EESA_SOL _8208 688 _8208 15 _8208 000012.pdf

RFP Issuance date: May 13, 2015 Deadline for questions: May 21, 2015 c.o.b RFP Closing Date: June 18, 2015 at 11:00pm

Bamako local time

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP) No. SOL‐688‐15‐000012 for

Education Emergency Support Activity (EESA)

Dear Potential Offerors:

The U.S. Government, represented by the Agency for International Development (USAID) is soliciting proposals to establish and implement the Mali Education Emergency Support Activity to achieve a measurable increase of equitable access to basic education for returned and resident learners who have been affected by the crisis and conflict in Mali. The goals of the Mali Education Emergency Support Activity project are to: increase availability of safe and accessible primary schooling”, improve delivery of conflict and gender-sensitive basic educational services”; and strengthen institutional capacity to deliver education services in conflict-affected environments.

USAID/Mali contemplates award of a Cost‐Plus‐Fixed‐Fee (CPFF) completion type contract. While cost effective approaches to achieving the results stated in the government requirement are encouraged, offerors must not necessarily strive to meet the maximum amount. The maximum estimated cost of the contract (costs and fee) must not exceed $US15 million for a period of three

(03) years. However, Offerors must propose costs that they believe are appropriate, realistic and reasonable for the work. Cost proposals will be evaluated in accordance with Best‐Value procedures, including the cost effectiveness of approaches to achieve the desired performance and deliverables.

USAID/Mali OAA invites all interested and qualified organizations to submit proposals in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. U.S. and non-U.S. (including Malian) for-profit firms and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are eligible to submit proposals for this RFP. In support of USAID’s interest in expanding the number and sustainability of development partners, USAID/Mali encourages proposals from U.S. small businesses and potential new local partners as prime or sub-contractors.

Please refer to Section L for information regarding proposal requirements and all instructions for the preparation and submission of required proposal contents, including critical dates/times for submission of questions, proposal submission closing date and time. Also please pay careful attention to, and complete in full, RFP section K – Representations, Certifications, and Statements of Offerors. Section M states the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated.

Questions are to be submitted electronically to bamakoaao@usaid.gov . The deadline for receipt of questions is specified at the top of this letter. Offerors should take into account the expected delivery time required by the email transmission method, and they are responsible to ensure that proposals are received at USAID by the due date and time as specified above. Failure to comply with the submission date and email transmission method may result in no-response to your questions.

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

U.S. Agency for International Development U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID) (USAID)

ACI 2000, Rue 243 Porte 297 Tel: (223) 2070-23-00 2050 Bamako Place - AAO P.O. Box 34 Fax: (223) 2022-39-33 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue Bamako, Mali http://mali.usaid.gov Washington, D.C. 20523-2050 http://mali.usaid.gov/ mailto:bamakoaao@usaid.gov

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS (%)

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

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

AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

15A. NAME

AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

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

(Type or print)

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

RATING PAGE OF PAGES

3 111

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

SOL-688-15-000012

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

SEALED BID (IFB)

X NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

05/10/2015

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

REQ-688-15-000024

7. ISSUED BY CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

Bamakoaao@usaid.gov

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ACQUISITION AND ASSISTANCE OFFICE

BAMAKO – MALI

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

SOLICITATION

9.

PROPOSALS ARE DUE ELECTRONICALLY TO THE

ADDRESS INDICATED IN BLOCK 8 ABOVE

Until 23:00 Bamako local time 06/21/2015

(Date)

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.

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

A. NAME

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

bamakoaao@usaid.gov AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

(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 56-59

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS 8-10 PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT 11-31 X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS 60

X D BRANDING AND MARKING 32 PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 33 x K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

61-67

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 34-39

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 40-43 X L INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS 68-80

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 44-54 X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD 81-84

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

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 _____120 calendar days (120 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.

AWARD (To be completed by government)

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

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

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

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN

IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

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

CO

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

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

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97) Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c) mailto:Bamakoaao@usaid.gov mailto:bamakoaao@usaid.gov

RFP No: SOL-688-15-000012_Education Emergency Support Activity (EESA)

ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

The following terms and acronyms are used in this RFP with meanings as reflected below:

Term/Acronyms Meaning

ADARS Appui Direct pour l’Amélioration des Rendements Scolaires AE Academie d’Enseignment APS Annual Program Statement AM Activity Manager MOE Malian Ministry of Education CIDA Canadian International Development Agency CAP Centre d’Animation Pédagogique CBO Community-Based Organization CGS Comité de Gestion Scolaire COR Contracting Officer Representative CP Pedagogical Counselor CSO Civil Society Organization DAE Directeur d’Académie d’Enseignment DCAP Directeur Centre d’Animation Pédagogique DEN Direction de l’Enseignement Normal DGP Development Grants Program DNEF Direction de l’Enseignement Fondamental DNP Direction National de la Pédagogie DO Development Objective EGRA Early Grade Reading Assessment EMIS Education Management Information System FARA Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement FOG Fixed Obligation Grant GBV Gender-Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GPE Global Partnership for Education GPRSP The Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper GOM Government of Mali GovCom Governance and Communication Office IDP Internally Displaced People IEP Interim Education Plan IOM International Organization for Migration IP Implementing Partners IPR Implementation and Procurement Reform ILPCP Improved Literacy and Post-Conflict Project IR Intermediate Result IRI Interactive Radio Instruction MCH Maternal and Child Health MOU Memorandum of Understanding MRR Mission Resource Request MUJAO Mouvement pour l’Unicité et le djihad en Afrique de l’Ouest) NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations NTD Neglected Tropical Disease ORF Oral Reading Fluency OTI Office of Transition Initiatives PAD Project Appraisal Document PAJE Out-of-School Youth Activity PAPU Emergency Priority Action Plan PFMRA Public Financial Management Risk Assessment Framework PHARE Road to Reading project PIO Public International Organization PIL Project Implementation Letter PTA Parent Teacher Association

Table of Content

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE 8

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND CONTRACT SERVICES 8

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE, AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT 8

B.4 CONTRACT BUDGET AND CEILINGS 8

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS 9

B.6 CEILING ON INDIRECT COSTS 9

B.7 FEE SCHEDULE 9

B.8 REIMBURSABLE COSTS 10

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

C.1 SUMMARY 11

C.2 BACKGROUND 11

C.3 ACTIVITY OBJECTIVE 15

C.4 REQUIREMENTS 17

C.5 SYNERGY AND COLLABORATION 18

C.6 EXPECTED RESULTS 20

C.7 IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT 25

C.8 OTHER REQUIREMENTS 25

C.9 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS POLICIES AND INITIATIVES 26

SECTION D: BRANDING AND MARKING

D.1 BRANDING POLICY 27

D.2 752.7009 MARKING (JAN 1993) 27

D.3 MARKING AND BRANDING STRATEGY 27

D.4 BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION AND MARKING PLAN 27

SECTION E: INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 28

E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE 28

E.3 RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL 28

E.4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTS 28

SECTION F: DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 29

F.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 29

F.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE 29

F.4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS 29

F.5 DELIVERABLES – PLANS, REPORTS AND OTHER 29

F.6 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL) 39

F.7 CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 39

F.8 KEY PERSONNEL 39

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY 40

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) 40

G.3 COR TECHNICAL DIRECTIONS 40

G.4 CONTRACTOR’S PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT 41

G.5 AIDAR 752.7003 DOCUMENTATION FOR PAYMENT (NOV 1998) 41

G.6 PAYMENT AND VOUCHERS 42

G.7 CONTRACTOR'S PAYING OFFICE/PAYMENT ADDRESS OR LETTER OF CREDIT NUMBER 42

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 43

H.2 AUTHORIZED WORK DAY/WEEK 43

H.3 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONNEL COMPENSATION 43

H.4 TRAVEL 44

H.5 752.7004 EMERGENCY LOCATOR INFORMATION (JUL 1997) 44

H.6 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE 45

H.7 TITLE TO PROPERTY 45

H.8 CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 45

H.9 AIDAR 752.225-70 SOURCE AND NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS (FEB 2012) 45

H.10 REQUESTS FOR CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACT 46

H.11 APPROVALS FOR NONEXPENDABLE PROPERTY PURCHASES 46

H.12 PRESS RELATIONS 46

H.13 LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS 46

H.14 FOREIGN GOVERNMENT DELEGATIONS TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES (JUN 2012) 46

H.15 FAR 52.232-99 PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTORS

(DEVIATION) (AUG 2012) 47

H.16 REPORTING OF FOREIGN TAXES (JUL 2007) 47

H.17 NONDISCRIMINATION (JUN 2012) 47

H.18 USAID DISABILITY POLICY - ACQUISITION (DEC 2004) 48

H.19 USAID-FINANCED THIRD-PARTY WEB SITES (AUG 2013) 48

H.20 USAID IMPLEMENTING PARTNER NOTICES (IPN) PORTAL FOR ACQUISITION (JUL 2014) 49

H.21 SUBMISSION OF DATASETS TO THE DEVELOPMENT DATA LIBRARY (DDL) (OCT 2014) 50

H.22 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION 51

H.23 CONTRACTOR’S STAFF SUPPORT, AND ADMINISTRATIVE AND LOGISTICS ARRANGEMENTS 51

H.24 BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL 51

H.25 EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TERRORISM FINANCING 51

