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Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved

Nutrition Status, Resilience, and Gender Equity (SAPLING)

Request for Proposal - Training on USAID rules and regulations for Non-US Organization supported by SAPLING Program

Helen Keller International- BangladeshCooperative Agreement No. AID-FFP-A-15-00010

Helen Keller InternationalRequest For Proposals No.: 8099

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) No. 8099

Issue Date: 26 October 2017RFP questions to be submitted by: 2 November 2017 17:00 Bangladesh TimeProposal submission deadline: 9 November 2017 by 17:00 Bangladesh Time

Anticipated decision on awarding the contract: 16 November 2017

The dates above may be modified at the sole discretion of HKI. Any changes will be published in an amendment to this RFP.

Contracting Entity: Helen Keller International (HKI)

Place of Performance: Bandarban or Chittagong

Contents of this document

Annex A: Scope of Work (SOW)Annex B: Format of CV to be used for Personnel (one document per person)Annex C: Cost proposal template (separate Excel spreadsheets)Annex D: Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Consultant/firms are encouraged to read this RFP in its entirety (including any and all attachments), paying specific attention to the instructions and requirements included herein. Issuance of this solicitation does not, in any way, obligate Helen Keller International to award a contract, nor does it commit Helen Keller International to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. All recipients of this RFP shall treat all information and details included herein as private and confidential.

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SECTION 1: Background information, Objective and Eligibility of Consultant/firms,

Background information

On September 30, 2015, Helen Keller International (HKI) was awarded a five-year cooperative agreement by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to lead the Development Food Security Activity (DFSA), Sustainable Agriculture and Production Linked to Improved Nutrition Status, Resilience and Gender Equity (SAPLING). The overall aim of SAPLING is to improve gender equitable food security, nutrition and resilience of vulnerable people living in select upazilas of the Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). This goal will be achieved by applying an integrated community development approach through interventions designed to increase household (HH) food availability and access, enhance Maternal Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN), and improve resilience to shocks and stresses among families who are under constant threat of natural and human-induced disasters.

As the prime, HKI is responsible for representation in addition to overall strategic vision, management, compliance and quality control. HKI is also the technical lead on Livelihoods and MCHN. Caritas Bangladesh (CB) is responsible for SAPLING’s upazila-level and union-level office administration and technical-line management of three local partners for field-level implementation of activities in the upazilas of Bandarban Sadar, Ruma and Lama. HKI is responsible for other two local partners are responsible for field-level activities in upazilas of Rowangchari and Thanchi. CRS is the consortium’s lead on provision of technical assistance in disaster risk management (DRM), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC). CRS is also responsible for SAPLING’s local capacity building component. WorldFish (WF) is to provide technical support to develop improved aquaculture and fisheries in target Upazilas and provide proven technology to diversify dietary patterns of pregnant and lactating women and children.

Objective

SAPLING is seeking the service of a professional consultant (individual/firm) to conduct a comprehensive training on USAID rules and regulations: Code of Federal Rules (CFR) and Standard Provision (SP) for Non-US Organizations which will help the participants to learn that how to:

Navigate and apply USAID rules and regulations to ensure compliant and successful program implementation

Explain the relationship between NGO’s own policies and the regulations Identify when approvals, waivers, and extensions are required, as well as how to obtain

from Develop strategies with practical examples from SAPLING to answer a variety of common

and complex issues

Eligibility of Consultant/firms

The consultant or consultancy firm, a national from Bangladesh, should have at least [10] years of experience in a relevant field of this activity with specific experience / education on developing training materials and conducting training in project management and USAID rules and regulations, most notably 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 700, 22 CFR 228 and Standard Provision for Non-US Organization. The firm or consultant shall have broad understanding of USG rules and regulations for non US organization and have skills in measuring and assessing the effectiveness of learning and knowledge.

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Competencies required (please include in your CV):

Previous experience of working with USAID funded food security program (Title II project)

Excellent technical knowledge and proven working USAID rules regulation and grant management

Demonstrated knowledge and experience on conducting similar nature of assignment Relevant academic background of the consultants Excellent interpersonal, communication and reporting skills Fluent in English and Bengali

Note: HKI will not award a contract to any firm that is debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by the U.S. Government, or who proposes to do business with firms or firms’ principals who are debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment, in the performance of the requirement of this activity.

SECTION 2: Proposal Instructions

HKI will evaluate all proposals received in response to this RFP in accordance with the evaluation criteria described in this document.

