction Générale des Douanes or DGD) housed within the Niger Ministry of Finance, the Nigerien Council of Users of Public Transport (Conseil Nigérien des Utilisateurs des Transport Publics or CNUT) etc in Niger.

b) Assess the flow of decision-making, influence and accountability between and through elected officials, key Ministries, and relevant organizations or actors.

• What's the role of external elites or vested interests?

• What's the relationship between key Ministries, political parties, and electoral politics?

• What is the role of civil servants and the technocratic class in the sector?

• With regard to road maintenance, who controls budgets, and how does budget allocation work?

• How does the prioritization of road maintenance and improvement works take place in practice?

• What revenue sources are directly deposited in the road maintenance fund? Are funds from these sources ever diverted to other purposes? What revenue sources are raised directly from road users? Is the information published or publicly available? Are funds already allocated to the road fund ever diverted to other purposes? If so, though what mechanisms?

• What are gaps between current processes and processes of an optimal road maintenance fund?

• What is the gap between current funding levels and optimal funding levels?

• Are there incentives for Benin to underinvest in maintenance of the northern section of the corridor on the Benin side of the boarder, given that Benin nationals do not realize the full benefit of corridor road quality?

c) Assess how communication between the governments and private sector occurs (or fails to occur) in the freight transport sector.

• What institutions, incentives, relationships and forms of exchange (e.g., patronage) structure communication practices (or failures in communication), and what is communicated?

• Which actors are (de facto and de jure) in control of the government's communication functions with respect to the private sector?

• What are the access points to government for the private sector? Where are they functional, and where are they not?

• To what extent does the private sector participate in the process through which road maintenance works are prioritized?

d) Assess how accountability for poor government performance and corruption in the transport sector is organized. Do voters, civil society organizations, the poor, and socially-excluded groups (e.g., women, youth, rural dwellers) have information, levers or systems by which to hold the government accountable? If so, do they use them? Why or why not?

e) Assess the status of laws addressing or contributing to gender inequality in the identified sector.

• Are both men and women's needs for transport, access to information, access to decision-making mentioned in laws and regulations?

• Are both men and women's needs for transport, access to information, access to decision-making taken into account by decision-makers?

C.5. Recommended Areas for Intervention

C.5.1. Stakeholders. Identify key stakeholders. For each, describe the role the stakeholder plays in the sector and their likely positions (e.g., ally, opposition) vis a vis anticipated sectoral reforms. Stakeholders should include:

a) Shippers, carriers, receivers, logistic services providers, and associations intermediating freight transport service supply and demand, including but not limited to C&F agents, shippers' councils, coxeurs and unions, trucking companies, and sub-contractors for carriage of goods

b) Other private sector business associations and service providers, and the chamber of commerce

c) Key sector Ministries

d) State institutions: executive, legislature, judiciary, military

e) Political parties

f) Citizens, small business owners, "unorganized" individuals, other groups and sub-groups from a broad range of the population including a cross-section of parties living along the corridor, or affected by freight transport along the corridor including men, women, youth, and poor/near poor.

g) NGOS, INGOs, particularly those that represent groups (poor, rural) typically excluded from decision making.

h) Traditional authorities

i) Donors, multilaterals, foreign states

This component of the analysis should also address the following specific questions:

j) Ownership and financing structures in the identified sectors.

k) The main interlocutors with government in the freight transport sector.

l) Likely opposition to or support of sectoral reform and development.

m) The roles of [other key stakeholders .] in the freight transport sector.

C.5.2. Intervention Areas.

a) An analysis of potential reform in the freight transport sector that assesses the following:

• Spaces where relatively high/strong support and low/weak resistance to relevant reforms is likely.

• Political and/or ideological platforms which are especially supportive of development policy.

• Learning from the success or failure of existing or past efforts to reform or improve the freight transport sector with regard to potential spaces of intervention or leverage points for change.

• The potential impact of reforms on outcomes that may be targeted by the project, including increasing competitiveness in the freight transport sector and reducing the price of consumer goods and production inputs faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), women, and the poor.

b) A preliminary assessment of potential policy and institutional reform options to address the key obstacles identified in Section No. 2 Objectives of the Freight Transport Market Analysis and Political Economy Analysis for the Cotonou-Niamey Corridor above, which should include but not be limited to the following:

• Would facilitating more formal, standard contracts between shippers, intermediaries and carriers, and more direct and longer-term contracting between shippers and carriers improve sector competitiveness?

