Questions_and_Answers_on_SOL-492-13-000009.pdf

Pacific-American Climate Fund

RFP-492-13-00009

Inquiries and Responses on the Pacific-American Climate Fund RFP

(SOL-492-13-00009)

QUESTION RESPONSE

1) Is there an incumbent? If so, who is current contractor, and what is their contract award amount? Is the incumbent eligible to bid on this project?

This is a new solicitation intended for eligible 8(a) firms and there is no incumbent contractor.

2) Is this a re-compete?

Refer to response to question no. 1.

3) If so, please provide name of incumbent and amount of the contract

Refer to response to question no. 1.

4) As an 8(a) company, we plan to team up with local company/ies in Manila who are very familiar with Climate

Change and contract/grant management related to this initiative.

Will you allow teaming with Philippine-based companies?

Teaming with firms from non-US countries is allowed. Please refer to

Section H.3 of the RFP on the limitations on subcontracting.

5) Past Performance. As a company, we have not provided support services to this kind of endeavor. We have however provided contract support services in the (omitted) industry as well as

(omitted) services to government and the private sectors. Our teaming partners are very knowledgeable about (omitted). Will you accept past performance of our teaming partners? If not, how will companies such as ours be graded? Will you give us a neutral grade?

Past Performance and Institutional Capability will be evaluated for the prime offeror and every organization (e.g., consortia members, teaming partners, subcontractors, etc.) proposed that comprises at least 15% of the total cost or total level of effort.

Offerors may submit up to 3 past performance references per prime and organization with at least the 15% of the total cost or total level of effort specified above. Similarly, Offerors may submit up to 3 institutional capability references per prime and organization with at least the 15% of the total cost or total level of effort. While references are not included in the proposal page count limit, each reference must not exceed 1 page.

As specified on page 116, Section M.2, Past Performance will be evaluated based on the evidence of ability to comply with terms and conditions of the contract and to effectively and efficiently achieve development objectives and results through good planning and implementation and sound business practices and relations. Contractor performance information determined to be relevant for evaluation purposes under Past Performance, are detailed in Section M.2(c).

6) Are we allowed to hire non-USA citizens to fill some of our key personnel?

Yes.

7) Since this is a cost plus fixed fee, will you be requiring an audit of our financial systems prior to award?

Please refer to ADS Chapter 591, particularly section 591.3.3.1 with regard to Pre-award Audits.

8) Is it your intention to award this as a single award to ‘best value’ contractor or multiple award?

The RFP is intended for a single award to an 8(a) eligible contractor.

9) Our understanding is that “Key Personnel” include: one

Climate Fund Coordinator and one Financial Management

Specialist based in the Manila, Philippines and three Regional

Fund Manager each located in specific base. Will you require resumes of all five be included in our technical proposal?

Updated resumés of all proposed Key Personnel are required as indicated in Section L.8 of the RFP.

10) The limit to pages for the Technical Proposal is “30 pages excluding annexes”. Is the cover page and table of contents part of the 30 page limitation?

The cover page and table of contents do not count against the 30-pages limitation.

11) Page 104, Institutional Capability (4.a) requires to present up to three (3) of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to the work in the proposal. Does this entail a total of up to three projects for the consortium, or is it up to three contracts per partner?

Past Performance information the Prime Offeror and every organization (e.g., consortia members, teaming partners, subcontractors, etc.) will be accepted given that the organization’s scope comprises at least 15% of the total level of effort or total cost for the proposal. It is required that at least 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be for the employees of the

8(a) concern. A maximum of three past performance references for the

Prime and a maximum of three for each organization proposed are allowed to be included in the annex to the technical proposal. If a subcontractor’s scope comprises at least 15% of the total level of effort for the proposal, past performance and institutional capability information may be included.

12) Branding and Marking Plan. We noticed that per page 111 of the RFP, the Branding and Marking Plan shall be submitted as a separate annex to the technical proposal. However, in reviewing the list of annexes allowed to be included in the technical there is no mention about the Branding and Marking Plan section.

