Inactive

January 12, 2024 SUBJECT: INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION (IAF) MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING SPECIALISTS (MELS) SUPPORT IN COSTA RICA/PANAMA Dear Potential Applicant, The Bureau of the Fiscal Servic... January 12, 2024 SUBJECT: INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION (IAF) MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING SPECIALISTS (MELS) SUPPORT IN COSTA RICA/PANAMA Dear Potential Applicant, The Bureau of the Fiscal Service, on behalf of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), is seeking applications from qualified citizens living in Costa Rica or Panama to provide services as a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Specialist (MELS) Contractor under a Time and Material Contract, as described in the following solicitation: “RFQ-IAF-15001-24-0007 MELS Support Services for Costa Rica/Panama.” This contract will be awarded for a twelve-month Base Period and up to two (2), twelve-month Option Periods, which will be exercised at the discretion of the IAF. The Performance Work Statement (PWS) describes the job of the MELS Contractor. This document describes how to apply for the position and explains the selection process. INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS A complete application package shall include the following items: A Cover Letter that demonstrates the applicant’s qualifications to perform each of the required work responsibilities identified in the PWS tasks. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) that demonstrates the applicant has the required qualifications identified in the PWS. Attachment D - A list of three (3) references, including their title, affiliation, and contact information (telephone number, and if available, email). A copy of the applicant's educational diploma(s) in social science, international development, rural development, economics, or a related field, mentioned in the CV. A writing sample, in the language of the applicant’s base country, consisting of a response to the following prompt: IAF grantees are resourceful and creative in their projects to expand economic opportunities and improve governance and peacefulness in their communities. The IAF is committed to helping grantees learn from their experiences so that grantees have greater confidence that their projects deliver their intended results. Please describe one possible approach that the IAF could use in helping grantees learn from their projects that draws from your experience. Be as specific as possible in your answer, describing the kind of grassroots organization you worked with, the approach you used, and the benefits of this approach for the organization. Limit your answer to one page, single-spaced, using 12 Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. A pricing proposal using “Attachment A - Pricing Sheet” of the solicitation. The Offeror shall propose a fixed daily rate (in U.S. dollars) for MELS services. This proposal should not include reimbursable travel costs, such as meals, lodging, and transportation. The IAF will follow guidance for local compensation based on U.S. Embassy rates, which had a maximum of US$203.05/day at the time the IAF prepared this solicitation. The Government reserves the right to adjust the rate as needed at time of award to be in compliance with the then current maximum local compensation rate. IAF, through the Bureau for Fiscal Service, will assess pricing proposals with respect to this maximum rate and the applicant’s experience and technical rating. The Pricing Sheet must be submitted in order for the application to be considered complete. Applicants must submit all of the above items to be considered for the position. Please review your application carefully before submitting to ensure it is complete. Applications are due no later than 10:00AM EST Friday, February 09, 2024. They may be submitted in the dominant language of the applicant’s base country (Spanish) follow these instructions: Write “RFQ-IAF-15001-24-0007 MELS Support Services in Costa Rica/Panama” on the cover letter, CV, and list of references. Use Microsoft Office compatible files or Adobe PDF. Other file extensions will not be accepted. Email your complete application to purchasing@fiscal.treasury.gov, with the subject line “Application for RFQ-IAF-15001-24-0007 MELS Support Services in Costa Rica/Panama, Attn: Marshall/Coffman.” Only complete applications, submitted to the e-mail address above, by the established due date, will be considered. You are strongly encouraged to request a secure email to reply to if any of your documents contain PII and cannot be removed effectively. Please send an email to purchasing@fiscal.treasury.gov referencing “RFQ-IAF-15001-24-0007 MELS Support Services in Costa Rica/Panama” – Encryption Request Attn: Marshall/Coffman - on or before 24 hours before the request closes to request that an encrypted email message be sent to you from our agency. If you submit a request after that time, there is no guarantee that we will respond or that you will be able to go through the process to submit your response on time for the Government to consider. Once you receive the encrypted email, then you will need to open it by creating an account. Once you create an account, then you can respond to our agency’s encrypted email, which will then automatically encrypt your email response and any attachments to it for only the Government to view. Questions are due no later than 10:00AM EST on Friday, January 19, 2024 and should be sent to purchasing@fiscal.treasury.gov, with the subject line “Question for RFQ-IAF-15001-24-0007 MELS Support Services in Costa Rica/Panama, Attn: Marshall/Coffman.” FOREIGN PII SPECIAL NOTICE Please be aware that if you email documents containing personally identifiable information (PII), the information may not be secure, and your email may be intercepted or otherwise viewed against your wishes. Examples of PII are, but not limited to, education attainment documents that contain the individual’s name and home address, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and