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The USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean’s Community Resilience Initiative Broad Agency Announcement I. Overview The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is issuing this Broad Ag... The USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean’s Community Resilience Initiative Broad Agency Announcement I. Overview The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is issuing this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to seek participants to co-create, co-design, co-invest, and collaborate on research and development interventions for the Community Resilience Initiative that seeks to strengthen communities by addressing internal and external destabilizing factors, specifically the recent influx of Venezuelan migrants to Trinidad & Tobago (T&T). USAID invites organizations and companies to submit an Expression of Interest, as provided below. The intent of the BAA is to allow co-creation and co-design to the maximum extent to create high quality, effective partnerships with great efficiency in time and resources. USAID will invite selected for-profit and non-profit, public and private organizations, as detailed below, to co-create research and development (R&D) solutions to the Problem and Challenge Statement stated in this BAA, including those organizations that have ideas, expertise, resources, and/or funding to add to potential solutions. USAID/ESC wants to align goals with the partners under this BAA, to facilitate shared responsibility, shared risk, shared resourcing or co-investing. Shared resourcing requires that cash and other resources, both tangible and intangible, such as in-kind contributions, expertise, intellectual property, brand value, high-value coordination, and access to key people, places, and information, are directed towards reaching the solution to the Problem/Challenge. Co-investing does not require equal shared resources (such as 1:1 leverage), but rather financial contributions that are appropriate to the specific project’s objectives, considering the comparative advantages brought by the participation of each party. A. Federal Agency Name: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mission to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean (USAID/ESC). B. Opportunity Title: BAA for USAID/ESC Community Resilience Initiative C. Opportunity Number: BAA-ESC-GDO-2019 D. Authority: This BAA is issued under Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 35.016(c) and the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977. This is not a FAR Part 15 Procurement. E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 98.001 USAID Foreign Assistance Programs for Overseas. II. Problem and Challenge Statement This Problem Statement describes the objectives of the U.S. Agency for International Development Eastern and Southern Caribbean Mission (USAID/ESC) for an activity that will strengthen community resilience and capacity to address internal and external destabilizing factors, specifically the recent influx of Venezuelan migrants to Trinidad and Tobago. The activity will allow potential contractors/partners the flexibility to develop cost effective solutions and propose innovative approaches to meet the stated objectives. USAID/ESC will assess potential contractors/partners based on their proposed solutions to the stated objectives and illustrative results outlined below. The activity should provide targeted community strengthening services to municipalities with high crime and violence. The activity should increase opportunities for highly vulnerable migrant and local populations and deter recruitment of children and youth into crime and violence or other exploitative or extremist activities. To achieve this, the activity will work in close collaboration with regional corporations, civil society organizations, and other key actors. USAID/ESC is seeking to develop and test new and innovative approaches towards actionable solutions to strengthen communities’ resilience to destabilizing factors in T&T. These solutions will be focused on specific locations (at a municipal or community level) that are expected to be identified during Stage 2 of this BAA (co-creation see page 8). Innovation will be critical to addressing the recent challenge of irregular migration to a country comprised of two islands in the West Indies in the Caribbean. The project design should increase the resilience and safety of communities in Trinidad and Tobago by strengthening the capacity of targeted populations, organizations, and networks. Proposed solutions and activities should be replicable, scalable, sustainable, and account for the need to eventually transfer of the response to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago or other stakeholders. Flexibility in modifying solutions and activities to respond to changes in the country context is key to the success of the innovation transfer process. A. Background In the past two years, Venezuela’s deteriorating domestic situation (e.g., shortages in food, medicine and basic supplies; crippled education systems, and unemployment) and surges in violence, has led observers to characterize it as a humanitarian crisis. As a consequence of the crisis, an estimated two million Venezuelans have sought asylum in neighboring countries such as