Signed .SolicitationAmendment1.pdf

AMENDMENT 1 OF RFP No. SOL-267-11-000003 - Governance Strengthening Project – Taqadum

The Solicitation is amended as follows:

I. SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

Revise Section C.2.6 - Staffing Plan – as follows:

“C.2.6 - Staffing Plan

To achieve the objectives of this program, it is imperative that the Contractor provides USAID/Iraq with long- and short-term technical and advisory services that are relevant to and appropriate for the activities to be undertaken under each Component. USAID expects this project to be heavily driven by senior Iraqi professional staff increasingly assuming higher profile with decreasing Expatriate presence as the project progresses. All Key personnel under this award must be under the direct supervision of the prime Contractor. The key personnel that will manage these activities should have an extensive background in managing complex democracy and governance improvement programs, the full range of expertise in areas of local governance and decentralization, policy development, grants management and ability for mentoring and building the capacity of local staff. Despite replacements throughout the life of this contract, these requirements shall remain consistent. The Contractor must have the ability to field qualified Iraqi local professionals, Iraqi Diaspora and Arabic-speaking technical experts at any time during performance. English fluency is useful for Iraqi staff.

Fluency in written and spoken English (minimum, Foreign Service Institute, level 4/4) is required of all of the Contractor’s key personnel. Arabic is highly desired.

C.2.7 - Key Personnel

The minimum qualification for key personnel specified below shall be in the descending order of importance.

The Chief of Party (COP), Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Senior Technical Advisor on Decentralization and Local Governance, Local Government Policy Advisor, and Senior Training Manager are key personnel subject to USAID approval. The COP and DCOP must be under the direct supervision of the prime Contractor. Any other key personnel, not under the direct supervision of the Contractor, must be programmatically supported.

Chief of Party: The COP shall serve as the primary point of contact with USAID/Iraq with regard to day-to-day implementation and management matters relating to the contract. The COP shall reside in Iraq for the life of the project. He/she shall have overall responsibility for ensuring quality control, the appropriateness and overall responsiveness of all assistance provided under the contract, whether by long- or short-term advisors or others.

The COP, at a minimum, shall have:

• Five years of experience as Chief of Party in decentralization or local government strengthening projects;

• A demonstrated track record of the Provincial Strengthening, Reform and Support with evidence of responsible managerial experience implementing complex donor-funded projects with multiple activities; and

• Experience as COP with collaborative working relationships with counterparts, other Contractors and international organizations and donors. Experience in monitoring, evaluating and documenting project performance ; evaluating sub-contractor and grantee activities and providing overall guidance and direction

• Seven years of experience with donor-funded decentralization or local government strengthening programs, particularly in transitional, post-conflict countries, post-centrally planned economies in transition, USG Critical Priority Countries (CPC) and/or Arab and Islamic countries.”

• A Master’s degree in a relevant social or administrative science;

Deputy Chief of Party: The skills of the DCOP should complement and not duplicate the skills of the proposed COP. The proposed DCOP must possess a proven record of strong managerial, administrative and writing skills, with 5 years of M&E experience. The skills of the DCOP should complement the strengths and weaknesses of the COP. The Deputy Chief of Party shall reside in Iraq for the duration of the project.

The DCOP, at a minimum, shall have:

• Five years of experience working in donor-funded decentralization or local government strengthening programs;

• Five years of experience with monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded projects, preferably democracy and governance improvement efforts;

• Leadership and organizational skills, successfully managing and coordinating large and diverse work groups;

• Basic knowledge of management processes and systems, such as human resources management and development (including performance evaluation), financial management, and management of employee compensation systems; and

• A master’s degree in a relevant social or administrative science;

Senior Technical Advisor - Decentralization and Local Governance: The Senior Technical Advisor will advise the COP on issues of technical feasibility and effectiveness of proposed project activities. In this capacity, the Senior Advisor is likely to be heavily involved in the design and conduct of policy relevant studies of provincial and local administrative and fiscal practices. The Senior Advisor is also likely to be consulted in the design of proposed training activities at all levels of government to ensure that the technical content of training programs is consistent with accepted theory and best practices. The Senior Advisor will, as directed by the COP and/or DCOP and in coordination with the Decentralization/Local Governance Policy

Advisor, ensure that project experience is communicated in detail and in usable forms to USAID, other donors in Iraq, GOI officials, and the wider development community. The Senior Technical Advisor shall reside in Iraq for the duration of the project.

The Senior Technical Advisor – Decentralization and Local Governance, at a minimum, shall have:

• Seven years of experience with the theory and practice of decentralization and local governance improvement in more than one post conflict region

• Five years of experience in a developing country (preferably in the Middle East or USG CPC), working on decentralization and/or local governance improvement projects (preferably in the Middle-East region);

• Five years of experience in management and public administration on governance projects

• A graduate degree, preferably at in Political Science, Sociology, Economics, Public Administration;

• Knowledge of public administration/local government reform initiatives with specific focus on service improvement and fiscal decentralization is preferable.