Could you please clarify in this regard?

It is required that Offerors submit a Branding and Marking Plan as an annex to the Technical Proposal. It will not count against the page limitations and will not be scored in the evaluation of the proposal. As indicated in section D.3, the Contractor’s Branding Implementation and Marking Plan will be finalized for Contracting Office’s approval no later than 45 days after contract award. Costs associated with

Branding and Marking must also be considered in the preparation of the Cost Proposal.

13) What, if any, are the expectations for the Pacific-American

Climate Fund project staff to handle any pre-screening for grant applications prior to the Grants Review Board submission for review? This is important to understand in terms of staffing needs for grant application review.

As detailed on page 16, subsequent to establishment of the grant-making facility is the administration, monitoring and auditing of sub-grants that provide seed funding to qualifying recipients through an open, competitive process. Contractor will be responsible for: 1) developing procurements and solicitations; 2) receiving and logging proposals; 3) vetting potential sub-grant recipients; 4) ensuring that proper administrative and financial controls are in place to administer funds and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations; 5) coordinating a review and approval process with USAID’s Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR) for this Activity, among other responsibilities. During steps 3) and 4) above, the contractor will be asked to identify those applicants who did not appear to have the proper administrative, managerial, or financial controls in place to ensure compliance with USAID regulations. These applicants may still be considered for award by the Grants Review Board given additional capacity building support is provided where necessary. The Contractor will also be required to conduct pre-award surveys similar to those performed by USAID on new local partners being considered for assistance under Pacific-American Fund Climate. Based on the results of the pre-award survey, the Contractor must ensure that any gaps or weaknesses identified are addressed. In some cases, this will also entail recommendations for managerial or financial capacity-building.

14) We understand the importance of the Regional Fund Managers No. The Pacific-America Climate Fund must have Regional Fund to ensure adequate coverage across the vast Pacific Island region. The RFP is quite specific regarding the exact location of the Regional Fund Managers. We are wondering if there is any flexibility regarding their exact location, so long as the geographic coverage is the same?

Managers for Melanesia based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, for Micronesia based in Majuro, Marshall Islands, and for Polynesia, based in Suva, Fiji. The locations of the Regional Offices correspond with the locations of our US Embassies in the Pacific Islands. The Fund

Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Outreach and Communications

Coordinator, and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be based in

Manila, Philippines.

15) Will the Grants Review Board's mandate be strictly contained to the approval process for applications? Or does USAID expect that it will play a role in the monitoring of grants?

The function of the GRB is to make selections for winning sub-awards.

It is not envisioned that the GRB will have a monitoring and evaluation role. Alternatively, the USAID COR will monitor the prime award, as well as technical and programmatic provisions of sub-awards. As specified on page 103, the contractor will be responsible for “ 7) monitoring and reporting (both internally to USAID and for public outreach) on grant implementation; and 8) monitoring and auditing of financial expenditures, reports and other related documents to ensure adherence to USAID requirements and that grant monies are used for intended purpose.”

16) On page 21 under the "Geographic focus" section, the RFP states that "The Contractor must maintain an operational control plan for the USAID/Pacific Islands and its stakeholders." Can further details be provided on this plan and its purpose? Is this plan for Pacific-American Climate Fund or for the

USAID/Pacific Islands office?

Operational control is specified in further detail in Section C.9.. On behalf of USAID, the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will provide oversight of the activity to help the Contractor achieve the objectives of the sub-grants of the Fund. Additionally, the selection process for winning sub-grants will be guided by USAID. The Grants

Review Board will be chaired by USAID’s Contracting Officer’s

Representative (COR).

17) On page 99 under technical annexes "G. Subcontractors information," can further clarification be provided on what type of information is to be provided in this document?

Subcontractors Information pertains to Standard Forms 294 and

295.Offerors are required to fill out these forms for each of their subcontractors.

