REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
To: Offerors
From: Creative Associates International, Inc.
Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) No. RFP-JTAP-040 – IT Advisor - Consultancy Service
Type of Award: Blanket Consultancy Agreement
Basis of Award: Best Value
RFP Issue Date: 10/23/2023
RFP Closing Date: 11/06/2023
RFP Closing Time: 4:00 PM – Local Time, Amman, Jordan
Reference: USAID Contract No. 72027821C00005
Enclosed is a Request for Proposal (RFP). Creative invites Individuals to submit a proposal for the Jordan- Technical Assistance Program (TAP) under the referenced USAID 72027821C00005, After the evaluation, as described herein, resulting in selecting a winning proposal, the issuance of an award is subject to successful negotiation of the terms and conditions and receiving USAID’s Contracting Officer consent, if required.
The requirements for this activity are described in the “Statement of Work” in Attachment I. Creative encourages individual to indicate its interest in this procurement by submitting a proposal according to the instructions in Attachment II “Instructions to Offerors”. Proposals will be evaluated based on the “Evaluation Criteria” in Attachment III. Creative will make an award to the responsible Offeror(s) submitting an offer which provides best value to the project: technical merit and price will be both considered.
To be considered, Offerors should submit a complete proposal no later than the closing date and time indicated above. Offerors should ensure that the proposals are well-written in English, easy to read, follow the instructions provided and contain only requested information.
Any questions should be submitted via email to TapProcurement@crea-jtap.com no later than Oct 29, 2023. No questions will be entertained if they are received by means other than the specified email address, and any communications to alternate e-mail addresses will result in the disqualification of the bidder. The solicitation number (listed above) should be stated in the subject line. Answers will be compiled and distributed on Oct 31, 2023.
Proposals must be comprised of one electronic copy of the Technical Proposal and one electronic copy of the Cost/Business proposal, sent in separate e-mails, and labeled with the above-stated RFP number and title. Submissions shall be delivered to:
Creative Operations Department
TapProcurement@crea-jtap.com
Sincerely,
Creative Operations Department
Attachments:
Attachment I : Statement of Work
Attachment II : Instructions to Offerors
Attachment III : Evaluation Criteria
Attachment IV : Proposal Cover Letter
ATTACHMENT I: STATEMENT OF WORK
IT Advisor Consultancy Service
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The Technical Assistance Program (TAP), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is a five-year education and youth project that seeks to transform the organizational culture and improve the abilities within the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth to ensure officials can implement desired reforms. Creative and its partners will provide technical assistance in the development, roll-out, and tracking of policies and procedures to incorporate international best practices for public education and youth programming. Among the many activities in the Jordan Technical Assistance Program, it will support curriculum development, promote inclusive learning techniques, improve the skills of teachers and school managers, and other tangible activities that ultimately support changing the organizational culture within the two ministries and relevant agencies. The program will further support Jordan’s outreach and behavioral change communications initiatives that are aimed at creating a culture of reading, the inclusion of vulnerable children, and increased youth engagement.
Position Summary
TAP anticipates IT Advisor will support TAP efforts in automation interventions of certain processes at MoE and MoY. The Advisor will ensure compliance with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Youth (MoY) IT regulations. In addition, he/she will provide technical support in identifying the best IT solutions at the Ministry of Youth (MoY) such as Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system, expenditure management, archiving and any other automated intervention.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Manage IT initiatives and collaborate with the ministries’ in-house technical staff.
Develop trusted advisor relationships with MoE, MoY, and all related stakeholders.
Assist TAP in collecting internal and external stakeholders' needs related to the automation process.
Assist TAP team in the process of development of term of references for installation the required automated systems, applications, and software.
Support TAP team in evaluation of the technical proposals for the automation interventions submitted by the IT solution service providers.
Perform an adequate requirements analysis of the best IT solutions in collaboration with the Business Process Analysis (BPA).
Support in drafting and reviewing the online system scope documents and related specs/requirements (for all solution components, whether done in whole or parts).
Support in technically overseeing the solution implementation by the service providers, including system integration, links, and smooth workflow among the various entities.
Conduct market overviews, assessment of existing proprietary and open-source solutions, and evaluation of whether a ready-made, customized or "built-from-scratch" solution will serve the project’s needs.
