· web viewthe kaizen company (kaizen) is seeking proposals from qualified organizations...

RFP Issuance Due Date: July 30, 2020:

Questions Due Date: August 5, 2020, GMT+2, Midnight

Proposal Submission Due Date: August 28, GMT +2, Midnight

Anticipated Start Date: September 14, 2020

SUBJECT: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 2 Analysis of Consumption Patterns in Agriculture: Market Systems

Development Analysis

The Kaizen Company (Kaizen) is seeking proposals from qualified organizations interested in providing the services described in the attached Request for Proposals (RFP).

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is to invite qualified organizations to submit a proposal for providing an analysis of the business opportunities and challenges to

water conservation in the agricultural sector and opportunities for water conservation at the municipal level. This assessment will also capture the lessons learned from the

USAID/Jordan Water Innovations Technologies project which uses a Market System Development approach to catalyze the private sector to provide and disseminate water

conservation practices and advisory services while promoting their products. This scope is more fully outlined in Section III and Section IV.

Kaizen intends to issue a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) subcontract with an estimated value of $167,000 USD to suitable vendors who demonstrate that they have the capacity to deliver

quality technical assistance and are the most responsive to the requirements of the RFP.

The remainder of this RFP provides additional information that will allow an offeror to understand the scope of the effort and develop a proposal in the format desired by Kaizen.

Issuance of this Request for Proposal (RFP) does not constitute an award commitment on the part of Kaizen. Kaizen reserves the right to reject any offer received in response to this

request. Kaizen shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Offeror in the preparation and submission of proposal.

The information presented in this RFP is furnished solely for the purpose of assisting the offeror in making its own evaluation of the Scope of Work and does not purport to be all-

inclusive or to contain all the information you may require. This RFP is not an offer by Kaizen to contract, but rather an attempt to establish a common framework for Kaizen to

evaluate potential suppliers. The offeror should make its own investigations, projections and conclusions to verify independently the information contained in this RFP, and to obtain

any additional information that it may require, prior to submitting a proposal.

All questions, comments, requests for clarifications must be sent in writing to Michael Cooper [email protected] no later than the date and time indicated above. Questions

will not be entertained after this date.

If substantive questions are received which affect the response to the solicitation or if changes are made to the closing date and time as well as other aspects of the RFP, this

solicitation will be amended. Any amendments to this solicitation will be issued and posted on the Kaizen procurement opportunities website. The worldwide web address is

http://www.thekaizencompany.com/. Offerors are encouraged to check this website periodically.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,

Susan Merrill, Chief of Party

Table of Contents

Statement of Work (SOW) 1

I. Background 1

II. Objectives 1

III. Activities and Tasks 2

V. Duration and Location 5

VI. Submission Information 6

VII. Evaluation Criteria 9

VIII. General Terms and Conditions 10

IX. Annex A: Consultant Scopes of Work 14

Statement of Work (SOW)

I. Background

Agriculture in Jordan consumes 52% of Jordan’s freshwater resources. As Jordan is one of the most water-poor countries in the world, it has to make the best use of its limited water

resources. While the kingdom has various water supply projects in the planning stage, this expensive-to-treat resource is better conserved through the promotion of water

conservation efforts, especially in the agricultural sector.

Jordan’s agriculture sector is highly inefficient in its use of water. This is largely because the underpricing of water coupled with limited regulation or governance over water

resources prove little incentive for farmers to conserve water. In addition, inefficiency is caused by lack of access to information for many farmers. Public agricultural advisory

services have limited reach and capacity, and while private advisory services exist through advice by agro-input dealers, they are focused more on the use of fertilizers and pesticides

and less so on irrigation. In Jordan, public extension services were provided by the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension. But recently, this Center’s mandate

moved all extension activities to the Ministry of Agriculture, leaving the Center with extra agricultural research scope, hence its new title: The National Agricultural Research Center

(NARC). However, even when they provided these services, their advice and research was limited in its scope and capacity to fully meet farmers’ needs and demands.

While the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported Jordan’s agriculture sector since it began work in Jordan, this support has shifted from an

economic development strategy to focusing exclusively on water conservation over the last ten years. USAID supports water conservation at the end-user level (households and

agricultural water users), promoting practices that help preserve, protect, and better utilize water resources. Technical support extends to capacity building and awareness raising

initiatives that promote water-saving technologies and techniques for the households or agricultural water users. In 2017, USAID launched the Water Innovations Technologies (WIT)

project, which supports water conservation in the agriculture sector and seeks to promote the adoption of new water-saving technologies by farmers. The project has facilitated

access to finance and promoted the provision of embedded advisory services. WIT supports private-sector equipment suppliers and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to

market cost-efficient, scalable water-saving technologies to farmers, households and communities, and provide them with technical support and aftermarket services. The project’s

unique angle is its focus on the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to catalyzing the private sector (vendors, manufacturers and importers of irrigation equipment) to

provide and disseminate water conservation practices and advisory services whilst promoting their products.

II. Objectives

USAID proposes conduct an assessment to inform the planning and design of future water conservation interventions. This study will help focus and orient the water conservation

efforts of the USAID Water Resources and Environment (WRE) office.

