J.4_TEPS_Statement_of_Work.docx

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

TOWARD ENDURING PEACE IN SUDAN PROGRAM (TEPS)

C.1 PURPOSE

The objective of this Contract is to provide USAID/Sudan with a quick response mechanism to support the Administration’s effort to seek creative and flexible programs to address needs in Sudan. Toward Enduring Peace in Sudan (TEPS) will complement and enhance the rest of the USAID/Sudan portfolio by increasing Sudanese capacity for peace building, fostering engagement in democratic processes, and promoting community resilience. TEPS will help to create the enabling conditions for longer-term development and contribute directly to USAID/Sudan’s Program Framework 2014-2016 goal of a “Foundation for Democratic and Peaceful Sudanese Development Strengthened.”

C.2 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The Contractor will provide and support, through offices in Sudan, a team that will manage a Grants under Contract (GUC) program; procure and distribute in-kind resources; conduct rolling assessments of the political situation, country context, program objectives, and monitoring and evaluation approach; and maintain and use the USAID TEPS Activity Database.

The Contractor will also provide short-term technical assistance, training and direct distribution of goods and services. GUC will be primarily in-kind. Program activities will be incrementally funded over a multi-year period, subject to availability of funds. The period of performance will be three years plus two, one-year option periods.

The Contractor will coordinate closely with other USAID implementing partners.

TEPS is designed to respond quickly to changing events on the ground in Sudan and will require great flexibility in implementation.

C.3 BACKGROUND

Overview of Current Political Situation Sudan has suffered the ill-effects of civil war, ethnic and religious conflict and continuing political instability since its independence from Great Britain in 1956. The signing in 2005 of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) aimed at ending the country’s decades-long civil war and developing models for addressing issues of power and wealth sharing that underpinned regional and ethnic grievances of disparity and marginalization. The aim of the CPA was also to bring about a political transformation in Sudan, to establish mechanisms for dialogue and participation, and to open new spaces for democratic governance and consensus building.

The Interim Period of the CPA ended on July 9, 2011 when the largest country in Africa became two nations: the Republic of Sudan and the newly independent Republic of South Sudan. Even after southern independence, Sudan remains one of the largest countries in Africa, facing highly complex development challenges and an uncertain future, but still key to the stability of both the nascent South Sudan and the region as a whole. Several internal and external stresses have contributed to a history of violent conflicts since independence and have resulted in depressed development outcomes in spite of Sudan’s robust resource endowment.

Sudan’s core conflict is the marginalization of the periphery and the concentration of power and resources in the hands of a few in the center. Sudan has a long history of conflicts between the central Nile valley and peripheral regions in the West (Darfur), South (South Sudan, Kordofan and Blue Nile, East (Beja), and North (Nubia). Darfur remains unevenly integrated into the central Sudanese state and conflict continues, particularly in western Darfur. In the south, fighting continues in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan and in Blue Nile, and the status of Abyei remains unresolved.

In addition to continued conflict, marginalization takes the form of unequal allocation of public resources, unequal representation in central institutions, and the unequal results in economic development, provision of services and human development outcomes. It also takes the form of lack of provision of security for citizens and a lack of credible institutions to mediate or manage conflict, including around natural resources such as water, land, pasture and mineral wealth. The overall result is deep poverty and inequality in spite of Sudan rising to lower middle income status in the last decade due to oil wealth. As stated by former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman:

“Sudan cannot deal with the ongoing troubles in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile, the East, and elsewhere in the country with a system that does not meet the demands for greater political space, for greater sharing of wealth and opportunity and for greater democracy. Trying to suppress those demands militarily has led to continued conflicts. And the conflicts have in turn led to new accusations of human rights violations. This is a vicious circle that keeps Sudan from a new dawn.”

Recent political, security, and economic events in Sudan shape the present aspirations of the government and the context for international donor engagement. In addition to forcing Sudan to revert to the long-neglected non-oil sector for growth opportunities, the secession of the south had direct and indirect political and security effects. The fiscal shock reduced the allocations available from the center to the states, severely impacting basic service delivery, and reduced the resources available to the government for patronage. A poor economy, regional grievances underpinning discontent, traditional tribal conflicts, limitations and resultant tensions over migratory routes, and lack of transparency in managing the country’s resources, all combine to undermine Sudan’s ability to address the challenges of sustainable peace, good governance and political reform. These challenges are made more pressing by continued constraints to national dialogue and citizen participation.

