NFO Number: SOL-680-16-000007

June 6, 2016

NFO Number: SOL-680-16-000007

Issuance Date: April 21, 2016

Application Received Round I- Concept Note Revised Deadline: June 20, 2016.

15H00 Benin Time

SUBJECT:Amendment No 2: Responses to Questions (English Version) - SOL-680-16-000007-Support for Scale-Up of Community Package of High Impact Interventions - Phase II

Dear Prospective Applicants:

The purpose of this amendment № 2 is to amend the NFO and provide answers to questions received. The answers are provided in English as well as in French as per attachment to this cover letter. Also, attached are the following documents for applicants’ reference.

1. Annex 1: Preliminary baseline household survey results;
2. Annex 2: Pre-application conference PPP
3. Annex 3 – Community Health Policy

Question # 1:

Any proposed sub-recipients/contractors (hereafter referred to as the “subs”) should be listed separately. In addition, the Cover Page should provide names of proposed health zone(s) sites, contact person for the prime applicant, including the individual’s name (both typed and his/her signature), title or position with the organization/institution, address, telephone and fax numbers. State whether the contact person is the person with authority to contract for the applicant and, if not, that person should also be listed. But in the last paragraph of the same page, it says that the cover page must contain the following elements and cited them without mentioning the headings “name of the proposed health zones" and "accuracy of the person authorized to sign the contracts on behalf of the bidder". Does this mean we should no longer put on the front page, these two elements mentioned and discussed in bold?

USAID Response # 1:

Reference page 39, item, (i) entitled “Cover Page”: Delete Cover page in its entirety and replace it with the following:

The cover page should include the following information:

• NFO Number and title for which this application is being submitted
• Application proposed for Health Zone(s) sites,
• Prime Applicant Name
• Applicant’s Address
• DUNS number if applicable
• TIN (Tax Identification of the applicant if any)
• Point of Contacts name, email address, mobile and phone numbers
• Names of Sub-awardees/sub-recipients, if any with their address

Question # 2:

In the document on page 49, the TIN is the Tax Identification Number. Is it the Unique Tax Identification Number (TIN) of the local NGO, which is issued by the Beninese government?

USAID Response # 2:

TIN for prime local NGO, if any issued by the Government of Benin.

Question # 3:

"The point of contact" is it same as "contact person "?

USAID Response # 3:

Correct

Question # 4:

Writing the date and time limit, the NFO number and especially the name and address of the bidder on the sealed envelopes or packages for the submission of papers versions, doing that can eliminate the applicant? Since many solicitation use to forbid to do so forbid.

USAID Response # 4:

The applicant will not be eliminated by providing this information on the envelope.

Question # 5:

If the answer to question 4 is no, are we going to put May 31, 2016 on the cover page? No submission time was mentioned on the cover page; what time are we going to write?

USAID Response # 5:

Per Amendment # 1 of NFO published on May 12, in the paper, the closing date for the receipt of the application for Concept Note has been extended to 1500 hrs, June 20, 2016.

Question # 6:

The technical offer which described the different elements outlined on pages 38-43 is it the concept note you are looking for in the first phase? if the answer is no, is there another format to present the concept note ?

USAID Response # 6:

Yes, it is for Concept Note – Round 1 only.

Question # 7:

Is it mandatory to fill forms 424, 424A and SF- 424B?

USAID Response # 7:

These forms are not required for Concept Note – Round 1. However, it will be required to submit these forms for Round II if your organization is invited to submit application for Round II.

Question # 8:

Various certificates mentioned on page 49 and in the first paragraph on page 50 are they required for submission on the first or second phase by applicants?

USAID Response # 8:

Those certificates will be required to submit for Round II.

Question # 9:

The last line of page 8 states that applicants must allocate an adequate budget to each of the technical areas to achieve specific results in section A3 . Is it possible, since it is a complete package of activities to be implemented and that the activities of a domain can be inter- mingle with those of other areas such as the case of such supervisions ; and also in the first phase, only the concept note without budget needs to be submit ?

USAID Response # 9:

No budget information is required for Round 1 submission.

Question # 10:

Is it mandatory to have the tables to be attached in annexes in Excel?

USAID Response # 10:

No, it is not mandatory.

Question # 11:

Can we pay ASCQ on the project during the implementation period and the mayor will gradually take over for the sustainability of activities?

USAID Response # 11:

As the introduction of the ASCQ is not expected to occur until year 2 or 3 of the intervention, the Recipient shouldwork early with the Mayor’s office to plan for how it can cover this cost from the beginning. The Recipient is only expected to assist with the costs directly related to the training of the ASCQ.

Question 12:

It is said that USAID will choose the key personnel. Does this mean that applicants must submit several cv by post for USAID to make the selection?

USAID Response # 12:

The applicant has to propose the key personnel in its application for each of the key position. USAID will review/evaluate the applicant’s application based on the evaluation criteria proposed in the NFO.

Question # 13:

Is it possible for other staff or members of the beneficiary NGO 's staff to participate in project activities even though they are not directly allocated to the project budget? If yes, how will they be treated?