Decentralization/Local Government Policy Advisor: The Local Government Policy Advisor will take the lead on matters related to development of technical policies, regulations and legal frameworks for decentralization. He/she shall develop effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders in the various branches and levels of government; and establish information linkages with counterparts and contractors working for USAID and other donors. In this capacity, the Local Government Policy Advisor is likely to be heavily involved in the design and conduct of legal reform components of the project. The Decentralization/ Local Government Policy Advisor will reside in Iraq for the duration of the project.

The Decentralization/Local Government Policy Advisor, at a minimum, shall have:

• Seven years of relevant professional and progressively responsible experience in the field of Policy Advisory, preferably in local Governance;

• Five experience in working with concepts, principles and issues in the areas of decentralization and local governance legal reform

• Five Experience in developing and implementing policy reform strategies;

• Experience in a developing country (preferably in the Middle East or USG CPC), working with key institutions/organizations and personalities at federal, provincial and local levels; and

• Graduate degree in a relevant social or administrative science or law;

Senior Training Manager: The Senior Training Manager will, under the supervision and guidance of the COP and/or DCOP, have the full range of management, oversight, advisory and evaluation functions for developing and implementing targeted training programs at all levels of government and society, and across the range of bureaucratic and technical specialties present in provincial and local government. The Senior Training Manager will determine training needs in conjunction with the project senior technical staff and GOI elected and appointed officials. S/he will develop curriculum, assess training results and modify training as necessary. The Senior Training Manager will also i ensure the sustainability of the project’s initiated training programs. The Senior Training Manager will work directly with senior leadership at provincial training centers and staff colleges and collaborate with other USAID contractors and implementers working with other donors in Iraq.

The Senior Training Manager, at a minimum, shall have:

Seven years of progressively responsible training experience and a thorough knowledge of the concepts, principles and issues of adult education techniques;

Seven years of experience working as a trainer, preferably in a Middle East country or

USG CPC;

Experience in implementing subnational governance training and in building the capacity of training centers”

A Bachelor degree, including substantial study of theories of education/adult learning/ communications or other relevant fields.

II. SECTION F – DELIVERABLES OR PERFORMANCE

Delete in Section F.6(b) the following sentence:

“Given the level of effort is based on a 6day workweek.”

III. SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

SECTION L. 7

1. Revise the sequence of proposal organization as changed in bold :

“I. Technical Approach II. Staffing and Management Plan III. Key Personnel IV. Past Performance VI. Annexes

Annex A – Performance Management Plan Annex B – Resumes (Key Personnel) Annex C – Letters of Commitment (Key Personnel) Annex D – Staffing Pattern Annex E – One Year Workplan, including Mobilization Plan Annex F – Past Performance Chart Annex G – SF-294 Form (Subcontracting Report for Individual Contracts)”

2. Revise Section L.7.III to read the following in lieu thereof:

“III. Key Personnel [See Section M.4 C]

USAID/Iraq has determined that the positions identified in Section C.2.7 are key personnel, and the minimum requirements stated thereof are in descending order of importance.

Key personnel are those individuals whose performance is critical to the success of the program. Offeror shall demonstrate the degree to which the proposed key personnel possess the required qualifications, experience, knowledge, capacity and skills to effectively contribute to the successful achievement of the program objectives. The Key Personnel should include the following sections:

The offeror shall submit a complete and current resume, no more than three (3) pages in length, for each of the Key Personnel.

The offeror shall also submit three (3) references, with contact information, for each of the proposed candidates. The language requirement shall be English (Level 4/4) for all key positions. Arabic language is highly desirable.

The offeror must include as part of its proposal a letter of commitment signed by each person proposed as key personnel confirming their present intention to serve in the stated position immediately upon contract award and their present availability to serve for the term of the proposed contract.”

IV. SECTION L. 8 - INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST

PROPOSAL

1. Revise Section L.8 (2)(2)(I) to add the following note (bold):

“(I) Security and Life Support- 25% of the total estimated cost, before fee.

The Offeror shall not propose a teaming arrangement for Security and Life Support services.

The subcontract for these services shall be competitively awarded based on the Contractor’s security requirements. USAID will encourage offerors to solicit offers for turnkey or end-to-end solutions for their security and/or life support needs. Such solutions may include: provision of armored vehicles, labor for guard forces, barricades, security equipment, as well as other miscellaneous cost which directly benefit the program, often including life support. The security subcontractor’s proposed security scheme must be submitted as part of the Request for Subcontract Consent. Purchase of security vehicles, security equipment, including but not limited to radios, PPEs, K-9s and ammunition shall not be allowed. Purchase of life support equipment will not be allowed as well. When cost-shared costs are proposed for life-support and security, the Offeror must indicate the general cost and rationale for percentage of cost-share. Any charge for the use of U.S. Government Equipment shall not be allowed, unless justified or unless it relates to maintenance and operating costs such as fuel, spare parts, etc.