Trinidad and Tobago. The actual number of Venezuelans now residing in T&T is generally unknown. While the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and others have estimated 40,000 Venezuelans, official records from T&T’s Immigration Department[1] as at September 2018 indicate that only 19,000 Venezuelans have entered through legal points of entry. In a scoping assessment conducted by USAID/ESC[2], various government and NGO stakeholders indicated that the number is likely to be two or three times higher than the Immigration Department’s estimate as the vast majority continue to enter the country illegally as a result of geographic proximity. Trinidad and Tobago has a population of 1.4 million and is located only 7 miles from Venezuela. It is politically and economically stable. While reliant on declining oil revenues, T&T has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America and the Caribbean and has buffered prolonged contractions in its GDP with considerable foreign reserves and a stabilization fund equal to approximately one and a half times the national budget. After two years of recession, the economy is recovering and showing positive signs of growth, with inflation at 1% (reportedly the lowest level in decades)[3]. While there is long cultural history between both countries, with several musical, food and other Venezuelan traditions deeply embedded in T&T, T&T was unprepared for the human influx over the past two years. In 2014, T&T’s cabinet adopted a national policy to address asylum and refugee matters, but has no formal legislation in place. In fact, the current Immigration Act is silent on the treatment of refugees, including their ability to access social services such as education and healthcare. The government has taken steps to review this policy, but is constrained by its current efforts to address priority national concerns. In a report produced by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)[4], these include poor public sector performance, inefficient spending, fragile rule of law, weak education systems, non-productive work force, low quality of primary care services, and crime and violence. In the context of these development challenges, irregular migration is bringing new economic, political, and social challenges. The Venezuelan migration situation in T&T can be described as rapidly evolving. According to assessments conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)[5], based on interviews conducted with a small sample of Venezuelans, the vast majority have been in T&T for less than a year and are single, well educated (at least 87% having completed secondary education and 46% attaining tertiary level education), and below the age of 40. The majority (over 90%) consider T&T to be safe, with 39% uncertain of their planned length of stay and over [1] http://www.ttparliament.org/documents/news/mr85C448.pdf [2] internal assessment, November 2018 (USAID/ESCunpublished) [3] https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2018/07/06/mcs070618-trinidad-and-tobago-staff-concluding-statement [4] https://webimages.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Development-Challenges-in-Trinidad-and-Tobago.pdf [5] September 2018 (unpublished) 44% indicating that they are likely to seek residency. The main concerns include access to public services (e.g., education and health); and access to employment commensurate with their qualifications and free from exploitation. Forty-seven percent said they were underpaid while a significant 53% reported discrimination due to their nationality. Women and girls also face serious risks for sexual violence, in particular trafficking[1]. In the last five years, T&T has been recognized as a destination, transit, and source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Venezuelans are particularly vulnerable as they often leave deteriorating conditions in their home country under the pretense of securing legitimate employment. USAID/ESC confirmed that there are no distinct spatial patterns. Migrants settle where work opportunities and reasonable rental prices are available. They also settle where social networks with other migrants or receptive local populations are strong or growing. Similarly, there is no set demographic profile. Anecdotal reports from IOM and other local stakeholders indicate that the first wave of migrants were well educated and highly qualified (doctors, lawyers, engineers), but this has since changed with a diverse range of educational, occupational, age, and gender characteristics being reported. Venezuelans report harassment in public spaces, discrimination, sexual abuse and gender based violence. Increased incidents of diseases such as malaria and measles, which were previously eradicated, also give rise to concern among social service providers and the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Lack of access to public education or other learning opportunities have also created a cadre of qualified young people idle and vulnerable to recruitment into anti-social or criminal gangs. From a national security perspective, media reports indicate that networks which have traditionally been used for the illegal movement of weapons and drugs between both countries appear to be facilitating the illegal movement of migrants with increasing incidence of human trafficking also being reported. The