Solicitation_No._SOL-522-17-000002.pdf

SOL-522-17-000002

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

1 160

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) depository 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

H

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) DESCRIPTION SEC. (X)

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

18. OFFER DATE17. SIGNATURE

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

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

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

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 BY

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

CODE 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

REQ-522-16-00017312/01/2016

X

HONDURAS

Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID/Honduras Avenida La Paz Frente Embajada Americana Tegucigalpa, Honduras until 1600 CT local time 01/10/2017

Fernando Zelaya +504 4046 fzelaya@usaid.gov

2236-9620

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

PAGE(S)

Vann D. Rolfson

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

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

See Section L.5

Same as item 7

RFP NO. SOL-522-17-000002

Table of Contents

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM (SF-33)

ACRONYM LIST

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

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

B.4 BUDGET AND CEILING PRICE

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

B.7 PAYMENT OF FEE

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 SUMMARY

C.2 BACKGROUND

C.3 LINK TO USAID STRATEGY

C.4 ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

C.5 PERFORMANCE MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING

C.6 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACTS (GUCS) MECHANISM

C.7 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS/REQUIREMENTS IN PROGRAMMING

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

D.2 BRANDING POLICY

D.3 MARKING AND BRANDING STRATEGY

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.3 QUALITY ASSURANCE

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OF PERFORMANCE

F.1 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

F.2 752.7005 – SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT

EXPERIENCE DOCUMENTS (SEP 2013)

F.3 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.4 AUTHORIZED WORKWEEK

F.5 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.6 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

F.7 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES OR OUTPUTS

F.8 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY

REFERENCE

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE

CONTRACTING OFFICE

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.4 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

G.5 PAYING OFFICE

G.6 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

G.7 CONTRACTOR’S PAYMENT ADDRESS

G.8 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.9 COUNTRY CLEARANCE

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

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

2012)

H.3 INSURANCE AND SERVICES

H.4 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.5 LOGISTIC SUPPORT

H.6 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

H.7 GRANTS UNDER CONTRACTS (GUCS)

H.8 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING (FEB 2002)

H.9 PROHIBITION OF ASSISTANCE TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS

H.10 REPORTING ON FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)

H.11 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.12 STANDARDS OF CONDUCT -- IMPROPER BUSINESS PRACTICES

H.13 USAID DISABILITY POLICY (DECEMBER 2004)

H.14 MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (JULY 2007)

H.15 CONFERENCE PLANNING AND REQUIRED APPROVALS (AUGUST 2013)

H.16 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012)

H.17 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM

H.18 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (AUGUST 2013)

H.19 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCES (JAN 2002)

H.20 USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NOTICES (IPN) PORTAL FOR

ACQUISITION (JUL 2014)

H.21 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

H.22 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

H.23 GENDER CONSIDERATION

H.24 302.3.5.22 - SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA

LIBRARY (DDL) (OCTOBER 2014)

H.25 SURVEY DATASETS

H.26 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014)

H.27 USAID IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 508 OF THE REHABILITATION

ACT OF 1973 AND FEDERAL ACQUISITION CIRCULAR (FAC) 97-27

"ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY

H.28 SUBCONTRACTING CONSENT

H.29 RESTRICTIONS AGAINST DISCLOSURE (MAY 2016)

H.30 ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY

(MAY 2016)

H.31 USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NOTIFICATION (MAY 2016)

(DEVIATION NO. M/OAA-DEV-FAR-16-1C)

H.32 MEDIA AND INFORMATION HANDLING AND PROTECTION (MAY 2016)

H.33 CLOUD COMPUTING (MAY 2016)

PART II – CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

I.2 52.203-13 – CONTRACTOR CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT

(OCT 2015)

I.3 52.203-99 - PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT

REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS

(DEVIATION 2015-2) (APR 2015)

I.4 52.204-1 – APPROVAL OF CONTRACT (DEC 1989)

I.5 52.217-8 – OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

I.6 52.222-50 – COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (MAR 2015)

I.7 52.247-67 – SUBMISSION OF TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR AUDIT

(FEB 2006)

I.8 VOLUNTARY POPULATION PLANNING ACTIVITIES (JUN 2008)

I.9 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007)

I.10 APPROVALS (APR 1984)

I.11 NONDISCRIMINATION AGAINST END-USERS OF SUPPLIES OR

SERVICES (OCT 2016)

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

PART IV – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

OFFERORS

K.1 52.252-2 – CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

K.2 52.203-98 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT

REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS-

REPRESENTATION (DEVIATION 2015-2) (APR 2015)