Thus the principal challenge of the distribution of political power and economic resources was transformed but not resolved by the secession of South Sudan in 2011. Actors from the earlier era, including the ruling party, traditional parties, and civil society in the center, and the armed opposition in the periphery, remain powerful but face different opportunities and constraints in the new post-referendum Sudan. The ruling National Coalition Party (NCP) is at risk of shattering as its bases of support among Islamist groups and the military increasingly voice criticisms against the corruption, military defeats, and economic incompetence of the regime. The development of independent armed militias under the control of individuals in the regime suggests that threats of violence are increasingly felt at the top. A series of street demonstrations in Khartoum and in other cities over the summer of 2012, and subsequent demonstrations in Khartoum in September 2013, provide glimpses of what some perceive as a growing mobilization and coordination among students and new unions. Political repression and economic hardship imposed by austerity measures, including the recent removal of oil subsidies, provided ample bases for grievances across nearly all sectors of Sudanese society. Sudan has not put in place an adequate support net for the poor or a framework for a sustainable economy. As such, Sudan faces both a short-term fiscal crisis and a longer-term macroeconomic crisis.

In light of the high-degree of uncertainty facing Sudan in the near future, and the various threats and opportunities facing the country, USAID requires a mechanism with maximum programmatic flexibility to achieve its goals of consolidating the foundations for and motivating peace, stability and longer-term development in Sudan. To achieve this flexibility while maintaining a strategic focus in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives, the program proposed in this RFP relies on a proven method of granting a high degree of discretionary authority over program and project-level decision-making to USAID, with input from the Contractor.

As the economic, social and political realities in Sudan continue to evolve, maintaining the flexibility to respond to new opportunities with impactful programming will be critical to the overall success of USAID’s other development interventions and to Sudan’s stability. Potential opportunities that may emerge that could benefit from a flexible grant-making mechanism such as that proposed herein include but are not limited to: increased support for peace in Darfur; peace and reconciliation activities in the wake of the current conflict in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile; support to a political process or arrangement for Abyei; and promotion of national dialogue and civic participation in a national constitutional review or other reform-oriented processes.

For the reasons described above, maintaining a mechanism in Sudan that is designed to issue a series of small, in-kind, but largely un-predetermined grants where and when appropriate to achieve specific goals and outcomes in support of sustainable stability will help the USAID/Sudan Mission minimize risk while maximizing the potential for impactful programming in support of USG foreign policy objectives.

USAID/Sudan Strategic Goals and Portfolio The overarching goal of USAID’s program in Sudan is a strengthened foundation for democratic and peaceful Sudanese development. Through its Offices of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and Food for Peace (FFP), USAID delivers humanitarian assistance to populations in need primarily in Darfur, while a modest development portfolio managed by the USAID/Sudan Mission in Khartoum is helping the Sudanese create the enabling conditions for longer-term sustainable development through support to local governments and institutions and civil society. The contract outlined in this document will be managed by the USAID/Sudan Mission, and will be expected to coordinate closely with USAID’s other humanitarian and development programs and those of other donors.

To assist the Sudanese in mitigating the potential for conflict and to promote stability, USAID/Sudan has been managing the Sudan Transition and Conflict Mitigation (STCM) program since September 2009. STCM is a successor to a similar program managed by USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in Sudan from 2002-2009 that was handed over to Mission management in March 2010. Since that time, STCM has served as USAID/Sudan’s primary vehicle for delivering a fast and flexible response to emerging priorities in Sudan, including through support to: government-led reconciliation and conflict mitigation mechanisms, CPA-mandated political processes, and small-scale infrastructure in support of key governance institutions and livelihoods enhancement opportunities. This assistance is currently being provided through a flexible in-kind grant making mechanism. USAID/Sudan is also managing and/or providing funding to a number of complementary programs working to address root causes of conflict and strengthen local capacities in Sudan.

USAID conducts ongoing activity monitoring, context assessments, and programmatic reviews to identify program opportunities, inform programmatic decisions and assess programmatic impacts. These monitoring assessments produced recommendations regarding operational lessons learned, such as the need to maintain mechanisms through which to program multi-year funding with considerable flexibility and oversight. Additionally, programmatic assessments found that local conflict mitigation activities were effective and highlighted that programming for women was meaningful and innovative. Past performance continues to indicate the need to involve Sudanese youth, women, and other marginalized groups into programmatic decisions. Based on these recommendations and findings, USAID will continue to support inclusive and participatory processes in programming in order to help reduce societal and ethnic tensions and promote stability on the periphery and at the center of Sudan.

The contract outlined in this document will operate through a similar flexible, quick response, small grants mechanism that prioritizes well-informed, strategic decision-making and rapid implementation in support of emerging stabilization priorities.

