Amendment_04.pdf

Postal Address:

U.S. Agency for International Development USAID Kenya P.O. Box 629 Village Market 00621 Nairobi, Kenya

Courier Address:

USAID/Kenya c/o American Embassy United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya

Pouch Address:

American Embassy 8900 Nairobi Place Department Of State Washington D.C. 20521-8900

Tel: 254-20-862 2000 Fax: 254-20-862 2680 / 2682 http://kenya.usaid.gov/

Date: June 18, 2013

Reference : Request for Proposal (RFP) No. SOL‐615‐13‐000012, The USAID/Kenya Agile and Harmonized Assistance for Devolved Institutions (AHADI) Project

Subject: Amendment Number Four (04)) Project

Dear Potential Offerors:

The purpose of this Amendment Number four is to provide clarification to the responses to questions posted on June 14 2013 on www.fbo.gov, through amendment 03.

Clarifications to responses to questions posted through Amendment 03, on June 14 2013.

1. The RFP (Section C.7.1) references the external Impact Evaluation (IE). Could the

Mission please confirm the timing of the selection and implementation of the IE to facilitate AHADI program planning?

USAID Response: Ideally the AHADI Impact Evaluation baseline will be conducted prior to the start-up of AHADI activities. The final evaluation study date is still being determined and will depend on the final design of the evaluation.

2. Page 57 of the RFP references that the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) must identify the indicators against which progress is to be measured. Indicators listed in Section C are described as illustrative. However, this section stipulates that all indicators identified in Section C must be included in the PMP. Could the Mission please confirm that offerors are not required to include all illustrative indicators in the draft PMP?

USAID Response: USAID confirms that the indicators in Section C are illustrative and that not all of them have to be included in the PMP.

3. Several responses dealt with questions related to past performance references. These include Responses 10, 23, 44 and 72 from Amendment #3. Responses 10 and 23 seem to indicate that offerors should submit 5 past performance references for the prime offeror and 5 additional PPRs for each major subcontractor (defined as being assigned more than

5% of the total project budget). Responses 44 and 72 seem to indicate that a total of only 5 PPRs are required covering all the partners. Could USAID please clarify how many PPRs are desired and whether these should come from just the prime offeror or a combination of prime and subcontractors?

USAID Response: Submit 5 for the prime contractor and 5 for the subcontractor, a total of 10 for both the prime contractor and subcontractor.

4. Responses to questions related to information that should be submitted regarding proposed subcontractors also seemed unclear. Response 9 indicated that subcontractor information should be included in an annex to the cost proposal. Response 43 indicated such information should be included in the technical proposal. Could USAID please clarify which specific information for subcontractors should be included in the technical proposal, and which information should be included in the cost proposal?

USAID Response: Apologies, this should be included in the Cost Proposal.

5. Section L.7 (d) notes that the cost proposal format should utilize Attachment J.1 of the RFP. Would USAID consider allowing offerors to use a breakdown in accordance with offerors’ standard cost accounting principles in lieu of the one provided, with the understanding that all costs specified under L.7 will be included in this breakdown?

USAID Response: No. For purposes of ease of comparison, USAID requires Offerors to use the format provided.

6. Can USAID please update Offerors as to whether the County Preparedness Assessment detailed in Task 1.1 will be conducted prior to the award of AHADI? C.4.3 (page 23) and C.5.1.1 (page25). County preparedness study: Has the County Preparedness study been conducted? If so, could the mission provide the study results? If not, is it likely that this study will have taken place by the time the contract is awarded? Can USAID let us know which counties are included in the study?

USAID Response: We now expect that this will be carried out by the AHADI contractor under the program.

7. On the cover letter of the RFP, USAID states, “A minimum of 60% of project funding shall be allocated over the five-year program for local organizations (with even higher percentages encouraged). 30% of project funding shall be used for the Grants under Contracts program. 30% shall be used as subcontracts and purchase orders for management responsibilities and to implement activities as required. The Grants under Contract portion of the funding shall consist of a minimum of $15,000,000 (with greater amounts encouraged, if feasible).” Can USAID please confirm that the 60 percent threshold is composed of the 30 percent for Grants under Contract and the 30 percent for subcontracts and purchase orders?

USAID Response: Correct. Specifically, a minimum of 30% is for grants under contracts, and a minimum of 30% is for subcontracts and purchase orders to local entities to carry out management and program responsibilities.

8. On page 114, for Section L.5, would USAID please confirm that a table of contents and list of acronyms are excluded from the 40-page limitation in the technical proposal?

Please confirm that items such as a cover page, transmittal letter, table of contents and list of acronyms will not count against the 40-page limit for the technical proposal? Are the Executive summary, TOC, and Acronym list included in the 40 page limitation?

USAID Response: The Table of Contents, List of Acronyms, Cover Page, and Transmittal letter do not count toward the 40 page limitation. However, The executive summary is NOT excluded from the page count limitation.