This analysis will:

▪ Identify the business opportunities and challenges to promote to promote water conservation for the agricultural sector,

▪ Identify the quantities and types of water (surface, ground, blended, treated wastewater) used by agriculture in different agricultural production zones (highlands,

Jordan valley, Madaba, etc.) in Jordan,

▪ Identify opportunities and quantities for water conservation at the municipal level, and

▪ Capture the lessons learned for the WIT Activity from a market systems perspective.

III. Activities and Tasks

The subcontractor will conduct an analysis of the Jordanian agricultural sector to describe current agriculture production systems and existing water consumption patterns in

addition to the water conservation practices and technologies currently being used in each agriculture production zone. The subcontractor will identify and describe the different

farming systems and their corresponding water use practices and usage rates, the water quality (and its effect on consumption), energy consumption, the prevalent crops, the

reasons for farming, economic viability of the agricultural activity, etc. This analysis will cover farms in all agricultural zones of Jordan; Mafraq (northeast Badia), Azraq, the Jordan

Valley, Madaba, Al-Shafa and Wadi Araba. The subcontractor will look into farms’ irrigation and agricultural practices in all agricultural areas of Jordan to (i) describe the water-saving

RFP/KZN/MELA/RFP-002 Page 1 of 27

measures being utilized (including the motive behind saving water for each of these farming systems (without being prescriptive), and (ii) identify the business and innovations

opportunities and challenges for promotion of water conservation in the Jordanian agricultural sector.

The subcontractor will survey other sectors (e.g. industry, tourism, construction, etc.) to identify current water consumption patterns on the municipal level and identify existing

water conservation practices and technologies being used in these sectors. The subcontractor will also identify business opportunities and incentives for the private sector to

promote water conservation in these areas.

For the final part of the study, the subcontractor will capture the lessons learned from WIT from the perspective of market systems, describing lessons learned from the

perspective of Market Systems Development, analyzing the reasons behind the gains that the project has achieved and the challenges in terms of a) engaging the private sector to

provide water conservation information and advisory services and b) water-savings at the farm level. This part of the study will also include a synopsis of the water conservation

market; describing the key actors and the roles they currently play. These actors include donors, governmental and non-governmental entities, academia, and the private sector.

Assessment Topics and Questions:

Below are illustrative questions for the assessment, focused around five key assessment topics (agricultural production systems, markets, water use practices, municipal water, and

market systems development). Final assessment questions will be decided in consultation with USAID and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Activity (MELA) following award.

Agricultural Production Systems:

▪ What key crops are produced per agricultural production zoneand what is the impact of growing these crops on water resources? Have there been any recent shifts in

production from traditional cropping patterns to new ones? What is the reasoning behind these shift(s)?

▪ How many and what are the types of farmers are involved in producing for these different value chains? What is the area of production per zone?

Markets:

▪ What are the primary markets for the products grown?

Water Use Practices:

▪ What is the water usage of the key crops produced in production zones? What irrigation systems and practices are used by these farmers?

o What is the estimated water consumption by agriculture type in each zone on a seasonal basis (and what is the production per area)? What is the

production/export per zone on a seasonal basis?

▪ What is the potential for water-savings in agriculture by agricultural zones as well as by different types of water (groundwater, surface water, blended water, etc.)?

Municipal Water:

▪ What is the potential for water-savings at the municipal level?

o Who, at the municipal level, currently promotes or supports water conservation practices?

▪ What are the challenges for promoting water conservation at the municipal level?

o What is the vision and actions by the GOJ to promote water conservation at the municipal level?

WIT Market Systems Development:

▪ What have been the biggest challenges faced by the WIT activity in following an MSD approach?


▪ What have been the key successes by the WIT team in applying the MSD methodology towards conserving water?

▪ What lessons can be learned on applying MSD in a Jordanian context? (other donor funded activities, private sector actors, implementing team’s mental models and

willingness to own the approach, USAID support, etc.)

Assessment Design and Methodology

Below is a summary of the key phases of the design and methodology for the water conservation and market systems study. There should be three phases starting with a desk

review, followed by data collection and analysis phases.

Phase 1: Desk Review

The subcontractor will perform a desktop review of relevant documents (see below a sample of relevant documents). The final list will be discussed with USAID and approved prior

to commencing desk research. The desk review will capture existing reports and information on Jordan’s agriculture sector and production, including data on water usage and

productivity.

The above summary reviews and analyses will also incorporate relevant USAID activity documents (for example WIT, ISSP, etc.,) studies, and data generated by these activities, for

example the Crop Water Use Study in the Highlands for Jordan. The following is an inconclusive list of reports that could be referenced by the subcontractor:

1. ISSP document/s

2. ICBA agriculture and water use study under WIT

3. Decoupling Water Study by the West Asia North Africa (WANA) Institute

4. WIT Initial market assessment carried out by Springfield

5. Evaluations and assessments of similar USAID activities

The desk review will also review other donor activities. This includes reviewing existing documentation to generate a preliminary list of all the current donor and GOJ activities in

Jordan related to the agriculture sector, as well as initiatives to promote water conservation at the municipal level and amongst other sectors.

