Strengthening Together Activity.pdf

USAID/COLOMBIA REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR THE LOCAL

CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITY “Strengthening Together Activity”

Posting Date: 6/1/2020

Response Due Date: July 1, 2020

Point of Contact German Gutierrez, ggutierrez@usaid.gov

Dear Partners:

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only as defined in FAR 15.201(e) to obtain information and stakeholder feedback. USAID/Colombia is issuing this RFI for interested organizations to provide comments, opinions and recommendations on the concepts and approaches for the future activity currently titled, LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITY “Strengthening Together Activity”. This is an RFI and not a Request for Proposals (RFP). In addition, this RFI is a preliminary call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) and capability to implement the activity.

The main purpose of this RFI is to determine the soundness and robustness of the conceptual design, as well as to incorporate new, innovative ideas. Please submit your feedback regarding the desired results outlined in the concept (the “what”) rather than describing how your organization would propose to achieve the results (the “how”). Below are guiding questions, not all of which need to be answered in your feedback. Conversely, incorporation of any feedback is subject to internal Mission discussions and approval.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

1. Are there any additional objectives or intermediate results that need to be included or considered in the Concept?

2. Are there organizations or firms that can provide the services detailed on the four objectives in the Concept Paper? Would your organization or private sector firm be interested in applying to this upcoming opportunity or partnering with another organization to participate? If so, what does your organization or firm do on this topic and what would be your value added?

3. What are the challenges, gaps and opportunities in organizational capacity development in Colombia?

4. In terms of organizational capacity development, what has and has not worked in Colombia?

5. Are there best practices and lessons learned in virtual/online capacity building in Colombia? If so, could you share some examples?

RFI FORMAT

Interested parties should provide a short document addressing the concept, issues, and considerations discussed in Attachment A. Responses are limited to three (3) pages. Do not submit any proposals at this time; only information requested in this RFI will be reviewed.

Responses will be treated as confidential.

Comments and EOIs must be submitted electronically to German Gutierrez (ggutierrez@usaid.gov) with a copy to Heather Wirick (hwirick@usaid.gov). Responses to this RFI will be accepted through the date and time indicated above. You will receive only an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, but will not receive individualized feedback or suggestions. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government shall mailto:ggutierrez@usaid.gov mailto:ggutierrez@usaid.gov mailto:hwirick@usaid.gov

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITY “Strengthening Together Activity” arise as a result of a response to this RFI or from the U.S. Government’s use of such information. Specific questions about this RFI should be directed only to the email addresses identified above.

This RFI can be downloaded from www.beta.sam.gov and www.grants.gov. Interested parties who are not able to retrieve the RFI from the Internet can request a copy from ggutierrez@usaid.gov. Please note that release of this RFI in no way obligates USAID to release an RFP or RFA for this proposed activity. Although the term “contractor” may be used in this RFI, no determination regarding choice of instrument has been made. FAR Clause

52.215-3 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION OR SOLICITATION FOR PLANNING

PURPOSES (OCT 1997) is attached and made part of this RFI. USAID is not responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this RFI.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Colombia programs and we look forward to your comments.

Best regards

Heather Wirick Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/Colombia http://www.beta.sam.gov/ mailto:ggutierrez@usaid.gov

ATTACHMENT A

Synopsis:

USAID/Colombia seeks comments during the design phase on an anticipated Activity to support its current local partners. The following are the objectives of the Activity:

1. Current local partners increase organizational capacity for improved performance

2. Current local partners internalize a collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) approach

3. Current local partners improve messaging and outreach

4. Colombian organizations effectively provide valued capacity building services

*Note: Full Concept Paper attached

Instructions:

Given the nature of the “Strengthening Together Activity”, we're reaching out to you, our potential respondents, current partners and a broader audience, to get comments/suggestions.

Once you have read the Concept Paper, please submit a maximum three page response on:

● General comments

● Are there any additional objectives or intermediate results that need to be included or considered in the Concept?

● Are there organizations or firms that can provide the services detailed on the four objectives in the Concept Paper? Would your organization or private sector firm be interested in applying to this upcoming opportunity or partnering with another organization to participate?

If so, what does your organization or firm do on this topic and what would be your value added?

● What are the challenges, gaps and opportunities in organizational capacity development in Colombia?

● In terms of organizational capacity development, what has and has not worked in Colombia?

● Are there best practices and lessons learned in virtual/online capacity building in Colombia?

If so, could you share some examples?

USAID/Colombia Capacity Building for Local Partners “Strengthening Together Activity” Concept Paper

Introduction: Colombia has a wide and diverse set of civil society organizations. Studies have found that Colombia has over 300,000 registered non-profits, private foundations, community-based organizations, and ethnic organizations. This gives Colombia the second most civil society organizations per capita in the Western Hemisphere. These organizations have developed through years of conflict and adversity, demonstrating their resilience and dedication. They exist in every department of Colombia, including the most isolated regions.

The USAID/Colombia Mission has long partnered with local organizations to advance the Mission’s development objectives. These partnerships have led citizen-driven changes, advanced social cohesion, and promoted licit opportunities and responsive governance, among other objectives. In recent years, USAID/Colombia has been a leader within USAID’s global efforts to partner with local development actors through direct awards. Almost half of USAID/Colombia’s current awards are awarded to and implemented by local partners, so that 42 percent of the Mission’s implementing partners are Colombian.

Alignment with USAID Strategy and Programming: The proposed Activity is aligned with USAID’s draft 2020-2025 Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). Moreover, the Activity advances Colombia’s journey to self-reliance (J2SR) by developing stronger local organizations that can lead Colombia’s development in the future.

Purpose: Enhance USAID/Colombia local partner organizations’ development impact by improving their operational functions.

