Complete Revised Final RFP - Posted on 8.14.12.pdf

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

Issuance Date: July 3, 2012

Questions Due: July 13, 2012

Closing Date: August 20, 2012

Closing Time: 12:00 PM EST (local Washington DC time)

Subject: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. SOL-OAA-12-000065

Child Blindness Program

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking contractor services to provide the Bureau for Global Health (GH) in Washington DC grant solicitation, management services and technical support to the Child Blindness Program. USAID anticipates the award of one (1) contract to an eligible 8(a) firm with a total estimated cost of $13 million.

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 December 28, 2012. Offerors should take into account the expected delivery time required by the proposal transmission method used, 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 hand carried 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.

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.

This RFP can be viewed and downloaded from the Internet at Worldwide Web address www.fedbizopps.gov. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Further, be aware that amendments to solicitations will be issued and will be posted www.fedbizopps.gov. You are therefore advised to regularly check this site for amendments.

Sincerely, -s-

Contracting Officer, USAID http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION A SF – 33

SECTION B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS…………..….………..……..3

SECTION C DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK………....…..…6

SECTION D PACKAGING AND MARKING …………………….……………..……….….29

SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE……………….………………..…………32

SECTION F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE…………………………………………...33

SECTION G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA…………………………………..…42

SECTION H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS………………………….…………47

SECTION I CONTRACT CLAUSES………………………………………….……….….…57

SECTION J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS………………….....……………………………

SECTION K REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS

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

SECTION L INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS…………82

SECTION M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD………………...………….………101

ATTACHMENTS………………………………………………………………………………107

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

B.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking to award a contract to provide grant management services for the Bureau for Global Health (GH) to administer the Child Blindness Program (CBP). This five-year program will contract out services to an Offeror that will select and support U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based organizations to receive competitive grants that expand the delivery of quality eye care services to vulnerable children and other populations with limited access to sight-saving services.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

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

The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-7 (Allowable Cost and Payment), FAR 52.216-8

(Fixed Fee), if applicable, and AIDAR 752.7003 (Documentation for Payment). 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 $13,000,000.

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:

Source:

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

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

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:

(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.

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.)

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

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

(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.6 THE NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS)

CODE

The NAICS code for this acquisition is 541990.

B.7 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

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 PURPOSE

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking to award a contract to provide grant management services for the Bureau for Global Health (GH) to administer the Child Blindness Program. This five-year program will provide a Contractor with funding to select and support U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based organizations to receive competitive grants that expand the delivery of quality eye care services to vulnerable children and other populations with limited access to sight-saving services. It will implement the

Congressionally-mandated child blindness directive which features prominently in USAID‘s multi-faceted approach to the eradication of preventable blindness. This program will build upon the program successes and lessons learned from the USAID Child Blindness Eye Health and

Grants Fund 2005-2011 which employed a competitive grants-making process that prioritized the delivery of high-impact services in underserved communities across Latin America, sub-

Saharan Africa, and Asia. The new USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP) will emphasize a service delivery focus, cultivate a learning agenda, and build the capacity of local organizations to implement large-scale pediatric eye care programs.

C.2 BACKGROUND

Approximately 1.4 million children worldwide are blind and 500,000 children become blind every year; 50% of these children die within a year of becoming blind . Nearly 17 million children, most in developing countries, have low or impaired vision and lack the necessary visual aids, services or eyeglasses to help them participate in typical and important childhood activities, such as education, reading and play. Blindness and low vision also reduces their productivity potential in adulthood. Women, who account for two-thirds of the blind and three-fourths of trachoma-related blindness, are disproportionately affected by this lack of access to corrective services such as diagnosis and treatment of correctable cataract, treatment of eye infections, and provision of corrective glasses. When a child or adult goes blind, it not only affects the individual, but also their family, community, and country by removing a productive person from the work force.

Lost opportunities associated with blindness and visual impairment lead to emotional stress and economic hardship. Blind children and those with limited sight experience social isolation, low self-esteem, lack of independence, and lost educational and economic opportunities. Adult blindness also results in lost opportunities for children. Instead of receiving care, children become caregivers. Girls frequently cannot go to school because they have to care for an adult parent or relative who is blind.

