RFP_Amendment___00001_-_signed.pdf

AMENDMENT No. 1 RFP No. SOL-306-16-000037 Afghanistan’s Measure for AccouNtability and Transparency (AMANAT)

a) Under Section B.4, DELETE Paragraphs (a) and (b) in their entirety and REPLACE with:

“(a) The total estimated ceiling cost of this CLIN is $8,000,000.00, inclusive of the associated fee. The fee is $ TBD.

(b) The estimated cost of this CLIN includes estimates for material, equipment, subcontracts, travel, and training required for performance of the total amount of work that can be ordered by the Government under this CLIN during the life of this contract. The amount of ordered Other Direct Costs will not exceed $1,600,000.00.”

b) Under Section B.5, DELETE the budget tables and INSERT:

1. CLIN 0001 Budget

CLIN 0001 CLIN

Description Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Total ($)

0001a Direct Costs 0001b Indirect Costs 0001c Grants under

Contract $9,600,000

0001d Security Costs 0001e Fixed Fee Total CLIN 001

2. CLIN 0002 Budget CLIN 0002 Supplemental Technical Assistance Total ($)

0002a Labor Costs 0002b Other Direct Costs $1,600,000.00 0002c Indirect Costs 0002d Fixed Fee Total CLIN 0002 $8,000,000.00

Total Estimated Costs CLINs 0001 and 0002: $TBD

c) Under Section B.9, DELETE the Fee Schedule and INSERT:

DELIVERABLES

DUE

DATE

% of Fee Fee

CLIN 0001:

Deliverable (TBD) [To be inserted at time of award]

CLIN 0002: Supplemental Technical Assistance

Deliverable (TBD) [To be inserted at time of award]

Percentage to be negotiated upon issuance of each task order

$TBD

Total

d) Under Section F.4, DELETE Paragraph E. Grants Manual in its entirety and INSERT:

“E. Grants Manual: The contractor must produce a manual for its grant-making activities. The manual must address at a minimum the following issues: Development of a grant-making process, eligibility/selection criteria, and application instructions for grant seekers. The grant-making process will be a competitive process. The contractor must submit the manual to USAID COR and CO for review and approval within the first 90 calendar days of contract award. The contractor will then have 10 calendar days to submit a revised manual.”

Summary of reports table in section F.4, DELETE the due date of the draft Grant Manual in its entirety and INSERT “90 calendar days after Contract award date”.

e) DELETE Section H.34, Grants under Contract in its entirety and INSERT:

“H.34 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACT

The Contractor is authorized to use grants under contract (GUC) to issue grants to CSOs and other non-governmental partners to support the activities under the relevant components of the AMANAT activity. The total number of grants made to NGOs under this provision will not exceed $9.6 million. Grants made under this contract will be made to carry out activities that are consistent with the Objectives in Section C. Grants will be made under CLIN 0001 of AMANAT.

Approval of GUCs under this contract will be in accordance with the procedures outlined below:

1) Groups not registered with the Government of Afghanistan, specifically non-governmental organizations not registered with Ministry of Economy, will not be eligible for grants under contract (See ADS 302.3.4.12).

2) USAID will be substantially involved in establishing grants guidelines and selection criteria and must approve the grant recipients.

3) All requirements that apply to USAID-executed grants in ADS 303, will also apply to grants executed by the contractor.

4) The Contractor can provide small grants to U.S and local Organizations with appropriate technical direction from USAID. The total value of any individual grant to any U.S organization must not exceed $100,000.00. This limitation does not apply to grants to non-U.S. organizations. The total amount of sub grants issued will not exceed $9.6 million.

5) USAID retains the right to terminate the grant activity (activities) unilaterally in extraordinary circumstances.

6) The Contractor is not authorized to execute or administer Cooperative Agreements on USAID’s behalf.

7) Requirements which apply to USAID-executed grants shall also apply to grants signed by the Contractor.

8) The Contractor shall prepare and submit for Contracting Officer approval, a Grants Manual that outlines, at a minimum, the competition process, selection criteria, types of grants to be utilized, as well as all grant templates.

