Norwegian Red Cross has flagged the Nigeria Finance Development Delegate - Nigeria - Secondment to The Icrc job as unavailable. Let’s keep looking.

Request for Proposals - Nigeria Digital Economy Country Assessment (DECA)

Resonance

Resonance Request for Proposals, on behalf of The Digital Economy and Market Development Activity

Request for Proposal (RFP) Number: 1087-2024-03

Project: USAID Digital Economy and Market Development Activity (DEMD) – Digital Economy Country Assessment (DECA) for Nigeria

RFP Title: Nigeria DECA

Date of Issuance: 14 December 2023

Closing Date for Questions: 15 January 2024 10:00am EDT

Response to Questions: 22 January 2024

Closing Date for Submission Proposal: 31 January 2024 10:00am EDT

Dear Sir/Madam,

You are invited to submit a technical and financial proposal in response to Resonance, on behalf of the USAID Digital Economy and Market Development (DEMD) Activity, RFP 1087-2024-03, DEMD Nigeria DECA Subcontract. All related correspondence for this proposal should be sent to: info@DEMDUSAID.org.

Resonance is an award-winning frontier market solutions firm based in Burlington, Vermont that helps a variety of donor, commercial and investor clients around the world to catalyze lasting impact. Sponsored by USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, Office of Trade and Regulatory Reform (E3/TRR), the Digital Economy and Market Development (DEMD) activity provides technical leadership and innovative new approaches for program implementation to USAID Missions, USAID/Washington, and other United States Government (USG) Operating Units in the following areas: digital economy, trade capacity building, private sector development, and the business enabling environment.

USAID/Nigeria has requested DEMD’s assistance in conducting a Digital Economy Country Assessment (DECA). The DECA, a flagship initiative of the USAID Digital Strategy, informs the development, design, and implementation of USAID’s strategies, projects, and activities. The DECA examines three pillars of a country’s digital ecosystem: (1) digital infrastructure and adoption; (2) digital society, rights, and governance; and (3) the digital economy. The DECA aims to inform how USAID Missions can understand, work with, and strengthen a country’s digital ecosystem.

Resonance anticipates a budget range of approximately $160,000 - $175,000 for this activity.

Components of this RFP as follows:

  1. Appendix A: Scope of Work (SOW)
  2. Appendix B: Proposal Requirements
  3. Appendix C: Proposal Evaluation Criteria
  4. Appendix D: Required Certifications and Incorporated Provisions

Please note the following standard procedures related to Resonance procurement process:

  • Resonance intends to issue a Firm Fixed Price Deliverables Based subcontract for firm Respondents or consulting agreement(s) for consultant Respondents for this work.
  • An award will be made based on the Trade Off Method. The award will be issued to the responsible and reasonable Respondent who provides the best value to Resonance and its client using a combination of technical and cost/price factors.
  • Costs incurred by respondents for the preparation of a proposal and the negotiation of contract are not reimbursable.
  • Resonance will only evaluate proposals from qualified consultants/ firms to execute and implement the work described in Appendix A, Scope of Work.
  • Respondents must be able to complete all the items stated in the SOW and demonstrate past performance in related areas.

Question submittal requirements:

  • Questions must be submitted via e-mail: info@DEMDUSAID.org
  • The subject line of the email must read: “(Your Organization’s Name) Questions for RFP # 1087-2024-03
  • Questions must be submitted by 15 January 2023 10:00am EDT.

Proposal submittal requirements:

  • Proposals must be submitted via e-mail: info@DEMDUSAID.org
  • The subject line of the email must read: “(Your Organization’s Name) Proposal for RFP # 1087-2024-03”, with both technical and cost proposals attached.
  • Proposals must be submitted by 31 January 2024 10:00am EDT.
  • All technical proposals must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf).
  • All cost proposals must be submitted in Microsoft Excel (.xls) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), and use the provided templates, which can be found in Appendix B.
  • Respondents shall receive an email acknowledging that their proposal has been received upon submission.

