Amendment No.0003-Questions & Responses (1).pdf

Request for Proposal (RFP) SOL -72062020R00012 – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

(MEL) Support Activity Amendment #0003

AMENDMENT#0003

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATED TO TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

I. GENERAL

1) Given the requirements listed in Section L, would USAID kindly consider the submission deadline to allow more time for Offerors to prepare the many required annexes, in addition to relatively long technical proposal?

RESPONSE: The closing date for submission of proposals has been extended to

November 6, 2020. Please refer to Amendment 0002.

2) Can USAID please provide a SF LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities template?

RESPONSE: Section L.6.3(d) has been corrected to read Attachment J.10. SF LLL

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities template is provided at Section J, Attachment J.10.

3) Would USAID provide the anticipated award date for the contract?

RESPONSE: The anticipated award date for this solicitation is on or around March 2021.

4) For planning and budgeting purposes, could USAID please confirm the anticipated start date for activities?

RESPONSE: Please refer to response to question number 3.

5) For cost purposes, can USAID provide a fixed exchange rate for the proposal?

RESPONSE: No, USAID is unable to provide a fixed exchange rate. Offerors are to utilize the exchange rate that is available to the public.

6) Must the prime contractor (small business) hold active registration in Nigeria prior to award?

RESPONSE: No, the Prime Contractor is not required to hold active registration in Nigeria at the time of award. This would be part of mobilization of the winning Contractor.

II. SECTION C

1) Reference: C.4 Tasks, CLA Page 21

Question: Can USAID elaborate on the scope and intent of this illustrative task: "Provide short term (six months or less) consultants as required for technical assistance to the

Government of Nigeria or state governments as needed (Estimated one to two per year technical areas per year)."

Would these consultants be focused on MEL-related work, administrative support, or providing subject matter expertise?

RESPONSE: These consultants would generally serve under the “learning” goal, building capacity of the Government of Nigeria or state government offices. Additionally, they may supplement USAID staff for short term staffing needs. They would be subject matter experts, not administrative staff.

2) Reference : C.4 Tasks, CLA Page 21

Question: Can USAID elaborate on the scope and intent of this illustrative task: "Assist in building the capacity of Nigerian Monitoring and Evaluation expertise"?

Does USAID envision the MEL platform to build MEL capacity of IPs' local partners, beneficiary local organizations, or our own partners?

RESPONSE: The MEL Support contractor will host quarterly learning events with MEL staff of local USAID Implementers, occasionally these may include staff of the Government of Nigeria, state governments, or beneficiary organizations that work with our implementing partners.

3) Reference: C.4 Tasks, Knowledge Management Page 22

Question: Can USAID give an overview of how Monitor it is currently used by the Mission, e.g.

what data it houses (AMELP indicator data, PPR data, evaluation and assessment findings, GIS data, etc.)?

RESPONSE: Monitor houses AMELP, PPR, and GIS data. Evaluations and assessments are stored in USAID’s knowledge management system.

4) C.4 CLA and KM Tasks Pages 20-22

Question: The tasks described under CLA on page 20, appear to be KM tasks and align with the illustrative activities described under that component on page 22.

CLA tasks on page 20.

1) maintain and improve the mission’s knowledge management system which tracks implementing partner data reporting;

2) increase the availability of reliable, empirical evidence for monitoring, learning, and adapting;

and

3) provide short term technical experts as needed to support mission activities – As described below, KM activities on pages 20-21.

1) Maintaining and upgrading USAID/Nigeria’s performance management database or help to create any successor thereto;

2) Training Mission staff and implementing partners on the use of the performance management database to record, extract, and analyze performance data;

3) GIS mapping, training, supporting technical teams and Program Office;

4) GIS mapping, training, supporting technical teams and Program Office; and

5) Educating Nigerian MEL specialists and strengthening local MEL capacity, especially among

MEL firms that are part of the platform consortium.

Likewise, the tasks described under KM on page 19 –see below- correspond to the illustrative activities under CLA on page 21.

1) provide training to share MEL best practices and tools to allow our implementing partners, government, and other local entities the opportunity to deepen their MEL capacities; and

2) organize and support Mission Learning events – Please clarify the correct differentiated activities for these two components.

RESPONSE: This question does not track with the language of the solicitation. Please review the language of the solicitation. There are 9 illustrative CLA activities on page 20. Items one and two listed here are NOT on that list. Items one and two listed in this part of the question appear under the knowledge management section and are on page 21

5. Section C.4, p. 21 states “The Mission will issue individual work orders for these tasks.

a. Does this statement apply to all tasks listed in C.4?

b. Please confirm that the requirement to mobilize within one week of receipt of a work order applies only to DQAs and monitoring.

RESPONSE:

a) Yes, this statement applies to all tasks listed in C.4.

b) Rapid mobilization capability applies only to DQAs and monitoring. Specific deployment timelines will be included in the work order scope of work for the evaluation being sought.

6. Page 14 of the RFP references the USAID/Nigeria Country Development Cooperation Strategy

(CDCS) to be launched in summer/fall. Is a draft CDCS available?

