Request for Proposal
Request for Proposals for Pilot Manager for
AgResults Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot Project
Date:March 4, 2015
From: AgResults Secretariat
To: Vendor
Subject:Request for Proposals for Pilot Manager for the
AgResults Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot Project
Dear Vendor:
The Secretariat of the AgResults Initiative (Secretariat),
through Deloitte Consulting Overseas Projects LLC, invites your
organization to submit a proposal (Proposal) to provide Pilot
Manager Services for the AgResults Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot
Project (Pilot).
The Secretariat is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to
invite Proposals from qualified organizations to serve as a Pilot
Manager for the AgResults Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot Project, a
results-driven pilot project that is part of the AgResults
initiative financed by the governments of Australia, Canada, the
United Kingdom and the United States, and the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation. The AgResults Initiative is administered by the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, the
World Bank), which serves as the AgResults Trustee. For more
information, please see Attachment 2 and www.AgResults.org. The
Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot Project will incentivize seed companies
via a pull mechanism performance-based grant to increase their
sales of certified legume seed varieties in Uganda.
Under the Pilot Project, participating seed companies will be
incentivized to increase their sales of legume seeds for the pilot
period of five years. Pilot Manager tasks are anticipated to run
five and a half to six years. However, because of the period of
performance of Deloitte Consultings AgResults Secretariat contract
with the World Bank, the Pilot Manager will be contracted for a
Base Period of three (3) years with an Option Extension Period to
extend the contract.
Base Period: The Base Period will be June 1, 2015 to May 31,
2018.
Option Extension Period: Three months before the completion of
the Base Period, the Secretariat will submit to the Pilot Manager
the scope of work and period of performance for the Option Period.
The Pilot Manager will have 30 days to submit a price proposal for
the Option Period for the Secretariats review and approval.
Proposal Procedures and Instructions follow this letter in
Attachment 1 and are incorporated herein and are made a part
hereof. By submitting a Proposal and the required completed and
signed Anticorruption Compliance Certification (Attachment 3), you
will have consented to the terms of this Request for Proposal
(RFP), including the Proposal Procedures and Instructions.
Please note the following deadlines in responding to this
RFP:
1. Deadline for Proposals, with all required signatures,
including a completed and signed Anticorruption Compliance
Certification, is no later than 1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET)
on April 1, 2015. Proposal documents should be submitted in one
email to [email protected]. Please indicate Uganda Pilot Manager
in the subject line of the email.
2. Questions concerning the Pilot or this RFP may be submitted
by vendors at any time, but no later than 1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time
(US ET) on March 18, 2015 to [email protected]. Please indicate
Uganda Pilot Manager in the subject line of the email.
3. Answers to timely-received questions will be publically
posted on March 20, 2015 on http://agresults.org/en/288/GetInvolved
no later than 1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET).
4. A Phone Conference for interested vendors will be held on
March 23, 2015 at 0900 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET). Details about
how to participate in the phone conference will be publically
posted on http://agresults.org/en/288/GetInvolved no later than
1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET) on March 20, 2015.
5. The Secretariat expects to award the Pilot Managers contract
on May 1, 2015 with an expected contract start date of June 1,
2015.
The AgResults Secretariat will review and evaluate Proposal
submissions using the Evaluation Criteria specified in Attachment 1
of this RFP and will select the Pilot Manager organization(s) at
its sole discretion. The selected organization(s) will be notified
in writing. Notwithstanding the notification by the AgResults of
the contemplated award, no work shall commence prior to the
issuance and signature by the AgResults Secretariat of a Pilot
Manager Agreement. AgResults reserves the right to select any
number of applying organizations or not to select any organization.
The AgResults Secretariat reserves the right to award a contract
for all or a portion of the work required, issue more than one
contract, or to not award a contract.
We look forward to working with your organization on this
opportunity. Should you have any questions or comments please
direct them to [email protected]. We appreciate your
responsiveness and look forward to a mutually beneficial business
relationship.
Sincerely,
/s/
Tobey Pannuty-Staten
Procurement Manager
Attachments:
1. Proposal Procedures and Instructions
2. Terms of Reference
3. Anticorruption Compliance Certification
4. Labor Pricing Template
Attachment 1
Proposal Procedures and Instructions
This section of the RFP provides the general procedures and
instructions the Offeror is expected to follow in completing its
response and submitting the Proposal.
1.1Proposal Format and Content
Offerors shall submit the following clearly identified two
components with numbered and ordered subsections in the Proposal
that match those subsections detailed in Section 5 Proposal
Response of the Terms of Reference in Attachment 2:
1. Technical Proposal and
2. Price Proposal
Clarity and completeness are of the utmost importance in your
Proposal, as your organizations capabilities can only be considered
when properly documented within the Proposal.
1.2 RFP Schedule of Events
1. Deadline for Proposals, with all required signatures,
including a completed and signed Anticorruption Compliance
Certification, is no later than 1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET)
on April 1, 2015. Proposal documents should be submitted in one
email to [email protected]. Please indicate Uganda Pilot Manager
in the subject line of the email.
2. Questions concerning the Pilot or this RFP may be submitted
by vendors at any time, but no later than 1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time
(US ET) on March 18, 2015 to [email protected]. Please indicate
Uganda Pilot Manager in the subject line of the email.
3. Answers to timely-received questions will be publically
posted on http://agresults.org/en/288/GetInvolved no later than
1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET), March 20, 2015.
4. A Phone Conference for interested vendors will be held on
March 23, 2015 at 0900 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET). Details about
how to participate in the phone conference will be publically
posted on http://agresults.org/en/288/GetInvolved no later than
1700 Hrs. US Eastern Time (US ET), March 20, 2015.
5. The Secretariat expects to award the Pilot Managers contract
on May 1, 2015 with an expected contract start date of June 1,
2015.
Please be advised that late Proposal submissions may be
considered non-responsive and may be excluded from evaluation and
award consideration.
1.3Anticipated Contract Type
Pilot Manager tasks are anticipated to run five and a half to
six years. However, because of the period of performance of
Deloitte Consultings AgResults Secretariat contract with the World
Bank, AgResults anticipates awarding a Fixed Price Contract for the
three-year Base Period of June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2018, with an
Option Extension Period to extend the contract.
Base Period: The Base Period will be June 1, 2015 to May 31,
2018.
Option Extension Period: Three months before the completion of
the Base Period, the Secretariat will submit to the Pilot Manager
the scope of work and period of performance for the Option Period.
The Pilot Manager will have 30 days to submit a price proposal for
the Option Period for the Secretariats review and approval.
Payment for the Pilot Managers services under the contract will
be made by the AgResults Trustee, the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, The World Bank). The Trustee
reserves the right to withhold from payments any taxes or similar
fees as may be required by applicable law.
1.4Terms of Reference
See Attachment 2.
1.5Period of Performance
The period of performance of the three year Base Period for the
Pilot Manager is as follows:
Year 1: June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016
Year 2: June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017
Year 3: June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018
1.6Proposal Validity Period
The Offerors Proposal must remain valid for one hundred and
twenty (120) days after submission and the validity period of 120
days must be noted in the Offerors Proposal cover letter.
1.7Responsibility for Compliance with Legal Requirements
The Offerors products, services, and facilities must be in full
compliance with all applicable laws, regulation, codes, standards,
and ordinances, regardless of whether or not they are referred to
by the AgResults Secretariat.
1.8Proposal-Related Incurred Costs
The Offeror will be responsible for all costs incurred in
preparing or responding to this RFP. All materials and documents
submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the
AgResults Secretariat and will not be returned. This RFP will in no
way obligate the AgResults Secretariat to compensate any Offeror
for costs associated with the preparation of its Proposal.
1.9Reservation of Rights
This RFP does not commit the AgResults Secretariat to award a
contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a
Proposal in response to this request, or to procure or subcontract
for services or supplies. The AgResults Secretariat reserves the
right to cancel this procurement at any time without prior notice.
The AgResults Secretariat may require the Offeror to participate in
discussions, solely at the AgResults Secretariats discretion, and
to submit such monetary, technical or other revisions of their
Proposals that may result from such discussions. Offerors do not
have the right to protest or seek a claim based on the AgResults
Secretariats exercise of its discretion or judgment in evaluating
or awarding a contract arising from or relating to the Proposal.
The Offeror expressly waives any and all rights and remedies under
any civil action arising from or related to the submittal of a
Proposal.
1.10Rejection of Solicitation Response
The AgResults Secretariat reserves the right to reject any or
all responses received or any part thereof, on any basis or for any
reason to accept any response or any part thereof, or to waive any
informalities when deemed to be in the AgResults Secretariats best
interest.
1.11Taxes
Any applicable taxes that may be levied in connection with the
Services in any jurisdiction will be the responsibility of the
selected Pilot Manager and are deemed to be included in the
Offerors proposed fixed price or fixed unit prices. The AgResults
Secretariat cannot confer any special tax- or duty-free status to
the Pilot Manager and the work is not exempt from any taxes or
duties.
