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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP SOLICITATION NUMBER: FY16-RFP02-6014
Issued by: University Research Co., LLC
USAID Reading within Reach (REACH)
USAID Contract No. AID-OAA-M-14-00001
Reference: Enabling Writers Implementation
Date of Issue: April 19, 2016
Closing Time and Date for Proposals: May 27, 2016, 5:00pm EST
Proposals must be emailed to: [email protected]
Deadline for Questions: April 29, 2016
Questions by email ONLY to: [email protected]
Issuance of this RFP does not constitute a contractual commitment on the part of URC nor
does it commit URC or the US Government to pay for costs incurred in the submission of a
proposal. All costs of the Offeror in the preparation and submission of an of fer shall be
borne by that Offeror. URC reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to make
no award at all, or to make an award without further discussion or negotiations if it is
considered to be in the best interests of the project and URC.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. The USAID READING within REACH Project .................................................................. 3
2. Purpose & Focus ..................................................................................................................... 3
A. Context & Statement of Need ......................................................................................... 3
B. Program Purpose ............................................................................................................. 4
C. Background ……………………………………………………………………………...4
D. Geographic Scope………………………………………………………………………..5
E. Statement of Work…………………………...……………………………………….....5
3. Acceptance of Alternative Proposals…………...……………………………………….....9
4. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation………………………...…………………….....9
5. Deliverables………………………...……………………………………………………......9
6. Key Personnel ………………………...………………………………………......................10
7. Attachments………………………...…………………………………….……………….....12
A. APPENDIX A. General Instructions for Offerors ………………...…...…………….12
B. APPENDIX B: Evaluation Criteria ……………………...……………………...........15
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1. THE USAID READING WITHIN REACH PROJECT (REACH)
The Reading within Reach Project (REACH) was established to build a community of practice, a
professional network focused on improving reading outcomes in the primary grades. This network,
the Global Reading Network (GRN), brings together governments, program implementers, civil
society organizations, academics, funders, UN agencies, and other stakeholders invested to work
collaboratively to improve quality and expand the reach of early grade reading interventions
around the world. One of the key missions of the Global Reading Network is to strengthen the
base of evidence, knowledge, skills, and tools among professionals involved from multiple
perspectives in reading programs.
Through this five-year, $10 million initiative, USAID supports this network of stakeholders to
develop, disseminate, and apply evidence-based practices to increase the impact, scale, and
sustainability of early grade reading programs. University Research Co., LLC (URC) manages
REACH through a contract with USAID and supports the activities of the Global Reading
Network. These activities seek to build on the foundation of past and present education work and
rely heavily on the knowledge and participation of education policy makers, global donors,
practitioners, program implementers, ministries of education, schools, teachers, and communities.
2. Purpose & Focus
A. Context and Statement of Need
URC, in conjunction with the All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development
partners (USAID, World Vision, and DFAT), is seeking proposals from responsible
organizations interested in providing the services contained in this solicitation (hereinafter
referred to as the “RFP”), more specifically the implementation of writer's workshops and
associated activities, including the use of Bloom book-writing software to develop/version
decodable and leveled texts in at least 20 underserved languages. URC anticipates awarding up
to eight (8) awards to complete this work, according to the schedule below. A complete list of
the languages, and the countries in which they are spoken, can be found in the Statement of Work
below.
This RFP is being issued with full and open competition. All types of organizations, including,
but not limited to, local and international NGOs, universities, faith-based groups, governments,
and individuals, are eligible to compete. All organizations responding to this RFP, must submit
their proposal in accordance with Section L of this RFP. Proposals must be submitted
electronically to URC-CHS by May 27, 2016. Late proposals will not be considered.
The award to a successful organization shall be in the form of a subcontract. The estimated
period of performance for activities under the award shall be one (1) year. The estimated cost
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range for each award will be between $25,000 – $85,000. Offerors must propose costs that are
reasonable and realistic for the work described below, and work that is commensurate with their
technical approach. Implementation design, experience, capacity, staffing, and cost will be
evaluated as a part of the selection criteria.
Questions: Questions concerning this RFP will be accepted until April 29, 2016. Responses to
all questions will be compiled into a single response, and provided to all organizations that
submit questions.
