RFP_SOL-617-15-000005.pdf

USAID/Uganda RFP-617-09-009

NUDEIL

Issuance Date: January 8, 2015 Closing Date for submission of questions January 22, 2015 Closing Time for submission of questions 4:00 p.m. (EST) Washington, D.C.

Anticipated date of response to Questions: January 29, 2015

Closing Date for submission of proposals: February 23, 2015 Closing Time for submission of proposals: 4:00 p.m. (EST) Washington, D.C.

Place of Performance: Uganda

Subject: USAID/Uganda Youth Leadership for Agriculture

RFP NO. SOL-617-15-000005

Dear Sir/Madam:

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Uganda, is seeking proposals from qualified organizations interested in increasing economic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Ugandan female and male youth aged 10 to 35, in agriculture-related fields, in order to increase their incomes and build entrepreneurial, leadership, and workforce readiness skills.

This procurement shall be conducted under full and open competition under which any type of organization (U.S. and Non U.S. commercial for profit firms, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations) is eligible to compete. The procedures set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15 shall apply.

USAID anticipates awarding a five-year Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract with a total estimated range of $21,000,000 to $23,000,000 for the implementation of this activity. The purpose of providing an estimated range for the contract is to help Offerors develop their proposals. Offerors should provide the lowest possible cost corresponding with their technical approach.

USAID encourages the participation to the maximum extent possible of small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, veteran owned small business, service-disabled veteran small business, HUB Zone small business and women-owned small business concerns in this activity as the prime Contractor or as subcontractors in accordance with Part 19 of the FAR.

The RFP and any amendments to this solicitation will be issued and posted on the FBO website at https://www.fbo.gov. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the website periodically for official updates and amendments to the solicitation. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from the internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. If substantive questions are received which affect the response to the solicitation, or if changes are made to the closing date and time, as well as other aspects of the RFP, this solicitation will be amended.

https://www.fbo.gov/

OFFICE OF ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE

USAID /UGANDA

2190 KAMPALA PLACE

WASHINGTON DC 20521-2190

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER RATING PAGE OF

PAGES

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER 4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION 5. DATE ISSUED

SEE COVER PAGE

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

7. ISSUED BY

CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO

OFFICE OF ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE

USAID/UGANDA

PLOT 1577 GGABA ROAD

KAMPALA, UGANDA

Email: KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov

(If other than Item 7)

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

9. Sealed offers in original and _Electronic only___ 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 depository located in n/a until (see Cover Letter and section L.7 for date and time) local (Kampala) time .

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.

A. NAME B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

AREA CODE

256-414

NUMBER

306-001

EXT.

6669 KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov

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

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM 3 X I CONTRACT CLAUSES 59

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS 7 PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT 9 X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 66

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING 24 PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 26

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 28

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 37 X L INSTR., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 76

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 41 X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 94

X K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within __150______ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted 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 designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT 10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS (%) (See Section I, Clause No. 52-232-8)

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated:

CODE FACILITY 16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER 15A. NAME AND

ADDRESS

OF OFFEROR

(Type or print)

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT. 15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM

ABOVE - ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: 23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN ITEM (4 copies unless otherwise specified)

10 U.S.C. 2304(a) ( ) 41 U.S.C. 253(c) ( )

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

USAID/Uganda Financial Management Office US Mission Compound, Plot 1577,Ggaba Road, Kampala, Uganda

CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

TRACY J. MILLER

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

(REV. 9-97)

10. FOR INFORMATION CALL:

Liz Nabasirye

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

STANDARD FORM 33

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

SOLICITATION

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

N/A

SOL-617-15-000005

X

See Attached Table of Contents mailto:KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov mailto:KampalaUSAIDSolicita@USAID.gov

USAID/Uganda Youth Leadership for Agriculture

CONTENTS

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

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

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

B.8 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 AIDAR 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993)

D.2 BRANDING AND MARKING POLICY

D.3 BRANDING STRATEGY

D.4 DELIVERABLES IN PAPER FORM

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.3 MONITORING AND EVALUATION

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

F.4 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES OR OUTPUTS

F.5 SYNOPSIS OF CONTRACT REPORTS/PLANS

F.6 KEY PERSONNEL

F.7 TECHNICAL APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

F.8 AIDAR 752.7005 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE

DOCUMENTS (SEPTEMBER 2013)

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1. AIDAR 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998)

G.2 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICE

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

G.4 TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

G.5 PAYING OFFICE

G.6 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

G.7 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

H.2 AIDAR 752.7004 EMERGENCY LOCATOR INFORMATION (JULY 1997)