K.3 52.204-8 – ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (APR 2016)

K.4 52.209-5 – CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS

(OCT 2015)

K.5 52.209 7 – INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (JUL

2013)

K.6 52.222.22 – PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (FEB

1999)

K.7 52.230-1 – COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND

CERTIFICATION (OCT 2015)

K.8 52.230-7 – PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE – COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE

CHANGES (APR 2005)

K.9 52.222-56 CERTIFICATION REGARDING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS

COMPLIANCE PLAN (MAR 2015)

K.10 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.11 SIGNATURE

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 52.252-1 – SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

(FEB 1998)

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

L.3 52.233-2 – SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

L.4 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.5 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL

PROPOSAL

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE BUSINESS PROPOSAL

L.8 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

L.9 LATE SUBMISSIONS

L.10 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION

AND MARKING PLAN

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.3 BUSINESS PROPOSAL EVALUATION

M.4 SOURCE SELECTION AND COMPETITIVE RANGE

ACRONYM LIST

ACO Administrative Contracting Officer ADS Automated Directive System AIDAR USAID Acquisition Regulation CAS Cost Accounting Standards CCN Cooperating Country National CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CFR Code of Federal Regulations CLA Collaborating, Learning and Adapting CED Consejo Escolar de Desarrollo Educativo COMDE Consejo Comunitario de Desarrollo Educativo CO Contracting Officer COP Chief of Party COR Contracting Officer Representative CPFF Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee DBA Defense Base Act DEC Development Experience Clearinghouse DO Development Objective DoD Department of Defense DQA Data Quality Assessment DUNS Data Universal Numbering System EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAPIIS Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation FOIA Freedom of Information Act FTF Feed the Future FY Fiscal Year GIS Geographic Information Services HCA Head of the Contracting Activity GOH Government of Honduras HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive IEE Initial Environmental Examination IP Implementing Partner IRS Internal Revenue Service LOE Level of Effort M&E Monitoring and Evaluation ME&L Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning MEDEVAC Medical Evacuation

MOE Ministry of Education MOUs Memorandum(s) of Understanding NAICS North American Industry Classification System NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement NXP Non-expendable Property OFAC Office of Foreign Assets Control OPM Office of Personnel Management PDF Portable Document Format PIV Personal Identity Verification PPP Public-Private Partnerships PPR Performance Plan and Report QPFR Quarterly Performance and Financial Report RFP Request for Proposal SRGBV School Related Gender Based Violence SF Standard Form SOW Statement of Work TBD To Be Determined TCN Third Country Nationals U.S. United States USAID United States Agency for International Development USPSC U.S. Personal Service Contract WP Work Plan ZOI Zone of Influence

RFP NO. SOL-522-17-000002 SECTION B

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to acquire management and technical services as described in detail in the Schedule for the implementation of the United States Agency for International Development’s mission to Honduras (USAID/Honduras)’s Reading Activity.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

The intended contract is Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) completion type. For the consideration set forth below, the Contractor must perform in accordance with the Schedule.

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

(a) The estimated cost for the performance of the work required hereunder, exclusive of fixed fee, is to be determined (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) for performance hereunder is TBD. The Contractor must not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount.

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

B.4 BUDGET AND CEILING PRICE

Line Item Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total Salary and Wages Other Direct Costs Grants under Contract $4,000,000 Indirect Costs Fixed Fee

TOTAL COST PLUS

FIXED FEE

The Contractor will not be paid any sum in excess of the ceiling price.

The inclusion of any costs in the above budget does not obviate the requirement for prior approval from the Contracting Officer of cost items designated as requiring prior approval (see FAR §52.216-7 “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.

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

For the Prime Contractor:

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/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 2/

1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

2/Base of Application:

Period:

For Each of the Major Subcontractor(s)*

Description Rate Base Type Period % 1/ 1/ 1/ % 2/ 2/ 2/ % 3/ 3/ 3/

1/Base of Application:

2/Base of Application:

3/Base of Application:

Period:

*“Major Subcontractors” are those subcontractors whose proposed cost exceeds 20% of the total estimated contract cost.

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

(a) The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with applicable regulation and USAID operating policy, including FAR 52.216-7 (Allowable Cost and Payment), FAR 52.216-8, (Fixed Fee), and AIDAR

752.7003 (Documentation for Payment).

(b) In addition, the requirement and conditions concerning estimated cost and funding apply as detailed in FAR 52.232-22, LIMITATION OF FUNDS.