RESPONSE: The finalized USAID/Nigeria 2020 - 2025 Country Development Cooperation

Strategy is now available online at: https://www.usaid.gov/nigeria/cdcs.

7. Page 19 of the RFP references the USAID/Nigeria Mission Performance Management Plan (PMP).

Is a draft PMP available?

RESPONSE: The Performance Management Plan that will track the 2020-2025 CDCS is currently under design and is anticipated to be completed by 12/31/2020.

8. Page 14 of the RFP references “short-term technical assistance staff for learning” that are embedded in Nigerian federal/state government systems. Can USAID please provide a list of these positions/government entities as they currently stand?

RESPONSE: No such positions exist under the current MEL contract. These would be new.

9. Page 16 of the RFP shows a Special Objective for select states. To which selected states does the

Special Objective apply?

RESPONSE: The Special Objective covers Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and

Yobe.

10. Page 20 of the RFP refers to an estimated 20 learning events per year. Noting the relative frequency, can USAID provide more information about the anticipated scope/nature, location, and participants for these events?

RESPONSE: The scope of such events will be determined based on the need of the Mission going forward. In the past these have included monthly learning events with Mission MEL https://www.usaid.gov/nigeria/cdcs staff (25 people), Quarterly meetings with implementing partner MEL staff (75-100 people), quarterly meetings for the Mission Director to meet with Implementing Partners (75 people), technical team or support team staff retreats (10 - 30 people), the Mission’s Journey to Self-

Reliance learning event that hosted 150 implementing partners and staff, and the two day

Gender and Inclusive Development learning event that hosted 200 implementing partners, Mission staff, government of Nigeria officials, and local gender experts. In addition, consultations meetings related to gathering information for project or activity design, co-creation workshops, the mid-course stock taking for the CDCS, or for designing the new

CDCS. These events have included providing the venue, food and beverage, facilitators, guest speakers, audio-visual equipment, registration table and staffing, agenda, and other printed materials.

11. Can USAID provide access (for example, through a dummy log in or file) Monitor (r) to allow applicants to better understand the software?

RESPONSE: The Solicitation has been amended to require offerors to propose their own software and the monitoring data management system. The instruction manual and program guide for USAID’s current data management system will be provided to the awardee. Data and source code will also be provided to the awardee. The current data management system stores implementing partners’ indicator data, Activity Monitoring Evaluation and Learning

Plans, Geographic Information System (GIS) data and it provides analytics using that data and be used to create maps.

Below are screen shots to visualize the functionality of the current system.

12. Regarding the Mobilization for Mission work orders is 7 days (RFP p.21): will this only require mobilization of long-term staff who are already in the field, or does this mean STTA contractors must be recruited, approved, have employment negotiated, and be fielded all within 7 days of work orders?

RESPONSE: Rapid mobilization will be the responsibility of the contractor. Therefore, the contractor must have sufficient staff or subcontractors on standby, ready to mobilize to site within 7 days after issuance of a work order. The means of staffing chosen to implement this mobilization requirement is up to the offeror. The feasibility of each approach will be considered.

13. Can USAID advise whether the offeror is expected to take over hosting, maintenance and updating of Monitor from the current implementer? If not, does USAID envision the successful offeror simply entering data and running reports in Monitor as a standard user?

RESPONSE: All references to Monitor have been removed from the solicitation. Offerors are required to propose software and the monitoring data system the offeror will utilize to fulfill the monitoring and evaluation knowledge management requirements. The data and source code of the current system being used by USAID/Nigeria will be provided to the awardee. Please refer to Sections C.4 4) - Knowledge Management and L.5.5.1 - Technical approach of the solicitation, Amendment 0003.

14. Can USAID please specify the overlap in the Northeastern States between this Activity and the current NMP? Are there activities that would be monitored by both this platform and the NMP?

RESPONSE: USAID/Nigeria is not aware of NMP. However, the activities to be monitored under the resultant contract are bilateral awards implemented in Nigeria by the Mission.

Humanitarian Assistance and Food for Peace activities are not implemented by the Mission

(they are Washington funded)

15. On page 18, Section C.4 Tasks, 1) Performance Monitoring Support Services – Amendment 1 states that the project will conduct an estimated 20 Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) per year.

Would USAID please confirm how many indicators the project will be required to review for each

DQA?

RESPONSE: Each DQA is for a separate indicator.

16. On page 18, Section C.4 Tasks, 1) Performance Monitoring Support Services – Amendment 1 states that the project will conduct Field Based Monitoring.

a) Can USAID provide more information about the nature of the Field Based Monitoring that will be conducted?

b) In referencing 35 visits per month, would USAID please define what constitutes a site?

c) Would USAID also please confirm whether the implementer will be conducting monitoring of indicators in IP Performance Monitoring Plans or verifying IP implementation?

RESPONSE:

a) The nature of field-based monitoring (FBM) varies with each request. Generally, the FBM visit is to ascertain whether the implementer is adhering to the terms of the award, whether the data being provided to USAID is accurate, whether USAID is getting the best value for the money, and whether the activity is effective.

b) A site visit in one implementation location.

c) USAID confirms that the implementer will be conducting monitoring of indicators in IP

Performance Monitoring Plans and verifying IP implementation.