H.3 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JAN 2002)

H.4 INSURANCE AND SERVICES

H.5 AIDAR 752.228-70 MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDEVAC) SERVICES (JUL 2007)

H.6 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

H.7 LOGISTIC SUPPORT

H.8 CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT

H.9 STANDARDS FOR ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE DISABLED IN USAID CONSTRUCTION

CONTRACTS (JULY 2007)

H.10 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JULY 2007)

H.11 USAID DISABILITY POLICY - ACQUISITION (DEC 2004)

H.12 AIDAR 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2012)

H.13 AIDAR 752.245-71 TITLE TO AND CARE OF PROPERTY (APR 1984)

H.14 AIDAR 752.7007 PERSONNEL COMPENSATION (JULY 2007)

H.15 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENT

H.16 MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

H.17 VALUE ADDED TAX AND CUSTOMS DUTIES

H.18 AIDAR 752.7032 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS (APR 2014)

H.19 NONEXPENDABLE PROPERTY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

H.20 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

H.21 EMPLOYMENT COSTS OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS AND COOPERATING COUNTRY

NATIONALS

H.22 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND MANAGEMENT

H.23 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUNE 2012)

H.24 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

H.25 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM

H.26 SUPPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA

H.27 SUPPORT TO THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

H.28 NON-DISCRIMINATION IN IMPLEMENTATION OF USAID-FUNDED PROGRAMS

H.29 BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL

H.30 USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NOTICES (IPN) PORTAL FOR ACQUISITION (JULY 2014)

H.31 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (AUGUST 2013)

H.32 CONFERENCE PLANNING AND REQUIRED APPROVALS (AUGUST 2013)

H.33 MEASURES TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE RESULTS:

H.34 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL) (OCTOBER

2014)

H.35 FRAUD REPORTING

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

I.2 52.204-1 APPROVAL OF CONTRACT (DEC 1989)

I.3 52.216-24 LIMITATION OF GOVERNMENT LIABILITY (APR 1984)

I.4 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)

I.5 AIDAR 752.219-70 USAID MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ PROGRAM (JULY 2007)

I.6 AIDAR 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007)

I.7 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATION REGARDING A DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR A

FELONY CRIMINAL CONVICTION (DEVIATION OAA-DEV-14-02C) (AUGUST 2014)

I.8 COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 508 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, AS

AMENDED

I.9 752.228-70 MEDICAL EVACUATION (MEDVAC) SERVICES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND REFERENCED BY LINK

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

K.2 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (NOV 2014)

K.3 INSURANCE - IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY

K.4 52.204-3 TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION (OCT 1998)

K.5 FAR 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, PROPOSED

DEBARMENT, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (APRIL 2010)

K.6 FAR 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (JUL 2013)

K.7 52.230-1 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOTICES AND CERTIFICATION (MAY 2012). 72

K.8 52.230-7 PROPOSAL DISCLOSURE--COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICE CHANGES (APR 2005)

K.9 COMPLIANCE WITH VETERANS EMPLOYMENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

K.10 SIGNATURE

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

L.2 FAR 52.215-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION (JAN 2004) 76

L.3 FAR 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

L.4 FAR 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEPT 2006)

L.5 FAR 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

L.6 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

L.7 SUBMISSION/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

L.8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

L.9 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF BRANDING AND MARKING PLANS

L.10 DIGITIZING PAYMENTS IN UGANDA

L.11 COST PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

M.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA

M.3 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION

M.4 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITIVE RANGE AND CONTRACT AWARD

M.5 SOURCE SELECTION

M.6 CONTRACTING WITH SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND DISADVANTAGED

ENTERPRISES

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the Youth Leadership for Agriculture Activity is to increase economic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Ugandan female and male youth ages 10 to 35 in agriculture-related fields in order to increase incomes and build entrepreneurship, leadership, and workforce readiness. The capacity of selected workforce institutions and value chain actors will be strengthened to ensure sustainability of youth outcomes as described in this Statement of Work.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. For the consideration set for the below, the Contractor will provide the deliverables or outputs described in Section C and F, in accordance with performance standards specified in Section E.

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, if any, is $TBD. The fixed fee, if any, is $TBD. The estimated cost plus fixed fee, if any, is

$TBD.

