U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID/Egypt, Directorate of Procurement (D/PROC), 6th Floor, Unit 64902, AP AE 09839-4902

H -- INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION ORGANIZATION SOL RFP NO. 263-97-P-016 POC Contact Point: Mr. William Reynolds, Contracting Officer, USAID/Egypt, Tel: 011-20-2-357-3257/58, Fax: 011-20-2-356-2932. The U.S. Agency for International Development Mission to Egypt is soliciting proposals from U.S. (000 only) firms/joint ventures for a contract to provide Institutional Development Support for the Arab Republic of Egypt National Telecommunications Organization (ARENTO). The successful contractor will work closely with ARENTO under the Telecommunication Sector Support Project to assist ARENTO in the: a) modernization of its operating procedures and management policies, b) increasing its autonomy, c) training of the employees in needed areas, d) improvement of quality of service, e) development of an appropriate level for the telecommunications pricing, f) achievement of an employee incentive and compensation system, g) strengthening of ARENTO's technical and financial performance, and, h) implementing regulatory functions. The project includes two broad categories of outputs: policy/organization/institutional reforms and infrastructure development. Project outputs will include, but not be limited to, modernization of ARENTO's operating procedures, management policies, organization structure and institutional development. Specific reforms which the Institutional Development Contractor would assist ARENTO in accomplishing include: enhancement of ARENTO's autonomy, implementing a strategic plan for ARENTO, policy, institution and organizational improvements to enhance the quality of service, improvements in planning methodology for infrastructure expansion to fully utilize the installed equipment, improvement of the accounting systems, training of employees in needed areas, the development of a rolling 5-year business plan, and labor reforms. The successful offeror will be awarded a performance based cost-plus award fee type contract to perform the duties of assisting ARENTO in developing and implementing procedures, regulation, training, a business plan, and other institutional development tasks as required by ARENTO and USAID. The contractor shall assist/advise/guide ARENTO in achieving specific policy actions and organizational and institutional strengthening. The contractor shall provide an adequate number of professionals with appropriate disciplines and skills to work with ARENTO to plan and implement reform actions. The contractor team must consist of experienced personnel in areas such as accounting, finance, systems management, regulatory boards, legal, utility management, utility economics, manpower development, and other areas as required. The duration of the contract is estimated at 36 months with an option to extend the duration by an additional 24 months. It is a requirement that the firms must comply with AID geographic code 000 (USA) for nationality and source regulations. If a joint venture seeks proposing, information must be submitted for all firms in joint venture. Interested offerors must request a copy of the Request For Proposals (RFP No. 263-97-P-016) in writing from Mr. William Reynolds, Contracting Officer, Directorate of Procurement, United States Agency for International Development, USAID/Egypt, Cairo Center Building, Sixth Floor, 106 Kasr El Aini Street, Cairo, Egypt. Address for U.S. mail: Directorate of Procurement, Unit 64902, APO AE 09839-4902. Telefaxed requests to 011-20-2-356- 2932 will be accepted. Telephone requests will not be considered. The RFP is expected to be released on/about January 15, 1997. Offerors will be given 60 days from the date of issuance of the RFP to prepare and submit their proposals. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) encourages the participation to the maximum extent possible of small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in this activity as prime contractors or subcontractors in accordance with Part 19 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. In this respect, it is anticipated that the prime contractor will make every reasonable effort to identify and make maximum practicable use of such concerns. All other evaluation criteria being found equal, the participation of such concerns may become a determining factor for selection. "This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency Gopher. The RFP, once issued, can be downloaded from the Agency Gopher. The Gopher address is GOPHER.INFO.USAID.GOV. Select USAID Procurement and Business Opportunities from the Gopher menu. The RFP text can be downloaded via Anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The FTP address is FTP.INFO.USAID.GOV. Logon on using the user identification of "anonymous" and the password is your e-mail address. Look under the following directory for the RFP: pub/OP/RFP/26397016/26397016.rfp. Receipt of this RFP through INTERNET must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from the INTERNET in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes." (0344)

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