TRACES NOFO Amendment-1 20211221.pdf

December 21, 2021

Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number: 72068521RFA00016 USAID/Senegal Transparency and Accountability in the Extractive Sector (TRACES) - Amendment #1

The purpose of this Amendment 1 is to provide answers to questions from potential Applicants.

Clarification Questions

Question 1: Would it be possible to obtain a copy of the "Transparency in extractive industries report" referenced on p.4 of the NFO?

Answer: The “transparency in extractive industries report” is an internal working document for USAID staff. At this time now, it cannot be released to the public.

Question 2: p.10 of NFO, section 2.5.2.1.2: "This partnership may lead to a sub-grant that addresses key issues pertaining to the effectiveness of this institution and the role of Civil Society within the MSG." Could you please clarify what USAID/Senegal envisions in terms of this potential sub-grant?

Answer: The Permanent Secretary (PS) is the national branch of EITI international set up by the Government of Senegal. USAID recommends the recipient establish a strong partnership with this office through a mechanism that could enable the PS of EITI to become a sub-grantee recipient.

Question 3: p.17 of NFO, sections 3.1 and 3.2 refer to "this analysis" and "the analysis". Could you please clarify what analyses are being referred to and whether they could be shared with applicants?

Answer: “This analysis” refers to the "Transparency in extractive industries report" which is an internal USAID document that is not publicly available at this moment. The second part of “the analysis’ is a combination of the report findings and USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR) policy.

Question 4: p.30 of NFO, section 4: could you please clarify the maximum file size?

Answer: Total email size must not exceed 25MB for ease of transmission. Multiple emails may be sent. All attachments must be in MS Word, Adobe PDF, and/or MS Excel unprotected readable format. Due to phone system limitations, faxed applications will not be considered.

Question 5: p.32 of NFO, section c: could you please confirm our understanding that, in the Technical Application, USAID/Senegal expects a one-page (maximum) summary of past performance of both the applicant and major sub-grantees; that the applicant and major sub-

NOFO No.: 72068521RFA00016 USAID/Senegal Transparency and Accountability in the Extractive Sector (TRACES) Amendment 1 grantees should also submit in an annex more detailed information on past performance, filling out Attachment No.1 for each relevant experience listed. If that is correct, could you please clarify how this annex for the applicant is different from what is asked for on p.38 of the NFO section g) History of Performance?

Answer: Correct! The applicant must provide past performance for itself and any major subgrantee whose proposed cost exceeds 15 percent of the applicant’s total proposed cost. The summarized past performance information must not exceed one page in the Technical Application. The Applicant may include additional past performance information in an annex.

The History of Past Performance on page 38, Section G, provides the detailed information; the Applicant must present the Past Performance Information in the format provided in Attachment No. 1.

Question 6: p.33 of NFO, section "Annexes": could you please clarify that the annexes for "past performance" of both the applicant and any of its major sub-grantees (referenced on p.32 of NFO) would also not be subject to page limitations and can be submitted as annexes to the Technical Application?

Answer: The Past Performance Annexes for both the Applicant and the subgrantees do not count against the 30-pages limit for the Technical Applicant. (See also Question 5, above)

Question 7: p.33 of NFO, section "Annexes": could applicants submit an implementation timeline as an Annex, not subject to the page limitation?

Answer: No; an implementation timeline is not part of the items excluded from the page limitation and must be included in the Technical Application.

Question 8: Should the applicant submit an implementation timeline for the full period of performance, or only an illustrative first-year activity plan?

Answer: An illustrative first-year activity plan is sufficient. Within the 45 days of award, the recipient must submit an electronic copy of a first-year work plan to cover the first 15 months of the project. This work plan is subject to the AOR approval.

Question 9: P.38 of NFO, section f): could you please clarify whether any sub-grantees would be required to have a DUNS number at the time of the submission of the Technical and Cost Applications?

Answer: Yes! Please refer to section e) Approval of Subawards. The applicant must submit a DUNS number for all subawards that it wishes to have approved at the time of award.

Question 10: Could you please clarify whether USAID/Senegal will appoint any percentage points to each of the evaluation criteria noted on p. 46/47 of the NFO and, if so, how many percentage points of the total score are allocated to each of the three evaluation criteria?

NOFO No.: 72068521RFA00016 USAID/Senegal Transparency and Accountability in the Extractive Sector (TRACES) Amendment 1

Answer: No; USAID/Senegal will use an adjectival approach. Please refer to section 2.2 EVALUATION METHODOLOGY of the NFO.

Question 11: p.47 of NFO: could you please clarify whether the "illustrative first-year activity plan" mentioned can be an annex to the Technical Application not subject to page limitations?

Answer: Yes; the illustrative first-year activity plan will be part of the annex even though it is not clearly specified. It could be combined with the draft AMELP. However, the recipient is required to submit an electronic copy of the first-year activity plan within 45 days of award.

Question 12: Are all the regions listed on page 7 of the NOFO expected to be covered equally under the program?

Answer: The regions listed in the NFO are indicative and we have provided the main localities that might be targeted. It is up to the applicant to select a part or all of them.

Question 13: To avoid program duplication, could you please provide some information about the upcoming Public Financial Management Activity?

Answer: The purpose of the PFM activity is to provide critical support to the Government of Senegal (GOS) to improve public financial management and public accountability for service delivery. More specifically, USAID/Senegal will support the GOS in its effort to improve performance in its budget planning/execution process as well as in its public accountability.

USAID will assist the GOS to build the capacity needed to improve the implementation of public spending, strengthen oversight mechanisms, and facilitate public participation in the budget process.

Sincerely, Jaime Dominguez Deputy Director Regional Agreement Office

[END OF AMENDMENT 1]