Phase 2: Primary Data Collection/Field Work

Prior to starting field work, the subcontractor will develop a comprehensive list of stakeholders to be included in the field work. The subcontractor will also provide a methodological

guide for conducting field work to be approved by USAID prior to carrying out any work.

Data collection will include a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, including key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and survey data, where

applicable. Offerors should detail how data collection methods, sources, and analysis approaches will be employed to answer each of the assessment questions.

Offerors should also describe how they will utilize local researchers in Jordan to collect their data. In addition, offerors are expected to consider the use of remote methods, should

COVID-19 prevent international travel or in-person data collection.

Data collection should include an analysis on how the water sector operates as part of a broader market system. In collecting data on the questions related to MSD experience of the

WIT project, the applicant should describe how they will engage directly with the WIT project team. In addition, the team should plan to meet with and gather information from

farmers and private sector actors with whom WIT engaged during the initiative, as well as others who indirectly benefitted from it.

Key Data Sources: The study will engage different stakeholders for different parts of the study. For the agricultural zones, the study will engage farmers, government and private

sector actors working on agriculture in the different production zones. Visits to farms, productions facilities, and offices will be expected.

The following is an inconclusive list of the main stakeholder groups who are active in water conservation in agriculture:


▪ Governmental entities: MWI, MOA, MoEnv, NARC, Water Users Associations

▪ Education: universities and research institutions, vocational training centers

▪ Donors and implementing agencies: Embassy of The Netherlands, The World Bank, FAO, IFAD, Wadi Araba Development Company, GIZ, EcoConsult

▪ WIT partners: ICBA, IWMI, JRF, RSS, INWRDAM, the irrigation companies, MIRRA

▪ Farmers and agricultural producers

At the municipal level, the consulting team will meet with and gather information from private sector actors, donors, municipal governments and other relevant stakeholders who

play a role in conserving water at the municipal level.

Offerors should briefly describe their sampling strategy for selecting key stakeholders as part of data collection, including planned field visits.

Phase 3: Analysis

The analysis from the desk review and primary data collection should provide a detailed overview of water usage in the agriculture sector in Jordan across the different production

zones. This analysis should also incorporate key donor activities, including the specific areas and activities that work to promote agricultural development.

Offerors should describe how they will analyze the collected data through approved methods, as described in the previous section. Furthermore, offerors should explain how they

will aggregate and synthesize data to produce assessment findings. This should include an analysis of the market system as it pertains to the water sector.

Analyses from the assessment will inform the follow-on to the WIT Activity. The assessment will identify lessons learned from the WIT Activity as well as opportunities to build upon

successes and learn from failures in the follow-on, specifically in relation to the application of the Market Systems Development methodology. The consulting team should avoid

prescriptive recommendations but help to capture lessons learned from implementation. Offerors should also capture the situational context in terms of existing programming and

current private sector presence and/or activity in supporting water conservation activities in the agriculture sector as well as at the municipal level.

VI. Deliverables

Prior to carrying out the study the subcontractor will develop a Work Plan which will include a list of stakeholders, documents for review, and the methodological guide to be used in

carrying out the study.

▪ A briefing of key findings and conclusions delivered to USAID and key stakeholders following data collection.

▪ A 35 page report, including annexes as needed per this SOW with the following information: Current state of agriculture, including cropping patterns, markets in

Jordan, along with estimated water use per agriculture zone; potential for water saving in different sectors in Jordan, and; lessons learned from WIT activity on market

systems development approach.

V. Duration and Location

Duration: The assessment will be conducted from August 2020 until January 2021, with data collection conducted from September to December, and the final report to be

submitted by the end of January 2021.

Location: This analysis will cover farms in all agricultural zones of Jordan: Mafraq (northeast Badia), Azraq, the Jordan Valley, Madaba, Al-Shafa and Wadi Araba. The subcontractor

will look into irrigation and agricultural practices in the farms in all agricultural areas of Jordan


VI. Submission Information

This section contains general and specific requirements for submitting the technical and cost proposals. Please ensure completed forms, along with a copy of your legal registration,

are included with the technical proposal otherwise your proposal will be rejected.

1. This RFP is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested, qualified and eligible organizations legally registered for business in Jordan have a fair opportunity to

submit proposals. Qualified international firms should have local and/or international experts available to provide these services.

2. The Offeror is requested to submit a proposal directly responsive to the terms, conditions and clauses of this RFP. The overall proposal shall consist of two (2)

physically separated parts: Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal.

3. Alternative proposals will not be considered. Proposals not conforming to this solicitation may be categorized as unacceptable and eliminated from further

consideration.

a. Offerors are allowed to submit one proposal. If an Offeror participates in more than one proposal, all proposals involving the Offeror will be rejected.

4. Proposals shall be written in English. Cost proposals shall be presented in United States Dollars (USD). Local Jordanian vendors would be paid in JOD in compliance with

USAID regulations.

5. Proposals must remain valid for a minimum of 120 (one hundred twenty) days. The Offeror may submit its proposal by the following means:

a. Electronically – Internet email with up to two (2) attachments per email compatible with MS WORD, Excel and Adobe Acrobat in a MS Windows environment to:

Susan Merrill <[email protected]>, Michael Cooper <[email protected]>, with a CC to MELA PMU <[email protected]>.