B. Program Purpose
The purpose of these awards is to support the implementation of writer's workshops and
associated activities to use Bloom book-writing software1 to develop/version decodable and
leveled texts in at least 20 underserved languages. The total number of titles developed will be at
least 50 decodable and 150 leveled reader titles per language, of which at least 75 titles will be
non-fiction. Non-fiction titles must be aligned with national early primary curricula and
additional topics within the specific cultural context. Print-ready copy is not required, and
further processes to enable delivery of hard-copy books within target countries will be supported
directly by URC over time. All titles should be specific to the language, curricula, and cultural
context of the eventual student readers, should ensure gender equity, and be inclusive and
representative of students from different demographics within the country.
The awards will provide funds for outreach, training of local stakeholders and authors, support
for user software implementation, processes for title adoption by Ministries of Education and
evaluation of results. Printing and distribution of titles will be funded separately. Proposals that
show clear commitment from Ministries of Education, development partners and/or other entities
to fund printing and distribution are preferred.
C. Background
Reading is the art of using text to make sense of our world. Young learners in the developing
world are disenfranchised from this process in many ways. They may have limited access to text
experiences in their early years. Schools may be under-prepared to provide effective instruction.
Even when children are in school and schools are prepared with effective pedagogy, a further
problem is predominant – a lack of high quality reading materials, designed specifically for
children in unique cultural and language settings. Access to high quality decodable and
appropriately leveled books, with themes that connect to children, and in languages specific to
their home and learning contexts, is critical to ensure development of early reading skills.
Many efforts are underway in the developing world to provide more effective early primary
reading instruction. These include large-scale teacher training initiatives, materials provision
initiatives, and whole school reform efforts. However, the large scale of such programs does
little to reach the local level with sustainable and localized materials development strategies to
enable participants to develop their own texts beyond target funding periods. In addition, many
texts that are provided to young learners are developmentally inappropriate or stem from cultures
1 USAID notes that there are other software packages available for the creation of children’s
texts. This RFP, however, is focused exclusively on the use of the Bloom software for this
purpose.
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other than their own, and as such are difficult for children to read and comprehend, decreasing
both motivation to read and skills development.
In response to the lack of appropriate and affordable texts, USAID and its partners in the
Enabling Writers initiative, World Vision and the Australian government, awarded a grant in
2014 to SIL-LEAD to develop the open-source Bloom software and customize it to support
authorship of early grade text, both decodable and leveled, in multiple languages. The software is
designed to assist educators, publishers, and other interested writers in writing children’s books
for early primary grade levels, in two text categories: decodable books for beginning readers, and
leveled books for beginning and emerging readers.
D. Geographic Scope
The geographic scope for the Enabling Writers roll-out follows several possible production
tracks.
The multi-country track (up to 3 awards): Under this track, Offeror(s) will work to
develop the required number of texts in the following languages, each of which is
applicable to many countries:
Modern Standard Arabic (Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Yemen)* (note: decodables
only)
Kiswahili (Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Uganda, CAR)
Hausa (Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon)
Under this track, Offerors may apply to work on one or more of the listed languages. For
each language selected, Offerors must work with ministries from at least 2 of the listed
countries in a given language group to develop the required readers. Countries that
currently have USAID-funded reading programs are preferred.
The high-priority country track (1 award): Under this track, Offeror(s) will work to
develop the required number of texts in the national languages of Mozambique (Mwani,
Makhuwa, Makonde, Nyanja, Yao, Lomwe, Chuwabu, Sena, Nyungwe, Ndawu, Tewe,
Copi, Tonga, Tshwa, Changana, Ronga), Philippines (proposing an approach to work in
at least 4 of the following languages - Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Bikol,
Kapampangan, Maguindanaoan, Meranao, Pangasinense, Bahasa Sug [Tausug],
Chabacano, Waray, Ybanag, Ivatan, Aklanon, Kinaray-a, Yakan, Surgaonon), and
Zambia (Cibemba, Cinyanja, Kikaonde, Silozi, Chitonga, Luvale, Lunda).
The individual partner country track (up to 4 awards): Under this track, Offerors will
work to develop the required number of texts in all of the official languages of instruction
of at least one of the countries listed below. In a country with more than one language
listed, all languages must be addressed in the course of the implementation of the award.