USAID Response # 13:

This is up to the applicant’s management to decide

Question # 14:

How should we understand the concept of "Title to property"

USAID Response # 14:

The concept of Title of Property will be fully explained in agreement when it is awarded to the successful applicant.

Question # 15:

Is it possible for recipients to buy one or more vehicles on the project budget? If yes, how will be the disposition at the end of the project?

USAID Response # 15:

No budget information is required in Round 1- Concept Note. However, it may be possible for the successful recipient to buy vehicle for implementing the project activities if requires. The procedure for disposition of equipment/vehicle will be explained in the award agreement to the recipient.

Question # 16:

Is it possible for recipient to do some rehabilitation actions on the proposed budget?

USAID Response # 16:

As this is a community oriented activity, rehabilitation expenses are not anticipated.

Question 17:

Is USAID going to cover the whole cost related to capacity building after the pre-award assessment?

USAID Response 17:

USAID may consider the cost of capacity building for the successful applicant if the cost of capacity building is helpful for the implementation of program activities.

Question 18:

Is it possible for two local NGOs to become a consortium to submit the bid? If yes, what are the conditions?

USAID Response # 18:

Two organizations may form a “Consortium” for the purpose of submitting application in response to RFA. However, the Consortium must meet the definition of local organization as explained inNotice of Funding Opportunities underSECTION III entitled “ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION”.

USAIDdefines alocal organization as one that:

• Isorganizedunder thelaws ofthe recipient country;

• Has its principal place of business or operations in Benin;

• Ismajority-owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the recipient country or is managed by the governing body, the majority of whose members are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Benin; and

• Is not controlled by a foreign entity or by an individual or individuals who
• are not citizens or permanent residents of Benin.

It addition, consortium must provide a single point of contact who will be responsible for administering the award, if it wins. In addition, the consortium must be capable to obtain DUNS number and must be able to get registered in SAM.

Question 19:

What is the maximum number of Health Zones a NGO can apply for?

USAID Response # 19:

In total application is for six health zones. This is up to the applicantto decide how many health zones it can manage effectively based on its technical, financial and management capacities. However, USAID will accept only one application from NGO irrespective of single or multiple health zones sites.

Question # 20:

We would like to have some information related to the chosen health zones and the evaluation report related to PIHI Phase I.

USAID Response # 20:

Phase I is currently in progress in Djougou, Kandi, Tchaourou, and Bassila health zones. A formal evaluation has not yet been completed; however, apreliminary baseline household survey results for all 10 health zonesites is available in annex 1

Question # 21:

The solicitation planned 2 ASCQ by district recruited by the mayor. Given the number of community volunteers to supervise, 2 ASCQ will not give the expected results. In these circumstances, does the applicant can plan to have community facilitators to complete the number of ASCQ?

USAID Response # 21:

The applicant is expected to propose an approach that builds on the existing health system to ensure sufficient degree of on site and group supervision of CHWs. Community Facilitators may be an approach that could cover this gap.

Question # 22:

As the experiment of ASCQ is in pilot phase, is it possible for applicant to plan to provide a salary or a wage supplement to these ASCQ in its budget?

USAID Response # 22:

See response to Q 11 above.

Question # 23:

“In the event that an Applicant submits a proposal for multiple health zones, the total time of these two positions may be spilt across the submitted health zone proposals but must equal but not exceed 100% to the USAID Community PIHI activity. Applicants submitting to operate across multiple health zone sites with split allocation of full-time key staff should clearly indicate this in their proposals. " please explain this sentence from the NFO, french version. Do you mean that if you are appllying for mamy health zones, you need to plan to have one management team per health zone?

USAID Response # 23:

It is up to the applicant to how it proposes its management plan.

Question # 24:

What kind of community Health workers the solicitation is refing to? Are they individual CHWs, Groupe of Health CHWs ( OCB ) or both

USAID Response # 24:

This activity targets Community health workers who offer the comprehensive package of the community high impact interventions (PIHI). CHWs may be individuals or part of a group as long as they are recognized by the Ministry of Health.

Question # 25:

Can you please share the pre-application conference PPP? This will help understand the new policy of health community and also the environmental compliance presentations.

USAID Response # 25:

Pre-application conference PPP attached as ANNEXE 2.

Question # 26:

What are the results of assessment related to behavior change during the implementation of PIHI Phase I?

USAID Response # 26:

Refer to response to question 20

Question # 27:

In the health zones of Savalou - Bantè and Abomey - calavi / SôAva ; the response made to the number of community relay is NA ( not applicable) : Explain (Interventions of CHW do not exist at all or existence is there but untrained ... ? )

USAID Response # 27:

CHWs in these health zones have been trained on the completed PIHI package. To the best of our knowledge , there are no longer CHWs only trained to manage malaria cases.

Question # 28:

On Page 16 of the NFO , "Creating a local component of health systems ( ColoSS. ) ". Explain. Should we strengthen existing COGEC or create other structures?