6. The person signing the Offeror’s proposal must have the authority to commit the Offeror to all the provisions of the Offeror’s proposal.

7. The Offeror should submit its best proposal initially as Kaizen intends to evaluate proposals and make an award without discussions. However, Kaizen reserves the right

to conduct discussions should Kaizen deem it necessary.

8. Proposals must be clearly and concisely written and must describe and define the Offeror’s understanding and compliance with the requirements contained in the

STATEMENT OF WORK. All pages must be sequentially numbered and identified with the name of the Offeror and the RFP number.

PART A: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

The technical proposal shall be straightforward and concise, outlining in sequence, how the Offeror intends to carry out the technical requirements under each main activity. No

contractual price information is to be included in the Offeror’s implementation work plan in order that it will be evaluated strictly on its technical merit.

The implementation or work plan shall be limited to five (5) pages in total. Pages in excess of 5 pages will not be read or evaluated.

Detailed information should be presented only when required by specific RFP instructions. Items such as graphs, charts and tables may be used as appropriate but will be considered

part of the page limitation. Key personnel resumes, bio-data sheets, references and dividers are not included in the page limitation. No material may be incorporated in the proposal

by reference, attachment, appendix, etc. to circumvent the page limitation.

1. Organizational Information:

Organization’s legal name

Contact name and position or title

Organization’s E-mail address, physical address and telephone number

Copy of legal registration for business in Jordan, the United States or other countries under USAID Geographic Codes 937.

2. Technical Approach: In a narrative – not to exceed four (4) pages – the Offeror will demonstrate its understanding, ability and overall approach to performing the

requirements described in the Scope of Work, Activities & Tasks and Deliverables.


3. Capability Statement: A narrative – not to exceed two (2) pages – that explains the Firm’s capability to perform the scope of work, activities, tasks and deliverables.

The Offeror will demonstrate it has the necessary organizational systems and procedures (e.g., personnel policies, travel policies, project management, equipment,

supplies and personnel) in place to successfully comply with the contract requirements and to accomplish the expected results. It will demonstrate that it has the in-

house resources e.g. personnel, to provide the required services. A description of relevant personnel training and qualifications, including CVs for key individuals,

where applicable. CVs are not included in the 3-page length limit.

4. Past Performance: Not to exceed two (2) pages, the Offeror will submit a list of current and past similar work and assignments completed in the past five years that

were similar in size, scope and complexity – preferably in areas listed in the SOW – with particular attention paid to those performed in Jordan.

5. References: References from a minimum of two (2) clients worked with in the past two years on activities similar to this scope of work. Include the contact

information: company or organization, name, phone number and email.

6. Personnel/Staffing: Not to exceed two (2) pages, the Offeror will identify, in summary format of 2-3 sentences, the names, anticipated positions of the key team

leaders and essential personnel proposed to perform the requirements of this scope of work, activities & tasks and deliverables. The narrative will include the

percentage of staff time of principals and managers on this activity. CVs (not to exceed two (2) pages) that clearly describe education, experience and professional

credentials and biodata forms will be completed and attached for the proposed personnel. These pages do not count toward the page limitation for this section.

PART B: COST PROPOSAL

The Offeror will propose costs it believes are realistic and reasonable for the work in accordance with the Offeror’s technical approach. The Offeror shall provide a complete budget

based on cost elements described below.

The detailed cost proposal will include the following:

a. Proposed staff, rates and number of days needed to accomplish the work

b. Transportation and logistics costs

c. Related materials and supplies

Provide in the Budget Narrative section, a concise description and justification for each line item cost. Be sure to include data and/or methodologies to support cost estimates.

The Budget Narrative shall be presented in such a way as to be easily referenced from the budget and should provide sufficient information so that Kaizen may review the proposed

budget for reasonableness.

All projected costs must be in accordance with the organization’s standard practices and policies.

Offers including budget information determined to be unreasonable, incomplete and/or unnecessary for the completion of the proposed project or based on a methodology that is

not adequately supported may be deemed unacceptable.

Guidelines:

1. Cost proposals from Offerors shall be presented in United States dollars.

2. Offer must be inclusive of any applicable taxes such as VAT/GST or other.

3. If the Offeror proposes a fringe benefit rate on salaries, it must be supported by an established written policy. Please provide a detailed explanation in the budget

narrative.

4. For employee salaries – List employee name (when identified), functional position and duration of assignment (in terms of person days) and daily rate. The daily rate is

derived by dividing base annual salary exclusive of fringe benefits, incentives, bonuses, overtime, allowances and differentials by 260 days.

5. Travel and transportation – Provide the number of trips, origin and destination of trips, estimated airfares and other costs such as taxi fees. Review the current

restrictions on COVID-19 travel to Jordan before proposing international travel.


6. Per diem – Offerors will budget per diem associated with travel and transportation in accordance with their established written policy that shall not exceed the U.S.

Department of State Standardized Regulations for per diem, which may be accessed electronically at the following internet address:

http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp.

7. Other direct costs – Itemize and provide complete details of other direct costs including unit prices that may be incurred.

VII.Evaluation Criteria

Kaizen will select the offeror whose proposal represents the best overall value to Kaizen in terms of the selection criteria specified below. Offerors who do not follow the

instructions in this RFP may be disqualified from consideration.

