SIGNED Amendment 01_NOFO 720-696-21-RFA-00001_ WASH.pdf

Reference: Notice of Funding Opportunity 720-696-21-RFA-00001

THRIVE-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Activity

Subject: Amendment 01

Date: January 29, 2021

Dear Prospective Applicants:

The U.S. Agency for International Development (“USAID”) amends the above-referenced Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”), originally issued December 28, 2020.

Amendment 01 revises the NOFO in response to questions from prospective applicants as detailed in the attachment.

Sincerely

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

Enclosures

Attachment 1_Amendment 01 to NOFO 720-696-21-RFA-00001

Attachment 2_USAID Answers to Prospective Applicant Questions Attachment 3_ AID-696-A-16-00008 Barrier Analysis on Households Latrines’ Cleanliness for Isuku Iwacu-Rwanda Rural Sanitation Activity (RRSA)

Attachment 4_AID-696-A-16-00008 Baseline Survey Report Rwanda Rural Sanitation – Isuku Iwacu Activity

Attachment 5_AID-696-A-16-00008 District Wide Approach

Attachment 6_AID-696-A-16-00008 Isuku Iwacu Soil test report

Attachment 7_AID-696-A-16-00008 Isuku Iwacu Formative Research On Households’ Improved Sanitation

Attachment 8_ AID-696-A-16-00008 Isuku Iwacu Market Analysis

Attachment 9_AID-696-A-16-00008 Isuku Iwacu Mid-Term Evaluation Report

Attachment 10__AID-696-A-16-00008 Latrine Construction Manual

Attachment 11_AID-696-A-16-00008 Sludge Management and Emptying Services

Attachment 12_AID-696-A-16-00008 WATSAN Campaign

Attachment 1: Amendment 01 to NOFO

The NOFO is hereby amended as set forth below:

1. Amendment 01 revises bullet points at the end of Section D.3 General Content and Form of Application as follows:

“Applications must comply with the following:

● USAID will not review any pages in excess of the page limits noted in the subsequent sections.

Please ensure that applications comply with the page limitations.

● Written in English.

● Use standard 8 ½” x 11”, single sided, single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, 1” margins, left justification and headers and/or footers on each page including consecutive page numbers, date of submission, and applicant’s name.

● 10 point font can be used for text boxes, graphs and charts. 8 point font can be used for map labels. Tables however, must comply with the 12 point Times New Roman requirement.

● Submitted via Microsoft Word or PDF formats, except budget files which must be submitted in Microsoft Excel.

● The estimated start date identified in Section B of this NOFO must be used in the cost application.

● The technical application must be a searchable and editable Word or PDF format as appropriate.

● The Cost Schedule must include an Excel spreadsheet with all cells unlocked and no hidden formulas or sheets. A PDF version of the Excel spreadsheet may be submitted in addition to the Excel version at the applicant’s discretion, however, the official cost application submission is the unlocked Excel version.”

2. Amendment 01 revises sub-section e) Annexes under Section D.5.1 Written Technical Application, as follows:

“The annexes should include:

Annex 1. An illustrative first-year Implementation Plan and a Gantt chart describing illustrative activities for the first year of project implementation that corresponds to the technical approach being proposed. (five-page limit)

Annex 2. An organogram showing the staffing structure, including staffing at all offices, and identifying formal relationships with all consortium partners and major sub-awardees.

A “major sub-awardee” is defined as the one whose proposed budget exceeds 20% of the applicant’s total proposed budget. It must also show clear reporting lines.

(two-page limit)

Annex 3. Resumes and Letters of Commitment for Key Personnel. For each proposed Key Personnel a complete and current résumé/CV demonstrating the candidate’s qualifications and experience. Résumés/CVs cannot exceed three (3) pages in length and should be in chronological order starting with the most recent experience.

Resumes should include 3 references for each proposed Key Personnel including contact name, professional relationship, e-mail, and phone number. A signed letter of commitment from each Key Personnel candidate (not included in 3-page limitation) indicating his/her availability to serve in the stated position and for the stated term of service.

Annex 4. Acronym List.”