17. Please provide any security-related mission orders or security assessments relevant to contractor operations country-wide. (Requirement for country-wide operations on page 17 and security considerations on page 21.

RESPONSE:

Please see the United States Department of State Travel Advisory for Nigeria:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-

Information-Pages/Nigeria.html

The contractor will have information from the Mission’s Partner Liaison Security

Operations activity which gathers information from all implementing partners and confirms with local police and other security sector offices.

18. On page 18, Section C.4 Tasks, 1) Performance Monitoring Support Services – Amendment 1 states that the implementer will be required to "support technical teams in data gathering (Estimated

100 workdays per year, about 20 days per technical team).”

a) In the estimation of inputs required for this task, does USAID require 100 workdays of time by project enumerators and field staff to collect data, or does USAID require 100 workdays of time by project research specialists to design field research?

b) If the requirement involves both tasks, can USAID differentiate between enumerator and research design time commitments in its estimate?

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Nigeria.html https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Nigeria.html

If the requirement involves both, can USAID please clarify what percent of LOE will be outside of Abuja.

RESPONSE:

a) USAID requires 100 workdays of time by enumerators and field staff to collect data.

b) USAID staff generally have full mobility within Abuja, thus monitoring, DQAs, and evaluations will primarily be conducted outside of Abuja.

19. On page 19, Section C.4 Tasks, 2) Assessment and Evaluation Services – Amendment 1 states offeror will conduct 1-2 rapid feedback assessments per year.

Can USAID please provide an estimated LOE for these rapid feedback assessments?

RESPONSE: The LOE for rapid feedback assessments will depend on the particular need of the technical team. USAID is shifting to utilizing new partners, most of whom would be

Nigerian firms new to USAID. One example of rapid feedback assessments would be used to evaluate how well these new partners are doing. They could include up to 20-50 separate site visits each, or they could be smaller, just looking at one implementer operating in 2-3 locations.

20. On page 20, Section C.4 Tasks, 3) Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) – Amendment 1 states that the offeror will "Provide short term (six months or less) consultants as required for technical assistance to Government of Nigeria or state governments as needed (estimated one to two per year technical areas per year)". Can USAID confirm that this will require 1-2 technical assistants for each of the five technical areas per year (approximately 5-10 STTA assignments per year)?

RESPONSE: The total estimate is only two short term technical assistants per year total.

21. Section C. 4 Tasks, 4) Knowledge Management, page 21, includes as an illustrative task the following:

“Training Mission staff and implementing partners on the use of the performance management database to record, extract, and analyze performance data”. Could USAID please confirm how many training events per year is expecting and their probable locations? Could USAID also provide an estimate on the attendance size of these events and approximately how many of the participants would come from outside the locations of the events and therefore would need travel/per diem support?

RESPONSE: This mechanism will not be paying travel and per diem support for training participants. Implementing partners or others attending the events will pay their own travel and per diem costs. Travel and per diem costs would only be paid for subject matter experts hired to present a specific training event. Training events for Monitor will take place in Abuja or on-line. New implementing partners and new USAID staff need to be trained on the system. These training events are generally 2-10 participants each. The successful offeror should be prepared to offer these training sessions every month or two.

22. The results framework on page 17, a total of 8 elements are 'grayed' out under development objective

1 and special objectives. Can you clarify why that is?

RESPONSE: Areas that are greyed out pertain to results that are not within

USAID/Nigeria’s area of focus or control. For example, security is the responsibility of the

Government of Nigeria and Humanitarian Assistance is the responsibility of USAID’s

Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance in Washington. This mechanism will not be responsible for MEL related to those Intermediate Results (IRs) or sub-IRs that are greyed out.

23. Can USAID please provide additional details on the programs (including a list of locations) that this activity will support?

RESPONSE: The contractor will support activities that are being implemented by various implementers and for various sectors, such as Education, Economic Growth and

Environmental (EGE), Peace & Democratic Governance (PDG), and Health Sectors. The map below indicates the states in which each sector is implementing activities.

24. Pg. 21: Educating Nigerian MEL specialists and strengthening local MEL capacity, especially among

MEL firms that are part of the platform consortium. (Estimated 50 days per year).

Question: Could USAID explain how this is different from training the Mission and the IPs on

Monitor, or whether this is training IPs on knowledge management and MEL in general?

RESPONSE: This is broader and may include training for government of Nigeria or state government MEL specialists. It also includes capacity building for any local subcontractors or partners utilized by the contractor.

25. Section C.1 mentions a 2020-2025 CDCS launch in summer/fall of 2020. Could the Mission provide an update on the estimated timing of release of the new CDCS to USAID’s development partners?

RESPONSE: The USAID/Nigeria 2020-2025 CDCS is now available online at

26. In C.4 part (2), bullet 7, a sentence appears cutoff prior to the parenthetical. Please confirm if there are additional illustrative analyses or assessments for which offerors should plan at this stage.