Offers must first meet the mandatory requirements before their technical and cost proposals will be reviewed. Those bids not meeting the mandatory requirements will be

automatically rejected.

The mandatory requirements are:

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS MEETS REQUIREMENT

1. Legally registered to do business in the United States. YES/NO

3. Pass Kaizen’s Responsibility Determination. Kaizen will check to make sure that final offer is not listed under terrorism

list of U.S. Treasury Department, United Nations and that it is not listed as an excluded party under the System for

Award Management www.sam.gov

YES/NO

4. The detailed cost proposal follows the prescribed format. YES/NO

The technical evaluation will be based on the following weighted categories:

Criteria Technical Proposal (implementation work plan) 70% Percentage 100% (maximum)

Relevant experience and qualifications of the assistance provider 10%

Experience in Jordan working on water conservation/agriculture 15%

Experience and qualifications of proposed personnel:

Qualifications of personnel include at least 7 years of experience in Agricultural Economics or Equivalent Professional Experience), Municipal

Water Conservation Specialist and a Market Systems Development Specialist with proven MSD experience on USAID or other donor

funded projects

3 0%

Implementation work plan (quality of technical approach) 10%

Past performance 15 %

Cost Price Proposal Criteria 30% Percentage 20%

(maximum)


Cost data will be evaluated based on cost reasonableness, allowability and realism based on the following considerations:

- Are proposed costs realistic for the work to be performed under the award?

- Do the costs reflect a clear understanding of the work requirements?

- Are the costs consistent with the various elements of the Offeror’s technical proposal?

An all-inclusive day rate for each team member (professional and administrative)

VIII. General Terms and Conditions

1. Must have a National Tax Number (NTN) and General Sales Tax (GST) registration.

2. All firms – foreign and domestic - must have a DUNS number if the contract exceeds $30,000. If your organization does not have a DUNS number then please begin the

process to obtain one. Obtaining this required number takes approximately two business days. The link can be found here: https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/. If you

have any questions about the DUNS number, you may refer to this reference sheet for more information:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/302sao.pdf

3. US, Mexico, and Canada based firms must have a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

4. Must be willing to accept Tax Exemption Certificate and bill the client only for services exclusive of GST and other taxes.

5. Any proposal received in response to this solicitation will be reviewed strictly as submitted and in accordance with Section VIII, Evaluation Criteria.

6. EXECUTIVE ORDER 13224 ON TERRORIST FINANCING

Offerors are informed that Kaizen complies with U.S. Sanctions and Embargo Laws and Regulations including Executive Order 13224 on Terrorist Financing, which

effectively prohibit transactions with persons or entities that commit, threaten to commit or support terrorism. Any person or entity that participates in this bidding

process, either as a prime or sub to the prime, must certify as part of the bid that he or it is not on the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control

(OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and is eligible to participate. Kaizen shall disqualify any bid received from a person or entity that is found to be on the

List or otherwise ineligible.

Firms or individuals that are included on the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) shall not be eligible for financing and shall not be used to provide any

commodities or services contemplated by this RFP.

7. MISSION ORDER NO. 300.6 ON VETTING PROCEDURES

Offerors are informed that Kaizen complies with Mission Order No. 300.6 on Vetting Procedures. Following are the key elements:

▪ Any proposed US or non-US Contractor or Subcontractor of a USAID award of a contract, grant, Contract, subcontract or any instrument acting as any of the

same in excess of $25,000 will be subject to vetting.

▪ By submitting the proposals in response to this RFP, the offeror agrees to provide necessary information required for compliance with Mission Order No. 300.6

on Vetting Procedures.

8. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Offerors are responsible for review of the terms and conditions described.

9. CONTRACT MECHANISM


Kaizen is anticipated to award a firm fixed price (FFP) contract to the Offeror whose proposal will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria described previously.

Based on the merits of the offers received, Kaizen reserves the right to award more than one subcontract.

10. WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSALS

Offerors may withdraw proposals by written notice via email received at any time before award. Proposals may be withdrawn in person by a vendor or his/her

authorized representative if the representative’s identity is made known and if the representative signs a receipt for the proposal before award.

11. RIGHT TO SELECT/REJECT

Kaizen 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. Kaizen also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation.

12. DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS

Any selected firm may be required to complete a Financial Pre-Award Risk Assessment in order for Kaizen to ascertain that the organization has the capacity to

perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed award. As part of the Pre-Award Risk Assessment process, the firm will also be requested to

submit a financial audit report from the previous fiscal year. In addition, payroll records and other financial information may be requested to support budgeted costs.

13. CLIENT PRIOR APPROVAL

Based on the amount of the final award and the type of contractual mechanism, the selected Offeror may be subject to funding agency approval before a subcontract

can be awarded. Therefore, organizations are reminded that there may be delays for this process to be completed. In addition, should such approval not be given, this

subcontract cannot be awarded.

14. DISCLAIMER

This RFP represents only a definition of requirements. It is merely an invitation for submission of proposals and does not legally obligate Kaizen to accept any of the

submitted proposals in whole or in part, nor is Kaizen obligated to select the lowest priced proposal. Kaizen reserves the right to negotiate with any or all firms, but

with respect to price, costs and/or scope of services. Kaizen has no contractual obligations with any firms based upon issuance of this RFP. It is not an offer to contact.