This RFP does not obligate Resonance to execute a subcontract nor does it commit Resonance to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of the proposals.

Appendix A

Scope of Work for RFP# 1087-2024-03

DEMD Nigeria DECA Subcontract

I. INTRODUCTION

This Scope of Work (SOW) is for the anticipated subcontractor, through the Digital Economy and Market Development (DEMD) mechanism, to provide technical services to implement a Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA). Through the SOW, Resonance aims to engage a contractor that can provide technical advisory and research services to identify development opportunities and risks in a country’s digital ecosystem.

The USAID Digital Strategy 2020–2024 charts an agency-wide vision for development and humanitarian assistance in the world’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. The Strategy’s goal is to achieve and sustain open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems that contribute to broad-based, measurable development, and humanitarian assistance outcomes. USAID’s Digital Strategy has two core, mutually reinforcing objectives: 1) improve measurable development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the responsible use of digital technology in USAID’s programming and 2) strengthen the openness, inclusiveness, and security of country-level digital ecosystems.

The DECA, a flagship initiative of the Digital Strategy, informs the development, design, and implementation of USAID’s strategies, projects, and activities. The DECA analyzes three pillars of a nation’s digital ecosystem: (1) digital infrastructure and adoption; (2) digital society, rights, and governance; and (3) the digital economy. The DECA aims to inform how USAID Missions can understand, work with, and strengthen the country’s digital ecosystem.

Resonance will identify and propose a strong team with relevant experience in: a) providing technical expertise in digital development topics across the three DECA Pillars (access to local networks of technical expertise in these areas is preferred); b) conducting rigorous qualitative research; c) coordinating in-depth interviews with a broad range of stakeholders; d) using evidence-based and data-informed analysis approaches; and e) developing strategic short- and long-term policy and programmatic recommendations.

II. PURPOSE AND COUNTRY CONTEXT

Nigeria has a population of 221 million people and nearly 54 percent of the population is urban[1]. Nigeria has the most cellular mobile connections in the African continent with 193.9 million; accounting for 88 percent of its population. According to the International Telecommunication Union, Nigeria has the sixth-most internet users of any country in the world, at 123 million[2] or 55 percent of its population. The National Bureau of Statistics stated that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector accounted for 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria in the first quarter of 2023[3]. With the penetration and advancement of digital innovation in Nigeria, the country has a weak digital infrastructure due to increasing cybersecurity threats.

In November 2019, the Government of Nigeria (GoN) launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030). The strategy aims to reposition the Nigerian economy toward opportunities that digital technologies provide. The vision, as the policy states, is “to transform Nigeria into a leading digital economy providing quality life and digital economies for all.” The Policy focuses on eight pillars to accelerate the development of the Nigerian digital economy; they include (1) developmental regulation (2) digital literacy and skills (3) solid infrastructure (4) service infrastructure (5) soft infrastructure (6) digital service development and promotion (7) digital society and emerging technologies (8) indigenous content development and adoption. Additionally, in 2019, the Nigerian government showed their commitment to advancing the digital economy by redesigning the Ministry of Communications to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

Additionally, the Nigeria Broadband Plan (2020-2025) and the Nigeria Cybersecurity Policy & Strategy complement the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy. The Nigeria Broadband Plan was created after the 2017 ranking placed Nigeria at 143 of 176 of countries in the ICT Development Index (IDI), this underlined the country’s limited broadband subscriptions. The target of the plan is to achieve 70 percent penetration by 2025. Since 2020, when the plan was first released to September 2022, the broadband penetration only increased by 5 percent. Furthermore, the Nigeria Cybersecurity Policy & Strategy was launched in 2014 to identify and prosecute cybercrimes that impact Nigeria.

This assessment is integral for USAID/Nigeria to advance the GoN’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) to use digital technology as a platform for stimulating growth in all sectors of the economy. The goal of doing a digital ecosystem assessment is to improve Nigeria’s economic competitiveness in the digital sector, increase global trade, and use Nigeria’s large, young, and entrepreneurial population to become an engine of economic transformation. More broadly, the DECA will contribute to the USAID/Nigeria Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2020-2025 Development Objective (DO) goal of a broadened and inclusive economic growth in Nigeria. You can find the CDCS 2020-2025 here.

