Attachment A_Question_Answer List_Amendment 0001_SOL72011120R00003.pdf

Attachment A

Questions and Answers List

Amendment 0001, Request for Proposals: Solicitation: 72011120R00003, Integrity Project

No Questions

Answers

1 Section B.6(a) on page B-2 of the RFP states that “The Government shall pay the Contractor for performing this contract the fixed fee specified in the Schedule.” However, Section L.7 does not include reference to a fixed fee schedule and Section L.7(b)(1)(ii) states, “The amount of fixed fee proposed should include the rationale for the proposed amount.” Would USAID please confirm that the offeror may propose fees as a percentage of the contract?

Please note that Section B.6 is FAR 52.216-8 Fixed Fee clause. The offerors should propose a fixed fee amount. Please refer to FAR15.404-

4 Profit, and FAR16.306 Cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts.

2 Section C.5.B on pages C-10 and C-11 states that “an advanced university degree in a relevant discipline” is a minimum required for all key personnel, while allowing for substitution of the advanced degree with a university degree and additional years of relevant experience. Would USAID consider shortening the additional experience required for chief of party and deputy chief of party to five and three years, respectively, to broaden the pool of potential candidates?

Relevant academic background and extensive experience of the senior key personnel are essential for the successful implementation of the activity. USAID has revised the additional experience required for the

Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party to eight and five years, respectively.

3 Section H.41.a.2 on page H-20 provides, “The limitations in AIDAR

722.170 on compensation, allowances, and differentials apply to

Cooperating Country Nationals (CCNs) and Third Country Nationals

(TCNs). Compensation, including merit or promotion increases paid to TCN’s and CCN’s may not, without the approval of the Mission

Director, exceed the prevailing compensation plan paid to personnel performing comparable work in the cooperating country as determined by the USAID mission.” We respectfully request that the above-mentioned salary restriction be removed from the RFP as it may preclude contractors from following their established policies, procedures, and practices, with reimbursement subject only to the

USAID Contractor Salary Threshold, as required by AIDAR

752.7007 in Section H.40.

This section reflects USAID policy per the AIDAR and cannot be removed. These limitations on compensation, allowances and differentials do apply to CCNs and TCNs. For those cases when compensation exceeds the local compensation plan, the contractor may request a waiver as necessary.

4 Section H.41.e on page H-20 states, “Annual salary increases (e.g.

cost of living and merit increases and other) for employees may be granted once a year and connect exceed 5% for CCNs and 3% for

US/TCNs. Annual salary increases of any kind exceeding this limitation or exceeding the USAID Contractor Salary Threshold

(CST) may be granted only with the advance written approval of the

Contracting Officer.” We respectfully request that the above-mentioned restriction for salary increases of not more than 5% for

CCNs and 3% for US/TCNs be removed from the RFP as it may preclude contractors from following their established policies, procedures, and practices with reimbursement subject only to the

USAID Contractor Salary Threshold, as required by AIDAR

752.7007 in Section H.40 (page H-19).

This is USG established practice: annual salary increases not to exceed

5% for CCNs and 3% for US/TCNs are considered reasonable based on annual inflation rate and market trends.

However, during implementation the contractor can request individual approvals as necessary.

5 Consistent with the guidance in FAR 37.113-1 and considering that the anticipated contract will be performed entirely overseas, we respectfully request that USAID include FAR 52.237-9, Waiver of

Limitation on Severance Payments to Foreign Nationals, to prevent conflict with applicable local employment laws.

The FAR clause 52.237-9 Waiver of Limitation on Severance Payments is not needed at this stage. Should there be a need during the implementation of the project, USAID will make its determination for a waiver of limitation on severance payments.

6 Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, is included as an attachment to the RFP in Section J. Would USAID please confirm that offerors need only submit this disclosure if required by the related FAR 52.203.11?

That is correct.