1.12Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated and ranked by the AgResults
Secretariat in order in which they represent, in the Secretariats
sole discretion, the best value for the Pilot. Greater weight will
be given to the technical services than to price, but price remains
an important determinant for selection. Evaluation of the Proposals
may include the following criteria (not in any particular
order):
1. The ability of the Offeror to perform the specified
services.
2. The management team proposed to carry out the scope of
work.
3. Past performance in country or the region with similar
services.
4. The price of the requested services.
5. Compliance to terms set forth in this RFP.
1.13 Compliance with Anticorruption Laws
The Offeror represents and warrants that, in connection with
this solicitation, the Offeror and any person or entity acting on
its behalf has complied, and will continue to comply, with the U.S.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (15 U.S.C. Section 78dd-1, et. seq.)
as amended (FCPA), and all other applicable anti-corruption laws,
rules and regulations. As a general description, the FCPA prohibits
corruptly offering or providing money, gifts or anything of value,
to foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) officials for the purpose of obtaining
or retaining business, or to secure an improper advantage. Other
applicable anti-corruption laws may also prohibit bribery of
foreign officials or commercial counterparties. The Offeror, if
awarded the role of Pilot Manager, must notify the AgResults
Secretariat immediately of any suspected violation and may report a
suspected violation anonymously.
1.14Anticorruption Compliance Certification
The Offeror is required to submit with a Proposal a completed
and signed Anticorruption Compliance Certification (see Attachment
3).
1.15Confidential Information
Notwithstanding any agreements, including any separate
nondisclosure agreements, already in place between the parties, the
AgResults Secretariat assumes no obligation regarding
confidentiality of all or any portion of a Proposal or any other
material except that the AgResults Secretariat may not disclose any
portion, which the Offeror clearly designates as containing
proprietary information by affixing the following paragraph on the
title page:
This proposal, where explicitly marked, includes data that shall
not be disclosed outside of the AgResults Initiative and its
respective advisors, consultants and contractors, and shall not be
used or disclosedin whole or in partfor any purpose other than to
evaluate this proposal. If, however, a contract is awarded to this
Offeror as a result ofor in connection withthe submission of this
proposal, the AgResults Secretariat shall have the right to
duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the
resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the AgResults
Secretariats right to use information contained in this data if it
is obtained from another source without restriction.
The Offeror will mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict
with the following: Use or disclosure of data contained on this
sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this
proposal.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Offeror agrees that its
Proposal, including any portion containing confidential
information, may be shared by the AgResults Secretariat with the
World Bank (the AgResults Trust Fund Trustee), the AgResults
Steering Committee and any or all Contributors to the AgResults
Trust Fund. The Offerors Proposal may be also disclosed to third
parties if required by order of a court, administrative agency or
governmental body, or by any law, rule or regulation, or by
subpoena, or any other administrative or legal process, or by
applicable regulatory or professional standards; provided, however,
that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the AgResults
Secretariat would use reasonable efforts prior to such disclosure
to notify the Offeror and allow the Offeror to seek a protective
order to restrict or narrow the disclosure in accordance with
applicable law.
Attachment 2Terms of Reference
1. AgResults Background
The AgResults initiative (AgResults) is a US$118 million
multilateral initiative financed jointly by the governments of
Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (each, a Contributor).
AgResults seeks to increase private sector investment in food
security and agriculture globally. AgResults establishes pull
mechanisms - economic incentives, or grants, that are provided to
implementing organizations after achieving specific outcomes, where
private sector investment is absent or hindered due to market
uncertainties. In doing so, AgResults goes beyond traditional aid
push mechanisms that provide funding, technical assistance, or
other inputs to create development impacts. Instead,
AgResults-financed pull mechanisms define a development problem and
pay only for development outcomes that are achieved. AgResults is
currently implementing pilot projects in Nigeria and Kenya, and
launching new pilots in Uganda and Zambia.
Several different bodies are involved in implementing the
AgResults Initiative:
A Steering Committee, comprised of donor organization
representatives and the Trustee, makes strategic decisions.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD,
The World Bank) serves as the Financial Trustee of the AgResults
initiative, manages donor contributions in a trust fund, makes
payments of the grants to the Implementers, and contracts with the
AgResults Secretariat and Independent Evaluator.
Deloitte Consulting is the AgResults Secretariat and is
responsible for designing new pilot projects as well as overseeing
management and coordination of AgResults pilot projects.
A Pilot Manager manages implementation of specific pilot project
in-country.
Implementers are organizations that participate in the pilot and
receive performance-based grants if the results are achieved and
verified. In the Uganda Pilot, AgResults-selected seed companies
will be the Implementers.
A Pilot Verifier verifies, determines and certifies whether
Implementer participants have achieved the results they report and
that are required for the payment of the grants. The Secretariat
contracts the Verifier but the Pilot Manager oversees all
verification work.
The Steering Committee has also contracted with Abt Associates
to serve as an Independent Evaluator of certain AgResults pilots to
measure impacts and to compare AgResults pilots to traditional,
push mechanism development approaches.
Figure 1: AgResults Key Parties
The relationship among the key parties is illustrated below:
In addition, the Pilot Manager organizes and oversees an
Advisory Council of about 10 20 representatives from key
stakeholders to provide advisory guidance to the Pilot Manager. The
Advisory Council is not a decision-making body, but can provide
important advice for Pilot launch and implementation.
2. Pilot Background, Launch and Implementation Activities
2.1 Uganda Pilot Overview, Objective and Background
The Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot Project (Pilot) is designed to
incentivize seed companies to increase the production and sales of
certified bean, groundnut, and soybean (henceforth collectively
referred to as legumes) seed varieties in Uganda. Demand
uncertainty, barriers to working capital and other factors have
constrained seed companies from producing sufficient quantities of
certified legume seeds, thus limiting farmers access to seeds to
grow legumes. In order to address these challenges, the Pilot will
employ results-driven pull mechanisms to incentivize the
Implementer seed companies to find market solutions to challenges
in the current value chain and to build a stronger, more
competitive legume seed industry in Uganda.
The Pilots pull mechanisms center on the use of a Volume
Guarantee (VG) to address the Implementers key challenges of demand
uncertainty and limited working capital, and the incentive created
by an End-Of-Pilot (EOP) performance-based grant designed to
encourage the Implementers to increase sales of the certified
legume seeds as much as possible.
The primary objective of the Pilot is to test the VG and EOP
Prize pull mechanisms. By stimulating increased production and
sales of certified legume seeds, the Pilot is also expected to
provide a number of benefits to farmers. These benefits include
increased crop yields due to seeds that are more tolerant to
diseases and drought; potential increases in net income for farmers
resulting from higher yields and diversification of crops; improved
soil health; and an increased source of low cost, reliable protein
for Ugandans.
In the commercial sector, the legume seed production process is
primarily driven by seed breeders and seed companies. Seed
companies place orders with seed breeders, who then multiply
breeder seed into foundation seed. It typically takes approximately
six months for seed breeders to bulk up the breeder seed supply.
Seed companies then begin to multiply foundation seed into the
certified seed that is sold on the market, a process that takes
another six months. Some seed companies are multiplying breeder
seed to produce foundation seed themselves and selling to other
companies. There are also some farmers co-ops that are starting to
do the same.
There are numerous challenges and complications in the seed
production and sales process. The following are illustrative of
issues for which Implementer seed companies of this Pilot will need
to find solutions when producing increased amounts of legume
seed.
Seed companies have difficulty forecasting the demand for legume
seeds. Legume seed production is relatively costly, so companies
are hesitant to over-produce and incur losses.
Seed companies often use outgrower farmers to produce certified
seed. Once the seed is produced, the seed company must pay the
farmers to buy-back the seed.
Financing can be a challenge: interest rates on loans are high,
and the timing of harvests and related cash flow is an issue,
specifically with regards to buying seeds back from outgrower
farmers. Financial institutions can be hesitant to lend to seed
companies, though some do provide loans.
Legume seeds have higher storage costs and stricter storage
requirements than some other seeds.
Counterfeit seeds are prevalent in Uganda, and there are various
opportunities along the value chain for seed companies,
agro-dealers, and other distributors to counterfeit seed. There are
numerous forms of counterfeiting, including mixing seed with grain,
mixing seed with other varieties, manipulating seed appearance to
appear as another variety or as grain, and mixing stones with seed
to add to the weight and volume.
2.2 Pilot Launch Activities
The Pilot Manager is responsible for launching the Pilot
project. The following is a description of activities necessary for
launching the pilot with explanation of the role the Pilot Manager
will have with each.