USAID/Nigeria currently supports digital programming across various sectors, including health, education, agriculture, energy, government, and the private sector. For example, the Health, Nutrition, and Population Office works with Open Data Kit (ODK) technology to support offline data collection, enabling teams to continue working in areas with poor internet connectivity. Moreover, the Education Office worked with various state governments to introduce Edtech solutions and digitized content for better classroom engagement between learning facilitators and learners. You can find the extent each office at USAID/Nigeria has integrated digital components in their activities here and a recent assessment on the Gender Digital Divide in Nigeria. Additionally, previous digital assessments done in Nigeria include the Nigeria Digital Diagnostic Report, the Nigeria Small and Medium Enterprises cybersecurity toolkit and Digital Assessment of Institutional and Regulatory frameworks for personal data protection in [the] digital platform ecosystem: a study of Nigeria.

III. OBJECTIVE

The primary goal of the DECA is to support USAID/Nigeria to better understand Nigeria’s Digital Ecosystem and provide recommendations to 1) mainstream digital development into programming and 2) better understand, work with, and support the country’s digital ecosystem to meet critical Development Objectives. A secondary goal of this assessment is to produce an externally available report for key stakeholders to help them better understand the country’s digital ecosystem and how they advance digital programming in their work. This task will be carried out through a combination of desk research and interviews focused around three pillars:

  1. Digital Infrastructure and Adoption: Digital infrastructure and adoption refers to the resources that make digital systems possible and how individuals and organizations access and use these resources. Digital infrastructure includes geographic network coverage, network performance, internet bandwidth, and spectrum allocation as well as telecom market dynamics around security, interoperability, and competitiveness. This pillar also examines behavioral, social, and physical barriers and opportunities for equitable adoption (digital divides, affordability, and digital literacy[4])—who uses and does not use digital technologies and why.
  2. Digital Society, Rights, and Governance: Digital society, rights, and governance focuses on how digital technology intersects with government, civil society, and the media. This pillar is divided into three sub-pillars: Internet Freedom; Civil Society and Media; and Digital Government. Internet Freedom explores factors that enable or constrain the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms online. This includes individual rights to freedom of speech, privacy, and free assembly, and the abuse of these rights through digital repression. Civil Society and Media identifies key institutions and how they report on, advocate around, and influence online freedoms. Digital Government looks at the government’s efforts to manage internal information technology (IT) processes and systems, deliver citizen- and business-facing e-services, and engage with the public through digital channels.
  3. Digital Economy: Digital economy explores the role digital technology plays in increasing economic opportunity and efficiency, trade and competitiveness, and global economic integration. Areas of inquiry include digital financial services (credit or debit cards, payment apps, mobile money, and digital savings and loan products), financial inclusion, regulation of digital finance, digital trade, e-commerce, and the financial technology (FinTech) enabling environment. This pillar also assesses strengths and weaknesses in the local digital talent pool and the tech startup environment; a healthy digital economy requires a supply of ICT skills that matches the demand and an ecosystem that promotes technological innovation.

Note that the following topics are cross-cutting and affect all three pillars in a DECA:

  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA): Equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. This topic goes beyond digital divides in connectivity access to include things like the unique impacts of digital repression on marginalized populations and barriers to full participation in the digital workforce. Everything related to what could prevent marginalized populations (youth in particular) from access, use, identifying with and being included in the digital ecosystem should be assessed.
  • Regional and Urban/Rural Divides: How regional variation and urban/rural divides affect access to and use of technology and technological systems, including access to digital systems for financial inclusion and the digital economy.
  • Cybersecurity: How people, systems, and technology protect information kept in digital formats from being taken, damaged, modified, or exploited. This topic also includes an exploration of cyber harms that exist in Nigeria, who is responsible for harms, and who is targeted.
  • Emerging technologies: Including artificial intelligence and machine learning, Internet of Things, drones, robotics, and blockchain.
  • Geopolitical positioning: How Nigeria’s digital evolution is being shaped by international relationships, particularly the global spread of technology-enabled authoritarianism.

