this request for proposals (rfp) is the...

The Mitchell Group, Inc. 1816 11th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001, USA Tel: (202) 745-1919 Fax: (202) 234-1697 www.the-mitchellgroup.com

THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) IS THE EXCLUSIVE, CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRIETARY PROPERTY OF THE MITCHELL GROUP, INC. (TMG). IT MAY NOT BE COPIED, TRANSMITTED, OR DISCLOSED TO THIRD PARTY BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF TMG. BY ACCEPTING A COPY HEREOF, RECIPIENT AGREES TO USE THE RFP (AND ANY RELATED DOCUMENTS) SOLELY FOR RESPONDING TO THIS RFP, AND DESTROY THE RFP (AND ANY RELATED DOCUMENTS) UPON YOUR DECISION NOT TO RESPOND TO THIS RFP.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP Title: Endline Data Collection for Impact Evaluation of the Peace Through Development II (PDev II) Program

RFP #: EAS-ENDLINE-10-2016

Issued on: October 17, 2016

Proposal Deadline: November 14, 2016 no later than 5:00PM (EST Washington, DC Time)

Questions to be submitted

to Chief of Party: October 24, 2016 no later than 5:00PM (EST Washington, DC Time)

Submission Format: Electronic Submission: [email protected] *All submission materials shall be in English.

http://www.the-mitchellgroup.com/

mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents I. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................ 3

II. THE MITCHELL GROUP, INC. (TMG) ........................................................................................................ 4

III. PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................. 5

IV. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 5

1. Endline Data Collection ..................................................................................................................... 5

2. Data Collection by Zone..................................................................................................................... 6

V. DATA COLLECTION LOGISTICS ................................................................................................................ 7

VI. TEAM COMPOSITION AND PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................... 8

1. Quality Control Specialist .................................................................................................................. 8

2. Survey Research Organization ........................................................................................................... 8

VII. DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE ................................................................................................................ 8

VIII. CONTRACT MECHANISM & TERMS OF PAYMENT ................................................................................ 10

IX. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................ 10

1. Technical Proposal (Not to exceed 10 pages. Single-spaced. 12 point font) ................................... 10

a. Technical Approach (6 Pages) ...................................................................................................... 10

b. Organizational Capabilities & Staffing (4 Pages) .......................................................................... 10

c. Past Performance (Annex) ........................................................................................................... 11

2. Financial Proposal (not to exceed 5 pages including budget notes) ................................................ 11

3. Terms/Conditions of Award ............................................................................................................. 12

X. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION .................................................................................................................. 13

XI. RFP RESPONSE INFORMATION ............................................................................................................. 14

XII. RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS .............................................................................................................. 14

APPENDIX A: SAMPLE BUDGET TEMPLATE ................................................................................................... 18

APPENDIX B – CERTIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 20

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I. BACKGROUND The need for external evaluations and a systematic monitoring of USAID-funded projects has been a well-established principle of USAID in recent years. Moreover, the growing violence and level of extremist groups in the region has expanded until it threatened the legitimacy and viability of states in the region. To this end, The Mitchell Group, Inc. (TMG) and its partners continue to support the USAID/West Africa Regional Peace and Governance Office (RPGO) through the Evaluation and Analytical Services (EAS) Project.

The EAS Team is conducting an impact assessment of the Peace through Development II Program (PDev II) in Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso, using a combination of survey data, program activity trackers and quarterly reports, and qualitative data collected in all target zones in the three countries. The evaluation is structured to gather baseline, midline, and Endline data to address the degree to which the full range of PDev II activities and media achieve program goals. Its purpose is to assess the effectiveness of specific components of the program in improving social cohesion, resilience to violent extremism, and youth outlook, in order to inform management decisions about future CVE programming in the region on: the effectiveness of program components (and their intensity) conducted during P-DEV II; the gender effects of P-DEV II programming; and the effectiveness of the program on targeted demographic groups within the target countries.

The EAS Team is using the following key questions to guide the evaluation of the PDev II program. Beginning at baseline, the evaluation examined the demographic composition of the zones and the attitudes of survey respondents towards key indicators. Through the midline the evaluation provided answers to the following questions:

1) Is the program achieving its intended goals of:

a) Increasing empowerment among youth as the program makes available expanded access to livelihood opportunities, education, leadership training and engagement in local development?

b) Increasing political moderation and resilience to extremism among targeted recipients as increases in access to quality information and positive dialogue among religious leaders occur?

c) Affecting recipient attitudes toward and participation and advocacy in civil society to address community issues as more organizations are funded and individuals are trained?

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d) Affecting recipient attitudes toward and participation in strengthening local government as more municipalities are trained, events are held to discuss governance issues and participatory local development projects proceed?

2) What components of the program work best and which do not work?

3) What are the effects of gender participation on program goals and effects?

At Endline, in addition to providing final conclusions on the above questions, the evaluation will closely examine program effectiveness to inform future programming by answering the following questions:

4) Is the program more effective on some targeted demographic groups compared to others (e.g., youth versus non-youth, different ethnic and religious populations, etc.)?