information; which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, national ID number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, photograph, physical home and/or email address, phone number, driver’s license, etc., including any other personal information which is linked or linkable to an individual. Please: DO NOT send by email a copy of an identification card with a photograph such as a driver’s license, national identification card, or passport, etc. with your response. DO NOT include your physical and mailing address, etc. in your Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae (CV), Resume, body of the email, and supporting Education Diploma or Training Certificates in your response. Please mark out with permanent black marker your physical or mailing address only in your Education Diploma or Training Certificates. Your name still needs to be on all of the above documents. The Government may request a hard copy of one (1) or more of the aforementioned items as proof in a later phase of the Evaluation Process and as part of the security background check after award. Thank you for your interest in IAF. We look forward to reviewing your application. Eric S. M, Contracting Officer SELECTION PROCESS The IAF will evaluate applications in the following phases: PHASE I – Initial Review The IAF will initially filter applicants to ensure they meet a minimum level of requirements (“go/no go factors”), below. Go/No-Go Factors Applicants will only be considered for the position if they: Submit an application that is complete and on time. Reside in Costa Rica or Panama with a full-time physical presence and legal status to operate in the country in which they will be working for the duration of the contract. Demonstrate native fluency in the language of their assigned country, as reflected in the language used in the application itself and working experience in-country. Possess at minimum a bachelor’s degree in social science, international development, rural development, economics, statistics, or other related fields. Have at least five (5) years of professional field-based experience monitoring and/or evaluating, international development programs. At least half of this experience must be in-country. PHASE II - Required Qualifications Applicants who meet these basic requirements will then be assessed according to the technical factors deemed essential for this position. Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social science, international development, rural development, economics, or a related field. A master’s degree in those same areas is preferred. Minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience in monitoring and/or evaluating development projects, ideally at the grassroots level (e.g., community organizations, local associations, farmer cooperatives, etc.). Experience in doing fieldwork in developing countries, particularly reviewing performance data, conducting interviews, and facilitating participatory research methods. Demonstrated understanding of grassroots development in practice, such as the nature of these organizations, what they set out to provide their communities, and how they work. Application (including writing sample) is well written, effectively structured, easy to read, consistently formatted, and free of grammatical and typographical errors. Strong oral and written Spanish skills. Writing ample effectively addresses the prompt, is technically sound, and clearly articulated, reflecting an understanding of at least one possible approach to promoting learning with grassroots organizations. Professional demeanor and teamwork, as expressed through interview and references. All applicants determined to be excellent or acceptable in PHASE II will be moved to PHASE III. PHASE III – Interview The Evaluation Panel reserves the right to only interview the most highly qualified candidates from Phase II. The IAF will interview the remaining applicants through videoconference and a standard set of questions to further assess the candidate’s capabilities to effectively serve as a MELS. Questions will assess the candidates’ understanding of grassroots development, how their skills and experience apply to the needs of the IAF, and how effective they communicate orally. Interview Questions asked during the interview will be consistent among applicants and relevant to the requirements as described in the solicitation and listed below. Understanding of grassroots development: Demonstrates a sound understanding of grassroots development in theory (the advantages of locally led and collective action to addressing development challenges) and in practice (reflecting familiarity with grassroots efforts). Relevance of skills and experience: Provides well-supported description of how their skills and experience would contribute to their effectiveness as a MELS, including in working with marginalized groups and with country teams. Oral Communication Skills: Is clear, articulate, and congenial in how they express themselves throughout the interview. Professionalism: Professional demeanor and teamwork, as expressed throughout the interview. All applicants with favorable interviews will continue to Phase IV. PHASE IV - Reference Check The references questions will be consistent for all past performance references and will be relevant to similar work performed in comparison to this requirement. A record of references contacted, questions asked, and responses received will be included with this worksheet as documentation supporting the chosen rating. IAF will practice diligence to contact all references provided for applicants being considered for Award. However, time will dictate the number of contacts made. If possible, at least 1 direct reference contact should be made for all applicants considered for award. An applicant must not receive any negative reference responses to receive further consideration for contract award. All applicants with favorable past performances will continue to Phase V. PHASE V – Pricing The IAF will assess the candidates’ pricing proposals relative to guidance for local compensation based on U.S. Embassy rates.