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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Subject: Request for Information (RFI) Issued Date: Monday, December 16, 2024 Responses Due Date: Friday, January 17, 2025, 12:00 PM EST Title: USAID Global Waters Activity To ... REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Subject: Request for Information (RFI) Issued Date: Monday, December 16, 2024 Responses Due Date: Friday, January 17, 2025, 12:00 PM EST Title: USAID Global Waters Activity To All Interested Parties, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security (REFS) Center for Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene is seeking feedback for a planned activity entitled, “Global Waters Activity”. The purpose of this activity is to augment USAID’s internal capacity to communicate and to apply best practices, processes, and tools so that the Agency designs, manages, learns from and adapts water and sanitation programs effectively. Ultimately, this will achieve USAID’s goal to increase the visibility and impact of Agency programming aligned with the U.S. Government’s Global Water Strategy. Attachment 1 provides the draft scope of work (SOW) for the planned activity. Specific instructions and questions to respond to the RFI are included in Attachment 2. This abbreviated draft SOW and RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. USAID may revise this proposed new activity and planned solicitation after receiving comments from this RFI and completing further consultations with internal stakeholders. Responding to this RFI is strictly voluntary. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. Providing comment on this draft SOW will not give any advantage to any organization in any subsequent procurement. USAID will not provide answers to any questions submitted in response to this request. Responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to or preclude any organization or individual in any subsequently issued solicitation, as comments/responses are strictly for information gathering purposes. This RFI does not constitute a solicitation and in no way binds the Government to issue a solicitation for this mechanism. The RFI does not represent any award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it obligate the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any responses. Information received as part of this RFI shall become the property of USAID. Therefore, proprietary information that cannot be shared should not be sent. The RFI can be downloaded from https://sam.gov/. If you have any issues accessing the RFI, please contact Kyle Davis at kydavis@usaid.gov. Responses should also be submitted to USAID via email to kydavis@usaid.gov no later than Friday, January 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM EST. See Attachment 2 for additional submission instructions. Thank you for your interest in USAID’s Global Waters Activity. We look forward to receiving your responses. Sincerely, Kyle Davis Contracting Officer Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID/M/OAA/REFS Attachment 1. Draft Objectives and Illustrative Tasks The Global Waters Activity aims to augment USAID’s internal capacity to communicate and to apply best practices, processes, and tools so that the Agency designs, manages, learns from and adapts water and sanitation programs effectively. Ultimately, this will achieve USAID’s goal to increase the visibility and impact of Agency programming aligned with the U.S. Government’s Global Water Strategy. In pursuit of this overall purpose, this activity will have three core objectives: Support the Center for Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene within the Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security (REFS/CW) to effectively communicate and engage with internal and external stakeholders through different products and channels (including Globalwaters.org, newsletters, blogs, webinars, events, social media, etc.). Support REFS/CW to systematically curate and organize (and as needed distill) knowledge products for key stakeholders through different products and channels (including Water Source on My.USAID) to build institutional memory, reduce redundancies, and enable more seamless transitions between project phases or personnel changes. Support REFS/CW to enhance the knowledge, skills, and competencies of professionals within USAID’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and water resources management (WRM) community through tailored training programs, interactive workshops, and targeted capacity-building initiatives. Technical Approach: USAID invests $450 million annually in water programming across more than 40 countries, reflecting USAID’s commitment to global water security and sustainable development. To amplify the impact and solidify USAID’s role as global leaders, it must prioritize both the investments it makes and the people who drive them. By cultivating talent, fostering knowledge exchange, and recognizing the team as the cornerstone of success, USAID can achieve transformative results. The Global Waters Activity will strengthen USAID’s leadership in implementing the Global Water Strategy by amplifying success stories, promoting evidence-based programmatic approaches, and empowering the individuals who deliver USAID WASH and WRM initiatives. To achieve these goals, the Global Waters Activity will implement a range of activities designed to enhance collaboration, share knowledge, and build capacity within USAID and the broader water and sanitation sector. These activities, while illustrative, reflect our commitment to innovation, partnership, and