private sector remains receptive to hiring migrants as they recognize the opportunity for a qualified and competitive workforce. Given the nature of the situation, very few interventions are in place to enable national, regional, and community-level systems to respond adequately. While the vast majority of focus has been on refugee status determination and registration, there is still need for a structured response through a coordinated mechanism. While the needs of the migrants and T&T are wide and far-reaching, this award proposes to apply the principles of selectivity and focus by concentrating its resources on specific municipalities and populations. The core areas of focus are clearly outlined in the activity objectives below. A. Purpose and Objectives The overall purpose of the award is to develop more resilient and safe communities in Trinidad and Tobago by strengthening the capacity of targeted populations, organizations, and networks. [1] https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2018/282768.htm USAID defines resilience as the ability of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that reduces vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth[1]. For the purpose of this award, the presence of crime and violence and the recent influx of migrants have been identified as stressors affecting residents in Trinidad and Tobago. In this regard, the award should design and implement appropriate community-level interventions that address priority safety concerns of all residents of the targeted communities through evidence informed resilience building activities. This may include integrated educational, developmental, social, cultural, and other youth-focused activities supported by capacity building. Capacity building activities could focus on documenting, monitoring, and evaluating the model approaches, and should include training of key local actors to deliver critical services and to lead on programming when USAID funding concludes. The overall design of the activity should be gender-responsive and prioritize the participation of women beneficiaries and other marginalized groups from the beginning and continuously in design, decision making, priority setting, implementation and evaluation. USAID/ESC will engage with motivated community, government, civic and private sector stakeholders in implementing a locally-driven, politically feasible response to the core and modifiable issues related to creating safe, inclusive communities in Trinidad and Tobago. Programmatic objectives and anticipated results are summarized below. These were intentionally drafted in a broad frame and do not include a list of illustrative activities. Offerors/partners will present their understanding of the problem and present ideas for how to advance these objectives. A. Key Considerations 1. Relationship to the Strategy and U.S. Foreign Policy Objectives in Trinidad and Tobago The United States and Trinidad and Tobago enjoy a positive relationship based on a shared commitment to democracy, mutually beneficial trade, and close security cooperation via the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). In line with U.S. policy throughout the region, the U.S. Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago is committed to assisting Venezuelans who have been forced to flee the political and humanitarian crisis in their country. Since 2017, the United States has provided approximately $100 million USD in humanitarian assistance throughout the region, including in Trinidad and Tobago, for the response to the Venezuela migration and refugee crisis. [1]https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/Technical%20Note_Measuring%20Resilience%20in%20USAID_June%202013.pdf 1. Relationship to Government of T&T Priorities The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago continues to articulate its position and has signaled its intent to maintain cordial relationships with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The implementer is expected to remain neutral, but cooperative with the government. 2. Coordination with other donors UNHCR, UNICEF, and IOM are currently engaged in responding to the Venezuelan migrant issue and are liaising with U.S. Embassy Port of Spain and other local actors. The Mission will explore opportunities for collaboration with these donors, including the possibility of future co-funding and buy-ins during the inception and implementation phases of the intervention. 3. Cross-Sectoral Collaboration and Coordination With Other USAID Programs USAID/ESC seeks to integrate its humanitarian and development assistance, and the implementer is anticipated to play an important role in identifying and pursuing synergies with other USAID and USG programs. These include, but may not be limited to its Youth Empowerment Services (YES) project and related activities, Early Learners Programme (ELP) and Local Capacity for Local Solutions (LC4LS). A continuum of cooperation and collaboration opportunities includes periodic meetings between USAID/ESC implementing partners, site visits etc. 4. Journey to Self-Reliance In 2018 USAID launched its “Journey to Self-Reliance” metrics. This strategic approach aims to systematically orient the agency’s programming toward building countries’ capacity to address development challenges. In this regard, USAID/ESC’s funding should be viewed as catalytic and directed toward building a strong foundation for future community or government led action. The offeror/applicant should clearly articulate how it will generate the required evidence to demonstrate proof of concept, build strategic alliances, or mobilize the required resources to build on the pilot. 