H.26 LOGISTIC SUPPORT GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES OR PROPERTY 52

H.27 GENDER CONSIDERATION 52

H.28 SOURCE/ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 52

H.29 CONTRACTOR’S USE OF PROJECT VEHICLES AND LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS 52

H.30 MOBILE BANKING 53

H.31 ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS SYSTEM 53

H.32 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE 53

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 NOTICE LISTING CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 52.252-2 CLAUSES 55

I.2 AIDAR 752.211-70 LANGUAGE AND MEASUREMENT (JUN 1992) 57

I.3 AIDAR 752.242-70 PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS (OCT 2007) 57

I.4 AIDAR 752.7001 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA (JUL 1997) 58

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J -LIST OF DOCUMENTS EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1 RESULTS FRAMEWORK 59

ATTACHMENT 2 2013 GENDER ASSESSMENT WITH ADDENDUM 59

ATTACHMENT 3 MAP OF USAID PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES 59

ATTACHMENT 4 INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION (IEE) 59

ATTACHMENT 5 BUDGET FORMAT TEMPLATE 59

ATTACHMENT 6 ILLUSTRATIVE LOCAL COMPENSATION PLAN 59

ATTACHMENT 7 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN TEMPLATE Error! Bookmark not defined.

ATTACHMENT 8 SF LLL – DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES Error! Bookmark not defined.

ATTACHMENT 9 SF – 294 SUBCONTRACTING REPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTSError! Bookmark not defined.

PART IV – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

K.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 60

K.2 FAR 52.204-3 TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION (OCT 1998) 60

K.3 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATION REGARDING A DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR A FELONY

CRIMINAL CONVICTION (Deviation OAA-DEV-14-02c) (August 2014) 61

K.4 FAR 52.204-8 ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (DEC 2014) 61

K.5 FAR 52.209-5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (APR 2010) 64

K.6 FAR 52.222-22 PREVIOUS CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE REPORTS (FEB 1999) 65

K.7 FAR 52.222-25 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COMPLIANCE (APR 1984) 65

K.8 INSURANCE ‐ IMMUNITY FROM TORT LIABILITY 65

K.9 AGREEMENT ON, OR EXCEPTIONS TO, TERMS AND CONDITIONS 66

K.10 AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATORS 66

K.11 SIGNATURE 66

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

L.1 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) 67

L.2 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 67

L.3 SUBMISSION/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS 67

L.4 FORMAT AND PRESENTATION 68

L.5 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 68

L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE COST/BUSINESS PROPOSAL 72

L.7 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF BRANDING IMPLEMENTATION AND MARKING PLANS

L.8 GOVERNMENT OBLIGATION 78

L.9 52.216‐1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984) 78

L.10 OFFEROR’S RESPONSIBILITIES 78

L.11 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006) 79

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 GENERAL INFORMATION 80

M.2 TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA 80

M.3 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA 83

M.4 DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE RANGE 83

M.5 SOURCE SELECTION 83

M.6 CONTRACTING WITH SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS 84

- ATTACHMENTS -

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to provide technical assistance and services as described in detail in Section C, Statement of Work for the implementation of USAID/Mali Education Emergency Support Activity.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE AND CONTRACT SERVICES

This is a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) completion-type contract. For the consideration set forth below, the Contractor shall achieve the performance objectives and deliverables described in Section F in accordance with the performance standards specified herein.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE, AND OBLIGATED AMOUNT

(a) For the three year contract period, the estimated cost for the performance of the work required hereunder, exclusive of fixed fee, is TBD. The fixed fee, if any, for the contract period is TBD. The total estimated cost plus fixed fee 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 of the contract period hereunder is TBD. The Contractor shall not exceed the aforesaid obligated amount unless authorized by the Contracting Officer pursuant to the clause of this contract entitled “Limitation of Funds” (FAR 52.232-22). See Section I of this contract.

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

B.4 CONTRACT BUDGET AND CEILINGS

(a) The contract budget found in Section B.5, Budget, is based on the contractor’s original proposal and/or final proposal revision, which was accepted by USAID through award of this contract.

(b) Without the prior written approval of the contracting officer, the contractor may not exceed the total estimated cost set forth in the budget hereunder or the obligated amount, whichever is less.

(c) The following itemized budget sets forth the estimates for reimbursement of dollar costs for individual line items of cost, and the fixed fee (if any).