5) How does gender participation contribute to resilience to violent extremism among targeted recipients?

6) How do different components of the program result in achievement of the following goals in target zones:

a) Increased social cohesion

b) Resilience to violent extremism

c) Improved youth outlook

In order for a data collection organization to be considered, a proposal of not more than 10 pages with a budget containing detailed cost estimates must be submitted to the EAS Team by 5:00 p.m. Washington, DC time zone on November 14, 2016. All submission materials shall be in English. The EAS Team anticipates that the number of days for tasks including the translation, reverse translation, and attendance of training led by the EAS Team members will be included in the proposal. Because most of the survey under development has been translated into the relevant languages for the countries under study during the baseline data collection exercise, EAS Team anticipates that the proposal will contain competitive rates per completed survey.

II. THE MITCHELL GROUP, INC. (TMG) For 30 years, TMG, an international consulting firm located in Washington D.C., has provided practical solutions that meet a diverse array of client needs. TMG has done this by forming strong local and global partnerships to complete project goals successfully and efficiently. TMG's history of solving client challenges has given us a solid foundation upon which we built the platform for our work in sustainable development. Our staff is made up of

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expert international development practitioners from a variety of fields and backgrounds. Regions in which we have experience include Sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan/Pakistan, Asia, Europe & Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

III. PURPOSE The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to identify a regional research firm or team of consultants to contract with to carry out the Endline data collection for the impact evaluation of the PDEVII) Program. To conduct this evaluation, TMG solicits proposals from data collection organizations of not more than 10 pages with a budget containing detailed cost estimates. These proposals should contain the number of days for tasks including the translation, reverse translation, and attendance of training led by the EAS Team members will be included in the proposal. TMG expects competitive rates per completed survey because most of the survey under development has been translated into the relevant languages for the countries under study during the baseline and radio data collection exercises.

IV. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY The EAS Team seeks survey data collection in core and non-core PDev II program target zones to continue its comparison of program-relevant outcomes in zones receiving all PDev II activities (core zones) and zones receiving only PDev II radio programming (non-core zones). In this activity, there will be 3,320 surveys to evaluate overall PDev II program effect in target zones (both core and non-core) for data collection. However, the EAS Team may seek up to 7,885 new interviews (95 per zone) through a separate RFP or an amendment to this RFP.

1. Endline Data Collection For the Endline data collection beginning in 2016 and continuing into early 2017, the EAS Team seeks to conduct follow-up survey data collection in core and non-core zones in which baseline and midline data was collected. The EAS Team requires that the data collection organization conduct follow-up interviews with respondents in selected zones in 2016 and 2017 in Chad, Niger, and Burkina Faso. To do this, the selected data collection organization must conduct interviews in the same target zones from the baseline data collection activity conducted in 2013. Data collection should be conducted no later than the end of January 2017.

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2. Data Collection by Zone The EAS Team seeks to collect interviews with 40 new randomly fresh selected respondents. In total, the EAS Team proposes to conduct 3,320 interviews for the Endline wave of data collection in all 83 target zones. Table 2 breaks down the number of new interviews, panel interviews, and core and non-core zones per country. The shaded communes are the “core” zones and the non-shaded ones are “non-core” zones. The left hand side column indicates whether IRD or EAS conducted the baseline data collection in 2013.

Table 2. Target Zones by Country

Chad Niger Burkina Faso

New

In

terv

iew

s

New

In

terv

iew

s

New

In

terv

iew

s

IRD

N'Djamena Commune 08

40

IRD

Agadez CU 40

IRD

Dori 40

Mao 40 Niamey Arr. 5

40 Djibo 40

Bol 40 Diffa 40 Gorom 40 Moussoro 40 Tahoua Arr. II 40 Gourcy 40 Ati 40 Maradi Arr. II 40 Arbinda 40 N'Djamena Commune 10

40 Mainé Soroa 40 Ouagadougou Arr. 9

40

Faya Largeau 40 Zinder Arr. II 40

EAS

Markoye 40 Michemire 40 Arlit 40 Seytenga 40

EAS


40 Tchintabaraden

40 Ouahigouya 40

Oum-Hadjer 40 Tillabéri 40 Ouagadougou Arr. 4

40

Nokou 40

EAS

Niamey Arr. 4

40

IRD

Baraboulé 40

Chadra 40 Zinder Arr. I 40 Deou 40 Baga-Sola 40 Ballayara 40 Falagountou 40 Ngouri 40 Bosso 40 Thiou 40 Doum-Doum 40 Tessaoua 40 Tin-Akoff 40

IRD


40

IRD

Adarbissanat 40 Nassoumbou 40

Djedda 40 Gamou 40 Bani 40 Kangalam 40 Ingall 40

EAS

Boussou 40 Kouloudia 40 Dan Barto 40 Oursi 40 Koundjourou 40 Tamaské 40 Séguénéga 40 Mandjoura 40 Doguéraroua 40 Gorgadji 40 Mondo 40 Torodi 40 Tongomayel 40

