This request for information from The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Kyrgyz Republic is exclusively for local Kyrgyz partners, defined as organizations which: are registered or legally organized under the laws of, and have its principal place of operations in the Kyrgyz Republic; are majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the Kyrgyz Republic; and are managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawfully permanent residents of the Kyrgyz Republic. This request for information notice is issued to obtain input related to interest, capabilities, and market information from potential applicants. Responses to this notice are not applications and will not be accepted by the Government; only the information requested in this notice will be reviewed. Responses received may be used for planning and design purposes. The full notice can be viewed and downloaded at www.grants.gov. Release of this notice in no way obligates the United States Government or USAID to release a funding opportunity for this proposed activity, nor to pay for any costs incurred in preparing responses to this request for information. Responses must be submitted electronically to
[email protected] with a copy to Gulzhanat Rysdauletova, Acquisition and Assistance Specialist, at
[email protected] and Leona Sasinkova, Supervisory Agreement Officer at
[email protected] under the title: RFI72011521RFA00001 for USAID/ Kyrgyz Republic Local Governance Strengthening Activity. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Kyrgyz Republic is seeking to learn the capacity of local partners for a potential five-year, Local Governance Strengthening activity. The goal of this activity is to strengthen public service delivery and citizen-centered governance at the level of Local Self Governments (LSG). It is anticipated that achieving this goal will require: 1) expanding effective service delivery of citizen-prioritized services, including increasing LSG capacity to plan, oversee, and implement service delivery, strengthening LSG promotion of local economic development, and increasing LSGs’ ability to finance service delivery; 2) increasing citizen engagement in LSG decision-making, including increasing citizen participation in service delivery planning and implementation, expanding citizen oversight of municipal budget formulation and execution, and strengthening mechanisms for citizen accountability of LSGs; and 3) broadening ownership of citizen-centered governance approaches, including scaling up best practices in service delivery and municipal governance, strengthening sustainable mechanisms for collective advocacy of LSG priorities at the national level, and supporting regulatory, legislative, and territorial reforms in favor of local government independence and effectiveness. The potential activity will support the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic’s initiative on regional development, including the Program for Development of Local Self Government 2018- 2023. The potential activity will also build upon the successful results of the USAID Community and Municipal Governance Initiative (CAMI), also known as “Проект USAID "Успешный аймак.” USAID envisions that the activity will be implemented in up to 50 municipalities, as well as engaging national government and non-government stakeholders such as the Union of LSGs, the State Agency for Local Government and Interethnic Relations, and others. Geographic Location: Kyrgyz Republic Nationwide Submission: Please complete the attached template outlining three main areas of organizational capacity: organizational integrity, organizational capacity, and past performance. Final submission should be no more than five pages (inclusive of annexes). Submissions of more than five pages will be accepted, but subsequent pages after page 5 will not be reviewed by USAID. Note that supporting documentation such as letters of support, reference/recommendation letters, registration documents, internal controls or banking information should NOT be submitted at this time. The questions of the template relate to the following areas: 1. Organizational Structure – including organizational charter or registration and understanding key personnel and management structure of the organization. 2. Organizational Capacity – including management and staff experience and/or other resources to accomplish key tasks. Also includes past and current funding/budget sizes as well as development and use of key operational considerations such as written policies regarding personnel, finance, and procurement; past audits. 3. Past Experience in the Sector –including previous experience working on or overseeing similar types of activities that include: ● Experience building LSG capacity to plan, oversee, implement, and finance service delivery and experience in promoting a positive enabling environment for local economic development. ● Experience promoting citizen engagement in LSG planning and decision-making, including support for local councils, and experience in strengthening mechanisms for citizen accountability of local leaders and oversight of municipal budget formulation and execution. ● Experience in scaling up successful approaches, experience advocating for LSG needs, and experience in supporting policy or regulatory reforms. ● Experience managing subgrants or contracts, including those that require technical input or expertise from your organization. ● Experience conducting analytical work such as assessments, studies, and evaluations in the field of local governance. Please submit up to 3 analytical publications with your response to the RFI. ● Experience conducting public outreach to connect, inform, and get feedback from the local community and/or citizens, including social media campaigns. ● Experience working with other local organizations in a consortium as a prime or subgrantee. Submissions must be submitted electronically to
[email protected] and have the following information: Reference: USAID/KYRGYZ REPUBLIC LOCAL GOVERNANCE STRENGTHENING ACTIVITY Date: Affiliation/ Organization: Business Address: Representative Name / Email: You will receive only an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of your response, but will not receive individualized feedback or suggestions. No basis for claims against the U.S. Government will arise as a result of a response to this request for information or from the U.S. Government’s use of such information. Specific questions should be directed only to the email address identified above. This office will not respond to any telephone or other inquiries regarding this notice.