RFQ Attachment 1 - PWS TABI.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ENTERPRISE SERVICES

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

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PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT:

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR BANKABLE

INFRASTRUCTURE (TABI)

FOR

GLOBAL MARKETS, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

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Program Office: Department of Commerce Global Markets, Middle East and Africa

1401 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20230

1.0 Task Order Overview

This is a non-personal services task order. The Government will not exercise any supervision or control over the task order service providers performing the services herein. Such task order service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS). The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this task order.

2.0 Background

Africa’s infrastructure deficit represents the greatest impediment to economic growth in the region and an under-leveraged opportunity for outside investors, exporters, and project developers. However, many companies and investors are hesitant to pursue infrastructure projects in Africa due to perceptions of risk, actual risk, and the lack of bankable projects. The purpose of the TABI program is to provide technical assistance to African governments to build capacity to develop high quality and technically sound bankable projects for companies, financial institutions, and investors to reduce Africa’s infrastructure deficit.

2.1 Objective

The desired outcome of the TABI program is to improve how appropriate ministries in sub-Saharan Africa countries develop requirements, generate lists of capital projects, prioritize, finance, fund and run procurement processes. The objective of the technical assistance is to assess Finance and Trade Ministries in Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia, and provide a recommended sub-set of countries with training interventions that built capacity to: (1) identify and prioritize infrastructure needs, (2) determine the best implementation model to pursue for each project (e.g. African government-funded, public-private partnership [PPP], or private sector-led), (3) select projects with clearest demonstration of commercial viability and potential for private sector interest, (4) develop high quality and technically sound public procurements (tenders) and/or project profiles for selected projects, (5) transmit commercially viable opportunities to companies, financial institutions, and investors that offer the highest quality products and services and bring transformative and socially and environmentally responsible investment and growth to the continent through technology transfer, skills development and job creation and (6) help African governments and the private sector identify potential financing and other resources to advance projects to financial close.

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Preference for African government partners will be given to countries with whom the U.S. Department of Commerce, on behalf of the United States Government, has bilateral Commercial Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or Commercial and Invest Partnerships (CIP) in place for the identification and development of priority trade and investment projects and collaboration on improvements to the host nation business enabling environment. Current countries include Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Future countries may include Angola, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Collaborations under the program may also be considered with eligible African governments with which the U.S. Government does not have commercial agreement but that make direct requests for support and for high quality private sector participation in infrastructure projects. For the purposes of this program, infrastructure is defined as transportation, Information and communications technology (ICT) and digital technology, energy, and healthcare, with a focus on projects that will help to achieve the Biden administration’s climate and gender equity and equality goals under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.

3.0 Requirement

3.1 The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform this requirement.

3.1.1 The contractor shall have offices in Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia as well as office infrastructure to support research and training delivery.

3.1.2 The contractor shall have demonstrated expertise in the following sectors:

transportation, ICT, digital technologies, telecommunications, power, energy, finance and healthcare in addition to demonstrated competencies in Public finance reform and financial management.

3.2 The Contractor shall monitor performance in accordance with the approved Quality Control Plan (QCP). The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor’s QCP is the means by which they will ensure work complies with the requirements of the task order.

3.3 The Contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall consider the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

3.4 The desired outcome shall follow a three phased approach to include a requirements assessment phase, an analysis phase and an implementation of intervention phase.

3.4.1 Phase I: Partner Country Selection

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3.4.1.1 Conduct a desk review of relevant and recent reports and studies on constraints, risks, and opportunities related to investing in and implementing infrastructure projects in African countries. This effort will include being informed by the National Development Plans of each countries selected for TABI Technical Assistance.

3.4.1.2 Conduct supplemental interviews and survey of a diverse selection of

U.S., African, and other nationality firms and investors, U.S. Government technical specialists, and multilateral donor representatives to assess perceptions of constraints, risks, and opportunities related to investing in and implementing infrastructure projects in African countries.