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EAS

Am Djamena 40 Bermo 40 Tougo 40

Am Doback 40 Goudoumaria

40

Amsileb 40 Magaria 40 Melea 40

EAS

Mayahi 40 N'Djamena Commune 01

40 Tébaram 40

Ntiona 40 G. Roumdji 40 Wadjigui 40 Matamaye 40 Yao 40 N'guigmi 40

EAS Panel Data

In panel data, the same individuals are re-interviewed at later stages in the evaluation process. The midline report showed that the panel portion of the study had limited success in linking program exposure to outcomes at the individual level. Unlike the midline data collection exercise conducted in 2015 and 2016, the EAS Team will not collect panel data on the Endline data collection round for the evaluation of PDev II.

Geocoding of Survey Respondents

In the Endline data collection, the survey interview team will be asked to utilize GPS software to provide a geocoded reference for each interview conducted. This will provide the EAS Team and USAID/West Africa with information regarding respondent location. It will also permit geospatial analysis in order to account for spatial effects in program administration across the treatment zones and enable us to account for the presence of donor activities.

V. DATA COLLECTION LOGISTICS Endline data collection must be completed by the end of January 2017. Data collection in core and non-core target zones in Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger is expected to occur simultaneously. A pre-test consisting of no fewer than 30 respondents per country is also required, to be completed by mid-January 2017 so that changes in the questionnaire and procedures can be implemented before the formal data collection period begins.

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VI. TEAM COMPOSITION AND PARTICIPATION It is expected that the Endline data collection team for the survey will consist of two international consultants (hired by TMG separately from this RFP); and one survey research organization (selected and contracted by TMG through this RFP). The selected survey research organization will conduct data collection exercises during a two-month period. In addition to the Lead Methodologist, Survey and Regional Specialist, Research and Analysis Coordinator, and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate Student support, regional Quality Control Specialists will be hired to provide field management of survey implementation. The EAS Team will seek the following qualifications in the prospective evaluation team members:

1. Quality Control Specialist Minimum of Master’s degree in the same field required. Assist with quality control, including debriefing, accompaniments, back-checks, and visual inspection of questionnaires. French and local language skills are required for meeting arrangement and translation tasks performed as needed. Perform other duties as assigned. The EAS Team expects to secure these services through the offices of one of the Project’s five West African partner NGOs.

2. Survey Research Organization Organization with regional deployment capabilities in Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, capable of training of enumerators, administering pre-test, and revision of surveys prior to field implementation. Capability of conducting a panel study with follow-up interviews and respondent location and verification is a requirement, with particular attention paid to this matter through close supervision of the enumerator training process and quality assurance components of data collection.

VII. DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE The offeror shall submit the following deliverables in English and in hard copy and electronic form to the designated EAS Team contact person. In most cases, the vendor will need to submit a draft of the deliverable to the EAS Team for feedback before the deliverable is accepted and approved by TMG and USAID. The EAS Team expects the proposal to describe the approach of the prospective survey research organization to the completion of following deliverable items:

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N.B: Dates are tentative and final work plan and deliverables due dates will be developed upon award of the contract.

Deliverables Due dates

1. Project proposal of not more than 10 pages and detailed budget including a cost estimate for the data collection exercises listed here. (electronic submission)

November 14, 2016

2. Selection of firm, subcontract negotiations and subcontract signed.

November 30, 2016

3. Submission of Implementation Plan with specific dates for each task

December 2, 2016

4. Translated and reverse-translated survey questionnaires for data collection. The questionnaires must be translated into the same languages for Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger as were translated in the prior survey (French, Chadian Arabic, Hausa, Zarma, Mooré, Fulfuldé). Most of the survey has been translated for the baseline and midline data collection activity.

*Note: if translation to other regional languages is required to complete the data collection activity, please list them and their corresponding zones in the proposal 5. Conduct pre-test piloting of no fewer than 75 respondents per

country (50 in two EAS core zones, and 25 in one EAS non-core zone).

Burkina: December 2, 2016; Chad-Niger: December 9, 2016 Burkina: December 9, 2016; Chad-Niger: December 14, 2016

6. Report pre-test results to the EAS Team; revise questionnaire and interview procedures accordingly in consultation with EAS Team

Burkina: December 9, 2016 Chad-Niger: December 14, 2016

7. Collect survey data in the field Burkina: December 2016 -January 2017 Niger-Chad: December 2016 -late January 2017

8. Provide clean data sets containing 3,320 completed interviews. March 1, 2017

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VIII. CONTRACT MECHANISM & TERMS OF PAYMENT TMG anticipates issuing a Firm Fixed Price subcontract to the selected offeror. TMG will issue fixed payment(s) based on submission and TMG acceptance of deliverables or measurable performance milestones. Once an award is issued, it will include a fixed price payment schedule with deliverables/milestones specified in the Scope of work.

