R -- Five year multi-contractor Indefinite Quantity Contract to implement Conflict Prevention, Mitigation and Response (CPMR) programming for three USAID Africa Regional Offices

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Economic Development and Support Office (REDSO) in Nairobi, Kenya is seeking qualified firms and/or consortiums to provide for a five year multi-contractor Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) to implement Conflict Prevention, Mitigation and Response (CPMR) programming in sub Saharan Africa. This IQC will support three USAID Africa Regional Offices: the Regional Economic Development Support Office (REDSO) for East and Southern Africa in Nairobi, the West Africa Regional Program (WARP) in Bamako and the Regional Center for Southern Africa (RCSA) in Gaborone and potentially other interested US Government entities. This IQC purpose includes, but is not limited to the following: • The IQC will enable REDSO, WARP and RCSA, and other USG entities, to deliver both financial and in-kind resources for CPMR programming in their respective regions to inter-governmental, governmental and non-governmental grantees rapidly and flexibly in response to evolving conflict situations and within their respective Results Frameworks. The IQC will also enable the regional offices to serve USAID bilateral mission needs as they arise. The range of possible activities includes: conflict assessment; CPMR training; institutional strengthening; small and large grants; study, testing, dissemination and implementation of effective approaches; information and communications technology (ICT) informational and meetings and conferences for NGO, government, donor and USG partners; and monitoring and evaluation. • Each office, either separately or in partnership, will detail its needs (focus of activities, geographic limits, contract period, available funds etc) in a task order and select one or more of the identified IQC contractors to implement the full range of its CPMR programming. This will simplify and streamline both procurement and management processes and systems and will eliminate redundant multi-contractor administrative infrastructure. Additional task orders will be written if and when the need for significant additional CPMR activities • Use of a joint contracting mechanism will help the three regional offices and other USG entities to fulfill their commitment to increase exchanges and promote greater synergies by offering many opportunities for consultations during planning, implementation and evaluation phases. The complete Request for Proposals will be published on or about March 31, 2003.