COUNTRIES LANGUAGES
DRC Lingala, Tshiluba, Kikongo, Kiswahili,
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COUNTRIES LANGUAGES
Ghana Akan, Ewe, Dagbane, Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi,
Dagaare, Dagbani, Dangme, Fante, Ga, Gonja,
Kasem, Nzema
Indonesia Bahasa Indonesian
Mali Bamanankan, Fulfulde, Songhai, Dogon, Soninke,
Tamashaq, Bozo, Senufo, Bomou, Minianka,
Khassonke*
Senegal Wolof, Poular, Sérère, Diola, Malinké, Soninké
Ethiopia Aff Somali, Amharic, Afan Oromo, Tigrinya,
Sidama Afu, Hadiya, Wolayita, Awingi,
Hammittena, Somali, Nuer, Anguak, Meshenger,
Harari, Dawro, Gamo, Gedeo, Gofa, Hadiyya,
Kembata, Kafinono, Kontigna, Korete, Silti,
Haiti Haitian Creole
Uganda Ateso, Leblango, Luganda, Runyunkore-Rukiga,
Leb Acoli, Lugbarati, Lumasaba, Runyoro-
Rutooro, Lugwere, Lusoga, Lhukonzo,
Nakarimojon
Rwanda Kinyarwanda
Somalia Somali, Afar
South Sudan Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande
Nepal Nepali, Maithali, Awadi, Tharu, Bhojpuri, Limbu,
Gurung, Magar, Doteli, Chamling, Thakali,
Sanskrit, Nepal Bhasha
Cambodia Khmer
Vanuatu Bislama
Timor-Leste Tetum
Bangladesh Bangla
*Note: Hassaninya and Malinke are recognized as national languages, but are not yet used
officially in schools.
Offerors are encouraged to form consortia large enough to allow them to complete the
development of titles in all the listed languages in the track (tracks 1 and 2) or country (track 3)
in which they apply to work. Offerors are further encouraged to propose the amount of time
required for completing the production of titles in a given country, which could vary between 6
and 24 months.
Offerors should note that, in each country in the list, USAID currently has a funded
reading initiative, or partnerships that facilitate the planning and implementation of such
initiatives. Offerors are encouraged to work in conjunction with that reading initiative, its
partner ministry, and the ACR GCD partners in country in order to complete activities under this
scope of work and should clearly explain those plans in their proposal. Note that Offerors should
not plan for ACR GCD Partner financial or human resource support, only for collaboration.
Offerors should plan to work with other funders and implementers of reading programs in the
respective countries and should detail that collaboration as well.
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It is important to note that offerors will not be responsible for integrating country-specific
languages into the Bloom software platform. URC will work directly with Bloom to prepare the
software interface for local language access. In addition, offerors will not be responsible for
contracting with a Bloom software trainer. URC will provide a lead Bloom software trainer for
each funded program.
It is also important to note that African awardees will be expected to collaborate and coordinate
their work with ADEA to promote communications and outreach to potential participants, and
should include strategies within their proposal that demonstrate how ADEA can provide
additional value-added support for the proposed work.
E. Statement of Work
This opportunity aims at dramatically increasing the number and quality of early reading texts
for children in the target languages and countries. These texts will include culturally-relevant
and language-specific decodable texts and leveled text designed to meet the needs of readers as
they develop and use their early skills,
Under any awarded subcontract, the successful offeror will:
- Conduct outreach with potential stakeholders and actors to garner appropriate
participation in the Enabling Writers’ training workshops (see details about intended
participation and audiences below)
- Provide training for those stakeholders on the principles of developing text for early
grade reading programs
- Provide training for those stakeholders on the principles of using the Bloom software to
develop decodable and leveled readers
- Support ministries of education in updating and applying their processes for title adoption
to these texts
- Evaluate the results of each cycle of title production, by language.
Awardees will be expected to actively recruit, vet, and work with a variety of relevant
stakeholders, including (but not limited to):
- Ministry of Education staff, with expertise and/or responsibility in the target area
- Professional writers of children’s text
- Publishing houses
- Universities
- Other stakeholders deemed relevant by the grantee (include an explanation of how these
additional stakeholders will benefit from and contribute to the work)
Work Objective One: Conduct outreach with potential stakeholders and actors to garner
appropriate participation in the Enabling Writers’ training workshops (10%)
- Identify and meet with key stakeholder groups (in-country NGO staff, ministry
personnel, local authors groups, publishers, ACR GCD partners, etc)
- Explain the reasons for the Enabling Writers initiative, as well as the details of the
planned Enabling Writers trainings
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- Issue invitations and provide logistics for the attendance of a broad cross-section of these
stakeholders at the Enabling Writers workshops.