5. Private Sector Engagement On December 12, 2018, USAID released its new Private-Sector Engagement Policy which sets out an Agency-wide mandate to work hand-in-hand with the private sector to design and deliver our development and humanitarian programs across all sectors. The offeror/ partner will therefore be expected to actively pursue engagement, collaboration and partnership with a range of private sector actors in designing and implementing strategies and projects of shared interest and shared value. III. The BAA Process The amount of resources made available under this BAA will depend on the concepts received and the availability of funds from USAID and other resource partners. Some award types may not include any funding. The award process under this BAA has the following steps: STAGE 1 - SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOIs) Please submit an expression of interest addressing the criteria below, in the format required in Section VII. More than one expression of interest can be submitted. USAID will review the Expressions of Interest to determine the extent to which each Expression of Interest addresses the criteria/eligibility stated below. Not all organizations that submit an Expression of Interest will be invited to proceed to Stage 2. Due to the number of Expressions of Interest received, USAID is unable to provide details on why Expressions of Interest were not selected. 1. Expressions of Interest (EoI) must indicate the research or development (innovation) idea which will work towards discovering potential solutions to the Problem and Challenge Statements, by increasing knowledge and understanding of potential solutions, exploiting scientific discoveries or improvements in technology, materials, processes, methods, devices, or techniques, advancing the state of the art, or using scientific and technical knowledge in the design, development, testing, or evaluation of a potential new product or service (or of an improvement in an existing product or service). Any awards issued under this solicitation will be for Applied Research or Development, as those terms are defined in 48 USC 35.001, as follows: “Applied research” means the effort that: (a) normally follows basic research, but may not be severable from the related basic research; (b) attempts to determine and exploit the potential of scientific discoveries or improvements in technology, materials, processes, methods, devices, or techniques; and (c) attempts to advance the state of the art. When being used by contractors in cost principle applications, this term does not include efforts whose principal aim is the design, development, or testing of specific items or services to be considered for sale; these efforts are within the definition of “development,” given below. “Development” means the systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge in the design, development, testing, or evaluation of a potential new product or service (or of an improvement in an existing product or service) to meet specific performance requirements or objectives. It includes the functions of design engineering, prototyping, and engineering testing; it excludes subcontracted technical effort that is for the sole purpose of developing an additional source for an existing product. 2. Expressions of Interest must demonstrate the potential to have a significant impact (e.g. breakthroughs, not incremental improvements), that ultimately could achieve that even greater impact at scale. 3. Expressions of Interest must indicate the background and expertise of the organization, and the managerial and technical staff or team engaged in the endeavor. 4. Expressions of Interest must indicate what co-investment resources are available to bear on the solution, including those from the submitting organization and those from other third party businesses, donors, foundations, or other organizations. Such resources include cash and other resources, both tangible and intangible, such as in-kind contributions, expertise, intellectual property, brand value, high-value coordination, and access to key people, places, and information. 5. USAID will also consider the reputation of an organization and its past performance in assessing the ability of the organization to contribute to the co-creation. STAGE 2 - CO-CREATION AND CO-DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT PAPER During Stage 2, key stakeholders will Co-Create potential solutions to the Problem/Challenge by brainstorming and innovating solutions and resources, potentially leading to concept papers that USAID or other resource partners will consider for funding. Co-Creation USAID will review the EoI and will select those organizations that USAID determines have addressed the criteria/eligibility stated within the BAA to an extent that the organization will make a significant contribution to the Co-Creation. The Co-Creation will also include USAID and other co-investment organizations that may be able to contribute cash and other resources, both tangible and intangible, such as