18) To what extent are bilateral agreements in place with the 12 island nations to allow for grant-making without subsequent tax implications for either the prime contractor or the grant recipient? Can USAID make copies of those bilateral

USAID has a bilateral agreement with Papua New Guinea that addresses VAT issues, but none for the eleven other Pacific island countries that definitively establish tax exemptions for US assistance funds. However, USAID and the US embassy will provide assistance in agreements available?

all tax and registration issues in all implementing countries to the extent necessary for implementation of project activities. For the purpose of preparing the cost proposal, do not include VAT in your budget estimates.

19) On page 18, section C.4.b Sub-grants, how prescriptive is the allocation of grants between the 3 identified categories of size?

Are there any additional requirements or expectations on the average size/number of grants to be made within each category?

No more than two Category 3 sub-grants are anticipated under the

Pacific-American Climate Fund. USAID does not have any additional requirements or expectations on the average/size number of grants to be made in each category, as this will depend on the quality and quantity of sub-grant proposal submissions.

20) Is there any flexibility in the key personnel position titles?

Would USAID allow contractors to propose alternative titles for these positions so long as the job descriptions remained the same?

Offerors may rename positions as they deem fit, as long as position descriptions, management structure, location, and other key staff specifications remain the same.

21) On page 101, with regards to the outlined technical proposal structure, is there any flexibility in either adding sections and/or reordering?

Yes, sections can be added or reordered, however proposals are strictly limited to no more than 30 pages in length excluding annexes. Offerors should include those sections outlined on page 101 that correspond to the evaluation criteria in Section M.2.

22) On page 106, section L.9.b.2.i the cost proposal is requested in

"component line items." Can further details be provided on what each component line item should include?

Development-focused budget with component line items as mentioned in section L.9(b)(2)(i) are tied to the Results Framework shown in Figure

1 on page 14. However, as this endeavor is intended towards accomplishment of Intermediate Result 1.1 (see Figure 1 on page 14 of the RFP) and the Results Framework are not finalized as of the posting of the RFP, presentation of the budget in a development-focused budget is no longer necessary. Section L.9(b)(2)(i) is hereby removed from the

RPF.

23) Regarding performance information, can USAID confirm that up to 3 PPR's for the offeror AND each subsequent subcontractor are allowable?

Past Performance references of proposed subcontractors cannot substitute for the past performance information of the Prime Offeror.

A maximum of three past performance references for the Prime and a maximum of three for each of the subcontractors are allowed to be included in the annex to the technical proposal. If a subcontractor’s scope comprises at least 15% of the total level of effort for the proposal, past performance information may be included.

24) In Micronesia, is USAID open to alternate regional office locations that show better value and increased leverage of funds for partnerships and cost sharing? For example, select locations in Micronesia currently host leading USAID grantees, organizations such as fisheries commission offices, and representatives of other development organizations focused on climate change.

No. Please refer to response on question no. 14.

25) In Polynesia, is USAID open to alternate regional office locations that provide better value through larger presence of partner agencies, reduced management costs?

No. Please refer to response on question no. 14.

26) Since capacity building is a critical part of the program, would

USAID like the contractor to (a) apply the method currently used by USAID capacity building of CSOs elsewhere, adopted for the region, or (b) use a USAID/Philippines approach adopted on related projects? If (b), could USAID identify where the contractor can locate information on such an approach?

USAID does not specify a particular approach for capacity building of

CSOs through the Pacific-American Climate Fund. The Offeror must describe their approach to building financial, managerial and organizational capacity of civil society partners. As specified on page

22, capacity building will be done at least partly by the Pacific-

American Climate Fund’s Financial Specialist, and may also be completed through hiring of third parties, or through contract or grant services.

27) Does the USAID Philippines mission currently have functional

GIS capacity? Is it using AIDtracker or any other Web-based database for its M&E work?