Work Objective Two: Provide training for those stakeholders on the principles of
developing text for early grade reading programs (10%) - Introduce participants to the simple view of reading and its implications for early grade
reading instruction
- Introduce participants to the concept of scopes and sequences, frequent word lists, etc.
- Introduce participants to the concepts of decodable and leveled texts, and to the principles
for their development
- Introduce participants to the concepts and processes for Creative Commons licensing
(creativecommons.org)
Note that core content for work objective two should come from the approved, core “EW
workshop kit.” This kit will be provided to all awardees by URC prior to implementation.
Work Objective Three: Provide training for those stakeholders on the principles of using
the Bloom software to develop decodable and leveled readers (10%)
- Provide an overview of the Bloom software
- Demonstrate how to create decodable readers using the Bloom software
- Provide ample practice in creating decodable readers using the Bloom software
- Demonstrate how to create leveled readers using the Bloom software
- Provide ample practice in creating leveled readers using the Bloom software
Note that core content for work objective three should come from the approved, core “EW
workshop kit.”
Work Objective Four: Support authors to develop final, tested decodable and leveled
readers (30%)
- Use the Bloom software to develop at least 50 decodable and 150 leveled reader titles per
language, with at least 75 of these being non-fiction (see required specifications for titles
above). The leveled reader titles may be new titles or versioned titles from another
language, as long as the text and illustrations are contextually appropriate. All texts must
be gender and conflict-sensitive, and ensure appropriate representation of people with
disabilities.
- Conduct limited field testing of these draft titles with ministry of education officials
- Revise and refine the titles after field testing, as needed
Work Objective Five: Support ministries of education to adopt final decodable and leveled
readers (20%)
- Update and apply Ministerial processes for title adoption
- Validate titles by and with the Ministry of Education
- Note that all titles will be Creative Commons “BY” licensed.
Work Objective Six: Evaluate the results of each cycle of title production, by language.
(10%)
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- Formatively monitor implementation of the award, and use data to continually improve
their implementation
- Engage an external monitoring and evaluation partner to evaluate
o Content and quality of training
o Quality of books produced
ACCEPTANCE OF ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS
URC is also interested in considering alternative proposals that apply a different process than
noted in the Statement of Work above. For example, offerors may build upon existing regional,
national and/or local reading and/or book development programs, existing partnerships, and/or
initiatives which are already in-country including providing targeted technical assistance,
additional training, creative strategies for in-country capacity-building, or alternative stakeholder
inclusion - based on barriers or opportunities unique to their specific context.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING & EVALUATION
Awardees will engage an external partner to monitor and evaluate program implementation (see
Objective 1.4 above). The evaluator will hold exclusive responsibility to
- Conduct a small case study, engaging software users without any training or mentoring
support, to examine the difference in the quality of resulting text, in essence testing out
the feasibility of fully self-guided software use (no training or support to be provided)
- Regularly report to the implementer on the quality, fidelity, scope, and impact of the
larger training and book development program
- Provide feedback and suggestions to the implementer to strengthen all aspects of program
implementation
- Report to the funder on the quality, fidelity, scope, and impact of the program
- Produce two reports (6 month implementation report, and final impact report – both in
collaboration with the implementing partner)
DELIVERABLES
It is presently contemplated that an awarded subcontract will include, in part, the following
deliverables:
Deliverable Due Date
A comprehensive training plan Within 30 days of award
Training materials use and report of results Within 15 days of training completion
Monthly implementation reports, including
- Success stories
- Images from implementation
- Sample pupil books
- Classroom use stories
- Next steps
Monthly
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Six-month progress report Six months after award
Titles (printed and electronic titles in .pdf and
.epub format)
One month prior to the end of the program
period
Final impact report (in collaboration with
monitoring and evaluation partner)
At the end of the program period
KEY PERSONNEL/QUALIFICATIONS
The following are the key personnel that are required to be part of an offeror’s proposal:
Project Manager: The project manager should have experience managing a project of similar
scope and period of work. The project manager should have at least limited knowledge of early
grades reading and book production, as well as formative monitoring and evaluation strategies.
The project manager should have experience managing a small staff for similar programs.
Technology Trainer: The technology trainer should have experience training others in the basic
use of technology, and should have the skills and experience to teach others to use specific
software applications. Experience working with writing software specifically is also highly
desired, but not required.