RESPONSE: On page 19, Item 2), bullet 7, the word “and” after “Gender Analysis” has been moved to the front of “Gender Analysis”.

As corrected in Amendment 0003, the task now reads:

● Conduct and/or support analyses and assessments as needed, including but not limited to assessments for the midcourse stocktaking for the 2020-2025 CDCS and any successor CDCS, Political Economy Analysis, and Gender Analysis, (two to three half way into the CDCS period and three to five in preparation for the development of the next CDCS).

27. C.4-part (1) bullet 6 indicates an estimated 25 assessments over the course of the contract to assess activity, project, or CDCS strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Please indicate if these are separate from the assessments listed in C.4 part (2) under bullets 2, 7, and 8 for purposes of the cost proposal.

RESPONSE: USAID/Nigeria Response: The stakeholder interviews under C.4.1, Performance Monitoring Support Services look at the effectiveness of activities, projects or the CDCS. Such means may be used as part of the assessments and evaluations itemized in

C.4.2. Note that C.4.2 bullet 7 also includes additional forward-looking analyses or assessments to help with the design of future activities or the next generation CDCS.

28. C.4-part (3) bullet 6: For purposes of the cost proposal, could USAID clarify the second parenthetical, which appears to contain a typo? Specifically, is it “Estimated one to two per year”, or “Estimated one to two per year per technical area” (resulting in 5-10 total per year)?

RESPONSE: The words “technical areas per year” have been deleted. As updated in

Amendment 0003 the bullet now states, “Provide short term (six months or less) consultants as required for technical assistance to Government of Nigeria or state governments as needed

(Estimated one to two per year)

29. Section C.7, Technical Expertise requirements, states the requirement for contractors to have a

Learning/Institutional Capacity Advisor and MEL Specialist positions. However, these roles are not listed as key personnel. Please confirm that these roles are required but not key. In addition, could USAID confirm that offerors have the ability to adjust the titles of these roles so long as the skillsets required are built into the proposed staffing plan?

RESPONSE: These positions are not subject to pre-approval by USAID, thus are not listed as key personnel. The skillsets are required but the technical titles may be different under the contract, as long as the proposed personnel position title is clearly identified to be in place of a title in C.7 and the roles are clearly described and meet the requirements.

30. Can USAID please clarify the main programmatic areas within the USAID/Nigeria mission, and clarify whether there are 4 or 5 priorities? Particularly regarding the recommendation to have key technical staff as assigned per priority area.

a. Page 16 of the RFP, states “The Mission works across several technical teams to address these development challenges and support Nigeria on its journey to self-reliance. Presently, those teams are (1) Economic Growth and Environment, (2) Education, (3) HIV and

Tuberculosis, (4) Health, Population, and Nutrition, and (5) Peace and Democratic

Governance”.

b. However, on page 18, the RFP states “The ability to hire and retain key staff, including staff with technical expertise in the Mission’s four main programmatic areas is critical to maintaining quality deliverables”.

RESPONSE: There are two health-related technical teams: HIV/TB and HPN, thus only four distinct programmatic areas: Health, Economic Growth, Education, and Peace and

Democratic Governance.

III. SECTION F

1. F.5.1 Key Personnel Page 30

Question: One of the key personnel Position Titles is listed as "Deputy Chief of Party/Financial

Manager," but the related position description does not include financial management or any operations-related tasks. Is "Financial Manager" a typo?

RESPONSE: The position title for Deputy Chief of Party has been updated to remove

“Financial Manager” and to clarify the position description. Please refer to Section F.5.1 of the amended solicitation.

2. F.6.6.3 Contractor Self-Monitoring Plan Page 34

Question: What is the difference between F.6.6.3 and F.6.6.4?

The “Contractor Self-Monitoring Plan” from F.6.6.3 is not listed in the table on the Summary Table of Reports and Deliverables on pages 39 and 40.

RESPONSE: Section F.6.6.3 has been updated to reflect the requirements for the Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan and the QASP requirement has been added to the Summary

Table. F.6.6.4 is for the Activity Monitoring and Surveillance Plan.

3. In section F, p. 40, the Summary Table of Reports and Deliverables includes “An Integration Plan for Gender and other Vulnerable Groups” as a requirement pre-award. However, this plan is not among the annexes listed in Section L.

a. Could USAID please clarify whether this is a requirement at the proposal stage?

b. If so, we kindly request that USAID provide a template or additional guidance regarding the requirement.

RESPONSE: The deliverable #8 on page 40 is for an Integration Plan for Gender, which is due within 90 days after the award. Additionally, the following language has been added to the requirement in Section L.5.5.1 – Technical Approach:

The proposed technical approach must discuss how the Offeror will build sustainability into all relevant aspects of its activities. It should include a plan for integrating gender and youth considerations (as outlined in C.5.1 in the solicitation and USAID policies referenced therein) into the design and implementation of the MEL Support Service Activity. This differs from the Integration Plan for Gender which is due 90 days after the award.

4. Section F. 6.6 Reports and Outputs p. 32, In addition to assessing the functionality, use, and enhancement for Monitor®, will the implementing partner be responsible for continuous development and maintenance of the coding infrastructure of the framework?

