SOL 72052122R00004_Resilient Environment North Activity.pdf

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

U.S. Embassy Tel: (509) 2229-8000

Boulevard de 15 Octobre Fax: (509) 2229-8066

HT-6123 Tabarre 41, HAITI https://www.usaid.gov/haiti

P.O. Box 1634, Port-au-Prince, HAITI

Issuance Date: December 1, 2021

Questions Submission Due Date: December 14, 2021, 2:00 p.m. Haiti time

Proposals Submission Closing Date: January 13, 2022, 3:00 p.m. Haiti time

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) Solicitation No.72052122R00004

“USAID/Haiti Resilient Environment – North” Activity

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID) Mission in Haiti is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to provide services described in the attached RFP.

Entitled “USAID/Haiti Resilient Environment – North” this Activity seeks to increase community, systems, and climate resilience in the Northern Resilience Focus Zone (RFZ) by protecting and restoring ecosystem services, using a watershed management approach, fostering sustainable productivity and economic inclusion.

USAID/Haiti anticipates the award of one (1) Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion contract with a period of performance of five (5) years. The Total Estimated Cost range of the contract will be $21,500,000.00 - $24,500,000.00. Offerors should propose costs that are appropriate, realistic and reasonable.

This procurement is being conducted through full and open competition under which any type of organization (large or small commercial [for profit] firms, educational institutions, non-profit organizations) is eligible to compete.

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the instructions provided in Section L and will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria contained in Section M of this RFP. Offerors are encouraged to submit their proposals no later than the closing date and time specified above. Late proposals will not be accepted.

If changes are made to the closing date and time, as well as other aspects of the RFP, this solicitation will be amended. Amendments will be issued and posted on Beta.Sam.Gov at the following address (https://beta.sam.gov). Offerors are encouraged to monitor this website periodically for such posting. All questions and requests for clarification must be submitted electronically no later than the deadline noted above to usaidhaitioaa@usaid.gov.

Issuance of this solicitation does not constitute and award commitment on the part of the U.S.

Government, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay for any costs incurred in the https://beta.sam.gov/ mailto:usaidhaitioaa@usaid.gov

Request for Proposal (RFP) Solicitation No.: 72052122R00004

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

U.S. Embassy Tel: (509) 2229-8000

Boulevard de 15 Octobre Fax: (509) 2229-8066

HT-6123 Tabarre 41, HAITI https://www.usaid.gov/haiti

P.O. Box 1634, Port-au-Prince, HAITI preparation or submission of a proposal. Furthermore, the U.S. Government reserves the right to reject any offer, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of the U.S. Government.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Haiti activities.

Sincerely, Matthew Courtad

Contracting Officer

USAID/Haiti Office of Acquisition and Assistance

72052122R00004

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

7. ISSUED BY CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

SEALED BID (IFB)

5. DATE ISSUED

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED RATING PAGE OF PAGES

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C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS)A. NAME

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

(Date)(Hour) local timeuntildepository located in copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

I

J

K

L

M SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

PACKAGING AND MARKING

DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSESPART I - THE SCHEDULE

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11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

18. OFFER DATE17. SIGNATURE

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IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

EXT.NUMBERAREA CODE

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER

(Type or print)AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

CODE FACILITY

16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER15A. NAME

DATEAMENDMENT NO.DATEAMENDMENT NO.

and related documents numbered and dated):

amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

CALENDAR DAYS (%)30 CALENDAR DAYS (%)20 CALENDAR DAYS (%)10 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

28. AWARD DATE

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BYCODE 24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7)

ITEM

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

41 U.S.C. 253 (c) ( 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) (

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION20. AMOUNT19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

AWARD (To be completed by government)

CODE

12/01/2021 X

720521

USAID/Haiti 00000

1400 ET 01/13/2022

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AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within _____0_________ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS 6

B.1 PURPOSE 6

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE 6

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT 6

B.4 BUDGET 6

B.5 COST REIMBURSABLE 7

B.6 INDIRECT COST 7

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE 7

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK 9

SECTION D – BRANDING AND MARKING 27

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JANUARY 1993) 27

D.2 BRANDING POLICY 27

D.3 BRANDING STRATEGY 27

D.4 BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION AND MARKING PLAN 28

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 29

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 29

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 29

E.3 CONTRACT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION 29

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 30

F.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE 30

F.3 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 30

F.4 KEY PERSONNEL 30

F.5 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, MONITORING AND EVALUATION 31