Writing Trainer: The writing trainer should have experience training others in the process of
writing, experience writing children’s books, and a clear understanding of early grades text
development and use. The writing trainer must demonstrate an understanding of decodable text,
text leveling, and use of read-aloud text by teachers.
Evaluation Specialist: The evaluation specialist should have experience conducting evaluations
in training settings, and in analyzing the quality of resources developed within reading programs.
The Evaluation Specialist must demonstrate an understanding of qualitative methodologies, as
well as a basic understanding of decodable and leveled text and text quality.
Additional Staff: Additional important staff considerations include logistical support staff to
coordinate training and any necessary travel, and financial support staff to hold responsibility for
managing and reporting on expenditures.
NON-EXPENDABLE PROPERTY & TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES
No non-expendable property or technology/hardware is to be included in the cost proposal or
purchased as a part of this implementation. These will not be covered under an awarded
subcontract. Each awardee is expected to use existing local resources and infrastructure.
LOGISTICAL SUPPORT
Awardees will be required to provide all necessary logistical support, including travel
arrangements, computer support, team planning facilitation, and report editing and
dissemination. These will not be covered under an awarded subcontract.
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LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Awardees will be required to produce children’s books in any and/or all locally identified
languages of instruction. Awardees will be are required to produce reports (see above) in both
their preferred local language and English, for purposes of both reporting to local stakeholders
and reporting to URC.
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ATTACHMENTS
APPENDIX A: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFERORS
Up to Eight Awards: URC anticipates awarding up to eight (8) subcontracts as a result of this
process (over an eighteen-month period). Offerors may apply to work in any of the listed
program tracks. However, funds for the individual partner country track(s) are reserved for local
organizations from the respective countries.
Responsiveness to Solicitation: Proposals must respond directly to the terms, conditions,
specifications, and provisions and comply with the instructions set forth here or otherwise risk
being determined as non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration.
Accurate and Complete Information: Offerors must set forth accurate and complete
information as required by this solicitation.
Format and Presentation: Proposals must be submitted in two separate parts: (a) Technical
Proposal and (b) Cost Proposal. Technical Proposals must not make reference to pricing data in
order that the technical evaluation may be made strictly on the basis of technical merits. All
pages of the technical and cost proposals must be sequentially numbered.
Proposal Submission: The Technical and Cost proposal must be submitted via email. No other
forms of submission will be accepted. Please submit signed and dated proposals on or before the
date and time indicated above to [email protected], The proposal must be received by the
due date for it to be considered. Email with attachments must be submitted in the following
formats: Adobe Acrobat (PDF), MS Word 2010 and Excel MS 2010. Each email must not
exceed 5 MB in size. All files must be unprotected including any spreadsheets, which are to be
provided as Excel files with visible calculation cell formulas intact. Our preference is that the
Technical and the Cost proposal each be submitted as single email attachments. Should offerors
send multiple files, they are to be clearly named to allow sequential viewing and/or printing, and
the offeror must include instructions in regards to the number of files and their names. Your
proposal may not get optimal treatment if we are confused regarding the order and composition
of your submission.
Instructions - Technical Proposal: The Technical Proposal must address how the Offeror
intends to carry out the Statement of Work. The Technical Proposal should be specific, complete,
presented concisely, and responsive to the goals of the funding. The Technical Proposal must
address how the Offeror intends to fulfill the RFP requirements. Detailed information should be
presented only when required by specific RFP instructions.
The Technical Proposal is limited to 10 pages and must be written in English. Offerors must use
only 8 1/2" x 11” or A4 paper, single spaced, 12 point font Times New Roman or similar font
with margins not less than one inch on each border. Use of smaller font or other page format may
result in removal of proposal material provided to the evaluation panel. Maps, charts or exhibits
may use a font size smaller than 12 point as long as they are legible without magnification.
Those pages that exceed the page limitation will not be considered. Number each page
consecutively. A page in the Technical Proposal that contains a table, chart, graph, etc. not
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otherwise excluded below, is included within the above page limitation for the Technical
Proposal.
The following items are not included in this page limit:
- Cover page
- Table of contents
- Acronym list
- Annexes
- Work plans
- Monitoring and Evaluation plan
- Organizational Chart
- Resumes/References
- Letters of Commitment
- Past Performance/Experience Attachments
Management and Staffing (2 pages maximum - included in the page limit): The offeror must
describe its plan for management of the project. This will include a description (as applicable to
the proposed approach) of the roles and functions of the home office, field office, any
satellite/regional offices, and each proposed subcontractor and briefly explain the rationale. The
offeror must also identify organizational structures (e.g., people, systems, policies, procedures)
that support its ability to launch and support this project and the offeror's technical approach.