C.4 PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of USAID/Sudan, under the contract outlined in this document, aligns with the current overarching goal of USAID programming in Sudan – to strengthen the foundation for democratic and peaceful Sudanese development. Initial TEPS program objectives will include the following:

1. Improved intra- and inter-state relations at the community level;

2. Strengthened Sudanese participation in transition processes; and

3. Increased resilience of communities to social and economic shocks.

However, as country program objectives and activities are expected to shift over the life of the program to account for shifts in the political environment, TEPS program objectives are likewise subject to periodic review. Adjustments may occur through regular strategy sessions with input from the Contractor, taking into account budgetary and staffing implications that changes to the revised objectives may have. USAID/Sudan owns the country program objectives and will document and approve all changes to these objectives.

In order to support the return of stability and adequate government service delivery, improvements are required in the technical capacity of regional government institutions to take control over state and administrative matters to deliver basic services and prioritize responses to community needs. As an essential complement to improvements in government service delivery, it is also important to support local communities with access to livelihoods, income-generation and basic community infrastructure to ease hardship and encourage an increasingly productive role in governance issues and political transition. Support for quick-impact, results-based activities can demonstrate the positive impact of the political reconciliation processes as well as provide short term employment to community members, especially youth. Thus, community-driven, quick-impact programs in targeted areas of Sudan will aim to increase opportunities and access to resources in the short term; build confidence in emergent local and national peace processes, and contribute to a more constructive relationship between the government and its people. The TEPS program will ensure implementation in a flexible manner, achieving direct and/or indirect access to marginalized communities and conflict areas.

Perhaps no single other investment can have a greater impact on stability in Sudan than supporting legitimate and meaningful participation in democratic processes and improving economic opportunities for Sudanese citizens. As noted above, the overall goal of the TEPS program is to promote stability and lay the foundations for longer-term development. Overall, this program will serve as a catalyst for stability in Sudan by encouraging greater engagement between communities and government at state and local levels, while also strengthening the capacity of Sudanese citizens to productively engage with their elected officials. USAID, through its implementing partners, will work towards this end by increasing the involvement of community members in determining priority needs and creating opportunities for improved government to community engagement and collaboration.

Illustrative activities of the TEPS program may include, but will not be limited to, support for: skills training in conflict mitigation, peace building and alternative livelihoods; engaging marginalized groups/areas in peace building and participatory governance; and advancing national dialogue and other democratic processes. TEPS will focus on strengthening key peace-related political processes, especially at the community level, that will support peaceful transitions in Sudan. TEPS activities will cross intra- and inter-state borders to promote movement, trade and social exchanges in support of peaceful coexistence. The TEPS program will be flexible and adaptive to changing conditions and priorities, focused on achieving quick impact, while also helping to create the enabling conditions for enduring peace and sustainable development.

It is anticipated that in-kind grants may include small-scale infrastructure rehabilitation projects such as local administration buildings, schools, and clinics. All construction related activities shall be done via contracts, and not through assistance instruments. Major construction projects are not within the scope of this SOW. However, TEPS program activities may be used to increase citizen involvement in the planning for these construction projects, the implementation of which will be funded by others.

TEPS will initially include, but not be limited to the following interrelated components:

1. Improved intra- and inter-state relations at the community level Because conflict in Sudan primarily occurs at the sub-national or even community levels—even when connected with largely national issues —it is essential for building a peaceful and constructive foundation for development that Sudanese citizens and groups at the state and local levels, including in particular women and youth, be equipped with skills and techniques to mitigate and resolve conflict. It is also critical that Sudanese see the benefits of peace and reconciliation and feel empowered to speak out against violence and act in favor of peace. Activities also will support key processes to promote soft borders or other peace or political processes and will help create conditions to facilitate the implementation of the Government of Sudan’s internal and bi-lateral commitments.

Result 1: Peaceful coexistence, movement, trade and social exchanges across borders increased Result 2: Sudanese capacity for peacebuilding strengthened and enabling environment for government legitimacy created

The following illustrative activities may be undertaken to support this objective:

· Skills training in conflict mitigation and peace building for marginalized groups, including women and youth.

· Cultural, commercial (including community agriculture and livestock initiatives), and sports events and exchanges to promote soft border arrangements between neighboring communities.

· Water access points and water management training for local community groups in conflict-prone areas.

The following illustrative indicators may be tracked:

· Number of local peace processes supported that citizens perceive to demonstrate tangible, practical benefits.

· Number of community peace and reconciliation committees established and functioning.

· Number of people from ‘at-risk’ groups reached through USG-supported conflict mitigation activities.