• Would creation of a freight exchange as has been developed by the World Bank in other West African contexts, or otherwise facilitating direct matching between shippers and carriers or simply increasing availability of information to market agents improve sector competitiveness?

• Would increased regulation on fleet safety or reliability of service substantially reduce information asymmetries? Who would the likely winners and losers of increased regulation on fleet safety or reliability of service be?

• If sector competitiveness were increased or fleet safety and reliability of service regulations enforced, what are potential measures to smooth the transition of small, informal operators either out of the sector or towards formalization, depending on their capacity?

• Based on the above analysis, what other PIR activities have high potential to increase freight transport competitiveness?

• What are the risks that MCC PIR investments could unintentionally facilitate increased rent-extraction and reduced market competitiveness?

• To what extent would establishment of (or improvement of an existing) second generation road maintenance improve road maintenance along the corridor? To what extent would greater use of BDOM contracts improve maintenance?

• Would a binational (Benin-Niger) road maintenance mechanism substantially improve road maintenance along the corridor?

• What reforms could strengthen access to consumer goods and production inputs delivered via the corridor for the poor, women, vulnerable groups, and SMEs?

C.6. Tasks

Task 1: Develop Market Analysis and PEA Methodology

Based on feedback from MCC team members, the Contractor will review all readily available data, research, and reports related to the relevant issues on the Cotonou-Niamey corridor. Based on this review, the Contractor will produce five separate documents, each of which should be discussed with MCC before proceeding to Task 2:

• Final Workplan: The final workplan should describe in detail the plans for completing Tasks 1, 2, 3 and 4 including resources, deadlines, and deliverables. The work plan must include a timeline and staffing plan. The latter must describe the division of responsibilities and estimated Level of Effort (LOE) for each staff member according to deliverable and activity. The Contractor shall clearly demonstrate who performs what activity, when, and for how long.

• Design Report: The Design Report should be informed by and reference the freight transport sector market structure and political landscape and history of the Cotonou-Niamey corridor. The Design Report should clearly describe the proposed Market Analysis and PEA methodological approach to explicitly address the three sub-questions identified in Section C.3. (Objectives of the Freight Transport Market Analysis and Political Economy Analysis for the Cotonou-Niamey Corridor) and each item in Sections C.4. (Methodological Requirements) and C.5. (Recommended Areas for Intervention).

• Literature Review: The literature review should lay out the major themes, issues, and questions raised by the literature on the Cotonou-Niamey corridor, and how they will inform research. The Contractor should focus on work published in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of economics, transport, political science, history, sociology, geography, and anthropology, but white papers and the grey literature, and work in adjacent social science fields are also acceptable sources. The literature review shall also examine similar studies that have been completed for other WAEMU corridors such as Lome-Ouagadougou, Tema-Ouagadougou and Abidjan-Ouagadougou and note lessons learned.

• Sampling Frame and Initial Stakeholder List for proposed interviews and data collection: An initial list of the market agents, agencies, private sector and civil society organizations, and individuals to be targeted for analysis, interviewed, and otherwise included in the study, along with some theoretical and practical explanations with citations as appropriate.

• Interview and data collection instruments for proposed interviews and data collection.

Task 2: Collect Data for Market Analysis and PEA

Following acceptance of the Design Report by MCC, the Contractor will plan for and undertake data collection in Benin and Niger. The research team will travel to Benin and Niger to meet with relevant stakeholders to conduct the necessary data collection. Per the methodological requirements, this should include an analysis of the entry points to reform in the freight transport sector and a final stakeholder analysis. The data collection should be conducted by the Contractor including local research team members as applicable. Introductory meetings may be facilitated by MCC staff, but the Contractor is expected to initiate additional meetings as necessary to gather the required data. After returning from these missions, the Contractor is expected to produce a brief Trip Report that highlights key data gathered during the trip and lists which people and organizations were consulted. The report should also identify any remaining information gaps and propose strategies to fill them.

Task 3: Market Analysis and PEA Initial Summary of Findings

During the analysis process, the Contractor will provide weekly virtual briefings to MCC staff for ongoing technical guidance.