Cost Line Item Period of Performance Total Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Labor (Salaries & Fringe Benefits) Consultants Allowances Travel, Transportation & Per Diem Equipment and Supplies Activities Support Costs

Sub-Contracts Other Direct Costs Total Estimated Direct Costs Indirect Costs

Total Estimated Cost Fixed Fee

Total Est. Cost Plus Fixed Fee

B.5 INDIRECT COSTS

Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs shall be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases for the prime contractor and its major subcontractors (“major subcontractors” are those subcontractors expected to perform at least 20% or more of the technical effort):

Prime:

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD 1 % 1/ 1/ 1/

TBD 2 % 2/ 2/ 2/

1/ Base of Application:

Type of Rate: TBD

Period: TBD

2/ Base of Application:

Period: TBD

Subcontractor(s):

Description Rate Base Type Period

TBD 1 % 1/ 1/ 1/

TBD 2 % 2/ 2/ 2/

1/ Base of Application:

Period: TBD

2/ Base of Application:

Period: TBD

B.6 CEILING ON INDIRECT COSTS

Reimbursement for allowable indirect costs shall be at final negotiated rates but not in excess of the following ceiling rates:

Contractor TBD 1 Rate %

TBD 1 Ceiling Rate %

TBD 2

Rate %

TBD 2 Ceiling Rate %

PRIME

MAJOR

SUBCONTRACTOR(S)

(1) The Government will not be obligated to pay any additional amount should 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 will be reduced to conform to the lower rates.

(2) This understanding shall 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.7 FEE SCHEDULE

Pursuant to FAR 16.306 (d), Cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts - completion and term forms, the fixed fee payable under this contract is tied to the completion of the deliverables identified in Section F.

B.8 REIMBURSABLE COSTS

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.

[END OF SECTION B]

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Title: USAID/Mali Education Emergency Support Activity (EESA)

C.1 SUMMARY

Purpose

The purpose of the 3-year results-based contract is to support:

- the Government of Mali’s Emergency Priority Action Plan, which is the operational arm of the Transitional Roadmap adopted by the National Assembly in 2013, and

- the Ministry of Education’s 2014-2016 Interim Education Plan, which structures a framework of policy responses to the education needs for children affected by the crisis or conflict.

The EESA will contribute to increasing equitable access to basic education in the conflict-affected regions of Mali.

Scope

The Contractor must design and implement a mix of activities, and provide technical assistance and other resources necessary to successfully achieve the agreed-upon results, including cost and quality control.

Through this Contract, USAID/Mali will support the Government of Mali (GOM) to restore education venues, services, and system capacity for children in conflict-affected regions while leveraging the already high level of community engagement in education in Mali to ensure that schools are safe and accessible for all learners, and build the capacity of the Ministry of Education (MOE), communities, and schools to respond appropriately to emergency situations caused by armed conflict, crisis, or natural disasters.

Goal

The activity will achieve this objective through “Increased availability of safe and accessible primary schooling”; “Improved delivery of conflict and gender-sensitive basic educational services”; and “Strengthened institutional capacity to deliver education services in conflict-affected environment.”

The activities will directly contribute to the achievement of USAID/Mali’s education Development Objective (DO): “Children of Mali have equitable access to quality, relevant education in target areas”. The project also will contribute to the Mission’s planned country development cooperation strategy (CDCS) through the transitional objective TO: “Relief, Stabilization and Early Recovery of Conflict Affected Areas”, the governance objective DO 1: “Improved public trust in government” and the resilience objective DO2:

“Adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities and households increased.”

The ultimate goal of the Mission’s CDCS is to ensure that Malians secure a democratic, resilient, and prosperous future.

C.2 BACKGROUND

After the institutional crisis and the violent armed conflict that devastated the Northern regions, the government of Mali (GOM) struggles to provide quality basic services that promote the protection and development of children. The conflict has had a disproportionate negative impact on Mali’s most vulnerable citizens – children, and caused displacement, lack of educational opportunities, increased protection risks, particularly gender-based violence, eroded state power and hindered community ability to ensure child well-being. With a total population estimated at 15,840,000, Mali has a rapidly growing population of children (3 percent of total annual growth rate). An estimated 54 percent of the population is under the age of 18, and the future economic development, security and wellbeing of Mali and its children are in peril if the education and training needs for children are not met. However, the development of recent peace negotiations and stabilization initiatives in northern Mali and increased government commitment to the education sector are strong indicators that now is the right time for increased investment to support the Malian education sector to address the effects of violent conflict.

C.2.1. Gender Considerations

Current Gender Situation Globally The activity will be consistent with the goal of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, which aims to empower half the world’s population as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries affected by war, violence, and insecurity. It will be guided by the following five principles described in the Action Plan:

• Engage and protect women as agents of peace and stability to promote security, prevent, respond to, and resolve conflict, and rebuild societies;

• Complement and enhance existing initiatives to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, ensure respect for human rights, and address the needs of vulnerable populations in crisis and conflict environments;

• Seek out the views and participation of a wide variety of stakeholders from all socioeconomic strata;

• Coordinate activities among all relevant departments and agencies of the USG and international partners;

• Be accountable for the implementation of the plan.