2. Strengthened Sudanese participation in transition processes Civil society provides a lens through which we see the impact of governance on the Sudanese people and the extent to which the people are prepared to speak out against injustice. Support for constructive and peaceful civil society and citizen participation will build capacities necessary for these critical components of inclusive governance to play an effective role in development. In addition, the frame of the 2015 elections provides a tangible process around which to mobilize civil society toward common goals, while potentially opening space for direct engagement between civil society groups and the Government of Sudan. An important focus will be support for the participation of vulnerable populations, including women and youth.

Result 1: Civil society capacity strengthened at national and sub-national levels to improve understanding of democratic and good governance principles and peaceful, effective engagement Result 2: Citizen engagement – including women, youth and other marginalized groups – in democratic processes and national dialogue improved

The following illustrative activities may be undertaken to support this objective:

· Support for nationwide civic education related to democratic processes, including elections, targeted to rural, hard-to-reach locations, with a focus on vulnerable communities.

· Capacity-building support for civil society organizations at the national and sub-national levels to improve their understanding of democratic and good governance principles and ability to engage effectively with each other and government stakeholders.

The following illustrative indicators may be tracked:

· Number of Sudanese citizens, including women, youth and other marginalized populations, participating in peace and reconciliation initiatives

· Number of public forums on national dialogue/constitution building

3. Increased resilience of communities to social and economic shocks When violent conflict or an extreme natural event hits Sudan, the most vulnerable are usually the most affected, and the resulting economic losses and threats to life require significant outside financial and technical assistance. Activities will contribute to efforts to strengthen and complement coping mechanisms to social and economic shocks. If communities are more resilient to disasters, they will have the capacity to provide for their basic needs and be more inclined to engage in a peaceful transition. Community resilience includes peace building and livelihoods.

Result 1: Productive employment and income generation projects provided to citizens as meaningful alternatives to participating in conflict activities; economic growth spurred at the grassroots level. (Political and/or reconciliation processes may also benefit.)

Result 2: Donor and INGO coordination on early recovery and resilience activities increased

The following illustrative activities may be undertaken in support of this objective:

· Skills training, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for targeted communities.

· Quick employment opportunities through rehabilitation of community centers, clinics, schools.

The following illustrative indicators may be tracked:

· Number of persons whose livelihood opportunities are improved as a result of USG-funded vocational training programs.

· Number of temporary employment opportunities provided for populations vulnerable to conflict through labor intensive projects.

· Number of beneficiaries participating in early recovery/resilience programs.

C.5 GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

TEPS is designed as a flexible response mechanism that does not have pre-determined projects or project sites but rather is dependent on the priorities of the Sudanese communities TEPS is designed to support. TEPS also is designed to go beyond conflict mitigation to engage marginalized groups and support a national dialogue or other peaceful engagement process. In this way, TEPS will build on the foundation of conflict mitigation and peace building efforts to help create the enabling conditions for longer term development, advancing, where feasible, early recovery activities that support the transition from relief to development.

Thus three thematic priorities determine TEPS’ geographic focus:

1. Conflict-prone areas;

2. Marginalized groups and/or areas; and

3. National dialogue.

Conflict-prone areas Current conflict-prone areas include: Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, the Abyei area and the five states of Darfur, particularly West Darfur. The conflict situation is, however, somewhat fluid. The impact of the current crisis in South Sudan on Sudan is yet to be fully evaluated, with reports of South Sudanese fleeing their new home state for the relatively stable states within Sudan. This movement of people across the border from South Sudan increases the pressure on already scarce resources thereby increasing the potential for conflict and increasing the demand for humanitarian assistance.

Marginalized groups and/or communities in marginalized areas Marginalization takes a number of different forms in Sudan. There are marginalized groups based on: gender and age, such as women and youth; tribal/ethnic differences, including but not limited to, the nomadic tribes that cannot register to vote unless they stay in one place for at least three months of the year; and people living in geographic peripheries such as the rural poor who bear the majority of the burden of poverty in Sudan. In addition to inadequate nutrition and other basic human needs, the poverty burden manifests in the unequal allocation of public resources, unequal representation in central institutions, and unequal results in economic development, provision of services, and human development outcomes. In Sudan, marginalization, conflict and deep poverty go hand-in-hand.

National dialogue Conflict and the various forms of marginalization in Sudan are challenges that are further exacerbated by a poor economy and by continued constraints to national dialogue and citizen participation. It is essential that civil society organizations acquire the skills to engage peacefully in dialogue with the Government of Sudan and for space to be created for a national dialogue to ensue. Without a voice, the people of Sudan cannot participate effectively in local or national elections, and cannot communicate with any credibility their demands for basic public services from the government institutions that serve them. Conflict is often the logical corollary to frustration and discontent when the skills and motivation for peaceful engagement are absent.