7 Section J.B on page J-1 provides a web link to the Integrity Systems and the Rule of Law in Armenia: Targeted Literature Review and

Field Research (New Rule, July 2019). However, the document associated with this link is Integrity Systems and the Rule of Law in

Armenia: An Evidence Review for Learning, Evaluation and

Research Activity II (LER II) dated February 2019. Would USAID please provide a revised URL address? Additionally, page C-3 references USAID support to the Corruption Prevention Council through two projects: Investment Support Program and Armenia

Support Initiative. Would USAID please share relevant program

The updated link for the referenced the Integrity Systems and the Rule of Law in Armenia: Targeted Literature Review and Field Research

(New Rule, July 2019) has been added as follows:

https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00WQJT.pdf

USAID has also added the following document: Integrity Systems and the Rule of Law in Armenia: An Evidence Review for Learning, Evaluation and Research Activity II (USAID, February 2019) available at:

https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00WQJT.pdf materials (e.g., progress and/or final reports, work plans, assessments, studies) from these projects in a forthcoming amendment?

https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/usaid_arme nia_drg_isrol_evidence_review_-_final_2019-06-14.pdf

USAID’s ongoing short-term technical assistance to the Corruption

Prevention Commission is limited to the production of internal working level documents for the Government of Armenia. USAID will share relevant public program documents as they become available.

8 Section L.4(d) on page L-4, offer expiration date, states that

“proposals in response to this solicitation will be valid for the number of days specified on the solicitation cover sheet (unless a different period is proposed by the offeror).” SF 33, Block 12 indicates “0” days. Would USAID kindly specify the number of days it would like proposals to remain valid?

The Government requires acceptance period of 150 calendar days. The

Standard Form 33 is revised to include the bid acceptance period.

Please refer to Attachment B to this RFP/Sol: 72011120R00003, Amendment 0001.

The offeror may specify a longer acceptance period than the

Government’s requirement.

9 Section L.5 on page L-6 indicates USAID’s preference that “each technical and each cost proposal be submitted as a single email attachment, i.e., that you consolidate the various parts of a technical proposal into a single document before sending it.” L.7 asks that the cost proposal be submitted in Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and

Microsoft Excel. Would USAID please clarify that the cost proposal should be submitted in Adobe PDF accompanied by the Excel spreadsheets?

The cost proposal narrative should be submitted in MS Word or

Adobe PDF format. The budget tables should be submitted in Adobe

PDF, as well as MS Excel format with unlocked cells.

10 In Section L.6 on page L-7, the list of required annexes provides that Past Performance Information – Annex E is limited to five pages, which needs to include the past performance summary charts.

Would USAID please confirm that this five-page limit is only for the prime offeror, and that any major subcontractor’s past performance information may be presented in a separate five-page summary chart?

Yes, the five-page limit is for the prime offeror. Major subcontractors’ past performance information may be submitted separately, also subject to a combined total of five-pages (10 pages maximum, up to five for the prime and up to five for major subcontractor(s)).

11 Section L.6 on page L-10 of the RFP states, “The apparently successful Offer will be requested to submit their approach to achieving environmental compliance and management, to include...”

As there is not yet a successful offeror, would USAID please confirm that this information is not required in initial proposals?

That is correct.

https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/usaid_armenia_drg_isrol_evidence_review_-_final_2019-06-14.pdf https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/usaid_armenia_drg_isrol_evidence_review_-_final_2019-06-14.pdf

12 Section L.7 on page L-10 states that cost proposals must use standard 8.5 x 11 paper. However, fitting spreadsheets onto 8.5 x 11 will likely result in very small print that is difficult to read. We request that USAID make an exception for the budget spreadsheets and allow them to be on paper sizes larger than 8.5 x 11.

Budget spreadsheets may be larger than 8.5x11.

13 L.7 (b)(2) on page L-11, under Salaries and Wages, states that the offeror must adequately justify the proposed salary rates based on personnel policies, prevailing market rates, and other relevant information. Is USAID requesting that the offeror submit its personnel policies to adequately justify the proposed rates?