F.6 AUTHORIZED WORK DAY/WEEK 32

F.7 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES 32

F.8 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 33

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 38

G.1 AIDAR 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998) 38

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER 39

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE 39

G.4 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE AUTHORITY AND

LIMITATIONS 40

G.5 PAYING OFFICE 41

G.6 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 41

G.7 INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS 41

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 42

H.1 AIDAR 752.222-70 USAID DISABILITY POLICY (DEC 2004) 42

H.2 AIDAR 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2012) 42

H.3 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE 43

H.4 AIDAR 752.228-70 MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (JUL 2007) 43

H.5 AIDAR 752.245-71 TITLE TO AND CARE OF PROPERTY (APR 1984) 43

H.6 AIDAR 752.7013 CONTRACTOR -MISSION RELATIONSHIPS (OCT 1989) 44

H.7 AIDAR 752.7027 PERSONNEL (DEC 1990) 45

H.8 AIDAR 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL NOTIFICATION AND

REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014) 46

H.9 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT 46

H.10 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT 47

H.11 VALUE ADDED TAX AND CUSTOMS DUTIES 47

H.12 LOGISTIC SUPPORT 47

H.13 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE 48

H.14 AIDAR 752.229-71 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007) 48

H.15 PROHIBITION OF ASSISTANCE TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS 49

H.16 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING (FEB 2002) 49

H.17 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCES (JAN 2002) 50

H.18 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST 50

H.19 EXCHANGE VISITORS AND TRAINING 51

H.20 GENDER CONSIDERATION 52

H.21 AIDAR 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JUL 2007) 52

H.22 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION 53

H.23 EMPLOYMENT COSTS OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS (TCNs) AND COOPERATING COUNTRY NATIONALS (CCNs) 54

H.24 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITY OR PROPERTY 55

H.25 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY APPROVAL (APRIL 2018) (DEVIATION No.

M/OAA-DEV-FAR-18-2C) 55

H.26 PRIVACY AND SECURITY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

INCIDENT REPORT (APRIL 2018) 56

H.27 CLOUD COMPUTING (APRIL 2018) 60

H.28 LIMITATION ON ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(DEVIATION Nos. M/OAA-DEV-FAR-18-2C AND M/OAA-DEV-AIDAR-18-2C) (APRIL 2018)

H.29 AIDAR 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT

EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS (SEPT 2013) 66

H.30 ADS 302.3.5.21 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA

LIBRARY (DDL) (OCTOBER 2014) 67

H.31 AAPD 17-01 DEFENSE BASE ACT (DBA) INSURANCE FOR 2015-2020 69

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES 70

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 70

I.2 752.222-71 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012) 72

I.3 752.252-2 AIDAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (MARCH 2015) 73

I.4 752.7002 TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION (JAN 1990) 73

SECTION J – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS 79

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

CONTRACTORS 80

K.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 80

K.3 52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATION

AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (OCT 2020) 83

K.4 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT 2018) 86

K.5 52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT

TAX LIABILITY OR A FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW (FEB 2016)

K.6 52.230-1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION (JUN

2020) 88

K.7 52.230-7 PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE-COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE CHANGES 91

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 92

L.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 92

L.2 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984) 92

L.3 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEPT 2006) 92

L.4 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB

1998) 93

L.5 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS 93

L.6 PROPOSAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS 94

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 94

L.8 CONTENT OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 95

L.9 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST PROPOSAL 98

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 103

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION 103

M.2 METHOD OF EVALUATION 103

M.3 EVALUATION FACTORS 103

M.4 SOURCE SELECTION 106

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide services as described in detail in Section C – Statement of Work for the implementation of the “USAID/Haiti Resilient Environment – North” Activity.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. For consideration set forth in the contract, the Contractor shall provide the deliverables or outputs described in the Performance Work Statement and comply with all of the contract’s requirements.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

a. The estimated cost of performance for the work to be performed for the five (5) year period of performance hereunder, exclusive of any fixed fee is $TBD. The fixed fee is $TBD. The estimated cost-plus-fixed-fee is $TBD.

b. Within the estimated Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee specified in paragraph (a) above, the amount currently obligated and available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the contractor (and payment of fee, if any) for performance hereunder is $TBD. The Contractor must not exceed the aforementioned obligated amount.

c. Funds obligated hereunder are anticipated to be sufficient through TBD.

B.4 BUDGET

COST CATEGORIES TOTAL

AMOUNT

Total Direct Costs TBD Total Indirect Costs TBD Total Estimated Cost TBD Grants Under Contracts NTE $2,000,000.00 Fixed Fee TBD Total Estimated Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee TBD

The abbreviated budget above does not obviate the requirement for prior approval by the Contracting Officer of cost items designated as requiring prior approval by any of the terms and conditions of this contract including the applicable cost principles (See FAR §52.216-07 “Allowable Cost and Payment”);

nor does it constitute a determination of allowability by the Contracting Officer of any item of cost, unless specifically stated elsewhere in this contract. Also, these amounts may not be adjusted without a written modification signed by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor will not bill any amounts against this contract in excess of the amounts specified for each line item.