The management plan must include a draft implementation plan (included in the page limit)
identifying the steps for project implementation during the first 90 days of award.
Past Performance: The offeror (including all partners of a joint venture) must provide
performance information for itself and each major subcontractor, including:
- A list of up to four most recent programs/contracts similar to the work being proposed
- Past performance references for each of the listed programs/contracts (names, job titles,
phone numbers, email, mailing address, and a brief description of the work completed
with or for this reference
- Proven experience with leveled and decodable text production
- Dollar value of the program/contracts listed in the performance references.
- A brief description of any quality awards or certifications that indicate exceptional
capacity to provide the service described in the statement of work.
1. Instructions – Cost Proposal: The Offeror must describe the institutional experience
and expertise for itself and any major contractor in successfully managing and
implementing projects of similar scale, technical scope, and purpose in a development
context. The Offeror must submit a detailed budget and budget narrative for all costs in
Excel format and in US dollars. Budget details must include Total Direct Labor Salary
and Wages, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Transportation and Per Diem, Equipment, Supplies,
and Indirect Costs. All spreadsheets must be submitted in Excel format with unlocked
formulas. The budget narrative must be in Microsoft Word, Times New Roman font size
12.
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APPENDIX B: EVALUATION CRITERIA
Weighting: The chart below shows the weight that will be given to each component of
proposals during review and scoring.
Proposal Component Weight
Technical Plan
Work Objective One: Conduct outreach with potential
stakeholders and actors to garner appropriate participation in
the Enabling Writers’ training workshops
10%
Work Objective Two: Provide training for those stakeholders
on the principles of developing text for early grade reading
programs
10%
Work Objective Three: Provide training for those stakeholders
on the principles of using the Bloom software to develop
decodable and leveled readers
10%
Work Objective Four: Support authors to develop final, tested
decodable and leveled readers
20%
Work Objective Five: Support ministries of education to adopt
final decodable and leveled readers
20%
Work Objective Six: Evaluate the results of each cycle of title
production, by language.
10%
Management Plan 10%
Past Performance 10%
Technical Proposal Evaluation Criteria
Technical Plan: The technical plan
- Is clear and complete
- Addresses the goals and purposes of the funding
- Creates an effective case for the urgency of need in the country context
- Demonstrates detailed planning
- Addresses the unique context of the country (logistical, technical, participant preparation,
etc.)
- Ensures production of 50 decodable and 150 leveled titles during the grant period
- Provides creative solutions to potential program implementation barriers
- Demonstrates workable strategies to build capacity for local program sustainability
beyond the scope of funding
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Management/Staffing Plan: The management and staffing plan demonstrates
- An efficient, but sufficient staffing plan
- An understanding of the skills and experience necessary for staff to perform proposed
functions and activities
- A management approach that effectively builds staff capacity, and monitors and supports
staff during implementation
Past Performance: Past performance demonstrates
- Institutional experience with similar program implementation
- Institutional experience working at a similar financial and implementation level
- Quality past work, through contact with listed references
Cost Proposal Evaluation Criteria
The cost proposal demonstrates
- Understanding of the detailed costs of implementing the proposed approach
- Efficiency in planned financial expenditures
- Appropriate balance of fund allocation across the period of work
- Appropriate balance of fund allocation across specific program tasks, including
o Training
o Mentoring and support after training
o Book production and delivery
o Monitoring of program implementation, text quality, and text use
o Program reporting
The winning proposals will be selected based upon a combination of technical score and cost. A
best values approach will be used.
Enabling Writers Sub-Contract Competition: RFP Questions & Responses
1. On Page 6 of the RFP, in the last paragraph it says that ACR GCD Partner financial or human resource support should not be planned...is it possible to know who those partners are in [our country] so as not to plan on their support?
This statement means that additional resources from USAID, World Vision, or the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, beyond the amounts specified for these sub-contracts in this document, will not be forthcoming.
2. We are a national NGO in [country name] & would like to submit proposal for
the Enabling Writers Workshop in [country name & country language]. In [country name] [organization] is implementing USAID's READ project. Shall we have to submit written agreement to show our collaborative work?