The Consultant/firm’s proposal will consist of two separate parts:

Part 1 - Technical ProposalPart 2 - Cost Proposal

The Technical Proposal and the Cost Proposal must be submitted separately. The Consultant/firm should not include any cost data in the Technical Proposal.

The proposal should be concisely presented and structured, and should explain in detail the Consultant/firm’s availability, experience and resources to provide the requested services.

Proposals that are incomplete or do not address these criteria may not be considered in the review process. All proposals must be submitted in English.

Both the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal must be submitted with a Cover Letter which must include the following information and must be signed by an authorized representative of the Consultant/firm organization:

i. Date of proposal submissionii. Name of the company or organization iii. Name and title of authorized representative of organization iv. Type of company or organizationv. Addressvi. Telephone vii. E-mail viii. Taxpayer Identification Numberix. Copy of registration or incorporation in the public registry, or equivalent document from

the government office where the Consultant/firm is registered.

HKI may choose to contact the Consultant/firm prior to making a final decision. Please confirm whether this would be possible, ensuring that full contact details are also included (email, telephone number).

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Part 1: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The Technical Proposal should be written in the English language, typed in Microsoft Word, single-spaced, using Times New Roman sized 12 fonts with one inch margins on narrative, with each page numbered consecutively.

The detail CV of the Lead trainer along with additional experts (one or more) should be included (please see attached annexure) Consultant/firm can submit the relevant experience documents i.e. brochure, list of previous assignments, module/methodology of the training, materials/handouts and cost as an Annex (not in the body of technical proposal). Any experience that relates the experience of similar consultancy MUST be included into the CV of Expert/s.

Part 2: COST PROPOSAL

As part of the Cost Proposal, Consultant/firms must include a detailed budget, submitted in Microsoft Excel, expressed in Bangladeshi Taka (BDT). Consultant/firm is advised to submit their budget for the whole consultancy service including travel, accommodation and field activities (please see Annexure D). Proposed total budget will be treated the quoted price for entire service and deliverables. The agreed price will be paid in BDT directly from HKI Bangladesh Country Office. Compliance to local laws on taxes/VAT, HKI Bangladesh will deduct on total bill per existing policy of the GoB.

Cost of Facilitation-Considerable Points

The bidder may include/exclude any necessary heads from the above mentioned format. All the pages of the financial proposal should be signed by the respective person of the

bidder organization. In case of submission through email, consultant/firm has to make sure that the document is signed and scanned to send.

All costs should be inclusive of VAT and TAX. The payment terms would be as per mutually agreed T&C laid out in the contract TIN/VIN to be mentioned in the proposal submission and also in the invoice

SECTION 4: Evaluation Criteria

The Consultant/firm’s Conflict of Interest Declaration Form will be assessed to establish whether the Consultant/firm has any present or potential future conflict of interest according to the definition in Annex D. If the conclusion is reached that any conflict of interest declared by the Consultant/firm could have a negative impact on the Consultant/firm’s ability to perform the Service, HKI may decide to reject the submitted proposal. Failure to accurately complete the Conflict of Interest Declaration Form may also lead to the rejection of the submitted proposal.

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Selection Criteria

HKI will make an award to an eligible, responsive (one that complies with all the requirements of the RFP without material deviation) and responsible Consultant/firm that presents the best value to HKI. Consultant/firms may not modify non-responsive offers after the proposal deadline in order to make them responsive. However, HKI may request a Consultant/firm to clarify its offer as long as no material deviation exists.

A two-stage procedure will be utilized in evaluating the proposals, with the evaluation of the technical proposal being completed prior to the cost proposal being considered. The evaluation of the cost proposal is only undertaken for technical submissions

An impartial evaluation committee at HKI will evaluate proposals in accordance to the following criteria:

Technical Evaluation (70 points)

A minimum technical score of 49 points out of a maximum of 70 point is required to pass the technical evaluation. A proposal which fails to achieve the minimum technical threshold will not be considered further. Technical proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

1. Offeror track record and relevant experience (including professional references) – 20 points maximum

2. Technical approach, including the Offeror’s demonstrated understanding of the roles and the responsibilities outlined in annexed scope of work and approach to quality service delivery, including safety, quality assurance, mobilization schedule, Implementation schedule and any other activities as specified by the offeror – 25 points maximum