Once the Grants Manual is approved by the CO, the COR shall have the authority to approve the grant recipient selection.

9) If the Grants Manual is not provided before award to the Contracting Officer (CO), the Contractor shall obtain approval from the CO within 90 days after award of the contract.

The Contractor shall comply with all USAID policies, procedures, regulations, and provisions set forth in the Contract and ensure:

(a) sufficient time to complete grantee audits,

(b) sufficient time for the grantee to submit a final report to the Contractor, and

(c) sufficient time for the Contractor to complete its review of the grantee and provide a final report to the government before Contract or Contract close-out.

All grants must be closed out no later than the end date of the Contract. Reporting requirements shall be in accordance with Section F.”

f) Under Section H.42, DELETE Paragraph E in its entirety and INSERT:

“E. Consultants: Personnel who are retained, usually on a short-term basis, for their expertise in a particular field and who are generally compensated through the payment of a daily rate, whether determined on a fixed price or hourly rate basis.

Consultants generally are not retained as employees of the contractor, and require advance written approval of the Contracting Officer.”

g) Under Section J, at the end of the LIST OF ATTACHMENTS, INSERT:

“Attachment J.12 Rapid Assessment of Service Delivery in Key Public Services Report”

h) Under Section L.4, DELETE Paragraph (i) Estimated cost range for this Procurement in its entirety and INSERT:

“(i) Estimated cost Range for this Procurement: The estimated cost range for this procurement is $30 to $40 million.”

i) DELETE Section L.7 in its entirety and INSERT:

“L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF VOLUME II – COST PROPOSAL

Offerors must submit a cost proposal which will be reviewed as part of the overall evaluation as indicated in Section M.

Offerors are required to submit corresponding compensation ranges for all positions identified in the management and staffing plan, including expatriate staff as well as local national positions.

For purposes of responding to this solicitation the following definitions and instructions will apply.

Definitions:

Detailed Budget Worksheets: Detailed Budget Worksheets contain the greatest level of detailed budget breakdown. In the Detailed Budget Worksheets provide details of every estimated item of cost that make up the Cost Elements. The detailed budget must reflect the individual cost items, organized by Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) and, within each

CLIN.

Summary Worksheets: Summary Worksheets derive data from the detailed budget worksheets and summarize the information. Consolidated Data are figures that appear within a cell because they have been calculated as the result of a formula, and not because they have been manually entered into the cell.

For both Detailed Budget Worksheets and Summary Worksheets, the cells that contain budget figures should be formatted as Numbers or Currency, with no decimal places, and with comma separators.

Budget Narrative - Offerors must submit a detailed budget narrative that supports the cost estimates proposed in its detailed budget. The budget narrative will describe the nature of individual cost items proposed and include a description of the source of that particular cost estimate (historical experience, market survey, vendor quotes, etc.). Narratives for the individual cost items must provide a discussion of any estimated escalation rates where applicable. Estimated costs proposed to exceed ceilings imposed by USAID or Federal procurement policy must be fully explained and justified.

Additionally, offerors will structure their proposals so as to provide the best value and greatest assurance of results at the lowest cost. Each offeror’s cost proposal for the contact period must be evaluated in terms of reasonableness and realism to determine the appropriate cost for the work as proposed by the Offeror, the Offeror’s understanding of the work, and their ability to perform the work.

Instructions:

(a) The cost proposal must be submitted under separate volume from the technical proposal. While there is no page limit, Offerors must provide the necessary detail and supporting information to address the solicitation requirement and to allow a complete analysis of each line item cost. Provide workable (Excel) detailed budget (breakdown) with narratives explaining the basis for the estimate for each category of cost in sufficient detail to facilitate determination of cost reasonableness. In preparing the cost proposal, the Offeror should note that individual subcontractors must include the same cost element breakdowns in their budgets as applicable. The subcontractor budget must also include a list of proposed non-expendable property.

