GH Tech Revised RFP Amendment 9 -May 17 2012.pdf

GH TECH SOL-OAA-12-000025

Issuance Date: February 16, 2012 Questions Due: COB May 31, 2012 Closing Date: June 14, 2012 Closing Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Subject: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. SOL-OAA-12-000025 GH Tech Contract

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking contractor services to provide the Bureau for Global Health (GH), Regional Bureaus, and Missions with ready access to high quality, external technical expertise to design, support, and evaluate programs contributing to the achievement of U.S. Government (USG) Global Health Initiative (GHI) targets. USAID anticipates the award one (1) contract to an eligible 8(a) firm with a total estimated cost of $94.5 million.

USAID hosted a pre-proposal conference on March 2, 2012. The Pre-proposal Conference Agenda, Meeting Notes, handouts and a list of attendees were published in amendment 4 to this RFP on March 13.

Please refer to Section L for information regarding proposal requirements. Please note that pursuant to Block 12 of Standard Form 33 of this RFP, offerors are requested to extend the period for validity of offers through September 30, 2012. Offerors should take into account the expected delivery time required by the proposal transmission method they choose, and they are responsible to ensure that proposals are received at USAID by the due date and time as specified in Section L.8. Failure to comply with the submission date will deem any submission unacceptable and it will not be reviewed or evaluated. Faxed proposals or email submissions are not acceptable, nor will they be reviewed or evaluated.

Section L of the RFP sets forth 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. Section M states the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated. Oral explanations or instructions given before award of the Contract will not be binding. Please note that per the limitations set forth in provisions H.11 through H.16 the contractor shall be excluded from competing for and/or implementing other USAID contracts, grants or cooperative agreements in the health field.

This RFP in no way obligates USAID to award a contract nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Award of a Contract under this RFP is subject to availability of funds and other internal USAID approvals.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION A SF - 33

SECTION B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRINCE COSTS COSTS…….……………..5

SECTION C DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK………....…..…8

SECTION D PACKAGING AND MARKING …………………….……………..……….….28

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE………………………………..…………31

SECTION F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE…………………………………………...32

SECTION G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA…………………………………..…38

SECTION H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS………………………….…………43

SECTION I CONTRACT CLAUSES………………………………………………….….…56

SECTION J LIST OF ANNEXES…………………………………………………………

SECTION K REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS

OF OFFERORS…………………………………………………………….……71

SECTION L INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS…………81

SECTION M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD………………...………….………103

ANNEXES……………………………………………………………………………………...109

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking contractor services to provide the Bureau for Global Health (GH), Regional Bureaus, and Missions with ready access to high quality, external technical expertise to design, support, and evaluate programs contributing to the achievement of U.S. Government (USG) Global Health Initiative (GHI) targets.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a Cost Plus Fixed Fee/Completion Contract for an estimated duration of five (5) years.

For the consideration set forth in the contract, the Contractor shall provide the deliverables or outputs described in Sections C & F and comply with all contract requirements.

B.3 ESTIMATED COST, FIXED FEE AND CEILING

The Total Estimated Cost (TEC) of this contract is $94,500,000.

Category TOTAL Direct Costs Indirect Costs (to include overhead)

G & A Subtotal Fee __%

TOTAL

B.4 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:

Description Rate Base Type Period % 1/ 1/ 1/ % 2/ 2/ 2/ 1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

Source:

2/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

Source:

Note 1: Contractors are allowed to recover applicable indirect costs (i.e., overhead, G&A, etc.)

on other direct costs (ODCs), if it is part of the contractor's usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR Part 31, and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

B.5 ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING ON CEILING INDIRECT COST RATES AND

FINAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR INDIRECT COSTS

(a) For each of the contractor's accounting periods during the term of this contract, the parties agree as follows:

(1) The distribution base for establishment of final overhead rates is --------------. The distribution base for establishment of final G&A rates is -----------------------.

(2) The contractor will make no change in its established method of classifying or allocating indirect costs without the prior written approval of the contracting officer.

(3) Reimbursement for indirect costs shall be at final negotiated rates, but not in excess of the following ceiling rates:

Description Rate Base Type Period

1/ 1/ 1/ 2/ 2/ 2/ 1/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

2/Base of Application:

Type of Rate:

Period:

(4) USAID is not obligated to pay any additional amount on account of indirect costs above the ceiling rates established in the contract. This advance understanding shall not change any monetary ceiling, cost limitation, or obligation established in the contract.

B.6 LABOR

(a) Compensation of personnel under this contract or any resulting subcontract must be in accordance with AIDAR 752.7007 Personnel Compensation (July 2007), the full text of which is in Section H.

