Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE)
Supporting the Development of Amalgamated Territorial Communities of Ukraine
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 0010
LOCAL COUNCIL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
Date of Solicitation Notice: February 21, 2017
Deadline for Questions: March 03, 2017
Due Date for Applications: March 10, 2017
Global Communities is committed to providing equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, or disability.
- Overview
Global Communities is implementing the USAID funded Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE) program in Ukraine. Launched in 2016, this 5-year project is helping leaders of newly formed Amalgamated Territorial Communities (ATC) to effectively manage resources, increase the quality of public services, stimulate local economies, and improve citizen engagement. DOBRE is now in the process of guiding community stakeholders through a participatory strategic planning process that engages citizens, identifies issues, allocates resources, and creates and implements programs that address priority needs of the communities.
Using the Strategic Planning process as a framework, DOBRE will provide practical trainings and consulting services so that community leaders develop the skills needed to implement their Strategic Plans and programs. The knowledge, practical skills, and learning tools and approaches used will be institutionalized within Ukrainian educational institutions and other local government service organizations so that developing communities will continue to have access to needed services in the future. DOBRE is now seeking a number of:
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS (LGSOs)
to assist delivery of trainings, consulting and advisory services to
“Develop the Capacity of Local Councils and Other Government Bodies” in
Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolayiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Oblasts.
This opportunity is open to any organization capable of providing training, education, consulting, research or advisory services to municipal governments. Examples of eligible organizations include:
- Educational institutions, including universities; academies; institutes; business schools; professional schools and continuing education providers;
- Training and consulting companies;
- Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Associations, Think Tanks or Consortiums.
Applying organizations should have experience or be able to demonstrate the capacity to support communities located in one or several of DOBRE’s seven targeted oblasts.
- DOBRE Project Description
Many leaders of newly Amalgamated Territorial Communities (ATCs) lack the capacity to fulfil their new responsibilities resulting from decentralization and consolidation. Through a series of trainings and consultations, DOBRE will help these community and municipal leaders to develop this capacity and effectively apply new knowledge and skills to improve their community.
DOBRE’s Consortium comprised of international and Ukrainian organizations, led by Global Communities, unites a broad set of expertise and practical experience in decentralization and community development. Global Communities’ model for community-driven development provides a framework for DOBRE’s overall approach and assistance activities.
DOBRE will deliver a series of practical trainings, on-site consultations, and community engagement activities that guide communities in their efforts to create Strategic Development Plans. The community-driven strategic planning processes will also result in the creation of “action plans” and tailored projects that improve public services, stimulate economic development, and increase the quality of life in the communities. The successful projects and results achieved will serve as models and motivation for other communities working to improve services and the quality of life for their citizens.
DOBRE is now searching for a number of highly qualified and experienced LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS (LGSOs) that have the capacity to train Local Councils and Other Local Government Bodies in DOBRE targeted Oblasts. Training activities will be designed to enable local council members, representatives of other local self-governance bodies, key leaders, managers and staff to understand and fulfill their new responsibilities and engage citizens through effective, open and transparent communication.
As a result of the various assistance activities, the participating amalgamated territorial communities will improve A community groups. LGSOs will improve their capacity to provide assistance to the municipal governments in the future.
III. Scope of Work and Deliverables
DOBRE is working with 25 communities located in the Ukrainian Oblasts of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolayiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil. The list of communities is available here: http://decentralization.gov.ua/news/item/id/3566.
Using an open and competitive process, DOBRE will select multiple LGSOs capable of providing newly Amalgamated Territorial Communities (ATCs) the training, advisory and other tasks and activities described in this Request for Proposals.
In their submitted Proposals, applying LGSOs should:
- Clearly identify and describe how they propose to complete the described activities providing samples of work and references (clients/participants) demonstrating their competence for each activity or service they propose, and:
- Identify which Oblasts they propose to deliver the activity or service as justified by their experience and demonstrated outreach capacity to provide the services to ATCs in selected Oblasts.
Note: Selected LGSOs will be required to participate in preparatory discussions in Kyiv and/or DOBRE Regional Offices in Dnipro or Ternopil prior to the delivery of all or some of the Tasks. Selected LGSOs also will be invited to participate in Strategic Planning activities conducted in assigned communities (which will be organized and led by other DOBRE Consortium members).
LOCAL COUNCIL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
The general approach should incorporate the strong team building methodology; introduce the best Ukrainian and foreign practices and innovative methods in adults’ education. Also the general approach should introduce and incorporate in each training various anti-corruption tools and technics and incorporate practical exercises so that council members begin to incorporate them into their decision making processes. Training modules should raise awareness of the impact of corrupt practices, highlight the importance of changing the way government bodies are held accountable for their actions, and promote good governance.
In addition, the proposed approach should mention the best way of the arranging a continuous education process for the local council members in terms of the number of trainings and timeframe.
Selected LGSOs will conduct:
- Task 1: Local Council Authority and Responsibility Workshops that review legislative powers and responsibilities assigned to councils and other local governance bodies, including starostas, introducing practical knowledge, techniques and skills needed to fulfill them. The practical trainings are to be specifically tailored to Ukraine and the general system of self-governance operations and the interactions and relations with other government bodies and the community. General information of the Ukrainian and EU laws on self-governance and decentralization should be incorporated into the training course program.
- Task 2: Strategic Planning and Community Communication Workshops that introduce long-term planning techniques and develop strategies that reflect community priorities. The practical workshops will introduce concepts of critical thinking, problem identification, and analysis of alternative actions to address priority issues. Various communication techniques will be introduced and practiced to that council members effectively engage community stakeholders, understand their concerns, communicate council activities and plans to community members, and reflect citizen opinions in council decisions.