(b) The cost proposal has two parts: (1) the completed Standard Form (SF) 33, and (2) the proposed costs/prices.

(1) Offerors must submit the cover page [Standard Form (SF)33 – Solicitation, Offer and Award], Section A of this Solicitation, with Blocks 12 through 18 completed, with the original signature of a person authorized on behalf of the Offeror to sign the offer.

(2) The proposed costs consists of the Offeror’s estimated price to perform the required effort as set forth in the technical approach and must be prepared in a manner that is current, accurate and complete. The Government assumes that adequate price competition will exist, thereby negating the need for submission of certified cost and pricing data with this proposal. It is anticipated that the amount and types of data required at this time will be adequate to determine price reasonableness. The Government reserves the right to request certified cost and pricing data if the Contracting Officer determines it is required.

The cost proposal must be presented in the following manner:

(i) As a summary budget with the budget line items below and reflects the CLIN structure as listed in Section B; and,

(ii) The detailed budget provided through the use of spreadsheets and worksheets, budget narratives and footnotes.

The detailed budget, at a minimum, must include the following for each component / CLIN:

Cost Element

CLIN 0001

Amount in US$

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

Direct Labor Salaries and Wages

Long Term Expatriate Staff Short Term Expatriate Staff Cooperating Country National

Staff

Fringe Benefits Consultants

International Consultants Local Consultants

Travel, Transportation and Per Diem International Travel (Fare, Per

Diem, Other Travel Costs) Local Travel (Per Diem, Other

Travel Costs)

Equipment and Supplies Non-expendable Supplies

Allowances Long Term International Staff Short Term International Staff Cooperating Country Nationals

Subcontracts Grants Under Contract $9,600,000

Cost Element

Amount in US$

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

Other Direct Costs Security Cost Indirect Costs G&A Total Estimated Cost Fixed Fee Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee

CLIN 0002

Supplemental Technical Assistance

Labor Other Direct Costs $1,600,000 Indirect Costs Fixed Fee Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee

CLIN 0002

$8,000,000

TOTAL CLINS 0001 and 0002

(iii) Offerors should present a consolidated budget including all costs for the full period of performance. The contract will be a Hybrid Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) Completion/Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The breakdown of costs for this hybrid will be at least 80 percent for the CPFF - Contract Line Item Number (CLIN 0001) and at most 20 percent for the IDIQ – CLIN 0002.

The specific deliverables proposed will fall under the CPFF Completion CLIN of the contract and the detailed proposal budget should break down the CPFF - CLIN. Within the CPFF budget, offerors should include $9.6 million for GUCs.

The IDIQ - CLIN will be reserved as Supplementary Technical Assistance (STA). STA will be utilized for task orders issued by USAID/Afghanistan under this contract. In this request for proposal, the Government has specified 5,200 person-days of labor, to include subcontractor and consultant hours, as the maximum level of effort that may be required during the contract period for performance for authorized work under IDIQ CLIN 0002, “Supplemental Technical Assistance.”

Offerors must propose ceiling daily rates (CDRs) for each of the positions (see illustrative list below) for a total of 260 days per year per position for budget purposes:

Offerors must include in its cost proposal sufficient detail to support and explain all costs proposed, giving figures and narrative explanation. For example, labor costs should be proposed for the above listed categories supported by daily rates and specified labor escalation; with supporting documentation. All proposed indirect rates must be consistent with those proposed in CLIN 0001.

For estimating purposes, the offeror must propose costs for a total of 1,040 person-days equally distributed across all labor categories for each year of the five-year contract.

Category Labor Category CDR Mid CDR Senior 1001 Expatriate Senior Technical Advisor $ $ 1002 Expatriate mid-level Technical Advisor $ $ 1003 Local Senior Technical Specialist $ $ 1004 Local mid-level Technical Specialist $ $

There is an ODC limitation of $1,600,000 over the life of this contract (see section B.4).