(b) Within the estimated cost plus fixed fee (if any) specified in paragraph (a) above, the amount currently obligated and available for reimbursement of allowable costs incurred by the Contractor (and payment of fee, if any) for performance hereunder is $TBD. The Contractor shall not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount in accordance with the Limitation of Funds Clause, FAR 52.232.22

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

B.4 BUDGET

Item CLIN Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Direct Costs 001 TBD Subcontracts* 002 TBD Grants*(plug in figure) 003 $1,000,000 Indirect Costs 004 TBD Fixed Fee 005 TBD Total Estimated Cost Plus Fixed Fee TBD

* The amounts proposed are exclusively for subcontracts and grants and does not include management or administrative expenses incurred by the Contractor.

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

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

TBD 1/ 1/ 1/ 1/

Base of Application: TBD Type of Rate: TBD Period: TBD Source: TBD

(1) The Government will not be obligated to pay any additional amount shall the final indirect cost rates exceed the negotiated ceiling rates. If the final indirect cost rates are less than the negotiated ceiling rates, the negotiated rates must be reduced to conform to the lower rates.

(2) This understanding will not change any monetary ceiling, obligation, or specific cost allowance or disallowance. Any changes in classifying or allocating indirect costs require the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

B.6 COST REIMBURSABLE

The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, FAR 52.216-8, Fixed Fee, if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003, Documentation for Payment.

B.7 PAYMENT OF FIXED FEE

Payment of fixed fee will be done in accordance with FAR 52.216-8.

B.8 MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

All contract CLINs under this award are considered non-severable and constitutes a multi-year contract as defined in FAR 17.103. Therefore, this contract is subject to the requirements of FAR 17.106. In the event that the Government cancels requirements for services in subsequent program years under this contract, the following conditions will apply: [Amount and dates to be filled in at time of award]

Cancellation Dates:

Contract Year 2: DATE TBD, 2016 Amount: $___TBD___ Contract Year 3: DATE TBD, 2017 Amount: $___TBD___ Contract Year 4: DATE TBD, 2018 Amount: $___TBD___ Contract Year 5: DATE TBD, 2019 Amount: $___TBD___

Cancellation Ceiling:

This is a CPFF type contract where the contractor is authorized to be reimbursed for all costs which are allowable in accordance with FAR 52.216-7, “Allowable Costs and Payment”.

Therefore, the contractor will not incur any costs which would have been amortized over the life of the contract should the contract be cancelled in accordance with FAR 52.217-2. Therefore, the cancellation ceiling for each cancellation date is [Negotiated amount].

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 INTRODUCTION

The program title is “Youth Leadership for Agriculture in Uganda.”

The purpose of Youth Leadership for Agriculture is to increase economic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Ugandan female and male youth ages 10 to 35 in agriculture-related fields in order to increase their incomes and build entrepreneurship, leadership, and workforce readiness. The capacity of selected workforce institutions and value chain actors will be strengthened to ensure sustainability of youth outcomes as described in the Statement of Work.

C.2 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Uganda has two untapped assets that could spur broad-based economic growth: its agricultural potential and its large youth population. Uganda, however, faces daunting challenges with a growing "youth bulge" triggered by the world’s fourth fastest population growth rate of 3.23%.

With almost 50 percent of the population under age 14, Uganda is the world’s second-youngest country. Uganda’s population of 35 million has almost doubled since 1991, and the population is on pace to increase another 50% by 2023. Economic opportunities are limited; the private sector is unable to generate enough jobs to employ the rising youth population; and Uganda’s youth face distressing levels of unemployment/underemployment.

Employing two-thirds of the labor force and providing one-half of export earnings, agriculture is the mainstay of Uganda’s economy. Yields, though, are 30% below potential and post-harvest losses can be as high as 40%.

Approximately 75% of Uganda’s workforce is engaged in agriculture-related activities, including most Ugandan women. Ugandan women, although vital to the country’s food security, are usually overlooked as a meaningful resource for future growth and leadership. Unlike the mindset within the service and manufacturing sectors, which have seen significant growth in recent years, only a minority of Ugandans who work in agriculture regard the sector as a “business.” Rather, agriculture is widely perceived as backward and unattractive, resisting modern business practices that could make Uganda more prosperous.1

Uganda’s persistent poverty belies its potential wealth. The country has abundant natural resources and diminishing trade barriers in its regional markets. It is the world’s 10th-largest coffee producer and enjoys a relatively stable and predictable environment for investment.

However, Uganda faces fundamental vulnerabilities: low literacy rates,2 inadequate infrastructure, and wide-spread corruption.

1 USAID. 2014.Youth and Agriculture Assessment in Uganda.

2 Uganda's literacy rate is often cited at 75%, but this based on "the ability to read and write…a short simple statement about everyday life," not "functional literacy," which is needed to participate in the economy.