Please submit any documentation you can provide that shows the nature and degree of the partnership. See Appendix A, page 13 for more information.
3. Do the titles have to be exclusive or different for each language, or can we
develop a mother manuscript that can be translated or contextualized into the different languages? For the individual partner country languages -- if materials are developed in one language, may they be adapted to the other languages (essentially similar content even if diversity for different cultural contexts is respected)?
Applicants are expected to follow best practice in the production of decodable and leveled text.
4. Are there guidelines available for field testing of the developed texts? Or do
we follow Ministry of Education protocols?
Field testing processes will be guided by URC, and should be consistent with what is expected by the Ministry of Education in your country. There are currently no universal guidelines being offered by URC. Each program will build that process with URC as a part of the program implementation.
5. Can we have more information about the Bloom software? Does it work in a
way that it automatically translates a text into another language?
More information about Bloom software (and the software itself) is available at
http://bloomlibrary.org.
The software does not automatically translate text from one language into another. For purposes of this program, it will be provided with a user interface customized for one “training language” for each approved sub-contract program. In addition, it has pre-loaded language databases from which writers can work.
6. Should there be a minimum number of personnel involved in the project? Or
do we determine the number of personnel needed for the project? Regarding specifics about the staff - do you need very specific information such as CVs or resumes for each member of the team who would be carrying out the work, or simply the guarantee that the roles will be covered?
The RFP includes guidelines for identification of “key personnel.” Beyond this required set of personnel, each offeror should consider what is necessary, in their context, to conduct a successful implementation, and then propose what they believe is the necessary staffing. Each proposal should include CVs/Resumes of any identified key personnel.
7. Which grade levels with the authors be writing for?
The books should be targeted toward Grades 1-2. Should an offeror have a strong rationale for writing for other grades as well, they should present this rationale in their proposal.
8. Regarding the number of languages an Offeror would be expected to work
with. In the RFP I found the following: The individual partner country track (up to 4 awards): Under this track, Offerors will work to develop the required number of texts in all of the official languages of instruction of at least one of the countries listed below. In a country with more than one language listed, all languages must be addressed in the course of the implementation of the award. [Country name] has 12 languages which are to be addressed. As stated in the RFP, the 50 + 150 titles are to be produced within one year per language. Therefore, do I understand correctly that an organization could apply to produce just the titles for one of the 12 languages? And that the other 11 would be served by other organizations, or in subsequent years?
Under the Individual Partner Country Track, the awardee will
- Develop the required number of texts in all of the official languages of
instruction. - All languages must be addressed during implementation.
9. On page 3, Section 2A of the RFP, it states that “The estimated period of performance for activities under the award shall be one (1) year.” However, on page 6 of the RFP, it states that “Offerors are further encouraged to propose the amount of time required for completing the production of titles in a given country, which could vary between 6 and 24 months.” In the latter proposed timeline, the time needed for production of title would exceed the period of performance of the subcontract. Will the subcontractor not be responsible for the title production if a 24-month production period is required? URC intends to issue awards of up to 18 months in duration, depending on the number of languages to be addressed in the given country.
10. On page 3, Section 2A of the RFP, it states that, “All types of organizations, including, but not limited to, local and international NGOs, universities, faith-based groups, governments, and individuals, are eligible to compete.” However, on page 12, Appendix A, the RFP states that “However, funds for the individual partner country track(s) are reserved for local organizations from the respective countries.” Does this mean that international organizations are not eligible to apply under Track 3?
Local organizations should be the primary applicants under the individual partner country track. They are welcome to associate with any type of organization that the believe will provide value added in completing the work.
11. On page 7 through 8, Section 2E, please clarify what the percentage listed at
the end of each Objective title means? Are those evaluation criteria for each component of the technical plan or expected budget allocation for each objective?
The percentages are an indicator of the percentage of total points possible in each area. Each proposal will be scored on a 100 pt scale. In each of the Objectives, the percentages essentially show the total possible points to be awarded for that Objective.
12. Should the technical proposal be organized according the evaluation criteria in
Annex B? Are all items listed on Page 13 that are not included in the required documents?