When the analysis is complete, the Contractor will prepare a written Initial Summary of Findings and submit to MCC with accompanying slides. The work will be concluded with a final report on findings. This report shall be structured to explicitly address the three key sub-questions highlighted in Section C.3. (Objectives of the Freight Transport Market Analysis and Political Economy Analysis for the Cotonou-Niamey Corridor), as well as each item in Sections C.4. (Methodological R equirements) and C.5. (Recommended Areas for Intervention). MCC will provide feedback on these initial findings for incorporation into the draft final report.

Task 4: Present Market Analysis and PEA Recommended Policy Reform Strategy

MCC will provide feedback on the presentation, draft final report, and presentation slides within two weeks, which the Contractor will incorporate into the Final Report. In addition to the Final Report, the Contractor will submit to MCC all data files and analysis code (in a format to be specified by MCC) that were used to complete the analysis.

(End of SECTION C)

Section D - Packaging and Marking

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

DPE IE Section D Section D. Packaging and Marking

D.1. Disclaimer of Deliverables

The Contractor shall ensure that each report prepared and delivered under this Contract contains the following statement on the first or cover page of such report:

"The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of MCC or any other U.S. Government entity."

(End of SECTION D)

Section E - Inspection and Acceptance Terms

None

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None

Clauses incorporated by full text

DPE IE Section E Section E. Inspection and Acceptance Terms

Inspection and acceptance shall be in accordance with the terms of FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items/Alternate I. In addition, the following terms apply:

E.1. Inspection of Reports

MCC only accepts full submittals, not partial submittals; submittals must be in full accordance with the Contractor's approved methodology and QA/QC plan. The Contractor must take into consideration that each deliverable will have at least one round of reviews by MCC, the Core Team, and potentially external reviewers when developing their work plan.

E.2. Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall have in place and maintain a Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan (QA/QC) that covers, as a minimum, how the Contractor intends to meet the requirements of all performance objectives, monitor and proactively manage contract requirements. It shall also include the mechanism by which MCC will be notified of performance-related incidents that are likely to affect quality of service.

(End of SECTION E)

Section F - Delivery or Performance

Line Item: 0001 Period Of Performance Start Date Period Of Performance End Date Period Of Performance Address

12/18/20 12/17/21 MCC Headquarters Millennium Challenge Corporation 1099 Fourteenth Street NW, Suite 700

WASHINGTON

US 20005

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

DPE IE Section F Section F. Delivery or Performance

F.1. Period of Performance

The overall anticipated period of performance of this contract is as follows:

Date of Award through 12 months thereafter (est. 12/18/2020 12/17/2021)

Note: While the intention is to complete this work within six (6) months, the period of performance for the contract will be set at 12 months from the date of award to account for potential fieldwork delays due to COVID-19.

F.2. Place of Performance

Work will take place at the Contractor's offices, with field work in Benin and Niger, and presentations at MCC headquarters in Washington DC or via video conference as necessary.

F.3. Deliverables

Outlined below is an indicative timetable, assuming a work period of approximately six (6) months for the assignment. Note that MCC requires at least five (5) business days to review draft deliverables. While the intention is to complete this work within six months, the period of performance for the contract will be set at 12 months to account for potential fieldwork delays due to COVID-19.

Task/Deliverable Draft Deliverable Due Date*

Final Deliverable Due Date*

Task 1: Develop Market Analysis and PEA Methodology

• Final workplan

• Design Report and Literature Review

• Sampling Frame and Initial Stakeholder List for proposed interviews and data collection

• Interview and data collection instruments

5 weeks from start of assignment

7 weeks from start of assignment

Task 2: Collect Data for Market Analysis and PEA

• Trip report

10 weeks from start of assignment

12 weeks from start of assignment

Task 3: Market Analysis and PEA Initial Summary of Findings

• Initial summary of findings

• Initial summary of findings (slides)

15 weeks from start of assignment

Task 4: Present Market Analysis and PEA Recommended P olicy Reform Strategy

• Presentation of findings and submission of Draft Final

Report and presentation slides for MCC Feedback

20 weeks from start of assignment

• Final report

• Final results presentation (slides)

• Data and analysis code files

23 weeks from start of assignment

25 weeks from start of assignment

* Subject to change to accommodate potential fieldwork delays due to COVID-19. Final due dates for all deliverables will be discussed with MCC and then included in the work plan and deliverable schedule during the inception period.

F.4. Deliverable Format

All deliverables must be submitted in Microsoft Office formats unless directed otherwise by MCC. The Contractor shall provide a Market Analysis and PEA for the freight transport sector along the Cotonou-Niamey corridor in conformance with the approved methodology. The Final Report must be written in English. Note that the Final Report will be a non-public, internal MCC document, and will not be shared with the Governments of Benin or Niger.

