Strengthening Local Governance (SLOG) in the Kyrgyz Republic

USAID Kyrgyz Republic Mission intends to issue a solicitation to qualified offerors for the USAID Kyrgyz Republic Democracy and Governance Activity to be implemented in Kyrgyzstan.

The estimated cost of the contract is within the range from $9,500,000 - $10,000,000. The period of performance is anticipated to be five years, beginning on or about September 1, 2015.

USAID/Kyrgyz Republic seeks to strengthen the legitimacy, effectiveness, and accountability of Local Self Governments (LSGs) in the Kyrgyz Republic. Assistance will focus on identifying the most significant legitimacy-effectiveness gaps facing LSG bodies, and improving their ability to execute the devolved functions enumerated by the Kyrgyz Republic Law on Local Self Government. This purpose will be accomplished by starting with the community's perceived needs, supporting LSGs to address those expectations within the available resources, and by continuing to provide assistance to further improve each LSG's competency and capacity through mechanisms that can and will function independent of future USAID funding.

Performance Objectives
Rather than requiring an activity design based on specified methods of performance, USAID requires offerors to propose technical approaches that best achieve the following performance objectives:

1. Increasing Local Self Government effectiveness, as defined by improved competency, capacity and solutions to perform devolved functions and services, within a community's resource constraints by:
1.1. Increasing staff competency and capacity
1.2. Advancing implementable administrative protocols, processes, and procedures
1.3. Advancing financially sustainable, local solutions to better deliver a constituency's priority services
1.4. Advancing readily achievable GoKR reforms to improving LSG's effectiveness

2. Increasing Local Self Government legitimacy, as defined by improved community engagement, responsiveness, and accountability in the implementation of devolved functions and services, incrementally and sustainably by:
2.1. Strengthening all community stakeholders' engagement in LSG planning and execution
2.2. Reconciling community expectations with LSG resource constraints

3. Furthering and sustaining indigenous Kyrgyzstani Local Self Government support capabilities that are competent and able to provide on-going assistance to communities and their leadership by:
3.1. Collaborating and coordinating with multiple stakeholders such as GoKR LSG-oriented entities, emerging LSG consulting firms, LSGs and their communities, and international donors
3.2. Promoting new and existing products, services, and practices that strengthen indigenous Kyrgyzstani LSG technical expertise and assistance capability
3.3. Ensuring a post-activity mechanism for LSG assistance and support, not dependent on USAID funding, that fosters and leverages indigenous capabilities to promulgate best practices, products, and services