B.7 PAYMENT OF FEE

(a) The total amount of fee payable upon completion of all contract requirements will be set at the time of award and does not vary with actual cost.

(b) Definite goals or targets must be achieved and end products must be 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.

(c) A Fee Distribution Schedule (see below) must be approved before fee is paid.

(d) Goals or targets and end products from the Fee Distribution Schedule that have fee associated with their completion or delivery must be referred to as Fee Bearing Results or Deliverables.

(e) Fee Bearing Results or Deliverables proposed in the Fee Distribution Schedule must appear in the Work Plan (WP) and/or Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (ME&L) Plan that has been prepared in compliance with the specifications and requirements of this Contract.

Appropriate Fee Bearing Results are completion of items that meet the USAID definition of an Output or Result. Performance Indicators are generally not an appropriate Fee Bearing Results. Deliverables such as reports may be Fee Bearing.

(f) The Fee Distribution Schedule must emphasize completion of goals, targets and/or deliverables that are the development results sought by USAID through this award, but must also include selected implementation management and development results milestones as Fee Bearing Milestones.

(g) As a condition for the payment of the portion of the total fixed fee associated with a specific goal, target and/or deliverable, the Contractor must complete the goal, target and/or deliverable. When a Fee Bearing Milestones is not completed or achieved the portion of the total fixed fee allocated to the Milestone in the Fee Distribution Plan will not be paid.

(h) When a Fee Bearing Milestones is not completed on time, or requires more cost/effort to complete than projected in the WP and/or ME&L Plan, the portion of the total fixed fee allocated to the Milestone in the Fee Distribution Plan will be subject to adjustment of the fee by the Contracting Officer.

[END OF SECTION B]

RFP NO. SOL-522-17-000002 SECTION C

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS / STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 SUMMARY

The purpose of this contract is to procure technical assistance to improve early grade reading skills for Honduran students from first to sixth grade in the target regions. At the end of 2015, 38 percent of sixth grade students nationwide performed at grade level. This Activity will take on a national systems strengthening approach. Building on USAID’s prior national level investments in improving curriculum, teaching practices and the education evaluation system, interventions will be explicitly targeted to improve instruction at the school and classroom level.

These interventions will include but not be limited to providing support for improving teacher effectiveness; strengthening existing student assessment at the school level; increasing the quality, availability and use of reading materials; and strengthening classroom and school management. The Contractor will be required to improve instruction by strengthening host country education systems and other delivery mechanisms to improve instructional approaches, train and support teachers, and provide other services required to improve student reading, including monitoring, evaluation, and learning and applied research. In addition, the Contractor will be required to increase parent, community, and private sector support for early grade reading. The emphasis of this Activity is to build the capacity of Honduran partners to develop locally-grounded solutions to improve basic education reading outcomes. Successful achievement of this activity will be evidenced by demonstrating a 20 percentage point increase in the percentage of sixth grade students, above baseline, able to read at grade level with comprehension.1

C.2 BACKGROUND

Honduras is a low middle income country facing significant challenges. Lack of employment opportunities in rural areas has been a major driving force behind the country’s high level of migration to urban areas and abroad. From 2010 to 2015, the number of returned or deported migrants to Honduras increased by 353 percent to a total of 33,478 for 2015. According to the Centro Nacional de Información del Sector Social (CENISS by their Spanish acronym), 18.5 percent of returning or deported migrants had originally migrated from western Honduras.2 In addition, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, the main motivation to migrate cited by 79 percent of surveyed individuals is lack of economic opportunities; an 18-year-old individual without formal education or a job is twice as likely to migrate to the U.S. The absence

1 Able to read at grade level is defined as scoring in the satisfactory or advanced levels on the end-of-grade tests 2 Centro Nacional de Información del Sector Social, Informe Estadístico de las Personas Repatriadas/Retornadas a Honduras, Año 2015, 31 de Diciembre de 2015.

of responsive services such as education and economic development initiatives increases the probability that an individual will seek to migrate to the United States.3

Honduras also suffers from rampant crime and impunity for human rights abuses. It is estimated that the costs of violence account for approximately $900 million a year, which represents approximately 10 percent of the country's GDP. Crime and violence have also eroded citizens’ confidence in the rule of law4.

In addition, Honduras is highly vulnerable to external and environmental shocks. An example is the agricultural sector, which has lost about a third of its purchasing power in the last two decades largely due to decreases in the prices of exported crops, notably bananas and coffee.