IV. DECA APPROACH

The DECA Research Team (Resonance/DEMD and subcontractor) will work closely with USAID/Nigeria to produce a high-quality digital ecosystem assessment following the DECA methodology as prescribed in the DECA Toolkit. The assessment is approximately a five-to-six-month engagement and includes three phases: 1) Desk Research and Planning, 2) Interviews, and 3) Analysis and Report Writing.

The Offeror will provide key personnel comprising the local DECA Research Team (the Principal Investigator, Research Analyst, and Technical Researcher roles) and will conduct the DECA with Resonance support using in-person and virtual interviews. The Offeror will propose members (as described below) of the DECA Research Team with proven capacity to: 1) understand nuance in interview responses; 2) have flexibility to adjust or extend the Interviews phase; and 3) deliver periodic presentations and briefings to the Mission over the course of the DECA. Periodic briefings or readouts over the DECA timeline will facilitate Mission engagement and will allow the Mission to act on preliminary DECA findings.

Below are estimated timing for each key milestone:

Key Milestones

Estimated Implementation Timeline (Feb 2024 – Jun 2024)

Desk Research and Planning

Five weeks

Interviews

Four to seven weeks

Analysis and Report Writing (and Clearances)

10 weeks

DECA Mission check-ins

Biweekly to Monthly

Weekly DECA Team check-ins

Weekly to Biweekly

Final Report and Presentation

June 2024

V. DECA TEAM QUALIFICATIONS

DECA research team: The team will need technical expertise across the three DECA Pillars. Regional or country expertise and language skills are required. When possible, the team should have experience writing assessment-type documents and targeted recommendations for a non-technical donor audience. A suggested four-person research team is outlined as follows. Resonance/DEMD will supply the Research Coordinator position.

Responsibilities

Qualifications

Principal Investigator (full-time; the Offeror will fulfill this role)

Throughout

  • Lead and manage internal Research Team check-ins
  • Lead meetings with Mission DECA Team
  • Facilitate internal monthly learning meetings and adapt as needed
  • Serve as key Liaison to Resonance team

Desk Research and Planning Phase

  • Guide desk research, work with team to conduct desk research, lead identification of key themes and knowledge gaps
  • Serve as lead author for one desk research brief
  • Provide technical review and final sign-off of desk research briefs

Interview Phase

  • Develop and review content for DECA presentations
  • Lead DECA presentations
  • Provide guidance and input on interview guides
  • Lead interviews

Analysis and Report Writing Phase

  • Lead post-interview synthesis session to identify trends
  • Delegate report-writing responsibilities
  • Serve as lead author for one DECA Pillar findings and recommendations section
  • Provide final technical review and sign-off of report
  • Strong knowledge of digital development technical areas, deep expertise in at least one DECA Pillar
  • Experience conducting qualitative research and analysis, including leading interviews
  • Experience overseeing cross-sectoral research
  • Project management skills
  • Leadership experience
  • Personable, curious, and flexible

Research Analyst (full-time; the Offeror will fulfill this role)

Desk Research and Planning Phase

  • Conduct desk research; serve as lead author for one desk research brief
  • Identify interviewees
  • Oversee interview scheduling

Interview Phase

  • Draft interview guides
  • Develop content for DECA presentations
  • Participate in DECA presentations
  • Lead and take notes for interviews

Analysis and Report Writing Phase

  • Support team lead with analysis of debrief and synthesis processes
  • Serve as lead author for one DECA Pillar findings and recommendations section
  • Work with Research Coordinator to finalize report design
  • Knowledge of digital development technical areas, expertise in at least one DECA Pillar
  • Ability to be flexible across technical areas
  • Experience conducting in-depth desk research
  • Experience conducting qualitative research and analysis, including leading individual interviews
  • Project management skills