(1) Direct Labor Salary and Wages: FAR 31.205-6, AIDAR 731.205-6 and AIDAR 752.7007 provides for compensation for personal services. Direct labor salary and wages should be proposed in accordance with the Offeror’s personnel policies and must meet the regulatory requirements. Costs of long-term and short-term personnel should be broken down by person years, months, days or hours.

A detailed Level of Effort (LOE) estimate with a separate line item for each proposed individual identifying each individual by name and title as well as a consolidated LOE chart, including subcontractors’ LOE, must be provided. A copy of this chart should be presented as an annex (Annex C) to cost proposal.

Completed biographical data sheets, Form AID 1420-17 (Attachment J.6), must be provided for key personnel and other technical specialists. Bio-data forms must be properly completed, certified and signed by both employee and Contractor in the appropriate spaces, as appropriate. Salaries must be reflected on the bio-data form in U.S. dollars.

At the time of award, USAID Kabul will be actively implementing the National Technical Assistance Salary Scale and Implementation Guideline (NTA) , all contractors are required to utilize the current English version of the NTA compensation scale, as posted on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) Ministry of Finance website (http://www.budgetmof.gov.af/index.php/en/about-nta), as the Local Compensation Plan for all Cooperative Country Nationals (CCN). This includes all clarification notes, addendums, or updates.

The NTA is a compensation package, developed by the GIRoA that includes all regular benefits and allowances except transportation, communication, and health insurance to be provided as per the internal agreements of each organization. It is expected that allowances meet the requirements of FAR 31.201-3 and do “not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person”. Labor cost proposed for CCNs must not exceed the thresholds in the NTA.

A certification that the proposed personnel were not suggested or requested by USAID must be included in the cost proposal.

(2) Fringe benefits: FAR 31.205-6 provides for allowances and services provided by the Contractor to its employees as compensation in addition to regular wages and salaries. If fringe benefits are provided for as part of a firm’s indirect cost rate structure, see FAR 42.700. If not part of an indirect cost rate, a detailed cost breakdown by benefits types should be provided.

If the Offeror has a fringe benefit rate that has been approved by an agency of the Government, such rate will be used and evidence of its approval will be provided. If a fringe benefit rate has not been so approved, the cost proposal will propose a rate and explain how the rate was determined. If the latter is used, the narrative will include a detailed breakdown comprised of all items of fringe benefits (e.g., unemployment insurance, workers compensation, health and life insurance, retirement, FICA, etc.) and the costs of each, expressed in dollars and as a percentage of salaries.

(3) Consultants: Personnel who are retained, usually on a short-term basis, for their expertise in a particular field and who are generally compensated through the payment of a fee, whether determined on a fixed price or hourly rate basis.

Consultants are not treated as employees and do not receive fringe benefits.

(4) Travel, transportation, and per diem: FAR 31.205-46, AIDAR 731.205-46 and AIDAR 752-7032 provide for costs for transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses Examples of such costs include the initial deployment to Afghanistan, travel for breaks, or other such travel proposed as allowable, reimbursable costs in the offeror’s cost proposal. Other travel costs may include costs such as visas fees, medical exams and inoculations, insurance (other than insurance included in the Offeror's fringe benefits), etc. Costs should be broken down by the number of trips, domestic and international, cost per trip, per diem and other related travel costs. Specify the origin and destination, purpose for each proposed trip, duration of travel, and number of individuals traveling. In addition, Offeror must provide a consolidated travel chart (including subcontractor travel). Per Diem will be based on the Offeror's normal travel policies and not exceed Department of State per diem rates (Offerors may choose to refer to the Federal Standardized Travel Regulations for cost estimates).

(5) Equipment and supplies: FAR 2.101 provides for supplies as all property except land or interest in land, FAR 31.205-26 provides for material costs, and FAR 45 prescribes policies and procedures for providing Government property to Contractors, Contractors’ use and management of Government property, and reporting, redistributing, and disposing of Contractor inventory. Costs should be broken down by types and number of units to be purchased, and include an analysis that it is more advantageous to purchase than lease.