3. Proposed team structure, quality of key expert(s) and Team Leader qualifications – 25 points maximum

Cost Evaluation (30 points maximum):

When at least 49 points out of 70 points has been scored for the Technical Evaluation, a review of the cost proposals will be conducted. The cost proposal will be evaluated based on clear linkages to the technical proposal, compliance with USAID cost principles, and presentation of a competitive offer. Cost proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

1. Costs are realistic, reasonable, and allowable for the work to be performed – 10 points maximum

2. Costs reflect clear understanding of RFP requirements – 10 points maximum3. Costs are consistent with the technical proposal – 10 points maximum

SECTION 5: Proposal Validity, Submission Deadline and Instructions

Proposals should have a 180-day validity period from the proposal submission date, as provided in the Cover Letter.

Proposals must be submitted electronically by the deadline listed on the cover page of this RFP by E-mail to [email protected] indicating in the subject line of the e-mail the company name and the RFP number.

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mailto:[email protected]


A full proposal submission will include the following documents, all of which must reference the RFP number as stated on the cover page of this document:

- Cover Letter- Technical Proposal- Cost Proposal- Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form- Copies of Consultant/firm legal registration documents- Other pertinent information relevant to the proposal submission

Any questions related to this RFP should be addressed to [email protected] submitted no later than the date prescribed on the cover page of this RFP. To ensure fairness, HKI’s response to all questions deemed relevant will be communicated to all potential Consultant/firms, ensuring the original requestor’s anonymity.

SECTION 6: Negotiations

Best offer proposals are requested. It is anticipated that an award will be awarded solely on the basis of the original offers received. However, HKI reserves the right to conduct discussions, negotiations and/or request clarifications prior to awarding a contract. Furthermore, HKI reserves the right to conduct a competitive range and to limit the number of Consultant/firms in the competitive range to permit an efficient evaluation environment among the most highly-rated proposals. Highest-rated Consultant/firms, as determined by the technical evaluation committee, may be asked to submit their best prices or technical responses during a competitive range. At the sole discretion of HKI, Consultant/firms may be requested to conduct oral presentations. If deemed an opportunity, HKI reserves the right to make separate awards per component or to make no award at all.

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mailto:[email protected]


SECTION 7: Terms of the Solicitation

1. All rights to work produced under the Contract resulting from this RFP will be the property of HKI. Contractor (Consultant/firms) use of work, including but not limited to data, results or materials, produced or obtained under the Contract (“work”) are limited to use for the scope of work under the Contract. Use of work outside of the Contract will be limited to prior approval by HKI.

2. Contractor (Consultant/firms) will treat as confidential all data, records, accounts and other information regarding HKI and its affiliates and SAPLING participants that become known to the Contractor (Consultant/firms) through its activities under the resulting Contract, including information regarding HKI’s and its affiliates’ operations, policies, procedures, faculty, employees, students, information technology systems and financial information and plans (HKI Confidential Information). The Contractor (Consultant/firms) must obtain agreement to this term in writing from any entities or individuals engaged by the Contractor to work under the awarded Contract.

3. Issuance of this RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the part of HKI, nor does it commit HKI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a bid.

4. Attached files (Annexures) are integral part of this RFP.

5. HKI may contact Consultant/firms to confirm contact person, address, bid amount and to confirm that the proposal was submitted for this solicitation.

6. False Statements: Consultant/firms must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments.

7. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Consultant/firms must provide disclosure of any past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with the issuance, review or management of this solicitation and anticipated award. Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in HKI having to re-evaluate selection of a potential Consultant/firms.

8. Right to Select/Reject: HKI reserves the right to select and negotiate with those firms it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified for competitive proposals and to terminate negotiations without incurring any liability. HKI also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation.

9. Reserved rights: All RFP responses become the property of HKI and HKI reserves the right in its sole discretion to: a. To disqualify any offer based on Consultant/firm’s failure to follow solicitation

instructions;b. To waive any deviations by Consultant/firms from the requirements of this solicitation that

in HKI’s opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection or disqualification or where such a waiver will promote increased competition;

c. Extend the time for submission of all RFP responses after notification to all Consultant/firms;

d. Terminate or modify the RFP process at any time and re-issue the RFP to whomever HKI deems appropriate;

e. Issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion;f. Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on

solicitation activities.

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10. Consultant/firms and its proposed personnel shall disclose any factors that could limit the organization’s ability to independently perform the services such as relationship with counterpart employees, past employment, etc.