B.5 COST REIMBURSABLE

The U.S. dollar cost allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR §52.216-7 “Allowable Cost and Payment”, FAR §52.232-20 “Limitation of Cost”, and FAR §52.232-22 “Limitation of Funds” if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003 “Documentation for Payment”.

B.6 INDIRECT COST

a. Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs will be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases:

Description Rate Base Type Period % 1/ 1/ 1/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

b. The Contractor is not authorized to make changes in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

a. Pursuant to FAR 16.306 (b) “Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Contracts”, payment of fixed fee will be based on the completion of the expected end products stated in the Statement of Work in Section C and described in the Work Plan, Annual Work Plan, and/or Activity Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP).

Definite goals, targets, or results must be achieved and end products must be timely completed, delivered, and accepted by USAID during the period of performance and within the total estimated cost as a condition for payment of the entire fixed fee.

b. The goals or targets that must be achieved and end products that must be completed, delivered, and accepted by USAID (“Milestones”) in order for fee to be payable must be specifically identified in the Performance Work Statement, Annual Work Plan, and/or the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP). Milestones may be a result, output, outcome and/or performance indicator.

c. After award, the Work Plan and AMELP submitted by the Contractor must include a proposed Fee Distribution Schedule for approval by the Contracting Officer. The Fee Distribution Schedule must take the TBD in fee that has been fixed for this award and distribute it across selected milestones from the Work Plan and AMELP, as both a percentage of total fixed fee and as the total dollar amount represented by the percentage. The Milestones that have a fee associated with their completion or delivery shall be referred to as “Fee Bearing Milestones”.

d. To be eligible to be considered a “Fee Bearing Milestone”, the goal or target and/or end product must be reflected in the Performance Work Statement and Work Plan or AMELP.

e. The Fee Distribution Schedule must include both implementation management and development outcome (not output) results milestones as Fee Bearing Milestones.

f. The total fee must be allocated as follows:

- Implementation and Management (i.e. Annual Work Plans, etc.):15 percent (maximum)

- Development Outcome Results: 85 percent (minimum)

g. When a Fee Bearing Milestone is not completed or achieved, the portion of the total fixed fee allocated to the Milestone in the Fee Distribution Schedule shall not be paid.

h. When a Fee Bearing Milestone is not completed on time, or requires more cost/effort to complete than projected in the Performance Work Statement, Work Plan and AMELP, the portion of the total fixed fee allocated to the Milestone in the Fee Distribution Schedule shall be subject to adjustment of the fee by the Contracting Officer.

i. The Fee Distribution Schedule must be approved before the fee is paid. Changes to the PWS and Work Plan that affect the achievement of Fee Bearing Milestone must be approved by the Contracting Officer.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

I. Introduction

The purpose of the USAID/Haiti Resilient Environment activity is to increase community, systems, and climate resilience in the Northern Resilience Focus Zone (RFZ) by protecting and restoring ecosystem services, using a watershed management approach, fostering sustainable productivity and economic inclusion. The activity will strengthen a range of integrated resilience capacities which collectively will build and protect productive assets and investments in the environment, sustainable livelihoods, social cohesion, and local systems strengthening. Additionally, the activity will strengthen a pluralist shock-responsive approach through risk mitigation, linking to early warning and response mechanisms, and incorporating a crisis modifier, and long-term adaptation strategies in response to multivariate shocks that Haiti faces. These include climate change and extreme weather events, the ongoing secondary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and potential emergence of other diseases, conflict and violence, and weak governance and systems.

The activity will aim to build on the foundation of the USAID/Haiti Reforestation Project, hone in on the most critically degraded landscapes affecting the most vulnerable populations and use approaches that drive sustainable landscape management changes. This Statement of Work is grounded in the following key contextual realities of working in the landscape management sector in northern Resilience Focus Zone1:

• Forested watersheds are essential for protecting socio-economic investments and sustaining freshwater supply.

• Natural resources management interventions are more likely to succeed when primarily aligned with farmers’ and landowners’ economic and livelihood priorities.

• Well managed watersheds can generate economic, social, cultural, and ecological benefits that sustain livelihoods and systems’ productivity.

• Haiti’s mountainous terrain makes erosion control a landscape conservation and disaster risk reduction priority.

• Concentrating interventions/investments in a strategic focus zone, with simple, focused activities, is more effective, efficient, and manageable.

