Consolidated_Questions-Answers_SOL-391-13-000012_8_7_2013.pdf

Questions-Answers

SOL-391-13-000012

Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP) Attachment I

# Questions Answers

1 Does the total project cost estimate of USD 12 – 15 million include the value to the total grants to be administered under the PEEP program?

Yes.

2 If the Contractor wishes to use USAID’s existing data resources and capabilities when working on any of the three said components, will the Contractor be charged for the provision of such services?

No. Much of USAID’s information resources is located on the publicly accessible Development Experience

Clearinghouse (dec.usaid.gov). If USAID chooses to make additional information available to the Contractor, there will be no charge associated with it.

3 The placement of the Security Plan in the proposal is unclear - given that the technical proposal has a restriction on the number of pages and the sample table of contents has no mention of the Security Plan even in the annexure. In what section of the Proposal is the

Contractor expected to include the Security Plan as highlighted in Attachment J.1?

The solicitation has been amended to clarify that the draft security plan should be submitted with the cost proposal.

There is no page limit.

4 We request that the proposal submission date of Aug

2013 is extended by at least 2 to 3 weeks in view of the shortened work days due to Ramadhan and the upcoming Eid and Independence Day holidays. The proposal demands extensive effort to develop a worthy document which appears difficult in the limited timeframe currently provided.

The solicitation has been amended to reflect a revised proposal submission date of September 3, 2013 at 9:00 am

Pakistan time.

5 In Section B.6 CEILING ON INDIRECT COSTS, offerors are requested to propose a ceiling on indirect rates. According to the FAR, a contractor may accept indirect rates that are lower than anticipated actual rates, in which case a negotiated indirect rates ceiling may be

The solicitation has been amended to refer to the entire FAR clause 42.707, which outlines several situations in which an indirect cost rate ceiling may be incorporated into the contract.

incorporated into the contract. Furthermore, in section

L.11.2 Part 2 it states that the offerors shall propose indirect cost rate ceilings per Section B.6.

However, Section B.6 refers to FAR 42.707(b)(i), which applies to new or recently reorganized companies with no past or recent record of incurred indirect costs. Would

USAID kindly clarify if Section B.6 applies only to contractors and major subcontractors that are new or recently reorganized

6 In Section C.4.3, the last required indicator is not complete. Would USAID please clarify the indicator as it is required on our PMP?

The solicitation has been amended to reflect the following indicator: “Number of USG-assisted organizations and stakeholders that participate in legislative proceedings and/or engage in advocacy”

7 In section C.5.4. Maximize local participation including key personnel, consultants, and local organizations, relocation expenses within Pakistan may be considered an allowable expense to facilitate the recruitment of Pakistani candidates for Key personnel provided the amount is reasonable. Would USAID kindly indicate if there are maximum allowable amounts for relocation within

Pakistan?

There is no maximum amount. However, like all cost items, the costs allocated for this relocation expense must be reasonable, reflecting the industry standard.

8 The fixed exchange rate for PEEP is listed as US$1 = 98

PKR on page 121 of the RFP, while page 52 includes a rate of US$1= 98 PKR. Can USAID please confirm which exchange rate to use for the cost proposal?

The solicitation has been amended to remove L.11.2(g).

Offerors shall express all expenses in the budget as US dollars. Section H.13.1(g) reflects only the standard USAID will use in converting the US Mission Local Compensation

Plan to dollars for the purpose of evaluating the reasonableness of proposed salaries to Pakistani employees;

it need to be used elsewhere in the proposal.

9 Please confirm that the maximum salary of the highest senior FSN position under the US Embassy Compensation

Plan is PKR 25,088/day or US$256, as listed on page 52 of the RFP

The solicitation has been amended to reflect the current FSN maximum daily rate of Rs.28,746 or equivalent US $293.

10 The branding strategy laid out in Section D.3 of the RFP states that the program's name is to be "Punjab Enabling

Environment Program (PEEP)"; however, PEEP is referred to elsewhere as "Punjab Enabling Environment

Project." Would USAID clarify which name offerors should use?

“Punjab Enabling Environment Project” should be used.

The solicitation has been amended to reflect this change.

11 Would USAID accept the list of performance indicators to be included as an Annex to the Performance Management

Plan narrative?

Yes.

12 Does USAID have a preference on a limit to the number of Past Performance References to be included?

No, provided the references are relevant and correspond to projects implemented within the past five years

13 Section L.9.3.4 states: "To supplement the narrative summary in (A), provide a list of relevant contracts

(within the last five years) for which you submitted subcontract reports to eSRS (FAR 52.219-9(d)(1) and a copy of any similarly recent subcontracting reports if they were not submitted to eSRS." Since most of our contracts are not in the eSRS and subcontracting reports for all of them would consist of hundreds of pages and a very large file, would USAID kindly allow us to submit a list of all

SF-294 reports from the last five years showing which are in eSRS and which are not? Alternatively, we respectfully request permission to submit a list of eSRS contracts and

10 subcontracting reports for relevant contracts not in the eSRS, with the understanding USAID may request additional reports.