The CBP derives from a Congressional directive in 1991 to prevent and treat child blindness.

Since then, the United States Congress has provided over $1 million per year to USAID so

World Health Organization, Vision 2020: http://www.who.int/blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf http://www.who.int/blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065 children do not have to live a sightless, less productive life. In recent years, the annual funding has more than doubled to approximately $2.5 million in FY12, enabling the Child Blindness

Program to expand its field reach and provide critical services to more children.

Today, CBP resources:

Support public health approaches for improved pediatric eye health;

Support eye care and health organizations to establish public/private service delivery partnerships as well as family and community focused service models;

Establish effective referral networks to ensure children and other vulnerable populations have access to the spectrum of care needed for healthy vision;

Expand and facilitate a learning agenda on innovative and improved ways to reach those affected by blindness and provide sustainable services to them; and

Develop appropriate service protocols and methods for screening patients and improve public understanding and sensitivity to the needs of the visually impaired.

CBP grant funding has enabled many eye care organizations to develop, apply, and scale-up innovative approaches to increase the availability and access to pediatric eye care services in underserved communities. These approaches have also been integrated into host country health systems and other large-scale interventions, such as child health days. Among the supported interventions are a micro-entrepreneur approach for screening, referral, and provision of low-cost eyeglasses for children, key informants for identifying young children with cataract in rural communities, and child-to-child screening for refractive error. In many instances CBP funding has been the only resource for designing, testing, and expanding the use of innovative approaches.

Over the past decade the eye care and health fields have also made important advances that have led to the evolution of the CBP, including:

Success of vitamin-A supplementation, reducing child mortality and blindness due to vitamin A deficiency;

Development of affordable new technologies: cataract supplies, surgical procedures, inter-ocular lens technologies, low-cost eye lenses and frames, reduced cost Braille equipment and talking books;

High quality regional training centers for eye care in Tanzania and India;

Effective training of teachers and community members to initially screen children for visual impairment;

Expanded evidence base on global burden of blindness and visual impairment stressing the need for expanded, high quality eye care;

Proven teaching and learning techniques for the blind and children with severe visual impairment; and

Economic analyses demonstrating cost-effectiveness of various eye care interventions.

As a result of these advances, the CBP adapted its programming and management approaches to effectively address the on-going vision needs of children in underserved communities. The CBP

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065 aims to provide targeted support to eye care organizations through collaborative technical input and assistance, monitoring and evaluation, procurement support, financial management and tracking, program design capacity building, as well as communication and networking efforts.

This expanded approach enables the CBP to ensure high-impact results are achieved while the maximum amount of grant funds reach the field. Therefore, the CBP is now characterized by the following elements:

A competitive grant-making process with multiple grant categories to support service delivery and operations research;

Expanded field of grant recipients to include more local organizations;

Prioritization of service delivery of high-impact services;

Promotion of integration of eye care into health systems;

Comprehensive approach to addressing child blindness including training and capacity building to strengthen local eye and health care staff, screening for prevention and surgical and non-surgical treatment of eye conditions such as cataracts, refractive error, and low vision, and expanded education and rehabilitation support for visually impaired children with no medical treatment option;

Strengthened monitoring and evaluation to consistently measure progress across grantee projects;

Regular consultative processes (technical advisory group, partners meetings, and site visits) to review and respond to program challenges and experiences, and

Research to expand the global learning agenda based on programmatic approaches for large-scale pediatric eye care interventions.

By moving in this direction, the CBP has made significant progress in expanding and integrating eye care services in underserved communities. By December 2010, the program had screened more than two million children in 29 countries . The program has also been successful in building the capacity of small and local organizations to design comprehensive programs and manage USG grants funding. See Attachment 1 for a summary of 2006-2011 CBP achievements, and Attachment 2 for a set of case studies highlighting the programmatic experiences of past CBP grant recipients.

The portion of this approach which directly addresses child blindness and visual impairment by providing grants to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who deliver eye care services has been implemented most recently by two separate projects. First, it was implemented as part of

A2Z: The USAID Micronutrient and Child Blindness Project (GHS-A-00-05-00012), a cooperative agreement with AED which concluded on September 30, 2011. Second, it was supported by the Grants Solicitation Management project (GPO-A-00-04-00021), a cooperative agreement with World Learning for International Development which is scheduled to conclude on September 30, 2012.