Additionally, the 75% literacy rate may be overestimated. See, Towards Indicators for a Post-2015 Education Framework, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, July, 2014, pp. 9-10.

Youth in Agriculture Ugandan youth who leave school usually work in subsistence agriculture.

Less than 7% of youth receive money for their work, and nearly 80% work for their families.3 In various surveys, up to 79% of youth reported working on smallholder farms, usually family farms,4 where they acquire most of their knowledge about agriculture.5 Because youth are not paid for their work on family farms,6 it is difficult for them to achieve financial independence.

In Uganda, more than 70% of the young people live in rural areas, and youth make up about 55% of the work force in the agricultural sector.7 According to the USAID Youth and Agriculture Assessment (2014), which included focus groups with 372 youth across seven regions in Uganda, most Ugandan youth are engaged in some sort of agricultural activity. Although they did not see agriculture as a primary income-generating activity, youth were interested in agriculture as secondary income generation. Many responded positively to the question “do you want to be a farmer in the future," but reacted negatively to subsistence farming. This distaste for subsistence farming is not unwarranted, as low agricultural yields and the natural vulnerability of crops prompt many youth to see diversification of income as a more viable livelihood strategy than a singular focus on farming. Thus, many youth seek pathways to the workforce that allow them to ‘keep a foot in the door’ of agriculture, especially as many youth believe that they will one day return to their parents’ land.8

Education According to the 2013 National Labor Force Survey, only 55% of the labor force has primary education at any level; only 21% have any secondary education, and less than 2% have any specialized training. Reading comprehension is a major concern, with one assessment finding that many primary students cannot answer even one comprehension question at the end of a story, with major implications for functional literacy. There is an urgent need for scalable skill development interventions because if current trends continue, of the 61 million Ugandans in 2040, more than 30 million youth will not have the skills to participate in the Ugandan economy.

Gender According the UNICEF 2013 brief, the situation for girls is far worse than boys: more girls drop out of school; more are victims of gender based violence; more get married before age 15. The situation is particularly dire for adolescent girls who are consistently constrained in their freedom to make life decisions. This is due in part to socio-cultural expectations that negatively affect women and girls’ access to and control over the productive assets necessary to transform their lives, such as land and financial resources. Such norms influence how boys and girls are valued, and how decisions are made about economic opportunities and leadership roles in the family and community. Young women, especially adolescent girls, are rarely the focus of agricultural or skills training. Courses offered by skills training institutions are often gender biased with girls taking courses that attract less return on investment. Additionally

3 Uganda Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013). The National Labour Force and Child Activities Survey 2011/2012:

Child Labour Report.

4 Surveys are cited in USAID. 2014. Youth and Agriculture Assessment in Uganda.

5 Food and Agriculture Organization, Technical Centre for Rural Cooperation, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. 2014. Youth and Agriculture: Key Challenges and Concrete Solutions.

6 Ahaibwe, G., Mbowa S., and M.M. Lwanga (2013). Youth Engagement in Agriculture in Uganda: Challenges and Prospects. Economic Policy Research Centre Research Series No. 106; and Reitveld, A., S. Mpiira, and C. Staver.

2012. Targeting young adults/young households in Central Uganda: Where is the next generation of famers? Paper Submitted for the Young People, Farming, and Food Conference in Accra, Ghana.

7 Shroff, C. 2012. Youth and Entrepreneurship in the Agribusiness Sector in Uganda. A Concept Paper. NCG- Denmark.

8 USAID. 2014.Youth and Agriculture Assessment in Uganda.

young women’s ability to benefit from training is constrained---both psychologically and materially---by expectations that they will relocate to another village upon marriage, must care for children and the home, and are unlikely to inherit land. The majority of young women work on family farms where they are not paid for their efforts and seldom make decisions regarding work, use of technologies, and crop cultivation. Indeed, the trend for women not to own assets and not to be paid for their labor persists into adulthood. Even when young women have a legal right to land, it can be difficult to enforce because young women lack the education and financial resources to press a claim.

Reproductive Health Uganda has the world’s highest rate of teenage pregnancy. In 20129 UNICEF reported that 46 percent of Ugandans are married by the age of 18 with over 62 percent of young women and almost half of young men having pre-marital sex.10 The Demographic and Health Survey of 2011 reported 86 percent of married adolescents do not use contraception. Consequently, adolescent mothers account for 20 percent of births in Uganda and 13% of births to unmarried girls.11 Pregnancies account for 40 percent12 of primary school drop-outs in Uganda and the situation is equally severe at the secondary school level with only 34 percent of girls enrolled in senior one (S1) able to progress to upper secondary (S5-6) due to teenage marriage and pregnancies. Efforts to end the cycle of weak economic opportunities for youth must address early marriage and unplanned pregnancies.