shared learning. Produce and share stories, digital and visual content and messages from USAID on water security, sanitation and hygiene. Design and produce USAID’s Global Water Strategy annual report, including data collection/analysis and story development; write, edit and share stories, blog posts, articles, etc. for Globalwaters.org and other links sites (e.g. Climatelinks, Resiliencelinks); Package content into integrated digital communication campaigns and social media toolkits; Provide communication and outreach support for sector events and global forums; Write, edit, and submit ongoing content for the @USAIDwater Twitter account; Manage/expand USAID Global Waters Flickr account, including running the annual USAID Global Water Strategy photo contest; Manage subscriber lists for communication content and events Support participation in global events and forums. Prepare event materials and content for Center leadership, the Global Water Coordinator, and others; Help coordinate USAID engagement in global forums and other sector events; Provide logistical support and virtual production for in-person and online external events organized by USAID Curate key resources and make them accessible on platforms. Support curation and dissemination of resources from USAID on water and sanitation (e.g., content from partner programs, technical briefs, Research Agenda findings); Ensure content is accessible and organized on Globalwaters.org and other platforms (e.g., MyUSAID); Streamline taxonomy and tags to improve user experience and ensure that resources are easily searchable and accessible. Keep Globalwaters.org and the Water Source (on My USAID) content and technology fresh. Optimize user experience for a variety of audiences. Ensure the Water Source platform is up-to-date, including comprehensive Program Cycle resources and latest evidence-based learning from Global Water Strategy Action Research Initiative. Organize and produce USAID learning events. The Global Water Biennial Workshop will continue to be held every eighteen-months and will focus on the sector’s latest priorities, policies, and research findings; Support the convening of the GWS Evidence and Learning Symposium annually (if the 2024 pilot is successful). Leverage the latest evidence-based technical approaches generated by USAID. Support development and delivery of training programs, workshops, and other capacity-building initiatives to equip USAID staff with the latest evidence-based technical approaches, learnings, and competencies to enhance the effectiveness of USAID Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene activities and projects throughout the Program Cycle. Support development and production of asynchronous learning products. Explore innovative ways to promote the WASH 101 Modules and develop an advanced 201 series that deepens discussions on core technical topics and critical cross-cutting priorities and policies. Implement robust performance monitoring and analytics systems. Deploy comprehensive web analytics tracking across all platforms. Establish quarterly performance reporting with key metrics (page views, engagement rates, resource downloads, etc.). Conduct regular user journey mapping and conversion funnel analysis. Monitor platform uptime, load times, and other technical performance indicators. Ensure technical optimization and security compliance. Maintain HTTPS/SSL security protocols and audits. Implement automated backup systems and recovery protocols. Ensure compliance with USAID’s cybersecurity requirements and Section 508 standards. Maintain mobile responsiveness. Implement advanced search and filtering options. Establish clear content archiving and retention policies Maintain technical infrastructure and quality assurance. Ensure regular CMS updates and security patches. Optimize media assets and maintain CSS optimization with minified files. Implement caching strategy and image optimization pipeline (e.g., appropriate image sizing, image compression, lazy loading, loading prioritization). Maintain links regularly (e.g., broken links audits, internal linking structure optimization). Outcomes and Strategic Contributions: The Global Waters Activity aims to strengthen USAID's impact in the water and sanitation sector by delivering targeted outcomes that enhance knowledge sharing, technical excellence, and evidence-based programming. The Global Waters Activity will deliver the major outcomes: Increased awareness of USAID’s impact in water and sanitation and its preferred programming approaches. Regularized and systematic utilization of centralized repositories of information and resources, as evidenced by increased frequency of resource access and improved staff satisfaction with knowledge availability and relevance. Increased application of the latest evidence-based water and sanitation technical approaches and competencies across the Program Cycle, as evidenced by improved performance metrics and competency assessments. Demonstrated technical excellence through maintaining 99.9% platform uptime, sub-3-second page load times, and mobile-first responsive design across all services. Improved platform effectiveness measured through enhanced user engagement metrics (reduced bounce rates, increased session duration) and increased resource utilization (higher download rates, newsletter signups, and successful search completion rates). Through these efforts, the Global Waters Activity will ensure that USAID staff and partners are equipped with the tools, insights, and platforms necessary to drive meaningful progress in water and sanitation globally. Attachment 2. Questions and Submission Instructions USAID