Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE)
Supporting the Development of Amalgamated Territorial Communities of Ukraine
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 0011
Provision of Local Economic Development
Training and Consulting Services to Municipalities
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 also 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 advance the
LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
of Amalgamated Territorial Communities in
Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolayiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Oblasts.
This opportunity is open to any organization that provides 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 7 targeted oblasts.
- DOBRE Project Description
Many leaders of Amalgamated Territorial Communities 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.
This Consortium is partnering with multiple Ukrainian educational institutions, NGOs, associations and other organizations to deliver a series of practical trainings, on-site consultations, and community engagement activities that result in local economic and community development strategies for the amalgamated territorial communities. The community-driven strategic planning processes will 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 and advise communities in DOBRE targeted Oblasts. In addition to providing assistance, the selected LGSOs will enhance their own skills and knowledge through participation in DOBRE “train the trainer” activities and gaining practical experience working beside international and Ukrainian experts. As a result of the various assistance activities, the participating amalgamated territorial communities will improve their economy and public services while the selected 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 communities located in the Ukrainian Oblasts of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolayiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil.
Using an open and competitive process, DOBRE will select multiple LGSOs capable of providing to newly Amalgamated Territorial Communities (ATCs) the training, advisory and other tasks and activities described in this Request for Proposals.
In their proposals, applying LGSOs should:
- Clearly identify and describe how they propose to complete each Task, providing samples of work and references (clients/participants) for each Task they propose, and:
- Identify which Oblasts they propose to deliver the Task(s), 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 and “Train-the-trainer” sessions 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).
Selected LGSOs will be tasked with designing and delivering a variety of Local Economic Development training activities including:
- Task 1: Introductory Sustainable Local Economic Development (SLED) Business Forum(s) that introduce concepts, approaches and tools to a broad audience of community stakeholders who can later apply acquired skills in their creation of a Sustainable Local Economic Development Strategy (aligned with the broader Community Development Strategy and applicable Oblast Economic Strategy). The Forums should be be participatory and allow participants to share ideas on what economic tools are viable for their community. The audience is expected to be comprised of 20 to 50 stakeholders representing the municipal government, education, business and civil society.
- Task 2: Practical Workshop(s) that provide the communities’ SLED Steering Committees with knowledge and skills needed to complete Community LED Profiles (collection of economic base data and local industry), assess their local business climate (SWOT analysis) and identify economic development opportunities. Practical exercises will be used to instill an understanding of how to use economic information create a long-term strategy and viable economic development projects aligned with the strategy.
- Task 3: SLED Operational Workshop that finalizes a Sustainable Local Economic Development Strategy and accompanying Implementation Plan – a set of specific “action plans” that will guide realization of priority projects identified in the SLED Strategy. These workshops will build on previous work of DOBRE and will introduce a variety of low cost SLED tools and techniques that can be readily adapted and applied in the newly amalgamated territorial communities.
- Task 4: Strategic Planning Activity Support will be provided. The selected LGSO will be expected to contribute to the participatory process used in creating a comprehensive Community Development Strategy. This process will be led by the DOBRE consortium comprised of International and Ukrainian experts. The selected LGSOs will participate and support in implementing the series of activities designed by DOBRE.
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:
- 1 day Sustainable LED Business Forum(s) and Forum report(s)
- 2 day Sustainable LED Practical Workshop(s) that through a participatory process results in:
- a) SLED knowledge and practical skills of participants
- b) Tailored economic analysis of the community
- c) Training report
- 2 day LED Operational Workshop(s) that produces through a participatory process a:
- a) SLED Strategy
- b) Implementation Plan
- c) Training report
- “Strategic Planning Process Report(s) and Recommendations” based on experience and insights gained from supporting and participating in the series of DOBRE strategic planning activities in assigned communities.
Other Expectations
LGSOs representatives will be expected to participate in 1-day “Train the Trainer” session in Kyiv and/or DOBRE regional offices in Turnopil or 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 – Train the Trainer session(s)
March – April SLED Business Forums
April – September Strategic Planning Sessions
May – June SLED Steering Committees established
May – July SLED Practical Workshops
- Application Process
The application is available to download here or at http://gurt.org.ua/, http://www.prostir.ua/, http://www.tendery.ua/, DOBRE FB page, USAID FB page, RCSOs, 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 Economic 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 0011: 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 0011 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) 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:
- Stated and demonstrated mission of applying organization
- Type and quality of services previously (or currently) provided to ATCs, municipalities or other similar entities/organizations
- Demonstrated quality of training products, research and other services
- Described approach to implement proposed DOBRE Tasks
- Training/consulting personnel (on-staff and contracted history)
- Geographic presence and outreach ability
- Proposed Budget
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 answer in ATC’s proposal. The committee recommendation for selected LGSOs will be based on comparing all applicant LGSOs final total sums while comparing LGSOs applying to work in each Oblast separately.
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