A. Form and Convene Advisory Council
In the initial months of the Pilot, the Pilot Manager will
manage the formation of an Advisory Council that will meet
quarterly. During the launch phase, the Advisory Council will serve
to provide input related to the development of Implementer
selection criteria, the Implementer application process and the
selection of Implementers, among other things. The Advisory Council
is not a decision-making body, but rather serves as a group to
provide key advice. It also serves as a means for the Pilot Manager
to keep key stakeholders updated and apprised on Pilot progress as
well as to collect information about other ongoing related
projects.
The Pilot Manager will submit to the Secretariat a proposed list
of organizations and approximately 10 20 persons to serve on the
Advisory Council. Upon approval from the Secretariat, the Pilot
Manager will proceed to invite the proposed members to serve on the
Advisory Council. Upon their written acceptance, the Pilot Manager
will establish an appropriate governance structure for the council,
which will be subject to the Secretariats review and input. The
Pilot Manager will convene an initial introductory meeting for the
Advisory Council and then shortly thereafter will convene the first
official Advisory Council Quarterly Meeting to seek input from the
Council members on the development of the Implementer application,
selection and verification processes.
B. Develop the Verification Process
A key role for the Pilot Manager is the oversight and monitoring
of the verification process throughout the pilot and the
identification of any issues that may arise, including any
potential collusion between Implementer(s) and Verifier(s), with
immediate reporting of issues to the Secretariat. The Pilot Manager
will be responsible for close liaising with and overseeing the work
plan(s) of the contracted Verifier(s); performing spot checks of
verification tasks; analyzing data collected during verification;
and ultimately, for assessing the annual VG and EOP Payment
calculations.
The primary objective of verification for the Pilot is to
validate the accuracy of and determine any issues, suspicious
activity or fraud in both 1) what Implementer seed companies report
as its Pilot seed sales for calculation of the EOP Payments, and 2)
what Implementers report as unsold seed for calculation of the
annual VG. Counterfeiting of seed in Uganda is widespread. For this
reason, verification plays a critical role in the Pilot and
oversight by the Pilot Manager is just as critical to prevent
collusion between the Implementer seed companies and the verifier
organization(s).
The Secretariat will contract the organization(s) to perform
Pilot verification. However, the Pilot Manager will play a
significant role in the development of the verification process,
and later in the close monitoring of the Verifier(s) verification
work. At this time, verification is anticipated to be a combination
of regular audits of the Implementer seed companies reported sales,
as well as amounts of unsold seed (for the VG), combined with spot
checks of samples performed in a laboratory to determine seed
quality prior to sale to ensure counterfeiting to falsify sales is
not occurring. The following are likely activities to be performed
by the verifier organization(s):
Anticipated Verifier Organization(s) Roles and
Responsibilities:
Conduct sales audits to verify records of seed sold and unsold.
This may include audits of numerous documents provided by the
Implementers, checking Planting Records filed at NARO, visiting
outgrower fields, and possibly reviews of phases of the seed
production process to ensure that sales claims are accurate, and
that information presented about quantities and qualities of seeds
sold was not falsified or exaggerated in any way.
Having seed testing lab(s) conduct tests on samples of seeds to
ensure that claims of varieties of seeds sold or unsold are
accurate.
Assessing and responding to new and potential methods that
Implementers may use at any time during the Pilot to falsify sales
records, sell counterfeit or impure seeds, or otherwise cheat.
For the purposes of the Pilot, verification will focus on the
phases during which the seed is with the Implementer seed company
(i.e. production, preparation for sale, treatment, and packaging)
to the moment at which the seed would leave the Implementer seed
companies and/or companies distributors to go to the market or
purchaser. Seed purchases will not be tracked to the retail shop or
end-user farmer level as part of verification for the Pilot.
Note: The Pilot Manager will not be responsible for any costs
related to verification activities carried out by the verifier
organization(s). The Pilot Manager will only be responsible for
costs of overseeing verification work.
For more detail on the Pilot Managers role in verification, see
section 2.3.
C. Develop the Dispute Resolution Process
Following finalization of a verification process, the Pilot
Manager will work closely with the Secretariat and Pilot
Verifier(s) to develop a Dispute Resolution Process, subject to
Secretariat approval. The process will be used disputes arise in
connection with the Pilot between or among any of the
Implementer(s), or Verifier(s), or the Pilot Manager, or if any
misconduct is suspected by the Implementer or Verifier that could
be resolved without involving dispute resolution based on the
contracts between the Secretariat and the Implementer or Verifier,
respectively, or other actor. The role of the Pilot Manager (in the
case of a dispute that the Pilot Manager is not a party to) would
be to serve as an intermediary and to facilitate the communication,
information sharing, and resolution of the dispute between or among
the Implementer(s) and/or Verifier(s). If upon further analysis,
resolution cannot be reached, the dispute would escalate to the
Secretariat, which is ultimately responsible for resolving
disputes. The Secretariat will provide the legal language, terms
and conditions and examples of Dispute Resolution Processes used in
other AgResults Pilots. Note: Development of the Dispute Resolution
Process does not represent a significant level of effort (LOE) and
should be developed within a week of the finalization of the
verification process.
D. Assist the Secretariats Procurement of Verifier
Organization(s)
Upon finalization of the verification and dispute resolution
processes, the Pilot Manager will assist the Secretariat in the
process of procuring the Verifier(s) needed to conduct verification
and then will monitor all verification work. Verification may
require one or more organizations, all of which will be contracted
by the Secretariat. The Pilot Manager will play an important role
in liaising with relevant organizations in Uganda that may perform
verification tasks, assessing cost factors, and drafting the
verification scope(s) of work.
E. Finalize Volume Guarantee Model
During the Pilot Launch, the Pilot Manager will assist in
finalizing the details of the Volume Guarantee (VG) model. Under
the VG, on an annual basis, the AgResults Secretariat will agree to
purchase a predetermined quantity of the Implementers unsold legume
seed at a proportion of the seeds wholesale market price. The VG
will be part of the AgResults agreement signed between the
Secretariat and the Implementer seed companies.
The Volume Guarantee is for the purchase of a volume of unsold
seed equal to a certain percentage of the seed companys sales from
the prior year. Each year, the VG percentage includes any unused
portion of the VG from previous years, thus allowing the guarantee
to grow cumulatively from year to year. The current proposal is to
set a VG of 10% at a buy-back price of 50% of market price. During
the launch phase the Pilot Manager will assess factors that may
influence the VG. Factors the Pilot Manager should examine include,
but are not limited to, market prices for grain and seed, and seed
companies plans to increase seed production. The Pilot Manager will
also evaluate the appropriate buy-back price model, and present any
recommended changes to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will
provide the Pilot Manager with the Pilot Business Plan with the
original VG design, analysis and assumptions used to calculate the
VG at its current proposal
F. Develop Implementer Application Process and Oversee Selection
of Implementers
While Implementer seed companies selected to participate will
sign an agreement with the Secretariat regarding the terms of their
participation, the Pilot Manager will have the primary role, in
collaboration with the Secretariat and subject to its review and
approvals, in developing and managing the Implementer selection
process. This will include development of the technical portion of
a Pilot Implementer Request for Applications (RFA) document,
development of evaluation criteria for Implementers responses to
the RFA, and management of the Implementer application process.
Once the VG structure is finalized based on the Pilot Managers
recommendations and input, and once the Implementers participation
criteria have been defined by the Pilot Manager and approved by the
Secretariat, the Pilot Manager, in collaboration with the
Secretariat, will develop and submit to the Secretariat an
Implementer Request for Applications (RFA). The RFA will likely
include, among other things, an overview of the Pilot and all its
terms and conditions; requests for historical and projected legume
seed sales data with evidence of previous sales; requests for data
and Planting Records from the National Agricultural Research
Organization (NARO); and additional data and documentation to
demonstrate good business practices. The Secretariat will provide
the Pilot Manager with example RFAs from other AgResults pilots to
assist the Pilot Manager in preparing the Implementer RFA.
Upon the Secretariats approval of the RFA, the Pilot Manager
will release the RFA in Uganda for seed companies to apply. To
register a sufficient number of seed companies, the Pilot Manager
will need to promote the Pilot to potential Implementers in an open
and transparent manner. Implementers should be easily identifiable
and reachable given their number. There are currently approximately
24 registered seed companies in Uganda.
The Pilot Manager will likely work with the Ugandan Seed Trade
Association (USTA), which maintains strong ties with both the
established and emerging seed companies that comprise its
membership. USTA should be a highly useful resource for both
advertising the Pilot to potential Implementers and identifying
potential candidates.
The Pilot Manager will review applications, verify that seed
company applicants meet the RFA requirements, and submit the
applications and a Pilot Managers written review of the application
with appropriate recommendation(s) to the Secretariat for approval.
The Pilot Manager may also seek input on the applicant seed
companies from the Advisory Council, as well as from other external
references.
