Request for Proposals – United States Institute of Peace عودة إلى الفرص

Request for Proposals for External Evaluation of Community-Based Dialogues for Reconciliation in Libya Project

1-Overview 

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) requests proposals to conduct an evaluation of its Community-Based Dialogues for Reconciliation in Libya project. This project is focused on outcome-oriented, community-based dialogues in three different locations in Libya. The evaluation will focus on the outcomes of the project and analyze to what extent the project activities – capacity-building workshops for key community actors and community-based dialogues facilitated by these trained individuals – have contributed to the project goal of promoting social cohesion and long-term sustainable reconciliation and peace in Libya.

2-Background and Scope of Work 

The goal of USIP’s Community-Based Dialogues for Reconciliation in Libya project is to promote social cohesion and long-term, sustainable reconciliation and peace in Libya. It aims to contribute to this by 1) Enhancing the skills and knowledge of key community actors in conflict analysis and resolution, problem-solving, and transitional justice and reconciliation mechanisms, enabling them to advance a reconciliation agenda; and 2) Building ownership of and commitment to reconciliation among the wider community, strengthening trust and community relationships.

To achieve these objectives, USIP trained forty Libyans from three different locations in Libya – Sebha, Ubari, and Nalut-Siyaan – in the requisite skills and then mentored them through the process of implementing dialogues in their communities. In Sebha and Ubari, the project took a collaborative problem-solving approach to dialogue, bringing together members of the communities around common problems such as celebratory gunfire and violence in schools. In the third location, Nalut and Siyaan (located in the Nafusa Mountains near Tripoli), the project focused on opening channels of communication between two municipalities in conflict and subsequently on bringing together the two municipalities to repair a bridge that is significant to both communities.

The project is based on the following theory of change: 

IF USIP identifies key community actors and stakeholders in three conflict-affected areas, builds their capacity in conflict analysis and resolution, problem-solving, transitional justice and reconciliation, supports their efforts to build consensus around common narratives and grievances, and mentors them through the implementation of reconciliation processes in their own communities, 

THEN USIP will restore trust and strengthen community relationships, thereby contributing to the goal of promoting social cohesion and long-term, sustainable reconciliation and peace in Libya.

• Scope of Work

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) requests proposals for an evaluation to assess the extent to which the capacity-building workshops and dialogue processes have contributed to the project goal and the extent to which the project design and implementation achieved its outlined objectives. A particular effort should be made to compare and contrast the outcomes of the dialogues in each of the three project locations and to discern the reasons – contextual, design-related, or otherwise – for these positive or negative outcomes. This will be assessed through a comprehensive desk review of relevant project documentation, as well as from qualitative data collected from USIP staff and partners, local government actors, local religious and community leaders (both those who were involved and those who were not involved in the project)and other relevant actors involved in the implementation and/or support for the dialogue agreements. 

USIP expects data collection activities to include focus groups and/or key informant interviews with the following groups: USIP staff and relevant stakeholders (including local partner organizations, key community actors, workshop trainers, dialogue participants). In addition, data collection activities could include surveys or other tools and modes of analysis to better understand project results. Rigorous mixed method approaches are encouraged to ensure that findings are adequately triangulated. The evaluators are expected to conduct data analysis in all three project sites, and remote or in-person interviews with USIP staff in Sebha, Ubari, and Tripoli.

The contractor, in collaboration with USIP, will finalize a set of case study questions as part of the process of developing the inception report. A set of proposed questions for the case study are outlined below:

•  Design

1. 1. 1. How was the problem this project was seeking to address identified? 
      2. To what extent were the activities designed sufficient and necessary to address the problem?
      3. To what extent were USIP’s resources and capacities sufficient to implement this project?

• Relevance

1. 1. 1. To what extent were the project goal, objectives, and activities relevant and well-suited to the local context? How could the design of potential similar projects be improved in the future? 
      2. To what extent were relevant individuals selected to participate in the dialogue processes? 

• Efficiency

1. 1. 1. What, if any, were the primary internal and external challenges to the project’s success? How were these challenges mitigated and how could these measures be improved? 

• Effectiveness

1. 1. 1. To what extent were relevant individuals selected to participate in the dialogue processes? 
      2. To what extent, and how, did the dialogue processes in each location influence the attitudes and behaviors of dialogue participants? 
      3. To what extent, and how, did the project’s approach to capacity building (workshops in Tunis followed by remote mentoring) enhance the skills and knowledge of the key community actors and enable them to facilitate dialogues successfully? Were there gaps in knowledge or missed opportunities? 
      4. To what extent was the project approach effective in broadening dialogue outcomes in the community? What, if any, were the missed opportunities to broaden dialogue outcomes?
      5. To what extent, if at all, were unexpected outcomes realized in this project? 
      6. What factors enabled or inhibited the success of the project? 