C.3 Theoretical Framework

Successful youth livelihoods are dependent on a mix of factors: human, social, physical, and financial assets--sometimes together called productive assets. Youth need to “come to the table” as entrepreneurs with some key skills and social contacts that they did not likely acquire in school or in their families because their access to practical, hands-on training has been very limited. The Activity will be informed by this widely-accepted framework, taking into account youth’s need for all these assets, though some (such as financial services or literacy instruction or health information and services) may be best provided by fostering partnerships rather than through direct service delivery. The four assets described by the framework below must be in place or strengthened for young people (or adults) to successfully create sustainable livelihoods or increase the productivity of their existing livelihoods.

Human capital: A range of skills, knowledge and attitudes that prepare youth for successful economic activity, including literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, health literacy, and other “soft skills” or work readiness skills, and technical skills. Attitudes and values are included here such as entrepreneurial and pro-social mindsets and positive attitudes towards contraception and the value of delaying/spacing childbearing.

Social capital (including markets): Access to networks of entrepreneurs, mentors, role models, etc. These individuals or groups provide moral and material support and/or business opportunities, and they represent nodes through which critical market information is channeled. High levels of social capital often generate a positive sense of

9 State of the World’s children 2012 10 National Employment Plan (NEP).

11 Magadi, MA; Agwanda, AO; Obare, FO. “A Comparative Analysis of the Use of Maternal Health Services between Teenagers and Older Mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys

(DHS).”

12 Uganda Ministry of Education report 2011 belonging and identity that are critical to success. Opportunities for youth leadership, community service, and social entrepreneurship are included here.

Financial capital: Access to services and knowledge about financial resource mobilization that enable micro-entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. Savings, credit, grants, and insurance are included as well as financial literacy and accurate understanding of markets through value chain or labor market analysis.

Physical capital: Physical assets necessary for livelihood productivity including: land, work space, tools, equipment, technology, and supply inputs, including stewardship of natural assets for environmental sustainability.

The Contractor will place particular emphasis on the first two forms of capital assets: human and social, multiplying training and networking opportunities available to youth, drawing on informal, non-formal and formal types of learning and networking.

C.4 OBJECTIVES

The overall Development Objective of the Youth Leadership for Agriculture Activity is to increase economic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Ugandan female and male youth ages 10 to 35 in agriculture-related fields in order to increase incomes and build entrepreneurship, leadership, and workforce readiness. The specific objectives are:

1. Increased incomes of youth working in agricultural value chains

2. Improved skills development (entrepreneurship, employability, leadership, and life skills) obtained through formal and non-formal education and training organizations.

The following outcomes are expected for each Objective.

Objectives Outcomes 1 Increased incomes of youth working in agricultural value chains

1.1 Increased adoption of technologies that improve productivity

1.2 Increased provision of market-driven technical skills development services by private sector firms

1.3 Increased access to input and output markets by youth

1.4 Increased employment opportunities for youth along the value chain 2 Improved skills and competencies of youth

2.1 Increased provision of quality technical, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship skills (including soft skills such as communication, positive mindset, critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and business planning)

2.2 Increased opportunities to demonstrate leadership, social entrepreneurship, and community engagement by youth

2.3 Improved provision of life skills for healthy living (including family planning and reproductive health information)

This flagship youth activity will pioneer methods for mainstreaming youth in agriculture activities, building on an array of USAID/Uganda’s Feed the Future activities. In addition to mainstreaming youth into promising emerging markets and upgrading their livelihoods strategies, the Contractor will also create scalable positive youth development models that enable youth to develop foundational skills and attitudes necessary for successful entrepreneurship, community leadership, and entry into the labor market. The over-all approach for both Objectives will involve fostering the development of partnerships to leverage: private and public sector actors, vocational training providers, NGOs, youth groups, local government entities, faith-based organizations, and community associations.

To this end, in addition to increasing youth opportunities, the Activity is centrally focused on identifying and sharing learning about cost-effective interventions and approaches, and building capacity among diverse stakeholders in the eco-system to enable them to continue efforts after USAID funding is complete.