Note: Offerors must consider any normal security costs (such as for security-related equipment, communications and guards) required for program implementation. Per the budget template, such costs need not be broken out by component.”

2. Delete Section L.8 (2)(2)(K) to add the following note (bold):

“(K) Other Direct Costs: This includes report preparation costs, passports and visas fees, medical exams and inoculations, insurance (other than insurance included in the Offeror's fringe benefits), as well as any other miscellaneous costs, which directly benefit the program proposed by the Offeror. The narrative must provide a breakdown and support for all other direct costs. For seminars, workshops and conferences, the Offeror must indicate the subject, venue and duration of proposed conferences and seminars, their relationship to the program objectives, along with estimates of costs. Note: Offerors shall budget for all equipment and supplies necessary for the implementation of the proposed program without consideration of existing Government Property which might be available for transfer after award.”

V. SECTION M. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

Revise Section M.4.C to read the following in lieu thereof:

“C. Key Personnel

Key Personnel will be evaluated based on the following. The two sub-criteria are equally important:

1. Extent to which the Offeror proposes a Chief of Party and a Deputy Chief of Party who together possess the appropriate technical and management skills, as well as the qualifications specified in Section C and the degree to which these skills effectively contribute to the successful achievement of the program objectives.

2. Extent to which the Offeror proposes other Key Personnel identified in Section C, possessing the required skills and the degree to which they effectively contribute to the successful achievement of the program objectives.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS -

1. Is there a possibility to extend the deadline for submitting proposals?

Response: USAID/IRAQ does not anticipate amending the closing date to extend the proposal submission date. The deadline for submission remains May 8, 2011.

2. Can USAID provide the total funding amount or range for the Taqadum project?

Response: The estimated cost range for USAID/IRAQ Governance Strengthening Project, all inclusive (base and option) is 125Million-130Million.

3. On page 146, the RFP instructs offerors to submit “a copy of the SF 294 reports for each contract against which we were required to report for the past 2 years”. Since this would constitute a significant amount of information and pages, would USAID allow the offeror to instead include the 10-20 most recent SF 294 reports to accompany the small business narrative? If not, would USAID allow our organization to provide this information on a separate CD?

Response: Offeror must include SF 294 reports for each contract against which it was required to report for the 2 years but not to exceed 20 of the most current reports. If less than 20 relevant forms are available, offerors shall submit all SF 294 forms and make a statement to that effect. However, if 20 or more reports are available, offerors must ensure that they select the most recent and relevant SF 294 form against which it was required to report for the last 2 years but not to exceed 20 (both years combined).

4. On page 141 of the RFP, it says that “the offeror must submit past performance information for itself and each major subcontractor” and that the list includes “up to 5 PPRs”. Does this mean five per offeror, AND five for each major subcontractor?

Or, does it mean we should only submit a combined total of up to five PPRs?

Response: Offeror shall submit up to 5 PPR for itself and 5 PPR for each of its proposed major subcontractor.

5. On page 149 in Section B Part 2 – (I), the RFP states that the “Purchase of security vehicles, security equipment, including but not limited to radios, PPEs, K-9s, and ammunition shall not be allowed.” Does this mean that all security equipment must be provided by the low-tier subcontractor who provides life support services to our company?

Response: As provided, USAID/Iraq will not purchase any equipment or supplies associated and necessary for security or life support services. Whatever method is contemplated to cover life and security services, offeror must ensure that it provides the necessary equipment and services. Again, it is the responsibility of the Offeror to decide how best to plan and cover both components of security and life support.

6. On page 149 in Section B Part 2 – (I), the RFP states that the “Purchase of life support equipment will not be allowed as well.” Please further define life support equipment. For example, for food service (which is critical component of life support operations) is the intent here for the subcontractor to provide all necessary equipment for this component of life support?

Response: See Response #5 above.

7. xx Section L.7.IV. states that “USAID prefers providing PPRs currently in the Government databases. If not available, offerors must utilize Attachment J.1 to provide the information requested.” Please clarify whether we must use Attachment J.1 or if our organization’s standard PPR format for USAID-provided PPRs is acceptable.

Response: For consistency, Attachment J.1 must be used.

8. In section F.5 and H.6(g)(2), the RFP indicates that a 5-day work week is authorized, and that a six-day work week will be authorized for consultants and overseas personnel when essential and time-sensitive tasks are to be performed.

However, section F.6.(b) states that the given level of effort is based on a six-day work week. Please clarify if we should budget using a standard five or six-day work week.

Response: Section F.6(b), “ Given the level of effort is based on a 6day workweek” is deleted.