This activity is also consistent with the goal of USAID’s Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy (2012): to improve the lives of citizens around the world by advancing equality between women and girls to participate fully in and benefit from the development of their societies.1 It is aligned with best practices in gender equality and empowerment and the seven guiding principles described in the Policy:

• Integrate gender equality and female empowerment into USAID’s work;

• Pursue an inclusive approach to foster equality;

• Build partnerships across a wide range of stakeholders;

• Harness science, technology, and innovation to reduce gender gaps and empower women and girls;

• Address the unique challenges in crisis and conflict-affected environments;

• Serve as a thought-leader and a learning community; and

• Hold ourselves accountable.

Current Gender Situation in Mali There are multiple discrepancies and inequities in Malian society that impact women/girls and prevent them from learning and participating in and benefitting from the development of the country. Cultural and ethnic norms weigh heavily against women and girls and are often harmful and threaten their well-being. This, coupled with poverty, especially in rural areas, determines low indices recorded for girls and women in all categories. These inequities are discussed in the 2012 USAID/Mali Gender Assessment and Addendum, attached to this RFP and included below:

• Mali’s patriarchal system gives legitimacy to unequal access to resources and the excise of power resulting in unequal access to financial resources, very limited ability for women to make decisions or act independently, and low level of female leadership in state structures and elective institutions.

• 92% of girls / adolescents undergo Female Genital Cutting (FGC) as a result of cultural practices leaving young girls with multiple health complications.

• Nearly 2,500 girls / adolescents develop fistula each year as a result of high fertility, low use of modern contraceptive methods, early marriage, and low rates of facility birth places. Untreated, this leads to multiple physical and social problems including shame, isolation, abandonment, paralysis and death.

• Young girls’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS has increased as a result of sexual abuses as well as child trafficking.

• Women suffer domestic and other forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV). E.g. 76% of women think it is acceptable for a man to beat a woman for burning food, arguing, going out without telling a man, being negligent with children, and/or refusing to have sexual relations with a man.2

1 The USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, March 2012 can be found at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACT200.pdf 2 Mali Demographic Health Survey (DHS), 2013.

http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACT200.pdf

• Rural women and girls are extremely overworked and subject to an unequal division of labor between them and men / boys, and unbalanced roles in the production of food and commodities.

Women and girls spend 7 to 8 hours on domestic chores, apart from the time they spend working in the fields, leaving little time for girls to go to school and resulting in higher rates of illiteracy among women than men.

• The majority of women and girls who work in agriculture are not remunerated for their labor. 77% of women farmers declared in a government survey that they have never received wages for their labor.

• Women’s lack of decision-making power contributes to the high fertility rates, and maternal and infant mortality.

• There is a strong correlation between women’s level of education and the drop in fertility rates, the increased well-being of children and many other indices of development.

• Along with illiteracy, women and girls lack training in entrepreneurship and other areas that will promote their sense of empowerment and leadership.

Since USAID/Mali’s 2012 Gender Assessment, there has been relatively little change in the general situation in Mali. The Addendum shows that Mali has dropped in two categories and remained the same in a third:

• Human Development Index (HDI): Mali dropped one spot, from 175th out of 187 countries in 2012 to 176th out of 189 countries in 2014. The HDI takes into account income, life expectancy at birth, the rate of adult literacy and school enrollment, among other development indicators.

• Gender Inequality Index (GII): Mali dropped five spots, from 143rd out of 146 countries in 2012 to 148th out of 152 countries. The GII draws attention to major deficits in human development due to gender inequality, such as reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity.

• Gender Related Development Index (GDI): Mali ranks 143rd out of 148 countries. The GDI measures gender gap in human development in health (male & female life expectancy at birth), education (male & female expected and mean years of schooling), command over economic resources (male & female estimated earned income). This ranking takes equally into consideration gender gaps hurting females and males.

• In addition, there have been multiple cases of kidnapping and rape of women following the April 2012 seizure of control by separatists and jihadists in the North.

These rankings are indicative of the fact that the 2012 conflict in Mali held hostage many efforts to improve these rankings through Government of Mali intervention and targeted development assistance. While the traditional values and practices that impact gender equality continue, the conflict and consequences of lawlessness have created additional gaps and needs for the people of Mali. As was concluded in the 2012 gender analysis, key gender disparities include unequal access to financial resources, very limited capacity for women to engage in decision-making in families, low level of female leadership within state structures, and prominent representation of men in elective institutions. These reasons, among others, will continue contributing to negative scores in gender-parity indicators.