Once the Secretariat and Pilot Manager agree on seed company
selection (with the Secretariat having a veto right), the Pilot
Manager will inform the seed company of its selection for the Pilot
participation subject to signing an agreement between the
Secretariat and the Implementer, which will include the terms of
the VG and the EOP Payment, an overview of expectations,
requirements and standards, reporting procedures, the verification
process, and other terms and conditions.
G. Launch Year 1 Sales Period
The Year 1 sales period will start after all Implementers have
signed participation agreements with the Secretariat. Additional
seed companies may also be able to join the Pilot at later dates
with such process to be recommended by the Pilot Manager and
approved by the Secretariat.
2.3 Ongoing Pilot Implementation Activities
Once the Pilot Year 1 sales period is launched, the Pilot
Manager will manage and oversee all implementation activities,
including all verification activities, of the Pilot over the
five-year sales period.
A. Oversee All Verification Activities and Monitor Verifier
Organization(s)
The Pilot Manager will be responsible for oversight of all
verification activities and monitoring of the verifier
organization(s) contracted by the Secretariat to verify Implementer
companies reports of sold and unsold seed. As described in 2.2B,
the Pilot Manager will help develop and finalize the verification
process, and assist the Secretariat in procurement of the verifier
organization(s). Once the organization(s) are contracted, the Pilot
Manager will serve as the primary liaison and oversee all
verification work.
The Pilot Manager will work closely with the verifier
organization(s) to provide input for their regular work planning
and to share important pilot information that will aide the
verifier teams in their work (for example, Implementer seed
companies production and sales plans, agreements with the
Secretariat, and orders placed with seed breeders). The Pilot
Manager will be an important liaison between the verifier teams and
Implementers and monitoring of this relationship is important in
order to prevent and/or identify collusion.
B. Manage Annual Volume Guarantee
The Pilot Manager will be responsible for managing the Volume
Guarantee and overseeing and monitoring all VG-related work
performed by the verifier organization(s). The Volume Guarantee is
intended to be a tool to lower the risks associated with seed
companies efforts to increase production in the event that the
companies cannot sell all of the additional seeds they produced.
During Pilot implementation, the Pilot Manager will track
quantities of unsold seeds as reported by the seed companies and as
verified by the verifier organization(s). The Pilot Manager will
use this data to determine the annual Volume Guarantee payout for
each Implementer as well as the percentage of the VG that is unused
and will thus carry over to the next year.
The VG buyback price will be set below the market price of the
seed so that companies cannot make profit from the VG. Implementers
that are successful in growing their legume seed portfolios with
minimal or no losses will therefore profit more from the market
than the pull mechanism, and will not use the VG.
The scope of the Pilot Managers services in relation to the VG
will include, but will not be limited to, the following activities
and responsibilities, in order of anticipated level of effort:
Regular Interaction with Seed Breeders: The Pilot Manager will
need to communicate with seed breeders and Implementers about the
timing of seed companies orders for breeder and foundation seed.
The seed breeders typically need to receive orders from seed
companies six months in advance to be able to meet increased
requests. Ideally, the VG agreement will incent Implementers to
forecast demand and obtain funding for increased production in time
to place orders far enough in advance.
The Pilot Manager will need to liaise regularly with seed
breeders, understand their concerns and constraints, and
communicate about these issues as necessary with the Implementer
seed companies. In addition, the Pilot Manager will need to gather
information (at least twice per year) from breeders about the
amount of seed available for each legume variety, and include this
in discussions with seed companies about the Volume Guarantee and
next years planned sales.
Liaising with Financial Institutions: While the Pilot Manager
shall not negotiate directly with any financial institutions on
behalf of any Implementer, the Pilot Manager may play a
facilitation role with the Implementer seed companies seeking
funding in connection with the Pilot implementation. This may
include convening banks and seed companies to share information and
discuss timing of loan applications and awards. It could also
include communicating about the Pilot and the VG with the local
financial institutions who may be providing loans to the
Implementers and, if appropriate, providing a letter to the
financial institutions from the Secretariat explaining the VG to
serve as support for any Implementer seeking a loan in connection
with the Pilot.
Buying Back and Disposing of Unsold Seed: At the start of the
Pilot, the Pilot Manager will finalize the VG model, including the
processes related to seed buy-back. Upon approval from the
Secretariat of the final VG model, the Pilot Manager will manage
the VG process throughout the Pilot and will troubleshoot as needed
if complications arise, always keeping the Secretariat apprised.
This may involve coordination with FAO, WFP, or other entities in
order to donate seed, or options to require companies to provide
documentation of destroyed or disposed of unsold, expired seed.
C. Track and Monitor Sales For the End-of-Pilot
Performance-Based Grant
The Pilot Manager will work closely with the verifier
organization(s) to track and monitor sales counted toward the
End-of-Pilot (EOP) Performance-Based Grant. The intention of the
EOP Grant is to motivate the Implementers to find solutions to the
barriers they have faced regarding legume seed production, and to
overcome those market challenges during the five year sales period
of the Pilot.
The EOP Grant payment will be based on each Implementer seed
companys sales of seeds over the life of the Pilot. It will be
calculated based on a percentage of the Implementers previous years
cumulative increase in sales of certified legume seeds over a
minimum threshold pre-determined by AgResults (the current proposal
is an 8% minimum threshold). All EOP Payments will be contingent
upon verification of sales by the Pilot Verifier organization(s)
and as confirmed by the Pilot Manager and approved by the
Secretariat.
Figure 2 illustrates the EOP Payment model based on a potential
high growth scenario.
Figure 2: Illustrative End-of-Pilot Performance-Based Grant High
Growth Scenario[footnoteRef:2] [2: Minimum threshold and payment
percentage may change]
Uganda Pilot: Potential End of Pilot Performance Grant Payment:
High-Growth Scenario
Baseline
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Total
(Years 1-5)
Actual Sales
(20% annual growth)
100
120
144
173
207
249
893 MT
Minimum Threshold
(8% annual growth)
100
108
117
126
136
147
-634 MT
Cumulative Sales over Threshold
259 MT
Payment
(20% of Cumulative Sales over Threshold)
259MT $1,575 [footnoteRef:3]per MT 20% = $81,585 [3: Rate to be
determined later.]
D. Share Information with Implementers
As part of the developing the annual agreement between AgResults
and each Implementer, including the VG-setting process, the
Implementer seed companies will need to articulate their plans to
increase growth. The Pilot Manager should not provide technical
assistance to the Implementers, but will serve as a facilitator to
share appropriate information equally with all the Implementer seed
companies. The Pilot Manager, for example, may distribute
information in writing to all the Implementers regarding financing
opportunities, marketing and sales strategies, predicting demand,
minimizing losses, or lessons learned regarding the sector.
E. Convene Quarterly Advisory Council Meetings
Throughout the Pilot, the Pilot Manager will convene the
Advisory Council on a quarterly basis to keep them apprised of the
Pilot. Implementer sales particulars will remain confidential but
the Pilot Manager may update the Advisory Council general overall
progress.
F. Conduct Annual Lessons Learned Events
The Pilot Manager will also organize one annual lessons learned
event (following the sales period launch) with all the Implementer
seed companies to discuss strategies, share information about
challenges and opportunities, and to document issues/lessons
learned in a report for the Secretariat. Issues to discuss and for
the Implementers seed companies to consider enacting in order to
improve their production and sales strategies may include:
techniques to gauge demand; programs to demonstrate new varieties
and educate farmers about proper planting; packaging best
practices; and minimizing losses, among others.
G. Identify Fraud Modalities
The Pilot Manager plays a neutral role in interactions with the
Implementers and monitors the work of the Pilot Verifier. It will
be important for the Pilot Manager to be continuously assessing
ways Implementers may seek to game the VG model through
inappropriate, unethical, or fraudulent practices; liaising closely
with the Verifier organization(s) to ensure these practices would
be identified during verification; monitoring the verification work
to prevent collusion with Implementers; and keeping the Secretariat
informed. AgResults and the Secretariat do not condone any
unethical or fraudulent practices in connection with the Pilot.
Implementers involved in any such practices will be subject to
sanctions, including termination from the Pilot.