IX. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Prospective offerors should read the following proposal instructions carefully. The bid must be submitted in English, in two parts: 1) “Technical Proposal” and 2) “Financial Proposal”, in separate electronic files in .PDF format, and submitted as a single package. All interested vendors must provide the following:

1. Technical Proposal (Not to exceed 10 pages. Single-spaced. 12 point font)

a. Technical Approach (6 Pages) – Approach/Strategy used to perform tasks in the Scope of Work (detailed and task specific), including a breakdown of activities, outputs, and milestones. Since the survey has to employ a study design and means of data collection the Technical Proposal is expected to clearly demonstrate:

• The design of the study • Sample size determination • Data collection methods and quality assurance • Formulated data collection tools • Data analysis • Work plan with a detailed timeline for executing activities

Please indicate why you think your approaches will help successfully accomplish the tasks required in the scope of work and include a brief description of how each of the activities/tasks will be implemented. Include a discussion of issues related to the proposed research design and sample approach and issues related to each of the tasks such as qualification of interviewers and supervisors, supervision plan, recruitment of interviewees, potential delays, data quality issues in the field and during data input and analysis.

b. Organizational Capabilities & Staffing (4 Pages)

i. Brief, general overview of organization including a short statement describing the organization’s capability for best completing the assignment.

ii. Brief history of firm, and scope and scale of work undertaken. iii. Firm’s profile, including departmental organization, number of employees, and

staffing pattern of this assignment. Identify principals and other key personnel responsibilities on this assignment and their total level of effort, and provide up-to-date CVs (include CVs in an Annex). Provide brief descriptions of their

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technical capabilities and experience for conducting similar scopes of work as described above.

iv. Valid and appropriate business/trading license in case

c. Past Performance (Annex) i. Provide 3-5 recent past performance examples of work performed that is similar to

the work proposed in this RFP, including: • Previous experience conducting data collection, qualitative research; • Writing samples: previous final reports written by the person(s) who will

write the final reports ii. Demonstrated ability of the offeror to provide all services up to the scope

and quality explained in this RFP iii. Experience, performance and successful completion of SOW in past

projects iv. Demonstrated expertise in data collection, data analysis and reporting

format v. References and past performance reports clearly show competency in

social science research. i. References: Please include three client references and contact information (current names, title, and contact information – phone and/or email). References should have worked with you or the vendor within the past two years and if possible, should be specific to the PDEV II countries and/or to the subject matter of this RFP.

2. Financial Proposal (not to exceed 5 pages including budget notes) Offerors will submit fixed price proposals with sufficient detail to allow evaluation of elements of costs proposed. Budgets should be submitted in the currency of the country within which your organization or the teams of the consultants are located. The budget should separately indicate VAT if the supplier is VAT registered. For the electronic submission of the proposals, please send the technical and price/cost proposal in separate emails, clearly labeled “technical proposal” and “price/cost proposal”. The fixed price proposal should include a detailed budget (all elements of the budget that are required to perform the task effectively) and budget notes (brief explanation of budget items, their purpose, and assumption of calculation and rating). Please see Appendix B for a sample Budget Format. Each offeror must provide costs assumptions to guide the development of the Price Proposal Budget. These assumptions will produce an accurate Cost/Price Budget submission. Labor costs must be developed using a Level of Effort to be proposed by the Offeror that is in alignment with the proposed effort in its technical proposal Cost/Price submissions must be submitted in an unlocked Excel spreadsheet and must clearly identify the formulas used to arrive at all individual and total cell calculations. In addition, AID Form 1420-17 – Offeror Employee Biographical Data Sheets, should be submitted for each position with identified personnel. The form must be signed and dated by the individual and the Offeror (or sub-Offeror) in the appropriate spaces with all blocks completed. The price proposal must also

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provide a schedule of payments linked to the technical deliverables/milestones i.e. (mobilization costs, work plan/deployment schedule approval etc.). The supporting costs documentation is not included in the 5-page proposal.

3. Terms/Conditions of Award Any impact the proposed Terms and Conditions of award will have on offeror’s proposal must be raised in advance in writing. Proposals will be evaluated and ranked by committee according to the conditions described in the evaluation criteria below. Proposals will first be evaluated from a technical standpoint. Those proposals that are considered to be technically acceptable shall then be evaluated in terms of cost. The evaluation committee will determine if the financial proposals are complete and without computational errors. TMG shall review proposals and short-list the highest rated proposals. The selection committee may conduct interviews with the qualified short-listed bidders if necessary.

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X. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Weight

Category 1: Technical Understanding of the Task • Technical approach should include a description as to how the outlined

research will be carried out, how the selected firm will manage the site selection, training and deployment of field researchers, quality control and other logistical approaches the bidder will use to complete the required tasks.

• The bidder clearly articulated its research/data collection processes and procedures which must be in accordance with established social science research procedures.

The technical approach clearly demonstrated the bidder understands the skills, talents and capabilities as outlined in the scope of work.