in-kind contributions, expertise, intellectual property, brand value, high-value coordination, and/or access to key people, places, and information. Co-Creations may take the form of a workshop, conference, meeting, or other the method at the discretion of the USAID. For this BAA, the Co-Creation is expected to be [included details about expectations of the co-creation process]. For more information on co-creation and it’s design approaches, see https://usaidlearninglab.org/library/co-creation-discussion-note-ads-201. Unless provided otherwise, organizations are responsible for all costs incurred by the organization to participate in the Co-Creation. Co-Development of Concept Papers Working together, USAID and the potential partner(s) will collaborate on Concept Paper(s), taking a holistic approach to addressing the Problem/Challenge based on learnings from the Co-Creation, and identifying creative approaches to resourcing projects. Such Concept Papers will consider and include additional implementing and co-investment partners to complement the project, including reasonable cost sharing, leverage, or other exchange of resource arrangements. STAGE 3 - REVIEW BY THE PEER REVIEW BOARD Once the co-creation stage is complete, USAID will invite participants to develop a more detailed Concept Paper in the co-development stage. The Concept Papers will be reviewed the Concept Paper to the Review Board, comprised of experts from USAID/ESC and/or outside parties. Using its technical expertise, the Peer Review Board will recommend whether to move forward with the project, as well as any revisions/additions to the project. Not all organizations that present a Concept Paper to the Peer Review Board will be invited to move to Stage 4. Submission requirements for the Concept Papers will be defined at a later date and communicated directly to those organizations that have been invited to participate in Stage 2. Organizations selected to participate in the co-creation workshop(s) will be contacted directly and provided with logistical details including date, time, and location. During this phase, the initial idea presented during the EoI (or a new one) will be refined and submitted to the Peer Review Board for review and comments. There are no predetermined number of times the board will review each concept, neither is the board obligated to recommend an award for each concept submission. Concept Papers will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 1. Idea/Approach: Novelty, creativity and soundness of the idea/approach and its relevance to the Problem and Challenge Statements. 2. Partnership Expectations and Value: Strengths of the organization or consortium as a partner, including ability to make a unique contribution to the challenge issued and leverage additional resources. 3. Impact: The likelihood of generating substantial, scalable and sustainable impact on the issues discussed in the Problem and Challenge Statements. 4. Institutional Capacity: USAID also will consider the organization’s past experience in assessing the ability of the organization to contribute to the co-creation. STAGE 4: AWARD DETERMINATION USAID will review the Peer Review Board’s recommendations and consider other information, such as resource availability and Agency priorities, and will make a determination whether to move forward with the Concept Paper. For Concept Papers that demonstrate a valid innovation to address the Problem/Challenge Statement, the Contracting/Agreement Officer will assess the partner’s responsibility and identify the anticipated instrument type to facilitate project design. Request for Additional Information. USAID will work with partners identified by the Peer Review Board, and co-design the project and assist the partner to provide additional information with respect to the proposer’s technical approach, capacity, management and organization, past performance, and budget, as well as representations and certifications, as needed. Final Review and Negotiation. The USAID Contract/ Agreement Officer will engage in final review, negotiation, responsibility, cost reasonableness, etc., and will co-develop/craft an award instrument with the Apparently Successful Partner. If the Selected Applicant/Offeror and USAID cannot arrive at a mutually agreeable arrangement, USAID may cancel the project at no cost to the Government. Award. Awards under this BAA will be made to the Apparently Successful Partners on the basis of their ability to achieve solutions to the Problems/Challenges, as provided herein. The standard clauses or provisions for awards are generally prescribed by law and regulation and will vary considerably by award type. Information regarding clauses and provisions will be provided to the Selected Applicant/Offeror when the award type is identified. IV. Additional Considerations A. Expressions of Interest are not evaluated against other Expressions of Interest, but solely whether USAID believes that the submitter will be a valuable contributor to the co-creation process. USAID may limit the number of initial submissions selected to move forward based on efficiencies. B. Concept Papers are not evaluated against other Concept Papers, but solely based on USAID’s determination that the Concept Paper will successfully address the Problem and Challenges set forth herein. USAID may limit the number of Concept Papers selected