Only the execution of a written contract shall obligate Kaizen in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such contract.

15. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FIRM GUARANTEE

All information submitted in connection with this RFP will be valid for 120 (one hundred twenty) days from the RFP due date. This includes, but is not limited to, cost,

pricing, terms and conditions, service levels and all other information. If your firm is awarded the contract, all information in the RFP and negotiation process is

contractually binding.

16. OFFER VERIFICATION

Kaizen may contact Offerors to confirm contact person, address, bid amount and that the bid was submitted for this solicitation.

17. FALSE STATEMENTS IN OFFER

Offerors must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and its attachments.

18. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Offerors 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 in or outside of the country of performance.

Failure to provide full and open disclosure may result in Kaizen having to reevaluate selection of a potential vendor.


19. RESERVED RIGHTS

All RFP responses become the property of Kaizen, and Kaizen reserves the right in its sole discretion to:

▪ Disqualify any offer based on Offeror failure to follow solicitation instructions.

▪ Waive any deviations by vendors from the requirements of this solicitation that in Kaizen’s opinion are considered not to be material defects requiring rejection

or disqualification, or where such a waiver will promote increased competition.

▪ Extend the time for submission of all RFP responses after notification to all vendors.

▪ Terminate or modify the RFP process at any time and reissue the RFP to whomever Kaizen deems appropriate.

▪ Issue an award based on the initial evaluation of Offerors without discussion.

▪ Award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on solicitation activities.

▪ Not compensate Offerors for preparation of their response to this RFP.

▪ Not guarantee that Kaizen will award a subcontract based upon the issuing of this RFP.

▪ Award a subcontract to more than one Offeror for specific parts of the activities in the RFP.

20. BRANDING POLICY AND STRATEGY

Branding Strategy Implementation and Marking under this contract must comply with the “USAID Graphics Standards Manual” available at

http://www.usaid.gov/branding and any successor branding policy as detailed in the Automated Directive System (ADS) Chapter 320.

Anticipated Elements of Marking Plan: Deliverables to be marked include products, equipment and inputs delivered; places where activities are carried out; external

public communications, studies, reports, publications and informative and promotional products; and workshops, conferences, learning events, and any such events.

Disclaimers will be used in the case of materials whose publication USAID is funding but not fully supporting in its contents and should read: This study/report/web

site (specify) is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this

(specify) are the sole responsibility of (name of organization) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Branding and Marking Requirements: Contractors must adhere to USAID ADS 320, which contains policy directives and required procedures on branding and marking

USAID-funded programs, projects, activities, public communications, and commodities with the USAID “Standard Graphic Identity” (or “USAID Identity.”) The use of the

USAID Graphic Standards Manual is compulsory for all contractors producing communications and program materials funded by USAID. Contractors can download a

copy on the USAID Web site. More information can be found online at http://www.usaid.gov/branding/acquisition-awards

21. USAID DISABILITY POLICY (December 2004)

The Offeror will ensure compliance with USAID Disability Policy (December 2004). Following are the elements:

The objectives of the USAID Disability Policy are (1) to enhance the attainment of United States foreign assistance program goals by promoting the participation and

equalization of opportunities of individuals with disabilities in USAID policy, country and sector strategies, activity designs and implementation; (2) to increase

awareness of issues of people with disabilities both within USAID programs and in host countries; (3) to engage other U.S. government agencies, host country

counterparts, governments, implementing organizations and other donors in fostering a climate of nondiscrimination against people with disabilities; and (4) to

support international advocacy for people with disabilities. The full text of the policy paper can be found at the following

website: http://www.usaid.gov/about/disability/DISABPOL.FIN.html


USAID through Kaizen via service providers, therefore, requires that the service provider not discriminate against people with disabilities in the implementation of

USAID programs and that it makes every effort to comply with the objectives of the USAID Disability Policy in performing the contract. To that end and within the scope

of this contract, the service provider’s actions must demonstrate a comprehensive and consistent approach for including men, women and children with disabilities.


IX. Annex A: Consultant Scopes of Work

Team Leader/Subject Matter Expert - Agricultural Economist

Activity Overview

Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA) is recruiting for a Team Leader/ Agricultural Economist to lead the Water Resources and Environment (WRE) Market

Systems Analysis Assessment.

The objective of this assessment is to conduct an analysis of the Jordanian agricultural sector to describe current agriculture production systems, existing water consumption patterns, in

addition to the water conservation practices and technologies currently being used in each agriculture production zone, all of which will be used to inform the planning and design of

future water conservation interventions in Jordan. The study will also scan other sectors (industry, tourism, construction, etc.) to identify current water consumption patterns on the

municipal level and identify existing water conservation practices and technologies being used in these sectors. In addition, it will identify business opportunities and incentives for the

private sector to promote water conservation in these areas. This study will help focus and orient the water conservation efforts of the USAID Water Resources and Environment

office.

The analysis will:

▪ Identify the business opportunities and challenges in water conservation for the agricultural sector.

▪ Identify the quantities and types of water (surface, ground, blended, treated wastewater) used by agriculture in different agricultural production zones (highlands, Jordan

valley, Madaba, etc.) in Jordan.

