Clement J. Bucher, Contracting Officer, USAID/Haiti, 17 Boulevard Harry Truman, Port Au Prince, Haiti, Clement J. Bucher@usaid.gov

R -- PROFESSIONAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES SOL USAID/HAITI-97-083 POC Contact Point: Clement J. Bucher, Contracting Officer, Tel. (509) 22- 5500, Fax (509) 23-9603, Port Au Prince, Haiti. USAID/Haiti ( Hereinafter known as USAID) is looking for the services of a U.S. firm/insitiution to implement its Education 2004 project (hereinafter known as ED2004 results package or project). The ED2004 results package is a key contributor to achievement of USAID Haiti's strategic objective #3 (SO#3), to promote healthier, smaller, better educated families. The ED2004 RP is comprised of two interrelated sets of activities: Service activities will include long- and short-term technical assistance (TA), participant and in-country training, and provision of a "Core Package" of Teacher/Director training, textbooks and distance education training and material operations research and pilot activities to stimulate community and parent education to increase quality of primary education in 475 networks comprising 959 public and private schools nationwide; and policy activities will include long- and short-term (TA), participant and in-country training, workshops, conferences, and some survey and operations research grants to achieve the development, adoption, and application of National Education Strategic Plan, Norms, standard, and implementation mechanisms by public and private education sectors. These two interrelated sets of activities (intermediary results) will be delivered over a 49-month period beginning in Fiscal Year 1998 (FY). The strategies are designed to increase the primary completion rate by reducing wastage in time and resources within the primary education system, by enhancing the characteristics of primary schools that improve learning, and by improving the National Educational Policy Development Framework. Increasing the number of children who complete the primary cycle with the appropriate basic skills contributes to the achievement of S03: to promote healthier, better nourished, smaller, and better educated families. Knowledge of educational characteristics of development coupled with the accomplishments and lessons learned from the Incentives to Improve Basic Education (IIBE) project yieldintermediary goals that are similar to the current project: 1)to improve quality of primary education; 2) to increase the efficiency of primary education; and 3) to improve the policy development framework within the education sector, and particularly the Ministry of Education. ED2004, However, focuses its resources and implementation strategies more directly on the development and enhancement of service delivery networks and quality community schools. To accomplish these goals, two sets of activities serve as the centerpiece: 1) service activities; and 2) policy activities. The objectives of this contract that will contribute to achievement of the project purpose are: In close collaboration with the National Ministry of Youth, sports and education (MENJS), Haitian Foundation for Private Education (FONHEP), and USAID/Haiti, the contractor will serve as the primary implementing Agency, in Port Au Prince, for both packages of results that comprise ED2004. In this capacity, the contractor will provide the following inputs over an estimated 49 month period (4 years and 1 month): Long-term technical assistance and staff: 12.25 person years (PY) representing 3 international positions and 32.75 PY representing 5 professional local hire positions for long-term and some part-time technical assistance and support. The positions are for an Activities Director/Education Planner, Curriculum Development/Distance Education Specialist, Financial Management Specialist, Community-School Development Specialist, Service Package Manager, Participant Training and Follow-on Manager, and Grant Manager. Support includesa Bookkeeper, Assistance PT Coordinator, and Secretaries. Additional Office Support may be necessary (IE. Custodial, Driver, ETC) But is not assigned any Level of Effort (LOE). Home office personnel may include limited management and financial oversight and a part-time PT/TA Assistanct, with a combined LOE not to exceed 1.70 PYS. The contractor will collaborate closely with USAID Haiti and key Haitian partners on development of workplans and for development of scopes of work, etc. For all studies and short-term TA undertaken under the contract. In this regard, it may facilitate the formation of specific Coordination and/or oversight committees for the overall RP and/or for specific components thereof. Short-term technical assistance: The contractor will collaborate with USAID, MENJS and FONHEP to develop detailed terms of reference for and monitor approximately 20 person months (PM) of short-term TA for specific needs as described in the service and policy activities. Illustrative areas for TA are listed in Section 4.2. It is emphasized that the use of "Person Months" is for shorter (or longer) periods, as required. It is assumed that some of the short-term TA will be allocated to sub-contracts for development of distance education modules, evaluation and monitoring, and information management. Training: It is estimated there will be three types of training under the contract: 1) Off-shore participant training (U.S. and or third country); 2) In-country training; and 3) Certificate training for Teachers and Directors. Detailed training plans will be development on an annual basis by the contractor in consultation with USAID. Participant: The contractor will manage (Place and Monitor) approximately 48.72 training months (TM) of off-shore training and 30.20 TM in-country. All participant training is job related, short-term and non degree. Participants will be drawn from both the public and private sector for target of opportunity training and conferences over the LOA. A Haitian in-kind contribution of US$300 per month of training is estimated to cover the value of each participant's time during training. This would be considered a GOH or private sector contribution, depending on the employer ofthe participant. Certificate: The contractor will manage a significant level of in-country Teacher/Director CAEB training. Certificate training covers a two-years period not exceeding two weeks. Current Teacher training targets are estimated at 3,354 and Directors at 559. Estimates are derived by assuming there are 6 Teachers per school (559) and 1 Director for each target (Core and Network) school. School Director training includes additional management and school administration courses. Workshops/Conference: The contractor will provide support for in-country workshops and conference on a variety of topics. For both the policy and services results packages. An estimated eight 1-3 day workshops or conferences are planned. The parent education intervention includes minimal cost for facilitating PTAs and other school-parent action groups. Conference and workshop topics will be agreed to by the institutional contractor in close consultation with USAID and Haitian Partners. The contractor will also provide for coordination assistance in establishing or enhancing PTA meetings on a monthly basis. The workshops will be devoted to key topics of the value of networking, community participation, and girls education. The contractor will provide for the purchase and distribution of textbooks and supplies for a two year period to the 559 core schools, and for purchase and distribution of limited distance education and supplies for 559 core and 400 network schools. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" floppy disk (WORDPERFECT 5.1/5.2 FORMAT). This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the Agency Web Site. The RFP, once issued, can be downloaded from the Agency web site. The Worldwide web address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. Select business and procurement opportunities from the home page, then "USAID Procurements." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." The RFP can also be downloaded via Anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The FTP address is FTP.INFO.USAID.GOV. Logon 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/52197083/52197083.rfp. Receipt of this RFP through Internet must be comfirmed by written notification to the contact person above. It is the responsibility of the recepient of this solication document to ensure that it has been recieved from internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. FY97 legislative limitations. Bidders should be aware that Fiscal Year 1997 ("FY97") funding for the contract which may be awarded under this RFP is currently subject to section 569 of the FY97 Foreign Assistance Appropriations Act ("FY97 Appropriations Act") which was included as part of the FY 1997 omnibus consolidated appropriations act signed on September 30, 1996. Section 569 provides that none of the FY97 funds can be provided to the Government of Haiti ("GOH") until the President of the United States reports to Congress that the GOH is conducting thorough investigations of extra Judical and Political killings and is cooperating with U.S. authorities in doing so. Excepted from this provision are Humanitarian, Development and Electoral Assistance. Also, the President may waive the requirements of Section 569 on a semiannual basis be certifying to certin Congressional Committees that to do so is in the National interest of the United States. Bidders should also be aware that a provision similar section 569 might be included in future appropriations acts for USAID funding and result in future restrictions on assistance to the public sector in Haiti. However, during any period that such restrictions are in effect with regard to the service delivery component of the Education 2004 program, the successful bidder will be expected to substitute private sector schools for the proposed public sector schools so that the number of schools being assisted will remain unchanged from the number included in this RFP. USAID/Haiti anticipates issuing the solicitation for this procurement on/or shortly after March 11, 1997. Copies may be obtained only by written request to the Contracting Officer, USAID/Haiti (Fax 509-23-9603). Request should include complete mailing address, phone and fax numbers. (0066)

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