Amendment__2_-_LCD_RFP_SOL-663-14-000015.pdf

Office of Acquisition and Assistance

Date: March 4, 2014

To: All Interested Firms

Subject: Amendment # 2

Ref.: Request for Proposal #: SOL-663-14-000015

The purpose of this amendment is:

A. To answer the questions regarding the referenced RFP which are not answered under Amendment #1.

B. To revise the RFP submitted herein as Attachment 1, and this revised RFP replace the previous one.

A. Answer to Questions not Answered under Amendment #1

1. Page 6 & 7, Section B.4 Budget - Can the offeror adjust the "units" included in the contract line item schedule? For example, the RFP lists 27 units for the "Capacity

Building Plan for all Beneficiary NGOs" for each of the base and option years for a total of 135 capacity building plans; however, the total number of anticipated NGOs is only

57.

The Offeror misread the RFP; total number of anticipated organizations, and therefore capacity development plans, is 54

2. Can USAID kindly provide an anticipated start date for the Local Capacity

Development project?

ASAP

3. Number 5 of the Technical Approach Criteria on page 86 mentions “confessional diversity”. Was this meant to be “professional diversity”?

Yes

4. Will the NGOs be reserved in their capacity building plans if they know they will be submitted to USAID? Can they be submitted without attribution to the NGO?

No

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

2030 Addis Ababa Place Washington, DC 20521-2030 http://www.usaidethiopia.org/

5. In Section L.8, page 81, it states: “Not included in the page limitation described in Section L.8 are the bio data forms. The forms should be submitted separate from both the technical and cost proposal. Biographical Data Sheets are required for all key personnel and all pertinent technical staff expected to perform on the contract and is to be included as annex.”

Can you please clarify if you want biodatas to be submitted as a separate 3rd email (i.e.

Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, and Biodata Forms) or if Offerors may submit biodatas as an annex to the Cost Proposal (since they include cost information)?

Submit the bio-data sheets as an Annex.

6. For the current 27 NGOs, in order to provide Offerors with sufficient information to provide a reasonable estimate for the cost of services, we have the following questions:

a. Can you please provide a short project description for each NGO?

No

b. What is the length and dollar value of their projects?

N/A

7. Regarding the work already underway with Ernst and Young, we have the following questions:

a. What methodology or tool is E&Y using for the diagnostic assessments?

N/A

b. If E&Y has already conducted diagnostic assessments and developed Capacity

Building Plans with some or all of the existing 27 grantees, can you please provide them to Offerors, as this would contain key information to reasonably assess the services that will be required?

N/A

c. Is RFP (SOL)-663-14-000015 Local Capacity Development, a new procurement or a follow on to previous work? If it is a re-compete, could you please provide the incumbent name, contract number, contract award dollar amount, and period of performance dates?

There is no incumbent contractor currently performing the work.

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

8. Page 81 L.8.1 instructs bidders to submit bio-data forms separate from the technical and cost proposals. A subsequent sentence instructs bidders to submit

Biodata Forms as an Annex.

Please clarify. Submit as Annex

9. Is there an incumbent contractor for the Local Capacity Development (LCD) requirement? If so, could you provide the vendor name and/or the contract number?

There is no incumbent contractor currently performing the work.

10. Is this a follow-on requirement? If so, could you please provide the incumbent contract number for this opportunity? If not, is this a new requirement?

There is no incumbent contractor currently performing the work currently.

11. Can USAID provide more detail on the work already done by Ernst & Young to ensure that duplicative activities are not proposed and budgeted for?

NO

12. For the referenced RFP, we would like to request extensions to the Questions

Deadline and Closing Date to allow interested parties a longer timeframe to gather questions and respond. We ask that the Questions Deadline be extended to March 3, 2014 and, assuming Questions are answered by March 14, 2014, that the Closing Date be extended to March 31, 2014.

NO

13. We kindly request an extension to the proposal submission closing date to allow interested parties a longer timeframe to fully respond and take into account USAID’s responses to questions. Assuming questions are answered by March 14, 2014, we ask that the closing date be extended to March 31, 2014.

NO

14. Would USAID extend the submission date until March 21 so that bidders have a full 30 days to prepare their responses?

The due date is March 12, 2014

15. If the request for extension is denied, please confirm that the cover page March

12, 2014 due date is correct (and not March 3 as mentioned in section L.7).