Gender Applied to Education Emergency Support Activity in Mali Gender discrepancies are pervasive throughout Mali’s education system, and must be addressed throughout this activity. Although the 2012 USAID/Mali Gender Assessment reveals significant progress in improving access to basic education for children of both sexes in Mali; major gender gaps remain between boys and girls. For example the net enrollment rate (NER) was 68 percent for boys and 56 percent for girls in 2011. Girls are almost twice as likely as boys to dropout of primary school (7.2 percent of girls and 3.9 percent boys enrolled in 2010 did not finish the school year). The 2009 EGRA report showed poor learning outcomes and identified that there are achievement differences between boys and girls in the early grades.

Only 10 percent of girls (compared to 23 percent of boys) can read a simple French sentence by the end of grade four. The gender gap is also visible among education actors, including teachers and administrators;

from over one hundred regional Directors of Centre d’Animation Pedagogique (DCAP) and Academy Directors, only five are women, limiting the level of female resources and role models for girls’ students.

Household and the social division of labor prevent female teachers from taking advantage of teacher training opportunities, which contribute to lowering their teaching abilities and skills. Additionally, very few male education actors (teachers, school directors, etc.) are knowledgeable and skilled enough to address girls’ specific learning needs. Violence, both physical and psychological, towards girls in school from teachers and fellow students is another contributing factor to low girls’ student attendance and academic achievement. The current post-conflict crisis has exacerbated the situation because of the high number of

IDP students including girls and the psychological trauma linked to the crisis (sexual abuses of girl students were reported as part of the crisis trauma); more girls are likely to leave school, reversing gains made the past several years. Thus, the gross enrollment rate (GER) was 53.2 percent for boys and 46.7 for girls in Timbuktu; and 54.9 percent for boys and 47.9 for girls in Gao in 2013.

The gender discrepancies described in this section directly and indirectly impact girls’ education in Mali.

Since this award aims to increase equitable access to basic education services for 80,000 children, at least half of which are girls, in the conflict-affected regions of Mali, the Contractor must ensure that the gender issues described above are addressed within the target schools, communes, CAP and central level and included in the results.

C.2.2. Post-Conflict Context of Education in Mali

Mali made significant gains in improving access to education in the last five years. In fact there has been an increase of the gross enrollment rate (GER) by 4.6 percentage points per year on average between 2005 and 2011, reaching 83 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.3 However, the 2012 coup d’état resulting in the suspension of international aid and the subsequent invasions of northern regions by Al Qaeda-backed groups have negatively impacted the Malian educational landscape. Enrollments in schools in the country’s central and southern regions have risen beyond schools’ capacity, as traumatized families and learners including girls have fled the fighting in the north. In the northern regions of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal, many schools have been destroyed, closed and/or occupied by either the army or the invading jihadists fighters. Teachers, learners as well as communities have been affected; young girls’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS has increased as a result of sexual abuses as well as child trafficking. The occupation by extremist groups of the regions of the northern regions also caused a massive population movement. An estimated population of 800,000 people fled from the affected regions to other parts of Mali and neighboring countries – Mauritania, Niger, Burkina-Faso, and Algeria. As of April 2013, 300,7834 were registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 173,7795 refugees in neighboring countries. Children account for 86,938 IDPs. These children have been directly affected by conflict in their communities in the North, and in the South where they have to integrate into new communities facing a multitude of challenges such as lack of or inadequate access to food, security, education, and health services. Since June of 2013, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 137,000 people have moved back to Timbuktu and Gao. These spontaneous returnees are faced, however, with limited access to education:

schools and equipment have been destroyed; education activities were suspended; and school administration is barely present.

In these contexts, prior gains in increasing access risk being lost, and support to improve equitable access, the quality of instruction and contextualize learning for potentially traumatized student populations will be important to provide. Without sustained effort to place the education sector back on its feet, particularly in the regions affected by the conflict, thousands of children will be deprived of opportunities to learn.