• Programmatic design and planning are based on manageable needs and priorities, in close consultation with direct stakeholders.

• Concrete involvement of government,2 municipality, and community stakeholders at the early and all stages of the implementation processes is crucial for long-term commitment, collaboration, and transformational outcomes.

• Simple interventions within targeted communities or micro-watersheds to trigger constructive changes are more effective than tackling structural constraints beyond the scope of the proposed activity.

1 The Northern Resilience Focus Zone includes: North - Sainte Suzanne, Ranquite, La Victoire, Pignon, Saint- Raphaël, Plaine du Nord, Acul du Nord, Limonade, Quartier Morin, Caracol Trou du teord; North East - Mont-organisé, Carice, Vaillere, Capotille, Terrier Rouge, Perche, Fort-Liberté, Ferrier, Ouanaminthe; Central Plateau Hince, Cerca La Source, Cerca-Carvajal 2 This activity will not provide direct assistance to the central Government of Haiti and any direct assistance to the Government of Haiti at the department or local levels must be discussed with USAID prior to implementation.

The following sections will explain the foreseen challenges and opportunities; technical approach;

geographic scope; theory of change; relationship to USAID/Haiti’s Strategic Framework and other relevant Government of Haiti (GOH), donor, and USAID activities in Haiti; guiding principles; and the implementation and performance requirements for the proposed activity.

II. Background

Water availability is one of the most pressing environmental challenges currently facing the Northern RFZ.

Land degradation driven by deforestation and unsustainable land use practices, exacerbated by climate change, threatens the region’s freshwater resources and the productivity of major landscape systems. In general, Haiti’s denuded mountain landscapes are at extreme risk of erosion and landslides, which result in sedimentation of rivers and dangerous conditions for communities, and the Northern RFZ is no exception to this situation. Climate change is constantly worsening the risk of drought in the Nord and the North-Est departments of Haiti3, increasing food insecurity, loss of livestock assets and pressure on natural resources.

Because forested watersheds are essential for protecting and sustaining freshwater supply critical for economic and social well being, there is an urgent need to restore critically threatened landscapes near water sources to protect downstream populations and investments, and safeguard vital ecosystem services, such as water purification, surface flow regulation, and erosion control in the Northern RFZ. The Haitian Ministry of Environment’s Ten-Year Strategy (2021-2030) states that restoring Haiti’s watersheds should be treated as a “national emergency.” At the same time, limited government oversight, unenforced natural resources management policies, and complex land tenure systems present serious challenges to sustainable land management at the landscape level in the area. Agriculture, livestock, and trees are the primary sources of income for farmers and landholders in Northern Haiti; therefore, initiatives to protect and restore the ecological services needed to improve household resilience must be wholly integrated with actions to increase people’s economic security.

Haiti has a long history of domestic- and international donor-led reforestation projects. As far back as the late 1940’s, international organizations have targeted watershed protection and erosion prevention through tree planting, agroforestry, and the injection of capital and technological expertise into Haiti’s rural mountain regions. Yet deforestation remains the most critical environmental challenge in Haiti, suggesting that the same approaches traditionally used by the international donor community warrant reevaluation. At the same time, although tree cover remains sparse across the country, it reaches a much greater extent than was once believed. As of 2010, 29 percent of the country had tree cover, belying a widely cited 1979 report that predicted an “environmental apocalypse” due to deforestation driven by charcoal demand.

Despite the threats to Haiti’s landscape and watersheds, there are opportunities to increase water availability and community resilience by alleviating pressures on existing forested landscapes and incentivizing improved management and conservation. The USAID Reforestation Project (URP) (2017-2022) established an important foundation for sustainable landscape management in the Northern RFZ. Through this activity, USAID helped develop five sub-watershed management plans for the Capotille, Les Perches, Bahon, Joli Trou-Cormier and Gens de Nantes. across the Nord and Nord-Est departments, established community tree nurseries and wood lots, planted fruit and tree seedlings, and promoted alternative economic livelihood

3 The Northern Resilience Focus Zone includes: North - Sainte Suzanne, Ranquitte, La Victoire, Pignon, Saint- Raphaël, Plaine du Nord, Acul du Nord, Limonade, Quartier Morin, Caracol Trou du Nord; North East - Mont-organisé, Carice, Vaillere, Capotille, Terrier Rouge, Perche, Fort-Liberté, Ferrier, Ouanaminthe; Central Plateau Hince, Cerca La Source, Cerca-Carvajale opportunities (e.g., honey, animal forage, salt production, agroforestry systems, and short-term employment) to reduce the need to cut trees for income in the targeted areas.

