Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF MAY 14, 2017 FBO #5651
MODIFICATION

R -- Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Consultant in Ghana - Amendment 1

Notice Date

5/12/2017
 

Notice Type

Modification/Amendment
 

NAICS

541611 — Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
 

Contracting Office

Millennium Challenge Corporation, MCC, Washington DC, 1099 Fourteenth St NW, Suite 700, Washington, District of Columbia, 20005, United States
 

ZIP Code

20005
 

Solicitation Number

MCC-17-RFQ-0072
 

Archive Date

6/30/2017
 

Point of Contact

Andrew E. Lee, Phone: 2025213669
 

E-Mail Address

leeae@mcc.gov
(leeae@mcc.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

MCC-17-RFQ-0072 Request for Quotes (RFQ Amendment 1) *See the attachments for the complete detail Request for Quotes Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Consultant in Ghana MCC-17-RFQ-0072 Amendment 1 This Amendment 1 is to address questions posed by the interested offerors: 1.Q: The last page of the RFQ asks the offerors, "Do not combine your submission into a single document. Documents (a), (b), (c), and (d) listed above must be submitted as separate documents." However, there is no Document (d) listed above. Is this a typo? A: Yes, this is a typo and the RFQ has been corrected to remove "(d)." 2.Q: Would MCC consider consultants who are non-US / non-Ghanaian citizens? A: Yes, MCC will consider all candidates regardless of their citizenship. 3.Q: Are offerors required to enter "Proposed Pay Supplement" in the attached Bio-Data Form? A: No, this is not required. We only need the Full Labor Rate. If offerors list only one rate in the Block 4 of the Bio-Data Form, MCC will assume that it is the offeror's proposed Full Labor Rate. 4.Q: Under No. 14 of the RFQ, what does it mean for the "overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost"? A: This address the subcontracting limitations. MCC wants at least 75% of the value of the services to be performed by the awardee (independent contractor). If she/he requires outside help, this must not exceed 25% of the total negotiated direct labor cost. For example, if the negotiated direct labor cost on the contract is $10,000, then at least $7,500 of the work must be completed and charged directly by the awardee. End of Amendment 1 1.The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. For more information on the MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov. 2.This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information including in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is MCC-17-RFQ-0072 and is issued as a request for quotations (RFQ). This solicitation document incorporates all mandatory commercial item provisions and clauses that are in effect through the most recent Federal Acquisition Regulation amendments which can be found at http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html. 3.This combined synopsis and solicitation notice is a request for competitive quotations. Therefore, all quotations received prior to the RFQ due date will be considered. 4.The North American Industrial Classification Systems (NAICS) code is 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services and the small business size standard is $15 million in total annual receipt. 5.FAR clauses 52.212-1 through 52.212-5 apply to this procurement. The exact text and wording of clauses and provisions may be obtained from the Internet at http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html. FAR clause 52.212-4 Alt. I Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items is attached. 6.The Government contemplates the award of a time-and-material (T&M) contract resulting from this solicitation. 7.The Government will award a BPA call to the responsible independent consultant ("awardee") whose quote, conforming to this notice, represents the best value in terms of technical criteria, past performance, and price. All non-price factors (technical criteria and past performance) are more important than price. If found advantageous, the Government reserves the right to make more than one award as a result of this solicitation. 8.This announcement is for an independent consultant and is not for individuals seeking employment directly with MCC. For information regarding independent contractors, please visit: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Independent-Contractor-Defined. MCC will assist the awardee in coordinating with an independent contractor engagement services provider, who currently holds a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) with MCC, for payroll, travel, international travel insurance, etc.; therefore, a DUNS number and registration in System for Award Management (SAM) is not required. 9.Background. MCC recognizes that gender inequality can be a significant constraint to economic growth and poverty reduction. MCC's gender policy and operational guidance ensure that gender will be considered in the selection of eligible countries and integrated into the development and design of Compact programs, the assessment and implementation of projects funded by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the monitoring of program results, and the evaluation of program impacts (http://www.mcc.gov/documents/guidance/14-genderpolicy.pdf). The Millennium Challenge Act states that MCC must provide such assistance in a manner that promotes economic growth and the elimination of extreme poverty; MCC's Social and Gender operational requirements thus ensure that gender and social inclusion are integrated at every stage of compact development and implementation (https://www.mcc.gov/documents/guidance/guidance-2011001054001-genderintegration.pdf). The Millennium Development Authority ("MiDA") is the entity accountable for overall management of Compact implementation. MiDA was established by Acts of Parliament (Acts 702, 709 & 897 as amended), and is a legal entity governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is an independent decision making authority with ultimate authority and responsibility for (a) the oversight, direction, and decisions of MiDA, and (b) the overall implementation of the Program in accordance with the Compact, the Program Implementation Agreement, and all other Supplemental Agreements. In 2014, MCC and the Government of Ghana (GoG), through MiDA, have agreed to an extensive power sector development program that aims to reduce poverty through sustainable economic growth in Ghana (the "Compact Goal"). The Compact objectives (the "Program Objectives") are to: (1)Increase private sector investment and the productivity and profitability of micro, small, medium and large scale businesses; (2)Increase employment opportunities for men and women; and (3)Raise earning potential from self-employment and improved social outcomes for men and women. 