is interested in hearing from potential bidders (potential prime or sub-contractors) on a number of questions regarding the draft SOW (Attachment 1) as well as a set of questions. Level of Interest: Please provide the level of interest your organization has in participating in the Global Waters Activity and indicate your organization type (e.g. U.S, Non-U.S, designated US small business). Please indicate whether your organization is interested in being a prime or sub. Please indicate what, if any, agency IDIQ or GSA/MAS/OASIS your organization holds as either a prime holder or team member. The information collected from this RFI will be used to help make planning decisions and will not be released publicly. Organizational Capabilities: Please provide a summary of your relevant organizational capabilities relative to the draft objectives and illustrative tasks included in Attachment 1. Additionally, please provide any experience you have partnering with a wide range of organizations, including local organizations and smaller organizations with niche expertise. Overall Concept: What feedback or information do you have that could inform the design of the activity and its objectives? Please note whether there are any objectives that you recommend removing, adding, or revising based on the desired outcomes. Recommended Approaches: To achieve the objectives outlined in the draft SOW, the Global Waters Activity should adopt a multi-faceted strategy that emphasizes strategic communication and engagement, robust knowledge management, and comprehensive capacity building. By seamlessly integrating these core components, the activity can strengthen USAID’s ability to lead and innovate, ultimately amplifying the impact of its water and sanitation programs on a global scale. To inform this effort, USAID invites responses to the following questions: How can USAID most effectively enhance its internal capacity to communicate, share, and apply best practices, processes, and tools? Additionally, how can these improvements enable the Agency to design, manage, learn from, and adapt water and sanitation programs with greater efficiency and impact? Your insights within each of the focal areas below will help shape a strategic approach that ensures USAID remains a global leader in water and sanitation. Strategic Communication and Engagement: How would you approach developing a comprehensive communication strategy that effectively engaged both internal and external stakeholders on USAID’s water and sanitation initiatives? What strategies would you employ to ensure that communication efforts reach a diverse audience and promote inclusivity? Robust Knowledge Management: How would you design a knowledge management system that facilitates seamless access, curation, and utilization of information and resources related to water and sanitation programs? What strategies would you recommend for maintaining the accuracy, relevance, and usability of knowledge resources over time? How can the knowledge management system be leveraged to support and enhance capacity building efforts within USAID, specifically in relation to water and sanitation programs? Comprehensive Capacity Building: How would you assess the capacity building needs of USAID staff and partners involved in water and sanitation programs? What innovative approaches would you suggest for developing and delivering training programs that enhance technical expertise and promote a culture of learning within the Agency? Localization: How can USAID and partners work more effectively with local actors and institutions to achieve the objectives of this activity? How would you approach building the capacity of USAID staff and local partners to effectively identify, value, and utilize knowledge in water and sanitation programs? How would you facilitate knowledge exchange and learning between different knowledge systems? Collaboration and Partnership: How would you facilitate collaboration with other USAID bureaus and offices, as well as external partners, to leverage their expertise and resources for the Global Waters Activity? What strategies would you use to build and maintain strong partnerships that contribute to the activity's goals? Innovation and Technology: How would you integrate innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, into the Global Waters Activity to enhance knowledge management and communication efforts? What specific tools or platforms would you recommend exploring? Monitoring and Evaluation: How would you design and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the progress and measure the impact of the Global Waters Activity? What key performance indicators would you recommend tracking to assess the activity's effectiveness? Submission Details Please send all responses to this RFI via email to kydavis@usaid.gov in a Microsoft Word document no later than Friday, January 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM EST with the subject line “Global Waters Activity RFI Response”. The submitted response and/or questions should include the following information: Reference Number: Global Waters Activity RFI Response Date: Name/Email: Affiliation/Organization: Address: Please include the title “Global Waters Activity RFI Response” in the subject line of your email. The respondent should provide a Microsoft word attachment with a maximum of four [4] pages, size 12 font, standard one inch margins. Respondents will only receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of response and will not receive individualized feedback on any suggestions. Specific questions about this RFI should be directed only to the email address identified above.