Technical Researcher/Pillar Expert (half-time) x2; the Offeror will fulfill these roles

Desk Research and Planning Phase

  • Serve as lead author for one desk research brief
  • Provide technical review of four desk research briefs

Interview Phase

  • Provide guidance and input on interview guides
  • Lead interviews that are relevant to technical expertise

Analysis and Report Writing Phase

  • Provide technical and analytical input during the debrief and synthesis processes
  • Serve as lead author for one DECA Pillar findings and recommendations section
  • Strong knowledge of digital development technical areas. Ideally, the Technical Researcher should be able to fill any gaps in the Principal Investigator’s technical background.
  • Experience conducting qualitative research and analysis, including individual interviews

Research Coordinator (half-time; Resonance will fulfill this role)

Desk Research and Planning Phase

  • Support the Research Analyst to complete desk research briefs, gathering and organizing resources
  • Help the Research Analyst identify key informants and lead interview outreach and scheduling
  • For in-person DECAs, serve as primary logistics point of contact (POC) with the Mission and coordinate all in-country logistics

Interview Phase

  • Take notes during interviews
  • Draft interview guides with the Research Analyst

Analysis and Report Writing Phase

  • Support report finalization
  • Coordinate report design
  • Experience conducting desk research
  • Familiarity with USAID policies
  • Highly organized with operations experience
  • Strong writing skills

Subsidiary roles:

  • Translator/Interpreter: The Offeror will consider if some DECA interviews require an interpreter. The interpreter is responsible for conducting interviews or providing translation services during interviews with non-English-speaking interviewees. The interpreter should have experience working on digital development projects or in a related sector to ensure technical terms are accurately conveyed to the research team
  • The Resonance/DEMD will be responsible for copy edits and graphic design of the DECA report.

USAID/Mission engagement: The Mission will designate a DECA team lead, with twelve additional representatives from the Technical Offices. Throughout the assessment, the Mission DECA Team Lead will provide technical direction and insight on Mission priorities and programming.

VI. DETAILED TASKS

This section outlines key tasks for each DECA phase. Resonance and the Offeror may assign roles based on each team member’s strengths.

Phase 1: Desk Research and Planning

The Principal Investigator will manage USAID Mission engagement, including regular communication and requests for feedback on all written documents. The DECA Research Team will conduct detailed desk research to understand Nigeria's context, key themes, and emerging trends relevant to the digital ecosystem, including a review of relevant USAID Mission materials. The goal is to obtain baseline knowledge to enter the interview phase well-informed about the Nigerian context and what gaps need to be filled. During this phase, a DECA Research Team member will also initiate and lead interviewee identification and outreach. Specific tasks include:

  • Confirming the work plan and milestone deadlines with the USAID Mission DECA Team.
  • Communicating with the USAID Mission to understand priority areas for the DECA research, including specific sectors (e.g., education, health, agriculture) and Mission priorities (e.g., private-sector engagement, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, disaster risk management, conflict management, and access to formal and non-formal education).
  • Conducting desk research with specific inputs from the technical experts, gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing detailed information on Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, including relevant Mission materials.
  • Setting up meetings with Mission leadership/office directors to understand specific Mission priorities.
  • Sharing research briefs with the USAID Mission for feedback, which will identify initial areas of inquiry for interviews.
  • Organizing logistics for the interview phase, and meeting arrangements or teleconference details, as relevant.
  • Developing and delivering the DECA Introduction Presentation. This will be a virtual presentation, with the goal of introducing the DECA, sharing high-level desk research findings, areas identified for further investigation during the interview phase, and preliminary indications of how the DECA will align with Mission priorities.
  • Coordinating with the Mission DECA Team to schedule the DECA Introduction Presentation to a broad USAID Mission audience.