Salary Approval: Acceptance of the Contractor labor rates presented during contract negotiation does not constitute approval of final salary rates above the Contractor Salary Threshold (CST). (See ADS 302.3.6.10.)

(b) Locally Hired National Personnel or Other Non-U.S. Expatriates

(1) Third Country Nationals (TCNs) and Cooperating Country Nationals

(CCNs) who are working in the United States or are legal residents of the United States at the time they are hired, must be extended benefits and subject to restrictions on the same basis as U.S. citizens who work in the United States. The U.S. labor rates may be applied to TCNs and CCNs conforming to this regulatory provision.

(2) Salaries for locally-hired personnel and other non-U.S. labor under this contract or any resulting subcontract must be in accordance with AIDAR 752.7007, Personnel Compensation (July 2007), and should be based upon a combination of factors including prevailing in-country salaries for the professional category being negotiated and consideration of the individual's education, work experience and recent relevant salary history.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Mission Director, the compensation for CCN and TCN labor shall not exceed the Mission’s Local Compensation Plan and shall be paid in the currency of the cooperating country.

B.7 The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code

The NAICS code for this acquisition is 541690.

B.8 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED IN FULL

TEXT

52.216-8 FIXED FEE JUNE 2011

a) The Government shall pay the Contractor for performing this contract the fixed fee specified in the Schedule.

(b) Payment of the fixed fee shall be made as specified in the Schedule; provided that the Contracting Officer withholds a reserve not to exceed 15 percent of the total fixed fee or $100,000, whichever is less, to protect the Government’s interest. The Contracting Officer shall release 75 percent of all fee withholds under this contract after receipt of an adequate certified final indirect cost rate proposal covering the year of physical completion of this contract, provided the Contractor has satisfied all other contract terms and conditions, including the submission of the final patent and royalty reports, and is not delinquent in submitting final vouchers on prior years’ settlements. The Contracting Officer may release up to 90 percent of the fee withholds under this contract based on the Contractor’s past performance related to the submission and settlement of final indirect cost rate proposals.

(End of clause)

END OF SECTION B

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF

WORK

C.1 PURPOSE

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking contractor services to provide the Bureau for Global Health (GH), Regional Bureaus, and Missions with ready access to high quality, external technical expertise to design, support, and evaluate programs contributing to the achievement of U.S. Government (USG) Global Health Initiative (GHI) targets. This contract, known as GH Tech, is comprised of five components: (1) program and project evaluation; (2) technical assistance; (3) GH program and research management; (4) mission support; and (5) logistical support for meetings/conferences. This activity spans all Foreign Assistance Health Area objectives as well as cross-cutting health issues such as gender, health systems strengthening, and science and technology.

C.2 BACKGROUND

This activity will support the GH Bureau and other Agency operating units that manage health-related programs to implement the GHI and support its seven principles, including improved program evaluation methods and increased implementation of independent evaluations of health projects and programs. This activity will apply and extend the USAID Forward reforms in project design, procurement, Science and Technology (S&T), policy analysis, and strategic planning, providing needed skill sets during the Agency’s transition to increased staffing levels and capacity. The Contractor will provide USAID operating units working on health-related activities in headquarters and the field with the short- and medium-term technical services of consultants with expertise pertaining to the GHI principles and the USAID Forward reforms, as either independent professionals or employed by other agencies or institutions. Over the life of the contract, the Contractor will provide experts in areas of new strategic interest and support consideration of innovative new directions in USAID health-related assistance.

C.2.1 Operating Context In addressing the five components of this contract, the contractor shall work within the parameters of the following key frameworks, initiatives, and focus areas.

C.2.1.1 USG Foreign Assistance Framework The USG Foreign Assistance Framework has the overall goal of helping to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system. As part of this goal, the Framework identifies Investing in People as one of five priority objectives. Investing in People includes improving global health and involves the following nine Health Elements: HIV/AIDS;

Tuberculosis (TB); Malaria; Avian Influenza (AI); Neglected Tropical Diseases; Maternal and Child Health; Family Planning and Reproductive Health; Nutrition; and Water Supply and Sanitation. In addition, the Investing in People objective recognizes that improving the health of populations contributes to increased workforce productivity and economic growth, while improving governance leads to a stronger civil society and social stability, all of which provide an environment necessary for citizens to achieve their full potential.

More information on the USG Foreign Assistance Framework is available at http://www.state.gov/s/d/rm/rls/dosstrat/2007/html/82981.htm.

C.2.1.2 USG Global Health Initiative (GHI) The Global Health Initiative (GHI) is a six year framework through which the US helps partner countries improve health outcomes through health systems strengthening. The GHI unites U.S.

global health efforts across USG agencies to maximize efficiency and sustainable impact. The GHI seeks to facilitate greater country capacity to manage and operate programs, and greater coordination among USG programs and country, donor, and civil society efforts at the country level. The GHI encompasses all USG support to the health sector within all partner countries.