2.4 Draft Launch and Implementation Plan
While the schedule dates may shift, for preliminary planning
purposes, an illustrative draft launch and implementation plan for
the Pilot is as follows:
Figure 3: Uganda Pilot - Draft Launch and Implementation
Plan
AgResults Uganda Pilot: Draft Launch and Implementation Plan
June 2015
Pilot Manager (PM) mobilizes and develops work plan in
coordination with Secretariat
June August 2015
PM develops verification processes and assists Secretariat in
development of procurement documents for verifier
organization(s)
June August 2015
PM finalizes Volume Guarantee model
July August 2015
PM forms Advisory Council and holds an orientation session
July August 2015
PM conducts two outreach / Q&A sessions with seed
companies
July August 2015
PM develops Implementer selection criteria and process, and
Request for Applications (RFA) and submits to Secretariat for
approval
August 2015
PM holds public Pilot Announcement Event for all
stakeholders
August 2015
PM convenes first official quarterly Advisory Council meeting to
discuss Implementer selection criteria and application process;
subsequent Advisory Council meetings to be convened regularly every
quarter
Sept Oct 2015
Secretariat procures verifier organization(s)
October 2015
PM posts Implementer RFA publicly
November 2015
Verifier organization(s) start
Nov Dec 2015
PM receives and reviews applications from seed companies, and
selects Implementers, in coordination with the Secretariat
January 2016
PM holds orientation meetings with selected seed companies, and
meets individually with them to agree on sales growth plans, and to
establish and sign Volume Guarantee and other agreements
January 2016
PM conducts Pilot Sales Launch Event
Feb 2016 Jan 2017
Year 1 Pilot Sales Period
Feb 2016 Jan 2017
PM collects from Implementers and shares with the verifier
organization(s) data on Implementer legume seed sales twice yearly,
after every harvest (exact dates will vary with seed seasons)
Feb 2016 Jan 2017
PM and verifier organization(s) determine amount of unsold seed
after every harvest (twice yearly)
Feb 2016 Jan 2017
PM convenes two (2) roundtable sessions with seed breeders to
share information about inventory, order needs, and other related
issues
Feb 2016 Jan 2017
Convene Quarterly Advisory Council Meetings
February 2017
PM determines and awards Year 1 Volume Guarantee funds
February 2017
PM meets with Implementers to update & renew agreements
March 2017
First Annual Lessons Learned Event
Feb 2017 Jan 2018
Year 2 Pilot Sales Period[footnoteRef:4] [4: General Activities
for the Year 2 Pilot Sales Period will be the same as those of Year
1.]
3. Pilot Manager Period of Performance
Under the Pilot Project, participating seed companies will sell
seeds for a period of five years. Pilot Manager tasks are
anticipated to run five and a half to six years. However, because
of the period of performance of Deloitte Consultings AgResults
Secretariat contract with the World Bank, the Pilot Manager will be
contracted for a Base Period of three years with an Option Period
to extend the contract.
Base Period of Performance: The Base Period will be June 1, 2015
to May 31, 2018. Offerors should present pricing for only the base
period. For a contracting timeline for the price proposal for this
RFP, assume this schedule:
Year 1: June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016
Year 2: June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017
Year 3: June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018
Option Extension Period: Three months before the completion of
the Base Period, the Secretariat will submit to the Pilot Manager
the scope of work and period of performance for the Option Period.
The Pilot Manager will have 30 days to submit a price proposal for
the Option Period for the Secretariats review and approval.
4. Pilot Manager Personnel and Scope of Work
4.1 AgResults Pilot Manager TeamGeneral Role Description
The Pilot Manager Team will manage the Pilot and collaborate
closely with the Secretariat as required or appropriate. The Pilot
Manager team will be responsible for management and implementation
of the AgResults Uganda Legume Seeds Pilot Project and will be
accountable and report to the Secretariat. The Pilot Manager plays
a neutral, facilitative and coordination role and manages and
oversees all Pilot activities in country to conclusion.
The Pilot Managers activities and responsibilities, also
described in Section 2 of the Terms of Reference, will include the
following.
* Tasks that the Secretariat believes will represent a
significant level of effort (LOE) during the Pilot Launch Phase
(prior to the beginning of the first sales period) are indicated
with one asterisk: *
**Tasks that the Secretariat believes will represent a
significant LOE throughout the duration of the Pilot are indicated
with two asterisks: **
1. Annual Work Plan development and submission to the
Secretariat for review and approval, plus quarterly review and
updates as needed.
2. Regular reporting to the Secretariat including, but not
limited to,
a. Monthly All Team Meetings (composed of the full Secretariat
and Pilot Manger Team members)
b. Weekly (or less frequently as needed) updates of an MS Excel
work tracker,
c. Weekly or biweekly calls between the Team Leader and
Secretariat Field Coordinator,
d. Biweekly high level updates to the online Secretariat Work
Plan Program Management Center (PMC) system,
e. Minutes of All Team and Advisory Council meetings
f. Quarterly reports,
g. A final report at the end of the Pilot,
h. and any other information piece of urgent or important
nature.
3. * Assisting the Secretariat by finalizing the design of the
verification processes.
4. *Identifying, screening and recommending for selection
potential seed companies as Implementers.
5. **Managing the Implementer selection process, Implementer
Request for Applications, and other Pilot launch responsibilities
as needed, as described in the TOR.
6. Overseeing the annual Implementer agreement process
7. **Overseeing all Verification activities. This includes close
liaising and overseeing the work plan(s) of the contracted verifier
organization(s); performing spot checks of verification tasks, for
analyzing the data, and ultimately for assessing the annual Volume
Guarantee and End-of-Pilot Payment calculations.
8. **With data from the Verifier, managing the data analysis and
prepare determination and supporting data for the Secretariats
review concerning annual Volume Guarantee buy-backs and the EOP
Payment calculations and funds allocations.
9. Coordinating the formation and convening quarterly meetings
of the Advisory Council.
10. Conducting ongoing analysis to identify problems,
opportunities and lessons learned, and making recommendations to
the Secretariat for solutions and steps forward.
11. Developing and proposing for the Secretariats review a
Dispute Resolution Process as described in TOR and upon
Secretariats approval, managing such disputes in accordance with
the Dispute Resolution Process.
12. Overseeing the Pilot activities to identify and report to
the Secretariat any potential inappropriate, unethical or
fraudulent behavior or activities by the Pilot Implementers,
verifier, and/or any other party in connection with the Pilot.
13. Managing Pilot outreach and communications. (See below for
details)
14. **Liaising with relevant government entities, donor
representatives, seed breeders, seed companies, and other
sector-related stakeholders on a systemic and regular basis as
needed in connection with the Pilot activities.
15. Tracking related projects in Uganda, and in the region if
relevant, carried out by donors and other actors in the seed
sector, and noting participation and support received by Pilot
Implementers in other related projects and activities.
16. Gathering information from seed breeders, Implementers, the
Verifier organization(s), and other stakeholders, and analyzing,
and acting on information related to Pilot activities.
17. Periodically providing photos or written contributions for
the AgResults website, blog, and/or social media, as
applicable.
18. Maintaining an unbiased, facilitation role with regard to
the Implementer seed companies. In order to ensure the integrity of
the Pilot and the pull mechanism, it is important that the entire
Pilot Manager team remains neutral and that Implementers and other
stakeholders perceive them as such.
19. As determined by the Secretariat and/or the Steering
Committee, performing any other role which would be useful for the
Pilot Manager to perform, depending on the nature of the Pilot,
provisions for implementing the Pilot and consistent with the
agreed upon Scope of Work.
4.2 AgResults Pilot Manager TeamKey Personnel Roles and
Responsibilities
The following are the roles and responsibilities of the three
key personnel positions for the Pilot Manager Team. The key
personnel are essential to the successful performance of the Pilot.
All staff filling these key personnel positions are subject to
approval by the AgResults Secretariat and may not be changed
without the Secretariats prior written approval.
1. Team Leader
The Team Leader will be responsible for management of day-to-day
Pilot activities and the quality delivery of the all the Pilot
Manager Teams work. The Team Leader will ensure that all tasks and
activities are performed timely, professionally, subject to
appropriate review and approvals by the Secretariat, and that
deliverables and other work products related to the Pilot will be
clear, well thought out, complete and thoroughly checked for
quality control.
Specifically, the Team Leaders responsibilities will include the
following:
a. Develop an Annual Work Plan to be submitted to the
Secretariat for review and approval consideration within 30 days of
the new project year.
b. Monitor and ensure that the Pilot Work Plan is
implemented.
c. Track, identify and inform the Secretariat in quarterly
reports of all completed activities and propose necessary
amendments at the end of each quarter.
d. Identify and proactively report to the Secretariat on
potential opportunities or problems that could impact Pilot
implementation or the reputation risk of the Pilot, AgResults, the
Secretariat or any other AgResults entity. The Team Leader should
employ critical thinking to troubleshoot solutions, and recommend
appropriate solutions, responses and next steps to the Secretariat
before taking action.
e. Coordinate the formation of and subsequent meetings of the
Advisory Council.
f. Manage and oversee the Implementer application selection
process.
g. Oversee program support and ancillary activities, including
but not limited to the production, sales, and verification of
certified varieties of legume seeds.
h. Communicate as needed with the verifier organization and
testing lab(s), in coordination with the Verification Officer, and
report regularly to the Secretariat (and upon approval from the
Secretariat, to the Implementers).
i. Coordinate dispute resolution and fraud management
processes.
j. Manage annual lessons-learned exercises and submit the
summary of these exercises to the Secretariat on a yearly
basis.
k. Ensure effective stakeholder engagement, public outreach and
communications.
l. Ensure quality verbal and written reporting on Pilot
operations as required.
m. Maintain neutrality in all aspects of the facilitation of the
Pilot, including impartiality toward the Implementers, and eschew
influence by any pre-existing personal or professional
relationships that would create and actual or perceived bias or
unfair advantage for an Implementer or other stakeholder.
n. Coordinate and provide support as needed to the Independent
Evaluator (Abt Associates) to harmonize work plans and facilitate
the Independent Evaluators work, in order to meet the objectives of
its work along with those of the Pilot.
o. Ensure that Pilot deliverables are met on a timely basis and
keep the Secretariat informed of all delays or changes to the
timeline.
p. Other duties as assigned.
