Amendment 0006 - Technical Assistance for Center for Global Health

This amendment extends the proposal due date from May 7, 2010 to May 14, 2010.

All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged.

This amendment extends the proposal due date from April 30, 2010 to May 7, 2010.

All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged.

This amendment addresses the following:

1.  Questions specific to Amendment 00002 responses;
2.  No additional questions will be answered
3.  The prooposal due date has not been changed.

This amendment addresses the following:

1.  Questions specific to task order 3 received by April 12, 2010;
2.  The prooposal due date has not been changed.

This amendment addresses the following:

1.  Questions received by April 12, 2010;
2.  Replaces the term "best practices" with "leading practices" throughout the solicitation.
3.  The prooposal due date has not been changed.

THE SOLICITATION'S ANTICIPATED RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM MARCH 10, 2010 TO ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 2010.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Procurements and Grants Office (PGO), International in Atlanta, Georgia intends to competitively solicit for the acquisition of Technical Assistance services and make awards in response to Request for Proposal (RFP) 2010-N-11535. This Technical Assistance RFP is to acquire services in support of various technical and operational activities to be performed in some or all of the 73 countries currently supported by the CDC Center for Global Health. There are three (3) three focus areas for this Technical Assistance solicitation: Business Services, Training, and Specific Program Activities. The scope is inclusive of all program areas covered under CDC Global Health activities and any technical assistance that may be necessary to carry out program objectives. This procurement is being solicited as full and open competition under NAIC codes 541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services, and 561110 - Office Administrative Services. The Government intends to make multiple indefinite delivery/ Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) task order awards from this solicitation. The awarded contracts will be for a base year of 12 months with four (4) one-year options. The contract period, to include options shall not exceed five (5) years with a total program ceiling of $500,000,000.00 for all awards combined. There will not be a site visit for this procurement. This solicitation will be issued in electronic format only and will be posted on or about 10 March 2010 on Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOps) website at www.fbo.gov. Questions regarding this synopsis shall be submitted by email to Mac Mutter at iwd4@cdc.gov. No telephone calls will be accepted. The scheduled proposal due date will be approximately thirty (30) days after the posting of the solicitation. There is no solicitation available at this time. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.203, this synopsis serves as a pre-solicitation notice. This notice does not obligate the government to award a contract. In order to be eligible to receive an award resulting from the RFP evaluations, the contractor must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database, NO EXCEPTIONS. To register, you may call 1-888-227-2423 or apply via the Internet at http://www.ccr.gov. Contractors must also complete the Representations and Certifications in the ORCA database at http://www.bpn.gov/orca. No paper copies of the solicitation will be issued. It is incumbent upon the interested parties to review the aforementioned site regularly for any updates/amendments to any and all documents. 

 

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Division of Global AIDS Program, International Laboratory Branch, is seeking sources for a cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery, indefinite quauntity contract. The contractor will provide services to support various technical and operational activities to be performed in support of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) activities.

It is anticipated that several task orders may be awarded for work in different countries requiring performance concurrently. The Contractor is advised that it is not possible to determine the precise types or amounts of services, supplies and/or equipment that will be ordered during the term of the contract. Technical Assistance tasks to be performed are in three focus areas: Business Services, Training, and Specific Program Activities. The scope is inclusive of all program areas covered under the PEPFAR activities and any technical assistance that may be necessary to carry out program objectives. The Government will make every effort to give the Contractor advance notice of requirements, but the services for which this contract will be used could address an immediate need with short notice, quick turn around time for award and performance.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance and services support to various international government organizations, community organizations, private businesses, small local organizations and CDC field offices in international locations. These services will support requirements as specified in the individual task orders. The Contractor shall provide personnel, facilities, supplies, equipment and services for performance of the task orders. Tasks to be performed are in three focus areas: Business Services, Training and Specific Program Activities.

FOCUS AREA #1 : Business Services

CDC is working with many international government agencies and small local organizations in the PEPFAR countries. Included in the HHS/CDC goal and mission is to build capacity and sustainability within these organizations. There have been areas identified within the business services (may include finance, grants, contracts, procurement, records management, etc.) of the organizations where technical assistance is required in an effort to build those capacities. Assistance may include but is not limited to: 1) developing and delivering training and coaching on business services, 2) developing/validating/evaluating organizational systems, 3) development of assessment tools for measuring organization systems and levels of organization development in the following technical areas:

• Organizational leadership development support - training, support systems and resources, and other appropriate development activities for senior management teams
• Financial management systems - budgeting, accounting and record keeping, purchasing and procurement systems, payroll management, payment and invoicing systems, cash control, banking and cash flow management, cost containment strategies, management of inventory and fixed assets, audit systems, managerial oversight
• Human resource management systems - policies, recruitment, personnel record systems, performance management systems, appraisal systems, supervision, clinical mentoring and workforce development
• Grants management - ability to register for, apply for, administer and report according to United States Government (USG) assistance awards and procurement requirements, preaward surveys, grant audit resolution, broad internal control and review of specific concerns with grant management issues, evaluation of grantee's current level of management capability, grantee understanding of applicable laws, policies and directives
• Subgrants and subcontracts - ability to enter into sub-agreements and/or subcontracts following an open and fair (transparent) legal process. Understanding the USGs policies and procedures for entering into such sub-agreements
• Commodities, equipment logistics and facilities management systems, grants related property management systems
• Strategic resource development - processes and systems for developing the organization resource base, including a combination of international partner funding, private funding, host government budget allocations and other diversified fundraising activities
• Monitoring and Evaluation and Quality Management Systems (QMS) - management and health information systems, including clinical standards of care and continuous quality improvement systems, organizational quality management systems, internal supervision and site visits
• Technical Support for site service level infrastructure renovation and development, buildings, power systems (solar/electric), ventilation, safe water, confidentiality areas in clinics, patient flow in clinics
• Policy support - assist host governments and advocacy organizations in strengthening and enforcement of health policies with the goal of improving overall health systems and health outcomes
• Protocol Development - assist organizations and local governments with the development of protocols, protocol reviews and approvals through the required stages within HHS/CDC.
• Documentation and systems development - assess documents for human resources, procurement, budget, as required by CDC and USG policy, recommend improvements, recommendations on electronic file systems, documentation storage for archives and active files, drafting procedures and training manual on data record systems, train staff in management of records system

FOCUS AREA #2: Training

Many of the international government agencies and local partners require training in order to build capacity and sustainability within the organization. Additionally, technical assistance is needed to develop, train and implement training requirements as well as instruction on train-the-trainer competencies. Tasks in this focus area may be:

• Training support for efforts to assist in the building of in-country competencies in health systems strengthening thinking, strategic planning, evaluations and other program areas.
• Advise and assist with the provision of training and ongoing re-training of health officials, as indicated by need, mission and goals
• Training materials and programs to provide patient education
• Training requests may include the development, implementation of training that covers various programmatic needs and populations (e.g.: adults, infants, children, pregnant women, high risk groups, etc.) and may include training of public health, facility-based and community based service providers
• Training of staff in business services competencies:
(a) financial and accounting practices
(b) internal controls
(c) monitoring and evaluation of program activities
(d) other training areas as specified by the partner or CDC

FOCUS AREA #3: Program Activities

HHS/CDC is developing the technical capacity of international government agencies and local partners as well as the institutional capacity of these partners to manage the programmatic and fiscal requirements for prevention, care and treatment, surveillance services and programs with a goal of transitioning services to these partners. Technical assistance in program activities is required to reach these goals and to build increased local ownership, sustainability and cost efficiencies. Technical expertise to address the needs of specific age groups or populations may be required, particular emphasis on pediatric HIV and PMTCT services may be desirable.

• Assistance in planning, conducting and evaluating programs and program activities
• Technical assistance in the program function areas of PEPFAR to include but not limited to: Prevention, Care and Treatment, Early Infant Diagnosis, CD4 service provision for pregnant women, Laboratories.
• Perform evaluations and analysis of data in ART and clinical settings
• Assess and evaluate ways to improve identification of HIV positive individuals and links to care and treatment sites; improve identification and follow-up of HIV exposed infants and their mothers for early diagnostic testing, prevention interventions,care and treatment; improve the ability of programs and sites to retain patients in care and treatment with particular attention to pregnant women and their infants and families
• ART (adult and pediatric) and or PMTCT program quality assurance, quality improvement, and quality of care standards
• Evaluate the effectiveness of national, district level and facility-based systems to select, procure, store, track, and distribute essential drugs
• Review, update or develop clinical guidelines, training materials, job aids, program reports, and evaluating other support labs and services
• Support program evaluations using qualitative and quantitative techniques, to assess the impact of programs and interventions on specific populations, the broader health system and overall health outcomes of adults and children
• Support for documenting,evaluating and disseminating best practices for quality HIV-related service provision in the community and health systems
• Assist host government and advocacy organizations in strengthening health policies and the enforcement of health policies with the goal of improving overall health systems and health outcomes.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Required qualifications:
• Knowledge and experience working in international locations; working with foreign governments and national organizations
• Experience providing technical assistance services, Mentoring, guidance and training to international governments and organizations.
• Knowledge of tax laws in the various countries specified in SOW

The offerors may be requested to propose on all the focus areas or focus area one, two or three. More than one award may be made for the requirement dependent upon the evaluation of each focus area. It is anticipated, however, that only one award will be made for each of the focus areas.

Period of Performance will be 60 months from award date. Each of the individual task orders awarded under the IDIQ will specify the specific performance period for the task.

It is anticipated that a competitive Request for Proposals will be issued for this requirement. A release date for the RFP has not been established.

This notification is intended to provide the Government with information on the availibility of qualified sources for the requirement.

Any interested companies are welcome to submit their ability to provide this requirement via e-mail, ibi9@cdc.gov. Please include reference number (2010-N-11535). Please respond by Friday, October 23, 2009.