(6) Subcontracts: FAR 44.101 provides for any contract entered into by a subcontractor to furnish supplies or services for performance of a prime contract or a subcontract. Information sufficient to determine the reasonableness of the cost of each specific subcontract and consultant expected to be hired must be included. The subcontracts budget must follow the same template and format provided for the prime.

(7) Other direct costs: This includes costs such as office rent, vehicle fuel and maintenance, generator fuel, report preparation costs, promotional events, communication costs, workshops as well as any other miscellaneous costs, which directly benefit the program proposed by the Offeror. The narrative will provide a breakdown and support for all other direct costs. If workshops are included, the Offeror must indicate the subject, venue and duration of proposed workshop, and their relationship to the objectives of the program, along with estimates of costs. Specific information regarding the type of communication cost (i.e. mail, telephone, cellular phones, internet etc.) must be included in order to allow an assessment of the realism and reasonableness of these types of costs.

If trainings, workshops, studies, etc., are included, the Offeror must indicate the subject, venue and duration of proposed such activities, and their relationship to the objectives of the activity, along with estimates of costs. In addition, information regarding the type of communication cost (i.e. mail, telephone, cellular phones, internet etc.) must be included in order to allow an assessment of the realism and reasonableness of these types of costs.

Costs of Branding and Marking (ADS 320.3.6.3) must be included under this line item. These costs are eligible for financing if reasonable, allocable, and allowable in accordance with the applicable cost principles.

(8) Security costs: Security cost will at a minimum address the following:

Personal Security Detail Security and Security Related Communication Equipment Security training Static Guard Services

Fully Armored Vehicles and/or Light Armored Vehicles (Property authorized and in accordance with ADS 563) Personal Protection Equipment (helmets, flak jackets, etc.) and/or security modifications to residential and office facilities, including but not limited to protective barriers, e.g. blast walls.

A security plan will also be included as annex (Annex H) to the technical proposal, and must contain the processes and what the offeror or the proposed subcontractor envision will be necessary to secure the contractors in the performance of this requirement (See Attachment J.9 for security plan development guidance ).

(9) Indirect Costs (i.e., overhead, G&A, material & handling): FAR 31.203 and FAR 42.700 provides for those remaining costs (indirect) that are to be allocated to intermediate or two or more final cost objectives. Indirect costs and bases as provided for in an Offeror’s indirect cost rate agreement with the Government, or if approved rates have not been previously established with the Government, a breakdown of bases, pools, method of determining the rates and description of costs. Please provide a copy of latest NICRA for prime and proposed sub-awardees.

Indirect cost ceiling rates must be included in cost proposal. If the Offeror does not have a Cognizant Government Audit Agency, the proposal must include:

Financial statements, audited balance sheets and profit and loss statements, for the last two complete years, and the current year-to-date financial statements (or such lesser period of time if the Offeror is a newly-formed organization), must be included in the proposal. The profit and loss statements should include detail of the total cost of goods and services sold, including a listing of the various indirect administrative costs, and be supplemented by information on the prime Contractor’s customary indirect cost allocation method, together with supporting computations of the basis for the indirect cost rate(s) proposed; and, Detailed indirect cost rate calculations for the most recent two fiscal years that include the major cost elements in both the pool of expenses and base of application. The rate calculations must be supported by the applicable financial statements.

(10) Fixed fee (if any): FAR 15.404-4 provides for establishing the profit or fee portion of the Government pre-negotiation objective, and provides profit-analysis factors for analyzing profit or fee. Propose fee with rationale supported by application of the profit-analysis factors. It is not expected that fee will be applied to other than direct costs for sub-awards (i.e., not profit or indirect costs).

The offeror must propose a fee schedule and fixed fee objective appropriate for the contract.

The proposed fee schedule must be prepared to conform with Sections B.9 and F.5. The proposed fee schedule must be based on the deliverables. The fee schedule does not need to tie fee to each deliverable. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to propose a fair and reasonable fee schedule. The fee schedule will be incorporated into the award under section B.9.