Estimate the cost of the solution, concept for hosting and maintenance, concept for data protection and IT security.
Prepare detailed descriptions of the planned IT solutions.
Support the team in the selection of the most suitable IT solutions.
Support TAP and its partners while serving as a liaison with MoE and MoY staff to ensure complementarity of efforts with other stakeholders and donors supporting both Ministries.
Provide regular briefs and updates to the TAP teamThe consultant shall report to the Technical Monitor, coping administrative monitor for all work-related matters and shall not attend meetings, discussions, or events related to the scope of work without prior approval or presence of him. In situations where the Technical Monitor's presence is not possible, the consultant shall inform him about their intended attendance in advance and receive written approval before attending such meetings or events.
Required Qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer science/ engineering, or related field. MSc/MBA in business will be a plus.
At least 7+ years of demonstrated experience in project management and high-level system design, including but not limited to the ability to manage, and advise on generating systems, software applications, reporting, etc... in public or private institutions.
Experience with various programming languages, operating systems and databases and GIS systems.
Solid experience in developing Terms of Reference (TORs) or Request for Proposals (RFPs) for automation systems/applications and software in the Government Entities.
Work experience with international organizations will be a plus.
Proven experience in working with governmental ministries/entities will be a plus.
An analytical mind with problem-solving abilities.
Excellent communication, presentation, and reporting skills.
Proficiency in both Arabic and English languages.
ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE and LEVEL OF EFFORT (LOE)
ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: one year period.
* Creative anticipates issuing a Blanket Consultancy Agreement (BCA) valid for a Period of Performance of approximately one year base up to three -years options that will be exercised in writing by Creative.
LEVEL OF EFFORT (LOE): 60 Days
Ordering Procedure
Purchases may only be made by Creative via written Fixed Price Level of Effort (LOE) Work Orders and executed by the authorized individuals listed in the BCA.
Daily rates are based on an 8-hour working day. Any hours worked in excess of 8 hours will not be paid. Working days consisting of less than 8 hours shall be prorated accordingly.
Key Working Relationships:
The IT Advisor will be working under the leadership of the Institutional Development & Automation Lead.
PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Amman – Jordan
RESULTS AND/OR DELIVERABLE/MILESTONE SCHEDULE
The performance benchmark will be based on the following task:
Task #1
Performance Benchmarks /Deliverables 1: Discussions with the stakeholders (MoE, MoY and others) to get unanimity on a solution that could be implemented within the existing structure and available resources.
Estimated LOE 1: 10 Days
Estimated Timeline: TBD
Task #2
**Performance Benchmarks /Deliverables 2:**Development of term of references for installation the required systems, applications, and software at MoE and MoY.
Estimated LOE 2: 15 Days
Estimated Timeline 2: TBD
Task #3
Performance Benchmarks /Deliverables 3: Support the team in the selection of the most suitable IT solutions.
Estimated LOE 3: 15 Days
Estimated Timeline 3: TBD
Task #4
Estimated LOE 4: Supervising the implementation of the selected solutions for MoE and MoY by the selected vendor to meet the deliverables based on the approved implementation plan.
Performance Benchmarks /Deliverables 4: 20 Days
Estimated Timeline 4: TBD
TOTAL LOE: 60
The above LOE/Working days are tentative and subject to increase or decrease depending on program needs / additionally this will be on a work order basis.
How to apply
Attachment II
INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS
General Instructions
These Instructions to Offerors will not form part of the offer or of the Agreement. They are intended solely to aid Offerors in the preparation of their proposals. Read and follow these instructions carefully.
The proposal and all corresponding documents related to the proposal must be written in the English language, unless otherwise explicitly allowed. Additionally, all proposals should be single-spaced with clear section headings, and be presented in the order specified in Attachment III – Evaluation Criteria.
Proposals must include only the Offeror’s own work. No text should be copied from sources outside of your organization, unless those sources are adequately cited and credited. If Creative determines that any part of the proposal is plagiarized from outside sources, the Offeror will be automatically disqualified.
Proposals and all cost and price figures must be presented in local currency or USD. All prices should be gross of tax.