RESPONSE: All references to Monitor have been removed from the solicitation.

Offerors are required to propose software and the monitoring data system the offeror will utilize to fulfill the monitoring and evaluation knowledge management requirements. The contractor will be responsible for the continuous development and maintenance of the system. The data and source code of the current system being used by USAID/Nigeria will be provided to the awardee. Please refer to Sections C.4 4) - Knowledge Management and

L.5.5.1 - Technical approach of the solicitation, Amendment 0003.

5. Section F.5.1 "Key Personnel" of the RFP lists three key personnel positions, including

"Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager." The description of this position in F.5.1.2 titled

"Deputy Chief of Party" does not include responsibilities related to financial management in the position title or description. Can USAID confirm that the position title should be "Deputy

Chief of Party" and not "Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager"?

RESPONSE: The position Description for Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager has been updated. Please refer to Section F.5 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

6. The bulleted list of annexes on RFP page 125 states that "Key Personnel Position Descriptions" should be included as an annex, but there is no further description of this annex in section

L.5.10. Can USAID clarify whether this annex should be included and what it should contain beyond the key personnel position descriptions listed in F.5.1?

RESPONSE: This language has been corrected to read “Key Personnel Resumes, See

Page 122 and 124 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

7. Can USAID please provide the system specs for the Mission's data management database

Monitor?

RESPONSE: The data and source code for the current system being utilized by

USAID/Nigeria will be provided to the awardee.

8. Can USAID please provide information on the number of staff currently running the Mission's data management database Monitor?

RESPONSE: Offerors are responsible to propose the number of staff that they believe is necessary to run the system that the offeror is proposing.

9. Can USAID please clarify the difference between the Contractor Self-Monitoring Plan (Section

F.6.6.3) and the Activity Self-Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Results Framework (Section

F.6.6.4)?

RESPONSE: This language has been updated to reflect the requirement for a Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan. Please See Section F.6.6.3 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

10. Could USAID please clarify the relationship between the Contractor Self-Monitoring Plan

(F.6.6.3), the Activity Self-Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Results Framework (F.6.6.4), the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (L.5.10.d and M.2), and the Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan (L.5.10.f and M.2)?

RESPONSE: This language has been updated to reflect the Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan requirement. Please See Section F.6.6.3 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

11. In the original solicitation on page 31 under Section F.5.1. under Position Title 2, it is listed

“Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager.” However, the requirements listed under section

F.5.1.2 do not list financial management responsibilities and focus M&E technical skills.

Would USAID consider allowing offers to propose either a DCOP Technical position or a

DCOP Financial Manager position? Related, would USAID consider allowing offers to substitute the master’s degree requirement with a bachelor’s degrees supported by 10 years of relevant experience?

RESPONSE: The position Description for Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager has been updated. Please refer to Section F.5 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003. A Master's is preferred, however, USAID will consider applicants with a bachelor's degree with 10 years of experience, where that experience shows significant work as a monitoring advisor, helping to improve the monitoring process and improving on the quality of data obtained.

12. Section F.5.1.3, on page 31 of Amendment 1, states that the monitoring advisor must have “a minimum of a master’s degree in development, evaluation, development analytics, economics, knowledge management or related fields ” and “a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in monitoring and evaluation activities within complex international development contexts in one or more areas of health, democracy, governance and conflict, economic growth, education and agricultural development.” To allow for a wider pool of candidates, particularly locals, would USAID kindly allow a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 10 years’ experience?

RESPONSE: A Master's is preferred, however, USAID will consider applicants with a bachelor's degree with 10 years of experience, where that experience shows significant work as a monitoring advisor, helping to improve the monitoring process and improving the quality of data obtained.

13. Section F.2, Other Personnel, page 31 of Amendment 1, states: “Among the key personnel or other staff identified, contractor personnel must possess expertise in learning/institutional capacity, monitoring and evaluation in health, education, economic growth, water, and peace and democratic governance.” We have the following questions related to these requirements:

a) Considering that personnel will be experts first and foremost in monitoring and evaluation with significant years devoted to this field, would USAID define expertise in this context as having conducted monitoring and evaluation of these sectors for a minimum of 2 years?

b) Would USAID allow Offerors to present subject matter experts in lieu of personnel having expertise across all these areas?

RESPONSE: The individuals who will be assigned to assist with monitoring health programs must have a technical background in health care, as well as monitoring and evaluation. Likewise, for all other technical areas.

14. Does USAID/Nigeria intend to rollout use of the DIS system for management of results data?

If so, when? In addition, does the Mission currently use any other systems for knowledge management or results data management other than Monitor®?

We note that mentions of the Monitor system include a “®” to denote a registered trademark.

According to the US Patent and Trademark Office’s webpage, Monitor® is trademarked by

DevTech Systems, the incumbent on the activity. Could USAID elaborate on how an independent contractor will be able to access, support, strengthen, and make edits to a trademarked system, including edits to coding underlying the system? In its response, could

USAID indicate any of the mentioned processes that will require DevTech involvement, and in those cases specify how DevTech will be involved? If DevTech is required to perform any work for hire in the course of the MEL Support Activity, please indicate how offers should estimate cost of these services.