Regarding the education sector, Honduras has registered steady improvements in key education indicators since the beginning of the century. The illiteracy rate in the adult population fell from

17.7 percent in 2005 to 14.5 percent in 2013. Enrollment in basic education is high, with about 92 percent of appropriate-aged children enrolled in the first six grades5. Over the past decade, through the implementation of the Education for All (EFA) and the Education for All-Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) Action Plan (2003), Honduras has made some progress toward meeting its EFA targets. Statistics show limited improvements not only in terms of access to education (particularly in pre-basic and the first cycle of basic education), but also in terms of timely sixth grade completion rates (67.2 percent), reduction of drop-outs (less than two percent in basic education), reduction of repetition rates (less than four percent in first grade and less than one percent in sixth grade) 6, and improvements in academic achievement (from an average test score of 59 percent in Spanish in 2008 to 66 percent in 2015, and from 50 percent to 57 percent in mathematics over the same period)7. In both Spanish and mathematics in 2015, girls scored slightly higher than boys in all grades from 1-6. In grades 7-9, boys scored slightly higher than girls in mathematics.

Throughout the two most recent administrations, the Honduran Ministry of Education (MOE) has been able to drive substantial improvement in the system. Some recent key actions and achievements are:

• Restoration of governance within the education sector through strict enforcement of laws and regulations;

3 Quijada, José Alejandro y José David Sierra, Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, Entendiendo las causas de la emigración indocumentada en hogares de bajos ingresos en Honduras, Junio 2015.

4 Ibid, World Bank webpage, http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/honduras/overview 5 Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE, Encuesta de Hogares Propósitos múltiples (EHPM), 2013.

6 Secretaría de Educación (MOE), Informe de Rendición de Cuentas, 2014. On grade repetition, however, some of the reduction can be attributed to a new policy implemented by the MOE related to cero repetition in grades 1-3.

7 MOE/MIDEH, Informe Nacional de Rendimiento Académico, 2015. P.84 http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/honduras/overview

• Achievement of the required 200 days of classes per year through avoidance of national teacher strikes;

• Passing of a Fundamental Law of Education (2012) and development of regulations that establish significant changes to the education system, including in the areas of decentralization, professionalization of teaching, and monitoring and evaluation;

• Passing of a Law on the Evaluation and Certification of the Quality and Equity of Education (2014) and reaching consensus for the creation of a National Evaluation Institute;

• Strengthened administrative and financial processes leading to more timely payment of teacher salaries;

• Introduction of information technologies to increase transparency, including improved teacher and student registration systems that provide more accurate tracking of the number and location of teachers and students;

• Advances in decentralization and community participation, including a departmental decentralization pilot in four departments that is currently in its second phase;

• Mass delivery of textbooks in core subjects, including Spanish;

• Transformation of the pre-service teacher training process;

• Development and administering formative and end-of-grade testing in all grades of basic education school;

• Use of a Master Infrastructure Plan that covers all schools in the country and is used to prioritize investments8; and,

• Increased efforts by the MOE to fight corruption, including making teacher hiring more fair and transparent and commissioning a study of transparency and governance in the education sector through Transparency International.

Despite these actions taken, the education system in Honduras still faces many challenges in terms of access, efficiency, and quality. For example, despite progress in access to basic education, enrollment in grades 7-9 is only 42.7 percent and 25.5 percent at the high school level.

Dropout rates have been reduced at the basic education level school, but remain high in grades 7- 9 (8.4 percent) and at the high school level (more than seven percent)9. Better reading achievement through grade 6 should improve enrollment and lower dropout rates in the upper primary grades.

The country also faces challenges related to gender in the education system, though gaps in enrollment and achievement are relatively small and typically in favor of girls in the lower grades. According to official information from the MOE, out of the close to two million students from pre-k to secondary that were enrolled in 2015, 50.1 percent were female. The breakdown

8 MOE, Plan Maestro de Infaestructura Educativa, 2012, See http://planmaestro.se.gob.hn/ 9 MOE, Plan Estratégico Institucional, 2014-1018. P.7 for female enrollment in each education level was the following: 50.1 percent in pre-basic, 49.2 percent in basic, and 54.1 percent in secondary education. Females also have higher achievement levels than males. In Spanish, 36 percent of female students in third grade reach minimum standards compared to 30 percent of male students. A similar situation is found in sixth grade (42 percent females versus 36 percent males) and at the end of ninth grade (42 percent females versus 41 percent males). In mathematics, the gaps are not as wide. However, while the lower grades consistently favor females, after sixth grade the boys begin to have higher achievement levels than girls (third grade 36 percent females versus 35 percent males, sixth grade 9 percent females versus 8 percent males and seventh grade 8 percent females versus 10 percent males)10. Despite relative parity within the basic education cycle, females are at a disadvantage when transitioning to the workforce.