The cost proposal must provide justifications for the proposed salary rates. The justification should be based on market rates for each position (per the current version of the biographical data form, no salary history information should be included). The offeror may describe any additional policies regarding how salaries are determined, and are welcome but not required to submit personnel policies.

14 Section L.7(b)(2) on page L-13 indicates at least $1 million should be allocated to grants under contract (GUC), Section H.39 indicates that the contractor may execute at least $1 million in grants, and

Section B.4 shows a $1 million grants plug. Would USAID kindly confirm that either the $1 million is a fixed plug figure, or confirm that offerors have the flexibility to propose more for its GUC program?

USAID’s requirement is that offerors allocate at least $1 million to grants under contract (GUC), but offerors have the flexibility to propose a larger amount for their GUC allocation.

15 Would USAID kindly confirm that solely in-kind grants to government entities will be allowed under this contract, pursuant to

ADS 302.3.4.13?

USAID confirms that solely in-kind grants to government entities will be allowed under the contract.

16 Please confirm that proposing two additional key personnel positions beyond the three key personnel positions defined in the RFP is optional.

Offerors have the flexibility to offer up to two additional key personnel positions beyond the three key personnel positions defined in the RFP.

Please note that the number of key personnel designated must not be more than five individuals or five percent of the contractor employees working under the contract, whichever is greater.

17 We request that USAID revise the COP and DCOP position requirements in order to allow for qualified individuals who have primarily worked within the government and/or civil society, rather than as managers of international development activities, to be proposed as candidates for these positions.

USAID considers experience managing international development activities essential for the successful implementation of an international development activity of this scale and complexity. Managing international development projects, such as donor-funded activities or activities of similar complexity and scope implemented by government and/or civil society entities, satisfies this requirement.

18 Please confirm that a Year 5 Annual Report will not be required in addition to the Final Report.

That is correct. Year 5 annual information will be incorporated into the

Final Report.

19 Please confirm that a List of Acronyms will not count against the page limit of the Technical Proposal.

That is correct, the acronyms list will not be counted toward the page limit of the Technical Proposal.

20 As the past performance matrix (Attachment J.2) is not printer-friendly (the table stretches over multiple pages and some of its columns would feature disproportionally more text than other columns), please allow offerors to select a different reader-friendly format to present the information that is required on page L-9 of the

RFP. Please note that we have encountered this past performance matrix requirement on several USAID RFPs both from

USAID/Washington and from missions. After pointing out this problem, USAID has always agreed to revise this requirement.

This modification to the RFP removes the Past Performance Matrix, Attachment 2 from the subject RFP. Whatever format is used, submissions must include all of the information requested under Annex

E - Past Performance, page L-9 of the subject modification.

21 Please confirm that the required small business utilization information described on pages L-9 and L-10 of the RFP will not count against the five-page limit of Annex E.

The required small business utilization information described on pp. L-

9-10 will not count against the five-page limit of Annex E.

22 In the budget template, the subcontractor tab is in a different format than the detailed budget. Page L-13 of the RFP states that subcontractor budgets should be in the same format as the prime budget. Can USAID confirm which budget format should be used for subcontractors?

The budget format for the subcontractor should be in the same format as the prime budget. A revised Budget Template – Attachment C is included to this RFP/Sol: 72011120R00003, Amendment 0001. In the revised budget template, the subcontractor tab has been removed from the budget template: subcontractor budgets should follow the same format as the prime budget which is included already in the budget table.

23 In the budget template, the summary budget format is different from the detailed budget format. Can USAID clarify the appropriate budget template to be used?

A revised Budget Template, Attachment C is included to this RFP/Sol:

72011120R00003, Amendment 0001.

24 Please clarify where in the budget template we should include the grants line item.

Please refer to the revised Budget Template, Attachment C to this

RFP/Sol: 72011120R00003, Amendment 0001.

25 The budget template has a tab for LOE that is not referenced in

Section L. Do we need to submit a separate LOE chart with the proposal?