The Offeror must state in their Proposal the validity period of their offer. The minimum offer acceptance period for this RFP is 90 days after the closing date of the RFP. If an Offeror has provided a validity period of less than 90 days, they will be asked to revise this. If the Offeror does not extend the validity period, their proposal will be rejected. Creative reserves the right not to make an award.
The Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal must be kept separate from each other. Technical Proposals must not make reference to cost or pricing information at any point. This will enable in order the technical evaluation to be made strictly on the basis of technical merit.
No costs incurred by the Offerors in preparing and submitting the proposal are reimbursable by Creative. All such costs will be at the Offeror’s expense.
Responsibility Determination: Award shall only be made to “responsive” vendors. To enable Creative to make this determination, the Offeror must provide a cover letter, as provided in Attachment IV.
Late Offers: Offerors are wholly responsible for ensuring that their Offers are received in accordance with the instructions stated herein. A late Offer will be recommended for rejection, even if it was late as a result of circumstances beyond the Offeror’s control. Late offers will only be considered at Creative’s Procurement Department’s discretion.
Modification/Withdrawal of Offers: Offerors have the right to withdraw, modify or correct their offer after it has been delivered to Creative at the address stated above, and provided that the request is made before the RFP closing date.
Disposition of Proposals: Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will not be returned. Reasonable effort will be made to ensure confidentiality of proposals received from all Offerors. This RFP does not seek information of a highly proprietary nature, but if such information is included in the Offeror’s proposal, the Offeror must alert Creative and must annotate the material by marking it “Confidential and Proprietary” so that these sections can be treated appropriately.
Clarifications and Amendments to the RFP: Any questions regarding this solicitation must be emailed to TapProcurement@crea-jtap.com. No questions/clarifications will be entertained if they are received by another means. The solicitation number should be stated in the subject. Responses will be complied and emailed to the requesting potential Offeror and will be sent to all offerors that requested this RFP or re-posted publicly if offered as a full and open competition.
Creative anticipates that discussions with Offerors will be conducted; however, Creative reserves the right to make an award without discussions. It is strongly recommended that Offerors present their best offer.
Failure to agree and comply with any of the above specifications will result in the Offeror being considered unresponsive and the proposal may be rejected.
Submission of Proposal:
Proposals must be submitted in two separate e-mails:
E-mail 1 – Technical Proposal
E-mail 2 – Cost proposal
Each e-mail should be clearly labeled with the RFP number and project title.
Proposals must be delivered no later than the specified date/time.
Offerors who do not submit their technical and cost proposals separately may be automatically disqualified.
Content of Proposal:
The proposal shall be comprised of Three sections:
The Cover Letter (Attachment IV)
The Technical Proposal
The Cost/Business Proposal
The Cover Letter: should be on the Offeror’s letterhead and MUST contain the information requested in Attachment IV.
Technical Proposal:
The Technical Proposal is the opportunity for the Offeror to demonstrate that the Individual is “technically capable” of implementing the activity and should demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of and capabilities to carry out the work, and address the key issues described in the Evaluation Criteria in Attachment III.
The Technical Proposal should be divided into clearly separate sections following the same order of the Evaluation Criteria in Attachment III. A mis-ordered proposal that makes information hard to find will result in lower scores.
If an Offeror submits a proposal that fails to respond to the majority of the information requested in this RFP, as outlined specifically in the statement of work and the evaluation criteria, the Offeror’s proposal will be automatically disqualified.
The Cost Proposal: must be submitted separately from the technical proposal and will primarily indicate the cost for performing the work, Daily rate subject to 5% income tax deduction.
Failure to comply with any of the above points will result in the Offeror being considered “unresponsive” and the proposal may be rejected.
If an Offeror provides insufficient information in their technical and/or cost proposal, Creative reserves the right to request additional information, or to request a revised proposal from the Offeror, if necessary.
Creative reserves the right to make no award, or multiple awards, under this RFP.
Attachment III
EVALUATION CRITERIA
BASIS OF AWARD:
A Creative will evaluate proposals on a best value basis, in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 15.1 – Source Selection Processes and Techniques. In all solicitations, Creative will consider and conduct an evaluation on the basis of both technical and cost submissions. The relative importance of these two factors places technically above cost. In rare cases, Creative may also award to an offeror other than the highest technically rated Offeror or the lowest price Offeror, in accordance with FAR 15.101-1.