40 pts

Category 2: Organizational Capacity and Staffing • Capability for conducting qualitative and quantitative data collection/

research studies. Specific attention should be made to illustrating competency in conducting social science research in accordance with generally accepted standards and norms

Technical capacity of staff and key personnel to be involved in the study should clearly demonstrate competency and professionalism in conducting field social science research

30 pts

Category 3: Experience • Demonstrated ability of the bidder to provide all services up to the scope

and quality explained in this RFP • Experience, performance and successful completion of SOW in past projects • Demonstrated expertise in data collection, data analysis and reporting

format References and past performance reports clearly show competency in social science research.

30 pts

Category 4: Cost Effectiveness/Realism of Proposal Budget • Is the budget reasonable for the proposed tasks? • Are all elements of tasks in the SOW budgeted for? • Are all budget items clearly described and justified with supporting

documentation where necessary? The bidder’s current capacity and ability to accomplish the specified study at competitive costs and within the required timeframe.

Total Rating* *Please see SECTION VII RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS for more information.

100 points

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XI. RFP RESPONSE INFORMATION All applications to this RFP must be received no later than November 14, 2016; 5:00 PM, EST Washington, DC. Proposals should be submitted in English, in the following formats: One (1) electronic soft copy must be submitted to EAS Chief of Party at the following e-mail address: [email protected] Evaluation and Analytical Services (EAS) Project for the Regional Peace and Governance Office/West Africa 1816 11th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 Tel: (202) 350 0035 Fax: (202) 234 1697 The electronic copies of the proposals (technical & financial) shall be signed by the applicant or by a person duly authorized to bind the applicant to the contract. All inquiries and requests for information affecting this RFP must be submitted by e-mail to [email protected], Chief of Party reference TMG/RFP Endline Data Collection no later than 5:00 PM, EST Washington DC on October 24, 2016 Inquiries and answers to inquiries will be shared with all offerors. Verbal or telephone inquiries will not be accepted. All responses related to any inquiry will be sent no later than 5:00 PM EST Washington DC on October 31, 2016. TMG will not compensate offerors for preparation or submission of its response to this RFP.

XII. RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS Offerors are responsible for review of the terms and conditions described below. If relevant, particular attention should be paid to clauses regarding USAID geographic code, marking and branding requirements and equipment and commodity purchases. WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSALS Offerors may withdraw proposals by written notice via email received at any time before award. Proposals may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or his/her authorized representative, if the representative’s identity is made known and the representative signs a receipt for the proposal before award. RIGHT TO SELECT/REJECT TMG reserves the right to select and negotiate with those firms it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified for competitive proposals and to terminate negotiations without

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incurring any liability. TMG also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation. RFP NOT AN OFFER This RFP represents only a definition of requirements. It is merely an invitation for submission of proposals and does not legally obligate TMG to accept any of the submitted proposals in whole or in part, nor is TMG obligated to select the lowest priced proposal. TMG has no contractual obligations with any firms based upon issuance of this RFP. It is not an offer to contract. Only the execution of a written contract shall obligate TMG in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such contract. DISCUSSIONS AND AWARD TMG reserves the right to seek clarifications, enter into discussions or negotiations, or to make award on initial submissions without discussions or negotiations of any kind. TMG reserves the right to exclude from further consideration any proposal at any time, including after discussions or negotiations have been entered into. PROPOSAL VALIDITY DATE All information submitted in connection with this RFP will be valid for three (3) months from the RFP due date. This includes, but is not limited to, cost, pricing, terms and conditions, service levels, and all other information. If your firm is awarded the contract, all information in the RFP and negotiation process is contractually binding. OFFER VERIFICATION TMG may contact offerors to confirm contact person, address, bid amount and to confirm that the bid was submitted for this solicitation. FALSE STATEMENTS IN OFFER Offerors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments. At any time that TMG determines that an offeror has provided false statements in the proposal, TMG may reject the proposal without further consideration. CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION (a) The offeror certifies that: (1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without, for the purpose of restricting competition, any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other offeror, including but not limited to subsidiaries or other entities in which offeror has any ownership or other interests, or any competitor relating to (i) those prices, (ii) the intention to submit an offer, or (iii) the methods or factors used to calculate the prices offered; (2) The prices in this offer have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed by the offeror, directly or indirectly, to any other offeror, including but not limited to subsidiaries or other entities in which offeror has any ownership or other interests, or any competitor before

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bid opening (in the case of a sealed bid solicitation) or contract award (in the case of a negotiated or competitive solicitation) unless otherwise required by law; and (3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the offeror to induce any other concern or individual to submit or not to submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition or influencing the competitive environment. (b) Each signature on the offer is considered to be a certification by the signatory that the signatory-- (1) Is the person in the offeror's organization responsible for determining the prices being offered in this bid or proposal, and that the signatory has not participated and will not participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; or (2) (i) Has been authorized, in writing, to act as agent for the principals of the offeror in certifying that those principals have not participated, and will not participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; (ii) As an authorized agent, does certify that the principals of the offeror have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above; and (iii) As an agent, has not personally participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to subparagraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) above. (c) Offeror understands and agrees that -- (1) violation of this certification will result in immediate disqualification from this solicitation without recourse and may result in disqualification from future solicitations; and (2) discovery of any violation after award to the offeror will result in the termination of the award for default. RESERVED RIGHTS All RFP responses become the property of TMG and TMG reserves the right in its sole discretion to:

o Disqualify any offer based on offeror failure to follow solicitation instructions; o Waive any deviations by offerors from the requirements of this solicitation that in

TMG's opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification; or where such a waiver will promote increased competition;

o Extend the time for submission of all RFP responses after notification to all offerors; o Terminate or modify the RFP process at any time and re-issue the RFP to whomever

TMG deems appropriate; o Issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion; o Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on

solicitation activities.