Countries where Child Blindness Program has been carried out in the past: Bangladesh; Bolivia; Cambodia;

Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Ethiopia; Ghana; Guatemala; Haiti; India; Indonesia; Kenya; Laos; Madagascar;

Malawi; Mexico; Nepal; Nigeria; Peru; Philippines; Rwanda; South Africa; Tanzania; Thailand; Uganda; Vietnam.

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

C.2.1 Previous Child Blindness Projects

A. CBP under A2Z Project

As a component of A2Z: The USAID Micronutrient and Child Blindness Project, the A2Z Child

Blindness Program used competitive grants to reduce child blindness and improve eye health from 2005 to 2011. Grants provided support to national and international eye care and health

NGOs that delivered services to populations in need. Grant-funded interventions included eye health education, vision screening, clinical and surgical services, training of health workers and community members, provision of necessary medical treatments including eyeglasses, and education and rehabilitation of blind children.

The goals and priorities of the program were to:

Expand delivery of high-impact direct services including screening, treatment, education and rehabilitation;

Scale-up innovative approaches to service provision and program implementation, and

Contribute to the global knowledge base on effective approaches to large-scale child eye health programs.

The A2Z Child Blindness Program awarded 41 grants to 24 local and international organizations to support work in 29 countries across Latin America, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The program provided four types of grant awards:

1. Organizational Development: 1 year grants from $25,000 - $50,000 to support specific training activities or procurement of essential medical equipment to support development of eyecare NGOs.

2. Service Delivery: 2 year grants from $200,000 - $500,000 to support comprehensive eye care service delivery projects.

3. Refugee Service Delivery: 2 year grants for $200,000 to support comprehensive eye care service delivery projects in refugee populations.

4. Operations Research: Nine-month grants from $50,000 - $100,000 to contribute to the global knowledge base on effective approaches to large-scale child eye health programs.

For more information on the CBP under the A2Z project, please visit:

http://www.a2zproject.org/~a2zorg/node/25 http://www.a2zproject.org/~a2zorg/node/25

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

B. CBP under the Grants Solicitation and Management (GSM) Project

Building upon the previous work of A2Z, as a component of GSM the CBP has continued to focus on Organizational Development (OD) grants to provide critical contributions to support training and capacity-building activities, as well as procurement of essential medical and non-medical equipment to support the development of organizations delivering eye care services to children and other underserved populations. Each grant is for up to $150,000 for an eight month project implementation period. The primary interventions included eye health education, vision screening, provision of eyeglasses and other visual aids, cataract and other sight-restoring surgery, education and rehabilitation services, provision of antibiotics and other essential medicines, and training of medical staff and community-based individuals. Sustainability has been a key focus of the CBP through high quality care, sufficient human resources, state-of-the-art training, increased demand for services, affordable costs, adequate and functional equipment, and efficient clinic and organizational management and systems.

The primary priority of the program under this grant cycle was to build the capacity of organizations to expand the availability of quality eye care services for children with visual impairment. OD grants served to make critical contributions to an existing organization to ultimately lead to improvements in the quality and/or quantity of services delivered. Grant recipients have worked to develop the capacity of an existing organization that provides essential eye health and/or education services for children, through the following three key intervention areas. All grant recipients were required to address Key Intervention #1, with an option of also addressing Key Interventions #2 and/or #3:

1. Training and capacity building of human resources (medical and non-medical personnel):

Medical professionals are necessary for accurate diagnosis and treatment of vision problems, but a vast cadre of community-based individuals (health volunteers, parents, teachers, traditional leaders, etc.) is also essential for identification, referrals, and appropriate follow-

up. Therefore, this intervention focused on supporting and strengthening the local eye care system through training of medical and non-medical staff, as well as community-based individuals to directly improve and support quality and coverage of pediatric eye care services.