March 12, 2014 is the due date

16. Section B.4 includes 12 contract line items (CLI). The schedule of deliverables in section F.2 includes only 10 items. This is in part due to some CLIs being grouped

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

together in the schedule of deliverables. Since this presents a challenge in matching the budget to the workplan, we ask that USAID revise section B.4 and F.2 to be more aligned. Alternatively we ask permission to revise these schedules.

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

17. In Section B.3, the price for three one year extensions is presented as a lump sum. As instructions in B.3 and elsewhere in the RFP suggest, the options are to be exercised as single year options. Please clarify if USAID would like the option year pricing to be broken out by year or presented as a lump sum.

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

18. Please confirm that acceptance of the line items/deliverables in section B.4 and

F.2 are not contingent on performance of local organizations as described in Results section C.4.

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

19. Section C.2.3 makes reference to 27 current partners and 25-30 additional local

NGOs to be selected over the next three years. Can USAID provide further information about the NGO partners, including, organizational name and geographical area of operations?

Refer to the answer to question number 47.a on Amendment 1

20. Can USAID provide names and locations of the current 27 NGOs so that bidders may adequately budget for travel costs? Does USAID have priority geographic areas from which it anticipates selecting future NGOs?

Refer to the answer to question number 47.a on Amendment 1

21. Can USAID confirm that the current 27 organizations mentioned are grantees under APS 663-12-000001? If so, can USAID provide more detail on the breakdown of these grants in terms of size, duration and technical focus?

NO

22. In section D.2, USAID explains the requirements for a valid branding strategy and marking plan, but this is not listed as one of the requirements to be included in the proposal in section L. Please confirm that the branding strategy and marking plan are not required at time of proposal submission and may be submitted at a later date upon request.

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

23. Section L.9.A: The second paragraph states that the technical evaluation criteria in Section M must include the following four components: 1) Technical Approach, 2)

Key Personnel and Technical Approach, 3) Past Performance to include, and 4)

Proposed Project Management to include a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Please clarify that there are five sections as outlined on page 85 of the RFP, with the optional

Small Business Plan section. Also, please clarify what is to be included in the Past

Performance section other than what is described on page 86 of the RFP.

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

24. Section M.1, Small Business Plan: USAID indicates that certified small businesses will be assess points for small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, etc. In the interest of USAID Forward, we would like to use strong local partners. Would it be possible for USAID to consider an Ethiopian small business within the percentages given under the Small Business Plan schedule? Otherwise, it may unduly limit the use of local contractors in the Local Capacity Development

Program.

Ethiopian Small business not considered.

25. In cases where partners are identified to need additional capacity building after the first two years, can USAID confirm that this would be considered a change order?

N/A

26. How will the payment schedule be determined?

To specified in the contract

27. Considering the geographical constraint of personally reviewing the document, I request you to provide us the following details before we buy the document:

• List of Items, Schedule of Requirements, Scope of Work, Terms of Reference, Bill of Materials required.

• Soft Copy of the Tender Document through email.

• Names of countries that will be eligible to participate in this tender.

• Information about the Tendering Procedure and Guidelines

• Estimated Budget for this Purchase

• Any Extension of Bidding Deadline?

• Any Addendum or Pre Bid meeting Minutes?

Refer the RFP and Amendment #1

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

28. Would USAID consider extending the deadline for this solicitation to March 21, 2014 to ensure adequate time for all bidders to respond?

NO

29. On page 87, Small Business Plan: could USAID clarify what is indicated by the percentages in the header? Does that indicate the number of points a bidder could receive by increasing the share of the budget that goes to a small business?

The percentage show the share if the budget that goes to a small business and it is directly related to the points a bidder could receive.

30. Do applicants need to be legally registered in Ethiopia to be considered?

Yes

31. What is the anticipated start date of the program?

N/A

32. The RFP contains several contract provisions, FAR clauses, and AIDAR references either actual or incorporated by reference that apply only to cost reimbursement contracts, a sample of which are listed below. Please confirm the contemplated award will be Fixed Price, meaning such provisions will be removed from the RFP and resulting contract and Fixed Price clauses will replace them.