C.2.3. Host Government Response

As the Northern regions transition to recovery and stability, it is indeed critical that the GOM begin to respond to citizens’ expectations, service provision being among the highest priority demands. One needed response to the lamentable condition of the education system in the conflict-affected regions is to increase equitable access to education so that more children, particularly girls, will benefit from the stabilizing and protective environment that schools provide. The GOM is therefore strongly committed to providing equitable access to quality relevant education to more children. Thus, the GOM has developed a strategic framework titled “Plan pour la Relance Durable du Mali” (PRED) (Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Mali). PRED is part of the 2013 Transitional Roadmap and includes strategic changes that speak to the urgency and depth of the current crisis in Northern Mali. It includes as key structural elements:

the need to improve the quality of government services and to prioritize access to basic social services for displaced persons and refugees in order to build trust between the central government and citizens. The

3 Mali Ministry of Education Statistics 4 Population Movement Commission, April 2013 5 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Mali report, April 2013

GOM also has developed an Emergency Priority Action Plan (PAPU) to address the education challenge in the Northern regions. The PAPU focuses on: (i) infrastructure as well as training and content to ensure that each child has access to education, including those in Northern Mali; and (ii) consolidating emergency phase interventions in order to welcome displaced persons or refugees when and if they return and to anticipate the normalization of the situation and the development of an expanded, high quality education system. In addition, the GOM has developed an Education Interim Plan (IEP) (2014-2016), which also addresses the post-crisis situation that led to the decrease in access to education while supporting the implementation of policy measures to improve the quality and equity of the education system.

The MALI’s “Education Emergency Support Activity” is in line with the strategic direction of the GOM, and USAID expects the Contractor to engage Malian officials and experts in the conceptualization, design, implementation, and monitoring phases of the project.

C.2.4. Building on USAID’S Education Activities

While the political crisis significantly slowed educational progress in the south and center of the country, it would not be an exaggeration to state that education in the north in 2012 came to a complete stop during the invasion of jihadists and armed groups. To ensure an effective 2013-2014 school year, the GOM developed a “Back-to-School” initiative to provide short-term support to schools, school administration, and school management committees in crisis and conflict-affected geographic areas. USAID/Mali supported the “Back to School” initiative, along with other donors, to facilitate and promote equitable access to quality education for girls and boys – in particular those affected by the conflict, food and nutrition crisis and seasonal flooding in the North and the South of the country – through the implementation of a multi-sectoral minimum package. This package included provision of teaching and learning materials, provision of school hygiene kits, and support to children’s psychosocial recovery through distribution of recreation kits and teacher training as well as investment in early age by equipping Early Childhood Development Centers with kits. The “Back to School” initiative supported the return to school of 800,000 children, and the various components of the initiative ensured continued quality education at pre-primary, primary and secondary school levels.

Specifically, USAID funds have been used in the “Back to School” initiative to implement the following activities:

• Train teacher in emergency related modules, psycho-social support, peace building and reconciliation, large group/multi grade instruction, and care for child development;

• Set up temporary learning spaces until schools are rehabilitated, or until new long-term structures are established;

• Provide teaching, learning and recreational materials to children between the ages of 3-18 years;

and

• Support social mobilization of women and youth groups and other community networks in the north.

C.3 ACTIVITY OBJECTIVE

The objective of this Activity is to achieve a measurable increase of equitable access to basic education for returned and resident learners who have been affected by the crisis and conflict in Mali. Three overarching results support the achievement of this objective as indicated in the attached Results Framework.

The Contractor will assist the MOE to ensure that Malian children in crisis and conflict-affected target areas have opportunities to receive equitable basic education in safe learning environments. The implementation of the contract will contribute to increase equitable access to primary education for 80,000 girls and boys to contribute to the Goal 3 of USAID’s Global Education Strategy: “Increased equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments for 15 million learners.” In particularly, the contractor must address the gender issues in C.2.1 above.

C.3. 1. Strategic Approach

The north of Mali has experienced unprecedented levels of conflict and destruction. Armed groups with conflicting agendas occupied the northern towns of Kidal, Timbuktu, and Gao, removing more than a third of the country’s territory from the central government’s control. Islamist groups discouraged attendance at formal schools, and destroyed or closed many schools; in other areas, the army and/or the jihadists took over schools to serve as temporary bases for commando raids and military operations. For close to a year, (until the successful democratic election in 2013), there was almost no access to school in any of the country’s northern territories. The conflict resulted in learners missing years of schooling, lack of learning materials, exodus of qualified teachers, and traumatized teachers, learners, and families. According to the GOM’s Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Mali (2013-2014), some 800,000 school age children affected by the conflict do not have access to education and need a suitable pedagogical approach. 2,486 schools should be reconstructed and 2,486 school directors and 12,578 teachers need to be trained on education during emergencies.

Through this award, the contractor will assist the GOM’s short-term plan to restore education venues, services and system capacity while leveraging the already high level of community engagement in education in Mali. The purpose is to ensure that schools are safe and accessible for all primary education learners (1st grade through 6th grade). Also the contractor will contribute to building the capacity of the MOE, communities, and schools to respond appropriately to emergency situations. The common thread among these elements is that they help learners resume school in safe learning environments and catch up with the loss of schooling due to the conflict regardless of their gender, social status, and ethnic groups.