RESPONSE: All references to Monitor have been removed from the solicitation. The data and source code will be made available to the awardee. Additionally, during the performance period of the contract, USAID/Nigeria may be required to utilize the DIS system that is currently being considered by the Agency. In this instance, the contractor will be required to convert to DIS.

Monitor is currently the only knowledge management system used by the Mission outside of PEPFAR funded activities. The contractor here will not be responsible for the

PEPFAR funded data management system.

15. The RFP uses “Activity Self-Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Results Framework” and

AMELP interchangeably on page 34. Can the Mission confirm whether the “Activity Self-

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Results Framework” is meant to be a standard AMELP?

RESPONSE: The Activity Self-Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Results Framework is the same as the Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMELP). The title has been corrected in this Amendment 0003.

16. EMMP: Can the Mission provide clarity on the required page limit and format for the EMMP?

RESPONSE: The requirement for the EMMP has been removed.

17. The contractor biodata form 1420 is listed as attachment J.8., however 1420s are not listed as required documents. Can USAID please confirm that 1420s should be included in the Key

Personnel Annex of the technical proposal and do not count towards the page limit? Additionally, should 1420s only be included for the three KP listed, or should they be included for other named personnel as well?

RESPONSE: The requirement for Biographical data is in Section I.1 - NOTICE LISTING

CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. 752.7001 - Biographical

Data JUL 1997. The biodata form 1420 is to be included in the Key Personnel Annex of the technical proposal and do not count towards the page limit

18. AMELP: Can the Mission provide clarity on the required page limit and format for the AMELP annex? Generally, at the proposal stage, this entails a 2-page illustrative tracking table, however the current RFP suggests a full AMELP is requested. (A full AMELP is typically only designed in project start-up)

RESPONSE: A 2-page illustrative indicator tracking table is acceptable. A full AMELP is due 90 days after contract award as stated in Section F.6.6.4. Activity Monitoring and

Evaluation Plan.

19. On page 34, Amendment 1 includes both Section F.6.6.3 Contractor Self-Monitoring Plan and

Section F.6.6.4 Activity Self-Monitoring and Evaluation Plan and Results Framework requirements. Please confirm that both are distinct requirements and please confirm their key differences.

RESPONSE: This language has been updated to reflect the requirement for a Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan. Yes, these are two distinct requirements. Please See Section

F.6.6.3 and F.6.6.4 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

20. On pg. 41, the RFP mentions that a “Integration Plan for Gender and other Vulnerable Groups” will be submitted pre-award and finalized within three months after award. However, it is not mentioned in any of the annexes. Can the Mission provide any more guidance on where such a plan should be included?

RESPONSE: The deliverable #8 on page 40 is for the approved Integration Plan, which is due within 90 days after the award.

Additionally, the following language has been added to the requirement in Section L.5.5.1 –

Technical Approach:

The proposed technical approach must discuss how the Offeror will build sustainability into all relevant aspects of its activities. It should include a plan for integrating gender and youth considerations into the design and implementation of the MEL Support Activity. This does not need to be the full plan which must be finalized within 90 days of the award but should be sufficient to allow the review committee to assess the technical merits of the approach the offeror intends to implement.

21. Role of the DCOP: The job description is quite technical, focusing on evaluations and other technical work, but elsewhere the position is listed as “DCOP/Financial Manager”. Is it possible to get clarity about how the Mission envisions the role?

RESPONSE: The position Description for Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager has been updated. Please refer to Section F.5 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

22. On page 30, the RFP specifies that the COP must have “A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience managing high-performing interdisciplinary teams in international development settings (at least the last five must be as a Chief of Party)...”

a. Can USAID please clarify the requirement for “at least the last 5 must be as COP”? Must the past 5 years of work history only consist of COP assignments, or

b. e.g. is it acceptable for COP candidates to have 5+ total years of nonconsecutive COP experience, with fewer than 5 years of COP assignments falling within the past 5 years?

RESPONSE: Any total of five years of experience as a COP is acceptable. Those years do not need to be consecutive or the most recent 5 years, but USAID will consider why the most recent five years were not as COP.

23. In F.6.6.2, paragraph three states that work plans must be finalized within 5 days of receipt of

USAID comments, while the subsequent paragraph states 30 days. Please clarify the expectation.

RESPONSE: The first work plan must be submitted within 45 days after the contract award date and is to cover the period from that date to September 30th. USAID will respond to plans within 15 days and the Contractor will provide the final version 30 days after receipt of comments by USAID. Work plans must be finalized within 5 working days after receiving

USAID’s comments. USAID/Nigeria's COR will approve or disapprove the proposed work plan.

In subsequent years, annual work-plans must be submitted by October 30th covering the period from October 1st to September 30th. Subsequent work plans will take into account findings and actions planned to be taken to address the Organizational Learning and

Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Assessment Report cited earlier.

24. F.6.6.5(a) states that draft annual reports will be due November 15 and final reports due November

30. F.6.7 bullet 3 contradicts this stating that the annual report is due October 31.

Please clarify.

