USAID/Haiti, 17 Boulevard Harry Truman, Port Au Prince, Haiti

R -- TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR DEMOCRACY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPONENT SOL RFP Haiti 521-95-007 DUE 042895 Clement J. Bucher, Contracting Officer, Tel (509) 22-5500, Fax (509) 23-9603, Port Au Prince, Haiti. USAID/Haiti is looking for the services of a U.S. firm/institution to implement its local government component program under the Democracy Enhancement Project (DEP). The purpose of the contract is to enhance popular participation in local democratic processes and to improve the capacity of local governments to respond to constituent needs, especially those of women and other vulnerable groups. The contract will improve the management capacity and train at least 350 elected local entities (i.e., 300 communal section councils (CASECS) and 50 communes) that comprise Haiti's territorial administration. The contractor will focus the major portion of its efforts in local government institution building, comprising training and technical assistance and a grants program. The contractor will provide on long-term resident advisor for approximately four years. (S)he will be responsible for achieving contract objectives. The resident advisor will focus primarily on conducting the initial assessment of the status of the local government and decentralization in Haiti, providing technical assistance to local government entities to enable them to become more operational while practicing democratic principles, determining needed project inputs (technical assistance, training and commodities), designing and managing the grants program, and facilitating overall implementation of the contract. The contractor will also provide up to fourteen local hire field advisors for three years each. The field advisors will work under the direction of the long-term resident advisor and will interface with the elected officials. They will be deployed throughout the country to train and work with the local government officials and provide technical assistance to the communities. Based on annual plans, to be developed in close consultation with USAID/Haiti and key Haitian implementing organizations, including the local government officials, the contractor will provide approximately 12 months of short-term expatriate and 15 months of Haitian short-term consulting assistance over a four year period. Following a consultative annual planning process, the contractor will provide and/or arrange for provision of approximately 107 person months of incountry training. Grants program: under this contract, the contractor will design and implement a grants program, to enable communities and local government entities to practice using principles of democratic decision-making and participation that they will have been learning under this contract and other projects. In addition to and/or complementing the subcontracting requirements stated below, no less than 10 percent of the total value of the contract will have to be subcontracted to Gray Amendment entities (U.S. socially and economically disadvantaged, including women-owned, businesses; historically Black colleges and universities; U.S. colleges and universities with at least 40 percent Hispanic American students; and U.S. private voluntary organizations controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, including women.) To help identify potential subcontractors, a list of all organizations requesting a copy of the solicitation will be sent with each solicitation document. Organizations are encouraged to indicate whether they are Gray Amendment entities when requesting the soliciation and may indicate that they do not wish to be included on the list. By providing the list, AID does not endorse the listed organizations as being capable of carrying out the activity, nor does AID verify the claimed status of the organizations. Necessarily, the list will contain the names of only those organizations known prior to the issuance of the solicitation document. Proposals shall include plans reflecting no less than 10 percent subcontracting with the above-defined entities. Proposals not including such plans will be considered non-responsive. Subcontracting with small business concerns and socially and economically disadvantaged entities: AID encourages the participation to the maximum extent possible of U.S. entities that are small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, including women-owned concerns, historically Black colleges and universities, colleges and universities whose student body is at least 40 percent Hispanic American, and private voluntary organizations controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals including women in accordance with Part 19 of the FAR and Part 726 of the AIDAR. It is anticipated that the prime contractor will make maximum practicable use of such entities. Subcontracting plans should be included in proposals submitted. USAID/Haiti anticipates issuing the solicitation for this procurement on/or shortly after April 28, 1995. Copies may be obtained only by written request to the contracting officer, USAID/Haiti (fax 509-23-9603). Requests should include complete mailing address, phone and fax numbers. (0103)

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