F.5. Acceptance Criteria

The deliverables will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Thoroughness and timeliness in complying with all of the elements in the specified tasks;

• Quality and clarity of analyses and work produced; and

• Timeliness and efficacy of communications with relevant counterparts at MCC and other relevant organizations.

(End of SECTION F)

Section G - Contract Administration Data

Requesting Office Address

MCC-HQ

Millennium Challenge Corporation Contracts and Grants Management Division 1099 Fourteenth St NW, Suite 700 Washington DC 20005-3550 Phone: Fax:

Contact Details:

Kapakasa, Yembeka J kapakasay@mcc.gov

Property Administration Office Address

MCC-HQ

Millennium Challenge Corporation Contracts and Grants Management Division 1099 Fourteenth St NW, Suite 700 Washington DC 20005-3550 Phone: Fax:

Contact Details:

COTR Office Address

Fax:

MCC-HQ

Millennium Challenge Corporation Contracts and Grants Management Division 1099 Fourteenth St NW, Suite 700 Washington DC 20005-3550 Phone:

Contact Details:

Issuing Office Address

MCC-HQ

Millennium Challenge Corporation Contracts and Grants Management Division 1099 Fourteenth St NW, Suite 700 Washington DC 20005-3550 Phone: Fax:

Contact Details:

Kapakasa, Yembeka J kapakasay@mcc.gov

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

MCC 52.201-70 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) AND/OR PROJECT MONITOR

(PM) (JULY 2012)

(a) The Contracting Officer may designate a Government representative to act as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or Project Monitor (PM) to perform functions under the contract such as review and/or inspection and acceptance of supplies, services, including construction, and other functions of a technical nature. The Contracting Officer will provide a written notice of such designation to the COR and/or PM and the Contractor. The designation letters will set forth the authorities and limitations of the COR and/or PM under the contract.

(b) Modifications to this contract are effective only if reduced to writing and executed by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor is specifically prohibited from performing any work that is outside the scope of this contract without the approval of the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer cannot authorize the COR or any other representative to sign documents (i.e., contracts, contract modifications, etc.) that require the signature of the Contracting Officer.

(End of clause)

MCC 52.232-70 INVOICE INSTRUCTIONS (MAY 2017)

Invoices shall be paid in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act, thirty days (30) following receipt of a proper invoice.

The Contractor shall submit each invoice electronically via email or fax to the following:

Fax: 303.969.5151/7281 ATTN: MCC Payments, or

Email: MCC_Accounting_IBCDENVER@ibc.doi.gov, or

As an alternative to electronic submission of invoices, one copy of each invoice may be submitted to the following address:

Interior Business Center

M/S D-2773

7301 West Mansfield Avenue

Lakewood, CO 80235-2230

If it is determined that the amount billed is incorrect, the invoice may be revised by the Government, or the contractor may be required to submit a revised invoice.

To constitute a proper invoice, each invoice must include the following information and/or attached documentation:

(1) Name, address and telephone of the Contractor

(2) Date of invoice and invoice number

(3) Contract number (including task order or call number and contract line item(s)) also modification number, if applicable

(4) Description (quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and extended price) of the supplies/services rendered (including hours incurred and billing rate, as applicable to the contract)

(5) A schedule depicting the following information:

Amount Invoiced

This Period

Cumulative Amount Invoiced Authorized Value of Contract Balance Remaining on Contract

If the contractor is billing for costs incurred over more than a single month, the costs for each month in which the costs were incurred and shall be segregated into the month they were actually incurred.

(6) Name of Contracting Officer's Representative (COR); and

(7) Signature of authorized representative of the firm with the following invoice certification:

"The undersigned hereby certifies to the best of my knowledge and belief that: the sum claimed under this contract is proper and due, and all the costs of contract performance have been paid, or to the extent allowed under the applicable payment clause, will be paid by the Contractor when due in the ordinary course of business; the work reflected by these costs has been performed, and amounts involved are consistent with the requirements of this Contract.

BY:______________________________________

TITLE:___________________________________

DATE: ___________________________________

Inquiries regarding the status of invoices may be directed to NBC Accounting. The email address is:

MCC_Accounting_IBCDENVER@ibc.doi.gov.

