B -- STUDY OF NARCOTICS CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Notice Date

December 12, 2000

Contracting Office

INL/RM/MS, Department Of State, 2430 E Street NW, SA-44 South Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20520

ZIP Code

20520

Solicitation Number

SOL 2071-110014

Response Due

December 27, 2000

Point of Contact

Mary Pat Hayes-Crow, 202-776-8373

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact the Contracting Officer via (Hayes-CrowMP2@state.gov)

Description

The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State has a requirement for a study of the drug certification process. The following provides background and the statement of work. BACKGROUND: Section 490(b)(1)(A) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA) requires that the President of the United States determine and certify annually that the major illicit drug producing and/or major illicit drug transit countries/dependent territories have cooperated fully with the United States, or have taken adequate steps on their own, to achieve full compliance with the goals and objectives of the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. To carry out this and other detailed provisions of Sections 489 and 490 of the FAA, the Department of State developed what is now known informally as the Certification Process. The legislation requires that by November 1 of every year the President submit to the Congress a list of the major drug-producing and drug-transit countries that will be subject to Presidential certification the following March 1. The list of countries (Majors List) is developed each year through an interagency process based on the definitions in sections 481(e)(3) and 481(e)(5) of the FAA. Once this list is submitted, the countries on it cannot receive more than fifty percent of most forms of non-humanitarian, non-narcotics related assistance. The remaining fifty percent cannot be made available until the President certifies, on or before March 1 of the following year, that the countries in question have cooperated fully with the United States, or taken adequate steps on their own, to accomplish the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Convention. Countries that are not certified cannot receive the remainder of their assistance, unless the President grants them a special National Interest Certification. Countries that do not receive such an exception are considered "decertified". Aid cannot flow again until the President certifies that they are in compliance with the law. At the current time, there are 24 countries on the Majors List: Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam. Of these, in March of 2000, two -- Afghanistan and Burma were decertified; four received national interest certifications -- Cambodia, Haiti, Nigeria and Paraguay. The remaining countries were fully certified. The certification process has been in effect since 1986, with modifications in 1988, 1992, and 1994. Because its public nature goes counter to the traditional confidentiality of bilateral diplomacy, the certification process has generated controversy among the governments of several countries on the list. Some have questioned whether the perceived benefits of the process are worth the possible harm done to traditional diplomatic relationships. While the certification process has been studied in the course of regular Executive and Legislative Branch reviews, it has never been evaluated by an independent, non-governmental entity. The Department of State is now requesting such an independent evaluation. STATEMENT OF WORK: The contractor shall conduct an evaluation of the drug certification process. This evaluation will examine the certification process within the historical context of international drug control efforts over the past decade. The evaluation will contain an analysis of the role of the process in those countries where there has been significant cooperation and drug control progress in order to determine the degree to which the various elements influenced the outcome. It will also examine the role that the certification process has played in Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, where the USG had in place drug control programs that pre-date the current certification process. The evaluation will examine the effects of a strong U.S. anti-drug policy on other U.S. international political and economic interests in key countries and regions. The evaluation will also discuss and evaluate the feasibility, structure and effectiveness of possible alternatives to the current certification process. In conducting the evaluation, the contractor shall examine the history of conditional sanctions, political support and opposition within the U.S. Congress, the results attributable to certification, and possible reforms to the current legislation. The evaluation will result in a final, written report to the Government that will include all elements of the evaluation and recommendations as described above. Interested sources must submit a technical proposal detailing how they will accomplish the requirements in the statement of work; interested sources must submit qualfications and past performance documentation detailing their ability to meet the requirements of the statement of work; and a firm, fixed price quotation for this effort. The complete solicitation is contained in this announcement. Offerors will be evaluated on the merit of their technical proposal, on their qualifications and on their past performance. All evaluating factors will carry equal weight. This procurement will be awarded under simplified acquisition procedures and is limited to small business. Numbered notes 1,25, and 26 apply. Interested sources should submit their proposals and quotes to Mary Pat Hayes-Crow by facsimile, fax no. 202-776-8775 or by email to: Hayes-CrowMP2@state.gov. Closing date for submission is 12/27/00 by 4:00 pm, ET. Questions regarding the solicitation may be directed to Mary Pat Hayes-Crow by fax or email.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001214/BSOL009.HTM (W-347 SN5087E1)