RESPONSE: F.6.7 is amended to be consistent with F.6.6.5 (a)

25. In Section F.5.1, the title of the second key personnel position reads “Deputy “Chief of

Party/Financial Manager,” however in the description of this role in F.5.1.2 there is no mention of financial duties. Please confirm that functions of a Financial Manager are not required to be part of the DCOP position. If the functions of a Financial Manager are required to be part of the DCOP position, please confirm that offerors have the flexibility to propose an alternative allocation of functions among senior staff.

RESPONSE: The position Description for Deputy Chief of Party/Financial Manager has been updated. Please refer to Section F.5 of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

26. In Section F.5.1.1., Chief of Party requirements, USAID states that the last 5 years of his/her experience must be as a Chief of Party. We feel this is a rather stringent requirement which will significantly limit the pool of qualified candidate.

RESPONSE: Any total of five years of experience as a COP is acceptable. Those years do not need to be consecutive or the most recent 5 years, but USAID will consider why the most recent five years were not as COP.

27. In Section F.6.7 on pages 39 – 42, we note that the Activity Self-Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan and Results Framework is not included in the list of deliverables. Would the mission confirm that it is the same thing as the draft Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan

(AMELP)?

RESPONSE: This language has been updated to reflect the requirement for a Quality

Assurance Surveillance Plan. Yes, these are two distinct requirements. Please See Section

F.6.6.3 and F.6.6.4 of the amended solicitation.

IV. SECTION H

1. EMMP: RFP section H.17(d) Environmental Compliance states that "The type of services provided by this activity (performance monitoring, information dissemination, and M&E capacity building) have little to no environmental impact, and qualify for Categorical Exclusion from further environmental review per 22 CFR 216.2 (c)(2)(i) education, technical assistance and training."

Given this information, can USAID confirm that a draft Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring

Plan (EMMP) is not required to include as an Annex?

RESPONSE: The EMMP requirement has been deleted.

2. Reference: H.17, Environmental Compliance Page 60

Question: Section L, page 22 states that a Draft Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan is required. However, under H.17 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE, pg. 60, it states the following:

(d) The type of services provided by this activity (performance monitoring, information dissemination, and M&E capacity building) have little to no environmental impact, and qualify for

Categorical Exclusion from further environmental review per 22 CFR 216.2 (c)(2)(i) education, technical assistance and training. The Initial Environmental Evaluations (IEEs) for each of the

Mission’s Project Approval Documents (PADs) includes a categorical exclusion for monitoring and evaluation and are valid through September 2021. Please confirm if the EMMP is not a requirement.

RESPONSE: The EMPP requirement has been deleted.

V. SECTION J

1. In reference to Attachment J.1 Proposal Preparation Checklist

Page 2 there is a blank with a limit of 10 pages. Can USAID please clarify what section this limit applies to?

a) Page 2 includes a 5-page limit for Past Performance Statements. Can USAID clarify whether this is in reference to the Institutional Experience (as per L.5.8 page 126 of solicitation) or whether this is in reference to contractor performance reports (Attachment J.8)? If the latter, would USAID consider extending the page limit given the request for 5-10 PPRs?

b) Page 2 includes a reference to Attachment L-2 which was not included. Can USAID please clarify this requirement?

c) Page 2 references certifications (Attachment H-2). Can USAID please clarify what certifications are required to be included in the technical volume.

d) Page 3 requests 2-page CVs for Program Manager and Teaming Coordinator. Can USAID please confirm this requirement?

RESPONSE: The Proposal Preparation Checklist is just a template to assist

Offerors in proposal development. The Government is not responsible for any omissions from this checklist. Offerors are fully responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and compliance with all proposal instructions.

VI. SECTION L

1. Reference: L.5 Proposal Structure and Content Page 122

Question: Section L.5 lists "Key Personnel Position Description" as an Annex requirement. Note that there is no description provided in the list of Annex description in Section L.5.10.

However, given that USAID has already provided position description in Section F.5.1, please confirm that this is not a requirement.

RESPONSE: The annex requirement for Key Personnel is described in Section L.5.6.1

Personnel.

2. L.5.5 Technical Approach Page 126

Question: Under L.5.5, the RFP states that "Offerors shall propose indicators for each task described in Section C." Section C.4 Tasks includes discussion of elements (performance monitoring, assessment and evaluation, CLA, and knowledge management) and sub-elements

(discrete activities within each element, e.g. DQAs).

Does "task" under L.5.5 refer to elements or sub-elements?

RESPONSE: “task” under L.5.5 refers to the sub-elements

3. L.5.b Format and Presentation Page 122

Question: Can USAID please confirm that Contract Performance Information should be included as an annex and does not count toward the page limit for the technical proposal? Past Performance

Information is listed as an annex.

Can USAID please confirm that Past Performance Information is the same as Contractor

Performance Information?

RESPONSE: The requirement in Section L.5.9 Contractor Performance Information clearly states “1. List in an annex to the technical proposal at least five (5) to ten (10) of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to work in the solicitation.” Annexes do not count towards the page limitation.