Please be advised that a 5-day work week is authorized for CCN and while a 6days workweek is authorized for consultants and overseas personnel, it is not required. As such, the authorization of a 6 day workweek for consultants and overseas personnel shall be justified with the advance written approval of the award COTR. Please budget accordingly.

9. Section L.7. states that “major subcontractors” are those “expected to perform at least 20% of the technical effort or to provide the professional expertise for a particular component of Section C, even if the component is expected to be less than 20% of the effort under the contract.” Section L.7.(4) states that a major subcontractor is “one whose proposed cost exceeds 20 percent of the offeror’s total proposed cost.” Could USAID please clarify the definition of a major subcontractor in terms of either percentage cost or percentage LOE?

Response: A major subcontractor for the award is one whose proposed cost exceeds 20% of the offeror’s total proposed cost and/or the subcontractor proposed cost for a component, is 20% of the cost of that particular component.

10. L.7, Instructions for the preparation of the technical proposal, states “Proposals should be…single-spaced, using Arial 11 font, regular, size 11.” Arial is a sans-serif font, typically used for captions, headings, text boxes, tables, and graphics. Serif fonts such as Times New Roman are easier to read than sans-serif fonts. Would USAID accept proposals written primarily in Times New Roman (no smaller than 11 point)?

Response: The proposal shall remain as noted in Arial font, size 11.

11. L.7 also states “Not included in the page limitation are the following: Table of Contents, Dividers, Annexes (as specified).” Would USAID please confirm that the following are also excluded from the 40-page limit: the proposal cover, cover letter, and an acronyms list (if applicable)?

Response: The proposal cover, the cover letter, not to exceed 2 pages and the list of acronyms are also excluded from the 40 page limitation.

12. We note that USAID allows multiple emails but prefers that each technical volume and cost volume be submitted as single documents. Certain documents such as signed letters of commitment and biodatas are only available in PDF, and any signed Word documents such as covers and cover letters cannot be combined with other documents in Word. Also, graphics result in very large file sizes. Given these factors, would USAID please consider submission of a full PDF for both the cost and tech, along with submission of the cost spreadsheets in Excel and the main technical sections in text-accessible Word?

Response: USAID will not be segregating the proposals when combined. Offeror shall submit the technical proposal separately from the cost proposal. Submission in single documents is meant to say that, in the same e-mail containing the technical proposal, offeror may also attach other documents (i.e signed PDF cover letter) or provide multiple email in chronological order ( ex. Offeror may submit 3 parts emails for technical proposal, listing parts included in email 1 ; in email 2 and in email 3).

13. As noted in the RFP, please provide an amended copy of Mission Order No. MO- 06-500-009 to allow for R&R and RRBs to be budgeted for in accordance with USAID/Iraqi’s requirements.

Response: Mission Order is attached.

14. Section C.2.2 states that the “involvement of Iraqi organizations as vehicles of policy analysis, dialogue, sustainable capacity building and education is highly encouraged. Local subcontractors may be proposed to implement activities or pilots under all three components”. However, Section L.7.II “Note” states that “[o]fferors will NOT propose a priori teaming arrangements with Iraqi organizations (e.g., NGOs, legal firms or associations, and universities) subject to potential assistance under the Governance Strengthening Project,” though teaming arrangements with Iraqi organizations for other types of expertise is allowable.

Can USAID please confirm that offerors may propose local subcontract arrangements for performance of policy analysis, dialogue, sustainable capacity building, and education?

RESPONSE. Please read the footnote as a whole and not in part. Further clarification is provided in the immediate paragraph of the same footnote (with a now a slight edit in bold), restated below for your convenience: “ Offeror will NOT propose a priori teaming arrangements with Iraqi organizations (e.g., NGOs, legal firms or associations, and universities) subject to potential assistance under the Governance Strengthening Project. Offerors may, without identifying specific Iraqi organizations, make reference in the Technical Approach and elsewhere to the generic types of partnerships that may be engaged to implement such activities. Offerors may also propose specific Iraqi organizations (e.g., as subcontractors) that bring expertise in areas unrelated to the areas of assistance, including, for example, procurement, auditing, or media/public relations services.”

15. L.7 IV (d)(3)(B) instructs offerors to provide copies of the most recent SF-294s for each contract we were required to report on for the past 2 years. Given the large volume of our SF 294s for the past three years, which total hundreds of pages, we ask that USAID consider receiving these forms on CD-ROM as an annex to the technical volume. Alternatively, we respectfully request the option of selecting ten relevant SF 294 forms for USAID’s review.

Response: See Response #3 above

16. L.8 (b)(2)(C) states that blended rates for per diem may not be used. We respectfully request I a copy of Mission Order No. MO-06-500-009 Amended, as this will allow us to present a more realistic cost proposal regarding allowances.

Response: See Response #7 (attached)