3. Amendment 01 revises last paragraph in Section D.5.2 Oral Presentation Format as follows:

“From the Applicant’s side, the following three categories of people should be part of the presentation team and attend the presentation:

● Proposed Chief of Party - serving as the primary and lead presenter,

● Representative(s) from Home Office or Prime Organization, and

● One technical representative from a proposed consortium member (if applicable)”

Attachment 2: USAID Answers to Prospective Applicant Questions

Question 1.

Just to clarify, all this grant of 21M USD will be given to one company or will be distributed between a number of independent projects?

Answer 1.

As stated in Section B.1 on page 16 of the NOFO “USAID intends to award one Cooperative Agreement” to one prime organization that will decide if it necessary to partner with other organizations.

Question 2.

I have done some water supply work with EWB in Rwanda. I notice in the solicitation that “this new five year award will build on the strong partnerships already in place with both the district governments and private sector to expand and improve WASH services.” Is there an organization(s) running USAID’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene Activity in Rwanda now? I’m asking because I might want to partner with them.

Answer 2.

All the USAID Rwanda Water Sanitation and Hygiene Activities have closed and this NOFO is a follow on to the previous activities.

Question 3.

This opportunity is very interesting. I would like to inquire if a Rwandan local non profit organization can apply for this THRIVE Water Sanitation and Hygiene Activity.

Answer 3.

Yes, eligibility for this NOFO is not restricted. All types of organizations are encouraged to apply either as a prime or subawardee. Please see Section C of the NOFO for Eligibility Information.

Question 4.

We will like to request for additional information on eligibility so as to prepare for the next steps to take with the deadline in mind.

Answer 4.

Eligibility for this NOFO is not restricted. USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID. The successful Applicant will be subject to a risk assessment (possibly including a pre-award survey) by the AO. Please see Section C of the NOFO for Eligibility Information.

Question 5.

On page 12 of the NOFO, it is stated that “…USAID expects that a meaningful part of the budget will be programmed through sub-awards, and that organizational development support will be provided systematically to local organizations.” Can USAID clarify what constitutes “a meaningful part of the budget?"

Answer 5.

The Applicant should propose sufficient and reasonable amounts for local subawardees in accordance with their technical approach.

Question 6.

USAID notes that two additional districts will be selected in coordination with the government. Please confirm whether USAID’s intention is to select Rutsiro and Rubavu Districts, in line with the geographic focus on the recently released USAID Inclusive Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Activity call.

Answer 6.

The awardee will be responsible to coordinate with the line Ministry to select the additional districts.

Leveraging USAID investment is recommended where possible.

Question 7.

How does USAID define discrete geographic location and are there any waivers to providing this information if it will pose a security risk to the organizations, its employees and potential beneficiaries?

Answer 7.

USAID does not anticipate the need for any waivers based on security risk for this Activity.

Question 8.

Section J of the NOFO (page 35) states that “Construction will be limited to necessary renovations that directly support activity objectives.” Meanwhile, Section A.6.8 (page 12) on Construction Risk Management does not appear to restrict construction to renovation only. Please clarify USAID’s intent in this regard.

Answer 8.

The primary purpose of this activity is not construction, and therefore any construction activities should be small scale in nature (mandated to be below $500,000 in a location). Any proposed construction activities should be targeted in nature, and deemed to be essential to the successful achievement of activity objections. The construction risk management will be required for all construction. Please see Section D.6.d(6) on page 18 of the NOFO for definition of “Construction”. This award does not allow large scale construction, applications should include a detailed budget for any construction proposed.

Question 9.

Can USAID please confirm if map labels can be smaller than 10-point font provided that they are easily legible within the map?

Answer 9.

8 point font can be used for map labels. Section D.3 of the NOFO has been revised.

Question 10.

Given there are 2 TBD key personnel positions in the NOFO, can USAID clarify if Applicants are allowed to choose which 2 positions these will be?

Answer 10.

Applicants may choose what positions would be most appropriate.

Question 11.

We understand that 10 point may be used for any narrative embedded within graphs and charts. Please confirm if this also applies to other embedded figures such as text boxes.

Answer 11.

USAID confirms that text boxes also have a 10 point font limitation.

Question 12.

Can USAID confirm that applicants are not expected to submit past performance history application at this stage of the application process?

Answer 12.

USAID confirms that applicants are not expected to submit past performance information at this stage of the application process.

Question 13.

The NOFO includes an oral presentation as part of the evaluation criteria which implies that all Applicants will be asked to provide an oral presentation. Please confirm that this is USAID’s intent.