10.Country. Ghana and other MCC eligible countries. 11.Description of Compact Projects. The Compact Program consists of six (6) Projects: 1.The ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Project's ("EFOT") objective is to improve the quality and reliability of electricity through reduced outages and cost-effective service delivery by ECG, reduce aggregate technical, commercial, and collections losses, and ensure that ECG can serve as a creditworthy and credible off-taker under power purchase agreements. The Project objective will be achieved by reducing implicit subsidies (created by losses, underpricing and under-billing) and ensuring cost-recovery and re-investment in the distribution sub-sector, through introduction of private sector participation ("PSP") in the governance and management of ECG in the form of a concession, and through infrastructure and foundational investments designed to reduce losses and improve service quality. A cost-reflective tariff with periodic adjustments is essential for attracting the PSP for distribution envisioned for this Compact. 2.The NEDCo Financial and Operational Turnaround Project's ("NFOT") objective is to develop NEDCo into a utility that will contribute to economic growth in the northern part of Ghana by improving its ability to recover costs and provide service to customers in a timely and effective manner. The Project objective will be achieved by strengthening NEDCo's financial and operational performance and ensuring it is able to function independently of VRA and engage with the private sector to meet the electricity needs of its operational region. In addition, this Project will introduce PSP in the form of a management contract to provide operational and commercial capacity building to ensure the achievement of performance targets, and will provide infrastructure and foundational investments designed to reduce losses and improve service quality. The detail design of the NEDCo project is currently underway. 3.The Regulatory Strengthening and Capacity Building Project's objective is to ensure the sustainability of all power sector investments, promote greater transparency and accountability for results in the sector, and enhance evidence-based decision making among sector institutions. This Project will, therefore, ensure that the power sector is financially self-sustaining and relies less on cross-subsidies among tariff categories or other direct or implicit subsidies from the Government. This Project will support the creation of an enabling environment for private investment in the power sector. The Project Objective will be achieved by strengthening independent monitoring of service quality, and improving capacity for ratemaking and other regulatory processes, including the review of the tariff structure to enable the utilities to recover costs. 4.The objective of the Access Project is to improve access to reliable electricity among Micro Small Medium Enterprises in markets and economic enclaves in urban and peri-urban areas and social institutions coinciding with those regions targeted by the commercial and technical loss reduction investments of the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Projects. The Access Project is expected to increase the number of new connections in targeted areas by reducing barriers to obtaining legal connections, thereby contributing to increased productivity in markets and economic enclaves. This Project will also contribute to the overall objective of the distribution turnaround projects of reducing commercial losses and improving the financial health of the distribution companies by decreasing the number of consumers who would otherwise seek illegal connections to the network. Data collection and detail design of the Access Project is currently underway. 5.The objective of the Power Generation Sector Improvement Project is to reduce disruptions in electricity service due to generation shortfalls by creating the enabling environment for investments in additional installed generation capacity. This Project aims to ensure a more cost-effective fuel mix by instituting a framework for a reliable fuel supply for thermal generation. In addition, the Project will facilitate the adoption of an Integrated Resource and Resilience Plan ("IRRP") leading to increased potential throughput to electricity consumers and reduced energy costs to enterprises, households, and industry by establishing a competitive bidding process for procuring Independent Power Producers ("IPPs"). It will also help finalize commercial gas supply agreements to facilitate development of gas reserves and cost-effective fuel supplies for power generation, and securitize the gas sector to enable reduced reliance on more costly oil-based fuels. 6.The objective of the Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management Project ("EE/DSM") is to reduce energy waste by consumers, thereby increasing the reserve margin between electricity supply and peak demand, making electricity available to more consumers at a lower cost than that of developing new generation capacity. In addition, this Project will improve the financial viability of ECG by helping Ghanaian government agencies, which comprise a significant portion of total energy demand, to reduce their energy consumption. This Project will achieve these results through facilitating the development and enforcement of standards and labels, improving energy audits, providing education and public information, and investing in demand side management infrastructure. 