Carlton M. Bennett, Regional Contracting Officer, USAID/Dakar, Senegal, Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20521-2130

R -- SO2 IMPLEMENTING CONTRACTOR FOR USAID/SENEGAL STRATEGY 1998-2006 SOL 685-99-P-004 DUE 012999 POC Contact Point: Carlton M. Bennett, RCO, Tel: (221)823-1602, Fax: (221)823-2965, E-mail: cbennett@usaid.gov The United States Agency for International Development Mission to Senegal (USAID/Senegal) is seeking the services of a contractor to implement its new SO2: more effective, democratic and acountable management of services and resources in targeted areas. USAID/Senegal's new assistance strategy is demand-driven. Specific Strategic Objectives (SOs) were developed in response to the expressed needs of USAID's Senegalese partners and customers and will be implemented through activities identified and requested by these partners and customers. The demand-driven approach emphasizes customer-partner ownership of the results and seeks to involve customers in all aspects of the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all activities. Each SO is designed to be implemented at two levels, the national level and the local level. The SO Contractor will be working primarily at the local level. In line with the demand-driven approach, the SO Contractor will not target groups or define which activities are to be carried out. The proposals (investment packages) presented by the Investment Units (populations living in geographic and administrative entities such as urban communes, rural communities, regions, and health districts)and approved by USAID/Senegal will define the activities to be carried out at the local level. The main objective of this contract is to provide the appropriate assistance needed to help the local Investment Units to attain results and reach targets as set forth in the investment packages. Description of Strategic Objective No. 2. In 1996 the Senegalese government,through a series of laws known as the Decentralization Code, transferred a wide range of responsibilities to local government units -- municipal councils, rural councils, and newly created regional councils. Local government jurisdictions now have the authority to manage local affairs in nine areas: land tenure; environment and natural resources; health, population, and social affairs; education; youth and sports; culture; urban planning and housing; land development; and development planning. The new Decentralization Code, revitalization of local politics, and growing dynamism of local-based associations provides an important opportunity for local empowerment. USAID/Senegal's vision of decentralization is embodied in SO2 which calls for more effective, democratic and accountable local management of services and resources in targeted areas. The primary contractor will be expected to provide rapid response, short-term and long-term technical assistance in four functional areas: 1. Increased Capacity of Local Institutions. Capacity Building and Training in Managerial Leadership and Planning Skills. Enhancement of Accountability and Transparency. Dissemination and Communication of Good Information. This functional area focuses on strengthening the capacity of local government and grassroots organizations in targeted areas to provide public goods and services demanded by their constituents and memberships and to make them more effective and accountable institutions. 2. Increased Access to Financial Resources, Local Government Finances, Tax Collection and Enforcement, Mobilization of Non-Governmental Local Resources. This functional area focuses on increasing the amount of financial resources made available to local government units to enable them to deliver more and better public goods and services to their constituents. At the present time, local government units do not have the financial resources to carry out their new mandates under the 1996 Decentralization Code. The contractor will be primarily involved in promoting the mobilization of financial resources at the local level rather than in engaging the national government in a policy dialogue to ensure timely transfer of central government resources to local government units. 3. Increased Popular Participation in the Management and Oversight of Local Affairs, Community Organizing, Civic Education and Advocacy, Communication and Information Systems Concerning Functioning of Local Institutions. Training for Democratic Decision-making and Empowerment. This functional area focuses on increasing participation, promoting more democratic decisionmaking practices within grassroots organizations, and empowering people to take a greater role in managing their own affairs. This functional areas is also concerned with strengthening civil society in the targeted areas and nurturing a local civic culture that reinforces democratic principles and good governance practices. 4. More Effective Implementation of Policies and Regulations Related to Decentralization, Local Government, Decentralization Policy and Regulatory Framework. This functional area focuses on providing the kind of information and developing mechanisms to insure that the bold decentralization reforms undertaken by the government are actually implemented. The contractor is expected to act primarily at the local level to enhance implementation of decentralization policies and regulations. USAID/Senegal intends to award an IQC contract with performance based task orders. Telephone requests for the RFP will not be honored. The issuance date of the RFP is expected to be on December 18, 1998. A preproposal conference will be held in Senegal on January 7, 1999. The RFP closing date will be January 29, 1999. The publication of this notice or the issuance of a solicitation does not obligate the U.S. Government to award a contract. Posted 12/04/98 (I-SN277404). (0338)

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