The principles underlying the foundation of the GHI are:

Focus on women, girls, and gender equality;

Increase impact through strategic coordination and integration;

Strengthen and leverage key multilateral organizations, global health partnerships and private sector engagement;

Encourage country ownership and invest in country-led plans;

Build sustainability through health systems strengthening;

Improve metrics, monitoring and evaluation; and Promote research and innovation.

In an effort to accelerate impact, GHI incorporates a learning agenda to: 1) support implementation decision-making with new knowledge; 2) generate cross-country findings regarding the implementation and effects of key features (principles) of GHI to inform future policy decisions; and 3) share knowledge among GHI countries to improve the effectiveness of global investments.

GHI efforts to maximize sustainable health impacts are intended to support achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The following Health Element-specific goals and targets have been defined for the GHI:

HIV/AIDS: The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will: (1) support the prevention of more than 12 million new HIV infections; (2) provide direct support for more than four million people on treatment; and (3) support care for more than 12 million people, including five million orphans and vulnerable children.

(http://www.pepfar.gov/)

Malaria: The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) will reduce the burden of malaria by 50 percent for 450 million people, representing 70 percent of the at-risk population in Africa, and expand malaria efforts into Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(http://www.pmi.gov/)

Tuberculosis (TB): Save approximately 1.3 million lives by reducing TB prevalence by 50 percent. This will involve treating 2.6 million new TB cases and 57,200 multi-drug resistant cases of TB.

(http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/id/tuberculosis/index.html)

Maternal Health: Save approximately 360,000 women's lives by reducing maternal mortality by 30 percent across assisted countries.

(http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/mch/mh/index.html)

Child Health: Save approximately three million children's lives, including 1.5 million newborns, by reducing under-5 mortality rates by 35 percent across assisted countries.

(http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/mch/ch/index.html)

Nutrition: Reduce child under-nutrition by 30 percent across assisted food-insecure countries, in conjunction with the President's Feed the Future Initiative.

(http://www.feedthefuture.gov/)

Family Planning and Reproductive Health: Prevent 54 million unintended pregnancies by meeting unmet need for modern contraception. Contraceptive prevalence is expected to rise to 35 percent across assisted countries, reflecting an average two percentage point increase annually. First births by women under 18 should decline to 20 percent.

(http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/pop/)

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): Reduce the prevalence of seven NTDs by 50 percent among 70 percent of the affected population, and eliminate onchocerciasis in Latin America by 2016, lymphatic filariasis globally by 2017, and leprosy.

(http://www.neglecteddiseases.gov/)

C.2.1.3 Gender

USAID recognizes that gender plays an integral part in development and health outcomes, since men and women have different societal roles, behaviors, and expectations that may affect their access to health, information, education, and productive resources. USAID gender equity and women’s empowerment activities aim to:

Ensure equitable access to essential health services at facility and community levels;

Increase the meaningful participation of women and girls in planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health programs;

Monitor, prevent, and respond to gender based violence;

Empower adolescent and pre-adolescent girls by fostering and strengthening their social networks, educational opportunities, and economic assets;

Engage men and boys as clients, supportive partners, and role models for gender equality;

Promote policies and laws that will improve gender equality, and health status, and/or increase access to health and social services Address social, economic, legal and cultural determinants of health through a multi-sectoral approach;

Utilize multiple community-based programmatic approaches, such as behavior change communication, community mobilization, advocacy, and engagement of community leaders/role models to improve health for women and girls;

Build the capacity of individuals, with a deliberate emphasis on women, as health care providers, caregivers, decision-makers throughout the health systems, from the community to national level;

Strengthen the capacity of institutions -- which set policies, guidelines, norms and standards that impact access to, and quality of, health-related outreach and services -- to improve health outcomes for women and girls and promote gender equality.

C.2.1.4 Health Systems Strengthening

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2007), a health system consists of all the organizations, people, and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore, or maintain health. Health systems strengthening (HSS) is defined by WHO as any array of initiatives and strategies that lead to better health through improvements in one or more of the six health system ‘building blocks’: 1) governance and leadership; 2) human resources; 3) information systems; 4) health financing; 5) medical supplies, vaccines, and technology; and 6) service delivery.