ANNEX A: Scope of Work

SAPLING is seeking the service of a professional consultant (individual/firm) to conduct a comprehensive training on USAID rules and regulations: Code of Federal Rules (CFR) and Standard Provision (SP) for Non-US Organizations.

Expected Outcomes of the Training:

Training modules and training materials for USG rules and regulation. Facilitation guide for Trainers Train SAPLING staff to co-facilitate parts of the training. Through training the participants will have a measurable understanding of USAID rules

and regulations for Non-US organization Specific questions or unclarity from the participants on USG rules and regulations are

answered for challenges faced in their day to day work for SAPLING.

At a minimum training content should cover the following:

1. Overview of USAID as a donor, including general expectations, policies and procedures2. Type of awards i.e. Cost reimbursable/ fixed award amount3. Code of Federal Rules (CFR); 2 CFR 2004. Code of Federal Rules (CFR); 2 CFR 7005. Code of Federal Rules (CFR); 22 CFR 2286. Standard Provisions (M & RAA) for Non-US Organizations

Participants and Duration:

Two Training in a batch of 10-12 Participants each (fluent in Bangla and basic English) for a duration of 2-3 days per training.

Key Relationship:

The consultant will work in close relationship with the SAPLING Finance staff for Co-facilitation, Director, Finance and Grants and Organizational Capacity building advisor.

Deliverables:

Training schedule; Training modules, materials and handouts; Facilitation guide for Trainers; Conduct training for a co-facilitator from SAPLING; Lead and facilitate training 2 batches of 2 day-long trainings for an estimated 10-12

participants per batch in Bandarban; Respond to relevant questions raised by the participants; and Submit training completion report.

Logistic:

HKI-SAPLING will be responsible for hiring venue, meal (snacks & lunch) on training days and other logistic arrangements which will include projector, sound system and stationeries. All participant and venue-related logistic payments will be borne by HKI-SAPLING. Consultant/firm will bear their travel and transportation costs.

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ANNEX B: Format of CV to Be Used for Personnel (One Document Per Person)

Name:Title:Nationality:Home office address:

Professional qualifications:

Language skills:Language: Reading: Speaking: Writing:

Relevant work experience, including the duration and responsibilities:

References:

Name:Position:Organization:E-mail:Address:Telephone:Relationship:

Name:Position:Organization:E-mail:Address:Telephone:Relationship:

Certification:I declare that the information provided in this CV is accurate and hereby authorize HKI to undertake whatever inquiries HKI may consider reasonable and necessary in the course of the assessment process, in relation to the information in this curriculum vita relating to my suitability for the position for which I have been nominated

Signed Date:

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ANNEX C: Cost Proposal Format

DETAILED BUDGET BREAKDOWN WORKSHEET (SAMPLE FORMAT)

Cost Element Unit Cost Quantity Total Cost

1. SALARIES Position No. 1 {name) Position No. 2 {name}SUBTOTAL

Unit Cost x Quantity

2. FRINGE BENEFITS (If applicable) xx% xx% of Base*

3. OVERHEAD (If applicable) xx% xx% of Base*

4. EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS Position No. 1 {name}SUBTOTAL

5. TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION A. Travel B. Per DiemSUBTOTAL

Number of trips

6. OTHER DIRECT COSTS Communications Duplication [List Items]SUBTOTAL

7. INDIRECT COSTS (If applicable) xx% xx% of Base*

8. FIXED FEE x% xx% of Base*

Total

____________________________Principal’s Signature

*The Base for each of these percentages needs to be identified and documented through audited financial statements.

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ANNEX D: Conflict of Interest Disclosure

HKI Code of Conduct & Ethics Policy: In accordance with the HKI Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy, HKI requires full and open disclosure when dealing with procurement. As such, HKI employees must avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. HKI employees must at all times provide full disclosure of their actions or relationships with prospective vendors, contractors, or consultants. HKI employees shall not solicit, request, accept, or agree to accept any gift from a vendor or prospective vendor.

HKI reserves the right to reject any or all quotes when considered to be in the best interest of the organization and/or the people it serves.

All parties submitting a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal are obligated to disclose the existence of any actual or possible conflict of interest relating to every country included within their proposal in the attached Conflict of Interest Declaration Form.

Failure to fully disclose such information could lead HKI to reject a proposal.