3.4.1.3 Recommend partner African government(s) based on the results of the consultation with private sector and on strategic alignment with Biden administration priorities, (including whether there are any existing bilateral agreements or frameworks in place, e.g., a commercial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a Commercial Dialogue), institutional and human capacity, political will and place in political election cycle, fiscal ability to incur the expenditure required for project implementation, and potential for immediate impact. Political economy analysis may be required to assess power dynamics and map systemic stakeholder relationships in partner governments that influence infrastructure policy formation and decision-making.

3.4.1.4 NOTIONAL DELIVERABLES: Country Selection Report.

3.4.2 Phase II: Assessment and Technical Workplan Design (Contractor) (contingent on approval of country selection report)

3.4.2.1 Leveraging the Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) framework, assess selected partner governments’ existing ability to plan sustainable investment across the public sector; allocate investment to the right sectors and projects; and implement investment projects to deliver productive and durable public assets. Specific focus areas should include the ability to identify projects, assess commercial viability, and to develop high quality and technically sound procurements.

3.4.2.2 Based on available and accessible data from USG and partner government sources, review infrastructure projects currently prioritized by partner government and identify projects that are commercially viable and best suited for investment and private sector implementation.

3.4.2.3 Assess existing processes and methods for openly and transparently transmitting commercially viable infrastructure opportunities to companies, financial institutions and investors and propose potential improvements.

3.4.2.4 Develop and propose a Technical Assistance (TA) approach based on assessments that prioritize the alleviation of binding constraints in institutional and

5 | P a g e human capacity, technology, or processes and practices that hinder open and transparent infrastructure investment.

3.4.2.5 NOTIONAL DELIVERABLES: Assessment Report, Proposed TA Workplan

3.4.3 Phase III: TA Implementation

3.4.3.1 Recommend and provide a blended learning intervention to include a pedagogical approach that combines job aids, synchronous, and asynchronous learning activities (including potentially leveraging U.S. Government training resources) to build capacity of officials in relevant ministries to (1) identify infrastructure projects from development sources (i.e., line ministries, project developers, infrastructure funds, EPCs), (2) assess and propose PPP and private sector projects with commercial potential, and (3) develop high quality and technically sound public procurements for government projects and PPPs.

3.4.3.2 Assist Commerce and African government entities to improve or develop processes for disseminating commercially viable opportunities to companies, financial institutions, and investors, including any new methods developed as a result of the Phase II assessment.

3.4.3.3 Develop a standard template for packaging critical details of infrastructure opportunities for private sector consideration and support Commerce and African partner government entities to package and disseminate commercially viable opportunities to private sector companies in an open and transparent manner.

3.4.3.4 Work with Commerce and African partner governments to facilitate opportunities pursued by companies and investors, including:

3.4.3.5 Identifying potential financing sources/partners and U.S. Government resources to support projects (e.g., MCC, DFC, et al).

3.4.3.6 NOTIONAL DELIVERABLES: Training Reference Materials (including a rubric for assessing commercial viability/bankability of projects and guidance on the development of high quality and technically sound public procurements (tenders) for government projects and PPPs); Improved or new processes for openly and transparently disseminating commercially viable opportunities to private sector companies and investors; standard template for packaging projects for the private sector; list of infrastructure opportunities packaged for private sector consideration; and, final impact report.

3.5 TABI Performance Indicators:

Short term:

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• Number of government officials trained to identify projects and to assess the commercial viability of projects.

Medium term:

• Number of bankable infrastructure tenders developed and published by partner governments with USG assistance.

• Number of companies connected to infrastructure tenders developed with

USG assistance, by country of incorporation.

• Number of companies that submit proposals for tender opportunities developed under the TABI program, by country of incorporation.

• Number of non-tender infrastructure project opportunities developed and shared with companies, by country of incorporation.

• Number of companies connected with non-tender infrastructure project opportunities developed under the TABI program, by country of incorporation.

Long term:

• Number of contracts awarded, by country of incorporation.

• Value of contracts awarded, by country of incorporation.

4.0 Place of Performance

Contractor support shall perform the majority of its work at the contractor’s facilities located within the sub-Saharan Africa countries mentioned previously in Performance Work Statement.

☒ Minimal remote/telework may be authorized by the Contracting Officers

Representative (COR) on a case-by-case basis, however, telework is not expected to be utilized on this contract.