(End of clause)

Section H - Special Contract Requirements

Clauses incorporated by reference

None

Clauses incorporated by full text

MCC 52.203-70 CONTRACTOR NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (MAY 2017)

All contractor employees or independent contractors engaged in this contract shall provide a non-disclosure agreement as follows signed by the individual contractor/consultant and, if a contractor employee, by the contractor's contract administrator:

NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

I, _________ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will not divulge any information, whether obtained orally or in writing from, or data maintained by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to any unauthorized person for any purpose. I will not directly or indirectly use, or allow the use of Confidential Information for any other purpose other than that directly associated with my officially assigned duties for MCC.

Further, I will not directly or indirectly reveal or cause to be revealed the nature or content of any _________, except to authorized personnel.

I am aware that the unauthorized use of information may be a violation of law and this Agreement.

Company or Subcontractor

Understand that authorized persons refer only to persons assigned to a project requiring access to Confidential Information or directly in the line of management over the project requiring access to the data.

[signatory]

Contract Administrator Date

MCC 52.204-70 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL - FEBRUARY 2019

A. Compliance with MCC Safety and Security Regulations at MCC Headquarters

1. Personal services contractors (PSCs) and contract employees including those working for subcontractors shall be subject to and abide by all MCC safety and security policy and procedures while on MCC premises, and satisfy applicable requirements for fitness to perform work for or on behalf of MCC, personnel security, and obtaining an MCC Photo Identification (ID) Badge.

2. MCC may impose applicable criminal, civil and/or administrative sanctions, including removal, suspension, termination or suspension of access to information, information systems, or MCC facilities, against any PSC or contractor employee who fails to adequately protect classified national security information or sensitive information, including such information designated as Controlled Unclassified Information, from unauthorized disclosure. The sanctions imposed are under the authority of the applicable laws, regulations, Government-wide and MCC policies.

B. PSC and Contract Employee Fitness and MCC Photo ID Badge Requirements

1. The following are requirements for a PSC or contractor employee who works under this contract and requires access to any of the following: MCC Headquarters, MCCNet, Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU), Foreign Government Information (FGI) or any other designated sensitive information (such as classified national security information and Controlled Unclassified Information under 32 CFR Part 2002).

a. Such an individual must be:

i. A U.S. citizen or have Permanent Resident Status in the U.S;

ii. Screened for fitness to work for or on behalf of MCC;

iii. Determined by MCC to be fit to work for or on behalf of MCC; and

iv. Determined eligible to be issued an MCC Photo Identification Badge.

b. In addition, if the individual is not a U.S. citizen for or in a position designated as moderate or high risk (i.e., a public trust position), the individual must have been residing, working and/or attending an educational institution in the U.S. for at least three, years.

c. MCC may allow such an individual to perform services under this contract based on: (1) a favorable suitability/fitness screening as an interim fitness determination, and (2) a favorable interim credentialing determination for issuance of an MCC Photo ID Badge, as applicable. An interim fitness determination does not satisfy requirement a. iii.) of this paragraph, and an interim credentialing determination does not satisfy requirement a. iv.) of this paragraph.

d. An investigation for an individual's fitness will be required to satisfy requirement a. iii.) except whenever the individual already has an investigation on file that meets the requirements for an investigation based on all applicable position designation(s) for the individual that satisfies/satisfy guidelines issued by the Suitability and Credentialing Executive Agent (SuitCredEA), the Security Executive Agent (SecEA) and the individual has been working for or on behalf of a Federal agency continuously for at least one year in one or more Federal positions or as a contractor employee that was/were subject to suitability or fitness investigation satisfying guidelines issued by the Suitability and Credential Executive Agent. However, no exception to the investigation requirement will be granted whenever MCC obtains new information in connection with the individuals that calls into question the individual's fitness under the criteria for suitability in 5 CFR 731.202. The investigation required will be based on position designation performed by MCC in accordance with 5 CFR 731 and 5 CFR 1400.

2. PSCs and contractor employees for or in public trust positions are subject to reinvestigation for fitness within the timeframe specified by the SuitCredEA.

3. A PSC or contractor employee whose position risk designation increases due to reassignment or change in job duties or responsibilities, is subject to the fitness investigation requirements for the higher risk position at the time the position designation is changed. If the position with the higher risk designation is the same one occupied by the individual, the individual may remain in the position while the investigation is being conducted; otherwise, the individual may not perform services under this contract in the new capacity until the requirements of B.1.