Approaches will be guided by the principles of USAID’s Youth Policy and take into account the age of the youth and their school status.13 Appropriate outcomes for younger youth include: better employability prospects, tangible evidence of utilization of activity-provided skills, mentorship, and enhanced career awareness. Many youth will need to earn money to help support their families and/or to cover educational expenses and such earnings from early entrepreneurship activities will teach them how markets operate and enable them to practice financial literacy skills. In contrast, older youth (15-35 years) are likely to focus more intensively on income-generation, strengthening market networks for their businesses, and increased productivity, though they too will benefit from continued formal or non-formal skills development and leadership experiences within their communities. The Contractor will integrate life-skills for healthy living and reproductive health/family planning especially for female youth.

13 www.usaid.gov/.../1870/Youth_in_Development_Policy.pdf

Objective 1 In achieving Objective 1, the Contractor will pursue a facilitative market systems approach14 to leverage private sector actors. The approach will improve relationships and networks among value chain actors and youth (ages 15-35) and use strategic investments and incentives to encourage private sector actors to provide technical assistance, training, mentoring, as well as increased market (both input and output) opportunities for large numbers of youth. This will involve developing relationships between private sector actors such as input suppliers or exporters and youth to improve their access to markets and enable youth to join and extract benefits from the value chain.

In line with the labor market demands in the agricultural sector, the Contractor will investigate the needs and skill requirements of employers in select value chains and help them to link youth to those employment opportunities along selected agricultural value chains. The Contractor must be cognizant of home, family and cultural norms and expectations, that youth (especially young women) will face when seeking additional employment. Finally, the use of improved technologies in agricultural production and marketing are critical ingredients for engaging youth in agriculture and for increasing youth productivity. The Contractor will facilitate linkages to public and private institutions which have existing technologies that youth can access and disseminate.

The Contractor will stimulate market actors in a manner that encourages systemic changes while not creating dependency. There are already several win-win private sector initiatives underway in Uganda which expands youth involvement in agriculture value chains while meeting the private sector needs. An example is in agricultural marketing where input suppliers and aggregators/traders of agriculture commodities provide training to and hire youth on a commission basis to serve as their “village agents” (i.e. sales force). On the production side, several large traders of agriculture commodities are organizing youth into groups, providing training and access to technology (improved inputs), as well as guaranteed markets for the production.

Achieving Objective 1 will require a rigorous evidence-based approach. Within the first 12 months, the Contactor will pilot and assess: 1) the ability of private sector actors to incorporate large numbers of youth into agricultural value chains, 2) nature and magnitude of benefits to youth, 3) cost-effectiveness, and 4) scalability and replicability. Results of these evaluations will be shared with USAID/Uganda at the end of the initial (approximately) 12 month period. The Contractor will subsequently submit a report that documents the most promising approaches, results, and lessons learned as well as a plan for scale up across other Districts and private sector actors over the remaining life of the activity. As stated in section C.7 Monitoring Evaluation and Learning, all models will be continually tested and refined throughout the life of the activity.

Objective 2

14 A facilitative market systems approach is focused on the private sector and takes into account the existing structures and incentives within an economy. This approach seeks to facilitate changes across the system to improve efficiencies and achieve large scale impact. Under this approach, interventions aim to stimulate the value chain to develop and grow but do not become a part of the chain. Because the approach works through local actors and is designed with replicability in mind, it is more likely to be sustainable and adopted by others who were not directly involved with the original intervention.

The Contractor will pursue a scaled approach for significantly increasing the opportunities for practical learning and applied soft skills acquisition for youth, such that they are better prepared for successful entry into agricultural careers. This “scaled approach” will build upon and scale up successful models that work to improve skills and competencies of youth. To achieve scale, the Contractor will leverage experiences of existing organizations and initiatives. The Contractor will use a facilitative approach that uses targeted incentives and assistance to leverage and expand the activities of existing actors without creating long-term dependency.

The target population of Objective 2 will be slightly younger (ages 10-25), and the focus will be on strengthening technical, entrepreneurial and work force readiness skills (including soft skills). These skills (demanded by the labor market) will supplement formal education, and help youth diversify their knowledge base with hands-on experiences and complement the theoretically-laden formal training youth often receive in school. As a result of acquiring these types of skills, youth will be better prepared for successful entry into agricultural careers. The Contractor will also identify models and approaches that enable youth to become more deeply engaged in their communities and demonstrate leadership and social entrepreneurship skills. Often times community leaders appear unaware of the untapped potential of young Ugandans to meet the development challenges in their communities.

The Contractor will help youth identify and exploit opportunities to demonstrate leadership and social entrepreneurship to solve challenges in their community, and/or to increase their personal/community development through volunteerism.