C.6 USAID PRESENCE AND DECISION MAKING

Overview

The USAID/Sudan program is an integral element of the U.S. Government’s assistance in Africa. In Sudan, the USAID Mission and its implementing partners work in consultation with and under the direction of the USAID Mission Director and U.S. Embassy in Khartoum. Within this context, Mission staff and the TEPS Contractor will function as an integrated team with shared program vision and equal commitment to success of the program. Generally, the Contractor is responsible for implementation of the program strategy that is set and adjusted as necessary by USAID/Sudan to achieve the desired impact. The Contractor will bring to bear its best corporate capacities and strengths, through both field and headquarters staff, to effectively design and implement program activities towards achieving the program objectives as well as contribute to the on-going development of a responsive and informed program direction.

USAID/Sudan and Contractor staff will conduct ongoing (“rolling”) political analysis with the COR Sudan providing day-to-day consultation with and direction to the implementation of the program in close collaboration with appropriate USAID offices. This integrated approach is important for dealing with the stress of rapidly implementing a complex and politically delicate program in an uncertain environment while maintaining programmatic flexibility. Regular reexamination of programmatic goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities, lines of communication, policies and procedures at scheduled strategic planning/team building events with USAID/Sudan and Contractor staff provides a formal process for strengthening team skills and program focus.

The USAID/Sudan Mission staff and the COR will determine the types and/or range of organizations or grantees that will be assisted through Grants Under Contracts (GUCs) and will base these decisions on United States foreign policy interests. These activities are jointly designed by grantees and Contractor staff in close consultation with the COR. In addition, Contractor field personnel will meet on a regular basis with USAID staff to share ideas about grant design, development, and implementation, and receive needed approvals per communication protocols that will be put in place at the beginning of the program.

Respective Roles of USAID/Sudan and the Contractor:

· The contract will be managed by USAID/Sudan.

· The COR will be based in the USAID/Sudan Mission in Khartoum. The COR is responsible for contract management and approval of all deliverables within the scope of delegated contracting authority from the Contracting Officer (CO).

· Based upon continuing context analysis, USAID/Sudan Mission is responsible for providing overall program strategy and programmatic focus. In close consultation with the Contractor, USAID/Sudan Mission will determine and the COR will communicate to the Contractor, the types and/or range of organizations and grantees to be supported or funded under GUCs, as well as identify the geographic or issue-specific focus areas of assistance. These decisions will be based upon US foreign policy interests in consultation with the USAID/Sudan Mission.

· While the USAID Mission and the COR have primary responsibility for on-going strategic, political context analysis, in close collaboration with appropriate USAID and US Embassy offices, this strategic analysis is also directly informed by the local analysis of Contractor staff and the evaluation of recent activities. As timely evaluation of activities and the program more broadly is a critical component of on-going, updated analysis, the COR is also responsible for communicating USAID/Sudan’s approach to program performance management and for oversight of the systems, tools and processes utilized by the program team to effectively monitor implementation and evaluate impact. Periodic, scheduled strategic review sessions allow for regular evaluation of recent activities and the program as well as re-examination of programmatic goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities, lines of communication, policies and procedures. These formal meetings serve to refine and retarget the program focus and strengthen team skills and cohesion.

· For in-kind GUCs, the Contractor and/or the COR will provide guidance and/or assistance to potential grantees to help them with grant design and development and to help build their capacities to function independently where and when appropriate. As part of program direction responsibilities, Mission staff will also meet with the Contractor field staff on a regular basis to share ideas about activity design, development, and implementation. Mission staff may also meet with potential grantees and identify, and design, potential activities, which will then be reviewed for approval by the COR.

· Under this contract, the contractor is prohibited from: (1) awarding grants for any separate activities of USAID or USG offices other than those within the TEPS scope and objectives as determined by USAID/Sudan Mission; and (2) from taking direction from any other sources other than USAID/Sudan Mission without written direction from the COR or Contracting Officer (CO).

C.7 STATEMENT OF WORK

(i) OVERALL CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

Implementing partners are critical to the success of USAID programs. They are expected to overcome the challenges posed by the “war torn” or otherwise unstable countries in which USAID operates. Thus, while referred to in this SOW as a “program”, this initiative is better understood as a specialized, tactical tool or instrument that will provide strategically targeted support to transitional activities.