The most serious educational challenge that Honduras faces is low quality. While Honduras has made important progress in raising average test scores in basic education in Spanish and mathematics, the percentage of students mastering the curriculum remains very low. Only 38 percent of students complete sixth grade reading at grade level; this figure is only seven percent in mathematics11. Mastering of the curriculum signifies that students learn what they are supposed to learn in each grade. To determine the mastery of the curriculum, the USAID/MIDEH Activity has established a scale with four achievement levels. Students that reached the two upper levels (satisfactory and advanced) are said to have achieved a level of proficiency.

Both USAID/Honduras’ Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2015-201912 and the global USAID Education Strategy 2011-201513 are grounded in the overarching objective of advancing sustained and inclusive economic and social development in partner countries through improved learning outcomes. According to the latter document, USAID will ensure greater education program focus within countries according to the country context, in support of strategic goals, and in search of the highest potential for results. In stable, well-performing countries with unmet needs in basic education (Honduras falls into this category), the priority focus will be on assuring learning outcomes for primary grade children, especially in reading.

The USAID Education Strategy 2011-2015 cites evidence that learning outcomes have a direct correlation to a country’s economic growth, that early grade reading competency is critical for continued retention and success in future grades, and that children who do not attain reading skills at the basic education level are on a lifetime trajectory of limited educational progress and therefore limited economic and developmental opportunity. Both reading and mathematics are

10 MOE/MIDEH, Informe Nacional de Rendimiento Académico, 2015, PP. 50-52.

11 MOE/MIDEH, Informe Nacional de Rendimiento Académico, 2015, p.45, 46.

12 USAID/Honduras Country Development Cooperation Strategy 2015-2019, See https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1862/Honduras%20CDCS%20Public.pdf 13 USAID Education Strategy 2011-2015, http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pdacq946.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1862/Honduras%20CDCS%20Public.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pdacq946.pdf core subjects that Honduran students are not mastering. Given limited resources, USAID has chosen to focus on addressing early grade reading in line with the USAID Education Strategy, as it is a foundational skill critical for ensuring children’s learning across subject areas.

A recent study on poverty in Honduras points out that, “Most of the sources link Honduras’ rural poverty to the same essential problems: lack of physical and human capital, low agricultural productivity, low non-agricultural employment, and geographical isolation. However, many sources agree that these problems result from a combination of government failures and market imperfections”14. Education is important to tackle these problems. The previously quoted study argues that, “Education serves as fuel for economic growth. More educated people mean better jobs and wages and a stronger labor force. At the same time, education results in higher productivity, higher income per capita, more businesses and poverty reduction. Consequently, education is crucial not only for the reduction of poverty, but for the sake of the country’s economic and social stability and growth”15.

C.3 LINK TO USAID STRATEGY

C.3.1 USAID Education Strategy

The USAID Education Strategy16 outlines three distinct goals for improving education across the globe. These goals are:

1. Improved reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades

2. Improved ability of tertiary and workforce development programs to produce workforce with relevant skills to support country development goals

3. Increased equitable access for 15 million learners in environments affected by crisis and conflict

The Reading Activity aligns directly with Goal 1 which emphasizes the need for adequate materials, the training of teachers in appropriate reading methodology, and the importance of parent and community involvement in education.

C.3.2 Central American Regional Security Initiative

The Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI) focuses on citizen security throughout the region. The Reading Activity supports these efforts by providing children with a

14 Andréu, Carlos: “Rural Poverty in Honduras: Despite Progress, an Ongoing Challenge.” Global Majority E- Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2 (December 2012), pp. 100-109.

15 Ibid.

16 See http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pdacq946.pdf strong foundation in reading and basic education which will contribute to better citizenry and life opportunities.

C.3.3 Activity Integration under the USAID/Honduras Country Development Cooperation Strategy

USAID Honduras’ CDCS aims to improve prosperity for and safety of Hondurans through the achievement of three Development Objectives (DOs) that incorporate a mix of short- and long-term strategies to address the fundamental root causes of crime, violence, and poverty.