Young women are often unable to gain skills necessary to earn a sustainable income often due to unplanned pregnancies, child care and a myriad of other responsibilities in the home. Consequently, youth especially young women need more information on life skills for healthy living (including family planning and reproductive health) in conjunction with other skill areas described above. The Contractor will identify innovative opportunities to provide youth, especially young women, with essential life skills in order to gain skills required for health living and earning a sustainable income.

Interventions for in-school youth are likely to be extra-curricular and may occur either on or off the school grounds. Activities for in-school youth should buttress existing school co-curricular/activities to ensure sustainability. Activities for out-of-school youth will involve community-based programming resembling the American 4-H, youth village saving and loans groups, or youth associations that are supported by teachers, role model peers, mentors, parents, and/or community leaders.

The achievement of this Objective will depend upon the Contractor’s ability to develop and standardize a low-cost, effective package of services and curriculum modules for local organizations or clubs that can be rapidly expanded through local structures. To ensure the material is demand-driven and tailored to specific needs, local organizations should be able to choose from a menu of curriculum modules which will use, or be based upon, already developed materials adapted to the Ugandan context.

Achieving Objective 2 will require a rigorous evidence-based approach. Within the first 12 months, the Contractor will pilot and assess several packages of interventions and evaluate: 1) capabilities of local partners, 2) nature and magnitude of benefits to youth, 3) cost-effectiveness, and 4) scalability and replicability. Results of these evaluations will be shared with USAID/Uganda at the end of the initial (approximately) 12 month period. The Contractor will subsequently submit a report that documents results and lessons learned and presents a plan for scale up across other Districts and local partners over the remaining life of the activity. As stated in section C.7 Monitoring Evaluation and Learning, all models will be continually tested and refined throughout the life of the activity.

C.5 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The following principles will guide all aspects of activity implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Most importantly, they will provide vision and set the tone for the Activity that will inform decision-making.

Scale, replicable, and cost-effectiveness Given the large size of Uganda’s rising youth cohort, it is critical for the Contractor to achieve significant scale and to reach hundreds of thousands of youth. The Contractor, in consultation with USAID, will seek to achieve scale by developing and testing intervention models designed to lead to larger impacts, paying careful attention to cost-effectiveness. It will create partnerships with Ugandan stakeholders—including private sector, NGO, community, and governmental entities--that are able to complement resources to achieve and sustain scaled results in the medium- to longer-term.

Active private sector engagement Meeting and stimulating market demand for services, products, and labor is a key to solving the youth employment crisis in Uganda. The Contractor will engage—and wherever possible, begin—with private sector needs and capacities to align incentives, including business ideas and opportunities generated by youth themselves. Private sector engagement will involve many different modalities including demand-driven skills training provided to youth by private sector actors such as input suppliers or exporters. It will involve market linkages and value addition for better sale prices of youth-produced or – traded products and services.

Youth energy, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit Youth in Uganda crave encouragement and validation of their energy and ideas. The Activity will have the “look and feel” of a youth-driven initiative and will continuously strive to listen and respond appropriately to youth ideas for implementation. It will put youth in the drivers’ seat wherever possible, will support youth as they “drive,” and will lead with fresh, innovative ideas that demonstrate to youth that agro-business and entrepreneurial thinking can be paths for their futures.

Young women leading (target: 70%) Too often youth employment efforts have begun with young men—their life conditions and aspirations—and then sought to add young women, sometimes with disappointing results. In order to achieve improved gender equality, the Contractor will begin with the needs, aspirations and opportunities for Ugandan girls and young women. Activities will be intentionally designed to help young women overcome barriers they face due to combined effects of their age, gender, and residence. Over-all, positive results appropriate for sex disaggregation will target 70% females or female achievement. Gender sensitive programming will take into account the unique realities and needs of young women.

C.5 GEOGRAPHIC AND COMMODITY FOCUS

Geographic Focus The Contractor will work within a subset of USAID/Uganda’s 38 Feed the Future Focus Districts.

In the first year, the Activity will be limited to no more than four focus districts to ensure significant scale within each district as well as to test the implementation models. The focus during the first year will be on developing models and packages of interventions that are designed and continually tested for scalability, effectiveness, and cost. After models are demonstrating success, it is envisioned that interventions will be scaled to additional Feed the Future districts in successive years.

Commodity Focus The Feed the Future Value Chains of coffee, maize, and beans (and agricultural inputs) should be prioritized for activities contributing to Objective One, underscoring the opportunity and need for collaboration with other Feed the Future mechanisms. However, to significantly improve economic opportunity for female and male youth, private sector actors in other agricultural value chains will also need to be engaged. The female youth voice should lead the selection of private sector actors working in other value chains, and youth innovation and creativity should be harnessed to select the most appropriate opportunities for youth in each segment of the value chains. As the main focus of Objective Two is skills development, there is no need to limit such associated activities for fostering skills to Feed the Future priority value chains.