5.0 Period of Performance

The period of performance for this request:

One year from date of award plus four (4) twelve-month option periods

6.0 Hours of Operation

Under this task order, the Contractor is responsible for conducting business, Monday thru Friday during normal business hours (9am -5pm) except Federal holidays, host nation holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings.

7.0 Government Furnished Resources

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7.1 The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information and property provided for Contractor use. The Contractor shall not use GFP/E/I for any purposes other than official Government business as performed under this task order. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured.

7.2 Contractors working on Government sites will be provided standard business equipment including all or some of the following: desk, chair, phone, computer, and access to office equipment such as printers, copiers, fax, etc.

7.3 Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, Contractors shall be responsible for immediately returning GFP/E/I to the DOC Property Official who issued their OF-7 Property Pass when the property is no longer needed for the use for which it was authorized.

7.4 In accordance with FAR 52.245-1, Government Property, the Contractor shall prepare for shipment and deliver f.o.b. origin any Government-issued laptop, cellular phone, or other business equipment taken off-site and is responsible for the cost of shipping and risk of loss.

8.0 Qualifications

The Contractor is responsible for and shall ensure staff are properly trained and hold the appropriate credentials as required for the services being performed.

9.0 Identification of Contractor Employees

All Contractor personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their Contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by Contractors are suitably marked as Contractor products or that Contractor participation is appropriately disclosed.

10.0 Travel

Travel ☒ is ☐ is not required under this task order.

If required, the Contractor shall travel as approved by the designated TM or COR during the performance of this task order to attend meetings, conferences or conduct other official business covered under this task order. Authorized travel is reimbursable in accordance with the contract. The Contractor shall ensure adequate funding is available for costs of travel prior to incurring costs.

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Local travel to meetings, conferences or other official business covered under this task order is not reimbursable as a direct charge.

11.0 Conflicts of Interest

Contractor and subcontract personnel performing work under this task order may receive, have access to, or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications, or work statements, etc.), or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the CO immediately whenever he/she becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and may merit the submittal of a plan to the CO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI.

This mitigation plan would be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the CO. In the event the CO unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may employ other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.

12.0 Data Rights

The Government has unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this task order. All documents and materials, to include the source code of any software produced under this contract, shall be Government owned and the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the Contractor without written permission from the CO. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

13.0 Applicable Publications (Current Editions)

☒ No publications are applicable for this task order.

☐ The following list of publications is applicable to this task order:

14.0 Reports and Deliverables

14.1 The Contractor shall attend progress meetings requested by the contracting activity or task order administration. The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the CO will apprise the Contractor of how the government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, 9 | P a g e if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

14.2 Monthly Progress Report (MSR)

The contractor shall submit the Monthly Status Report (MSR) to the COR in Microsoft Word format no later than the 5th of each month. At a minimum, the report shall track the submission of deliverables and detail the status of each. The report should detail major accomplishments during the month, problems/resolutions, issues/mitigation plan, recommendations and tracking of cumulative Travel amounts against the Travel CLIN.

The report shall cover all work completed during the reporting period and reflect data as of the last day of the preceding month. If a problem or issue has not been completely resolved, contractor shall provide an explanation including its plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. The report shall detail work planned for the subsequent reporting period. The COR will certify the report.

14.3 Additional Reports (Required) 1. Training Reference Materials 2. A rubric for assessing commercial viability/bankability of projects and guidance on the development of high quality and technically sound public procurements (tenders) for government projects and PPPs); 3. Report that includes improved or new processes for openly and transparently disseminating commercially viable opportunities to private sector companies and investors; 4. Standard template for packaging projects for the private sector 5. Assessment Report & Proposed Technical Assistance Workplans 6. List of infrastructure opportunities packaged for private sector consideration; and 7. Final impact report.

15.0 Attachment/Technical Exhibit List

15.1 Attachment 1/Technical Exhibit 1 - Performance Requirements Summary

15.2 Attachment 2/Technical Exhibit 2 - Deliverables Schedule

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TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 1

Performance Requirements Summary The Contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to mission success.

Performance Objective (The Service required— usually a shall statement)

Performance Standard Performance Threshold (This is the maximum error rate. It could possibly be “Zero deviation from standard”)

Method of Surveillance

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PRS # 1.