This is not a complete list:

a. F.5.2, Financial Reports – which requires the reporting of expenditures, cost allocation across result areas, and quarterly financial projections

b. F.6, Authorized Work Day/Week

c. AIDAR 752.7003 Documentation for Payment (Nov. 1998) Retained

d. H.8, AIDAR 752.7001 Biographical Data (July 1997) Retained

e. H.16, Reporting of Foreign Taxes (July 2007) Retained

f. 52.242-3 Penalties for Unallowable Costs. Remove

g. 52.242-1 Notice of Intent to Disallow Costs. Remove

h. 752.7001 Biographical Data. Retained

i. 752.7007 Personnel Compensation Remove

j. 752.7014 Notice of Changes in Travel Regulations. Retained

k. 752.7002 Travel and Transportation. Retained

l. 52.216-7 Allowable Cost and Payment. Remove

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

m. 52.229-8 Taxes—Foreign Cost-Reimbursement Contracts. Please confirm

52.229-6 Taxes—Foreign Fixed-Price Contracts will apply in lieu. Yes

n. 52.244-2 Subcontracts. Retained

33. On the cover page of the proposal it states that proposals are due “no later than

4:00 pm (Addis Time) Wednesday, March 12, 2014.” On page 80 of the RFP it states that the proposals are due “March 03, 2014 and 1600hrs, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Time.”

Given that the RFP was released on February 19, the March 12 due date provides for approximately 3 weeks for proposal preparation. Given the complex nature and size of the program, the requirement for local partnerships, and the contract type (as discussed further below) this does not seem like sufficient time to allow Offerors to prepare responsive proposals. We respectfully request an extension to the due date for proposals by two weeks to March 26, 2014.

The due date is March 12, 2014

34. On page 80 of the RFP, it states that proposals should be submitted via email with “no more than 3 attachments (2 MB limit) per email.” Can you please clarify whether the 2 MB limit refers to each attachment, or if it refers to the total size of the email with all attachments?

Do not attach more than 2mb limits – this could be taken at one attachment only or three or more depending on the size of the document. The bottom line is the attachment in a single email should not exceed 2 MB limit.

35. Section M Evaluation Criteria for the Technical Proposal on page 87 includes 5 points awarded for Small Business subcontracting, with full points awarded for subcontracting 30-40% of subcontracts to various categories of US Small Businesses.

We have the following related questions:

a. In line with USAID Forward principles, we respectfully request that you reconsider this evaluation criterion. This means that for each $60,000-$70,000 that would fund local implementers, $30,000-$40,000 would be set aside for US small businesses. Expatriate assistance is significantly more costly than local assistance, and funding local organizations also leads to greater program sustainability.

Given that this program is intended to increase the capacity of local organizations, we respectfully request that USAID delete this as a technical evaluation criterion.

NO

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

b. Alternately, would USAID consider changing it to US-SB and/or local partnerships?

NO

c. Given that the Small Business Subcontracting Plan includes cost information including dollar figures for the entire contract, as well as for subcontracting, can you please confirm that the Subcontracting Plan should be submitted with the Cost

Proposal and should not be included in the Technical Proposal?

NO

d. Can you please confirm what (if any) information should be included in the

Technical Proposal to assist USAID in scoring this?

See section L of RFP

36. USAID has specified that this will be a Fixed Price Contract. However, FAR

16.202-2 states that “A firm-fixed-price contract is suitable for acquiring commercial items… or for acquiring other supplies or services on the basis of reasonably definite functional or detailed specifications…”

We are concerned that this contract includes performance uncertainties that cannot be identified or reasonably estimated at this time. For example, this is a 5-year program, including the provision of services to 27 currently identified NGOs, yet Offerors do not have information about the specific needs for each of these organizations – which would directly inform cost estimates for the provision of services. It further calls for the identification of additional 25-30 organizations, and there is no way to know at this point, what their needs will be.

Additionally, we are concerned that this contract type will unduly limit USAID’s ability to provide flexible programming depending on the needs of the partner organizations as they evolve over the next 5 years.

We respectfully request that USAID therefore consider making this a Cost Plus Fixed

Fee contract, which will allow greater flexibility in providing a variety of capacity building activities to the partner organizations over the life of the program.

No.

37. On pages 17-18 Section F.5.1 Progress Reports lists Annual Reports while they are not mentioned in the section F.2 Deliverables and Performance Requirements.

Please confirm that Annual Reports are required.

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

38. Regarding funding for the NGOs, we have the following related questions:

• Can you please confirm that funding for grantees to accomplish their institutional development based on the Capacity Development Plans is not part of this contract?

Yes

• If this contract is meant to provide grant funding to the partner NGOs, can you please provide the amount, and timing such funding should be programmed?

N/A

39. Page 27 – Section H.8 AIDAR 752.7001 Biographical Data (July 1997) does not seem relevant to a fixed price contract. We respectfully request it be deleted.