Request for Information In June 2021, USAID solicited feedback via a Request for Information4 (RFI) survey from a broad range of stakeholders and experts. Respondents provided detailed information regarding recommended technical approaches to sustainable landscape management, how to best support sustainable livelihoods among the most vulnerable populations in Northern Haiti, and how to improve governance and coordination across many institutions and stakeholders.

Respondents emphasized the importance of working with community-level groups in Haiti to affect long-term change across a target landscape. Historically, community engagement has either been done by creating “management committees”, which may be formalized with Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and then connected to build a platform across a sub-watershed and linked to department-level authorities.

Farmer-centered extension and marketing networks are also frequently engaged in landscape management projects. Land tenure is an issue; the legal frameworks that facilitate community-led natural resource management in Haiti are not adequately enforced. Therefore, community-led land management often requires a significant investment in time and resources to engage individual land holders as well as an overlapping set of institutions, including existing community-based organizations.

Technical approaches of donor-funded activities for managing watersheds in Haiti have typically focused on planting trees, conserving soil, controlling erosion, and decreasing deforestation. “Alternative livelihood” activities have commonly been a design component of similar donor activities, including the USAID Reforestation Project, working under the assumption that by providing new, more environmentally sustainable sources of income, such as beekeeping or planting higher-value crops, beneficiaries will voluntarily cut fewer trees for charcoal production or other income generating activities. However, most respondents from the RFI admit that there is little to no evidence to indicate that alternative livelihoods decrease deforestation or promote improved environmental practices, especially not beyond the life of the projects. Large areas of land in Northern Haiti have been deforested for years and will remain cleared or in intensive production until household income is high enough from other sources to not need land-based income. Therefore, the type of alternative livelihood is likely not as important as the amount of income it is able to generate.

The Request for Information also sought feedback on a variety of approaches for conservation, including potential payments for ecosystem services (PES), cash-for-work (CFW), and conditional cash transfers (CCTs). While there is widespread interest in these types of mechanisms among donors, project managers, and stakeholders in Haiti, views vary on the most appropriate implementation methods, and there is still a relatively limited body of evidence for these types of interventions in Northern Haiti. Several risks must be considered, including inadvertently creating tension among communities or households, disrupting the local labor market, creating dependency, and possibly encouraging people to revert to or take up negative environmental practices after the CFW ends to compensate for lost income. Haiti’s complicated, informal land tenure system is another primary challenge for these types of approaches.

III. Guiding Principles

4 https://sam.gov/opp/0956f0b36d5a436d9ecc00dce8e3d9bd/view https://sam.gov/opp/0956f0b36d5a436d9ecc00dce8e3d9bd/view

Given the long history of watershed-based reforestation interventions in Haiti, there are many lessons-learned that the new Haiti Resilient Environment Activity must consider for the Northern RFZ, including:

● Build on Previous Work and Successes: Landscape management projects to restore ecosystem services are only likely to be successful over a long period of time with extensive community involvement. Projects financed by donors generally have a duration of three to five years whereas land and ecosystem restoration and long-term partnerships involving local government and communities typically take a much longer time (10-15 years) to start yielding expected positive changes. The Resilient Environment Activity seeks to build on the USAID Reforestation Project, meaning that, although it is a “new” project, in practice it is building on the previous five years of deep community engagement in the same, but more focused geographic area.

● Systems Approach to Landscape Management: Large areas of land in Northern Haiti have been deforested for years and will remain cleared or in intensive production until household income is high enough from other sources to not need land-based income. Therefore, it is important for the Resilient Environment Activity to understand how grazing and agricultural use of land limits tree growth, and to not only focus on tree cutting. Additionally, livelihood activities that offer an “alternate” income to deforestation without clear linkages to landscape management will likely not deter tree cutting.

● Targeted geographic scope: The activity must be designed at the sub-watershed level to produce spatially coherent programs, and target households with contextually appropriate interventions.

Furthermore, interventions over very large areas do not allow for scalable impacts and effective monitoring. Additionally, the lack of overlap between ecological watershed boundaries and political administrative boundaries could pose a challenge to implementation and achieving landscape-level impacts. Thus, it is important to address these challenges to ensure stakeholder buy-in and cross-commune learning to achieve a common vision across political boundaries (communes) within as well as across watersheds.

● Strong community/stakeholder engagement: Past reforestation interventions in Northern Haiti have demonstrated the importance of involving all stakeholders in the landscape. This includes the regional or decentralized ministerial entities, people directly living on and managing the land, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, sub watershed management committees, the private sector, and local government authorities. The USAID/Haiti Reforestation Project has worked closely with department-level government counterparts and was instrumental in standing up management committees for five sub-watersheds. However, the Resilient Environment activity will make the critical assumption that the landowners and land managers will be the primary influential group in terms of real changes on the ground. Therefore, community engagement under the new activity must apply a “bottom up” approach, and dedicate significant time, energy, and resources to engage community members early and often in the design and implementation process, including soliciting community input for decisions regarding introducing livelihoods and income-generating support and other interventions on the ground.

