Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF APRIL 17, 2004 FBO #0873
SOLICITATION NOTICE

B -- Comparative Assessment of the Development and Operations Costs of Displaced Persons Settlements Using Grid- and Cluster-Based Designs

Notice Date

4/15/2004
 

Notice Type

Solicitation Notice
 

NAICS

624221 — Temporary Shelters
 

Contracting Office

Agency for International Development, Washington D.C., USAID/Washington, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Room 7.10-006, Washington, DC, 20523
 

ZIP Code

20523
 

Solicitation Number

PR-DCHA-OFDA-02902
 

Response Due

4/26/2004
 

Archive Date

4/26/2004
 

Point of Contact

Edwin Hedvall, Program Operations Assistant, Phone 202-712-5361, Fax 202-216-3191, - Carol Chan, Disaster Operation Officer, Phone 202-712-0841, Fax 202-216-3132,
 

E-Mail Address

ehedvall@usaid.gov, cchan@usaid.gov
 

Description

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS COSTS OF DISPLACED PERSONS SETTLEMENTS USING GRID- AND CLUSTER-BASED DESIGNS This is a combined Synopsis/Solicitation. The US Agency for International Development, Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/DCHA/OFDA) intends to award a Purchase Order using Simplified Acquisition Procedures to accomplish the assessment outlined below. Submissions should be limited to 15 pages or less. PURPOSE: OFDA seeks a contractor to conduct a comparative assessment of the development and operations costs of displaced persons settlements using grid- and cluster-based designs. The contractor will develop and submit a report on the assessment. The duration is expected to be 11 months. BACKGROUND: The international humanitarian community has relied on grid-based designs to build displaced persons settlements for decades, but research in the development community indicates that significant cost savings on the order of 30-40 percent can be achieved by adopting the cluster-based design approach. This approach features designs that are more reflective of the social, cultural, economic conditions of displaced populations, and minimizes alteration of site features compared to grid-based designs. Because of this, and the resultant cost savings, USAID/OFDA insisted on incorporation of the cluster-design approach in the 2003 revisions of the Sphere Project Guidelines. The approach has been used extremely infrequently in a humanitarian context, however, and requires immediate assessment, as shelter needs are widespread and increasing, particularly in cities, and the cost differences of these two approaches in assisting similar populations are potentially significant, again on the order of 30-40 percent, or several million dollars per year. A number of international humanitarian organizations and donors have expressed an interest in gaining a better understanding of the costs of developing and managing displaced persons settlements, which are a major form of shelter sector assistance, and USAID/OFDA is well-positioned to provide the humanitarian community with the needed information. PRIMARY TASKS: Compare the overall and disaggregated costs of establishing displaced persons camps, to international standards, using both grid and cluster planning. Analyze the security and social impacts of grid and cluster planning through case studies of recent displaced persons camps and the model camp plans, interviews of humanitarian workers, a review of available literature. Develop a report that provides conclusions about impacts and options presented by grid and cluster planning. Report will consider the impacts of cross-cutting issues such as security, livelihoods, gender, the environment, and sectoral impacts such as on water supply and health, and an analysis of the comparison of costs and security and social impacts. ACTIVITIES: Travel to selected headquarters of international agencies, NGOs, and universities with experience/expertise in developing and managing displaced persons camps to access project files and interview relevant staff. Given the potential sensitivity of this activity, contractor will have to provide evidence of prior experience in accessing project files and relevant staff with the same, or similar, institutions as part of related shelter sector assessment activities. Contractor will identify organizations to be visited and submit a travel plan with the proposal. Travel will be reimbursed based on actual expenses. Per diem will not exceed US State Department rates. Review existing literature, involving primary research at the headquarters of humanitarian organizations, and a review of standards and guidelines; Conduct an analysis of situation reports and project material on displaced persons camps; Develop a study model or study models, involving a narrative situation history, with phasing, a description of physical conditions, and assumptions about the management of the construction and running of the camp or camps, costs for materials labor and plant, and the skills and methods of construction labor; Design and plan a prototypical displaced persons camp or camps in ?grid? form, in response to the study model or study models developed, with full cost accounting and a history of phased project development; Design and plan a prototypical displaced persons camp or camps in ?cluster? form, in response to the study model or study models developed, with full cost accounting and a history of phased project development; Conduct a thorough comparison of the plans and costs developed, in addition to an analysis and conclusions consistent with the report scope; Detailed methodologies for the project will be developed in coordination with USAID/OFDA. Detailed discussion of methodologies will be included in the final report, together with all relevant assumptions. The model grid and cluster camp plans will follow USAID/OFDA, Sphere, and UNHCR standards and guidance, and will refer to current best practice. The comparative cost analysis will be disaggregated, and conclusions will be drawn as to which aspects of displaced persons camp planning are impacted by the different planning approaches. DELIVERABLES AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS: Monthly and ongoing reporting of findings: The contractor will provide a monthly status report, and will report via informal means such as e-mail, phone calls, and faxes on a more frequent basis, when required. To the extent possible, monthly reports will be linked to specific tasks, subject to further discussion with OFDA. Final Project Report: A Final Project Report will be submitted to USAID/OFDA by April 15, 2005. The final report will include a summary of project activities, major findings, recommendations, analytic tools, and detailed discussion of methodologies. In addition to formal submission to OFDA, and subject to approval by OFDA, the final report will be as follows: Identify a peer review group, members of which will be approved by DCHA/OFDA. Distribute draft copies of the report to each member the group for review and comment; Present report conclusions to relevant bodies such as the Sphere Project and UNHCR, as well as the publishers of manuals such as RedR; Provide final report to USAID/OFDA in an electronic format appropriate for posting for download on the internet. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Contractor will have demonstrated institutional capacity and past performance in designing, building, and managing displaced persons settlements, as well as assessing performance of various shelter sector activities; Contractor will have established relationships with international agencies, NGOs, and universities and research institutions engaged in humanitarian shelter activities, specifically the construction and management of displaced persons camps; Key Personnel will possess the following minimum qualifications: Minimum of a graduate degree in architecture, urban planning, urban design, or environmental management and design; At least eight (8) years of professional experience, of which at least five (5) years in humanitarian community activities, specifically field experience in emergency and transitional shelter responses. Work experience in both Non-Governmental Organizations and international agencies; Experience in emergency, transitional, and reconstruction phase shelter activities; Quantitative analysis skills and demonstrated excellence in analytic, written, and oral communication; Demonstrated involvement with other humanitarian community shelter specialists in both field and conference/workshop settings; SELECTION CRITERIA: Selection will be based on the following: Relevant education and humanitarian community experience of key personnel; Program description; Ability to build upon existing organizational relationships to readily access information, form peer review panels, and generate awareness and support for project activities; Cost, cost realism in relation to proposed work, and identification of any in-kind contributions that would complement USAID/OFDA funding.
 

Place of Performance

Address: 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, RRB 8.7.50, Washington, DC

Zip Code: 20004

Country: USA
 

Record

SN00566271-W 20040417/040415211520 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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