- Task 3: Workshops for Public Services Budgeting & Other Council Responsibilities – Practical Workshops and Seminars will provide an overview of the budgeting process of key public service sectors. Trainings will also instill the practical knowledge and basic skills so that council members understand the processes and have competency to judge the reasonableness of proposed costs. In addition, the trainings for the other topics could be suggested for the different committees’ participants including land, construction, property, education, health etc. that cover all main spheres of the local councils responsibilities.
- Task 4: Seminars on the Role of Local Council Secretary and other Local Self-Governance bodies – Seminars will provide an overview of the role and relationships of various bodies of municipal government. Training activities will be designed to enable council secretaries and members of other bodies, including starostas, to effectively fulfill their assigned responsibilities and get knowledge of the other local governance bodies’ responsibilities.
Deliverables
In each assigned DOBRE partner community, selected LGSOs will be expected to produce deliverable(s) related to the specific Task(s) described above that the LGSO will conduct:
- Council Duties and Responsibilities Workshop(s) delivered – materials developed, training reports submitted
- Strategic Planning and Community Workshop(s) delivered – materials developed, training reports submitted
- Budgeting and other priority area Workshops – materials developed, training reports submitted
- Local Council Secretary and Local Self-governance bodies trainings – materials developed, training reports submitted
Other Expectations
LGSOs representatives will be expected to participate introductory session in Kyiv and/or DOBRE regional offices in Ternopil and Dnipro.
Selected LGSOs will also be asked to conduct an organization “self-assessment” and describe their strategy to improve their organizational effectiveness and advance their capacity to deliver similar services after completion of the DOBRE program period.
The contractual agreement with each selected LGSO will list their planned Tasks, identify in which city(s) they will be delivered, and provide target dates for their completion.
In addition, the LGSOs will:
- Submit to DOBRE a listing of key management, staff members, and training consultants
- Provide qualification and training experience information for individual trainers and consultants they intend to mobilize for DOBRE activities.
- Embrace community engagement practices and build cooperative relationships with the communities assisted.
- Schedule
The general timeline of activities by category is provided below. This is a general guide only and some of the activities may shift based on local schedules and number of communities assigned to the LGSO, and the availability of participating personnel and trainers.
March – April Introductory session(s), Local Council Authority and Responsibility Workshops
May – June Strategic Planning and Community Communication Workshops
July – Sept Workshops for Public Services Budgeting & Other Council Responsibilities
March –September Seminars on the Role of Local Council Secretary and other Local Self-Governance bodies
- Application Process
The application is available to download here or at http://gurt.org.ua/, http://www.prostir.ua, DOBRE FB page, USAID FB page, DOBRE partners. Applying organizations should clearly identify and describe their proposed approach/vision regarding the Tasks they propose to implement. Additionally, applying organizations must clearly identify which Oblasts they are located or represented, which they have experience, and which they are proposing to provide training and services in the DOBRE program.
The Application must be completed and submitted (along with the attachments, if any) to DOBRE via email: [email protected] by the deadline of 10 March 2017 to be considered. Please make sure to write “LGSO Application for Local Council Capacity Development and name of the Oblast(s) you propose to work in as a LGSO” in the Subject line of your email.
All the questions should be submitted to DOBRE via email: [email protected] by the deadline of 03 March 2017 with subject: “RFP 0010: QA”
Documentation, including service history, sample work products, CVs/Resumes of staff personnel and outsource human resources, and references are required. If you have additional documentation to provide only in hardcopy, you can submit those in person to a DOBRE representative in Kyiv, or in one of the regional offices in Dnipro or Ternopil by the deadline of 10 March 2017 to be considered.
Please prepare and submit budget accordingly to the “Proposal Budget” file in USD. Please use office NBU exchange rate for the calculations.
All payments under RFP 0010 shall be done in UAH (based on actual NBU rate) and exempt from VAT. Global Communities is exempt from taxes within the customs territory of Ukraine and will provide a certified copy of its registration card issued by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine for VAT exemption process.
Authorized geographic code for RFP 0010 is Code 110, which includes the following countries: Ukraine, U.S.A., independent countries of Former Soviet Union, or another developing country which is not included in the USAID list of prohibited source countries.
Please use the following link to check the USAID list of developing countries: http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/310maa.pdf
Please use the following link to check the USAID list of prohibited source countries:
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1864/310mac.pdf
- Selection Process
DOBRE will complete the LGSO selection process by 24 March 2017, by applying the following principles:
- The selection process will be transparent and competitive based on clear criteria and an objective grading system.
- The selected group of LGSOs will be able to demonstrate the ability to provide services to ATCs in one or more of the DOBRE-targeted oblasts. Selection criteria will be applied equally in each oblast.
Evaluation: The selected LGSOs will be those best positioned to contribute to the successful implementation of DOBRE Tasks (activities and services) during the program period while demonstrating a high potential for increasing their capacity to deliver similar services long after DOBRE’s completion. The evaluation and selection of LGSO applicants will be based on:
- Type and quality of services previously (or currently) provided to ATCs, municipalities or other similar entities/organizations – 10 points;
- Demonstrated experience of training local self-governance members – 20 points;
- Approach to implement proposed DOBRE Tasks and understanding of local context and challenges faced by local self-governance bodies in ATCs – 25 points;
- Training/consulting personnel – 20 points;
- Experience of working in DOBRE target oblasts, contacts with communities – 5 points;
- Proposed Budget – 20 points.
DOBRE’s evaluation committee will review and evaluate all applications received prior to the stated deadline. The final total score for each LGSO will be the summation of the scores of indicators given by each evaluation committee member for each criteria area in ATC’s proposal. The committee recommendation for selected LGSOs will be based on comparing all applicant LGSOs final total sums of scores while comparing LGSOs applying to work in each Oblast separately.
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