REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Expressions of Interest to Develop a Concept Note for USAID s Food for Peace Emergency Food Security Activity Survey Sampling Strategies Date of Issuance: October 16, 2017 Due Date for Application: October 27, 2017 FCO/ID: 100210.001.003.249 Expected Place of Performance: TBD: Expected to be Remote, based on Offeror(s) location. May Include travel to Washington D.C. for consultation Expected Period of Performance: December 1, 2017 February 15, 2018 I. Objective The Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance III Project (FANTA) is requesting expressions of interest (REI) from qualified individuals and/or organizations to prepare concept notes on effective sampling strategies for beneficiary based surveys to collect outcome indicator data for USAID s Office of Food for Peace s (FFP) emergency food security activities (EFSAs). It is expected that multiple awards will be made. II. Background For more than 60 years, FFP has provided life-saving food assistance to vulnerable populations and reduces hunger and malnutrition so that all people at all times have access to sufficient food for healthy and productive lives. FFP predicts, prevents, and responds to hunger overseas. Through its emergency programs, FFP saves lives, reduces suffering, and supports the early recovery of people affected by conflict and natural disaster emergencies through food assistance. FFP s development programs equip people with the knowledge and tools to feed themselves, address the underlying causes of hunger, and reduce the need for future food assistance. Alleviating global hunger is critical to national security; where hunger persists, instability grows. By supporting the worlds most vulnerable, FFP is building a more stable world and ensuring that people have the opportunity to lead healthy, productive lives. FFP has an obligation to the federal government and the American people to ensure that resources are used efficiently to achieve the best possible food security outcomes and that, in the process, food security actors learn from experience how to improve programming and implementation. In recent years, FFP has taken significant measures to strengthen and standardize its monitoring and evaluation (M&E) protocols and approaches, especially for FFP-funded development food security activities (DFSAs). For example, FFP recently released an M&E policy and guidance document (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pbaaf103.pdf) that clarifies DFSA M&E requirements and suggested approaches, while also releasing standardized indicator lists. FFP has bolstered the quality of DFSA population-based household surveys (part of baseline and final evaluations) by outsourcing such studies to specialized contractors working under FFP s direct management who bring increased technical rigor to the process. Such measures enhance quality and harmonization of M&E activity and outcome measurement across FFP development activities. FFP now wishes to focus more concertedly on strengthening M&E policies and processes for EFSAs. One notable gap in this domain is the lack of precise sampling guidelines for beneficiary-based surveys in EFSA settings. EFSA M&E challenges are more daunting and complex than in the development setting. Emergency implementing partners typically have a shorter window of opportunity to implement project components and measure their outcomes, while project settings may be laden with insecurity, extreme physical hardship, and a shifting beneficiary base. These realities beget a cascade of circumstances that can potentially undermine rigorous M&E implementation, including challenges in attracting and retaining 1
qualified M&E personnel, difficulties identifying beneficiaries to produce accurate and stable sampling frames, and logistical challenges to survey implementation. Currently, FFP requires EFSA implementing partners to collect beneficiary survey data at baseline and final evaluation, as well as every six months on several outcome indicators, including: Food Consumption Score Food Insecurity Experience Scale Household Food Insecurity Access Scale Please refer to pp. 31-32 of the FFP Fiscal Year 2017 International Emergency Food Assistance Annual Program Statement (APS) (https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/food_for_peace_fiscal_year_2017_internatio nal_emergency_food_assistance_annual_program_statement_aps.pdf) for further details on indicators recommended for bi-annual collection. FFP is looking to provide standardized guidance for EFSA survey sampling procedures, in order to facilitate the rigor of survey design and implementation, and the validity of survey results. To bolster EFSA implementing partners abilities to collect high-quality survey data, FFP seeks to identify a sampling strategy for beneficiary-based surveys in emergency settings that will provide data meeting basic quality benchmarks, while accounting for field-based challenges. Such a strategy may fall short of the rigor and technical precision of the sampling approaches used for FFP DFSA population-based household surveys, but should provide the highest level of quality possible while remaining viable in the EFSA setting. III. Expressions of Interest FFP has requested FANTA to reach out to members of the implementing partner, academic, and emergency programming stakeholder community, to identify solid sampling strategies for beneficiarybased surveys for use across all FFP EFSAs. To this end, FANTA invites all qualified individuals and/or organizations to submit an expression of interest to prepare a related concept note. Interested parties should apply online via the FHI 360 website and submit an expression of interest containing: a. Name of the individual(s) and/or organization preparing the concept note b. A one-page summary that details related areas of expertise c. An updated CV (both for individual offerors and/or organization team members), including educational credentials, with experience and publications related to survey sampling design and knowledge of emergency food security programming appropriately detailed. d. A completed biodata form (both for individual offerors and/or organization team members), updated and signed no less than 3 months prior to submission of expression of interest (included with this REI as an attachment). e. A proposed daily rate for individual offerors OR a proposed budget for organizations f. A list of at least two professional references, including name and contact information (required for both individual offerors and organizations) g. Identification of availability to write a concept note, as requested. After reviewing all expressions of interest, FANTA will enter into contractual agreements with the offerors selected to develop a concept note(s). IV. Concept Note Objectives A concept note (max 10 pages) will describe protocols or strategies used to determine the sample size, frame, and selection, as well as related data collection and analysis strategies, to conduct beneficiarybased surveys in the FFP EFSA setting at baseline and final evaluation, as well as at six month intervals between baseline and final evaluation. 2