4. In Section L.5.5.2, p. 123, the requirements for a Rapid Mobilization Plan are discussed, but no mention is made of the current public health situation in Nigeria. To what extent should Offerors factor in the current operating limitations – or limitations anticipated at the time of award – related to the pandemic?

RESPONSE: USAID activities are continuing throughout the COVID-19 period. Third-party monitoring ceased during periods of a government-imposed travel ban but has resumed. Commercial airline travel has resumed, allowing mission staff and implementers to return to Nigeria. Implementers are expected to implement protocols to maximize staff safety (masks and other personal protective equipment as necessary, ensuring that those they meet with wear masks, and appropriate social distancing.)

5. Section L.5.6.1, p. 124, includes the page limitation for “other identified proposed personnel.” Is it safe to assume then, that Offerors may include resumes for non-key personnel in the annex titled

“Key Personnel CV/Resumes and Letters of Commitment?”

RESPONSE: Yes, offerors may include Resumes for non-key personnel as an annex.

6. Section L.5.9, p. 127 says that “For all contracts listed above that are not in CPARS, provide a list of contact names…” Does this mean that if some of contracts that Offerors intend to include as part of the Contractor Performance Information are in CPARS, the Contractor Performance Report –

Short Form, is not required?

RESPONSE: Offerors are to complete the Contractor Performance Report – Short Form as

Instructed in Section L.5.9.1. to document contractor’s past performance submitted in response to the solicitation. Offerors are to provide the additional information as stated in

Section L.5.9. 2. for contracts that are not listed in CPARs.

7. Section L.5.9. Contractor Performance Information, p. 127 contains the following instruction: “2.

For all contracts listed above that are not in CPARS, provide a list of contact names, job titles, mailing addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, explanation of relevance to the proposed acquisition and a description of the performance...”. Can USAID kindly confirm where to include the contact information for contracts that are not in CPARS – in the short FORM OR IN THE

MATRIX?

RESPONSE: Offerors are to complete the Contractor Performance Report – Short Form as

Instructed in Section L.5.9.1. to document contractor’s past performance submitted in response to the solicitation. Offerors are to provide the additional information as stated in

Section L.5.9. 2. for contracts that are not listed in CPARs.

8. Section L.5.10, p. 129 states the requirement for a draft Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring

Plan (EMMP), however p. 60 lists a categorical exclusion for further environmental review.

a. Can USAID please clarify whether an EMMP is required given the exclusion?

b. If the EMMP is required, can USAID provide a preferred template?

RESPONSE: This requirement has been deleted.

9. In our experience, an Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) is required when project activities are expected to substantially impact physical (including geology, topography, soils, water resources, and air quality) and/or biological components (including fauna, flora, biodiversity, and ecosystems). Since the USAID/Nigeria MEL Support Activity is not expected to impact physical and/or biological components, will USAID consider removing the requirement to submit an EMMP as currently stated in RFP L.5.10(c)? Alternatively, will USAID consider requiring the EMMP upon award of the contract?

RESPONSE: This requirement has been deleted.

10. Section L.5.6.1 "Personnel" states: "All key personnel must be full-time, available to be employed by the prime Contractor at the time of award and must be located in Abuja." Can USAID confirm whether key personnel other than the Chief of Party may be employed by subcontractors?

RESPONSE: All key personnel are to be employees of the Prime Contractor. Please refer to

Section L.5.6.1 - Personnel of the amended solicitation, Amendment 0003.

11. RFP Section L.5.9 Contractor Performance Information instructs to "List in an annex to the technical proposal at least (5) to ten (10) of the most recent and relevant contracts for efforts similar to work in the solicitation. Can the offeror include up to ten past performance references for the prime contractor and each major subcontractor, or is there a limit of ten total past performance references?

RESPONSE: The limit is ten total past performance references.

12. The order of Annexes presented in section L.5 (page 122) for differs from the order of Annexes in their detailed descriptions in L.5.10. (page 127 onward). Can USAID please clarify the order in which Annexes should appear?

RESPONSE: Annexes are to be included in the order as listed in Section L.5.

13. In the list of Annex in L.5 (p.122), the first bullet is called "Branding strategy, Branding

Implementation Plan, and Marking Plan." In L.5.10 (p.127) the Annex is called "Branding

Implementation and Marking Plan." As USAID typically does the branding strategy, not contractors, can USAID please confirm that "Branding strategy" should not be included in this proposal?

RESPONSE: The language has been corrected in Section L.5 of the amended solicitation to read: Branding Implementation and Marking Plan.

14. Can USAID please confirm that the Branding strategy, Branding Implementation Plan, and

Marking Plan" should be included as one single Annex (as presented in the bulleted list of Annex in L.5 on p.122)?

RESPONSE: The language has been corrected in Section L.5 of the amended solicitation to read: Branding Implementation and Marking Plan. This is to be included as one single

Annex.

15. Can please USAID confirm that Annexes (including Branding Strategy, Branding Implementation

Plan, and Marking Plan; Draft Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan; Draft Activity

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan; Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan; Key Personnel

Position Descriptions; Key Personnel CV/Resumes…