• Sustainability

1. 1. 1. To what extent, if at all, have local mechanisms been established to further progress made during the project? 

1. 1. Impact
      1. What was the value added by this project? 
      2. If this project had not existed, what would be the difference today? 
      3. What deficits would have occurred in these three areas of Libya (Sebha, Ubari, and Nalut-Siyaan) had the project not been implemented? 
      4. To what extent, and how, did this project contribute to changes in interpersonal and intergroup relationships at the community level?  
2. Description of Deliverables    

1. A kick-off meeting with the USIP project team which will include a consultation of relevant project documentation (including monitoring and evaluation tools) and stakeholder mapping provided by USIP;
2. A brief inception report, including results of the desk review and outlining the evaluation approach, methodology and data collection tools, submitted to USIP to allow for feedback and questions;
3. Data collection from all relevant stakeholders and a field work report outlining data collection activities. 
4. A draft evaluation report, submitted to USIP to allow for feedback and questions;
5. An evaluation report, not to exceed 40 pages (excluding annexes) submitted to USIP;

A presentation of the findings of the report, lessons, and recommendations to USIP.

1. Expected Type of Contract: Firm fixed price 

3-Selection Process

    Proposed Schedule

A-The USIP Selection Committee will review all proposals received on time using the selection criteria established in this RFP. The Selection Committee reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, to award multiple contracts, and/or to enter into negotiations with any party, in the best interests of the Institute. The Institute may cancel this RFP at any time prior to contract award.

 B-Proposals will be judged as follows. For more detail on each submission requirement, see the Submission Requirements section of this RFP.

4-Submission Requirements 

A-Technical Proposal (no more than five pages)

1. Past Experience: Describe a project of similar scope and complexity you have worked on previously. Ideally, this should include evaluations of projects related to community dialogue, reconciliation, or building social cohesion. Experience working in Libya – particularly in the south of Libya – is an asset. 
   1. Provide a point of contact with telephone number and email address for each client of previous projects.
2. Overall Approach and Methodology: Based on the information provided, describe your proposed approach to field research, data collection, data analysis, research methodology, and development of conclusions. As noted above, the final evaluation methodology will be developed in consultation with USIP in the inception report phase.
3. Specific Expertise: Describe your level of knowledge and expertise in 1) methodologies to assess organizational and programmatic capacity, and on 2) conducting evaluations.
4. Key Personnel and Staffing: Describe the key personnel as well as information on the overall staffing plan for the project.  

B-Resumes: For each of the key personnel, please provide a resume of no more than two pages. Resumes will not count as part of the five pages of the technical proposal.

C-Cost Proposals: The cost proposal should include a budget summary, a detailed budget, and a budget narrative that provides itemized budget with units, cost per unit, total cost, and a justification for the spending. The cost proposal should include sum costs per deliverables, including staff time and level of effort. Budget must be in US dollars and in a spreadsheet format (e.g., Excel). The budget template can be found here.

D-Financial Management Assessment Form: Complete the Financial Management Assessment Form (available for download here) or provide a copy of the offeror’s financial audit from the prior fiscal year.  

5-General Instructions and Terms

• Complete proposals must be submitted by email to acorey@usip.org by 5:00 pm EST on February 11, 2020.

1. The Institute is not liable for any costs incurred by offerors prior to issuance of an executed contract with the Institute. 
2. Submissions must be typed and submitted electronically and must include all submission requirements outlined in the Submission of Requirements section of this RFP. No changes or corrections to a response will be allowed after the deadline.
3. All submissions should be in English and US dollars. 
4. Any questions concerning this RFP should be directed to Abigail Corey at acorey@usip.org. Pertinent responses will be made available to all offerors by email. No inquiries will be accepted after specified time and date.
5. Any proposal not addressing all RFP requirements may be considered non-responsive. Late proposals may be rejected as non-responsive.
6. This RFP is not an offer to enter into an agreement with any party, but rather a request to receive proposals from offerors (organizations or persons) interested in providing the services outlined herein. Such proposals shall be considered and treated by USIP as offers to enter into a contract. 
7. USIP shall not be obligated for the payment of any sums whatsoever to any recipient of this RFP until and unless a written contract between the parties is executed.
8. Unless stated otherwise within this RFP, the selected Contractor shall be responsible for providing all equipment and/or supplies required to perform the services.
9. The selected Contractor shall not discriminate against any person in accordance with Federal, state, or local law.
10. The submission of any materials to USIP in response to this RFP will constitute (i) a representation that the Offeror owns or has unrestricted license to use and license such materials and all intellectual property expressed therein; and (ii) the grant of a non-exclusive license to USIP to use such materials and intellectual property for any purpose, including specifically the evaluation, negotiation, and documentation of a contract with any party.
11. Offeror will commit to adhering to the attached USIP Terms & Conditions, else risk removal from consideration. Exceptions to these terms must be clearly outlined in an annex to the Technical Proposal.