2. Verification Officer
The Verification Officer will be primarily responsible for
overseeing all Pilot Verification activities that will be carried
out by an external organization(s) contracted independently by the
Secretariat. This is a full time job since verification will be
occurring throughout the Pilot for both for regular (likely to be
biannual) audits of companies reported seed sales as well as
verification of unsold seeds for the determination of the Volume
Guarantee.
The Verification Officer should be familiar with the legume seed
production and sales process and will need to liaise and oversee
very closely all verification tasks to ensure verification
objectives are carried out with the utmost integrity. The
Verification Officers role differs from that of a traditional
monitoring and evaluation (M&E) role in a push development
project. In a pull mechanism, all oversight of the Pilot and
verification work is focused on verifying results and preventing
and identifying fraudulent practices. This is particularly
important, given the level of counterfeiting that occurs it the
Ugandan seed sector.
Specifically, the Verification Officers responsibilities will
include the following:
a. Serve as Acting Team Leader when the Team Leader is
absent.
b. Liaise with the Independent Evaluator (Abt) as needed.
c. Collaborate with the Secretariat and Team Leader to assist in
the development of a verification process, the Scope of Work for
the Verifier, and collecting data on potential costs.
d. Assist the Secretariat and Team Leader with identifying
Verifier candidates.
e. Oversee the work done by the organization hired for Pilot
Verification services. Responsibilities may include spot checks of
the following: fieldwork and data collection, data cleaning, data
analysis and reporting. The Verification Officer may also develop,
in collaboration with the Verifier, any necessary template for data
collected from the Implementers.
f. Liaise with the Pilot Verifier to ensure consistency in work
plans and reporting.
g. Support weekly, monthly and quarterly management reporting to
the Secretariat.
h. Provide other operational support including administrative
tasks, communications & reporting, outreach and research as may
be required.
i. In collaboration with the Team Leader, liaise with project
stakeholders including Advisory Council members, Implementers, the
Pilot Verifier, and government officials.
3. Technical Advisor
The Technical Advisor will work part time alongside the Team
Leader and provide technical advice on an as-needed basis for the
Uganda Improved Legume Seeds Pilot.
The Technical Advisor will provide guidance on the legume seed
production process, including growing and processing of seeds. The
Technical Advisor will also help shape Pilot strategy and
protocols, as well as technical and operational activities. In
addition, the Technical Advisor will be responsible for liaising
with specific program stakeholders, such as seed breeders and other
projects working within the seed sector, in assessing opportunities
and challenges in implementation. The Technical Advisors work, as
outlined in the responsibilities below, will be commensurate with
the level of effort (LOE) as specified in the budget approved by
the Secretariat.
Specifically, the Technical Advisors responsibilities will
include:
a. Support the Team Leader, Verification Officer, and the
Secretariat to define, implement and adjust strategic, operational
and action plans in order to achieve AgResults and Pilot
objectives.
b. Participate in meetings as requested.
c. Assist with review of Implementer applications and oversight
of seed company activities.
d. Support stakeholder relations in strategic aspects of the
Pilot.
e. Provide, as needed, advice and support to the Advisory
Council to assist in achieving the advisory service objectives of
the Advisory Council on the Pilot, including but not limited to the
assessment of potential new Implementer applications, and
identification of any possible cheating or fraud by
Implementers.
f. Assist in the preparation of annual work plans if needed.
g. Provide any other advisory services as may be requested by
the Steering Committee, Secretariat and Pilot Manager team.
4.3. Pilot Manager Team Scope of Work Tasks
The following are the tasks that the Pilot Manager Team will
perform on an ongoing basis throughout the Pilot, with the
exception of 2) which details the Pilot Launch
Responsibilities.
1) Annual Work Plan Development
a. Within 30 days of contract award and then subsequently 30
days before the beginning of every new contract year, the Pilot
Manager will submit an annual work plan in MS Project to be
implemented on a quarterly basis, for review and approval by the
Secretariat.
b. The Work Plan shall be reviewed on a quarterly basis at the
time of submission of the quarterly report. The Pilot Manager must
include in the Quarterly Report any necessary requests for
amendments to the Work Plan to reflect the actual implementation of
the Pilot activities. Any adjustments will be discussed and agreed
upon by the Secretariat and Pilot Manager, and will be subject to
Secretariat approval to become effective. When there is a quarterly
Work Plan amendment, it is the intention of the parties not to
revise the fixed price and payment schedule associated with the
originally agreed-upon applicable Work Plan. The Secretariat will
review and process Work Plan amendment requests (indicating
approval, rejection or request for modification) within a period of
two weeks following receipt of the Quarterly Report with the
requested amendment.
c. Should the Scope of Work significantly change, the Pilot
Manager and Secretariat will discuss whether a budget and agreement
modification is needed. Any budget modification is subject to
AgResults Steering Committee approval.
2) Pilot Launch Responsibilities
Immediately following the start date of agreement, the Pilot
Manager will have the following responsibilities.
a. The Pilot Manager will organize a public event to publicize
the Pilot within 60 days of the start date of the agreement and
assemble key program stakeholders to a Pilot Announcement
Event.
b. Conduct two (2) outreach sessions with seed companies,
following the Pilot Announcement Meeting, to raise awareness and
generate interest in the Pilot.
c. Develop verification processes and assist the Secretariat in
the procurement of the organization(s) to conduct verification.
(See #7 below.)
d. Develop, in collaboration with the Secretariat, a Dispute
Resolution Process. (See #6.)
e. Determining details of how to dispose of any seed that
results from the seed buyback of the Volume Guarantee.
f. Draft and submit to the Secretariat Implementer selection
criteria and an Implementer application process, including the
Implementer Request for Applications and accompanying
application.
g. Conduct outreach and Q&A meetings with seed companies to
inform about the Pilot.
h. Form and convene the Advisory Council for one (1) initial
orientation session as well as the first official Quarterly
Advisory Council Meeting to solicit input from Council members on
the Implementer selection and application processes. (See #4.)
i. Manage the Implementer application process including posting
of the RFA, review of applications and solicitation of input from
the Advisory Council, in collaboration with the Secretariat.
j. The Secretariat will take the lead on developing the
Implementers agreement; however, once Implementers are selected by
the Secretariat and Pilot Manager, convene a collective orientation
meeting in Kampala for Implementers to go over all details of the
Implementers agreement, including the Volume Guarantee and
End-of-Pilot Payment, verification process, Dispute Resolution
Process and other salient rules of engagement.
k. Hold additional meetings if and when necessary with
individual seed companies to answer any additional questions and/or
address any confusion or misunderstandings.
l. Conduct a Pilot Sales Launch Event with press, if
appropriate, when the Pilot sales period begins.
3) Implementer Selection, Volume Guarantee Assessment and
End-of-Pilot Grant Assessment
The Pilot Manager will be substantially involved and will have
responsibilities in the Implementer identification, solicitation,
selection, application, review, acceptance, and grant disbursement
process.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities will
include:
a. Develop a Request for Applications (RFA) document, subject to
Secretariat approval, to be shared with potential Implementers. The
RFA will include the rules of engagement, including but not limited
to acceptance eligibility criteria, application review criteria,
dispute resolution process and the Deloitte anti-corruption
certification.
b. Develop criteria for Implementer participation, subject to
Secretariat approval, and review these requirements in order to
adjust as needed throughout the life of the Pilot.
c. Oversee the RFA solicitation process including first review
of applications; submission to the Secretariat for review and
approval of formal responses; and communication to Implementers on
issues of clarification.
d. Recommend to the Secretariat Implementers to be selected.
e. Upon approval from the Secretariat, oversee on behalf of the
Secretariat the Implementer acceptance agreement issuance, signing,
and annual renewal. (Note: for transparency and to avoid conflicts
of interest, Implementers enter into an agreement with the
Secretariat, not the Pilot Manager.)
f. Manage communications related to Implementer application
acceptance, rejection, or, if needed, termination.
g. Amend or update the RFA, as needed, subject to approval of
the Secretariat.
h. Following amendments or updates to the RFA, organize meetings
with Implementers to provide updates of any changes in the program
should changes occur.
i. Pronounce publicly the names of selected Implementers, if
appropriate.
j. Determine payments due to Implementers for the annual Volume
Guarantee and End-of-Pilot Payments, based on Verifier findings,
and present this information to the Secretariat for approval.