▪ Identify opportunities and quantities for water conservation at the municipal level.

▪ Capture the lessons learned for WIT from a market systems perspective.

Background

Agriculture in Jordan consumes 52% of its freshwater resources; as it is one of the most water poor countries in the world, it has to make use of its limited water resources. Jordan’s

agriculture sector is highly inefficient in its use of water. One of the major reasons for this is that water is underpriced below market rates and governance and regulation of water

resources is spotty, providing little incentive for farmers to conserve water.

The Water Innovations Technologies project was launched to support water conservation in the agriculture sector, and it seeks to promote the adoption of known and new water-saving

technologies by farmers. WIT supports private-sector equipment suppliers and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to market cost-efficient, scalable water-saving technologies to

farmers, households and communities, and provide them with technical support and aftermarket services. The project’s unique angle is its focus on the Market Systems Development

(MSD) approach to catalyze the private sector (vendors, manufacturers and importers of irrigation equipment) to provide and disseminate water conservation practices and advisory

services whilst promoting their products.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Team Leader/Agricultural Economist should have significant experience conducting project evaluations and/or assessments, as well as program design. As the TL/AE, s/he will

provide expertise in agricultural economics, water conservation at the municipal level and development. S/He will be responsible for the deliverables as well as for putting together the

assessment team. S/He will participate in planning and briefing meetings, data collection, data analysis, development of assessment presentations, and writing of the Assessment

Report.


▪ Lead development of assessment methodologies, data collection instruments as well as sampling strategy.

▪ Contribute subject matter expertise on agriculture economics to design of data collection instruments, interviews, and analysis

▪ Design and conduct desk review of relevant materials.

▪ Collect quantitative and qualitative data, including designing data collection tools and conducting focus groups and in-depth interviews.

▪ Lead data analysis and data management.

▪ Serve as a primary author of assessment reports and deliverables (evaluation design, data collection instruments, final evaluation report, and data transfer to USAID).

▪ Work collaboratively with fieldwork partners, MELA team, and USAID to complete all data collection, analysis, and reporting tasks.

▪ Lead presentations on assessment findings as needed.

Deliverables

▪ Contributions to Workplan, including a list of stakeholders, documents for review, and the methodological guide to be used in carrying out the study.

▪ A briefing of key findings and conclusions delivered to USAID and key stakeholders following data collection

▪ Contributions to a 35-page report and responsible for the final drafts of all deliverables, with annexes if needed as per the SOW

▪ Serve as a primary author of the final assessment report.

Level of Effort

The total Level of Effort expected for this activity is estimated at 65 days, the breakdown of which is as follows:

Position LOE (Home) LOE (Field) LOE (Travel) Total LOE/Position

Team Lead/SME-Agricultural

Economist

45 15 5 65

Total 65

Period of Performance

The expected period of performance is August 2020-January 2021.

Reporting


The Team Lead/SME-Agricultural Economist will report to the Activity’s Senior MEL Specialist, Michael Cooper.

Qualifications

▪ Minimum of 10 years of experience in agricultural economics or equivalent professional experience

▪ Demonstrated experience leading assessment and/or evaluation teams in the agricultural sector

▪ Experience collecting and analyzing data utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods

▪ Experience in municipal water conservation and market systems development

▪ Demonstrated experience in evaluation and assessments for USAID and other donors

▪ Extensive experience working with government officials at all levels, as well as with the private sector and relevant stakeholder

▪ Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience successfully interacting with host government officials, civil society partners, and other stakeholders

▪ Excellent skills in project management

▪ Excellent organizational skills and ability to keep to a timeline

▪ Good writing skills, with extensive report writing experience

▪ Familiarity with USAID

▪ Familiarity with other donors is desirable

▪ Experience working in the region; Jordan is desirable

▪ Proficient in English, and Arabic is desirable


Subject Matter Expert - Municipal Water Conservation Specialist

Activity Overview

Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA) is recruiting for a Subject Matter Expert - Municipal Water Conservation Specialist to support the Water Resources and

Environment (WRE) Market Systems Analysis Assessment.






office.

The analysis will:






Background










The Subject Matter Expert (Municipal Water Conservation Specialist) will serve as the principal technical expert for the evaluation team and provide expertise in municipal water

conservation. S/He will be the lead analyst for assuring all qualitative and quantitative data analysis are conducted with quality to answer the questions posed by the evaluation and to

provide recommendations to the Mission on project implementation. S/He will participate in the drafting of a final evaluation report. S/He will participate in planning and briefing

meetings.


▪ Provide technical leadership on all issues related to market systems development throughout assessment design and implementation

▪ Provide technical assistance in assessment design, data collection methodologies, and sampling strategy.

▪ Contribute technical guidance to design of data collection instruments and conduct focus groups and in-depth interviews.

▪ Serve as a primary author of the final assessment report.

Deliverables

▪ Contributions to Implementation Plan, including a list of stakeholders, documents for review, and the methodological guide to be used in carrying out the study.


▪ Contributions to a 35-page report, with annexes if needed as per the SOW

Level of Effort



MWC Specialist 30 20 4 54

Total 54



Reporting

The Municipal Water Conservation Specialist will report to the Activity’s Senior MEL Specialist, Michael Cooper.