Some critical design issues to address include: a. How does your protocol assure survey quality and rigor? Specifically, how does it compare to the current approach utilized for FFP DFSA baseline and final evaluation surveys which use: probability-based, multi-stage sampling; enumeration of households within selected clusters; and systematic sampling of the households enumerated. Note that the FFP DFSA surveys are population-based, whereas EFSA surveys are beneficiary-based. b. While having high-quality, valid, and representative data is a key goal of survey data collection, the vagaries of program implementation and data collection in emergency settings may result in certain compromises. To what extent have you considered, and accounted for the challenges of identifying a sampling frame, selecting a sample, and implementing a beneficiary-based survey, in emergency project settings? Have you considered all the logistical and situational complications? Can you provide any real-life examples that bolster the viability of your approach? c. To what extent have you considered different types of emergency settings (rapid vs. slow onset) and emergency program participants (refugees, migrants etc.) in the feasibility of your approach? Feel free to suggest more than one strategy if you feel that would be the appropriate solution for differing emergency contexts, though this is not necessary. NOTE THAT FANTA IS NOT REQUESTING A CONCEPT NOTE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. RATHER, FANTA IS REQUESTING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO DEVELOP A CONCEPT NOTE. To demonstrate your interest in preparing a concept note, please submit the materials described under Section III. FANTA will review all submitted expressions of interest, after which FANTA will invite selected individuals and/or organizations to prepare a concept note through a consultancy agreement (for individuals) or subcontract (for organizations). V. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CVs and other submission materials will be reviewed and evaluated by a review committee. The following factors will be considered when evaluating the submissions: Factors Years of experience designing and implementing surveys in food security program settings Proven familiarity and years of experience with emergency food security program implementation Number and quality of relevant publications Proposed Daily Rate OR Budget Realism 20 points Flexibility of contracting (ability to access individual s time through a direct consultancy (for individual applicants) or subcontract (for organizations)) Total Scoring 25 points 25 points 20 points 20 points 10 points 100 points NOTE: FANTA will not compensate interested parties for preparation of an application in response to this Request for Expressions of Interest nor is the issuing of this Request for Expressions of Interest a guarantee that FANTA will award a contract for work. VI. ANTICIPATED CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP This Request for Expressions of Interest is to select one or more consultants and/or organizations for a period of 1-3 months, each, which will cover both preparation of a concept note, plus any additional time required for consultations or briefings with FANTA or FFP related to the concept note. The selection as a consultant and/or subcontractor through this process of expression of interest does not establish a contractual relationship between the selected individuals and/or organizations, nor does it have any monetary value. 3
Upon finalization of this process, the selected consultant(s) (individuals that are authorized to work independently) and/or selected organization(s) will be approached with a Scope of Work (SOW) that will clearly detail the tasks and deliverables to be performed. Consultants and/or organizations will not enter into a contractual relationship with FHI 360/FANTA until a Consultant Agreement and/or Subcontract is fully executed through signature by both the selected offeror(s) and a FHI 360 Contracting Officer. For Consultant Agreements: The negotiated and agreed daily rates are expected to be maintained throughout the consultancy period if FANTA engages the consultant for work. For Subcontracts: The contract is expected to be cost-reimbursable. VII. REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST RESPONSE INFORMATION Any questions or requests for clarification need to be submitted to the attention of Aferdita Sadiku at asadiku@fhi360.org by October 24, 2017. Inquiries and answers to inquires will be shared with all interested parties via email. No telephone inquiries will be answered. Interested individuals should submit their application for a consultancy via the FHI 360 website (https://www.fhi360.org/careers) no later than October 27, 2017. Interested organizations should submit proposals for a subcontract to Aferdita Sadiku at asadiku@fhi360.org no later than October 27, 2017. Submissions received after this date and time may not be accepted. FANTA will acknowledge receipt of your submission by email. VIII. WITHDRAWAL OF APPLICATION Individuals and/or organizations may withdraw offers by written notice via email received at any time prior to award. Offers may also be withdrawn in person by the offeror or his/her authorized representative, if the representative s identity is made known and the representative signs an acknowledgement of withdrawal for the offer before award. IX. OFFER VERIFICATION FANTA may contact offerors to confirm contact person, address, information on the biodata form and to confirm that the offer was submitted for this REI. X. FALSE STATEMENT IN OFFER Offerors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this REI and its attachments. If at any time FANTA determines that an offer has provided false statements in the response, FANTA may reject the response without further consideration. XI. Certification of Independent Price Determination (a) By submitting an offer, the prospective consultant(s) and/or subcontractor(s) 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 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 4
(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. XII. DISCLAIMERS AND PROTECTION CLAUSES o This REI is not intended to result in the direct issuance of a contract. o FANTA may cancel the solicitation and not make a contract. o FANTA may reject any or all responses received. o Issuance of a REI does not constitute a contract commitment by FANTA. o FANTA reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on the offeror s failure to follow REI instructions. o FANTA will not compensate offers for response to this REI. o FANTA reserves the right to issue an award based on initial evaluation of offers without further discussion. o FANTA may choose to award only part of the activities in the REI, or issue multiple awards based on the REI activities. o FANTA may request from short-listed offerors a second or third round of either oral presentation or written response to a more specific and detailed scope of work that is based on a general scope of work in the original Request for Expressions of Interest. o FANTA has the right to rescind a Request for Expressions of Interest, or rescind an award prior to the signing of a consultancy agreement, purchase order, or subcontract, due to any unforeseen changes in the direction of FANTA s client, be it funding or programmatic. o FANTA reserves the right to waive minor deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition. o FANTA may be contacting offerors to confirm contact person, address and that the offer was submitted for this REI. - END OF REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - 5