Proposed_Instructions_Eval_Criteria_SAFE.docx

Proposed Instructions Technical Proposal Narrative The Offeror must submit a technical proposal addressing the following:

Factor 1 - Strategic Approach

Sub Factor 1.1: Technical Approach and Scalability of Approach (Not to Exceed 35 pages)

The Offeror must submit a technical proposal of no more than 35 pages that demonstrates an understanding of the Government's requirements and describes the approach the Offeror will take to perform the tasks identified in this Statement of Work (SOW). The Technical Proposal must thoroughly describe:

· Technical approaches and activities to achieve the expected results, outcomes, and objectives in the statement of work, including a description of how the Offeror’s methodology will build on the Government of Zambia’s achievements to date and respond to the HIV/AIDS technical approaches and priorities as outlined by PEPFAR. The proposal must clearly delineate the Offeror’s actual service delivery versus the technical assistance activities to the Government directly, and technical assistance to the Government to implement Government to Government (G2G). The Offeror must outline how it will coordinate and collaborate with: the GRZ at the national, provincial, district, and facility level; community-based organizations, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders during the period of performance.

· The Offeror should describe strategies, plans and approaches for establishing linkages between communities and facilities in support of a continuum of care that includes comprehensive HIV services, as well as family planning and nutrition.

· The Offeror should describe how it will transition responsibility of specific components of the SAFE project to the GRZ.

· The Offeror should describe the opportunities and constraints related to supporting the GRZ as it plans, implements, and monitor the quality of HIV/AIDS services at primary and secondary health care facilities in Zambia and how it will address and/or capitalize on these.

· The Offeror should highlight its plans to implement bold, innovative comprehensive clinical HIV/AIDS programming with a broad reach and scale to leave a significant public health impact in HIV/AIDS and Family Planning.

· The Offeror should describe scalability approaches to reach at least 80 percent of people living with HIV with HTC, ART and retention in care in the highlighted districts and provinces.

· The Offeror should describe the blended approaches it will use with the GRZ to address the technical, administrative, and management capacity challenges whilst simultaneously delivering services to beneficiaries.

Sub Factor 1.2: Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Approach (Not to Exceed 10 pages)

The offeror shall submit a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan, as an Annex of no more than 10 pages, demonstrating that the proposed approach is results-focused and addresses the elements contained in the statement of work. The approach should also include details of how the Offeror proposes to identify and track indicators related to the activity as well as how the Offeror will track progress towards outcomes.

Factor 2 - Management Approach (Not to Exceed 15 pages)

The Offeror must submit a comprehensive management and staffing plan, which will include the titles of the five Key Personnel, positions descriptions of no more than one page each, and when desired, proposed Candidates. The plan should also include an explicit description of the distinctive roles and responsibilities of the prime partner and sub-partners (as may be applicable) and how each partner will contribute to achieving impact and outcome priorities. The plan should include an overview of how activities will be managed and coordinated between the prime partner and sub-partners and the total planned level of effort expected by each organization expressed in numbers of months. The staffing plan should include an organogram with projected positions (key and non-key), level of effort and reporting relationships. The plan must discuss the division of responsibilities between in-country project staff, consultants providing long-term technical assistance and home office support (if international organizations are chosen). The page limit does not apply to any CV’s that may be submitted for proposed Key Personnel.

Factor 3 - Past Performance

(a) The Offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself and each major subcontractor in accordance with the following:

1. Using the provided PPI Data Sheet, list in an annex to the technical proposal the most relevant contracts performed within the last three years for efforts similar to the work in the subject proposal. Relevant past performance includes integrating HIV/AIDS service delivery, establishing linkages between communities and facilities for HIV/AIDS services, and scaling up HIV/AIDS services to reach increased numbers of beneficiaries implemented in Southern Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa (listed in decreasing degree of relevancy) with total budgets worth $75.1M+, $50.1M - $75M, or $30.1M.

2. Using the PPI Data Sheet attached to this RFP, provide for each of the contracts or cooperative agreements listed above a list of contact names, job titles, mailing addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and a description of the performance to include:

· Scope of work or complexity/diversity of tasks,

· Primary location(s) of work,

· Term of performance,

· Skills/expertise required,

· Dollar value, and

· Contract type, i.e., fixed-price, cost reimbursement, etc.