Phase 2: Interviews

Based on the desk research and available networks, the DECA Research Team will identify and conduct outreach to interviewees to schedule interviews. A DECA Research Team member will manage the interview process (developing interview guides based on the templates and research materials provided in the DECA Toolkit[5]), ensure Mission engagement, and conduct stakeholder mapping and synthesis exercises to identify knowledge gaps and target interviewee outreach. Target geography for the interviews will include the states of Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Rivers, and Adamawa. Specific tasks include:

  • Identifying, organizing, and scheduling initial interviews, including stakeholders from the Nigerian government, regulators, other donors, implementing partners/other international development organizations, private sector, civil society, and academia.
  • Collecting and managing detailed contact information for interviewees.
  • Conducting most of the interviews (about 60 to 70 interviews to reach information saturation, in the five states identified above)
  • Conducting focus groups on digital issues, especially on youth perception of regional access to digital technology
  • Inviting Mission staff to participate in interviews, as interested and available.
  • Conducting a midway synthesis session for identifying information gaps and targeting additional interviewees, to include USAID Mission staff, as interested and available.
  • Developing and delivering the DECA Post-Interview Presentation (format dependent on Mission preference; it may take the form of a Mission all-hands meeting, an informal brown bag briefing, or a recommendations workshop with the Mission). Presentation content will focus on sharing updated findings based on the interview phase and preliminary recommendations.
  • Coordinating with the Mission DECA Team to schedule the virtual DECA Post-Interview Presentation, targeted to the DECA Mission Team.
  • Note: Interviews and focus group sessions in Kano may be conducted remotely or digitally, while the other four geographies identified (Lagos, Abuja, Adamawa, and Rivers) must be in-person.

Phase 3: Analysis and Report Writing

The last phase of the DECA includes writing a report that brings together the desk research, interview findings, and specific actionable recommendations for how the Mission can integrate digital into its programming and processes to meet its Development Objectives. Two versions of the report will be published: internal for USAID and external.[6] The Mission will be involved at all critical junctures. The Research Team’s specific tasks include:

  • Facilitating a post-interview synthesis session to identify key themes and potential recommendations.
  • Communicating with the USAID Mission throughout the drafting phase to ensure findings and, in particular, recommendations align with Mission priorities, capacity, and plans. Coordinating a workshop with the USAID Mission DECA Team and relevant technical offices, if available, to help identify recommendations.
  • Managing the peer review process and integrating feedback for the draft report (peer review to include Mission staff and other technical experts sourced by the Mission).
  • Authoring the DECA report based on findings from interviews: the DECA Research Team should be equipped with technical writing skills and experience.
  • Participate in a series of review workshops hosted by USAID's Technology Division. These workshops typically occur during the writing phase and are an opportunity for the research team to share preliminary findings with USAID subject-matter experts and get feedback on possible recommendations; these workshops are an extension of the post-interview synthesis process.
  • Coordinating clearances with the Mission and finalizing the internal and external reports for publishing.
  • Developing summary 1-page documents detailing the results of the DECA
  • Developing and delivering the DECA Final Presentations. The presentation will revisit the purpose of the DECA, sharing high-level findings and highlighting important recommendations. The DECA Research Team will work closely with the USAID Mission DECA Team to ensure the content and delivery method maximizes utility for the USAID Mission. This will be initially a virtual presentation to an internal audience, with a second in-person presentation at an external venue.
  • Coordinating with the Mission DECA Team to schedule the DECA Final Presentations.
  • Participating in and delivering presentation content for any additional virtual dissemination events for external stakeholders (e.g., government, private sector, civil society), as determined by the USAID Mission.

Detailed program milestones: Key deliverables to be completed by the DECA Research Team. Due dates will be updated according to the workplan.

Milestone

Estimated Due Date

Deliverable

Project kickoff: project work plan

Week 1

X

Phase 1: Desk Research and Planning

Four final research briefs (One per Pillar and one for country context)

Week 2

X

Interview tracker

Week 2

X

DECA Introduction Presentation (Google Slides) and recording

Week 3

X

Phase 2: Interviews

Interview notes/debrief. Include recordings if necessary.