The offerors do not need to submit a separate LOE chart with their proposal. The Offerors are required to complete the LOE sheet under the revised Budget Template, Attachment C.

26 We respectfully request that USAID remove the salary table from the LOE tab of the budget template as requiring information about proposed personnel’s current salaries goes against USAID’s policy of not basing compensation on salary history.

Please refer to the revised Budget Template, Attachment C to this

RFP/Sol: 72011120R00003, Amendment 0001. The budget table is revised to remove the request for current salary information for the proposed personnel under LOE sheet.

The proposed salaries should be market-based.

27 Does USAID contemplate different funding sources for direct costs, subcontracts, indirect costs, and fixed fee? If not, we request that

USAID remove the four CLINs from the budget template.

Please refer to the revised Budget Template, Attachment C to this

RFP/Sol: 72011120R00003, Amendment 0001.

28 Does USAID contemplate issuing a letter contract for the Integrity

Project? If not, we request that USAID remove Section I.5 from the

RFP or provide additional guidance.

FAR 52.216-25 Contract Definitization is a required clause for cost-reimbursement contracts, therefore shall not be removed from the RFP.

29 Please clarify the guidance in Section H.39.b on page H-19 as now it appears that the use of grants under contract is discouraged and grants should only be used in case other mechanisms are not available.

Per Section L.7, top of page L-13 of the RFP, offerors should allocate at least $1 million to grants under contract.

30 Please clarify which of the following is accurate: a) $1,000,000 for grants (Section B.4 on page B-1), b) “At least $1 million should be allocated during the course of the activity for grants” (Section L.7, top of page L-13), or c) “the Contractor may execute at least $1 million in grants” (Section H.39 on page H-19).

Per Section L.7, top of page L-13 of the RFP, offerors should allocate at least $1 million to grants under contract. Please also refer to

Answers #14 and #29.

31 Page L-7, L.6 Instructions for Preparation of Technical Proposal, states that the Technical Proposal must use “Times New Roman point 12 font size (can be 10-point font in charts, graphs, textboxes, and tables)”. Could USAID please confirm that offerors can use a font type other than Times New Roman for charts, graphics, textboxes, and tables?

Offerors can use a font type other than Times New Roman for charts, graphics, textboxes, and tables.

32 Would USAID allow offerors to submit an acronyms list as part of their Technical Proposal that isn’t counted toward the page limit?

Yes, please also refer to Answer #19.

33 Page L-7, L.6 Instructions for Preparation of Technical Proposal, states: “The technical proposal must be organized according to the evaluation factors in Section M and must address all evaluation factors in Section M.” Following this paragraph, the RFP then states:

“Offerors shall structure the technical approach based on the objectives and expected results identified in the SOW.” Could

The Technical proposal must be organized according to the evaluation factors in Section M: Technical Approach, Management Plan and

Personnel, and Past Performance. The Technical Approach component should be organized according to the objectives and expected results of the SOW, while addressing the Technical Approach sub-factors specified in Section M.

USAID please confirm that offerors should organize the Technical

Approach according to the objectives and expected results?

34 Page L-8, 2. Management Plan and Personnel, states: “The Offeror must include letters of commitment from all such proposed partners and team members.” Page L-15, L.7 Instructions for Preparation and

Submission of the Cost/Business Proposal, states: “The Cost

Proposal must include a letter, on subcontractor letterhead, and signed by an authorized representative of each subcontractor…” Can

USAID please confirm that subcontractors’ letters of commitment are only required to be submitted in the Cost Proposal?

That is correct, subcontractors’ letters of commitment are only required to be submitted in the cost proposal.