3 GSM is a USAID program that uses grants as a development tool for programs in civil society and governance, education, and health. GSM is responsible for grant solicitation, review, award, management, monitoring, and close-out phases. Additionally, GSM provides training, workshops, and direct technical assistance to NGOs on topics including technical and financial training in grants management, administrative/finance capacity-building assessments, performance monitoring plans, and customized, longer-term technical assistance to grantees. For more information on the GSM project, please visit:

http://www.worldlearning.org/gsm.cfm

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

2. Provision of critical clinical equipment for diagnosis and treatment:

These interventions focused on increasing the availability of essential equipment and supplies (e.g. eye glasses, low vision devices, microscopes, other surgical equipment, consumables, and/or learning aids) that contribute to increased clinical productivity of an eye care team. The focus within this intervention was not just on procuring medical and surgical equipment needed for diagnosis and treatment of visual impairment, but also on supporting systems and management approaches to ensure proper maintenance of equipment and reliability of supplies.

3. Provision of non-clinical equipment for program management and efficiency:

These interventions focused on provision of non-clinical equipment (e.g. computers, AV equipment for education, management and financial software systems, etc.) to strengthen the organizational capacity to manage eye care programs. These items were included to enhance the quality of services, strengthen human resource management and communication, improve customer satisfaction, increase the number of patients served, and, develop monitoring and evaluation systems.

For more information on the CBP under the GSM project, please visit:

C.3 SCOPE OF WORK

OVERVIEW OF NEW CBP GRANTS TO BE SUPPORTED UNDER THIS CONTRACT

The Child Blindness Program (CBP) is a world-wide intiative. Therefore, the Contractor must provide grant management expertise in any country where a RFA is initiated. The Contractor may be requested to provide services and interventions with or without an in-country office. The contractor may augment its staff with consultants and other experts, partnering with other organizations as necessary, to fulfill the requirements of the RFP Scope of Work. The

Contractor must perform in a timely, responsive fashion to all sponsoring unit requests in accordance with the RFP.

This RFP requires the Contractor to develop a competitive grants program that supports two primary goals:

1) Delivering quality eye care services; and

2) Increasing the global knowledge base on best practices and innovative approaches for pediatric eye care programs.

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

Both program goals should be approached in a coordinated and collaborative manner and should not be approached independently from each other. USAID believes that both program goals are equally essential to expanding the availability and access of quality eye care services for children and other vulnerable populations in underserved communities.

Grant-funded interventions may include, but are not limited to:

capacity building of health workers and community volunteers;

eye health education;

vision screening and referrals of children and adults;

clinical and surgical services; training of teachers, health workers and community members;

provision of necessary medical equipment including eyeglasses, canes, and magnifying glasses;

education and rehabilitation services for blind and visually impaired children; and research on effective programmatic approaches for large-scale pediatric eye care interventions.

These types of interventions, which will be defined by the USAID Program Office, will be part of an ―USAID comprehensive quality eye care service approach‖ appropriate to the target worldwide region where services are to be delivered.

While the majority of grant funding is applied toward eye care service delivery, USAID shall determine the use of funds for several other purposes that will contribute to the overall goals of the CBP. For example, grantees may be asked to use funds to develop communication materials, training manuals, health education tools, as well as policy and advocacy tools.

Targeted research efforts are also necessary to advance the evidence base of quality programming models and approaches. Activities listed under this project will play a key role in advancing the learning agenda, through research initiatives, that can apply various analytical methods, depending on what is most appropriate to the research questions identified.

Activities under this project will also systematically support innovation. Experiences gained from USAID‘s Child Survival and Health Grants Program (CSGHP), will assist the Child

Blindness Program (CBP) in fostering innovative approaches and practices, by generating evidence on new or promising programmatic solutions to child eye care delivery approaches. As such, the Contractor will be responsible for disseminating the innovative approaches and practices to the field. More information on CSHGP can be found at:

http://transition.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/home/Funding/cs_grants/cs_index.html

Under this program component, ‘innovation’ is defined as an approach or practice that introduces novel ways of addressing critical operational barriers to delivering high impact pediatric eye care interventions to vulnerable populations and strengthening health systems, ultimately leading to increased scale of these interventions and improved eye health outcomes.

http://transition.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/home/Funding/cs_grants/cs_index.html

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

The primary goals and objectives of the CBP will be to:

GOAL 1 Deliver and expand coverage of quality eye care services for children in underserved communities

Objective 1a: To increase availability and accessibility to quality vision services for children and other vulnerable groups.

Objective 1b: To conduct focused research to address the barriers and constraints that limit the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of pediatric eye care interventions and services.

GOAL 2 Increase global knowledge base on best practices and innovative approaches for pediatric eye care programs

Objective 2a: To test, design, and scale-up innovative approaches for eye care in various country contexts.

Objective 2b: To increase the evidence base for effective approaches to large-scale pediatric eye care programs.

Objective 2c: To collect and report on project data and best practices to the Contractor.

The selected Contractor, working in partnership with the USAID Contracting Officer

Representative (COR), will be responsible for designing and managing a competitive and comprehensive grant award lifecycle process. This lifecycle will include, but not be limited to the following:

1. Conceptualization

2. Solicitation

3. Selection and Screening

4. Award

5. Grant Approval

6. Administration

7. Close Out

8. Record Retention

9. Conflict of Interest

Under the guidance of the USAID (COR), the Contractor must select CBP grantees to deliver quality eye care services to children and other vulnerable populations in underserved communities.

In addition to managing the grant lifecycle process, the Contractor must also develop processes for furthering the knowledge base of best practices and innovative approaches for pediatric eye care programs.

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

To ensure grant recipients effectively use their funds, the Contractor must develop procedures to support financial tracking, monitoring & evaluation (M&E), communication efforts, and as necessary, technical assistance. In accordance with USAID‘s recognition of the importance of gender issues in the developing community, the Contractor must identify and address issues that may bare implications and reveal opportunities concerning gender related matters. The

Contractor must also promote gender equity and women‘s representation and leadership throughout the execution of Child Blindness Program activities. The design of these activities must ensure that young girls and women are more broadly involved, and implementing partners should endeavor to increase the availability of eye care to underserved populations.

Task C.3.1: Develop Grant Management Process and Procedures

Overview of Task C.3.1

Special Note:

The Comprehensive GUCs Process Manual (hereinafter referred as ―The Manual‖) must be submitted to the COR for approval no later than 180 calendar days after the contract is awarded.

The first major task for the Contractor to develop is a Manual that describes the process, in which the organization plans to manage the grants awarded under the Child Blindness Program

(CBP). The COR will be closely involved in this process with the contractor and will provide input, review drafts, etc. A finalized version of the completed Manual, must be reviewed and approved by the COR before the Contractor is allowed to award the first CBP grant; and must be submitted no later than 180 calendar days after the contract has been awarded. The Manual must describe, in detail, the Contractor‘s grant management processes from cradle to grave. The activities will be reviewed and approved, by the COR in various stages, as is suggested below.

Upon commencement of activities the schedule below may be adjusted with approval of the

COR, however the full Manual must be completed within 180 days.

Stage 1: Deliverables submitted within 45 calendar days after the contract has been awarded, Stage 2: Deliverables submitted within 90 calendar days after the contract has been awarded, Stage 3: Deliverables submitted within 135 calendar days after the contract has been awarded, and

Stage 4: Deliverables submitted within 180 calendar days after the contract has been awarded.

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

C.3.1.1: Submit a detailed Comprehensive Plan for GUCs Process Manual (The Manual)

The Manual outlines the key policies and procedures that the Contractor will use to administer grant awards under the Child Blindness Program. At a minimum, the Manual must provide the following key grant procedures:

Stage 1 includes:

1.Conceptualization

1.1. Definition of the overall purpose of the grant

2. Solicitation

2.1. Eligibility

2.2. Competition requirements

2.3. Public Notice

2.4. Request for Application (RFA)

Stage 2 includes:

3. Selection and Screening

3.1. Initial Screening

3.2. Grants Review Panel

3.3. Review Process (Scoring System)

3.4. Clarification and Follow-Up Issues

3.5. Listing of High Scoring Applicants

3.6. Pre-Award Procedures

3.7. Pre-Award Survey Team

3.8. Finalization of Selection

3.9. Financial Responsibility and Accountability

3.10. Accounting Systems

3.11. Property Control Systems

3.12. Procurement System

3.13. Personnel and Travel Policies

3.14. Debarment and Suspension

4. Award

4.1. Negotiation

4.2. Final Documentation Submission

Stage 3 includes:

5. Grant Approval

5.1. Finalization of the Grant Agreement

5.2. Special Award Conditions

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

6. Administration

6.1. Briefing

6.2. Monitoring and Evaluation

6.3. Reporting and Payment

6.4. Periodic Advances

6.5. Audits

6.6. Amendments to Grant Agreements

Stage 4 includes:

7. Close Out

8. Record Retention

9. Conflict of Interest

C.3.1.2: Staffing Plans

The Contractor must provide, for COR approval, a final staffing plan for those employees assigned to managing and overseeing the CBP activities. This plan must specifically detail each staff member, their qualifications and responsibilities under this project. The final staffing plan must be submitted 45 days after the contract has been awarded.

C.3.1.3: Establish a Financial Management Plan and Tracking System

The Contractor must provide, for COR approval, a financial management plan and tracking system used to ensure that grant funds are appropriately used and tracked. A description of the financial management plan and tracking system must be included in the material submitted in

Stage 2, Step 3: Selection and Screening. A final financial management system must be ready for COR approval by 180 days at the completion of the final GUCs Manual. In addition, quarterly financial reports, as well as additional financial reports, shall be provided by the

Contractor in accordance with 22 CFR 226.

Note: Refer to Section F.2 and F.3 for additional information regarding Financial Reporting requirements.

C.3.1.4: Develop a Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Plan

The Contractor must provide a M&E plan that describes the process to regularly track and evaluate grant-funded activities. In collaboration with the COR and other technical experts, the

Contractor must develop appropriate indicators to measure progress of grant-funded programming. The Contractor shall design an evaluation approach that aligns with the USAID

Evaluation Policy released in January 2011

(http://transition.usaid.gov/evaluation/USAIDEvaluationPolicy.pdf).

The policy has two primary purposes:

1) Accountability to stakeholders, and

2) Learning to improve effectiveness http://transition.usaid.gov/evaluation/USAIDEvaluationPolicy.pdf

Child Blindness Program SOL-OAA-12-000065

This evaluation approach, used in the M&E Plan, must ensure that the Child Blindness Program activities support the purpose outlined in the aforementioned USAID‘s Evaluation Policy. In addition, the Contractor will be responsible for collecting and reporting data used to complete the

Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators, as described in Attachment 3. The Contractor shall use no more than 10% of obligated funds to support program evaluation.

Illustrative activities that the Contractor may include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Consult technical experts to review current CBP indicators for monitoring grant recipient activities;

2. Revise indicators and develop new indicators to effectively track grant recipient progress toward program objectives;

3. Establish a streamlined data collection system that is accessible and understandable to grant recipients;

4. Develop a performance management and evaluation plan that aligns with USAID

Evaluation Policy; and

5. Define grantee project performance reporting requirements for inclusion in the solicitation.

Upon award, the Contractor must complete the following:

1. Review Performance Indicators examined in Attachment 3,

2. Identify new indicators and/or refine existing ones, as needed and

3. Discuss illustrative indicators to measure program results.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan must be described in the material submitted in Stage 3, Step

6: Finalized Administration Stage of the detailed outline of the Comprehensive Plan for GUCs

Process Manual. The final M&E plan must include sample forms, created by the Contractor, which the grantees will be asked to use to report on program data and should be completed by

180 days after the award is made at the completion of the final GUCs Manual.

Task C.3.2: Establish and Manage Grants Solicitation Process(es) for the CBP

Overview of Task C.3.2

Based on procedures outlined in the Manual, the Contractor must develop clear grant guidance for the activities under the Child Blindness Program that facilitates competition among a wide field of U.S. and internationally-based organizations. The solicitation process, for each grant cycle, must emphasize the CBP priority of delivering comprehensive eye care services to underserved communities. The COR, in collaboration with the Contractor, will determine the number of grant competitions and cycles over the course of the life of the contract. This process will be implemented to ensure the various goals and objectives of the CBP are met. The length and specific priorities of the various CBP grant competitions may vary. The Contractor must work closely with the COR to develop each Request for Applications (RFA).

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Special Category considerations:

The contractor and COR may elect to structure the grant cycles around specific categories of grants or to otherwise incorporate the following categories into one grant cycle.

Category 1: Innovation Program Approach

It is anticipated, that at least one (1) grant cycle will focus on innovative program approaches.