USAID Response # 28:

The ColoSS is a structure in villages without a health center. Therefore, they are a new and different structure. Refer to the MOH presentation made a the pre-application conference on May 4th and the community health policy for further information.

Question # 29:

Clearly explain the concept: Qualified community health worker ( ASCQ ) . What is the difference between ASCQ and Midwife or Nurse Graduate from Government? How long ASCQ will receives the training? And where will be the training facilities? List authorized institutions providing ASCQ training in Benin?

USAID Response # 29

The ASCQ qualification is noted in the community health policy and must hold a BEPC. The position will be based at the community level and may not be attractive to a midwife or nurse graduate. The training curriculum and authorized institutions remains under development; however Applicants could anticipate one year training in a town such as Parakou for certification.

Question # 30:

Can you make available the final report or at least information on PISAF in Health zones of Savalou - Bantè and Abomey - calavi / SÔ Ava?

USAID Response # 30:

The final PISAF report is available at Note that PISAF did not have a community activity in Abomey-Calavi/So Ava.

Question # 31:

Is it possible for an NGO to apply for a single health zone and get into partnership or consortium to submit a proposal for another health area?

USAID Response # 31:

NGO can submit an application for one health zone independently. Also, NGO can participate with a Consortium to submit application for another health zone or site. Please refer to response to question # 18.

Question # 32:

In each health zone, how many villages are concerned by the PIHI implementation if we consider the criteria that only villages or populations located after 5 km from a health center?

USAID Response # 32:

Information of the exact number of villages eligible for community PIHI per health zone site is not currently available. For planning purposes, applicants are encouraged to refer to table X on page 22 of the NFO for details on numbers of existing CHWs and estimated gap.

Question # 33:

In city centers like Cotonou and Abomey, accessing health care centers is not too much an issues (more than 5km from a health center). What are the criteria for targeting beneficiaries’ neighborhoods of PIHI?

USAID Response # 33:

As delivery of community PIHI services in urban and peri-urban areas is at an embryonic stage in Benin, Applicants are encouraged to propose own selection criteria; however some important parameters might include child vaccination coverage, physical distance from a public or non-profit health facility, education attainment and concentration of population living under the poverty level.

Question # 34:

For this second phase of PIHI , only two ASCQ per commune should be recruited, while only one ASCQ is needed by village, in case the number of villages are more than two in a commune. Whatare USAID plans to fill this gap in the other villages.

USAID Response # 34:

Under this solicitation, grantees will assist Mayor's offices to plan for the recruitment and payment of the new ASCQ cadre. The national operational plan for the community health policy is still under development and an institutional training facility is not expected to be available until 2018, it is not feasible to expect all ASCQs to be recruited and trained within the life of this project. In the interim, the focus of this activity should be on strengthening supportive supervision of CHWs and their reporting systems within the existing health system. See response to question 21 about the possibility of working with Community Facilitators.

Question # 35:

Talking about institutional capacities of the concept note submission, it is intended to describe some previous experience. The information requested by experience will be more than 1 page. What to do? Should we put this information in the annexes?

USAID Response # 35:

Please provide a brief experience in one page if possible and if additional pages are required to explain please provide additional pages in the Annex.

Question # 36:

Are communal and municipal authorities informed of this new community health reform and the current process? How does the Government takes it into considerations of the law on decentralization under reform on community health policy and the fact that it is the communes which should be in charge of recruiting this category of health workers ( ASCQ ) and not the State as provided by the law on decentralization ?

USAID Response # 36:

This is an area that is expected to evolve over time. Grantees will be expected to play a role in sharing information with local authorities and supporting decentralization and community health reforms.

Question # 37:

Can we know what the state has talking about the FADEC Community Health ? When will this fund will be operational ?

USAID Response # 37:

At this stage, there is no specific information available.

Question # 38:

In the NFO, no information was given on the experience of PIHI phase 1 or at least the mid- term evaluation reports to allow applicants to be informed .

USAID Response # 38:

The NFO activity description has been developed based on phase I experience. As mentioned in response to question , preliminary baseline household survey results from each of the community PIHI health zone sites supported by USAID is available in attachment 1 which could be used to further inform Applicants about pertinent health knowledge, service coverage and household practices.

Question # 39:

In the zones covered by PIHI which are mostly of health zones, there are certainly non-health factors that are the cause of low utilization of care by the communities? In these circumstances, can USAID allow NGOs to integrate these non health considerations in its strategy ?

USAID Response # 39:

A multi-sectoral response is desired, however, non-health interventions would need to be funded by an external funding source.

Question # 40:

Do we need to submit the environmental and social impact target to page limit for the concept note phase?

USAID Response # 40:

Projected, measurable targets need only be set for the Applicant’s proposed objectives in the M&E plan. Applicants should identify potential risks to the environment and state how it plans to mitigate those risks

Question # 41:

In the drafting of the concept paper, no opportunity is given to the applicant to make comments and suggestions to improve the NFO because some aspects of the NFO are open to criticism .