35 Page L-9, Annex E – Past Performance, states: “Offerors must include Past Performance Summary Charts as Annex E (maximum 5 pages) to the technical proposal which describes and demonstrates their organizational experience…” Further down on the page, the

RFP states: “For contracts not listed in CPARS, list in the Past

Performance Information Sheet (Attachment 2) contracts for efforts similar to the work required by this RFP…The list should not exceed five (5) pages.” We have the following related questions:

a. Can USAID please clarify what is meant by “Past

Performance Summary Charts”? Is there a template offerors should reference?

b. Can USAID please clarify whether both these

Charts and the Past Performance Information Sheet

(Attachment 2) are required in Annex E, given they seem to be asking for the same information?

c. If offerors are required to include both the Past

Performance Summary Charts and the Information

Sheet in Annex E, it seems the offerors would use the Charts to describe three to five of the most recent and relevant contracts, and only use the

Information Sheet to list which of the three to five contracts aren’t in CPARS. Please confirm.

d. Given the Past Performance Information Sheet

(Attachment 2) is an Excel document, would

USAID allow offerors to submit this spreadsheet as

a. As described in Section L.6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR

PREPARATION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, page L-9, Past

Performance Summary Chart is the past performance information that Offerors should submit as part of technical proposal under Annex E. There is no template for the Past

Performance Summary Chart, however, the Offeror’s should follow the instructions under the referenced section for the information required to be included in the Past Performance

Summary Chart.

b. The Past Performance Information Sheet (Matrix), Attachment 2 is removed from the RFP.

c. The Past Performance Information Sheet (Matrix) is no longer required.

d. See above.

Please also refer to Answer #20.

a separate file, instead of having to reformat it to fit in the Technical Proposal document?

36 Page L-8, 2. Management Plan and Personnel, states that for the

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning section offerors need to include “proposed outcome and output indicators that track and measure achievement of the activity objectives and expected results…” Would USAID allow offerors to include this indicator table as an annex that would not count toward the page limit?

USAID expects that proposed core outcome and output indicators will be included in the MEL section included in the page limit.

37 Page C-8, for the first two Expected Result 2.2 Illustrative Indicators and for the Expected Result 2.2 Expected Outcome, the RFP includes the term “USG support”. Could USAID please clarify whether these indicators and expected outcome are related to general

USG support or specifically to this Integrity Project?

For the purposes of the RFP and the forthcoming contract, only USG support provided within the scope of the Integrity Project will be tracked through the specified indicators.

38 Section L.6, on page L-6 instructs: “…the Business (Cost) Proposal shall present the price and address related issues such as past performance and responsibility.” However, past performance is included in the Technical Proposal structure on page L-7. Could

USAID please confirm that past performance does not need to be included in the cost proposal?

Past performance should be included in the technical proposal.

39 In the budget template in Attachment 4, the Summary Budget worksheet includes a line item for Grants Under Contracts, but the

Detail Budget worksheet does not. Please confirm that offerors may modify the template to reflect this and other necessary changes.

Please refer to the revised Budget Template, Attachment C to this

RFP/Sol: 72011120R00003, Amendment 0001.

40 Can one organization be in more than one proposal in different status?

An organization may be included as a sub-contractor on more than one proposal. An organization may also submit a proposal as a prime offeror and also be included on another proposal as a sub-contractor.

41 In what status small businesses could be involved in the project:

lead, co-applicant, sub-contractor, etc.?

A small business can be involved as a prime, sub-contractor, joint venture partner, or other type of consortium partner.

42 Along with the applicant is the existence of co-applicants are mandatory, or their names can be included in the proposal partners and they can be sub-contracted after the award?

Any contractual relationships are between the prime and subcontractor(s), and USAID is not a party to those relationships.

However, no subcontract should guarantee work under this activity prior to award. USAID does not require that any legal agreements be signed prior to award.

43 Is mentioning the name of the partner organization in the proposal sufficient to solely sub-contract it after the award or it in this case also it will require bidding?

If a subcontractor is approved as part of the award, the prime is not required to competitively bid that subcontract.

44 Is the contract type fixed fee plus cost reimbursement assumes that these two types of costs should be included in the budget? If so, are there any requirements regarding the type or proportion of expenses fixed vs reimbursable?

Please refer to FAR 16.306 Cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts.

45 Can an international organization apply without a local partner as a co-applicant?

Yes.