Weeks 3–9 (Hybrid of in-person and virtual interviews)

X

Midway synthesis session summary

Week 6

X

DECA Post-Interview Presentation (Google Slides) and recording

Week 10

X

Contact list (interviewees and all consulted contacts)

Week 10

X

Phase 3: Analysis and Report Writing

Synthesis sessions/recommendations workshop preparation/notes/presentation

Week 11

X

Interim report deliverables (including graphics):

  • Findings section outline
  • Draft findings section
  • Recommendations section outline
  • Draft recommendations section

Weeks 12–17

  • Week 12

X

  • Week 14

X

  • Week 15

X

  • Week 17

X

Draft full report

Week 18

X

Mission review of full report

Week 21

Final report (internal and external, if necessary)

Week 23

X

Final designed internal report

Week 23

Final designed external report

Week 25

Mission clearance of full report

Week 27

DECA Internal Final Presentations (Google Slides) and recording

Week 29

X

DECA External Final Presentations (Google Slides) and recording

Week 31

X

Factsheets for each Pillar

Week 31

X

VI. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Strategic Approach

This assessment implements USAID’s Digital Strategy, which seeks to improve USAID development assistance outcomes through responsible use of digital technology and seeks to strengthen openness, inclusiveness, and security of the country’s digital ecosystems.

This assessment also supports private sector-led efforts in line with USAID’s Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Policy. The PSE policy uses market-based approaches to solve development and humanitarian challenges more efficiently and sustainably; subsequently, driving progress beyond programs. Additionally, it supports policies led by the Government of Nigeria, such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030), the Nigeria Broadband Plan (2020-2025) and the Nigeria Cybersecurity Policy & Strategy.

2. Gender

DEMD through the Offeror must demonstrate that gender and social inclusion issues are suitably integrated into the assessment and will undertake specific efforts to ensure that the assessment does not discriminate against or disproportionately benefit either gender.

USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) states: “Gender issues are central to the achievement of strategic plans and Assistance Objectives (AO), and USAID strives to promote gender equality, in which both men and women have equal opportunity to benefit from and contribute to economic, social, cultural and political development; enjoy socially valued resources and rewards; and realize their human rights” (ADS 201.3.9.3). To the extent possible, the implementing partner is required to encourage the equal participation of men and women in all aspects of this contract.

DEMD and the Offeror should strive for a gender balance of interviews and develop targeted questions for interviewees that identify issues of the gender digital divide within Nigeria and across the three DECA Pillars outlined above. DEMD and the Offeror are required to identify and outline any potential gender and social inclusion issues that might be relevant to the Nigerian digital ecosystem and include recommendations on how these issues will be addressed in the final report.

3. Private-Sector Engagement

This assessment implements USAID’s PSE Policy that seeks to consult, strategize, align, and collaborate with the private sector for greater scale, sustainability, and effectiveness of development outcomes. As part of the DECA, Resonance and the Offeror will undertake efforts to engage companies for interviews to explore needs in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and discuss opportunities for collaboration. DEMD and the Offeror should articulate a strategy that actively engages the private sector and develops partnerships with business firms and associations to leverage resources. This assessment will provide recommendations for more sustainable and enterprise-driven outcomes and identify ways to work with the private sector to understand and address barriers to a strong digital ecosystem.

4. Collaborative Learning and Adaptive Management

Collaborative Learning and Adaptive Management will be key to the success of a DECA given its broad and cross-cutting approach. Adaptive management refers to adjusting execution or approach based on iterative learning. As such, close collaboration between the Mission, DEMD and the Offeror is required.