As Figure 1 shows, these three objectives are:

• DO 1: Citizen Security Increased For Vulnerable Populations In Urban, High-Crime Areas

• DO 2: Extreme Poverty Sustainably Reduced For Vulnerable Populations In Western Honduras

• DO 3: National-Level Public Administration is More Transparent and Accountable

Honduras CDCS Development Objectives

Guided by USAID’s principles to maximize impact through more strategic, focused, and results-oriented approaches, USAID/Honduras will strengthen integration among democracy and governance, economic growth, education, environment, health, and crime prevention activities which all contribute to achieving the USAID/Honduras CDCS’ goal. This Activity will support at different levels all of USAID/Honduras Development Objectives. Specific examples of how this will be achieved, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding mechanism that will be used to define and coordinate activities for DO2, are described below.

Support for Honduras’ CDCS DO1

The Reading Activity will support DO1: Citizen Security Increased for Vulnerable Populations in Urban, High-Crime Areas, Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1: Resilience of communities and individuals to crime increased, Sub-Intermediate Result 1.1.2: Quality services that protect against violence increased. To achieve DO1 goals, USAID has defined a set of strategically-integrated activities that will lead to reductions in crime and violence in a subset of communities in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, Tela, and La Ceiba with a special emphasis on reductions in homicides and extortion. DO1 activities will work to strengthen the role of education and schools as vectors of community cohesion, to deter crime in targeted communities.

Reading programs present an opportunity to build civic skills and disseminate messages that reinforce broader work under DO1 such as citizenship and personal responsibility, non-violence, community cohesion, inter-personal skills and family relationships, as well as to improve self-esteem and self-efficacy of young people. Quality education, in particular ensuring teachers have the requisite skills and methodology to teach reading in complex environments resulting in improved reading comprehension, gives students the cognitive skills critical for retention, success in future grades, and better citizenry.

Support for Honduras’ CDCS DO2

This Activity will also support DO2: Extreme poverty sustainably reduced for vulnerable populations in western Honduras, and particularly its IR 2.3: Human capital improved, with a focus on children. DO2 activities are focused on six departments in western Honduras which exhibit high poverty, under-nutrition, and climate change vulnerability, and where conditions present the greatest return on investment: Ocotepeque, Copán, Santa Bárbara, Lempira, Intibucá, and La Paz. DO2 activities will be designed so that the poor will acquire the tools to sustainably increase their incomes through improved resource management and human capacity. National-level institutions will be assisted to scale-up and become more effective in the region, in many cases by decentralizing authority to local governments and institutions. The goal of the five-year period of USAID intervention under DO2 is a reduction in both the number of families living on less than $1.25 per day per person (the international poverty level), as well as increased school completion rates and local government capacity.

As a component of the integrated DO2 strategy, IR 2.3 beneficiary municipalities and communities will overlap with those targeted under IR 2.1 Resilience of livelihoods increased and IR 2.2 Incomes increased activities, concentrating resources and bundling interventions so that targeted communities and families benefit from the synergies of a multi-faceted investment program. Examples of such interventions are those under IR 2.1 that will build local resilience to climate and economic shocks through income diversification and conservation of the biodiversity and ecosystem services that sustain livelihoods, and under IR 2.2 that will improve beneficiary capacity to produce profitable goods for the formal market, as well as develop the market system so it is more accessible to the poor. IR 2.3 will support education, nutrition, governance, and other basic services that establish the conditions for long-term competitiveness and prosperity.

This will promote sustainability by ensuring that household income increases are coupled with development of environmental and human capital that creates the necessary conditions for continued growth. The Reading Activity gives an opportunity to work on quality of education through interventions that improve retention of students through the primary cycle and transition to secondary and the system for teacher continuous capacity development for improved results in reading.

Activities designed under DO2 require coordination and integration to achieve success. Special coordination must be sought with the Food for Education (FFE) program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that benefits all basic education schools in Intibucá.

The program, implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in coordination with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and the Ministry of Social Development, provides complementary school meals and technical assistance in all 17 municipalities in Intibucá. FFE seeks to improve literacy with interventions that include, among others increasing reading skills in students; training teachers; providing management, control and administrative skills training to directors; increasing student enrollment; decreasing student and teacher absences; providing supplies and materials to students and schools; improving infrastructure; and increasing understanding of the benefits of education at the parental level.

The Contractor for this activity must coordinate and integrate activities with FFE in Intibucá.

The Contractor is also required to coordinate with the regional reading activity - LAC Reads.