4) Coordinate Formation of the Advisory Council and Convene
Quarterly Meetings
The Pilot Manager shall coordinate the formation and subsequent
quarterly regular meetings of the Pilot Advisory Council, and shall
oversee the Advisory Council throughout the Pilot. The Advisory
Council is not a decision-making body, but shall serve to provide
input and advice about the progress of the Pilot toward achieving
increased legume seed production and sales, on the general trends
and practices affecting the seed sector in Uganda, and other
implications related to the Pilots objectives.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities include:
a. With approval from the Secretariat, identify organizations
and persons to serve as part of the Advisory Council and coordinate
formation of the Advisory Council, which may include
representatives from the donor community, USTA, relevant government
bodies, and seed breeders. Members of the Council may not receive
any compensation for their services without prior written approval
of the Secretariat.
b. Establish an appropriate and effective governance structure
for the Advisory Council.
c. Convene quarterly Advisory Council meetings to seek advice
from members or to update them on the pilot.
d. Facilitate quarterly Advisory Council meetings to endeavor
that the Council provides meaningful input to the Pilot.
e. Solicit input and advice from the Advisory Council related to
potential fraud or system gaming, and report all information to the
Secretariat.
f. Take thorough minutes of each Advisory Council meeting and
submit minutes to the Secretariat within two (2) weeks of each
meeting, calling to the Secretariats attention any important
points.
g. Ensure that council members sign Deloittes Anticorruption
Compliance Certification.
h. Maintain Advisory Council membership over time, and review
Advisory Council membership at least annually, in consultation with
Secretariat, to replace members who are no longer interested in
participating, have a conflict of interest, or may no longer be
qualified to serve on the Council.
5) Ongoing Analysis to Identify Problems, Opportunities and
Lessons Learned
As needed, the Pilot Manager will research and analyze
information to inform decision-making, identify problems and
opportunities, document lessons learned, and propose to the
Secretariat solutions and ways forward.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities will include,
but are not limited to:
a. Tracking seed sales, monitoring market trends, estimating
total payment costs, and other factors that may impact the Pilot
implementation, the VG, and/or the End-of-Pilot payments.
b. Identify potential problems and opportunities and to
recommend appropriate solutions and responses to the Secretariat
before taking action.
c. Conduct one (1) lessons-learned session per year with
Implementers, and possibly other stakeholders as identified in
advance in collaboration with the Secretariat, reflecting on
experiences from the previous sales period, as well as over the
lifetime of the Pilot. These sessions may include using data
contributed by the Pilot Verifier.
d. Following the exercise, the Pilot Manager will submit a
lessons learned report within two (2) weeks to the Secretariat for
review.
6) Dispute Resolution and Fraud Management
Within a week of finalization of a verification process design,
the Pilot Manager will work closely with the Secretariat and Pilot
Verifier to design and administer a Dispute Resolution Process,
subject to Secretariat approval, to use when disputes arise or any
misconduct is suspected by the Implementer, Verifier, or other
actor. The Secretariat will provide examples of Dispute Resolution
Processes employed in other AgResults pilots.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities include:
a. Develop a Dispute Resolution Process that is subject to
review and approval by the Secretariat. The process will identify
possible areas of dispute, the process for lodging disputes, limits
of dispute and resolution mechanism, and any other aspect
necessary. This process will include notification of all issues to
the Secretariat and escalation of unresolved issues to the
Secretariat for guidance or resolution.
b. Once approved by the Secretariat, communicate the dispute
resolution mechanism to the Advisory Council and Implementers.
c. Inform the Secretariat of instances of potential suspected
fraud, cheating, counterfeiting, gaming and/or potential or real
disputes. The Pilot Manager must be thorough and proactive in
identifying these activities, remain impartial with respect to all
seed companies and other stakeholders, and fully enforce the rules
of the Pilot.
d. The Pilot Manager shall implement workplace integrity
policies and practices, as well as rigorous oversight of the Pilot
to identify and mitigate all claims of fraud, gaming and/or
fraudulent behavior.
7) Procurement Assistance and Oversight of the Pilot
Verifier
The Secretariat will contract the Pilot Verifier; however, the
Pilot Manager will be responsible for assisting the Secretariat in
the procurement process and for oversight of all work done by the
organization(s) hired to conduct Pilot Verification services. As
described in the Terms of Reference, this is a significant
component of the Pilot Managers work.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities will
include:
a. Assist the Secretariat in researching and developing the
methodology for verification.
b. Support Secretariat identification and development of
performance indicators.
c. Assist the Secretariat in the procurement of the Verifier,
which may include communication with relevant organizations,
assisting in developing the Scope of Work and Request for
Proposals, and other related tasks.
d. In collaboration with the Verifier organization(s)., develop
any necessary templates for data to be collected from the
Implementers.
e. Oversight of all work done by the Verifier organization(s).
The Verifier organization(s) will likely conduct biannual audits of
seed sold and unsold for the purposes of verifying and calculating
for the annual VG and for the rolling data collection for the
end-of-pilot performance based grants.
Pilot Manager oversight of the Pilot Verifier organization(s)
will likely include:
biannual spot checks of field visits conducted by the Verifier
with Implementers at their offices, warehouses, and growing
sites;
communications with the testing lab(s); and
spot checks of data collection, data cleaning, data analysis and
reporting.
f. Maintain an up-to-date communication feedback mechanism with
the Verifier and the Secretariat to ensure that problems,
challenges, lessons learnt and other key information is reported in
a timely fashion.
8) Stakeholder Engagement, Public Outreach and
Communications
The Pilot Manager will be the front line organization
establishing and maintaining AgResults visibility, stakeholder
engagement and public communication; marketing and promoting the
Pilot Project to potential Implementer companies; and maintaining a
critical neutrality in the facilitation of the Pilot at all times.
In accordance with AgResults media standards and policies, the
Pilot Manager will serve as Pilot liaison to local media, value
chain actors, and other local and international actors, always
consulting the Secretariat in advance of public communications and
following the AgResults branding guidelines.
With respect to any external communication, unless otherwise
specifically authorized in writing by Deloitte Consulting, the
Pilot Manager shall not use the name or brand of Deloitte
Consulting in any communications. The Pilot Manager shall use
AgResults marking and branding in accordance with the guidance that
will be provided by the Secretariat upon agreement award and as
updated during the term of the Pilot.
The Pilot Manager will have the following responsibilities
related to Stakeholder Engagement, Public Outreach and
Communications:
8.1 Implementer Engagement
a. Meet annually with each Implementer separately to update and
renew Pilot agreements and terms of Volume Guarantee.
b. On a rolling basis, if needed (in the case of low Implementer
application numbers), and in consultation with the Secretariat,
identify and recommend to the Secretariat promotional activities to
engage new Implementers. Publicity of the Pilot (goals,
requirements and incentives) and the Implementers RFA should be
done in a transparent and open manner, through appropriate
advertising, media outreach, and/or through proactive networking in
the Ugandan agribusiness community. Emphasis shall be given to
women-owned businesses and womens organizations, if possible.
Publicity is subject to approval of the Secretariat. The Pilot
Manager will always inform the Secretariat in advance of all
publicity activities in order to seek Secretariat feedback and
approval.
c. Maintain communication with potential Implementers and
provide them with all information necessary to determine whether
they wish to participate in the Pilot.
d. Refer any and all important communications related to the
Implementers to the Secretariat, keeping the Secretariat informed
and apprised of important developments so that the Secretariat is
able to effectively manage inquiries and reporting from and to the
donors on the Steering Committee.
e. Liaise with potential Implementers, and other value chain
participants, and create informal networking opportunities for
Implementers. Note: the Pilot Manager shall act as a networking
resource for Implementers only. Under no circumstance shall the
Pilot Manager provide or coordinate technical assistance for
Implementers.
8.2 Government Engagement
a. Meet as needed (at least twice a year) and when appropriate
with Ugandan government officials who are responsible for issues
related to issues AgResults is trying to address through the Pilot
or with government-related institutions to maintain good relations
and promote awareness and the Government support for the Pilot,
always keeping the Secretariat informed in advance of meetings.
This may include the Uganda National Agricultural Research
Organization (NARO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry
& Fisheries (MAAIF), and others. (These meetings are to be
informative for the government no type of lobbying activities are
required or permitted.
b. Coordinate with relevant government research entities,
specifically including the bean, groundnut, and soybean seed
breeders at NaCCRI, NaSSARI, and Makerere University, respectively.
The Pilot Manager will share information about the Pilot with the
seed breeders, inquire as needed about the availability of breeder
seed in anticipation of seed company orders, and facilitate
communication between breeders and Implementers.
