U.S. Agency International Development, M/OP RRB, Room 7.08-098, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20523-7804

R -- PROFESSIONAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE SAHEL REGIONAL PROGRAM OF USAID SOL M/OP-99-605 DUE 042699 POC Dennis Dorsey, 202-712-0384, Internet: ddorsey@usaid.gov, Contracting Officer, Michael Walsh, 703-712-5130 WEB: http://www.info.usaid.gov, http://www.info.usaid.gov/procurement_bus_opp/procurement/announce/cbd. E-MAIL: http://www.info.usaid.gov, ddorsey@usaid.gov. This solicitation is restricted to certified 8(A) firms only. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Africa, Sahel Regional Program (AFR/WA) seeks to competitively award a thirty-nine month definitequantity of services (level of effort) contract in support of the Sahel Regional Program Strategic Plan. The Sahel is comprised of nine West African nations: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. The U. S. Agency for International Development has provided assistance to Sahelian and counterpart donor organizations' program to enhance food security and maintain ecological balance in the fragile Sahelian region of sub-Saharan Africa since 1974. The most recent program of support is incorporated in the Sahel Regional Program Strategic Plan (SRSP) for Fiscal Years 1995-2002. The plan has an overall goal of increasing food security and ecological balance in Sahel/Wwest Africa, and three strategic objectives: (1) Assist national governments, regional institutions and private sector associations to identigy, clarify, and implement policy options which promote trade and investment in West Africa, (2) Regional dialogue increased on the role of civil society and communal, local and national governments in achieving improved management of natural resources, food security, and market development, (3) Decision makers have ready access to rlevant information on food security, population and environment. The SRPSP is predominantly implemented by USAIDD's West African institutional partners, including the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and the West African Enterprise Network (WAEN). The Club du Sahel, donor counterpart to the CILSS, has also been supported to implement the strategy. Since the approval of the SRSP, USAID presence in the Sahel region has diminished from nine bilateral sustainable development programs in each of the CILSS member states, with assistance from the Regional Economic Development Support Office in West and Central Africa (REDSO/WCA), to two sustainable development missions. The Sahel Regional Program is managed from the AFR/WA in USAID/Washington with some support services provided by USAID/Mali. In order to effectively assist the SRP's West African partners to implement the strategy, USAID has found it necessary to put in place an institutional contract that serves as a liaison between the AFR/WA office and the home offices of USAID's West African partners. Hence, the purpose of the contract is to facilitate the achievement of the resoults stated in the SRSP. The objective of this contract is to provide tecnical assistance to: (1) enhance analytical capacity, streghthen linkages and encourage collaboration among all actors involved in the concerted effort to better understand and improve the policy environment of SSahelian countries. Sspecial attention will be given to assuring support to the Sahel Regional Program's (SRP's) West African partners. These partners are the principal implementors of the SRPP Regional Strategic Plan (SRPRSP). (2) serve as a broker between entities that demand analytical expertise and those that can supply it, so that U.S. expertise and knowledge are brought to bear on West African regional development issues. (3) support and enhance Sahelian analytical and managerial capacities in the context of a reformed and strengthened Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control (CILSS) and its major programs through the identification of specific technical assistance and other (e.g., training, limited commodities) needs. The issuance date for the RFP is expected to be after March 29, 1999. The closing date for submission of proposals will be approximately fourty five (45) days from the actual issuance date, and will be specified in the RFP. 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 downloadedusing 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 home page, then "USAID Procurements." On the following screen, select "Download Available USAID Solicitations." 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 Internet its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Only in instances where Internet access or utilization of diskettes are not possible will hard copy of the RFP be distributed upon request. Interested offerors may request a hard copy by submitting a written request to the contact point noted above. The SIC Code for the above requirement is 8742. Posted 03/15/99 (W-SN308523). (0074)

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