IV. Technical Approach

The purpose of the Resilient Environment activity is to increase community resilience in the Northern Resilience Focus Zone, specifically the Joli Trou, Les Perches, and Bahon sub-watersheds, by protecting and restoring ecosystem services, using a community-led watershed and landscape management approach.

This goal is supported by three primary intertwined objectives:

1. Promote income generating activities linked to sustainable landscape management

2. Conserve and restore critical sub-watersheds

3. Support community-led natural resources management

1. Promote income generating activities linked to sustainable landscape management Recognizing the strong linkages between income generating activities and deforestation, USAID has supported a wide variety of livelihood activities to curb deforestation and charcoal production. While the livelihood activities diversify and generate additional income for households, it is unclear if these activities curb deforestation. USAID seeks to build on the work of the USAID/Haiti Reforestation Project to support income generating activities, however, the Resilient Environment activity must focus on income generating activities that are directly linked to improving sustainable landscape management, within target sub watersheds presenting significant ecological, economic, livelihood and systems productivity interests for landholders and other community stakeholders. USAID is not interested in introducing livelihood activities that are simply deemed to be “alternatives” to tree cutting and that do not have a direct impact on landscape management. Landscape restoration/management interventions could include, but not limited to, promoting agroforestry, agrosilvopastoral, runoff control, and climate adaptive techniques in the selected sub-watersheds. For example, by leveraging the investments already made in established woodlots, the activity can help beneficiaries better manage woodlots to increase the economic potential of high-value trees thus, creating income generation while sustainably managing the landscape. The activity must develop a strategy and approach to work on contiguous blocks of land with a clear justification and/or criteria for site selection and work directly with the landowners or land managers to introduce and support more sustainable and scalable land management practices. The results of these income generating activities will build resilience by investing in and protecting environmental and economic assets, which if done at scale, can mitigate or prevent the impact of climate related shocks, while also increasing the economic value addition of these assets and contributing towards more inclusive, diverse, and sustainable livelihoods.

2. Conserve and restore critical sub-watersheds Restoring and conserving landscapes that will have a positive impact on watersheds is critical to strengthening the resilience of upstream and downstream communities. Erosion control is essential for conserving productive landscapes, reducing climate-related disaster risks, and preventing sedimentation of rivers. “Water smart” and/or conservation agriculture, including agroforestry, is recommended to improve soil retention, increase incomes, and help retain water. The activity must focus on increasing tree cover around headwaters and riverbanks, and on the steepest slopes surrounding ravines, using site-specific species or techniques to decrease sedimentation and protect water sources. It must also prevent erosion on the steepest, most vulnerable, or degraded slopes through a variety of interventions including physical barriers, as hard infrastructure may provide more immediate slope stabilization benefits. The approach and related proposed interventions must develop clear criteria for selecting landscapes or site selection to be rehabilitated, managed, or protected; target critical hot spots that would yield the greatest impact; specify the restoration techniques/methods that will be used and expected outcomes; and all interventions must be mapped (GIS). USAID is not interested in working opportunistically based solely on who is interested in working with the project. USAID is interested in working on contiguous plots so that the interventions have broader landscape impacts. Conservation or restoration activities must include collecting data on defined environmental indicators to demonstrate impactful results. This data collection may be an entry point for community engagement and buy-in. The results of watershed restoration and conservation will build resilience of the ecosystems, which in turn will mitigate and prevent the erosion of economic, social, and human assets, which are stopping Haiti from breaking vicious cycles of poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition, and achieving its development goals.

Potential interventions under the activity, such as the restoration of critical sub-watersheds, erosion mitigation and slope stabilization, are expected to include construction or rehabilitation activities subject to USAID’s requirements for construction under acquisition. These requirements are in addition to other applicable requirements, including any imposed following environmental review under 22 CFR 216 (USAID Environmental Procedures). Offerors are strongly encouraged to review USAID’s Management of Construction Risk guidance and documents referenced therein in preparing proposals that include construction activities.