USAID has been a world leader in strengthening country health systems for more than twenty years. USAID efforts to strengthen health systems follow two mutually reinforcing approaches:

1) health system improvements that mainly address a disease- or health-specific area, such as effective drug management systems for maternal and child health, or high-quality laboratories for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, and 2) improvements that benefit the whole system, such as increasing health system ability to persuasively promote good health practices that prevent disease, or improvements in a country’s tracking of national health expenditures. USAID’s work in HSS includes health systems research and evaluations to identify and facilitate the adoption of best practices and to help build consensus around health systems policy issues. USAID works in partnership with a wide range of actors to achieve sustainable health systems impact at the country level.

More information on USAID health systems strengthening is available at http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/hs/publications/hss_report.html

C.2.1.5 USAID Forward USAID Forward, announced in 2010, will help modernize and strengthen USAID to meet global development challenges and work more efficiently towards its ultimate goal of creating the conditions where its work is no longer needed. USAID Forward is a comprehensive package of reforms in seven key areas:

1. Implementation and Procurement Reform: USAID will change and streamline its business processes: contracting with and providing grants to more and varied local partners, increasing the use of small businesses, building metrics into its implementation mechanisms to achieve capacity building objectives, and using host country systems where it makes sense.

2. Talent Management: USAID will explore ways to leverage the enormous talent within the broader family of foreign and civil service officers and foreign service nationals, and will improve and streamline processes so it can quickly align its resources to support the Agency’s strategic initiatives.

3. Rebuilding Policy Capacity: USAID’s new Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL) serves as the intellectual nerve center for the Agency and will develop and disseminate cutting-edge, evidence-based development policies that leverage USAID’s relationships with other donors, utilize its strength in science and technology, and reintroduce a culture of research, knowledge-sharing, and evaluation.

4. Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation: Learning by measuring progress is critical for high impact, sustainable development and will be an integral part of USAID’s thought process from the onset of its activities. USAID will introduce an improved monitoring and evaluation process and will link those efforts to its program design, budgeting, and strategy work. (The Agency’s new Evaluation Policy is available at http://www.usaid.gov/evaluation/.)

5. Rebuilding Budget Management: USAID has created an Office of Budget and Resource Management in the Office of the Administrator and is rebuilding our budget capacity to be able to align resources against country strategies, make difficult trade-offs, and re-deploy resources toward programs that are demonstrating meaningful results.

6. Science and Technology (S&T): USAID will expand its internal S&T capacities and capabilities and also will build S&T capacity in developing countries through cooperative research grants, improved access to scientific knowledge, and higher education and training opportunities. In addition, the Agency will develop a set of Grand Challenges for Development to focus the Agency and development community on key scientific and technical barriers that limit breakthrough development progress.

7. Innovation: USAID is putting into place a structure for fostering innovative development solutions that have a broad impact on the world’s people. USAID is creating opportunities to connect its staff to leading innovators in the private sector and academia, and has created the Development Innovation Ventures Fund where creative solutions can be funded, piloted, and brought to scale. (http://www.usaid.gov/div/)

C.2.1.6 Science and Technology In the area of Science and Technology (S&T), USAID Forward lays out a bold plan for upgrading internal S&T capabilities, developing Grand Challenges for Development, and increasing the capabilities of partner institutions and individual researchers. Besides GH Tech, the GH Bureau has numerous other central agreements that already contribute well to these important goals. The entry-points for GH Tech’s role in S&T are through three of its key roles:

a) to hire qualified consultants from overseas and in the U.S., b) to support management of GH Bureau research programs, and c) to provide full access to the findings and underlying data from the assignments.

More information on USAID Forward is available at http://forward.usaid.gov/.

C.2.2 History of this Contract In support of the GH Bureau’s longstanding commitment to assisting countries to meet their health and development goals, GH has supported a series of contracts to provide the types of services encompassed within this GH Tech contract. These previous GH Tech contracts date back over thirty years. GH Tech and its predecessor GH Bureau projects (variously named POPTECH, MEDS, ASSIST, and SYNERGY) have consistently provided high quality and responsive services. The current and predecessor projects were competitively bid as small business set-asides under the Small Business Administration (SBA) Section 8(a) Business Development Program (http://www.sba.gov/content/8a-business-development). The purpose of the 8(a) program is to assist eligible small businesses to compete in the American economy through business development.