Offerors may submit a list of eSRS contracts and 10 subcontracting reports for relevant contracts not in the eSRS, with the understanding USAID may request additional reports.

14 Is there a maximum file size for e-mail submissions? The maximum file size for e-mail submissions is 5 MB.

Files exceeding the maximum size may be divided into multiple emails.

15 RFP Requirement: The client believes that following elements are relevant to broader enabling environment:

i. Private sector investment will inter alia result in reducing the cost and time of doing business, Innovative content may be supported by various mechanisms mentioned in component 3 section C4.2.3 such as piloting cost share grants, Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) and feasibility studies through a competitive process.

and affecting policy & regulatory reforms through consultative mechanism.

Question: We understand that whereas removal of policy/regulatory impediments will help encourage private sector to invest, but development of efficient enterprise and for that matter reducing the cost & time of doing business, role of innovation needs no emphasis. What measures the PEEP envisages to increase innovative content?

16 ii. Creation of reform-oriented networks and strengthening key organizations with in these networks.

Question: We would like to seek clarification from the client what interventions/measures the client has in mind while designing the program, to strengthen these organizations, such as financial assistance to enhance their capacity in terms of informed advocacy and outreach and if yes, can these be routed through the grants program?

Capacity building may entail technical assistance and in-kind grants to NGOs and government entities as well as training workshops, seminars, and exposure tours.

17 PEEP will be facilitator and active supporter of its local counterparts in developing and mastering a variety of skills for effective implementation of project interventions. In our view skill enhancement especially to introduce innovative skills will require additional investments. We will therefore, like to ask is there any space in the project to initiate parallel skill development/improvement projects through PPP?

Yes, Offerors may propose parallel skill development projects through public private partnerships under component two.

18 The project will measure the effectiveness by the incremental investment in target sectors as a change in local business perception. We think that alongside change

USAID’s Pakistan Private Investment Initiative has been launched to provide private equity support to SMEs. Access to technology and credit is not the primary focus of PEEP.

in business perception, other measures are needed to attract investments such as access to innovative technologies and credit, is USAID planning to launch a support program separately or can the contractor suggest certain technology and credit programs?

However, Offerors may consider whether such programs may play a limited role in meeting the objectives of

Component 3.

The capacity of 15 of at least 15 industry associations with 5 in each sector is developed and they are supported in expanding the menu of services offered to members to improve their overall and sector performance.

What specific support project envisages, for example for business chambers & associations?

Support will be available from the grants program as well as training events. Please refer to section C4.2.2 for details.

21 Can governmental subsidy schemes (e.g. subsidy to farmers on electricity use) be part of the development reforms agenda to be proposed by PEEP?

Subsidies generally distort the market and lead to inefficiencies in the long run, and as such USAID does not anticipate advocating subsidy schemes as part of the reform agenda.

22 In the grant assistance programs, do we need to have a baseline of spread i.e. no of beneficiaries, or can we offer grants to mega projects i.e. mechanized abattoirs, common facility centre for fruit processing etc.

The grants program is envisaged to spur private sector investment to achieve project goals. Therefore, the number of beneficiaries is of lesser importance.

23 USAID Firm's project is already working on BEE for horticulture, agriculture and livestock. The activities envisioned in scope of work seems quite similar to that being offered under USAID firms project. How does this call distinguish itself from previous calls?

The Firms project’s BEE activities are focused on supporting the provincial governments in drafting various legislation, whereas PEEP is focused on developing partnerships with multiple stakeholders including private and public sector actors, academia and civil society organizations for expeditious approval and implementation of the new legislation. This legislation in turn will improve the broader business enabling environment thereby encouraging private sector investment. PEEP builds on the Firms project’s legislative review support to the government of Punjab by providing technical and financial support to both public and private sector actors in implementing those reforms.

24 Referring to evaluation process, it has been mentioned on page 125 of the RFP that government is "not obliged to award contract based on either lowest cost or highest technical evaluation" This seems to be quite arbitrary as well as confusing as it mystifies the exact evaluation process. We would be like to know exact basis of selection of offeror.

The referenced statement is meant to highlight that both cost and technical factors will be taken into account in the award decision (although technical factors will be considered more important than cost factors). The award decision will be made in accordance with M.1.2 Contract Award – Best

Value. Also, M.1.1 (d) describes the relative value of cost and other than cost (including technical) factors.