C.4.1. Guiding Principles

a. USAID Global Education Strategy/Goal 3: The project is consistent with goal 3 of USAID Global Education Strategy to increase equitable access to education in environments affected by crisis and conflict, including at the national, sub-national or regional levels.6 It is aligned with best practices in programming for equitable access to education in conflict and crisis environments that contribute to humanitarian response and for conflict mitigation and stabilization and the two guiding principles described in the strategy:

• Increased access to basic education is the primary objective; and

• Education programs should be based on “do no harm” principles- Education programs should not exacerbate conflict.

b. Gender: Interventions must contribute to the USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy and the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, which aims to empower half the world’s population as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries affected by war, violence, and insecurity. More specifically, the contractor must address the gender issues in C.2.1 above

c. Conflict-Sensitivity: The post-conflict crisis has had multiple effects on the education sector in Mali.

The most significant impact has been on access to quality education. The occupation of the north of Mali by armed jihadist groups has created significant constraints to school attendance, in particular for girls, caused infrastructure damage and lack of learning materials and displacement of qualified teachers. It is estimated that there are nearly 120,000 displaced learners in primary and lower secondary education of which around 50,000 moved to the south. This massive inflow of new learners is putting tremendous pressure on already over-crowded schools in the south with adverse effects on access and quality. Some children and youth are no longer able to attend school because of lack of places and over-crowded facilities create poor learning environment for learners. To address these issues, USAID/Mali’s education interventions will integrate principles of conflict sensitivity in all their components as per the USAID education strategy guidance and the Interagency Network for Education in Emergency tools and guidance.

The basic principles of conflict sensitivity in the Mali context encompass the following attention to:

• Safety to and in schools and learning environments;

• Provision of psycho-social and/or well-being support to learners to promote resilience, reconciliation, inclusion, tolerance and conflict mitigation;

• Preparedness of communities and schools to respond to emergencies; and

• Close monitoring of progress and results through rolling assessments of intervention sites, which may include the use of mobile technology especially in remote areas.

6 The USAID Global Education Strategy can be found at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACQ946.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACQ946.pdf

d. Inclusive Development: In Mali there are more than one million people with disability (PWDs) facing various social and economic discrimination. Negative attitudes and the unwillingness of society to adapt itself to disability denies PWDs access to basic services such as education, employment, health care, water and sanitation. USAID/Mali is committed to the inclusion of all marginalized and excluded groups from development processes, from the design and implementation of activities to the advocacy for and outreach to PWDs. The ultimate goal is to correct policies or practices that restrict equitable access to education based on gender, class, disability, ethnicity, language group, geographic location, religious affiliation, academic ability, or other factors that have been identified as the basis for exclusion.

e. Strengthening Decentralization: Mali’s constitution provides the framework for an administrative decentralization that includes decentralization of the MOE. Many challenges to expanding access and quality of basic education stem from the legal transfer of responsibilities to Mali’s 703 communes and the subsequent need to redefine the role of the MOE’s national and decentralized services in relationship to these communes. The MOE is actively engaged in an internal decentralization; however, that process has been weakly integrated with the broader process aimed at empowering communes politically.

f. Host Country Ownership and Donor Coordination: As outlined in the 2005 Paris Declaration, the U.S.

supports efforts to coordinate development assistance based upon the principles of host country ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results, and mutual accountability. USAID/Mali’s education programs must contribute directly to the GOM’s goals for the education sector as articulated in its various strategic framework documents.

g. Information Technology: Worldwide, information and communication technologies (ICT) are revolutionizing access to information and disseminating it across all disciplines. The potential of ICT to foster educational development in Mali is clear when one considers the vast expanse of the country, the poor communication networks between central and decentralized education services, and the large numbers of children without access to educational opportunities.

C.4 REQUIREMENTS

C.4.1. General

The Contractor must review findings from the 2015 USAID-supported Conflict Assessment conducted by the MOE to inform the country next ten-year education plan development process, identify what information or data already exist, and perform an initial Rapid Assessment to determine how the current delivery of educational services is impacted by the crisis or the conflict as well as the type and number of schools to be selected. A baseline against which increases in the number of learners receiving basic education services can be measured in midline and end line surveys is of course needed. The priority is to document which groups are being systematically excluded from formal educational services. Those groups should be described with respect to their gender, ethnic, geographic, religious, and linguistic characteristics that have made them vulnerable to exclusion. Based on those findings, interventions must aim to correct policies or practices that restrict equitable access based on gender, class, disability, ethnicity, language group, geographic location, religious affiliation, academic ability, or other factors that have been identified as the basis for exclusion.

Additionally, the Contractor must develop and implement a strategy for and carefully monitor activity implementation to ensure that girls and boys are equally benefiting from the activities under this Contract.