C.3 CORE OPERATING PRINCIPLES

C.3.1 Independence and Impartiality Because this contract will provide services such as strategic planning, program design, and project evaluation across all health related projects, the principles of independence and impartiality are of critical importance to effective and efficient contract performance. The USAID Policy Framework 2011-2015 (http://www.usaid.gov/policy/USAID_PolicyFramework.PDF) and USAID’s Evaluation Policy underscore the Agency’s commitment to evidence-informed, transparent, and unbiased decision making, resource investment, learning, and accountability. Services provided by the contractor will play a critical role in the Agency’s ability to apply and maintain these disciplines within its health-related programs. Thus, the contractor shall apply at all times the principles of independence and impartiality to contract operations, and shall provide oversight mechanisms to avoid an actual or appearance of a conflict of interest for all contract activities. The contractor must vet the backgrounds and affiliations of all proposed consultants, securing signed Non- Disclosure and Conflict Agreement forms (See Annex 1) affirming that they do not have a conflict of interest. (See Sections C.6.1 Contractor Limititations and H.11 through H.16 of this RFP for pertinent Organizational Conflict of Interest clauses)

C.3.2 Coordination and Collaboration The Contractor shall coordinate and collaborate, as appropriate, with USAID partners (such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM)) and GH cooperating agency implementing partners (such as U.S.

and international non-governmental organizations and private corporations and foundations), to build synergies and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of project activities. Examples of potential coordination and collaboration with GH implementing partners include, but are not limited to:

Knowledge Management Services (KMS): Provides the GH Bureau with evidence-based information and services, including analysis of public health issues and research topics, knowledge management solutions for program tracking and reporting, and design, editing, and production of print publications. Large-scale publication of GH Tech reports and products will fall within the scope of the KMS project. In addition, GH Tech will have access to the KMS project statistical system when needed.

MEASURE Evaluation: Works globally to strengthen the capacity of in-country individuals and institutions in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) implementation and management. The project has established long-term partnerships with regional universities and training institutions to offer high-quality training and south-to-south technical assistance in M&E. The project maintains a comprehensive database of individuals who have received training through regional partners or through other project training and capacity building activities. (https://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure)

Health Policy Project (HPP): Strengthens developing country national and sub-national policy, advocacy, and governance for strategic, equitable, and sustainable health programming.

Health Systems 20/20: Applies new and proven interventions in financing, governance, operations, and capacity building to strengthen health systems to increase use of priority health services. (http://www.healthsystems2020.org/)

Knowledge for Health (K4H): Provides leadership in health information dissemination and in information use through electronic and virtual learning and exchange programs.

(http://www.k4health.org/k4h)

C.3.3 Local Capacity Utilization The contractor shall contribute to country health system strengthening by purposefully utilizing, when appropriate, the expertise and capacities of local organizations and individuals within the implementation of contract services. Specifically, the contractor shall identify opportunities to engage in contract activities local institutions and individuals that have been or currently are partnered with USAID programs or projects, to facilitate collaboration and increase impact. If, during the life of this contract, GH builds new partnerships with regional centers and in-country institutions with individuals who can participate in GH Tech assignments, the contractor shall include those specialists in the consultant pool for upcoming assignments.

C.3.4 Talent Management and Inclusion In support of USAID Forward and the Agency’s approach to leadership with inclusion, the contractor shall work with requesting Offices and Missions to include on technical assistance teams the participation of USAID foreign service, foreign service national, and civil service staff; representatives of partner USG agencies; state and local government officials;

representatives of other bilateral donors; and participants from international technical organizations. Specifically, USAID Forward encourages Agency staff to participate in evaluations and other activities that can serve to provide professional development opportunities.

(Note: PPL has organized new staff training programs in the fields of evaluation methodology and design.)

In the typical assignment, these individuals’ salaries are paid by their home agencies, and the contractor arranges travel support, including funding travel costs and per diem, if needed, and provides work space to ensure their full participation in team planning meetings and briefings.

C.4 SCOPE OF WORK

C.4.1 General Scope The Contractor shall be held responsible for the requirements of the five contract components described below. USAID will provide the terms for specific assignments to be carried out under this contract. Some tasks may be requested on very short notice, e.g., only one to two weeks prior to the requested implementation start date, and rapid response will be essential to ensure the effectiveness of the contract. In order to carry out these contract components, the accomplishment of tasks and assignments may include any or all of the illustrative elements contained in Section C.6.5, Typical Assignment Responsibilities.

The Contractor shall support USAID health-related programs in implementing the requirements under the USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) Programming Policy (USAID series 200), particularly in managing, planning, achieving, and assessing results.

The five contract components shall be as follows:

Program and Project Evaluation This component provides high quality, transparent, independent, and collaborative assessment, design, and evaluation services in compliance with the USAID Evaluation Policy. (http://www.usaid.gov/evaluation/) The Contractor shall implement both performance evaluations and impact evaluations.

Technical Assistance

This component provides individual and team experts for strategic planning and project design, technical assistance support in specific areas, monitoring, coordination, evaluation, and assessment within the GH Bureau, Regional Bureaus, missions, and other operating units.