The Contractor shall provide and support a team that will work in very close coordination and at the direction of COR to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate grants under contract; procure and distribute in-kind resources; conduct rolling assessments of the political situation, country context, program objectives, implementation and impact; and, maintain and use the USAID TEPS Activity Database (see below). GUCs will be both cash and in-kind (as permitted through law, regulation, waivers, etc.). Program activities will be incrementally funded over a multi-year period, subject to availability of funds.

The Contractor shall provide varying amounts of funds on short notice for operations and grants. The Contractor is responsible for implementing the program by managing all administrative, logistical, procurement, recruitment, human resources, and financial aspects, and by providing all required personnel, equipment (office equipment, vehicles, and communications) and facilities to meet program commitments as described in this statement of work.

The fluid situation requires that the Contractor be prepared to expand, diminish, or change operations with as little notice as a few days. The Contractor must be able to assure adequate capital investment and flexibility in order to award and implement grants in areas of opportunity.

(ii) SPECIFIC CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS (ALL PHASES)

The following are overall responsibilities of the Contractor over the course of Contract implementation.

(a) Implement and Manage Activities from a Transition Activities Pool (TAP)

The Contractor is responsible for managing a Transition Activities Pool (TAP) to execute activities that further program objectives. Rapid, targeted, and politically-relevant activities in countries that are emerging from and/or experiencing crisis, like Sudan, cannot be planned months in advance. Therefore, the type of the activity will depend on a number of factors. Examples of activities include but are not limited to: engaging groups such as youth and women in productive social and economic activities in both rural, urban and peri-urban areas of Sudan; increasing access to scarce resources and basic services to reduce resource-based tensions to foster a self-sustainable and stable environment; facilitating locally driven peace processes in areas of conflict; helping to build the capacity of youth and civil society groups to engage with local government in support for peace processes; providing technical and material support to local government and traditional authorities to increase their capacity to respond to local-level conflict; strengthening government - community led conflict management mechanisms to foster reconciliation efforts and support to implementation of local and potential peace agreements.

All program resources shall be channeled into a TAP that will support program objectives by providing funding for these kinds of activities. Funding shall principally be for GUCs. There may be occasional circumstances where grants are not the most appropriate vehicle to achieve the objectives sought. In these instances, one of three other activities may be approved by the USAID Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COR) to be funded from the TAP: (1) program-related short term technical assistance (normally limited to several months of expert services and only when the technical assistance cannot be part of a grant); (2) direct distribution of goods and services in situations where suitable grantees may not be readily identifiable but that urgent procurement action needs to take place, and; (3) training where suitable grantees may not be readily identifiable or where for a specified and acceptable reason training cannot be provided as part of a grant. (When larger sums of funding or longer periods of time are involved, the COR may choose to use other acquisition or assistance mechanisms outside of this control). The Contractor shall be responsible for designing, implementing, and reporting on the TAP activities under guidance from USAID. The COR will approve each activity, changes to activities (scope or budgets within existing scope and budget), and the use of funds from the TAP.

All activities shall be designed, approved, and implemented according to the relevant standard USAID procedures. These procedures are described in this SOW and Attachments. All activities shall be approved by the COR. The use of an Activity Database, provided by USAID/Sudan, is required for documentation, approval, and reporting on activities from the TAP. All activities are to be implemented within the timeframe authorized by the COR during activity approval. The Contractor shall: (1) execute the activities according to the qualities and quantities approved in the activity clearance form; (2) monitor the activities for technical and programmatic soundness, and; (3) evaluate them against their individual goals and the goal of the program.

In order to ensure a complete understanding of the relationship, the roles and responsibilities, and the processes for activity making, including grant making, the Contractor will be required to submit an Activities Manual for COR concurrence and for CO approval. This manual should be based on the FAR, ADS, AIDAR, and the information provided in this Scope of Work (and attachments), as well as on the Contractor’s corporate practices.

(b) Grants under Contract

The vast majority of program activities will be implemented through in-kind grants. The grant-making procedures shall be consistent with the requirements in ADS 302.3.4.12.a. and compliance with U.S. law shall be documented for each GUC, using the GUC Legal Checklist (Attachment 9). For in-kind grants, the Contractor at the direction and approval of the COR shall procure commodities and services for grantees. The Contractor shall ensure that procurements include delivery to the grantee, inspection, requisite field demonstrations where applicable, training on use of the commodity, warrantee/maintenance agreements, and monitoring of commodity use. Direct cash grants under the grants-under-contract requirements shall also be utilized. All small grants remaining active close to the contract’s terminal date must be fully closed-out no later than six weeks before the prime contract’s expiration.