The award will be made to the Offeror whose offer presents the Best Value which is the optimal combination of technical merits and reasonable cost and does not exceed the internal budget established for this effort. Proposals will be scored on technical factors first. Only the Cost/Business proposals of those offers that surpass the minimum qualifying score of 70 points in the technical evaluation will have their Cost Proposal reviewed. Those that do not reach this qualifying score in the Technical Evaluation will be considered non-competitive and their Cost/Business proposals will not be considered.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Technical Competence – presented in the Technical Proposal (70 points)
The award will be given to the person who achieves the highest score within the following competitive criteria.
Qualifications and education: 70 points
Past Performance: 30 points
As described in table below: The evaluation will be done according to the criteria shown in the table:
Item 1: Qualifications and Education
Requirement 1: The applicant must attach any evidence of experience and success stories to support his/her file with the CV.
A bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer science/ engineering, or related field. MSc/MBA in business will be a plus.
At least 7+ years of demonstrated experience in project management and high-level system design, including but not limited to the ability to manage, and advise on generating systems, software applications, reporting, etc... in public or private institutions.
Experience with various programming languages, operating systems and databases and GIS systems.
Solid experience in developing Terms of Reference (TORs) or Request for Proposals (RFPs) for automation systems/applications and software in the Government Entities.
Work experience with international organizations will be a plus.
Proven experience in working with governmental ministries/entities will be a plus.
Points Available 1: 70 Points.
Item 2: Past Performance
Requirement 2: Document and summarize your proven track record of successfully implementing similar activities clearing using the above technical qualification to include a description of similar services provided in the past and any lessons learned that will be incorporated into the activity described in this RFP. Offerors with past performance using the mentioned above technical qualification, in the same geographic area and/or of similar scale to the activity described in this RFP will be scored more favorably than offerors that do not meet these criteria.
Points Available 2: 30 Points
Total points: 100 Points
If an Offeror submits a proposal that fails to respond to the majority of the information requested
in this RFP, as outlined specifically in the statement of work and the evaluation criteria, the Offeror’s proposal will be automatically disqualified.
B. Past Performance and Experience ( At Least 3)
(a) Activity Title
(b) Location(s) of activity
(c) Synopsis of the activity and its relevance to this RFP
(d) Performance period (date, duration and if completed on schedule)
(e) Prime or Subcontractor?
(f) Amount for the activity
(g) Name & Contact Info (E-mail and phone) of client
Cost Reasonableness & Financial Capability – presented in Cost Proposal. Not Scored.
Submit fully burdened rates for each category, including illustrative consultant rates Creative’s review of the Cost Proposal shall determine if the overall costs proposed are realistic for the work to be performed, reflect a correct understanding of the project requirements, and are consistent with the Offeror’s Technical Proposal. Creative will also review individual line items and determine if they are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
If an Offeror submits a proposal that fails to respond to the majority of the information requested in this RFP, as outlined specifically in the statement of work and the evaluation criteria, the Offeror’s proposal will be automatically disqualified.
Creative reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation or a revised proposal from an Offeror if insufficient information has been provided in the Offeror’s technical and/or cost proposal. If the requested information is not provided, Creative has the right to disqualify the firm from further consideration.
ATTACHMENT IV
FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL COVER LETTER
City, Country
To: Creative Procurement Team
Dear Sir / Madam:
We, the undersigned, offer to undertake the [Insert RFP No], [Insert project title], in accordance with your Request for Proposal dated [Insert MM/DD/YYYY] and our Technical and Cost/Business Proposal submitted herein.
Offeror personal details are as follows:
Offeror’s Name
Offeror’s Address
Telephone #/Cellular Phone #, Email address:
Copy of the offeror ID
Our proposal shall be binding upon us, subject to any modifications resulting from negotiation, up to expiration of the validity period of the proposal. We understand you are not bound to accept this or any Proposal you receive.
The Offeror also certify that:
is able to comply with the described delivery or performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing commitments and constraints.
has a satisfactory performance record;
has a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics;
has the necessary technical capacity,
otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations.
Sincerely,
Authorized Signature:
Name and Title of Signatory:
Date: