Amendment_3_SOL-OAA-14-000152_FINAL.pdf

Original Issue Date: November 25, 2014 Amendment 3 Issue Date: January 8, 2015

Questions Due: December 10, 2014 Closing Date: January 22, 2015

Closing Time: 11:00 am EST Version: Amendment 3

SUBJECT: Request for Quotations (RFQ) for a single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and Call Order

RFQ.

Dear Offeror:

The United States Government represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), hereby issues Solicitation No. SOL-OAA-14-000152 titled “Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Food Security” (FtF EEFS). The applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 541690.

USAID contemplates award of a single Blanket Purchase Agreement to the responsible offeror who submits a quote representing the best value to the U.S. Government in accordance with the evaluation factors outlined in Section E.3.

Please submit all quotes in accordance with the detailed offer preparation instructions found in Section E.2. The estimated value of this BPA is $2.7 million for the base year or, $13.5 million, inclusive of all option years.

In accordance with Blanket Purchase Agreements in FAR Part 13.303 and the Acquisition of Commercial items in FAR Part 12, this RFQ consists of the following:

1. Section A - SF-1449

2. Section B – Continuation of SF-1449

3. Section C – Contract Clauses

4. Section D – Contract Documents

5. Section E – Solicitation Provisions

All questions regarding this RFQ shall be submitted by December 10, 2014 at 5:00 PM EST. Questions must be submitted by email to Ms. Kelly Fink, kfink@usaid.gov and Mr. Abib Oussantidja, aoussantidja@usaid.gov.

Questions and answers will be posted to www.fbo.gov as an amendment.

Issuance of this solicitation does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a quote. Furthermore the Government reserves the right to reject any offer, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of the Government.

Please submit your quote package no later than the indicated closing time and date above. Please also note that an early submission is encouraged and welcomed.

An RFQ for a Call Order to be placed soon after establishment of the BPA is also included in this package.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Best regards, Paul Burford Contracting Officer

SEE ADDENDUMIS CHECKED

CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

FACILITYCODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

OFFEROR

CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BYCODE

X

X

541690

SIZE STANDARD:

% FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED ORM/OAA/BFS

RFPIFB

10. THIS ACQUISITION ISCODE

RFQ

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

13b. RATING

NAICS:

SMALL BUSINESS

01/22/2015 1100 ES

01/08/2015

202-567-5295Kelly Fink

000002 (No collect calls)

INFORMATION CALL:

FOR SOLICITATION 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIMEb. TELEPHONE NUMBERa. NAME

4. ORDER NUMBER3. AWARD/ 6. SOLICITATION

SOL-OAA-14-000112

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 1. REQUISITION NUMBER PAGE OF

2 102 OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

TELEPHONE NO.

17a. CONTRACTOR/

15. DELIVER TO

Washington DC 20523-7101 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

M/OAA/BFS, SA-44 562-M

Office of Acquisition & Assistance

9. ISSUED BY

7.

2. CONTRACT NO.

EFFECTIVE DATE

$15.0

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW

ISSUE DATE

DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

11.

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a.

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

8(A)

U.S. Agency for Int'l Development

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

Feed the Future Investment Support Program

(FTF-ISP) RFQ

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

X

XX

DATED

Paul Burford

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5),

INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER

ARE

ARE

31c. DATE SIGNED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL

SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

OFFER

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF.

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED:

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

40. PAID BY39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIAL

36. PAYMENT

FINALPARTIAL

35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER33. SHIP NUMBER

COMPLETE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41c. DATE41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

75 2 of

SOL-OAA-14-000152

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION B – Continuation of SF-1449

B.1 TITLE

B.2 PURPOSE

B.3 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

B.4 CALL ORDER TYPES

B.5 BPA CEILING

B.6 PRICE SCHEDULE

B.7 COST/PRICE INFORMATION

B.8 INDIRECT COSTS

B.9 BILLING

B.10 PAYMENT TERMS AND INVOICING

B.11 TERMINATION

B.12 DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

B.13 LABOR

SECTION C ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

C.1 BPA CALL ORDER TYPES

C.2 MAXIMUM ORDERING LMITS

C.3 GENERAL ORDERING PROCEDURES

C.4 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

C.5 KEY PERSONNEL/POINTS OF CONTACT

C.6 NOTICE LISTING OF CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:

C.7 CONTRACTING OFFICER-BPA LEVEL

C.8 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) –BPA LEVEL

C.9 TECHNICAL DIRECTION/RELATIONSHIP WITH USAID

C.10 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S AUTHORITY

C.11 PAYING OFFICE AND PROCEDURES

C.12 ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

C.13 AUTHORIZED GEOGRAPHIC CODE

C.14 AUTHORIZED USERS

SECTION D – ATTACHMENTS

SECTION E – SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

E.1 NOTICE LISTING SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE . 38

E.2 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

E.3 - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

E.4 DETERMINATION OF THE COMPETITIVE RANGE AND CONTRACT AWARD

SECTION B – Continuation of SF-1449

B.1 TITLE

Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Food Security (FtF EEFS)

B.2 PURPOSE

The purpose of this award is to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement with a contractor to provide consulting services for USAID Bureau for Food Security (BFS) and Feed the Future (FTF) Focused and Aligned Missions worldwide, in accordance with Section C of this solicitation. This solicitation contains five service components, together compiling the consulting services that are required by USAID Missions and host country partners to contribute to the ultimate objective of strengthening enabling environments for food security in FTF countries. Each component is discussed separately in Section B.12 below.

B.3 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of this Blanket Purchase Agreement is one (1) base year and four (4), one (1) year option years, for a period of performance not to exceed five (5) years.

B.4 CALL ORDER TYPES

This is a Blanket Purchase Agreement. The Government will issue BPA Call Orders that are either Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) , Time and Materials (T&M) and/or Labor Hour (LH).

B.5 BPA CEILING

The ceiling for this Blanket Purchase Agreement is TBD. There is no minimum guarantee.

B.6 PRICE SCHEDULE

BASE PERIOD YEAR ONE – Dates TBD

CLIN Labor Category Level Ceiling Loaded Daily Rate

001 BPA Project Manager N/A TBD 002 Deputy Project Manager N/A TBD 003A Knowledge

Management Officer Level 1 TBD

003B Level 2 TBD 004A Agricultural Legal and

Regulatory Specialist Level 1 TBD

004B Level 2 TBD 005A Sanitary and

Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

Level 1 TBD

005B Level 2 TBD 006A Agricultural Trade

Specialist Level 1 TBD

006B Level 2 TBD 007A Agricultural Inputs

Specialist Level 1 TBD

007B Level 2 TBD 008A Gender Specialist Level 1 TBD

008B Level 2 TBD

009 TBD SME TBD

010A Other SME As Required Level 1 TBD 010B Level 2 TBD 011 Program Assistant TBD

OPTION YEAR ONE – Dates TBD

1001 Project Manager N/A TBD 1002 Deputy Project Manager N/A TBD 1003A Knowledge

Management Officer Level 1 TBD

1003B Level 2 TBD 1004A Agricultural Legal and

Regulatory Specialist Level 1 TBD

1004B Level 2 TBD 1005A Sanitary and

Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

Level 1 TBD

1005B Level 2 TBD 1006A Agricultural Trade

Specialist Level 1 TBD

1006B Level 2 TBD 1007A Agricultural Inputs

Specialist Level 1 TBD

1007B Level 2 TBD 1008A Gender Specialist Level 1 TBD 1008B Level 2 TBD

1009 TBD SME TBD

1010A Other SME As Required Level 1 TBD 1010B Level 2 TBD 1011 Program Assistant TBD

OPTION YEAR TWO – Dates TBD

2001 Project Manager N/A TBD 2002 Deputy Project Manager N/A TBD 2003A Knowledge

Management Officer Level 1 TBD

2003B Level 2 TBD 2004A Agricultural Legal and

Regulatory Specialist Level 1 TBD

2004B Level 2 TBD 2005A Sanitary and

Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

Level 1 TBD

2005B Level 2 TBD 2006A Agricultural Trade Level 1 TBD

Specialist 2006B Level 2 TBD 2007A Agricultural Inputs

Specialist Level 1 TBD

2007B Level 2 TBD 2008A Gender Specialist Level 1 TBD 2008B Level 2 TBD

2009 TBD SME TBD

2010A Other SME As Required Level 1 TBD 2010B Level 2 TBD 2011 Program Assistant TBD

OPTION YEAR THREE – Dates TBD

3001 Project Manager N/A TBD 3002 Deputy Project Manager N/A TBD 3003A Knowledge

Management Officer Level 1 TBD

3003B Level 2 TBD 3004A Agricultural Legal and

Regulatory Specialist Level 1 TBD

3004B Level 2 TBD 3005A Sanitary and

Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

Level 1 TBD

3005B Level 2 TBD 3006A Agricultural Trade

Specialist Level 1 TBD

3006B Level 2 TBD 3007A Agricultural Inputs

Specialist Level 1 TBD

3007B Level 2 TBD 3008A Gender Specialist Level 1 TBD 3008B Level 2 TBD

3009 TBD SME

3010A Other SME As Required Level 1 TBD 3010B Level 2 TBD 3011 Program Assistant

OPTION YEAR FOUR – Dates TBD

4001 Project Manager N/A TBD 4002 Deputy Project Manager N/A TBD 4003A Knowledge

Management Officer Level 1 TBD

4003B Level 2 TBD

4004A Agricultural Legal and Regulatory Specialist

Level 1 TBD

4004B Level 2 TBD 4005A Sanitary and

Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

Level 1 TBD

4005B Level 2 TBD 4006A Agricultural Trade

Specialist Level 1 TBD

4006B Level 2 TBD 4007A Agricultural Inputs

Specialist Level 1 TBD

4007B Level 2 TBD 4008A Gender Specialist Level 1 TBD 4008B Level 2 TBD

4009 TBD SME TBD

4010A Other SME As Required Level 1 TBD 4010B Level 2 TBD 4011 Program Assistant TBD

B.7 COST/PRICE INFORMATION

The prices/costs will be applied to individual order types as follows:

a. Labor: These price schedules contain the loaded daily ceiling rates for work performed at any location designated in this BPA. “Loaded daily rate” is defined as the direct daily labor rate along with appropriate load factors, inclusive of profit or fee. Other load factors include overhead, fringe, and general & administrative (G&A) costs as designated in Section B.9. The loaded daily rates set forth in this schedule are fully burdened, not-to-exceed, ceiling prices. The contractor may, at his discretion, propose lower loaded daily rates on a call-by-call order basis.

(1) Fixed Price Call Orders: The quantity of days of each labor category will be multiplied by the loaded daily rates listed in this schedule or lower, and the cumulative extended total of all days will define the fixed price labor amount for the task. The amount negotiated for travel and ODCs will be added to the total labor amount to arrive at the task order total fixed price. Travel and ODCs can be reimbursed based on actual expenses incurred, not to exceed the negotiated ceiling on travel and ODCs or at a fixed price. Partial payments may be negotiated based on the completion of milestones.

(2) Labor Hour and T&M Call Orders: The quantity of days ordered of each labor category will be specified as deliverable days billable at the rates specified in this schedule or lower as negotiated.

Travel and ODCs will be estimated for each call order. The cumulative extended total of all labor categories ordered plus travel and ODCs will define the call order ceiling price. The government will not reimburse the contractor for costs incurred beyond the ceiling price, for days not delivered, for work performed in excess of the ordered labor pool amount, or for travel and ODCs exceeding the ordered pool amount. Labor dollars will not be used to pay for ODCs nor ODC dollars used to pay for labor without a modification to the call order.

b. The prices (loaded labor rates) included on the Master BPA list (or applicable "discounted" rates submitted in a response to a call RFQ which results in award) that are in effect as of the effective date of a Call Order shall govern that order's price during the performance period. The Master BPA holder can voluntarily reduce offered prices at any time by giving 24-hour advance notice (by electronic mail) to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Contracting Officer.

c. Materials/Other Direct Costs: Other Direct Cost(s) which will be proposed and approved at the call level include, but are limited to the following:

Communication; and Printing Meeting Space

d. Travel: The Government will reimburse the cost of travel required in conjunction with performance of orders issued under the agreement. Reimbursement for travel is limited to that required in the performance of the order and expressed in the offeror’s ODC proposed budget. Specific Government direction to attend meetings or gather information shall be reimbursed on a cost reimbursable basis only. The Government will not pay travel charges for travel to and from the BPA holder employer’s home office location or to and from one company building to another (either within a company or to and from a prime to a sub company). Travel costs subject to reimbursement are limited to travel occurring at the direction of the Government, performed in conjunction with a specific requirement for a trip authorized in the order. Any administrative/clerical support travel costs shall be considered and approved by the Contracting Officer on a case-by-case basis.

Allowable costs include:

Travel Per diem (lodging and meals) Other travel related costs

Note: Travel as stated above is not limited to airfare. It includes visas, DBA insurance, taxis and local transportation, medical shots, and other costs associated with an assignment that requires travel as designated in the FAM and GSA Federal Travel Regulation.

e. Subcontracts: If the offeror proposes to use subcontract labor under a Call Order, the Loaded Daily Ceiling Rates included in this BPA will apply to all subcontracted labor. However, the contractor may propose discounted labor rates at the call level and should do so where subcontract or in-country labor may be significantly less than Loaded Daily Ceiling Rates.

B.8 INDIRECT COSTS AND ADVANCED UNDERSTANDING ON CEILINGS

(This Indirect Cost will also be applied on the Call Orders when necessary)

Pending establishment of revised provisional or final indirect cost rates, allowable indirect costs shall be reimbursed on the basis of the following negotiated provisional or predetermined rates and the appropriate bases for the contractor and the USAID.

Offeror Overhead Rate %

Overhead Ceiling Rate%

G&A

G&A Ceiling

Contractor(Insert Name)

*Special Note: The un-shaded columns in the indirect cost table are the current approved indirect cost rates for the contractor.

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.

Reimbursement for indirect costs shall be at final negotiated rates, but not in excess of ceiling rates specified above.

The Government shall not be obligated to pay any additional amount associated with 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.

NOTE: For Fixed-priced Orders, the overhead ceilings serve as the basis for negotiation only.

NOTE: The Contractor is allowed to recoup indirect costs (OH, G&A, etc.) as other direct costs if it is part of the contractor’s usual accounting procedures, consistent with FAR 31 and the contactor’s NICRA. Offeror may propose ceilings for other indirect rates as appropriate to their indirect rate structure.

NOTE: In accordance with FAR 52.232-7(b)(7), payment of fee on materials, which includes subcontracts for supplies and incidental services for which there is not a labor category specified in the contract is prohibited.

B.9 BILLING

The Call Order will cite the applicable billing daily rates selected from the Table of Billing Daily Rates in Section B.4.1 or negotiated discounted rates. The daily rates in effect when the Call Order is executed will remain in effect for the entire Call Order period. Any rates billed in excess of the daily billing rates designated in the Call Order schedule will not be authorized. Each daily rate listed in Section B.6 is "loaded" and must only include the following:

Salary cost or consulting fee of the individual providing the services;

Payroll costs (fringe benefits, FICA, etc.);

Indirect costs applicable to labor; and Profit or fee, if any. Please note, fee on fee is not authorized. Fee on ODC’s and materials is not authorized.

B.10 PAYMENT TERMS AND INVOICING

a. Terms : All payments will be made in U.S. Dollars. Unless otherwise specified in the Call Order, the Payment Office listed in Section C.11 will process payments upon receipt of proper invoice.

b. Invoicing: Invoices must be submitted using SF-1034. Invoices may not be submitted more frequently than once every 30 days.

B.11 TERMINATION

See FAR Clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial items (May 2014).

B.12 DESCRIPTION / SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

B.12.1 BACKGROUND

The United States Government’s (USG’s) Feed the Future (FTF) Initiative promotes sound legal, regulatory, and institutional environments--or enabling environments--that increase private sector investment and expand markets and trade, leading to better food security and nutrition outcomes that drive long-term gains and sustainability. A sound enabling environment is a condition for economic growth in the agricultural sector. Research that compares the Green Revolution in Asia to agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa finds that institutional change, which led to a transparent state, functioning markets, and farmer organizations that represent the interests of family farmers, explains much of the agricultural success seen in Asia (Biggs, 2007; Djurfeldt et al, 2005). When the transaction costs of essential business functions are reduced through improved enabling environments, conditions are created along agricultural value chains that can stimulate trade and investment and expand market opportunities for smallholders. At the same time, informal institutions (i.e. social norms and values that govern individual and collective behavior, including gender dimensions) interact with formal rules to affect agricultural value chain development. Changes to enabling environments will lead to trade-offs, shifting costs and benefits within a society, affecting different groups within a community in different ways. Sustained gains in food security and nutrition will require improved agribusiness enabling environments that both enhance legal and regulatory frameworks for doing business in the agricultural sector, but also consider how these formal rule changes shift costs and benefits within a society. An improved enabling environment for food security will: 1) reduce costs of doing business in the agricultural sector along key value chains, 2) reduce the degree of uncertainty that value chain actors face about their ability to profit in the future from investment decisions made now, 3) create the conditions for sustainable reform, and 4) increase trust and predictability among actors along agricultural value chains.

The Feed the Future program envisions stronger commercial linkages between smallholder farmers, traders, agricultural firms and formal markets. Enhanced market access that leads to sustained and expanded agricultural markets along key value chains requires a strong enabling environment for regional and international trade in agricultural products. USAID Bi-lateral and Regional Missions and USAID Washington require custom and tailored analyses and technical assistance to identify, diagnose, and address enabling environment factors that affect commercial agriculture. This includes analytical support to review the legal, institutional and social dynamics of agricultural trade, with an emphasis on cross-border trade. The gender dimensions of agricultural trade require further context-specific analysis, with a particular emphasis on factors that influence the transition of traders from informal markets to formal markets. Within the context of agricultural trade, sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) issues will play a key role, given the importance of intra-regional trade in agriculture and the increasing demand for agricultural imports to the United States and European Union markets that require stringent adherence to SPS requirements.

An improved enabling environment can facilitate commercialization of agricultural technologies—a critical component of achieving scaling goals within FTF. Scaling technologies requires generating consumer demand for their use; and behavior change can be encouraged through demonstration of a technology’s ability to generate profitable production. Additionally, broadening the availability of technologies obtained through investment creation is key to scaling. Limited access to technologies is often largely due to constraints in the enabling environment, such as intellectual property rights which can inhibit the spread of technology. USAID anticipates that as Missions become more aware of institutional factors, including socio-economic, that can enable or constrain agricultural technology commercialization, they will require technical assistance to analyze these factors and identify options for addressing them.

A responsive agricultural input sector is key to developing well-functioning agricultural markets. Seeds and fertilizer are two critical inputs that USAID FTF Missions have identified as policy priorities. For example, despite commitments by governments to improve access to improved seeds, many farmers in developing countries do not use improved varieties. Seed industries in some countries struggle to start and expand operations, and often the private sector is unable to generate or meet market demand for seeds. Seed legislation often establishes a lengthy and expensive certification process. Low demand for certified seed makes the time and cost of investment in the certification process unattractive to the private and public sectors. Good quality varieties can be well suited to producers’ needs; and, since multiplication is less costly, could be sold at a lower retail price to a wider market, ultimately stimulating demand for improved seed and fertilizer.

Response to a policy brief generated by USAID’s Enabling Agricultural Trade (EAT) project entitled “Building an Enabling Environment for Seed Sector Growth” demonstrated great interest from donors, policymakers and those working in the private sector. Since this segment of the agriculture sector faces unique challenges, EAT developed an analytical method designed to diagnose constraints to developing an enabling environment for seed, called “SeedCLIR.” The methodology includes an overview of a country’s seed laws and regulations, the efficacy of the institutions that regulate or ensure competition within the seed sector, and includes an analysis of strengths and gaps that suggest areas in need of reforms. Use of this tool has been limited to pilot testing, but USAID expects that the information generated by SeedCLIR analysis will be demanded in many FTF Missions.

Visit this link for more information on the Tanzania SeedCLIR report: http://eatproject.org/#portfolio.

An enabling environment conducive to the promotion of safe and adequate nutrition for infants and young children, healthy diets (from infancy through adulthood), appropriate and transparent standards (e.g. food safety, labeling and marketing claims, aflatoxin mitigation), and inclusive commerce contributes to improving nutrition outcomes and poverty reduction. Analysis of the legal, regulatory, and institutional factors that can advance nutrition outcomes will be important to missions as they consider how to enhance the integration of nutrition specific and sensitive agriculture goals. Areas of enabling environment analysis may include key factors that influence consumer demand for and commercialization of safe, nutritious, affordable foods, particularly for vulnerable groups. An enabling environment conducive to formal commercialization of nutritious foods contributes to improving nutrition outcomes.

Enabling environment factors also influence the ways sellers and buyers in the agriculture sector choose to interact along value chains, leading to different firm and market structures, and labor practices. For example, contract farming has been used as a business model capable of linking small scale farmers to markets. However, it is not always the best way to structure a relationship between buyers and suppliers. Existing legal and other factors that prevent exploitation on each side, capacities of buyers and suppliers, and type of contract farming model used will influence the likelihood of success of a specific management system. The type of agricultural product being traded can also affect a business model’s success, and characteristics specific to countries—and different regions within a specific country—can factor into the likelihood of success.

The overarching Development Objective of USAID’s Office of Market and Partnership Innovations (MPI) within the Bureau for Food Security (BFS) is to increase adoption of innovative tools, technologies and approaches to encourage investments that enhance food security. MPI aims to achieve this objective through: 1) Enhanced Private Sector Engagement, 2) Increased Commercialization of Technologies, 3) Improved Agriculture and Nutrition Enabling Environment, and 4) Demonstrated Thought Leadership and Technical Expertise. MPI works to achieve the third objective through increased use of analytical tools and data analyses (Sub IR 3.1) and enhanced private sector engagement in public policy dialogue (Sub IR 3.2). The Enabling Environment for Food Security project will contribute to these two Sub IRs through support to Missions.

When Missions are equipped with the right information, they can design more strategic programs, target identified enabling environment factors and act on them with concrete, practical actions that increase innovation, accountability and inclusive agriculture sector growth. The Enabling Environment for Food Security project will meet the increasing demand for in-depth analysis and actionable recommendations related to how legal, regulatory, and institutional factors affect FTF outcomes. Some areas of focus will include: agribusiness development and trade, commercialization of agricultural technologies, input markets, nutrition, and market structure.

B.12.2 SCOPE

The Project Objective for the Enabling Environment for Food Security award is to support USAID field missions and USAID Washington through providing targeted approaches for diagnosing and addressing enabling environment factors that affect food security outcomes. The Project will respond rapidly to Mission requests for technical assistance that is adaptable and tailored to specific geographic and value chain contexts. The Project will be responsible for designing and implementing analytical activities for USAID Washington and field Missions, for building USAID and host country capacity for integrating enabling environment concepts in strategic programming, and for managing the information generated from these activities.

Successful implementation of this Project requires a mix of skills and capabilities, including: expert analytical skills;

education and training capability; and country logistical and project implementation capacity. The Offeror must have the ability to match the different needs and opportunities that arise in different geographic and technical areas with expertise and capacities of possible STTA consultants. Offerors should ensure that management systems are flexible and able to respond to changing needs as the Project progresses and as needs and opportunities are identified.

The scale of activities under this Project will depend on the availability of USAID funding and the demand for assistance for diagnostic, analytical, technical, and capacity building support. Project activities will be ordered as needed by Missions and Offices and become more specific through refined Call Order SOWs and negotiation of orders.

The project will generate information that will strengthen legal and institutional frameworks that create the conditions to achieve Feed the Future goals. Project activities will include targeted, legal, regulatory and institutional analysis, implementation support, knowledge management, capacity building, and thought leadership on how to enable institutional change that contributes to inclusive agricultural growth and improved nutrition. The project will lead to increased effectiveness of projects designed to foster institutional changes that benefit actors along key agricultural value chains, in particular, men and women smallholders, support implementation of regional harmonization efforts at the country level, as well as the longer-term interest of FTF focus, priority, and aligned countries.

B.12.3 PROJECT TASKS/ACTIVITIES

Throughout the possible five year period of performance, the Enabling Environment for Food Security Project will have four components. Activities are expected to benefit Missions, including USAID Washington, developing country policymakers, actors along key agricultural value chains, development practitioners from NGOs, and other donors.

Activities will be relevant to country programs responding to new challenges of enhancing food security and climate change.

Call Orders may include the following kinds of activities listed below. The precise level of effort dedicated to each activity is subject to demand from USAID Missions and USAID Washington and will be finalized through the negotiation of each Call Order. It is anticipated that a majority of activities performed under this contract will involve financial contributions from participating USAID Mission offices. The Contactor is expected to be responsive to USAID mission demands for technical assistance.

Component 1. Technical Analysis and Targeted Technical Assistance:

The Contractor will analyze legal, regulatory and institutional factors and prioritize actionable recommendations and options to assist in strategic programming and project design that contributes to regional and country level objectives.

Analysis will be conducted using existing diagnostic tools (e.g. Commercial Legal and Institutional Reform (CLIR) methodology, political economy framework) or through the development of custom analytical frameworks as needed.

For example, agribusiness enabling environment (AgBEE) benchmarking data generated through the Agricultural Regulations and Institutions (AGRI) Index pilot implemented through USAID’s Enabling Agricultural Trade (EAT) project and a comparative data set generated through the Benchmarking the Business of Agriculture (BBA) project1, will be ready for benchmarking and comparative analysis purposes in FY15. These datasets represent an opportunity for USAID Missions to undertake deeper analysis of specific AgBEE factors, utilizing AgBEE tools. The Contractor will also be requested to provide analytical support that will assist approximately 30% of FTF Missions with implementing scaling plans.

Assignments will typically include a desk study component and a 2-3 week in-country component for further data collection comprised of field work by a small team that includes key stakeholder interviews, triangulation to confirm findings in interviews, and stakeholder consultations to review preliminary findings.

Note: The first report on of the above project can be found at: http://eatproject.org/#portfolio. The second AGRI report is attachment to this amended Solicitation.

Component 2. Knowledge Management: While the Contractor will contribute to the knowledge base on how laws, regulations, and social norms interact in the agriculture sector to create different institutional outcomes, integrating cross-cutting themes, such as gender, climate change, and nutrition, analytical findings and information the Contractor generates will become valuable when it is shared and managed. Knowledge management will lead to improved understanding about how enabling environment factors affect food security outcomes broadly and FTF programming. The Contractor will work closely with USAID to accomplish the following:

a. Design and implement a knowledge management plan that addresses knowledge gaps and identifies approaches and dissemination channels that foster learning among key audiences.

b. Utilize existing on-line gateways to knowledge in support of the USG Feed the Future Initiative.

c. Support USAID field mission and Washington staff with the development of materials for public presentations.

d. Conduct public presentations, including facilitating events, such as webinars, related to assessments and other activities carried out through the project.

Component 3. Capacity Building: An improved enabling environment requires that government, the private sector, and civil society have the capacity to fulfill their distinct roles in devising, implementing, and monitoring reform efforts. The Contractor will develop training materials, design and conduct training for USAID staff on food security enabling environment topics to enhance the ability of Regional and Bilateral Missions to strategically inform programming and follow through with recommendations generated through technical analysis and stakeholder led processes. Trainings could range from one hour to a few days and will take place in Washington or field locations. The Project will work with USAID/BFS staff to identify training needs and timing of training. An estimated two trainings on food security enabling environment topics per year will take place.

Component 4. Implementation Support: Experience has shown that Missions often need support to follow

1 The BBA is a New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition enabling action implemented by the World Bank through a

Multi‐donor trust fund.

through on the actionable recommendations generated through analytical work. The Contractor will provide missions with on-site short -term technical assistance (STTA) as ordered to achieve country and regional objectives. The duration of on-site, full-time STTA could range from a few days to twelve months. STTA could include embedded advisors in country or regional organizations to provide support to implementation of actionable recommendations generated from Technical Analysis, further stakeholder consultations, partner requests, presentation of findings, expert review of agricultural laws, or other interventions as identified. Implementation support could also include assisting Missions with integrating cross-cutting themes, such as gender, into follow-up actions. It is anticipated that at least eight of the 22 FTF focus and aligned countries will require implementation support over the life of the project based on past and current demand.

Component 5. On-demand Consulting Services: On-demand consulting services will span BPA Components and will frequently require a rapid response. On-demand consulting services will enable missions to prepare for key stakeholder engagements related to food security enabling environment topics, deliver quick turn-around technical assistance to missions and partners, such as expert review of draft agricultural laws, and rapidly produce high-quality desk studies and technical briefs on priority food security enabling environment topics.

B.12.4 PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN

The Contractor will focus on achieving results. A broad draft Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) will be completed as part of Life-of-Program Work Plan and will provide for routine monitoring and reporting focusing on program performance and impact. This PMP will later on be tailored to each specific call order. Specific performance and results indicators will be built into all project activities. The Contractor shall report on indicators. The contractor will need to project its five year targets. Illustrative indicators and targets for project implementation are presented below.

Indicator Five Year Target Technical analysis conducted for Missions 35 Webinars with Missions conducted 10 Stakeholder consultations facilitated 35 Technical consultants provided to Missions 35 Strategies reflecting findings and recommendations 35 USAID staff trained 150 Technical briefs developed and disseminated 20 Seminars and training courses developed 20

B.12.5 REPORTING SCHEDULE/DELIVERABLES

Deliverables will be stated in individual Call Orders. Call Orders may contain individual or a series of activities each of which may have separate deliverables and delivery schedules. For each Call Order, the following minimum reports will be required: 1) work plan and 2) final report. Due dates and specific guidelines regarding the contents of these reports will be further defined in Call Order RFQs.

Acceptance Criteria for Deliverables: The deliverables will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

i. Thoroughness and timeliness in complying with all of the elements laid out in the Scope of Work;

ii. Quality and clarity of analysis and work produced;

iii. Timeliness and efficacy of communications with relevant counterparts at USAID and other donor agencies and organizations.

iv. Ability to work within agreed to budget

Deliverables must be submitted in draft form for comment by USAID. USAID will provide comments within 15 days of receipt. Final form of all deliverables must take into consideration USAID comments prior to submission.

Submission of the draft and final deliverables should be in electronic format compatible with software available at USAID unless otherwise determined by the Call Order COR. All reports must be in clear and concise English free from grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors.

USAID reserves the right to modify the deliverables for a specific Call Order. The contractor must agree to such changes before the Final Work Plan is accepted by USAID.

B.13 LABOR

All BPA Call Orders will use a mix of Key Personnel and Short-term Technical Assistance (STTA) Labor. This BPA indicates three individuals as key personnel due to the unique need for there to be a strong consistent management and knowledge management presence across all Call Orders. These individuals may or may not be the team lead on a particular Call Order however, it is anticipated that they will play some role in the leadership, administration, or implementation of all call activities.

B.13.1 BPA KEY PERSONNEL

The contractor shall provide a Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager and a Knowledge Management Officer as Key Personnel under the BPA. Individual Call Orders will have their own Key Personnel requirements as stated in the Call Order RFQ. Key Personnel must be proficient in English (spoken and written).

Project Manager (Team Leader)

The Project Manager, as the Team leader, will have overall responsibility for the implementation of the project and will be the principal point of contact for USAID/BFS/MPI for issues related to project mobilization, quality control and problem resolution. S/he must have a detailed understanding of the project objectives and subject matter to determine the suitability of proposed implementation staff and to provide quality control during project implementation. The Project Manager will be accountable for all activities and results and will provide management oversight during field assignments, including delegating field assignment oversight. The Project Manager must be able to work well with a wide variety of personalities, consistently demonstrate cultural sensitivity and appreciation for differing viewpoints while forging consensus among contract team members, mission staffs, and host-country counterparts.

Qualifications required and preferred:

A Bachelor degree in law, economics or other relevant field is required. Experience applying legal, regulatory, and institutional expertise to an agriculture context is required, and an ideal candidate will have this experience in developing countries. A minimum of five years of project management or government COR/COTR experience is required. A minimum of 8 years of total work experience is required. Significant legal, trade, and investment experience preferred. Work experience in multiple regions is preferred. Strong management skills, writing skills, and interpersonal skills for dealing with a wide variety of project, contract, counterpart, personnel and other related issues are preferred.

Deputy Project Manager

The Deputy Project Manager will have responsibility for implementation of the project and will work with the Project Manager on issues related to project mobilization, quality control and problem resolution. S/he must have a detailed understanding of the project objectives and subject matter to provide quality control during project implementation. A primary responsibility of the Deputy Project Manager is to provide management oversight during field assignments, to troubleshoot, and to ensure consistency across deliverables. The Deputy Project Manager must be able to work well with a wide variety of personalities, consistently demonstrate cultural sensitivity and appreciation for differing viewpoints while forging consensus among contract team members, mission staffs, and host-country counterparts.

Qualifications required and preferred:

A Bachelor degree in law, economics or other relevant field is required. Experience applying legal, regulatory, and institutional expertise to an agriculture context is required, and an ideal candidate will have this experience in developing countries. A minimum of three years of project management or government COR/COTR experience is required. A minimum of 8 years of total work experience is required. Significant legal, trade, and investment experience preferred. Work experience in multiple regions is preferred. Strong management skills, writing skills, and interpersonal skills for dealing with a wide variety of project issues are preferred.

Knowledge Management Officer

The Knowledge Management Officer will be responsible for ensuring that communications is a strategic part of projects’ operations, with particular emphasis on knowledge management. In this capacity, the Knowledge Management Officer will take the lead on managing project communications, developing presentations, and utilizing existing on-line gateways to disseminate knowledge generated through Call Order deliverables. The Knowledge Management Officer will work with USAID to define audiences and how best to reach them. The Knowledge Management Officer will be responsible for conducting a knowledge management needs assessment, drafting the knowledge management implementation plan, and managing the realization of that plan throughout the life of the project. This position is categorized as key personnel, because it is critical that consistency of communications be maintained across all calls and are consistent with a knowledge management implementation plan. It is expected that in many cases this individual will be supported by a mid-level knowledge management specialist.

Qualifications required and preferred:

A Bachelor’s degree is required but a Master's degree is preferred plus 6 or more years of experience in knowledge management, facilitation, communications and/or training. Experience establishing, strengthening, managing and/or facilitating communities of practice or learning networks preferred.

The personnel specified above are considered to be essential to the work being performed. Prior to replacing any of the specified key personnel, the Contractor shall immediately notify both the BPA Contracting Officer and the BPA Contracting Officer’s Representative in advance and shall submit written justification in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on the program. The written notification will also include proposed substitutions. No replacement of key personnel shall be made by the Contractor without the written consent of the BPA Contracting Officer.

B.13.2 SHORT-TERM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (STTA)

Project work will span a variety of technical areas and will require a range of different technical skillsets. These skill areas include but are not limited to: Agricultural Legal and Regulatory Frameworks, Agricultural Trade, Gender, Agricultural Inputs, Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Systems. Each call will draw on such expertise in a timely manner in order to fulfill the objectives designated in each call. Offerors will maintain a roster of prospective short-term technical experts who will be evaluated for their technical expertise and experience relative to their proposed roles and responsibilities.

Over the course of implementation, it is expected that a number of short-term personnel will be required to assist the project manager in undertaking tasks to achieve the project objectives and meet Mission and Washington needs. All proposed short-term technical assistance is subject to USAID approval during the BPA Request for Quote process.

Minimum Qualifications

In order to perform the statement of work set forth in Section B.12, the Contractor must provide personnel that meet the minimum education and experience requirements set forth below. These minimum qualifications for level 1 and 2 personnel correspond to the Ceiling Daily Rates above.

The following labor categories will be utilized:

Illustrative Labor Categories Level Education and Experience Requirements Academic Degree AND Years of Relevant Work

Experience Project Manager (Key Personnel)

1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA 15

Deputy Project Manager (Key Personnel)

1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Knowledge Management Officer (Key Personnel)

1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

(Non-Key Personnel) 2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Agricultural Legal and Regulatory Specialist

1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Agricultural Trade Specialist 1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Gender Specialist 1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Agricultural Inputs Specialist 1 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

To Be Proposed SME TBD TBD TBD Other Specialists 1 Ph.D. 8

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

2 Ph.D.

JD

MS/MA/MBA

BS/BA

Program Assistant 4 Some College/BS/BA or higher

0-5(intern, entry-level)

Subject Matter Experts

The SMEs identified in the labor category table and associated price schedule are expected to represent the most frequently utilized types of specialists for calls ordered under this BPA. However, it is anticipated that there will be occasions when other specializations consistent with the BPA Scope of Work will be required. All other specialists will fall under the “Other Specialists” labor category and corresponding levels of qualification.

Agricultural Legal and Regulatory Specialist

The Agricultural Legal and Regulatory Specialist will provide short-term technical assistance for Call Orders requiring expertise on topics related to formal rules affecting business enabling environment in the agricultural sector.

This specialist will have experience analyzing agricultural legal frameworks, draft legislation, and be familiar with policy change processes.

For education and experience qualifications please refer to table above. Additional qualifications may be identified for each Call Order.

Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Systems Specialist

The Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary (SPS) Systems Specialist will provide short-term technical assistance for Call Orders requiring expertise on topics related to SPS systems, including regulatory issues, harmonizing national SPS measures with international standards, and trade impacts. Depending on the requirements of the Call Order, the SPS Systems Specialist may focus on enabling environment factors related to animal health, plant health, or food safety that have national or regional level scope. This Specialist must be familiar with international SPS regulatory bodies and standards.

For education and experience qualifications please refer to table above. Additional qualifications may be identified for each Call Order.

Agricultural Trade Specialist

The Agricultural Trade Specialist will provide short-term technical assistance for Call Orders requiring expertise on topics related…