(d) The Cost Proposal will also include the following:

(1) A compensation plan for technical and administrative staff.

(2) The procurement plan for equipment to be purchased under the Contract. The Offeror should include a detailed procurement plan containing explicit information on how procurements will be accomplished. Specify all equipment to be purchased, including the type of equipment, the unit cost, the number of units to be purchased and the expected geographic source. The authorized geographic code for this activity is 937.

Source/Nationality regulations for USAID are codified in 22CFR228 which may be found at:http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-10/pdf/2011-33240.pdf

(3) A statement (Annex E) that the Offeror has registered in SAM - System for Award Management https://www.sam.gov. A successful registration in SAM means the Offeror has obtained a DUNS number, has registered in CCR (Central Contractor Registration) and has secured an NCAGE number to successfully complete the Online Representation & Certifications Application (ORCA).

(4) Sufficient evidence of responsibility for the Contracting Officer (CO) to make an affirmative determination of responsibility pursuant to the requirements of FAR 9.104-1. If the Offeror fails to submit sufficient evidence for the CO to make an affirmative determination of responsibility, then the CO may make a determination of non-responsibility and be precluded from awarding a contract to that Offeror.

To be determined responsible, a prospective Contractor must:

(i) Have adequate financial resources to perform the contract, or the ability to obtain them (see FAR 9.104-3(a));

(ii) Be able to comply with the required or proposed delivery or performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing commercial and governmental commitments;

(iii) Have a satisfactory performance record (See FAR 9.104-3(b) and Subpart 42.15). A prospective Contractor must not be determined responsible or non-responsible solely on the basis of a lack of relevant performance history, except as provided in FAR 9.104-2;

(iv) Have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics;

(v) Have the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills, or the ability to obtain them (including, as appropriate, such elements as production control procedures, property control systems, quality assurance measures, and safety programs applicable to materials to be produced or services to be performed by the prospective Contractor and subcontractors). (See FAR 9.104-3(a));

(vi) Have the necessary production, construction, and technical equipment and facilities, or the ability to obtain them (See FAR 9.104-3(a)); and,

(vii) Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations (See also inverted domestic corporation prohibition at FAR 9.108).

(5) If the Offeror has no prior U.S. Government contracting experience, copies of the following are required:

(i) Copies of the last three years’ audited financial statements which a Certified Public Accountant or other auditor satisfactory to USAID has performed;

(ii) Copy of applicable policies and procedures for accounting, purchasing, property management, personnel and travel.

These documents will allow the Contracting Officer to determine if a Pre-Award Survey is necessary to determine responsibility. (See FAR 9.106).

(6) The information set forth below must be provided for each subcontractor, if any, proposed. A separate sheet must separate each element of subcontractor information, as well as each subcontractor. Each page must have the subcontractor’s name clearly marked.

(i) A letter, on subcontractor letterhead, and signed by an authorized representative of each subcontractor, which specifically indicates the subcontractor's agreement to be included in the Offeror's proposed teaming arrangement.

(ii) The Offeror must address each of the elements in FAR 44.202-2 in order for proposed subcontractor(s) to be considered by the Contracting Officer for consent of subcontractor(s) to be granted with the award.

(iii) A discussion and arrangement on type(s) of subcontract(s) to be used, and approximate percentage of each type of work to be subcontracted.

(iv) The Offeror and each proposed major subcontractor must indicate the number of hours and days in its normal work-day and its normal work-week, both domestically and overseas, for employees and consultants. In addition, the Offeror and each proposed major subcontractor must indicate how paid absences (US holidays, local holidays, vacation and sick) must be covered.

(v) A normal work-year, including paid absences (holidays, vacations, and sick leave) is 2,080 hours (260 days x 8 hours per day). However, some organizations do not have an 8-hour workday, and some accounting systems normally provide for direct recovery of paid absences by using a work-year of less than 2,080 hours to compute individuals' unburdened daily rates. Accordingly, the Offeror and major subcontractors shall describe their work day and work week policies.”

END OF AMENDMENT # 1