GOVERNING LAW AND LANGUAGE This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the U.S. Government except in cases where they contradict the law from the Governments of Niger, Chad or Burkina Faso. The English language version of this solicitation and any

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resulting contract shall govern, and all notices pursuant to the provisions of this solicitation and any resulting contract shall be in English language. SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

Issuance of RFP October 17, 2016 Final Date for Questions October 24, 2016 Answers to Questions Released October 31, 2016 Proposals Due November 14, 2016

XIV. RFP ATTACHMENTS: Appendix A: Sample Budget Template Appendix B: Certifications

– END OF RFP –

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APPENDIX A: SAMPLE BUDGET TEMPLATE

A line item budget, in local currency, is to be presented (sample format following) showing anticipated costs of the proposed project. Include as much detail as possible. A brief narrative explanation and justification for each line item must be included in a separate section entitled “budget notes.” Include data to support actual costs and/or methodologies to support cost estimates. All costs must be in accordance with the organization’s standard practices and policies. Salaries - For each person (or category of personnel), specify the amount of time projected to be spent working on the project and what total salary this represents for each person. List names of individuals if indicated as key personnel whose CV is included in the technical proposal. Fringe Benefits - For each person, indicate the cost of fringe benefits, such as social security, health insurance, yearly bonus, vacation allowance, etc. Identify the items included in the fringe benefit calculation. Where benefits are calculated separately from salary, they should be consistent with local and national laws and policies. The rate must be consistent with fringe benefits rates used in other contracts. Travel and Transportation - Indicate mode of travel; estimate number of trips, cost per trip (transportation and expenses or per diem), and number of travel days per trip. Include local travel expenses such as gasoline, taxis, etc. Consultants - Show anticipated fees for consultants hired in-country. Indicate number of days and cost per day. Admin Fee – usually presented as % of total direct costs. Commercially speaking, admin fee represents the firm’s gross profit and the admin fee rate as is its gross profit margin. It should be within reasonable limit as compared to the industry norm. VAT – Value Added Tax- (if applicable)



SAMPLE BUDGET FORMAT in local currency Proposed budget Item Rate /Unit Units Amount Salaries and Wages Position #1 - Name /day xx Position #2 - Name /day xx Position #3 - Name /day xx Total Salaries & Wages xx Fringe Benefits /xx xx Consultants Name - activity /day xx Total Consultants xx Travel & Transportation Activity #1 Local travel (# kms @ ?/km * #trips)

/activity xx

Per Diem (#people * #days) /activity xx Refreshments for focus group or interview /activity xx Activity #2 Bus fare (#trips * #people) /activity xx Per Diem (#people * #days) /activity xx Total Travel & Transportation xx Other Direct Costs Communications: Phone/Fax /month xx Postage/Courier /month xx Photocopying/Printing /month xx Supplies, expendable /month xx Total Other Direct Costs xx TOTAL DIRECT COSTS xx ADMIN FEE expressed as % of Total direct Cost X.X% xx TOTAL COST XXX + VAT (if applicable) + XX% XXX Note 1: This budget is illustrative and is not meant to suggest categories or to limit necessary line items. Detail may be provided in a format consistent with the organization’s internal accounting systems and practices.

Note 2: Daily rates are determined by dividing the annual salary by 260.



APPENDIX B – CERTIFICATIONS CERTIFICATIONS – MUST BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY EACH BIDDER

AND RETURNED AS PART OF THE PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PACKAGE

Certifications

CERTIFICATION REGARDING TERRORIST FINANCING

By signing and submitting this application, the prospective recipient provides the certification set out below: 1. The Recipient, to the best of its current knowledge, did not provide, within the previous

ten years, and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that it does not and will not knowingly provide, material support or resources to any individual or entity that commits, attempts to commit, advocates, facilitates, or participates in terrorist acts, or has committed, attempted to commit, facilitated, or participated in terrorist acts, as that term is defined in paragraph 3.

