Monitoring and Evaluation Services

Notice Type: Sources Sought This Sources Sought Notice is for market research and planning purposes only, and should not be construed as a Request for Proposal (RFP) or solicitation of an offer. This is a sources sought notice to determine the availability of potential small business offerors that can provide continuing monitoring and evaluation services (both technical and advisory). Additionally the contractor will assist with the development of objective, program, and activity levels in accordance with USAID's January 2011Evaluation Policy. Requirements are as follows: 1. Design and implement both evaluation studies (quantitative and qualitative) and also assessments of USAID/Peru programs. 2. Provide performance monitoring and evaluation technical assistance and training for USAID/Peru, its implementing partners and host country government counterparts. 3. Strengthen the capacity of local evaluation institutions to design and implement evaluation studies and assessments according to international standards. Background: USAID Forward is an ambitious reform effort which hopes to change the way USAID does business-with new partnerships, an emphasis on innovation and a relentless focus on results. This includes a renewed effort to strengthen the use of monitoring and evaluation, to build local capacity to improve aid effectiveness, and to strengthen collaboration and partnership with bilateral donors, multilateral and international organizations which will hopefully increase synergies and avoid duplication. Towards this goal, in January of 2011, USAID released a new evaluation policy aimed at improving accountability, learning, and evidence-based decision making. This new policy will require increased rigor, objectivity, and transparency in all of USAID's evaluations. Notable new requirements include: ● Identifying key evaluation questions during the project design phase ● Collecting high-quality baseline data for variables that correspond to key project outcomes and impacts ● In cases where impact evaluations are undertaken, establishing a parallel evaluation mechanism at project inception to accompany implementation ● Conducting at least one performance evaluation of each large project (defined as equal or exceeding in dollar value the mean (average) project size for the mission) ● Conducting an impact evaluation of any activity within a project involving untested hypotheses or designed as a "pilot" or "proof of concept" As a result, USAID/Peru will make every effort to not only strengthen its monitoring and evaluation oversight, but to also ensure that the local capacity is built to carry on these functions and make them sustainable. USAID/Peru is increasing its partnerships with local partners and host country governments with limited monitoring and evaluation expertise at the regional level. USAID/Peru's new country strategy will need to align its monitoring and evaluation activities with the new Agency's goal of building local capacity, managing for results, improving accountability, and learning efforts. The Contractor shall provide services in these three major components: Component 1: Evaluation Studies and Assessments Overview The purpose of this component, in accordance with the USAID Evaluation Policy, is to perform high quality evaluation studies of the Peru bilateral and South America Regional portfolios. Studies include evaluations that assess the impact of USAID's development objectives that identify lessons learned concerning which development interventions work and which do not, and that focus on issues that cut across USAID's technical areas. Towards this end, the Contractor is required throughout the performance period of this contract to provide services for implementing quantitative and qualitative baseline studies, evaluation case studies, performance evaluations, impact (experimental and quasi-experimental) evaluations, cross-sector and multi-country evaluations, survey research and statistical analysis and other evaluative studies. General approach The Contractor will implement activities under this component taking into account USAID principles and requirements, including those within USAID's Evaluation policy and ADS 203. http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/200/203.pdf Prior to carrying out each scheduled evaluation, the USAID/Peru Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) in cooperation with other USAID/Peru staff will prepare a detailed statement of work (SOW) in close coordination with the Contractor. The Contractor will use its expertise to propose the evaluation design that best meets USAID Evaluation Policy standards and principles, USAID/Peru needs, resources, and complexity of the program. In addition to designing and conducting the evaluation, the SOW could include, among others, the following tasks: Activities USAID/Peru has identified a list of 23 evaluation studies,that the Contractor will carry out under this component. This list includes evaluations of projects, programs and development objectives that have been awarded and projects that are in currently in the pre-award phase. Impact evaluations The contractor is required to conduct the following impact evaluations of USAID assistance under each Development Objective (DO). Impact evaluations will construct a counterfactual case of what would have occurred in the absence of USAID intervention. Tasks for impact evaluations will include but are not limited to the design of the evaluation approach, including the design of the counterfactual, collection of baseline data, reconstruction of baseline information (in the event a baseline was not collected for an activity), mid-term and final data collection, analysis and dissemination of results. All evaluation designs must be approved by the USAID/Peru COR. The USAID/Peru COR will share evaluation designs with country-level stakeholders and implementing partners before approval. Performance evaluations The Contractor will be required to conduct mid-term and final performance evaluations of USAID projects. Tasks for performance evaluations may include but are not limited to the design of the evaluation approach, baseline reconstruction, data collection, analysis and dissemination of results. All evaluation designs must be approved by the USAID/Peru COR. The USAID/Peru COR will share evaluation designs with country-level stakeholders and implementing partners before approval. Sector and cross-cutting