Proposed Evaluation Criteria In evaluating offers strategic approach is the most important compared to the management approach and the past performance. Under strategic approach, the technical approach will be the most important, followed by the performance and monitoring and evaluation approach with capacity strengthening approach being the 3rd important. The overall technical factor will be considered most important to the overall management approach and the overall past performance factor.

Factor 1 - Strategic Approach

Sub Factor 1.1: Technical Approach and Scalability of Approach

The proposal will be evaluated on the extent to which it reflects an appropriate, logical, strategic approach, clear understanding of the Zambian context, is scalable, and incorporates evidence-based innovative interventions. The aforementioned aspects of the proposals will be evaluated considering the following:

· Offeror proposes a cost effective service delivery methodology that utilizes state-of-the-art approaches to service delivery integration, decentralization of services, establishment of linkages between communities and facilities, scale-up of services to reach increased numbers of recipients, infrastructure enhancements, and plans for human resource support;

· Offeror proposes strategic plans for providing state-of-the-art technical assistance that will allow the GRZ to reach service delivery goals, including rolling out an integrated continuum of care package that ensures the entire range of HIV prevention, care and treatment services link the community and the facility and integrates family planning and nutrition programs to the broader HIV program;

· Offeror proposes cost effective capacity building approaches that build on the existing strengths of the GRZ, advance country ownership, and increase the ability of GRZ officials to effectively plan, budget for, implement, monitor and evaluate service delivery, including the management of G2G funds;

· Offeror proposes realistic transition plans for major components of the project so that the GRZ is increasingly responsible for the implementation of direct service delivery activities initially undertaken by the contractor; and

· Sufficiently emphasizes substantive, ongoing engagement of major stakeholders to ensure GRZ involvement in the design, implementation, and monitoring of HIV/AIDS programming.

Sub Factor 1.2: Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

The Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Approach will be evaluated on the extent to which:

· The monitoring and evaluation plan directly corresponds to the stated goals and objectives outlined in the technical proposal and, ensures that the activity is results focused;

· It includes performance enhancing approaches and builds on the GRZ’s systems and improves upon them, like the District Health Information System (DHIS), and strives to roll them out and encourage the utilization of data to inform programmatic decision making. It includes performance monitoring and enhancing approaches of GRZ capacity and results to ensure that the Offeror’s technical assistance and the GRZ’s use of G2G funds have a maximum impact on service delivery outcomes.

Factor 2 – Management Approach

The proposal will be evaluated on the extent to which:

· It outlines a realistic management and staffing plan, which responds to the technical requirements of the SOW, and will facilitate successful achievement of the desired programmatic results.

· The organizational chart demonstrates that proposed personnel are placed appropriately in the organizational chart with clearly defined position titles, level of effort, and the lines of reporting.

· Includes opportunities for skilled junior expatriates and Zambian young professionals, particularly women, to contribute to the achievement of the objectives outlined in the SOW and gain substantive professional experience in HIV/AIDS programming.

· The management plan is cost effective and will lead to efficiencies in operational and financial management, including appropriate use of STTA.

· The management plan clearly describes the roles of the prime organization and sub-partners and demonstrates the comparative advantage of each organization.

Factor 3 – Past Performance

The Contractor performance information determined to be relevant will be evaluated in accordance with the elements below:

(1) Quality of product or service, including consistency in meeting goals and targets.

(2) Cost control, including forecasting costs as well as accuracy in financial reporting.

(3) Schedule, including the timeliness against the completion of the contract, task orders, milestones, delivery schedules, and administrative requirements (e.g., efforts that contribute to or affect the schedule variance).

(4) Business relations, addressing the history of professional behavior and overall business-like concern for the interests of the customer, including the Contractor’s history of reasonable and cooperative behavior (to include timely identification of issues in controversy), customer satisfaction, timely award and management of subcontracts, cooperative attitude in remedying problems, and timely completion of all administrative requirements.

(5) Management of key personnel, including appropriateness of personnel for the job and prompt and satisfactory changes in personnel when problems with clients where identified.