GH Bureau Program and Research Management

This component provides technical support primarily to the GH Bureau to augment staff member capacity in specialized fields to design nd implement technical and research programs and strategies, carry-out policy analysis and develop, coordinate with USAID partners, and engage USAID Missions in program development in-country.

Mission Support

This component provides managerial and technical support for short-term and medium term assignments to fill gaps from temporary absences and provide surge capacity as required by USAID Missions.

Conferences and Meetings Logistical Support

This component provides assistance to the GH Bureau, Regional Bureaus, Missions, and other parts of the Agency in the planning, organizing, implementing, and documenting of health-related meetings, conferences, workshops, and other events.

For purposes of this Contract, the term “short-term” shall be defined to cover time periods of from one day to 90 days. The term “medium-term” shall be defined to cover time periods of from 91 days to 185 days. The term “long-term” shall be defined to cover time periods of 186 days and greater.

The Contractor shall identify appropriate staff or consultants with the required expertise, availability, language proficiencies, and experience for the technical team for each task, including where appropriate and as requested by the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COR). When USAID or other international agency staff, fellows, contractors and/or grantees are included in such teams, the Contractor’s responsibility will include their coordination and integration into the activity but will not include financial support for their participation.

C.4.2 Analysis Of Areas In The Requirement With A Potential For Oroganizational Conflict Of Interests (OCI)

It is antitipated that this contract will be requested to provide services for a diverse cross-section of USAID health-related activities implemented in various geographic locations and spanning all Foreign Assistance Health Area objectives and cross-cutting health issues such as gender, health systems strengthening, and science and technology. This diversity in assignments is expected also to apply specifically to the contract components listed within C.4.4.1, Program and Project Evaluation; C.4.4.2, Technical Assistance; and C.4.4.3, GH Program and Research Management;

services often that will involve activities and/or produce products that are inherently procurement sensitive. Therefore, due to the anticipated diverse scope of assignments, and the Agency’s commitment to evidence-informed, transparent, and unbiased decision making, resource investment, learning, and accountability, it is critical that the Contractor be poised to provide effective and efficient strategic planning, design, and evaluation services for a wide range of USAID health-related programs and activities.

In order to avoid any potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI), the prime Contractor, and its subcontractors, must avoid all conflicts of interest detailed in H.12.

C.4.3 Definition of USAID Health-related Programs For purposes of this Contract, the term USAID “health-related” shall be defined as a program/project/activity that meets the following two criteria:

A. The program/project/activity is awarded by a USAID operating unit (such as, for example, a USAID/Washington bureau or office; USAID country or regional Mission);

and

B. The program/project/activity is funded in full or in part by the U.S. Congress’ appropriations designated or earmarked for health-related purposes (such as, for example, the Global Health and Child Survival (GHCS) sub-account of the Foreign Operations account of the USG Executive Budget as described for the FY2012 budget cycle in the following document: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/156214.pdf).

C.4.4 Specific Requirements for Each Contract Component

C.4.4.1 Program and Project Evaluation The contractor shall provide high quality, transparent, independent, and collaborative evaluation services in compliance with the USAID Evaluation Policy (http://www.usaid.gov/evaluation ).

The contractor shall implement both performance evaluations and impact evaluations of USAID programs in the health sector, including GH activities, Mission bilateral programs, and special initiatives. Other, less formal reviews, such as project assessments and management reviews, also will be implemented.

In collaboration with the PPL Bureau and GH, the contractor will ensure that the functions required within the Evaluation Policy are implemented properly and that contractor evaluation consultants possess the appropriate skills and expertise. The Evaluation Policy states that evaluations “will be undertaken so that they are not subject to the perception or reality of biased measurement or reporting due to conflict of interest or other factors” (p. 8). Therefore, the Contractor shall provide oversight mechanisms to avoid actual or appearance of conflict of interest in evaluation implementation. The contractor shall ensure that all proposed evaluation consultants are vetted properly and will secure signed non-disclosure and Conflict of Interest (COI) forms.

The Contractor shall maintain a record of evaluations conducted. Based on these records and the direct experience of Contractor staff, the Contractor shall provide USAID with analysis and advice for the development of future health sector evaluations, as part of the annual progress report of this contract. When requested, the Contractor shall participate in the GH/PRH Office's Evaluation Process Improvement Committee (EPIC) and other USAID groups to review evaluation SOWs to ensure that methodologies are objective, rigorous, and appropriate in terms of time and cost.

As an illustrative example of how GH Tech evaluation results are used, the 2007 GH Tech external evaluation of the Peru continuous survey experiment provided evidence to support launch of the continuous Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Africa under the GHI in 2011. (Link: http://www.ghtechproject.com/resources.aspx)

C.4.4.2 Technical Assistance The contractor shall provide individual experts and teams to carry out the following functions:

a. Health sector assessment;

b. Strategic planning and program design; and

c. Other health area-specific technical assistance.

C.4.4.2.a Health Sector Assessment Upon request, the Contractor shall implement health sector assessments in a variety of country settings, which may encompass one or more Health Elements (refer to section C.2.1.1), health system building blocks (refer to section C.2.1.4), and/or themes not specific to the health sector.

In conducting these assessments, the Contractor shall use USAID-developed country health sector documents or other reliable sources of primary and secondary data, shall support travel to the country by international consultants, and shall use local consultants as appropriate. The USAID headquarters or field unit requesting the activity will provide the documents to the Contractor. Under the supervision of USAID, the Contractor shall develop uniform approaches to country health sector assessment as well as common indicators to facilitate consistency and comparability across countries.

C.4.4.2.b Strategic Planning and Program Design Strategic planning and program design activities shall include, but not be limited to, the design, development, and/or refinement of the following:

Sector strategies or options papers;

Activity approval documents or other illustrative scopes of work for obligating instruments;

Sector or program results frameworks;

Implementation plans; and Performance Monitoring Plans (PMPs), including indicators, baseline and target values, data sources, data collection methods and timelines, data management, data interpretation and use, and results reporting.

Strategic planning and program design tasks might be linked to previously prepared assessments or be initial documents. The design could be specifically for the preparation of a bilateral agreement with no further GH support, an integral part of a package of activities to be implemented by other operating unit implementing agencies, or for a GH-implemented activity.

C.4.4.2.c Other Health Area-Specific Technical Assistance The Contractor will support USAID staff in implementing programs, including ongoing assistance in specific technical areas such as, but not limited to immunization, nutrition, neonatal health, or tuberculosis. Typically, consultants hired to carry out this specific technical assistance will work closely with GH technical teams to carry out a variety of assignments, including conducting analyses, providing technical support to country programs, or participating in discussions with external partners.

Given that USAID is refocusing efforts to leverage and strengthen its internal talent base, requests for Technical Assistance from the contractor may reduce over the life of the contract.

C.4.4.3 GH Program and Research Management Under the GH Bureau program and research management component the Contractor shall provide technical support that will augment USAID staff capacity in specialized fields in the design and implementation of technical and research programs and strategies, policy analysis and development, coordination with USAID partners, and engagement of USAID Missions in program development with in-country demonstrations and experiments. As requested, the Contractor shall providesupport to working groups, strategy teams, interagency technical groups, donor coordination efforts, and other groups as needed. These activities will be carried out primarily at USAID headquarters.

The Contractor shall provide the Bureau for Global Health with the following GH program secretariat functions:

a. Technical program assistance

b. Consultative groups

c. Research tracking and dissemination of lessons learned

d. Technical reviews

e. Review of research proposals

C.4.4.3.a Technical Program Assistance. Upon request, the Contractor shall provide short-, medium- and long-term technical experts to develop and monitor activities pertaining to a specific issue relating to a USAID activity including but not limited to: research, research management, development and preparation of findings into program information, and guidelines for implementation into Global and Mission programs such as: immunization or injection safety programs, reduction of neonatal mortality, or disease surveillance.

C.4.4.3.b Consultative Groups. Upon request, the Contractor shall support global health consultative groups that may be composed of USAID team leaders, key clients and stakeholders, and international experts. The purpose of these groups is to ensure that GH initiatives are appropriately coordinated and addressed. The Contractor shall serve as the secretariat for these groups, ensuring that all the technical documents are properly distributed, meetings facilitated, and conclusions adequately incorporated into ongoing assessments, designs, evaluations, and other technical assistance activities. These groups may interact through workshops, consultations, reports, electronic means or a combination of these mediums.

C.4.4.3.c Research Tracking and Dissemination of Lessons Learned. Upon request, the Contractor shall monitor progress of selected ongoing research studies, provide reports to the COR and maintain the technical content of a research tracking database, web site, and the communication of research information for external audiences.

The Contractor shall document, synthesize, and disseminate lessons learned and best practices in the health sector from USAID-supported programs and activities. This task will involve collaboration with a broad range of USAID cooperating agencies. Dissemination may comprise print and digital formats including: maintaining the technical content of websites, serving as editor/writer for publications, and writing articles in collaboration with experts whose first language is not English. An important aspect of this task will be including activities in countries where GH programs are not active, and in a select number of cases, where USAID does not have an in-country presence. The purpose is to ensure that a comprehensive compilation of lessons learned are available to a wide audience and that experiences are shared in a variety of formats.