C.6 LINKAGES WITH USAID PRIORITIES

The Activity supports USAID/Uganda’s Country Development Coordination Strategy (2011- 2015) Development Objective (DO1): Economic growth from agriculture and the natural resource base increased in selected areas and population groups. This activity will contribute to CDCS Sub Intermediate Result 1.1 Increased income led by strategic value chains in selected populations and is implemented under the USAID/Uganda’s “Feed the Future (FTF) Value Chain Project.” The Activity also addresses Develop Objective (DO3): Improved Health and Nutrition Status in Focus Areas and Population Groups. The Activity will contribute to DO3’s IR3.1.3: Health Seeking Behaviors and Demand for Quality Services Increased.

Food security The Activity will advance USAID/Uganda’s Feed the Future Strategy (2011-2015) which takes an integrated approach to simultaneously increase farmer incomes and improve nutritional status of women and children. Feed the Future investments in Uganda are implemented in 38 districts and focus on improving crop productivity and value chain efficiencies for three priority crops coffee, maize and beans. While this activity will link youth into other agricultural value chains, coffee, maize and beans must still be a priority. Although Uganda produces an array of diverse foods, nutrition statistics remain alarming. Over 36% of children are undernourished or stunted leading us to believe that there are socio-cultural factors which may affect nutritional status. This activity is poised to reach young people with information and resources which can both boost incomes through agriculture value chains and provide information and change mindsets about the foods they consume.

Youth The Activity responds to the mandate of USAID’s Youth in Development Policy (2012) to improve the capacities and enable the aspirations of youth so that they can contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic, and prosperous communities and nations. The Activity will strengthen Ugandan youth programming and participation, incorporating the seven, evidence-based guiding principles described in the Policy.15 The Activity will also actualize the second Policy objective--to mainstream youth programming and engagement across USAID initiatives and operations—by integrating positive youth development approaches in existing food security, value chain, and workforce development programming.

Education The Activity will also advance the USAID Education Strategy: Opportunity through Learning (2011), Goal 2, on the improvement of workforce development programs to produce a workforce with relevant skills for country development. Objectives will contribute towards Result 2.1, “Increased access to vocational/technical and tertiary education and training for underserved and disadvantaged groups,” (though activities will differ substantially from those illustrative examples provided on page 13 of the Strategy) and Result 2.3, “Improved relevance and quality of workforce development programs.” Although current evidence on youth programming in agriculture is sparse, the Activity will build on what is already known about effective, sustainable youth programming.

Gender The Activity supports the USAIDs Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, as well as other relevant USAID policies and strategies.16 The Contractor will be expected to demonstrate compliance with USAID Policy ADS 205, including USAID’s policy objectives to reduce: 1) gaps between males and females in access to/control over economic, political, and social resources;

2) the prevalence of gender-based violence; and 3) constraints that prevent women and girls from leading, participating fully in, and influencing decisions in their societies.

Activities will be intentionally designed to reach at least 70% women to help overcome barriers they face due to combined effects of their age, gender, and residence. Gender sensitive programming will take into account the unique realities and needs of young women.

Coordination with Government of Uganda USAID/Uganda is committed to greater coordination, efficiency, and effective division of labor. The Activity will work with USAID/Uganda to ensure appropriate coordination and communication with relevant Government of Uganda Ministries and Agencies. A major component of USAID/Uganda’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) applies the principles of selectivity and geographic focus by coordinating programming across Mission Development Objectives (DO) in the 19 districts where all three of the DOs have activities. These "Focus Districts," operationalize this concept through a coordinating mechanism known as the District Operational Plan (DOP). The Mission has signed these DOPs (essentially, memoranda of understanding) with the District Government leadership and the Chiefs of Party of each USAID implementing partner operating in that district. The DOPs formalize a process of collaboration, coordination and mutual accountability among the three parties to these agreements. The approach embodies the aid effectiveness principles of country ownership and leadership, consultation, and aid coordination, and seeks to utilize them in order to leverage greater overall development impact.

15 These principles are: Recognize youth participation as vital for effective programs; Invest in assets that build youth resilience; Account for youth differences and commonalities; Create second chance opportunities; Involve and support mentors, families, and communities; Pursue gender equality; and Embrace innovation and technology by and for youth.

16 The U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally; The USAID Vision for Ending Child Marriage and Meeting the Needs of Married Children; and The USAID…