8.3 Engagement with Donor Representatives and International
Organizations
a. Meet as needed (at least twice a year) with international
organizations active in related technical areas and in particular
with the representatives of AgResults donors, always proposing such
meetings and coordinating with the Secretariat in advance of the
meetings so that the Secretariat may keep donor representatives on
the Steering Committee informed and involved, to the extent the
Steering Committee members wish. The purpose of these meetings is
to keep the relevant stakeholders informed and updated on the Pilot
progress and to maintain a working knowledge of other relevant
donor-funded programs. The Pilot Manager shall report to the
Secretariat following all meetings.
8.4 Monitoring and Knowledge Management of Programs and
Opportunities
a. Maintain a tracker in Excel to identify and track current and
future projects in the seed sector, to monitor their potential
impact on the AgResults Pilot including but not limited to
donor-funded work.
b. Share tracker regularly with the Secretariat.
c. When appropriate, upon discussion with the Secretariat, share
equally in a neutral role, with the Implementers, information on
resources available through other programs, opportunities, etc.
that may assist them in achieving Pilot goals of increased legume
seed sales.
8.5 Engagement with Other Stakeholders
a. Maintain active engagement with any other necessary
stakeholders including, but not limited to, USAID Feed the Future
programs, USTA activities, relevant donor-funded projects, industry
associations and interest groups, agro-distributors, farmers
groups, other projects working in the seed sector, and any others
the Secretariat or Steering Committee members may request in order
to identify challenges and opportunities, and to recommend to the
Secretariat appropriate solutions and responses.
9) Reporting on Pilot Operations
The Pilot Manager will be in regular communication with the
Secretariat on all aspects of the Pilot operations.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities include:
a. Report immediately to the Secretariat any urgent issue or
reputational risk related to the Pilot.
b. Report to the Secretariat in a timely fashion problems and
opportunities identified in the Pilot and make recommendations for
solutions and responses.
c. Be available for monthly All Team Meetings by phone with the
Pilot Manager team and Secretariat; periodic site visits by the
Secretariat, and any additional meetings as determined by the needs
of the Pilot.
d. Prepare and submit to the Secretariat for review, within one
(1) week, the minutes of All Team Meetings.
e. Maintain and submit to the Secretariat a Work Tracker to be
updated on a weekly basis, or as needed and agreed upon with the
Secretariat based on the level of activity in any particular phase
of Pilot implementation.
f. Update the online AgResults PMC project management system
operated by the Secretariat twice a month. This system contains
only high-level tasks and is available for donor representatives on
the Steering Committee, the Secretariat, and the Pilot Manager to
view at any time.
g. Submit photos and brief reports of all events.
h. Submit a quarterly report to the Secretariat on project
activities, using a template provided by the Secretariat, to
include: Pilot implementation and operations; lessons learned; if
available, Implementer activities and seed sales; any updates on
Pilot indicators; any requests, with explanation, for needed work
plan amendments; and a quarterly payment request using the one-page
template provided by the Secretariat.
i. Submit an annual Lessons Learned Report to the Secretariat
(see Section 5).
j. Submit a final report at the end of the Pilot after
implementation is completed. Submission timing and requirements
will be determined in coordination with the Secretariat.
k. As requested by the Secretariat, periodically provide photos
or written contributions for the AgResults website, blog, and/or
social media.
l. Submit any additional reports or information as may be
required by the Secretariat or the Steering Committee.
10) Pilot Evaluator and Results Framework Support
The Pilot Manager will support Pilot Evaluator Abt Associates,
as needed, during activities for the impact evaluation of the
Pilot.
The Pilot Manager will also track data needed for the Results
Framework as outlined by the Secretariat.
Specifically, the Pilot Managers responsibilities will
include:
a. Participate in a presentation that the Evaluator will give to
the Pilot Manager team during the initial 60 days of the Pilot
Managers mobilization to provide further specificity about the
impact evaluation and anticipated needs.
b. Liaise, support and collaborate closely with the Independent
Evaluator. This will entail coordinating or facilitating meetings
for the Pilot Evaluator with stakeholders, both in central
locations and in the field. It will also involve sharing important
information regarding the Pilot implementation.
c. Invite representatives of the Independent Evaluator to
participate in significant events.
d. Coordinate or facilitate meetings for the Independent
Evaluator with stakeholders, both in central locations and in the
field.
e. Participate in a conference call every other month with the
Pilot Evaluation team (or with greater or less frequency as needed)
to discuss Pilot findings that may impact Pilot implementation and
the Impact Evaluation. This may include: production cycles, harvest
timing, Implementer applications, data collected from Implementers,
the Pilot timelines, Implementer agreements, etc. Information about
external factors that may influence impact and attribution is also
particularly important. The Independent Evaluator treats every
piece of information with the utmost confidentiality and is bound
by agreement to maintain confidentiality of every data sources.
f. Provide important information in a real-time fashion to the
Independent Evaluator, copying the Secretariat.
g. Support in the initial six months of the Pilot, and later if
needed, identification and development of the indicators for the
Pilot Results Framework, in concert with the Secretariat and in
collaboration and consultation with the Steering Committee,
Independent Evaluator, and Verifier.
h. Track and report to the Secretariat, data collected by the
Verifier for the indicators in the Results Framework.
4.4. Pilot Manager Deliverables
The Pilot Manager Team will be responsible for the following
deliverables:
a. An Annual Work Plan in MS Project, which will be reviewed and
amended quarterly as needed.
b. Biweekly updates to the online AgResults PMC project
management system.
c. A detailed Work Tracker submitted weekly or as needed and
agreed upon with the Secretariat.
d. Quarterly reports for every year of the agreement with Work
Plan amendment requests and justification if needed.
e. Quarterly Advisory Council meeting notes, within two weeks
following the meetings.
f. Monthly All Team meeting notes, within one week following the
meetings.
g. One Lessons Learned report following each annual lessons
learned exercise.
h. One final report at the end of the agreement after
implementation is completed.
i. Photos and brief reports of all events
j. Periodic contributions to Secretariat biannual reporting in
January and July.
k. Periodic photos or written contributions for the AgResults
website, blog, and/or social media.
l. Develop and maintain a data library including but not limited
to: maintenance of all project documents and key communication,
Implementer application and review documents and process,
Implementer sales records, verification results and reports, and
Volume Guarantee and End-of-Pilot Payment tracking and
management..
5. Proposal Requirements
5.1 Technical Proposal
Offerors are required to address the four components below, to
limit their response to fifteen (15) pages, and to provide
additional materials, such as CVs, in separate annexes. The
separate annexes will not count towards the 15-page limit.
5.1.1 Corporate Capability and Past Experience
A) The Offeror shall provide a statement of corporate
capabilities and five (5) examples of current or past performance
activities similar or relevant in nature to the efforts identified
in the Statement of Work in this RFP either in Uganda or the
surrounding region.
Please provide a description of the services, name(s), e-mail
addresses, and phone numbers of the client(s)/customer(s) to whom
the services were provided, dates and periods during which the
indicated services were provided, and the extent and nature of
services provided. (The Offeror consents to the AgResults
Secretariat contacting and verifying these references at its
discretion.)
B) The Offeror shall also provide a list of relevant ongoing and
past projects or activities, with budget amounts, duration and
total level of effort provided for the past ten (10) years or more
if relevant.
C) The Offeror shall provide the location of the organizations
current functioning office locations and existing presence
throughout Ugandas regions.
D) The Offer shall provide documentation of current permission
to operate in Uganda and a list of any existing Memorandums of
Understanding (MOUs) with the Government of Uganda, noting the
start and end dates of the MOUs and identifying the countersigned
ministry.
5.1.2 Personnel
The Offeror should provide the information indicated below about
the proposed staffing and management structure required for
executing the Pilot Manager activities. All key personnel should be
indicated in the Proposal and their commitment confirmed (future
substitution of such personnel will be subject to the Secretariats
written approval). The Secretariat or its designee reserves the
right to interview the Team Leader and other individuals as part of
the selection process.
5.1.2.1 Key Personnel Position Requirements
A) Team Leader
The Offeror must propose a full time Team Leader responsible for
delivery of the work indicated in the Scope of Work. The Proposal
should include a letter of commitment signed by the proposed Team
Leader and a detailed CV as an annex, as well as a summary
description and/or substantiation documents in the Proposal of the
individuals qualifications as they relate to a) the Statement of
Work in this RFP and b) the following requirements, capabilities
and characteristics:
1. A minimum of five to seven years of experience managing
international donor-funded projects, with experience in Uganda
preferred, and experience managing a small team with a high level
of cross-cutting responsibilities.
2. A Bachelors degree in agriculture, economics, business,
international development, or a related field. Masters degree
preferred.
3. Proven agricultural expertise and understanding of the se