12.Description of GSI Objectives and Activities. The gender and social assessment identified key gaps and barriers, namely: (i) While Ghana's access to electricity which stood at 72% was considered high relative to other sub-Sahara African countries, the figure represented the size of the population within the grid area and not the actual share of the population connected to the grid. In this regard only 50-60% of those who lived within grid area were actually connected and have access to electricity. (ii) Access to electricity is skewed towards the high income households even in urban areas - where people in the highest income quintile have 88% access to electricity while only 44% of those in the lowest income quintile have access to electricity in urban areas. (iii) Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) make up the majority of which are owned/operated by women experience several barriers to accessing electricity and using for productive purposes. (iv) Although Ghana has a "lifeline" electricity tariff to enable low income households have access to electricity the policy benefits more those in non-poor households as (a) many low income households are not connect to grid and (b) the consumption of those poor households who live in compound houses exceeds the threshold of 50kwh per month per household to qualify for the lifeline tariff and are excluded from benefiting from the policy. (v) Women have a very low representation in employment and decision making in the power sector at all organizational levels (utilities and government institutions) and that the work environment is not enabling for women to advance in the career. Based on the above findings, two specific interventions were identified during compact development to support gender and social inclusion within the context of MCC's investments (i) institutionalizing gender responsiveness into ECG and NEDCo - this is a sub-activity under ECG and NEDCo Financial and Operational Turnaround Projects and (ii) the Access Project which seeks to improve access to reliable electricity among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in markets and economic enclaves. Furthermore, a Social and Gender Integration Plan is currently being be developed (based on further gender and social analysis) which at a minimum incorporates the findings of a comprehensive social and gender analysis, identifies approaches for regular, meaningful and inclusive consultations with women and other vulnerable/under-represented groups, consolidates the findings and recommendations of Project-specific social and gender analyses into final Project design as appropriate. MiDA's SGIP is currently being revised and will serve as a planning and monitoring tool. MCC is seeking to recruit a consultant based in Ghana to support its oversight and technical support role in the detail design and implementation of the Access Project and the NEDCo project, oversight in the implementation of the SGIP, and gender and social inclusion in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all projects and activities of the Compact. 13.Tasks. The consultant's tasks include, but not limited to, the following: 1.Coordinate with MCC and MiDA in the planning and timely implementation and submission of TORs, review and comments on key project related deliverables. Participate in key bi-weekly or weekly GSI - related and other relevant project-focused teleconferences and oversee and support the execution of agreed upon tasks and activities. 2.Support in oversight and provision of technical assistance in the detail design and implementation of the Access Project: review the outcomes and findings of the survey, institutional assessment and energy audit and provide comments; participate in the detail design of the project and support and oversee the implementation including outreach and stakeholder engagement. 3.Support in oversight and provide technical assistance in the detail design and implementation of the NEDCo Turnaround Project. 4.Technical support and oversee the development and implementation of the Institutionalizing Gender Responsiveness sub-activity at ECG and NEDCo. This program will entail the following tasks: (i) Gender auditing and development of gender policies for ECG and NEDCo; institutional capacity building in the implementation of the gender policies; and networking forums and (ii) the development and implementation of an internship and mentoring program for science and technology students (70% women and 30% men). 5.Support in oversight and provide technical assistance in all tasks related to the implementation of all compact projects and activities, the SGIP, and GSI-focused trainings. 6.As requested by MCC collect information and data relevant to project implementation and prepare presentations, reports and present them at events as required. 7.Support in oversight and technical assistance in addressing Trafficking in Person (TIP) issues within the context of the Compact in line with MCC's Counter TIP Policy. 8.Support in overseeing gender and social inclusion into the monitoring and evaluation of compact projects. 9.Support in the coordination of GSI-related activities of Environment and Social Management Plan. 10.Support in the preparation of outreach and educational materials in the form of articles on best practices, results, benefits and others as needed. 11.The consultant will perform as compact related activities as request by MCC. 12.Coordination and Reporting. The consultant will report directly to MCC/GSI lead and closely coordinates work with MiDA. 13.Period and Place of Performance. This consultancy may be filled as a short-term consultancy for 24 months (2 years). The contract may end sooner if the projects are completed before the 24-month term or if the funds have been fully expended. The estimated level of effort is approximately 700 hours per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease. The primary place of performance will be in the country of Ghana. The consultant will work from her or his home office and/or as otherwise agreed with MCC. The consultant may be requested to mobilize on a short notice for in-country travel and will be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner. The consultant will be expected to work closely with MCC and to also liaise with government counterparts in Ghana and other countries, in particular the country's social and gender specialists. 14.Subcontracting. The awardee is authorized to subcontract data collection, data preparation, economic analysis, social and gender analysis, and related services as needed. The overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost. 15.Contracting Officer Representative (COR) / Project Monitor (PM). The COR/PM shall have technical responsibility over the Consultant. Any change in the terms of the contract must be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this Contract or of the terms and conditions of the Contract unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The Consultant must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work. 16.Evaluation Factors. Only quotes which meet the mandatory technical evaluation criteria will be considered. Candidates with preferred qualifications will be given additional consideration. I. Technical Evaluation Criteria: All mandatory qualifications described below in the Qualifications section must be clearly addressed in a resume. I.1. Mandatory Qualifications: I.1.a.An advanced postgraduate degree (accredited Masters or Ph.D.) in social science (sociology, anthropology, urban development, economics etc.). I.1.b.Minimum 10 years of work experience in project planning and implementation and at least 5 years of experience working with international development agencies similar to MCC. I.1.c.Five to seven (5-7) years of experience working in gender and social integration into research, program development and implementation and monitoring and evaluation. I.1.d.Excellent English speaking (Level 4) and writing skills (Level 4). I.2. Desired Qualifications: I.2.a.Experience working in the Ghana social and economic context and ability to work with diverse professional teams including engineers, economists, etc. and experience in electricity service delivery. MCC reserves the right to interview the candidates. II. Past Performance: Three to five (3-5) professional references for relevant work performed during the past three years. III. Price: The Government will examine the proposed rate for reasonableness. 17.Evaluation Methodology. The Government will perform a comparative analysis of quotes and will assess the advantages and disadvantages of each quote as related to the Evaluation Factors. Multiple awards may be made from this notice and all quotes will be retained and may be utilized for additional requirements for a period of 12 months. 18.Quote Deadline. Interested offerors are invited to submit their quotations in response to this notice by no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Time (ET) on 19 May 2017. Late submissions will not be considered for award. Quotations submitted in response to this notice should include the solicitation number "MCC-17-RFQ-0072" and the description "GSI Consultant in Ghana" in the subject line and be signed, dated, and submitted via email to leeae@mcc.gov. The maximum file size for the submission is 10MB. Any request for additional information must be emailed to leeae@mcc.gov by 2:00 pm ET on 11 May 2017. The Government intends to address all requests by 15 May 2017. 19.Exclusion of Quotes and Communications. At any time prior to award, including upon receipt of quotes, the Government may exclude a quote from further consideration for reasons, including, but not limited to, the quote being noncompliant with submission requirements instructed in this solicitation; the offer being not among the most highly qualified; or the offer being unlikely to be selected for award. The Government need not notify the offeror that its quote has been excluded from further consideration or provide the offeror with a pre-award debriefing. However, the offeror will be provided post-award notification and, if requested, a brief explanation of the basis of the award decision. Upon the receipt of quotes, the Government will conduct an evaluation. The Government intends to evaluate quotes and issue a contract without communications with offerors. However, during the evaluation process, the Government at its sole discretion may communicate with any number of offerors for any purpose, including, but not limited to, requesting additional information about an offer, speaking directly with the offeror(s) about the quote and capabilities, and to request revised quotes. For quote revisions, the Government at its sole discretion may impose non-common due dates. This means the Government may designate a quote revision due date that varies for different offerors. 20.Quote Submission. Interested individuals must submit the following in English language: a.Technical: (1) Cover letter that addresses all technical criteria as listed in this solicitation, and (2) Curriculum Vitae in chronological order starting with the most recent position (10 pages maximum; must clearly demonstrate the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to the Qualification/Evaluation elements listed above), Microsoft Word format. b.Past Performance: Three to five professional references with contact phone and email information, Microsoft Word format. c.Price: Complete the attached Bio-Data form [see attached] to include the applicant's proposed rate and salary history. Do not combine your submission into a single document. Documents (a), (b), and (c) listed above must be submitted as separate documents. 21.FAR 52.212.3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items will be required from the selected offeror, prior to the award. 22.The following clauses will apply to the resulting contract: a.52.249-70 Termination Clause b.52.232-72 Limitation of Funds-Incrementally Funded Contracts 23.There are no additional contract requirements(s) necessary for this acquisition other than those consistent with customary commercial practices. 24.See attached documents, (a) Addendum to FAR clause 52.212-4 Alt. I, (b) MCC Bio-Data Form, and (c) Statement of Work. __________________________________________________ Taylor J. Wolf Contracting Officer Millennium Challenge Corporation
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/MCC/MCCMCC/MCCMCC01/MCC-17-RFQ-0072/listing.html)
 

Record

SN04507570-W 20170514/170512235709-e612bd98c73048a8c52bfa8d5b4bb7b8 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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