High Quality Technical Performance

Performance meets all technical and functional requirements and is highly responsive to changes in technical direction and/or the technical support environment Assessments, evaluations, analyses, recommendations, and related input are thorough, reliable, highly relevant to requirements, and consist of substantial depth and breadth of subject matter.

Deliverable reports contain all required data.

EXCEPTIONAL

Performance and deliverables meet all and exceed many requirements.

Performance delivered with no required re-performance / rework at least 95% of time;

problems that are encountered are minor and resolved in a highly effective manner.

VERY GOOD Performance and deliverables meet all and exceed some requirements.

Performance delivered with no required re-performance / rework at least 90% of time;

problems that are encountered are minor and resolved in an effective manner.

SATISFACTORY

Performance and deliverables meet all requirements.

Performance delivered with no re-performance / rework at least 80% of time; problems that are encountered are minor and resolved in a satisfactory manner.

MARGINAL Some requirements not met and/or performance delivered with reperformance/rework required more than 20% of time. Problems encountered were resolved in a less than satisfactory manner.

Routine Inspection of Deliverable Products/Services

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UNSATISFACTORY Many requirements not met.

Numerous re-performances / rework required. Substantial problems were encountered and inadequate corrective actions employed

PRS # 2

Adherence to Schedule

Milestones, periods of performance, and/or data submission dates are met or exceeded

EXCEPTIONAL:

milestones/ performance dates met or exceeded at least 100% of time (excluding government caused delays) VERY GOOD: milestones/ performance dates met or exceeded at least 90% of time (excluding government caused delays)

SATISFACTORY:

milestones / performance dates met or exceeded at least 80% of time (excluding government caused delays) MARGINAL: milestones / performance dates met less than 80% of time (excluding government caused delays)

UNSATISFACTORY

schedule/performance dates met less than 70% of time

Deliverable Products/Services

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PRS # 3

Control of Labor Resources

Contract labor mix is controlled in efficient and effective manner

EXCEPTIONAL Actual resource mix maintained within 10% of originally awarded TO resource mix VERY GOOD Actual resource mix maintained within 15% of originally awarded TO resource mix SATISFACTORY Actual resource mix maintained within 20% of originally awarded resource mix MARGINAL Actual resource mix maintained within 25% of originally awarded resource mix UNSATISFACTORY Actual resource mix exceeds 25% of originally awarded resource mix

Performance, Performance/Cost Reports, Payment Invoice

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TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 2

DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE

This technical exhibit lists any reports or documentation that is required as a deliverable to include the frequency, # of copies, medium/format and who/where it is to be submitted. A deliverable is anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-physical things such as meeting minutes.

Note: All PWS deliverables should be included in this exhibit.)

Deliverable Frequency # of Copies Medium/Format Submit To Final Quality Control Plan Within 30 days of contract award

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Monthly Progress Report (14.2)

Monthly by the 5th of each month covering the previous month.

1 copy submitted

MS Word

TM, COR, CO

Desk Review [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

Political Economy Analysis

[Same as

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Interviews – 15 companies minimum

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Develop Survey – 30 companies minimum

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Implement Survey – 2 times minimum

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Recommend Country Selection

– 2 countries

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted

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Country Selection Report

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word MS PowerPoint

TM, COR, CO

PIMA Assessment [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Project Screening Criteria [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Data Collection [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Data Review [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Process Review [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Analysis [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Assessment Report & Proposed TA Workplan to include slide Presentation

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word MS PowerPoint

TM, COR, CO

Develop training modules [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Conduct Training (minimum 20 Staff)

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

Technical Assistance (40 hours per country)

1 copy submitted

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Standard Template Development

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word MS Excel

TM, COR, CO

Identify Funding Options [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word TM, COR, CO

List of Opportunities [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word MS Excel

TM, COR, CO

Package of Potential Opportunities with Funding Options

[Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS PowerPoint MS Excel

TM, COR, CO

Final Impact report [Same as above.]

1 copy submitted electronically by email

MS Word MS PowerPoint

TM, COR, CO

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 1