Memorandum(s) of Understanding. Under DO2, USAID Contractors and grantees will work with municipalities under the umbrella of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). The primary purpose of the MOUs is to create shared accountability and to increase clarity around USAID programming in an environment where multiple implementing partners will be carrying out activities by clearly describing the roles and responsibilities of each one. These MOUs will be phased in, beginning with pilot municipalities in 2016. The MOUs will serve as the framework for USAID assistance to the municipality, clearly communicating the integrated strategic approach and establishing shared understanding and accountability between USAID, the municipality, and USAID’s implementing partners17. Within USAID, the Program Office will lead the process of developing the MOUs, with participation from technical and support offices. Under the Reading Activity, the Contractor will not be a party to the MOU itself but will be expected to participate in requirements.

Support for Honduras’ CDCS DO3

DO3 programs will concentrate on national-level public administration and institutions to improve budget transparency and strengthen accountability systems. DO3 will complement DO1 and DO2 local level efforts where they relate to auditing and oversight of public policies and programs by empowering a broad range of actors to serve as watch dogs and advocate for change based on evidence-based analysis in collaboration with local and national-level stakeholders.

This is particularly relevant to improving the management of public funds for education programs. Education programs through their implementation will model good practices to improve transparency and accountability in the sector.

C.4 ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The objective of the Reading Activity is to support the efforts of the Government of Honduras (GOH), in collaboration with other donors, civil society, and the private sector, to improve reading outcomes of Honduran students in basic education grades one to six in the geographic areas targeted by the USAID/Honduras CDCS 2015-2019 as may be amended, namely the municipalities of Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Choloma, Tela, and La Ceiba under Development Objective One (DO1) and the departments of Copán, Intibucá, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque and Santa Bárbara under Development Objective Two (DO2).

To support DO1, the Contractor will work in targeted DO1 geographic areas to improve reading in primary schools, as described below in this Statement of Work. The Activity will plan for full coverage of schools within DO1 but where this is not possible school selection criteria will be used. School selection criteria will follow broader DO1 guidance, with priority given to: 1) Schools located in communities (“barrios or colonias”) where interventions for DO1 have been identified; 2) Schools from other communities whose students achieve lower scores in reading in the national tests and are strategic for achieving DO1 goals; and, 3) Other schools that USAID selects for strategic reasons. All DO1 school selection for the Reading Activity will be approved by USAID/Honduras. Coordination and integration among the different USAID and USG activities, as well as other donors working in the defined communities is a core element of success. For instance, particular attention must be given to coordination with other USAID

17 For USAID implementing partners the MOU will supplement, but not substitute, for contractual obligations to

USAID.

education activities and USAID’s School Based Violence Prevention Activity, to be awarded in the near future (within FY17). The Contractor will use a communities of learning approach and closely coordinate and integrate activities with other USAID/Honduras and USG activities working in the DO1 area to ensure that interventions are planned and conducted in a way that contribute to the objectives of DO1.

Under DO2, the Contractor will be required to collaborate with the GOH and other DO2 activities in the six departments of western Honduras as it implements the Reading Activity described in this Statement of Work. IR 2.3 activities under this contract will aim to cover all schools within the six DO2 departments paying special attention to the communities selected under the Feed the Future (FTF) program due to their high rate of extreme poverty. Special coordination must also be sought with the Food for Education (FFE) program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that benefits all basic education schools in Intibucá. The program, implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in coordination with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and the Ministry of Social Development, provides complementary school meals and technical assistance in all 17 municipalities in Intibucá with the ultimate goal of improving literacy.

Where full coverage is not possible, the general selection criteria will be the following (in descending order of importance): 1) all schools in the communities selected for IR 2.1 interventions; 2) all schools in the communities selected for IR 2.2 interventions; 3) all schools in the municipalities selected for governance interventions; 4) schools in communities where there is no other USAID interventions but whose students show lower scores in reading on the national tests; 5) other schools that USAID selects for strategic reasons. All DO2 municipal, community, and school selection for this activity will be approved by USAID/Honduras

To the extent possible, the Contractor must coordinate and integrate activities with USAID/ Honduras DO3 interventions. Specifically, the Contractor must support sustainability and transparency by tracking and reporting costing data and developing a coordination platform with the MOE to create a sustainability plan for national rollout of reading interventions. This will be fully detailed in the activity Work Plan.