2. The following steps may enable the Recipient to comply with its obligations under paragraph 1:

a. Before providing any material support or resources to an individual or entity, the Recipient will verify that the individual or entity does not (i) appear on the master list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, which list is maintained by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and is available online at OFAC’s website: http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sdn/t11sdn.pdf, or (ii) is not included in any supplementary information concerning prohibited individuals or entities that may be provided by USAID to the Recipient.

b. Before providing any material support or resources to an individual or entity, the Recipient also will verify that the individual or entity has not been designated by the United Nations Security (UNSC) sanctions committee established under UNSC Resolution 1267 (1999) (the “1267 Committee”) [individuals and entities linked to the Taliban, Usama Bin Laden, or the Al Qaida Organization]. To determine whether there has been a published designation of an individual or entity by the 1267 Committee, the Recipient should refer to the consolidated list available online at the Committee’s website: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/1267/1267ListEng.htm.

c. Before providing any material support or resources to an individual or entity, the Recipient will consider all information about that individual or entity of which it



is aware and all public information that is reasonably available to it or of which it should be aware.

d. The Recipient also will implement reasonable monitoring and oversight procedures to safeguard against assistance being diverted to support terrorist activity.

3. For purposes of this Certification-

a. “Material support and resources” means currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safe houses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, transportation, and other physical assets, except medicine or religious materials.”

b. “Terrorist act” means- (i) an act prohibited pursuant to one of the 12 United Nations Conventions

and Protocols related to terrorism (see UN terrorism conventions Internet site: http://untreaty.un.org/English/Terrorism.asp); or

(ii) an act of premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents; or

(iii) any other act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking an active part in hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.

c. “Entity” means a partnership, association, corporation, or other organization, group or subgroup.

d. References in this Certification to the provision of material support and resources shall not be deemed to include the furnishing of USAID funds or USAID-financed commodities to the ultimate beneficiaries of USAID assistance, such as recipients of food, medical care, micro-enterprise loans, shelter, etc., unless the Recipient has reason to believe that one or more of these beneficiaries commits, attempts to commit, advocates, facilitates, or participates in terrorist acts, or has committed, attempted to commit, facilitated or participated in terrorist acts.

e. The Recipient’s obligations under paragraph 1 are not applicable to the

procurement of goods and/or services by the Recipient that are acquired in the ordinary course of business through contract or purchase, e.g., utilities, rents, office supplies, gasoline, etc., unless the Recipient has reason to believe that a vendor or supplier of such goods and services commits, attempts to commit, advocates, facilitates, or participates in terrorist acts, or has committed, attempted to commit, facilitated or participated in terrorist acts.



This Certification is an express term and condition of any agreement issued as a result of this application, and any violation of it shall be grounds for unilateral termination of the agreement by TMG prior to the end of its term. For Subcontractor:

Signature: Typed Name: Title: Name of Organization: Date:



CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS -- PRIMARY COVERED TRANSACTIONS

(a) Instructions for Certification 1. By signing and submitting this proposal, the prospective primary participant is providing

the certification set out below.

2. The inability of a person to provide the certification required below will not necessarily result in denial of participation in this covered transaction. The prospective participant shall submit an explanation of why it cannot provide the certification set out below. The certification or explanation will be considered in connection with the department or agency’s determination whether to enter into this transaction. However, failure of the prospective primary participant to furnish a certification or an explanation shall disqualify such person from participation in this transaction.

3. The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when the department or agency determined to enter into this transaction. If it is later determined that the prospective primary participant knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency may terminate this transaction for cause or default.

4. The prospective primary participant shall provide immediate written notice to the department or agency to which this proposal is submitted if at any time the prospective primary participant learns that this certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.

5. The terms “covered transaction,” “debarred,” “suspended,” “ineligible,” “lower tier covered transaction,” “participant,” “person,” “primary covered transaction,” “principal,” “proposal,” and “voluntarily excluded,” as used in this clause, have the meaning set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549. You may contact the department or agency to which this proposal is being submitted for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations.

6. The prospective primary participant agrees by submitting this proposal that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the department or agency entering into this transaction.



7. The prospective primary participant further agrees by submitting this proposal that it will include the clause titled “Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transaction,” provided by the department or agency entering into this covered transaction, without modification, in all lower tier covered transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions.

8. A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. A participant may decide the methods and frequency by which it determines the eligibility of its principals. Each participant may, but is not required to, check the Nonprocurement List.

9. Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause. The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealing.

10. Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 6 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction knowingly enters into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended, debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency may terminate this transaction for cause or default.

(b) Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters--Primary Covered Transactions

(1) The prospective primary participant certifies to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its principals: (A) Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency; (B) Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; (C) Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1) (B) of this certification;



(D) Have not within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State or local) terminated for cause or default.

(2) Where the prospective primary participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in

this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal. Name: Title: Date:



CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION – LOWER TIER COVERED TRANSACTIONS

Code of Federal Regulations 22 CFR 208: Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants); Appendix B: Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion – Lower Tier Covered Transactions 1. Instructions for Certification: By signing and submitting this proposal, the prospective

lower tier participant is providing the certification set out below. 2. The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance

was placed when this transaction was entered into. If it is later determined that the prospective lower tier participant knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

3. The prospective lower tier participant shall provide immediate written notice to the person to whom this proposal is submitted if at any time the prospective lower tier participant learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.