The majority of small grant recipients will be local entities. The grantees under the small grants program can include a wide range of governmental and non-governmental organizations, including local faith-based groups; youth associations; cooperatives; associations; informal groups; Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs); local, regional, and national governments; Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs); U.S. Organizations; student groups; media; international organizations; private sector; and coalitions of these entities.

The COR and the Contractor shall work closely as a team, jointly discussing areas of grant concentration (geographic and type) as well as programmatic approaches. The COR will have final approval for all Grants under Contract activities. Activities must be designed in accordance with U.S. Government policy. The Contractor, in coordination with USAID, may be required to involve various stakeholders (public, private, local community) in the process of grant identification, development, implementation and support.

(c) Grant Making Procedures

Contractor program staff, in close coordination with the COR, play a critical role in actively identifying grantees, developing grant activities with the grantee, entering grant information in the TEPS/ Activity Database, and ensuring that the database is updated with grant information as implementation progresses. The Contractor, with COR approval, will monitor and evaluate the grantee deliverables. However, overall grant focus, type of grantees, and final grant approvals remain the responsibility of the COR within the limitations set out in the COR designation letter and the approved Activity/Grants Manual.

The Contractor with COR input shall explore, and implement when possible, innovative ways to respond to grantee procurement needs for in-kind grants (for example, blanket purchase orders, use of local markets, decentralized procurement staff, and project procurement packages). The Contractor shall provide technical assistance to grantees to help them with grant design and development and to build their capacities to function independently. Therefore, these activities are jointly designed by grantees and the Contractor staff, with input and final approval from the COR.

The Contractor after working with the potential grantee(s) will review all grant proposals before submitting them for final clearance to the COR to ensure they are consistent with all USAID policies and procedures in line with the Contractor’s approved Activity Manual, as well as with USAID/Sudan program objectives.

The Contractor must seek approval of activities through the TEPS Activity Database; implement in-kind grants according to the timeframe authorized under the grant, unless otherwise approved by the COR; execute in-kind grants according to the qualities and quantities approved in the grant clearance form; monitor grants for technical and programmatic soundness; and evaluate grants according to whether the activity has met the activity objectives and if/how it contributed towards the relevant USAID Country Objective and the goal of the program.

In general for program integrity, in-kind grants are preferred in grant implementation and should be considered to be implemented in-kind unless an other-than-in-kind grant is approved by the COR in advance, subject to approval thresholds. It is recognized that other than in-kind grants may sometimes be more effective and efficient than in-kind grants depending on the situation, the grantee, the grant amount and grant type. Other than in-kind grants, the program will include simplified grants, fixed obligation grants, and standard grants. The type of grant being proposed shall be discussed with and approved by the COR and documented in the TEPS Activity Database.

The Contractor shall ensure that grants comply with all USAID regulations and relevant U.S. assistance legislation and policies, including anti-terrorism certifications.

The Contractor shall secure the COR approval of all content to be developed as part of a grant, including but not limited to content of media campaigns, trainings, and other material for public dissemination (e.g., civic education and voter education). USAID will review these materials for any partisan or conflict-inducing content. Relevant clauses shall be included in grant agreements.

Written requests must be submitted to the COR for extensions to small grant, revisions/updates to procedures, guidelines, staffing plans, and other documentation for which USAID approval was required during Phase 1. These Contractor requests for approval or action by USAID shall be submitted to COR in time for diligent review and action before action by USAID is due.

(d) TEPS Activity Database

The TEPS Activity Database will be used as a management tool to facilitate the grant cycle, to manage staff, and for reporting. The Activity Database is an essential tool for management of the program and will be used by USAID and the Contractor. The database is essential for grant design and development, and generating, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on these funded activities. It has proven a highly effective tool for other USAID offices such as DCHA/OTI, for communicating and reinforcing a grant development methodology that adheres closely to program objectives, program management and reporting, and financial tracking.

The Activity Database shall include program performance monitoring indicators that will measure the output, outcome, and/or impact of an activity or group of activities. These indicators (including but not limited to the U.S. Foreign Assistance Framework ("F") performance indicators) will be developed by the Contractor in consultation with the COR. A list of the indicators can be found at www.state.gov/f/indicators/

Documentation on the TEPS Activity Database and its use will be provided to the Contractor at the startup conference.