There is no functional GIS capacity that cuts across all

USAID/Philippines projects. For its M&E work, the mission uses many tools to support the collection of data and analyses to inform our decisions and assess our development effectiveness. For the external audience who are interested to see breath of our programs, you can visit http://map.usaid.gov and evaluation reports at http://www.usaid.gov/evaluation/usaid-forward-evaluation-reports

28) Qualifications for the five key staff positions are provided in the RFP. What are the qualifications for the non-key staff positions (M&E Specialist and Communications Specialist)?

Are these non-key staff positions considered to be full-time?

There are no specific qualifications given for non-key staff. There is no specified requirement as to whether non-key staff positions must be part-time or full-time, but their LOE should be specified in the Offerors proposal, as specified on page 99, 101, and 106.

http://www.usaid.gov/evaluation/usaid-forward-evaluation-reports

Non-key staff will be evaluated insofar as they address the Offerors management and technical approach to implementing the Pacific-

American Climate Fund. Monitoring and Evaluation will be scored as detailed in Section M.2.c. The ability of the Offeror to monitor and evaluate grant performance, monitor and audit financial reports, and ensure due diligence and compliance of USAID rules and regulations

(as specified under C.4) are important elements to achieving the objectives of the Pacific-American Fund. Under C.4.a, Communication is listed as one of four outputs to be performed the contractor. Since

Communications Specialist is not a key staff, there are no mandatory qualifications required for a Communications Specialist. However, as specified in the RFP, capturing and disseminating best practices and lessons learned at the community level promotes community buy-in, scale-up, and increased adoption of proven adaptation measures, and fosters sustainability of adaptation activities.

29) As activities and grantees will be spread across the 12 Pacific

Island nations, accurate budgeting for travel will be crucial.

Could plug figures be provided for regional and local travel so that proposed cost and technical design are ensured to be in line with USAID/Manila expectations?

Plug figures for travel will not be given. The Offeror must provide estimates for regional and local travel to adequately implement the contract.

30) May the fund utilize regranting entities with existing regional presence and oversight capacity to minimize risk in awarding small community-level grants?

Yes. The Offeror may propose a consortium, but must be guided by

Section H.3 of the RFP on the limitations on subcontracting.

31) Is USAID open to the possibility of renaming positions? For instance, could the fund coordinator position be renamed to

“chief of party”?

Yes. See the answer to question no. 20.

32) What sort of processes or platforms will be required for the

“open competitive process” mentioned in C.1.b of the RFP?

USAID’s internal guidance, policy directives, required procedures, and standards for the award and administration of USAID grants and cooperative agreements can be found in the Automated Directives

System (ADS) Chapter 303: Grants and Cooperative Agreements to

Non-Governmental Organizations. Under the Pacific-American Fund, the Contractor must develop a grant-making facility that will publically solicit for sub-grant activities. For the purposes of solicitation, The

Contractor is not limited to the procurement mechanisms used by

USAID, but may take into consideration the types of solicitation and procurement processes the agency employs (e.g. Requests for

Application (RfA), Annual Program Statements (APSs), and Fixed

Obligation Grants (FOGs).

33) In Section C.3, Figure 1: Draft USAID/Pacific Islands Results

Framework for the Regional Development Cooperation

Strategy includes special objectives related to mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDs and strengthening democratic institutions.

What is the anticipated relationship between these special objectives and the activities of the Pacific-American Climate

Fund which is primarily concerned with IR 1.1 in the regional results framework?

As described on page 14, “The Pacific-American Climate Fund will make grants available, through which USAID will fund adaptation interventions that directly support USAID’s objective of strengthening the resilience of Pacific Island communities (IR 1.1)”. However, the winning contractor may be encouraged by the COR to liaise and communicate with Chief of Parties (CoPs) and stakeholders of other

USAID-funded projects on a regular basis. This may include CoPs who work on achieving health and democracy objectives in the Pacific

Islands.

34) Considering the amount of regional travel by local country personnel, can USAID clarify what currency will be required to pay regional TCNs?

Please refer to section I.5, page 69 of the RFP on the employment of

Third Country Nationals (TCNs).