9. C.4.1. Cross sector funding: Given the cross-sectoral nature of the funding, will USAID provide us an indication of the respective proportion of the different sources of funding for the overall program or at least for Year One? Could the mission provide the estimated budget allocation for year 1 funds by sector so to inform the budget and draft Year 1 work plan?

USAID Response: That is in flux and we cannot provide the information at this time.

Funding will LIKELY come from the following sources in the first year, in descending order of amounts available: Democracy, Rights and Governance, Feed the Future, Education and Youth, Extractive Industries Transparency, Global Climate Change Integration.

10. C.4.1. Given the importance of ensuring harmonization between AHADI and other USAID Project as well as the transversal dimension of a governance program, does USAID intend to give AHADI a mandate to help coordinate USAID efforts at the County level?

USAID Response: Different USAID projects will likely take on a coordination role depending on the size of their efforts in each County. The AHADI contractor, in partnership with USAID, will likely be the lead coordinator in all of that program’s focus Counties, and will share best practices in coordination with lead projects in other Counties. Final decisions on County coordination will be made once the project is up and running.

11. Page 19 C.3.4 indicates that contractor should target 15-20 counties which include the Arid counties under the REGAL project: Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, Isiolo and Garissa while page 52, F.3 under the ‘Place of Performance’ adds Tana River, Lamu, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Nairobi, Mombasa, Machakos and Kiambu. Please clarify if the latter seven counties are compulsory.

USAID Response: As indicated in that section, these are “Potential locations” and “The final list of target counties will be negotiated with the Contractor and will be subject to the approval of USAID/Kenya.” We expect Offerors to make informed arguments as to what locations they have chosen and why based on the USAID criteria described in section C.3.4, and any additional criteria the offeror feels is relevant. Beyond the 5 required REGAL project locations, all other counties mentioned in the RFP are illustrative.

12. Program Modifier: The Program Modifier CLIN described in section C.5.4 should be budgeted using a plug-in figure of $5,000,000. Are these funds part of the 30% of subcontractors allocations or must be budgeted separately on page 122 paragraph (II)

USAID Response: For the purpose of the RFP, it should be assumed that a minimum of 60% of the program modifier would go to local organizations. Subcontractors should be included in the 60% figure, which covers both subcontractors and subgrantees. Of the 60%, a minimum of 30% of the $5,000,000 figure should be assumed to be for subcontractors and a minimum of 30% should be assumed to be for subgrantees.

13. In Section L.6 (page 118), can USAID please clarify whether the offeror should include five total past performance references for the offeror and each subcontractor whose total estimated costs exceed 5 percent of the total proposed offer, or five past performance references for the offeror as well as five for each subcontractor whose total estimated costs exceed 5 percent of the total proposed offer?

USAID Response: Submit 5 for the prime contractor and 5 for the subcontractor, a total of 10 for both the prime contractor and subcontractor.

Section L.6 (page 118) states that “The Offerors (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide performance information for itself and each sub-Contractor whose total estimated costs exceeds 5% of the total proposed offer.” Would USAID consider raising the threshold for past performance information from 5% to 20%?

USAID Response: Submit 5 for the prime contractor and 5 for the subcontractor, a total of 10 for both the prime contractor and subcontractor.

14. Please confirm whether the prime and subcontractors (whose costs exceeds 5% of the total) are required to submit a total of five recent and relevant past performance qualifications, or whether each organization is required to submit five. Pg. 118

USAID Response: Submit 5 for the prime contractor and 5 for the subcontractor, a total of 10 for both the prime contractor and subcontractor.

15. In Section L.6 (page 118), can USAID please clarify whether the offeror should include five total past performance references for the offeror and each subcontractor whose total estimated costs exceed 5 percent of the total proposed offer, or five past performance references for the offeror as well as five for each subcontractor whose total estimated costs exceed 5 percent of the total proposed offer?

USAID Response: Submit 5 for the prime contractor and 5 for the subcontractor, a total of 10 for both the prime contractor and subcontractor.

16. Page 118 of the RFP, under section 4 – Past Performance – requires 5 of the most recent and relevant Past Performance References. Does this figure refer to a total number of PPRs for both prime and major subcontractors, or should the Offeror submit 5 PPRs as the prime and 5 PPRs for each major subcontractor? Page 151 of the RFP refers to a past performance questionnaire to be submitted by June 21, 2013. Please confirm that this questionnaire must be submitted for each PPR the Offeror intends to submit and that it applies to both prime and major subcontractors. Or does this provision permit the possibility of the Offeror submitting both traditional PPRs and these additional questionnaires?

USAID Response: Submit 5 for the prime contractor and 5 for the subcontractor, a total of 10 for both the prime contractor and subcontractor.

Regards, /s/

Daniel Harter Regional Contracting Officer