4. The terms covered transaction, debarred, suspended, ineligible, lower tier covered transaction, participant, person, primary covered transaction, principal, proposal, and voluntary excluded, as used in this clause, has the meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of rules implementing Executive Order 12549. You may contact the person to which this proposal is submitted for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations.

5. The prospective lower tier participant agrees by submitting this proposal that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the department or agency with which this transaction originated.

The prospective lower tier participant further agrees by submitting this proposal that it will include this clause titled Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transaction, without modification, in all lower tier covered transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions.



6. A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. A participant may decide the method and frequency by which it determines the eligibility of its principals. Each participant may, but is not required to, check the Non-Procurement List.

7. Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause. The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.

8. Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 5 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction knowingly enters into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended, debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions:

(1) The prospective lower tier participant certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency. (2) Where the prospective lower tier participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal.


OMB Control No. 0412-0520; Expiration Date: 02/28/2014 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE BIOGRAPHICAL DATA SHEET

1. Name (Last, First, Middle)

2. Contractor’s Name

3. Employee’s Address (include ZIP code)

4. Contract Number

5. Position Under Contract

6. Proposed Salary

7. Duration of Assignment

8. Telephone Number (include area code)

9. Place of Birth

10. Citizenship (If non-U.S. citizen, give visa status)

11. Names, Ages, and Relationship of Dependents to Accompany Individual to Country of Assignment

12. EDUCATION (include all college or university degrees) 13. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (see Instruction on Page 2)

NAME AND LOCATION OF INSTITUTION MAJOR DEGREE DATE LANGUAGE Proficiency Speaking

Proficiency Reading

2/S 2/R

2/S 2/R

2/S 2/R

14. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

1. Give last three (3) years. List salaries separate for each year. Continue on separate sheet of paper if required to list all employment related to duties of proposed assignment.

2. Salary definition – basic periodic payment for services rendered. Exclude bonuses, profit-sharing arrangements, commissions, consultant fees,

extra or overtime work payments, overseas differential or quarters, cost of living or dependent education allowances.

POSITION TITLE EMPLOYER’S NAME AND ADDRESS POINT OF CONTACT &TELEPHONE #

Dates of Employment (M/D/Y) Annual Salary From To Dollars

15. SPECIFIC CONSULTANT SERVICES (give last three (3) years)

SERVICES PERFORMED EMPLOYER’S NAME AND ADDRESS POINT OF CONTACT &TELEPHONE #

Dates of Employment (M/D/Y) Days at Rate

Daily Rate In Dollars From To

16. CERTIFICATION: To the best of my knowledge, the above facts as stated are true and correct. Signature of Employee Date

17. CONTRACTOR'S CERTIFICATION (To be signed by responsible representative of Contractor) Contractor certifies in submitting this form that it has taken reasonable steps (in accordance with sound business practices) to verify the information contained in this form. Contractor understands that USAID may rely on the accuracy of such information in negotiating and reimbursing personnel under this contract. The making of certifications that are false, fictitious, or fraudulent, or that are based on inadequately verified information, may result in appropriate remedial action by USAID, taking into consideration all of the pertinent facts and circumstances, ranging from refund claims to criminal prosecution. Signature of Contractor’s Representative Date

AID 1420-17 (04/2007) Page 1 of 2

INSTRUCTION

Indicate your language proficiency in block 13 using the following numeric Interagency Language Roundtable levels (Foreign Service Institute Levels). Also, the following provides brief descriptions of proficiency levels 2, 3, 4, and 5. “S” indicates speaking ability and “R” indicates reading ability. For more in-depth description of the levels refer to USAID Handbook 28 or superseding policy directive.

2. Limited working proficiency

S Able to satisfy routine special demands and limited work requirements.

R Sufficient comprehension to read simple, authentic written material in a form equivalent to usual printing or typescript on familiar subjects within familiar contexts.

3. General professional proficiency

S Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal

conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.

R Able to read within a normal range of speed and with almost complete comprehension of a variety of authentic prose material on unfamiliar subjects.

4. Advanced professional proficiency

S Able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs. R Able to read fluently and accurately all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs. 5. Functional native proficiency

S Speaking proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of a highly articulate well-educated native speaker and reflects the cultural

standards of a country where the language is natively spoken. R Reading proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of the well-educated native reader.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT INFORMATION

The information requested by this form is necessary for prudent management and administration of public funds under USAID contracts. The information helps USAID estimate overseas logistic support and allowances, the educational information provides an indication of qualifications, the salary information is used as a means of cost monitoring and to help determine reasonableness of proposed salary.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT NOTICE

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average thirty minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

United States Agency for International Development

Office of Acquisition and Assistance Policy Division (M/OAA/P)

Washington, DC 20523-7100;

and

Office of Management and Budget Paperwork Reduction Project (0412-0520) Washington, DC 20503

AID 1420-17 (04/2007) Page 2 of 2

this request for proposals (rfp) is the...

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