Qualifications

▪ At least 7 years of experience with municipal water conservation activities, with USAID experience preferred

▪ Experience working on USAID assessments or evaluation teams

▪ Experience conducting analysis of water conservation practices


▪ Excellent interpersonal and writing skills


▪ Able to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data

▪ Strong presentation skills

▪ An MBA or related graduate degree






Subject Matter Expert - Market Systems Development Specialist

Activity Overview

Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA) is recruiting for a Subject Matter Expert - Market Systems Development Specialist to support the Water Resources and

Environment (WRE) Market Systems Analysis Assessment.






office.

The analysis will:






Background










The Subject Matter Expert (Market Systems Development Specialist) will serve as the principal technical expert for the evaluation team and provide expertise in market approaches to

water conservation. S/He will be the lead analyst for assuring all qualitative and quantitative data analysis are conducted with quality to answer the questions posed by the evaluation

and to provide recommendations to the Mission on project implementation. S/He will participate in the drafting of a final evaluation report. S/He will participate in planning and

briefing meetings.

▪ Provide technical leadership on all issues related to market systems development throughout assessment design and implementation

▪ Provide technical assistance in assessment design, data collection methodologies, and sampling strategy.


▪ Contribute technical guidance to design of data collection instruments and conduct focus groups and in-depth interviews.

▪ Conduct market systems analysis using data collection during the assessment

▪ Contribute market systems expertise and analysis to all deliverables

Deliverables




Level of Effort



MSD Specialist 30 0 0 30

Total 30



Reporting

The MSD Specialist will report to the Activity’s Senior MEL Specialist, Michael Cooper.

Qualifications

▪ At least 7 years of experience in market system development, with USAID experience preferred

▪ Experience working on USAID assessments or evaluation teams

▪ Experience conducting systems-level analysis, including use of system tools and approaches preferred, and particularly analysis of agricultural markets


▪ Excellent interpersonal and writing skills

▪ Able to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data


▪ Strong presentation skills

▪ An MBA or related graduate degree






Research Specialist (2)

Activity Overview

Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA) is recruiting for two Research/Evaluation Specialists to support the Water Resources and Environment (WRE) Market

Systems Analysis Assessment.






office.

The analysis will:






Background





technologies by farmers. WIT supports private-sector equipment suppliers and Community- Based Organizations (CBOs) to market cost-efficient, scalable water-saving

technologies to farmers, households and communities, and provide them with technical support and aftermarket services. The project’s unique angle is its focus on the Market Systems

Development (MSD) approach to catalyze the private sector (vendors, manufacturers and importers of irrigation equipment) to provide and disseminate water conservation practices

and advisory services whilst promoting their products.


The Research Specialist will serve as a member of the assessment team, providing quality assurance on analytic issues, including methods, development of data collection instruments,

protocols for data collection, data management and data analysis. S/He will oversee the training of all engaged in data collection, ensuring the highest level of reliability and validity of

data being collected. S/He is the lead analyst, responsible for all data analysis, and will coordinate the analysis of all data, assuring all quantitative and qualitative data analyses are

done to meet the needs for this assessment. S/He will participate in all aspects of the assessment, from planning, data collection, data analysis to report writing.

▪ Develop assessment methodologies, data collection instruments as well as sampling strategy.

▪ Design and conduct desk review of relevant materials.

▪ Ensure assessment design includes appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative methods.


▪ Collect and manage quantitative and qualitative data, including designing data collection tools and conducting focus groups and in-depth interviews.

▪ Contribute to data analysis and data management.

▪ Work collaboratively with fieldwork partners, MELA team, and USAID to complete all data collection, analysis, and reporting tasks.

▪ Participate in presentations on assessment findings as needed.

▪ Contribute to final assessment report.

Deliverables


▪ A briefing and summaries of key findings and conclusions delivered to USAID and key stakeholders following data collection


Level of Effort



Research Specialist (Each) 5 30 5 40

Total 40



Reporting

The Research Specialists will report to the Activity’s Senior MEL Specialist, Michael Cooper.

Qualifications

▪ At least 7 years of experience in research, application of qualitative and quantitative methods, and data analysis and procedures and implementation preferred

▪ At least 5 years related to USAID evaluations and/or assessments preferred

▪ Experience in design and implementation of evaluations and/or assessments

▪ Strong knowledge, skills, and experience in qualitative and quantitative analytic tools


▪ Experience implementing and coordinating others to implement surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups, observations and other evaluation and assessment

methods that assure reliability and validity of the data

▪ Experience in data management

▪ Able to analyze quantitative data, which will be primarily descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations

▪ Able to analyze qualitative data, and guiding others in qualitative data collection and analysis

▪ Experience using analytic software

▪ Demonstrated experience using qualitative evaluation/assessment methodologies, and triangulating with quantitative data

▪ Able to review, interpret and reanalyze as needed existing data pertinent to the assessment

▪ Strong data interpretation and presentation skills

▪ Proficient in written and spoken English, and Arabic is desirable

▪ Good writing skills, including experience writing evaluation and/or assessment reports

▪ Jordanian citizens are encouraged to apply


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