A summary of requirements follows: Technical proposal – To be 10 pages maximum, this includes the Technical Narrative and the Management and Staffing Plan. The Technical Narrative should directly address the Objectives 1-5 listed in the chart on Page 14 of the
RFP, in order to be considered responsive. The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (Objective 6) can be included as an additional number of pages (see the list of additional required pieces below, not included in the 10-page limit). Additional Required Pieces (not included in the 10-page limit):
- Cover page - Table of contents - Acronym list - Annexes - Work plans - Monitoring and Evaluation plan (required – Objective 6) - Organizational Chart - Resumes/References - Letters of Commitment - Past Performance/Experience Attachments
13. Can an Offeror propose a fee for this subcontract RFP?
Among other aspects, URC will evaluate each proposal to determine it’s value-for-money. URC encourages maximum cost efficiently in responding to this solicitation.
14. For the key personnel positions listed on page 10, do these all need to be filled by different people, or if feasible, could one person cover more than one role? This is possible. If experience and qualifications justify filling multiple roles with a single staff member, the offeror must demonstrate this experience and justification in the Management narrative and by providing a CV/Resume and references.
15. Please clarify the total number of titles to be developed per award. The RFP
states that the program will result in “at least 50 decodable and 150 leveled reader titles per language, of which at least 75 titles will be non-fiction.” Given that capacity for title development and authorship, including non-fiction title development, will vary across country contexts, as well as that some sub-contracts will require the development of books in multiple languages, is 200 titles the minimum requirement per award, or is it envisioned that 200 titles will be developed per language across all 8 awards? Should proposals specify the precise number of titles to be developed, and must this be at least 200 per language to be eligible?
200 titles is the minimal production requirement for each individual award, and for each individual language. Proposals should specify the precise minimum
number of titles to be developed, and it must be at least 200 per language.
16. Given that the RFP states on page 9 that alternative proposals will be considered, may offerors propose a number of titles per language that deviates from that stated in the RFP with appropriate justification (for example, that versioned titles are deemed inappropriate to the country context, or that there are a limited number of authors available to develop 200 titles)?
Offerors may propose a number of titles per language that deviates from that stated in the RFP, with appropriate justification. However, the minimum number of total titles that must be developed is 200 per language. Each offeror should determine the best plan for production of 200 texts per language.
17. Will only one award be made per country or language?
There will likely be one award per country. However, URC reserves the right to make more than one award per country, should circumstances so justify.
18. How do you define non-fiction? For example, would fables or myths from the country’s oral history be considered fiction or non-fiction? Could the number of non-fiction titles developed per language deviate from 75, if determined necessary in agreement with the Ministry of Education and other partners, and taking into account conflict and gender sensitivity?
Non-fiction is any text that is factual. For young learners this may include simple texts about family or village life, animals, foods, human body, etc. Fables and myths are not considered non-fiction. The number of non-fiction titles can exceed 75, but must be a minimum of 75. Any and all titles should take into account conflict and gender sensitivity within the context of the proposed country.
19. On page 4, the RFP states that “Print-ready copy is not required, and further
processes to enable delivery of hard-copy books within target countries will be supported directly by URC over time,” and later that, “Printing and distribution of titles will be funded separately.” Please confirm whether:
Printing and distribution of the titles will be funded separately.
20. In the sentence “amount of time required for completing the production of titles in a given country, which could vary between 6 and 24 months,” on page 6 “production” references printing and distribution, as the proposed sub-contract itself should only be 12 months (1 year)? Is UCR asking for an estimate of how long the total process, including printing and distribution, should take
in the target country, in order for UCR to plan for printing and distribution?
URC is not asking for an estimate of how long the total process, including printing and distribution should take in any given country.
21. Can one organization submit multiple proposals for different production tracks
(e.g., one proposal for the high-priority country track and one proposal for the individual partner country track) and/or different countries (e.g., two separate proposals for two different countries under the individual partner country track)?
One organization may submit multiple proposals for different tracks, or for different countries.
22. What is the rationale for the languages chosen for inclusion under the "Individual Partner Country track?"
The languages included in the list are “official languages of instruction” authorized for use in schools in each identified country. Providing text in the official languages of instruction for each identified country is a priority for this program. In the even that a language or languages have been omitted from the official lists, Offerors should still plan to work in this language.
23. Will we as an organization retain the copyright of the books for future
publishing and distribution opportunities beyond the period of the grant?
UCR, as a USAID grantee, supports the US Government’s initiatives to develop and distribute open educational resources (OER). Therefore, we will be using the CC BY license for books produced through this program. Information about this can be found at creativecommons.org/licenses. All books can be copyrighted, using the CC BY license, meaning creators can retain copyright, while allowing others to copy, distribute, and make use of their work.