The goal to be achieved by the conclusion of this five (5) year contract is that public school students from first to sixth grade in the targeted areas will increase their ability to read at grade level. It is expected that by the conclusion of this five (5) year contract, there will be no less than a 20 percentage point increase from baseline in the percentage of sixth graders able to read at grade level in targeted schools. At the highest level, this Activity will measure success through the following outcomes and indicators:

Expected overall outcomes:

• Improved reading outcomes for at least 700,000 students in at least 2,500 schools within DO1 and DO2 target areas

• Improved reading performance in at least 60 municipalities within DO1 and DO2 target areas

Illustrative overall indicators:

• Number of boys and girls in grades 1-6 in the targeted schools with improved reading skills

• Number of teachers implementing new teaching techniques in reading in the classroom

• Percentage of sixth graders in targeted schools reading at grade level

• Number of municipalities with improved reading outcomes

• Annual improvement rate in reading performance

• Percentage of students who successfully transition from 6th grade to 7th grade

• Proportion of students per grade level comprehending at 80% or higher

• Number of grades for which a full package of instruction materials were developed, printed and delivered

Illustrative Standard Foreign Assistance Indicators as of May 2016: Note that Standard Foreign Assistance Indicators are identified by reference number.

• Number of learners in primary schools or equivalent non-school based settings reached with USG education assistance (ES.1-318).

• Percent of learners who demonstrate reading fluency and comprehension of grade level text at the end of grade 2 with USG assistance (ES.1-1).

• Percent of learners who demonstrate reading fluency and comprehension of grade level text at the end of primary school (or grade 6, whichever comes sooner) with USG assistance (ES.1-2).

Final indicators will be determined upon development of the ME&L Plan.

The Contractor for the Reading Activity is responsible for the achievement of the following four results, as described below:

• RESULT ONE: Ministry of Education’s Capacity to Implement Evidence-Based Reading Approaches in Basic Education Strengthened

18 ES refers to Education and Social Sciences from the Standardized Program Structure

• RESULT TWO: School and Classroom Materials to Enhance Reading Instruction Improved

• RESULT THREE: Capacity of Teachers and Key Support Personnel to Provide Quality

Reading Instruction to Students in Grades 1-6 Improved

• RESULT FOUR: Parental and Community Participation Leading to Improved Learning and Reading Achievement Strengthened

RESULT ONE: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION’S CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT

EVIDENCE-BASED READING APPROACHES IN BASIC EDUCATION

STRENGTHENED

The first result is premised on a systemic reform of reading through a national systems strengthening approach. The following indicators must be used to monitor progress for Result One; the Contractor is encouraged to include additional indicators if relevant.

• Costing of implementation and support for financial planning for eventual transition to the GOH

• Number of local education offices effectively managing education reform efforts

• Number of MOE officials and school principals using student achievement test results to monitor improvement in target schools

• Percentage of teachers using formative and end-of-grade assessment results to inform instruction

• Number of laws, policies, regulations, or guidelines developed or modified and implemented to improve primary grade reading programs or increase equitable access (3.2.1-38)

• Number of education administrators and officials who complete professional development activities with USG assistance (ES.1-14)

• Number of education administrators and officials who implement teacher support-supervision activities.

• Number of teacher training centers aligning to or effectively implementing a strong reading methodology training package

Although the focus of this program will be the improvement of classroom instruction in early grade reading, the expected results will not be achieved unless this teaching is supported by a robust basic education system that can replicate successful strategies nationwide. Under this Result, the Contractor is responsible for strengthening the capacity of the MOE at national and targeted departmental and local levels to sustain early grade reading interventions conducted under this Activity. The approach to strengthen capacity must include close work with the MOE on all aspects of implementation.

As described in the USAID/Honduras CDCS 2015-2019, other USAID sectoral programs will complement work done to strengthen the MOE by targeting other partners such as governmental entities in local municipalities or civil society groups in support of education. The Contractor will be required to take into account municipal Memorandums of Understanding that will provide opportunities to identify collaborative work across DOs and implementing partners.

DO1 and DO2 activities (such as those in the governance sector) are being designed to work with governmental and non-governmental partners at the municipal level to support social sector work taking place in communities. The Contractor is required to coordinate closely with municipalities and civil society groups at the local level in carrying out its work. The idea is to link with and further build upon work being done to increase municipal capacity to support basic education, particularly improvement in the foundational skill of reading.

Under this Result, the Contractor will carry out activities and create learning opportunities for MOE staff to enhance their capacity in the areas listed in the requirements below. The Contractor will propose approaches through which the MOE can be closely involved in all project activities and decision-making processes as a co-implementing partner. The Contractor must work hand-in-hand with MOE staff so that they can develop the knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate successful reading programs.