The main objective of providing resources specifically for innovation in eye care is to generate credible evidence for improving and scaling-up the delivery and coverage of eye care services in diverse community and health systems contexts that are sustainable and can maintain a continuum of care for blind and low vision children. Building upon the results of previous grantees‘ activities, the Contractor will provide grant funding to support the design, testing, and scale-up of innovative approaches.

Category 2: Research Initiative

The Contractor must also continue to support research as part of the overall CBP by coordinating specific grants cycles in the second or third round of funding for research that will expand the learning agenda, or, by integrating research as a part of regular service delivery projects.

Illustrative activities may include but are not limited to:

Devoting 1-2 grant cycles on research with specific themes;

Facilitating research as part of a larger service delivery effort;

Integrating and promoting research findings into future service delivery grant guidance.

Category 3: First-time Grantee

Finally, the Contractor may elect to run separate grant competitions for first-time CBP grantees versus second- or third-time CBP grant applicants.

C.3.2.1: Develop & Publish Request for Applications (RFA)

Under the guidance and approval of the COR, the Contractor must finalize and publish Request for Applications (RFAs). RFAs must specify CBP background and priorities, deadline for applications, submission criteria and processes, eligible grant applicant criteria, selection procedures, and evaluation criteria. All RFAs must be approved by USAID; however the first

RFA must be posted within two (2) months of approval of the final GUCs Manual and other deliverables listed in Section C.3.1.

Note:

There will be multiple grant cycles over the course of the period of performance of the contract.

The Contractor must publish each RFA in accordance with the grant cycles as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR.

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C.3.2.2: Respond to Applicant Questions

Under the guidance and approval of the COR, the Contractor must document and respond to all applicant questions related to the solicitations. The Contractor must create appropriate amendments in response to applicants‘ questions. This action must be completed within ten (10) months of contract award.

C.3.2.3: Facilitate the Technical Evaluation Process

Once the RFA has been closed, the Contractor must screen all applications for basic eligibility requirements, in accordance to guidelines provided by the COR. The Contractor will serve as

TEC Chair for all RFAs, having the primary responsibility to ensure that all requisite materials are available for the TEC panelists. The Contractor must manage the TEC schedule and document the TEC proceedings, as well as write and submit the Tech Memo for approval by the

COR. Once the Tech Memo has been approved by the COR, the Contractor is held responsible for negotiating the cost of the award, and then issuing, signing and managing the grant award.

Note:

The first grant award, under this contract, must be awarded no later than ten (10) months of the issuance of the contract. Subsequent RFAs shall be completed as agreed upon in the Work Plan, approved by the COR.

C.3.2.4: Issue USAID-approved Grant Award Packages to Qualified Recipients

After completion of the TEC process, the Contractor must follow the technical and cost guidelines as per ADS 303. Upon COR approval, the Contractor must notify all successful and non-successful applicants of their application status. The Contractor must send grant award packages and letters to unsuccessful applicants no later than twelve (12) months after contract award for the first cycle. Subsequent grant award packages must be sent in accordance with the grant cycle timeline as agreed upon by the Contractor and USAID.

Task C.3.3: Provide Capacity-Building, Monitoring and Support for New CBP Grantees

(Oversee Grant Implementation)

Overview of Task C.3.3

Once the new CBP awards have been made, the Contractor must be responsible for providing support to all CBP grantees from grant start-up through the grant closeout process. Grant monitoring must include, but not limited to, assistance with financial management, provision of necessary technical assistance, collection and reporting of grantee‘s evaluation data, and management of successful closeout for all grants. The following are illustrative examples of capacity-building activities and tools for grant recipients:

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Developing manuals for financial management procedures and procurement related to grant-funded activities;

Targeted training of groups or individuals, possibly during site visits;

Establishing web-based tools, web-based tracking systems, online forms and reporting systems;

Development and dissemination of resource and reference materials; and

Sharing of best practices in financial and project management.

C.3.3.1: Provide New Grantee Orientation for New CBP Grantees

Based on procedures outlined in the approved Comprehensive Plan for GUCs Process Manual, the Contractor must develop and provide an orientation package to all grant recipients, detailing the following:

financial reporting requirements, deadlines, forms, evaluation and reporting requirements, relevant resources and references, guidance on rules and regulations, and guidance for procurement of commodities (i.e. screening equipment, medical and general supplies, applicable waivers, etc.).