assessments The Contractor will be required to conduct the following sector and cross-cutting assessments to identify lessons learned and opportunities for enhancing sector performance. Assessments shall entail a status update on a particular sector or sub-sector and its weaknesses, strengths, gaps, and opportunities for value-added intervention by USAID/Peru based on its comparative advantage. Activities: Facilitate the preparation of USAID/Peru Performance Management Plans. Monitoring and evaluation training and technical assistance for partners. Support to USAID/PERU Evaluation Team. Component 2: Strengthening local capacity for evaluation Overview The purpose of this component is to strengthen the technical capacities of at least two local institutions to design and conduct effective performance and impact development evaluations. The Contractor shall propose and implement a plan to strengthen the capacity, as defined by competencies, skills, and organizational structure, of targeted local organizations to design and conduct evaluations and assessments. Core skills that should be taken into account include: quantitative (survey research and statistical analysis) and qualitative (including mixed) evaluation methods, planning (including logistics) evaluations, and evaluation report writing. Background The Paris Declaration, Accra Accord, and Busan declaration on aid effectiveness have increased the importance of using quality independent evaluation results to make decisions. USAID Evaluation policy prioritizes building local evaluation capacity, and using local expertise in evaluations. In Peru, there are several organizations that can perform evaluations, and there is a network of consultants that have experience in evaluations. There is room, however, to strengthen competencies to meet the rigurosity, principles and standards that are now required by international organizations (e.g. World Bank, Development Assistance Committee-DAC) to evaluate development programs. Activities: The contractor will develop a plan with its approach to meet this objective, as well as measures of verification. The plan will include criteria to select the target organization(s), outline the areas to be improved and describe the methodology to do so. The plan will also propose the expected verifiable improvements that could be achieved in the targeted organizations. The Contractor will obtain USAID's approval prior to implementation of the plan. Local Partnerships The Contractor must seek opportunities to the greatest extent possible to team with one or several local organizations to carry out the work expected under this contract. Geographic Location The Contractor shall perform the services in any of the geographic regions where USAID/Peru develops and implements its bilateral portfolio, and in any of the countries where USAID/Peru implements the South American Region portfolio. Coordination with the Government of Peru and Other Donors Following Aid Effectiveness principles, the Contractor will work closely with USAID to ensure that the Government of Peru, in particular the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI), and other donors are kept apprised of USAID's evaluation efforts and that, to the extent possible, evaluations shall be coordinated with other entities' efforts. Indigenous and Afro-Peruvian Considerations The technical approach to every task order under this contract will integrate indigenous and Afro-Peruvian considerations into the design and implementation. Results and indicators will be, where appropriate, disaggregated by ethnicity to highlight discrepancies. Gender Requirements USAID Gender Equality and Female's Empowerment policy integrates its principles into all the Agency's program cycle, including monitoring and evaluation. The Contractor should integrate gender as a cross-cutting consideration in the design and implementation of all activities under this contract. Technical assistance and training in monitoring and evaluation activities will take into account ADS 203.3.4.3. During evaluations and assessments the Contractor must address at least two questions: (1) How gender relations have affected the achievement of sustainable results?" and (2) "How activities have affected the relative status of men and women?" The Contractor must be familiar with gender issues in South America. See link to the policy: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/policy_planning_and_learning/documents/GenderEqualityPolicy.pdf Capability Statement: Contractors who believe that they have the ability to satisfy all of the above stated objectives are encouraged to submit a capability statement. The capability statements will be evaluated based on the information provided in relation to the objectives and requirements above and the current in-house capacity to perform the work including: (a) staff availability, experience, and training; (b) prior completed projects of a similar nature; and (c) examples of prior completed contracts, dollar value of the contracts, references, and other related information. Capability statements must demonstrate the requirements outlined above. Capability statements shall include the following information: company name, address, point of contact, phone/fax/email, and business size and status (e.g. small business, 8(a), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUB Zone small business, small disadvantage business, and women owned small business). The remainder of the capability statement should be tailored to the requirements stated above and must demonstrate that similar work has been performed in the past. Submission Instructions: Interested parties having the capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirements may submit a capability statement of up to 10 pages and font size 12 via email to [email protected] and a copy to Sandra Savage ([email protected]). The subject line of the email shall be "USAID/PERU Monitoring and Evaluation Services Capability Statement". Responses are due no later than May 30, 2012, by 2:00PM EST. Capability statements will not be accepted after the due date. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organizations qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED ADEQUATE RESPONSES TO A SOLICITATION. Primary Point of Contact: Sandra Savage Contracting Officer USAID/PERU Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance Email: [email protected] Phone: 011-51-1-6181423 Fax: 011-51-1-6181350