The introduction and dissemination of research results will accelerate the adoption or translation of select key research findings and results and their incorporation into regular use in worldwide field programs. Upon request, the Contractor shall also play a role in the introduction of research findings and results in coordination with a range of other existing and future GH partners, NGOs, private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and the private sector.

C.4.4.3.d Technical Reviews. Upon request the Contractor shall conduct reviews of currently available knowledge, published and unpublished, related to specific health-related issues relevant to the development of the Agency’s health portfolio. Technical directions for such tasks will include specific technical issues to be addressed and delivery dates for the reports. Contractor responsibilities may include identifying and acquiring the relevant documents, analyzing their content, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations. Responsibilities also may include commissioning state-of-the-art technical reviews to identify and analyze gaps in research, assess ongoing activities, and identify new research opportunities for USAID support.

C.4.4.3.e Review of Research Proposals. Upon request, the Contractor shall provide a mechanism for obtaining external peer review of research proposals under consideration by GH and facilitate and track the scientific review process. The Contractor shall identify reviewers with appropriate expertise for the type of research proposed, provide guidance to reviewers, and arrange necessary logistics (including honoraria). The Contractor shall track the process by keeping a log of the proposals, the reviewers selected and the reviews received. The Contractor shall collect the reviews and submit them to the COR, or to the proposed investigator for response, in which case the Contractor shall evaluate the responses of the investigator to reviewer comments.

The contractor shall provide quick response services to support all GH Bureau offices. The following assignments are illustrative of work that might be requested:

• an expert reviewer for HIDN to screen proposals received under the malaria vaccine research program;

• HIV/AIDS experts to support various technical committees under PEPFAR.

C.4.4.4 Mission support The Mission support component provides managerial and technical support in USAID Mission offices overseas for short-term assignments to fill gaps from temporary absences and provide surge capacity as requested by USAID Missions.

Mission support shall include but not be limited to support to USAID Mission management of diverse activities both by their own and other cooperating agency staff. The aim of such support is to enhance collaboration and coordination, provide administrative economies of scale, and augment strategic planning of activities in USAID Mission offices. Potential activities could include: providing common office space and logistical support for a home base for both resident and intermittent cooperating agency technical support; assisting Missions to develop common program strategies and coordinated work plans; assisting Missions to coordinate implementation of these strategies; providing support to Missions in the coordination of multiple bilateral agreements; and, coordination in country of technical assistance from U.S.-based projects, and subcontracting in country.

A past example of Mission Support included rapidly identifying and deploying experienced specialists to augment Mission staffing for periods of up to six months. This included working with USAID Headquarters Office of Security to process Access Authorizations for consultants assigned to USAID Mission.

C.4.4.5 Conferences and Meetings Logistical Support The conferences and meetings logistical support component provides assistance to the GH Bureau, Regional Bureaus, Missions, and other parts of the Agency in the planning, organization, implementation, and documentation of meetings, conferences, retreats, workshops, and other events.

The Contractor shall provide meetings logistical support to GH, Regional Bureaus, Missions and other USAID units dealing with health related issues. Meetings logistical support shall include but not be limited to: assistance in planning, organizing, implementing and documenting of meetings, conferences, retreats, workshops and other events. The Contractor shall provide the necessary support to conduct meetings related to the technical issues in health. These meetings may take place in the Washington, DC area, other U.S. cities or abroad. Required support may include, but not limited to: travel and accommodation scheduling and payments, identification of experts and participants, payment of honoraria, collaboration with other partners, site selection and coordination, documentation of procedures, and preparation of event reports.

Past conference and meeting logistical support have included support to working groups and ad hoc task group meetings. These meetings have been held at the contractor’s office, USAID headquarters, and occasionally in specialized venues that required travel arrangements for international participants.

C.5 CONTRACT STAFFING

C.5.1 Contractor Staffing The Contractor shall provide the necessary combination of permanent staff and consultants, to carry out this SOW. Key personnel critical to the implementation of this contract and their final selection shall be approved by the CO prior to beginning work.

C.5.2 Key Personnel The contractor shall propose 2 Key Personnel, 1) Project Director and 2) Deputy Director and Evaluation Advisor. The functions and qualifications of these two Key Personnel are outlined below:

C.5.2.1 Project Director:

Functions: The Project Director will be responsible for the overall management of the contract.

In addition, s/he will be responsible for the technical supervision of all aspects of contract work, including consultant identification and management, dissemination of information, and submission of reports and other contract deliverables. The Project Director is expected to take an active role in organizing consultancies to ensure that the interests of USAID are best served at the lowest possible price. The Project Director will collaborate with the COR and Contracting Officer in the Office of Acquisitions and Assistance (OAA) in carrying out the project activities.

Qualifications:

Advanced degree (MPH, PhD, or other advanced degree related to health) A minimum…