Appendix B

Proposal Requirements for RFP# 1087-2024-03

DEMD Nigeria DECA Subcontract

Technical Proposal Requirements: The technical proposal must be submitted in English and shall be submitted in the form set forth below. The technical proposal shall be submitted as a separate attachment to the same email from the cost proposal and clearly labeled. Please adhere to the page limitations:

  1. Personnel: Resumes or curriculum vitae (CV) for all personnel proposed (maximum 3 pages for each resume).
  2. Technical and Staffing Approach: A technical approach that details how the Respondent proposes to implement the tasks and achieve the deliverables under the Scope of Work (SOW). A staffing approach should detail individual staff roles and responsibilities and the overall team structure (maximum 10 pages).
  3. Draft DECA Workplan: A detailed timeline that shows the duration (start and completion date) and description of activities and sub-activities needed to complete the SOW. Please use the DECA in-country Workplan Template provided in the link. This should also include the resources and travel that are necessary to implement each activity and the personnel responsible.
  4. Organizational Capacity: Narrative text documenting the organizational capacity of the Respondent to provide the technical leadership, oversight, and management required by the SOW (maximum 1 page).
  5. Past Performance: Narrative text documenting the past performance of the Offeror implementing activities of similar technical scope, complexity and magnitude, covering up to three of the most relevant projects/examples from the past five years (e.g. digital economy, analytical assessments, etc.) (maximum 3 pages). Consultants should share examples of work they have completed as individuals as it relates to the RFP. Please include contact information for all references provided.

Cost Proposal Requirements: The cost proposal must be submitted in Microsoft Excel (.xls) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) and use the provided templates. The Offeror is responsible for all taxes and fees under applicable laws. Cost proposals shall be submitted as a separate attachment (to the same email) from technical proposals and clearly labeled.

A.Budget: Please use the below template format for the budget as applicable. Resonance anticipates a budget range of $160,000-$175,000 for this activity.

Budget Template

Name

Rate

LOE/Units

Cost

I. Salaries and Wages

Personnel

Person 1

TBD

$0.00

0

$0

Person 2

TBD

$0.00

0

$0

TBD

TBD

Total Salaries and Wages

0

$0

II. Indirect Costs on Labor

Fringe (full-time employees)

$0

Overhead on Labor

$0

Total Indirect Costs on Labor

$0

III. Other Direct Costs

1. Project Management Expenses

Communications

$0.00

0

$0

TBD

$0.00

0

$0

2. TBD

Total Other Direct Costs

$0

Total Program Expenses

$0

Indirect Costs on All Costs

0

$0

Grand Total

$0

B.Budget Narrative: Please use the narrative format below as applicable. The budget narrative will accompany the budget and provide detailed justification and description of the estimated costs to implement the Scope of Work (SOW). The narrative and budget should be sufficient to determine reasonability of costs.

Budget Narrative Template

The following narrative follows the format of the budget.

Salaries and Wages

For our labor cost estimates, we have used the daily rates for personnel, as supported by actual salaries and/or prevailing labor rates.

  • Name, Title proposed for a total of XX days at a daily rate of $XXX.
  • Name, Title proposed for a total of XX days at a daily rate of $XXX.

Other Direct Costs

This category includes basic support costs for the project such as XXXX. Included within this cost category are all costs necessary for the successful operation of this activity.

Indirect Costs on All Costs

All indirect costs must be in accordance with the Firm’s policies

  1. Draft Deliverables Table: The deliverables table should include the deliverables as stated in the SOW along with their associated pricing. The total price of the deliverables shall not exceed the total proposed budget.

Appendix C

Proposal Evaluation Criteria for RFP# 1087-2024-03

DEMD Nigeria DECA Subcontract

Each technical proposal will be evaluated and scored against the technical evaluation criteria stated in the table below. Cost proposals are not assigned points and are evaluated for realism and reasonableness. Overall, combined technical evaluation factors other than cost are considered approximately equal to cost factors.

Resonance will review all proposals using the technical and cost evaluation criteria stated here. Award will be made to the Offeror whose proposal provides the best value to Resonance. Award could be made for a higher priced proposal if the proposal’s higher technical evaluation score merits the additional cost/price. All proposals must contain the Respon

Read Full Description
Confirmed 12 hours ago. Posted 30+ days ago.

Discover Similar Jobs

Suggested Articles