3. Support community-led natural resources management Sustainability and efficacy of interventions in landscape level restoration must include local stakeholders including local government,5 community groups, religious leaders and groups, landholders, and private sector. This activity must work with the existing network of community-based organizations (CBOs) and farmers’ organizations, such as the relationships fostered by the USAID Reforestation Project, to continue to strengthen land management capacities in the target sub-watersheds. The activity must articulate how it will work with strong and/or promising local stakeholders to build a watershed management framework that promotes effective governance and decision making for sustainable natural resources management and best land use practices in the selected sub-watersheds. The activity must support the sub-watershed management committees to implement the sub-watershed management plans that were created under the USAID Reforestation Project (see attachments 1-5). Community-level capacity building should also incorporate conflict sensitivity, peace building and social cohesion relative to the context, such as avoiding and managing potential land and water conflicts, strengthening natural resource governance, and building social cohesion around investing in the environment for everyone’s benefit. This activity must assess the capacity development needs within the sub-watersheds and link them to project outcomes to avoid funding training efforts that will not yield concrete results. Interventions that benefit the broader community could be used to foster greater engagement and participation. For example, the activity could employ successful models such as the “Guarde Ecologique,” which is used in other regions of the country for environmental management and monitoring. It is important that natural resource management systems include disaster risk management plans, include early warning, monitoring, and response systems, and are linked to existing locally-led community DRM systems. The activity must ensure that there is a clear and consistent shared vision for the project across all stakeholders and facilitate regular communication between upstream and downstream groups. System strengthening, multi-stakeholder joint coordination and planning, and bringing together public, private, and civil society actors across sectors is fundamental to building social and human capital and management capacities that contribute to resilience, long-term sustainability, and self-reliance.

V. Management Approach

The Management Approach includes Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning as described in section XII below and management and staffing proposed to effectively implement and monitor the activity. The Offeror must clearly describe the management and staffing proposed to ensure timely and effective implementation of the technical approach. Management and Staffing proposed should include, but are not limited to 1) key personnel; 2) technical and field staff; administrative staff; 3) office(s) location and

5 This activity will not provide direct assistance to the central Government of Haiti and any direct assistance to the Government of Haiti at the department or local levels must be discussed with USAID prior to implementation.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/201maw.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/201maw.pdf staffing; and 4) special equipment and software needed (see Section F and L). In addition to the above information, the Offeror must provide an organogram that clearly describes lines of supervision and communication.

VI. Geographic Scope

Recognizing the need for long-term, uninterrupted engagement to achieve results in watershed conservation and community resilience, the USAID/Haiti Resilient Environment Activity will build upon the groundwork laid by the five-year USAID Reforestation Project in the Nord and Nord-Est departments of Haiti. The Reforestation Project worked in seven communes in the North Department (Plaine du Nord, Acul du Nord, Milot, Quartier Morin, Limonade, Grande Rivière du Nord and Bahon) and nine communes in the North-East Department: Capotille, Caracole, Fort-Liberté, Ferrier, Ouanaminthe, Perches, Sainte Suzanne, Terrier Rouge and Trou du Nord. The Project engaged all stakeholders to develop five sub-watershed management plans, which were adopted by local municipal authorities and communities in Joli Trou/Cormier (commune of Grande Rivière du Nord), Les Perches, Gens de Nantes/Savane Longue (Ouanaminthe), Bahon, and Capotille.6

One of the primary lessons-learned from the Reforestation Project is the need to narrow the geographic scope in order to achieve more significant and sustainable impacts. Sub-watershed focused activities are more likely to have greater success, in terms of restoring ecosystem services, protecting watersheds, and uptake of sustainable landscape management practices that demonstratively improve environmental conditions and economic resilience for beneficiaries. Rather than implementing numerous individual interventions scattered across a large landscape, this activity must concentrate its efforts and investments in a smaller, contiguous space, with the aim of creating a more cohesive vision, both for the implementing organization as well as the beneficiaries. USAID recognizes the practical need to focus on more manageable micro or sub-watersheds within smaller political or administration delineations (communes, departments), which do not always align with ecological zones, thus interventions must take into consideration the socio-economic and political context of the intervention area.

Based on information collected during in-person site visits and meetings with stakeholders, responses to USAID’s Request for Information from international and local experts, and the aim of building upon the work of the USAID Reforestation Project, the USAID/Haiti Resilient Environment activity must work in the following sub-watersheds: Joli Trou, Les Perches, and Bahon (see sub-watershed management plans and map of target area in attachments). These areas meet the following selection criteria, but not limited to:

- Urgent landscape restoration needs due to the severity of environmental degradation and contributions to various ecosystem and socio-economic benefits for local communities;

- Communities, investments, and ecosystems downstream vulnerable to climate risks, and preventive measures are required upstream to limit adverse impacts;

- Existing sub-watershed management plans developed with support from the USAID Reforestation Project, in collaboration with local communities and officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, and Territorial Collectivities.