The Contractor may provide orientation materials in electronic or hard copy and may present them using innovative presentation techniques (teleconference, videoconference, etc.) The orientation materials must be complete within ten (10) months of the contract award, in order to be utilized by the first CBP grantee.

C.3.3.2: Provide Financial Reporting Capacity-Building, Support, and Guidance

Many of the past CBP grant recipients, and other eye care organizations, have limited experience with USG financial reporting and procurement requirements and regulations. Therefore, it is the

Contractor‘s responsibility to play a key role in orienting recipients on applicable rules and regulations to ensure compliance and effective use of USG funds. It is not anticipated that intensive training of grant recipients will be necessary; however the Contractor must provide appropriate financial management and reporting guidance to all grant recipients, when requested.

Within ten (10) months of the contract award the Contractor must develop and finalize financial reporting and invoicing forms to ensure consistent and accurate requests for payment from CBP grantees. In addition, the Contractor shall submit, for approval to the COR, a performance management plan ninety (90) days after the effective date of the award, and submit an annual work plan sixty (60) days after the contract has been awarded.

Note:

Refer to Section F for further details.

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C.3.3.3: Provide Technical Assistance

The Contractor must monitor CBP grantees throughout the grant cycle to ensure that programs are on track and grant requirements are being fulfilled. The Contractor must offer various forms of technical assistance, as needed. Technical assistance may be provided in the following forms:

telephone communication, email-based support, site visits, and virtual or in-person trainings.

New grantees may need assistance fulfilling reporting and other grant requirements; while other grantees may identify a specific technical need not previously envisioned in their application.

Therefore, in order to ensure all programs stay on track, the Contractor must be prepared and is obligated to offer a variety of technical assistance to all grantees, if required.

Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA) consultants may be utilized if needed, in accordance with the Contractor‘s approved staffing plan, in order to help fulfill this requirement. For example a consultation with Optometrists or Ophthalmologists may be used in order to respond to specific grantee issues related to child blindness.

The Contractor must submit a report reflecting the technical assistance provided to the COR six

(6) months after the first grant award start date; afterwards, an updated report must be provided once a year throughout the duration of the project

C.3.3.4: Collect and Report on Grantee Progress

Evaluation is a critical activity for all CBP grantees. Using both the M&E plan, developed under the Manual, and Indicators reflective of those found in Attachment 3, the Contractor must institute a regular reporting process for all CBP grantees.

The evaluation process must ensure that grantees report on well-defined and validated indicators, as approved by the Contractor, in consultation with the COR, to reveal whether desired results are taking place and whether implementation is on track.

The specific indicators that will be required for CBP reporting are as follows:

The Child Blindness Program (CBP) is part of USAID‘s Functional Objective 3: Investing in

People – Program Area: Social Services, 3.3.2.1 Vulnerable Children.

As such, USAID Operational Plan Indicators include:

Number of people benefiting from USG-supported social services;

Number of service providers trained who serve vulnerable persons;

Number of USG assisted organizations and/or service delivery systems strengthened who serve vulnerable populations.

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Custom indicators for Child Blindness Program activities include:

Number of service delivery grants awarded each fiscal year;

Number of children (0-14 years) screened for eye care conditions*;

Number of children (0-14 years) referred by screening for additional services*;

Number of children (0-14 years) with refractive error whose error is corrected (received eyeglasses)*

* Preferably disaggregated by sex.

Targets for these and additional custom indicators must be jointly set by GH/HIDN/NUT and the

Contractor after the award is made.

The focus shall be on increased CBP capacity to regularly communicate grant recipient accomplishments, identify setbacks, and respond accordingly. The Contractor must utilize user-friendly data collection, reporting systems and forms in order to ensure CBP grantees‘ input and report it to USAID, as needed. The initial reporting forms must be submitted with the

Comprehensive Plan for GUCs Process Manual.

The Contractor must submit an aggregate evaluation report, noting all CBP grantees‘ baseline data, to the COR six (6) months after the first grant award start date. In addition, the Contractor must submit one (1) evaluation report every year of the contract.