Answer 13.

All applicants will be expected to provide an oral presentation, virtually. Applicants will be notified of the date and time of the presentation at least two weeks in advance. Applicants will be requested to submit a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation at least 48 hours prior to the individually scheduled presentation.

Question 14.

Can USAID confirm that it has not assigned page limits to each criterion of the technical application body, only that the entire technical application body must not exceed 25 pages?

Answer 14.

USAID confirms that there are no page limitations for each section of the technical application body, and only the entire technical application body has a 25-page limit.

Question 15.

Can applicants include an acronym list in the technical application? If so, can USAID confirm that this is excluded from the page limit?

Answer 15.

Applicants may include an acronym list as Annex 4 to the Technical Application, and thus, it is excluded from the 25-page limit. The NOFO language has been amended accordingly.

Question 16.

Could USAID please clarify when it intends to inform applicants of the timing of their oral presentations?

Answer 16.

Applicants will be notified of the date and time of the presentation at least two weeks in advance.

Question 17.

Can USAID clarify how it expects applicants to "demonstrate their ability to attract and retain high-quality Key Personnel for the duration of the activity"?

Answer 17.

The applicant must use its best judgment as to how to best demonstrate this ability.

Question 18.

Can USAID confirm that information about the applicant's environmental compliance approach referenced in section F.5, subsections 8a) through 8c) will be submitted by the apparently successful applicant as a pre-award assignment? Alternatively, if this information is expected to be included in the technical application, can USAID clarify in which section of the technical application body?

Answer 18.

This information should be summarized under the Technical Approach and Management Structure and Staffing Sections of the technical application, as appropriate.

Question 19.

Can USAID confirm that indicators and targets will be set during MEL plan development with the apparently successful applicant and are not required to be included in the technical application?

Answer 19.

The indicators and targets will be set during the MEL plan development, the indicators listed in Section A.7.1 (pg 14) must be included.

Question 20.

Can USAID clarify whether only the prime applicant or all proposed sub-recipients need to fill out the required certifications and assurances on page 26 of the NOFO?

Answer 20.

Only the prime applicant will need to fill out and submit the required certifications and assurances as specified on page 26 of the NOFO as part of the initial application submission.

Question 21.

Do all proposed sub-recipients, including local partners, need to be registered in SAM prior to submission of the application? Or does this requirement only apply to the prime applicant? Based on our experience working with local organizations, SAM registration may be difficult for some local partners to complete prior to the February 16 submission deadline.

Answer 21.

Only the prime applicant needs to be registered in the SAM prior to submission of the application as stated in Section D.6.g of the NOFO.

Question 22.

Can USAID clarify whether risk assessments and the other requirements referenced in section D.6, subsection f) need to be submitted for all subrecipients as part of the business (cost) application?

Answer 22.

If all the information required in section D.6, subsection f) is not submitted with the business (cost) application, and if the applicant is selected for an award, the subawards will not be approved at the time of award until all the required information is submitted.

Question 23.

Please confirm that oral presentations will account for scheduling across relevant time zones to ensure that all presenters are given consideration to be able to participate actively and optimally during reasonable operating hours, and that all entities that submit a proposal should expect to participate in an oral presentation.

Answer 23.

USAID will coordinate with applicants to find proper schedules for oral presentation. All entities that submit an application will be required to conduct individual oral presentations.

Question 24.

Please confirm that at the proposal stage, only major sub-recipients (either international or local) need to be named within the proposal – both technical and cost components – and other supporting documentation provided. Please also provide a definition for what constitutes a ‘major’ sub-recipient.

Answer 24.

USAID confirms that only major sub-recipients need to be named within the application. A “major sub-recipient” is defined as the one whose proposed budget exceeds 20% of the applicant’s total proposed budget.

Question 25.

Please share further how any additional Key Personnel outside of the three positions listed would affect the merit review considering that the two TBD KP positions are optional. This is in consideration that the management and staffing structure and the organogram would be evaluated as a whole to ensure sufficient coverage and efficiencies.

Answer 25.

USAID will evaluate the appropriateness of the additional Key Personnel proposed (if any) within the context of the proposed technical approach.

Question 26.

Please clarify the definitions and distinction between ‘construction’ and ‘large-scale construction’ as mentioned on page 35.