NO

40. Page 32 –H.22 AIDAR 752.245-71 Title To and Care of Property (Apr 1984), FAR 45.402 Title to contractor-acquired property states: “(a) Under fixed price type contracts, the contractor retains title to all property acquired by the contractor for use on the contract, except for property identified as a deliverable end item.” We respectfully request that this be deleted.

NO

41. There is a discrepancy between the submission date on the front page (March

12, 2014) and the one on page 80 (March 3, 2014), under the section L.70 Delivery

Instructions. Please clarify which is the correct submission date.

March 12, 2014 is the due date

42. Under H.4 AIDAR 752.228-3 Worker’s Compensation Insurance

(a) The Contractor agrees to procure Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance pursuant to the terms of the contract between USAID and USAID’s DBA insurance carrier unless the Contractor has a DBA self-insurance program approved by the Department of

Labor or has an approved retrospective rating agreement for DBA. Question: If the contractor has a policy that provides the same relief and benefits but this has not been approved by the department of labor, will there be flexibility to approve this after the award so that contractor does not have to maintain multiple policies for the same risk?

See RFP requirement.

43. Page 80, Section L.7 (i) Delivery Instructions - the RFP lists March 03, 2014, at

1600 hrs as the submission on page 80, but March 12, 2014 on the cover

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

page. Please confirm the correct due date, and that the time of submission is based on

Ethiopia’s time zone.

The correct due date is March 12, 2014 and the time submission is based on

Ethiopia’s time zone.

44. Page 82, Section L. 9 A Instructions for the Preparation of the Technical

Proposal states that the technical proposal . . .must include the following four components:

(1) Technical Approach;

(2) Key Personnel and Technical Approach;

(3) Past Performance to include;

(4) Proposed Project Management to include Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.

However, Section M includes the six different evaluation criteria:

(1) Technical Approach;

(2) Qualification of Proposed Key Personnel

(3) Proposed Project Management

(4) Institutional Capacity and Past Performance

(5) Monitoring and Evaluation

(6) Small Business Plan

Please clarify the required component of the technical proposal and evaluation criteria.

Refer to Amendment 2 to the RFP.

45. Page 8, Section c.2.1. Please clarify USAID/Ethiopia’s current engagement/relationship with the specialized agency managing the registration and supervision of charities and societies.

N/A

46. Section H.8 and L.8 –1420-17 “Biographical Data Sheet”, Page 27 and 81 -This is a Firm Fixed Price Solicitation. Pursuant to AIDAR 752.7001 Biographical Data

Sheets are required only for Cost Reimbursement Contract. Please confirm that

Biographical Data Sheets are not required to be included in the proposal.

YES they are required

47. Section L.10, Page 82 Please confirm that the detailed cost break-down is not required in the proposal since the resultant award will be a Firm Fixed Price Contract as noted in the Solicitation cover and Section B.2.

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

YES

48. Section L11, Page 84 – “Locally Hired National Personnel or Other Non-U.S.

Expatriates The requirements included in this Section are pursuant to 752.7007 which are applicable to Cost Reimbursement Contracts. Please clarify.

N/A

49. Section M.3, Page 87 Please confirm that USAID will be evaluating the Price

Proposal using price analysis techniques instead of cost evaluation and cost realism.

Please clarify.

Price Analysis to apply.

50. Section B- “supplies or services and price/costs”, page 6. The Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed Fee (FFP) contract resulting from this solicitation for a new program (2-year base period and three 1-year option periods). Please provide what is the total price for the Base and Options Periods as estimated to Dollar range.

N/A

51. RFP Section L. 10. Part 8.(a) “Normal Work Year” Page 82 Please clarify if

USAID will allow Offeror’s employees other than STTA to work and invoice more than 8 hours a day if consistent with the Offerors policies

N/A

52. Page 81.L.8.3 instructs bidders to submit references for three relevant contracts.

Please confirm that bidders can submit references for relevant cooperative agreements.

Only relevant contracts required.

Questions regarding this notice can be directed to Ms. Hiwot Seyoum at hseyoum@usaid.gov

Sincerely, /ss/

Dennis M. Fuentes Director, Office of Acquisition & Assistance USAID/Ethiopia

U.S. Agency for International Development US Embassy, Entoto Street P. O. Box: 1014 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel. : 00251-11-1306002 Fax : 00251-11-1242438 Website: www.usaidethiopia.org

USA Address:

mailto:hseyoum@usaid.gov