Theory of change: If USAID supports local partners’ capacity, then they will be more self-reliant and more effective at achieving their development objectives.

Objective 1: Increase organizational capacity1 for improved performance2 Intermediate Result 1.1: Enhanced internal systems of USAID/Colombia partner organizations

● Improved strategic planning, including formulating and articulating long-term plans through the partner’s goal, vision, and mission and identifying and addressing priority capacity gaps

● Strengthened internal administrative capacity (including, but not limited to, human resources, procurement, financial management, internal control, information technology systems, compliance, and sustainability)3

1 National Council of Nonprofits says that “capacity building enables nonprofit organizations and their leaders to develop competencies and skills that can make them more effective and sustainable, thus increasing the potential...to enrich lives and solve society’s most intractable problems”.

2 The Organizational Performance Index (OPI) identifies the four key domains of organizational performance as effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability.

3 Illustrative techniques are the OCA and the OPI. The Organizational Capacity Assessment is a facilitated self-assessment tool that can be used to show progress and subsequent priorities. The OPI “measures performance rather than capacity per se, so is more valid and aligns incentives, and considers performance holistically, tracking performance of the organization across multiple areas of work, both in terms of more immediate aspects of Effectiveness and Efficiency, and longer-term aspects of Relevance and Sustainability.” OPI does not https://usaidlearninglab.org/sites/default/files/resource/files/pactworld_-_opi_handbook_2015.release.pdf https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/organizational-capacity-assessment https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/organizational-performance-index-measurement-tool

● Improved organizational governance4 with an emphasis on integrating gender and inclusion

● Increased compliance with specific USAID requirements, including pre-award surveys5

● Promoted teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration within the organization

Intermediate Result 1.2: Increased financial sustainability

● Enhanced access to additional and diversified sources of funding

● Improved effectiveness in identifying and cultivating sources of revenue

● Improved intrapreneurship within the partner organizations

Objective 2: Internalize a Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) approach Intermediate Result 2.1: Improved monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes

● Greater application of MEL best practices

● More strategic, structured, and context-relevant project design

● Increased use of evidence in programming and decision-making

Intermediate Result 2.2: Innovative analytical approaches more commonly used

● Improved knowledge management

● Improved risk management6

● Strengthened data governance processes

● Enhanced gender and inclusion strategies

● Improved understanding and application of systems thinking and other innovative development approaches

Objective 3: Improve messaging and outreach Intermediate Result 3.1: Local partners more effectively communicate their messages to relevant audiences

● Effective communication conducted through diverse channels, including websites, videos, TED talks, conferences, social media, and other channels

● Improved use of data to influence key stakeholders measure internal administrative capacity, but rather performance, or how capacity is put to use, in alignment with the Agency’s capacity development measurement recommendations.

4 Refers to the organization's clarity on mission, vision, and leadership structure, including the board of directors.

5 Non-U.S. Organizational Pre Award Surveys (ADS 303) are defined as a tool that precedes an award and is in the selection process to determine a potential partner’s responsibility and whether special award conditions are required.

6 Project risk management is the process of identifying, analyzing and responding to any risk that arises over the life cycle of a project to help the project remain on track and meet its goal. Risk management isn’t reactive only;

it should be part of the planning process to figure out risk that might happen and how to control it.

Intermediate Result 3.2: Local partners connected with national and international organizations to expand their influence and impact

● More local partner interactions with key national and international stakeholders to widen partners’ audiences

● Increased exchange of ideas and engagement between selected CSOs and peer organizations

Objective 4: Colombian organizations effectively provide valued capacity building services. To make an effective transition to self-reliance, the Activity will position Colombian organizations to lead capacity-building efforts once the Activity ends. This will support “local ownership and strengthening the capacity of local systems to produce development outcomes at the regional, national, sub-national, or community levels” (ADS 201.3.1.2C).

Intermediate Result 4.1: Programming further develops a local market for capacity building services for Colombian non-profit organizations7

● Innovative solutions for a better developed capacity services market

Intermediate Result 4.2: Colombian non-profit organizations positioned to provide capacity-building services to a wider community once the Activity ends

● Colombian non-profit organizations better connected with international capacity-building service providers to promote ongoing learning exchanges

● Outreach strategies to promote the available capacity building services of Colombian non-profit organizations that target local partners

Guiding Principle: This Activity will be adaptively managed8 by tailoring approaches to each of USAID’s local partners. This is necessary given the partners’ diverse sizes, capacities, locations, and specialties. Moreover, the Activity will include double-loop learning9 to continuously apply lessons-learned and adjust to changing circumstances. The Activity will last three years with an option to extend it an additional two years, depending on the Activity’s success.

7 Including non-profit wings of private sector companies.

8 Adaptive management is defined in ADS 201.6 as “an intentional approach to making decisions and adjustments in response to new information and changes in context.” Adaptive management is not about changing goals during implementation, it is about changing the path being used to achieve the goals in response to changes.

9 Double-loop learning is a continuous learning while implementing the strategy of the Activity is implemented, by analyzing closely the results and assumptions, and feeding those back to adapt its implementation. Double-loop learning is an educational concept and process that involves teaching people to think more deeply about their own assumptions and beliefs. It was created by Chris Argyris, a leading organizational trainer, in the mid- 1980's, and developed over the next decade into an effective tool.

https://sites.google.com/site/reflection4learning/double-loop-learning

Geography: The Activity will offer goods and services at regional hubs such as Bogotá, Medellín, and potentially one more city in the Pacific region. This will help bring together local partners from different locations with distinct geographic focuses. The map shows the headquarter locations of USAID/Colombia’s current local partners: twelve are located in Bogotá, five in Medellín, one in Cali, and one in Manizales.10

10 Information provided by USAID/Colombia Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), October 2019.

ATTACHMENT A