to move forward based on efficiencies. C. Decisions regarding USAID’s pursuit of a particular project, technology or relationship are based on all available information, evidence, data, and resulting analysis. D. Eligibility Information. Public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, as well as institutions of higher education, public international organizations, non-governmental organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. governmental organizations, multilateral and international donor organizations are eligible under this BAA. All organizations must be determined to be responsive to the BAA and sufficiently responsible to perform or participate in the final award type. V. Specific Rights Reserved for the Government under this BAA The Government reserves specific rights, in addition to rights described elsewhere in this document or by law or regulation, including: 1. The right to award multiple awards, a single award, or no awards. 2. The right to make award without discussions, or to conduct discussions and/or negotiations, whichever is determined to be in the Government’s interest. 3. The right to accept proposals in their entirety or to select only portions of proposals for award or co-investment. 4. The right to select for award an instrument type that is appropriate to the specific development context, partner relationship, and proposal selected for award. Instruments types include, but are not limited to, contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, public-private partnerships, Inter-Agency Agreements, Government to Government Agreements, Donor to Donor Agreements, and Memorandums of Understanding. In addition, the Government may craft a new instrument type to meet the needs of a specific relationship. 5. The right to co-create projects with one or more proposers under the BAA, when it is in the best interest of the Government. 6. The right to request any additional, necessary documentation upon initial review. Such additional information may include, but is not limited to, a further detailed proposal, budget, and representations and certifications. 7. The right to fund or co-invest in proposals in phases, with options for continued work at the end of one or more of the phases. 9. The right to award instruments under this BAA that do not commit or exchange monetary resources. 10. The right to remove organizations from the BAA process if USAID determines it is no longer in the best interests of the Government to proceed with the organization. VI. Information Protection: USAID’s goal is to facilitate research and development that will lead to innovative, and potentially commercially viable, solutions. Understanding the sensitive nature of submitters’ information, USAID will work with organizations to protect intellectual property. Expressions of interest should be free of any intellectual property that submitter wishes to protect, as the expressions of interest will be shared with USAID partners as part of the selection process. However, once submitters have been invited to advance beyond co-creation, submitters can work with USAID to identify proprietary information that requires protection. Therefore, organizations making submissions under this BAA grant to USAID a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to use, disclose, reproduce, and prepare derivative works, and to have or permit others to do so to any information contained in the Expressions of Interest submitted under the BAA. If USAID further engages with the organization regarding its submission, the parties can negotiate further intellectual property protection for the organization’s intellectual property. Organizations must ensure that any submissions under this BAA are free of any third party proprietary data rights that would impact the license granted to USAID herein. VII. Broad Agency Announcement Expression of Interest Submission: A. Expression of Interest (s) should: - Be in English, no more than 2 pages in length, and no smaller than 12 point font; - Be submitted electronically to dropportunities@usaid.gov with a copy to andiaz@usaid.gov. - Contain a header with the following information (included in the page count): 1) Respondent Name/Group and Contact Information; 2) Response Title; 3) BAA Name/Number; 4) Optional graphic that fits on an 8.5”x11” or A4 piece of paper (included in the page limit); - Be in editable .pdf or Microsoft Word format. Organizations can submit more than one EoI. B. Review of Submitted EOIs The following criteria will be applied to all expressions of interest: 1. Idea/Approach: In evaluating the idea/approach, USAID/ESC will focus on how the applicant contributes fresh, informed and realistic thinking, and how the applicant uses supporting evidence and analysis. The idea/approach will not be judged solely on its merit, but in addition to the qualities that the applicant would bring to the discussion. 2. Partnership Expectations and Value: Strengths of your group as a partner, including the talent your organization would bring to the discussion, and your ability, if any, to provide a financial, in-kind, or leveraged match at various stages of the process. 3. Diversity of Perspectives and Capabilities: USAID/ESC seeks to bring together a diverse set of co-creators in collaboration in order to enable broader thinking and innovation. The selection of individual appli...