If a party has no conflict to declare for any of the countries covered in their proposal, they may submit one form, listing all of the countries covered.

“Conflict of Interest” means a situation in which an Consultant/firm, or an Affiliate (as defined below), or a sub-contractor (if any) of an Consultant/firm, has interests (financial, organizational, personal, reputational or otherwise) that would or may appear to make it difficult for an Consultant/firm to fulfill its obligations to HKI in its role as the vendor in an objective, independent and professional manner, or a situation in which it is reasonable to foresee that such an interest would arise.

A Conflict of Interest may arise in the following circumstances, which are not exhaustive:i. an Consultant/firm has been, or is involved in the design of a proposal or request for funding

that has been, or will be submitted to HKI;ii. an Consultant/firm has been, or is involved in the provision of advice to an entity that is a

Principal Recipient or a Sub-recipient;iii. an Consultant/firm has been, or is involved in, or has provided advice in relation to the

procurement of goods and/or services by a Principal Recipient and/or a Sub-recipient;iv. an Consultant/firm has been, or is involved in the provision of auditing services to a Principal

Recipient and/or a Sub-recipient; or v. an Consultant/firm has submitted an expression of interest, tender, bid or otherwise indicated

interest in providing services of any nature to a Principal Recipient or a Sub-recipient that remains valid at the time of, and for the duration of the term of this Contract.

“Affiliate” means a business concern, individual or other entity that, directly or indirectly: (i) controls or can control an Consultant/firm; (ii) is controlled by, or can foreseeably be controlled by, an Consultant/firm; or (iii) along with an Consultant/firm, is controlled by, or can foreseeably be controlled by, the same third party.

Conflict of Interest Declaration Form

Country: Bangladesh

Please check one box below, as appropriate:The Consultant/firm hereby declares that it has read and understood the Conflict of Interest rules set forth in the Request for Proposals (RFP) and warrants that no Conflict of Interest exists on the part of the Consultant/firm or an Affiliate of the Consultant/firm, with regard to the services to be performed under the RFP. The Consultant/firm hereby agrees to comply

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with the Conflict of Interest rules set forth in the Request for Proposals (RFP).The Consultant/firm wishes to disclose a real or potential Conflict of Interest situation(s) and propose mitigating action(s). Note: if this box is checked, please describe, in detail, the situation and present a proposed mitigation plan / arrangement for consideration by HKI.

Requested information for the disclosure of a real/potential Conflict of Interest (CoI):

1. The Consultant/firm has a responsibility to fully disclose all relevant details relating to real and/or potential CoI situations that may incur in case the Consultant/firm was awarded a contract to provide Services for HKI in the above-named country.

2. If conflicting work was performed in the past, please provide all relevant information pertaining to such work performed after 1 January 2012 (please also describe any significant work performed before 1 January 2012 if it was of an on-going nature which could present an actual or possible conflict of interest in the present day).

3. For the purpose of disclosing any CoIs, please answer the below questions and add any relevant information, as required, and attach this written analysis as an appendix to the signed and completed form.

4. As part of disclosing a CoI situation, and based on the facts of the situation, the Consultant/firm must clearly provide its assessment of the CoI situation.

5. Where a CoI situation is identified, the Consultant/firm must propose realistic and effective mitigation measures. Please note that not all CoIs can be mitigated. HKI therefore requests the Consultant/firm to carefully evaluate the risk and/or the scope of the CoI before proposing mitigating measures.

Conflict of Interest disclosure questions: information to be provided by the Consultant/firm

1. Who is the entity or Consultant selected to undertake the Services work in the country?2. Who is the entity/client with whom the contract for performing the work causing the

real/potential conflict of interest (referred to as ‘the work’) has been signed? 3. Who has been asked to bid or is already performing the work?4. What is their relationship to the Consultant/firm?5. What is the nature and scope of the work, including Terms of References?6. What is the entity for which the work will be/is being/has been performed? What is its

relationship to HKI?7. Who is paying for the work, and how much?8. If the work is an audit, is the audit being performed as part of the fiduciary arrangements of

HKI and if so, are program funds being used to pay for it?9. Does the Consultant/firm think that there is a conflict? Why? (Or why not?)10. If there appears to be a conflict, does the Consultant/firm think it can be mitigated? If so,

please set out a mitigation plan for consideration by HKI.

Consultant/firm:

By: _____________________________________

Name: _____________________________________

Title: _____________________________________

Date: _______________________________

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