Answer 26.

See response to Question 8

Question 27.

Page 49 section 7a) states that a “provision for sub-grants is included under this award...” Please highlight which section within this award the sub-grant provision is listed and described, and please confirm whether this is considered separate from sub-recipients/sub-awardees named within the proposal.

Answer 27.

For the purposes of this NOFO “Sub-grants” refer to sub-awards with sub-recipients/ sub-awardees.

Question 28.

Will a final evaluation of Isuku Iwacu be completed prior to the anticipated award of THRIVE?

Answer 28.

A final evaluation of Isuku Iwacu is not yet available, but will be made public once it is completed.

Question 29.

Is it possible to share some of the assessments (baseline, gender etc) completed for USAID during the Isuku Iwacu program?

The assessments are provided as a separate Attachments 3-12 to this Amendment.

Question 30.

Will these responses be available on Grants.gov and/or emailed to all organizations submitting questions?

Answer 30.

There responses will be posted on www.grants.gov

Question 31.

Pg. 10, A.6.1 Geographical Focus and Target Beneficiaries: When will the additional 2 districts be selected? Can applicants anticipate they will be selected according to geographic proximity to the eight already targeted districts?

Answer 31.

The awardee will be responsible to coordinate with the line Ministry to select the additional districts.

Leveraging USAID investment is recommended where possible.

Question 32.

Pg.25, Annexes Please confirm that neither an EMMP nor a preliminary learning agenda are expected to be submitted as annexes to the technical proposal but rather will be developed during year one of the intervention.

Answer 32.

The EMMP is not required at the application stage. It will be developed by the successful applicant as part of the first year work plan. Meanwhile, the learning agenda is part of the oral presentation and will be submitted in a powerpoint presentation 48 hours prior to the presentation.

Question 33.

Pg. 25, D.5.2 Oral Presentation Format

a) Please provide an estimated date or timeline within the process for oral presentations.

http://www.grants.gov/

b) Is the oral presentation envisioned to accompany the technical proposal or is the oral presentation a second step in the competitive process, occurring after USAID’s initial issues letter to the written technical description?

c) Is the oral presentation meant to focus primarily on 1) learning agenda, 2) collaboration and coordination? If so, should the applicant also provide a detailed CLA description, including learning agenda within the technical narrative, or reserved that primarily for the oral presentation?

Answer 33.

a) The presentation will be done virtually. Applicants will be notified of the date and time of the presentation at least two weeks in advance. Applicants will be requested to submit a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation at least 48 hours prior to the individually scheduled presentation. Each Applicant should prepare a 45-minute presentation to USAID to expound on the following areas of their proposed technical approach.

b) The oral presentation is envisioned to accompany the technical proposal.

c) The oral presentation must cover both the learning agenda and collaboration and coordination.

The applicant is not required to provide detailed descriptions of these topics in the technical narrative.

Question 34.

Pg. 25, D.5.2 Oral Presentation Format, “Representative(s) from Home Office, and…” We request USAID’s concurrence to change this to “Representative(s) from prime organization” instead of “Home Office” to allow for representatives based in the field, and not only in HQ/home office.

Answer 34.

Yes, USAID concurs with changing this requirement to “representative from home office or prime organization.” This revision has been made in the NOFO.

Question 35.

Pg. 27, D) Budget and Budget Narrative, 1) Salaries and Allowances, “Applicants must provide their established written policies on personnel compensation.”

Can USAID confirm that applicants can provide an explanation of the organization’s personnel compensation and policies in the budget narrative, or is USAID expecting a separate annex with the organization’s full compensation manual?

Answer 35.

If the organization had prior direct awards with USAID, explanation of organization’s personnel compensation and policies in the budget narrative is sufficient. If the organization never had a direct award from USAID, they should provide a separate annex with the organization’s full compensation manual.

Question 36.

Pg. 28, D) Budget and Budget Narratives, 3) Travel and Transportation. “When appropriate please provide supporting documentation as an attachment, such as company travel policy, and explain assumptions in the Budget Narrative.” Can USAID clarify when applicants should provide supporting documentation for travel and transportation?

Answer 36.

An applicant will be required to provide supporting documentation for travel and transportation if an organization’s travel policy differs from U.S. Government travel policy, such as higher per diem rates, business class travel, etc.