USAID owns the TEPS Activity Databases and all changes to it must be in compliance with USAID direction. The Contractor is responsible for maintaining the master copy of this database; for ensuring that the database contains accurate, complete, and up-to-date information in accordance with the protocols established by USAID; for maintaining an information management process that ensures data is up-to-date and accurate; for ensuring that the reporting structure reflected in the database has been continuously re-aligned (in coordination with USAID) with changes in the program objectives, strategy, and reporting requirements; for providing copies to the field offices; installing updates as and when provided by USAID or Contractor staff; maintaining a line of communication with USAID on database issues and for providing weekly copies of the data (back end) to the COR and Contractor staff.

USAID will provide training on how to use the database and will provide follow-up training as appropriate. However, the Contractor shall be responsible for training their own staff in the field (both at startup and throughout the life of the program) as well as for providing adequate home and field information technology (IT) support for the maintenance of the database.

Following is a brief description of general Contractor requirements in regards to the TEPS Activity Database.

· Set up the database on a secure shared network drive, to be accessed by all Contractor program staff;

· Work with the COR to devise a process to transfer database e-grants from Contractor office to the COR for review;

· Arrange database training for all relevant staff, including people who may join the program after startup;

· Provide a copy of the database data (back-end) every week to the USAID TEPS Program Manager;

· The Contractor shall add its grant templates to the database so that the database can be used to generate grant agreements based on the same information as the grant clearance forms and to minimize redundant data entry and associated errors; and

· In consultation with USAID/Sudan, the Contractor can add reports to the Activity Database, create grant agreement formats or special, country-specific reports.

(e) Short-term Technical Assistance (STTA) activities

The Contractor shall provide short-term technical assistance on an as-needed basis to support program objectives. Recipients of short-term technical assistance can include the same types of entities identified above for small grants. It is preferred that technical assistance is provided through in-kind grants, although STTA can be provided through direct short-term consulting arrangements, as approved by USAID COR.

Under guidance and technical direction from USAID, the Contractor may be required to identify and arrange one or more short-term consultants of specific expertise to address Contractor operational or administrative purposes. This STTA includes engineering support on behalf of the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for QA/QC for all contracts it issues for small-scale infrastructure rehabilitation projects such as local administration buildings, schools, and clinics.

Note that specific grant activities will likely include technical assistance viewed as directly furthering program objectives. These include any discrete technical issues for program development and implementation (e.g. election or advocacy campaign design, livelihoods/economic infrastructure, and conflict resolution). These may also include engineering support. If provided for directly by the Contractor, this assistance shall be provided for only through in-kind grants to the grantee.

Engineering Support: It is anticipated that in-kind grants may include small-scale infrastructure rehabilitation projects. Since the level of effort for an engineer is not full time and since multiple engineers will be needed simultaneously, it is not feasible to have one full time engineer on staff. The Contractor shall hire engineering personnel through STTA to fulfill, at a minimum, the following essential functions:

· Engineering oversight for small-scale infrastructure projects, including design review, inspection, and quality control/quality assurance.

· Procurement for in-kind grants, including determining procurement requirements, identifying the most appropriate procurement alternative, ensuring a transparent process, inspecting goods or verifying services, and monitoring the use and disposition of goods.

· Grant implementation, including ensuring compliance and adherence with grants management policies, procedures, and practices and support to grantees in these functions.

· Monitoring and evaluation of grant implementation and impact.

Monitoring visits are also critical for overseeing work and progress on rehabilitation projects. Rehabilitation and payment schedules for Contractors are established based on the description of work according to certified work plans and bills of quantity (BOQ). It is critical that the grants manager (GM) maintain a schedule of announced and unannounced visits to verify that rehabilitation work is carried out at the high quality that is stipulated in the contract. The GM (and independent engineer) should visit the rehabilitation site at various steps in the process to certify the quality of the work and to certify that specific benchmarks have been attained. All construction related activities shall be done via contracts, and not through assistance instruments.

(f) Support to U.S. Government Personnel

USAID’s capacity to support US Government personnel in certain regions of Sudan is limited. The Contractor therefore may be required to make logistical arrangements for USG personnel. For example, facilitate travel arrangements and workspace only in Sudan for USG personnel to and within areas of project implementation.

However, the Contractor shall not pay for any such USG personnel travel costs, including but not limited to, per diem, hotels, flights, local transportation, and miscellaneous costs.

(g) Monitoring and Evaluation

Consistent monitoring and timely evaluation of grants and activities as well as the program more broadly are essential for a strategically managed, successful program. The Contractor shall work closely with and under the direction of the COR to monitor, track in the database, report on, and evaluate the quality and impact of individual activities. The Contractor shall also work with the COR to develop a system for evaluating the overall impact of the program in Sudan respectively.

Developing an M&E System: In close consultation with the COR the Contractor shall develop a plan for monitoring the implementation and evaluating the impact of program activities.