- Existing landscape restoration foundation and stakeholder commitment framework to promote community-led sustainable sub-watershed management practices;

- Restoration scope is aligned with USAID’s and Government of Haiti’s natural resource management strategic priorities.

6 The sub-watershed plans are public.

The contractor must propose activities that are appropriate to each of the aforementioned sub-watersheds, given that the capacity of existing sub-watershed committees, level and type of environmental degradation, and economic conditions of these areas are variable.

VII. Theory of Change

IF…

Landholders7 in the target sub-watersheds in the Northern RFZ adopt more sustainable landscape management practices that improve land use, systems productivity, and tree cover

THEN…

communities will be more resilient to climate risks or stresses, including drought and flooding, and will experience improved economic security.

VIII. Relationship to USAID Haiti Strategic Framework

The Resilient Environment Activity’s objectives and anticipated results are aligned with USAID/Haiti’s 2020-2022 Strategic Framework8. Developed in consultation with GOH counterparts, private sector and civil society stakeholders, interagency colleagues, several former U.S. Ambassadors and USAID Mission Directors to Haiti, and extensive discussion within the Mission, the Strategic Framework summarizes USAID's commitment to a different approach to development in Haiti that generates measurable progress toward self-reliance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the emphasis on resilience in the Strategic Framework is especially relevant, as the impacts of economic restrictions, particularly for those in the informal economy, and limitations in the nutritional supply chain have exacerbated hunger and poverty for a population already experiencing extreme vulnerability. This Strategic Framework also acknowledges the multifaceted and interconnected nature of challenges in Haiti and thus takes an integrated approach to development programming, explicitly seeking to leverage efforts across multiple sectors, include the widest possible array of stakeholders, and generate sustainable positive momentum. USAID expects measurable results that indicate an improved ability for Haitians to be active and positive participants in shaping the direction of Haiti's development path. The 2020-2022 Strategic Framework represents a significant strategic and tactical change, emphasizing a resilience-based approach and refocusing Government of Haiti (GOH) engagement toward the local level. USAID’s work thus seeks to build a Haiti that is more resilient to environmental, political, and economic shocks and stresses (Development Objective 1), advances more inclusive, locally driven economic growth and social development (Development Objective 2); and promotes governance that is more responsive to citizens’ needs (Development Objective 3) to develop the capacities in people, households, communities, and systems that build inclusive prosperity and create local demand for improved governance (see figure 1 below)

Specifically, the Resilient Environment activity will further the following Development Objectives and Intermediate Results:

● USAID Development Objective (DO) 1: Haiti is more Resilient to Shocks and Stressors

7 Landholders include those who have formal titles, occupants with or without formal arrangements, and/or any person who has decision making authority to manage the land.

8 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Strategic_Framework_-_Haiti_-_December_2020-2022.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Strategic_Framework_-_Haiti_-_December_2020-2022.pdf

○ Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1: People and households better able to weather shocks and stresses

○ Intermediate Result 1.2: Improved community assets and capacities support Haitians to withstand shocks and stresses at the local level, and

○ Intermediate Result 1.3: Increased capacity of systems to support Haitians when shocks and stresses occur

○ Shared Intermediate Result: Safer and more secure environment for Haitians.

● DO2: More inclusive, locally-driven, economic growth and social development advanced

○ IR 2.2: Economic opportunities expanded

Figure 1: USAID/Haiti Strategic Framework 2020-2022

USAID’s Performance Management Plan describes outcome-based performance indicators at the IR level to monitor strategic performance progress towards the objectives and to respond to the Mission learning agenda. This activity will directly or indirectly contribute to the following indicators and linkages to the Strategic Framework must be incorporated into the Resilient Environment activity’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan (see table 1 below). The table below are the high-level indicators that many USAID/Haiti activities across multiple sectors will contribute to.

Table 1: Performance Management Plan Indicators Intermediate Result 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3

Intermediate Results Indicators

IR 1.1: People and households better able to weather shocks and stresses

1.1.1 RESIL-a: Ability to Recover from Shocks & Stresses

Index

1.1.3 Custom: Percentage of USAID activity participants

with improvement in targeted resilience capacities

IR 1.2: Improved community assets and capacities to support Haitians to withstand shocks and stresses at the local level, and

1.2.2 CLBD-9 Percent of USG-assisted organizations with

improved performance [IM-level] (Disaggregated by organization type- This indicator will cover the organizations that are targeted by USAID/Haiti across multiple sectors e.g., health, WSS, education, DRR, SMEs, agriculture, electricity)

IR 1.3: Increased capacity of system to support Haitians when shocks or stresses occur

1.3.1 EG.11-2: Number of institutions with improved

capacity to assess or address climate change risks supported by USG assistance

IR 2.2:…