Questions_RFP_Donor Work

	A	B
1	Questions	Answer

2	How do you define donor in this RFP? I saw USAID and Gates were helping fund the project and weren't sure if they were the type of donor this project would focus on, or if it was more UN agencies, governments, local orgs. Or all of the above!	For the purposes of this RFP, DIAL coniders "donors" to be any organization that issues grants or contracts to implementing organizations to conduct development programs. Donors may themselves also implement programs, but one of their primary roles is to fund others through grants and/or contracts. Examples of donor organizations include: DFID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, GIZ, and SIDA
3	I'm very interested in the second part of the RFP and am debating if it makes sense to submit as a group of consultants or as an organization. Is it possible to share with me a very general budget range so I can see what fits best?	Costs and budgets identified in proposal responses should be aligned to the technical work proposed by the submitting organization or consortium of partners. Costs should be reasonable and realistic for the proposed approach. If a proposal is submitted by a consortium of partners, it should be clear what the role of each partner will be, what their expertise is, how the partnership will work, and how the consortium will coordinate with DIAL (i.e. who will be the primary POCs).
4	Will governments also be included as donors?	Governments that provide grants or contracts to implementing orgnizations to achieve development outcomes are considered donors. These can be host country governments (i.e. the government in which the work is taking place), or third party governments (i.e. governments that provide resources to implementers to work in another country).
5	Is there a preference to organisations submitting for both sections versus just one section?	DIAL has no preference for whether an organization submits a proposal for one option or both options. We are seeking the strongest qualified organizations to deliver the work outlined in the RFP, and will consider all proposals in accordance with criteria. Selection for each option will not be dependent on the other. For example, a firm may respond to both options and have presented a very strong proposal for Option B. As a result, the firm may only be selected for Option B, if another firm presented a stronger proposal for Option A. Proposals that are most technically qualified according to the criteria will be selected for each option.
6	Option A (p. 3.) “DIAL has conducted many conversations to-date, and this work build upon information we have already received. In additional, desk research will be necessary, and some in-person interviews.” -- Would you be able to give some further details as to the scope and nature of the existing information? This would be helpful in terms of estimating the work needed to process existing information as well as the amount of work needed to collect new information (desk research, in-person interviews etc), and estimate costs accordingly?	To date, DIAL has conducted a series of interviews and roundtable discussions with various donor organizations (whom we will no disclose at this time out of respect for the “closed door” nature of these conversations). We have also received multiple internal documents from organizations used to plan and execute digital development programs. The selected vendor will be responsible for sourcing additional documents and methodologies used by donor organizations – particularly those organizations DIAL has not yet worked with – to generate a more comprehensive understanding of what tools and resources are currently available to donors and what best practices already exist. The majority of this effort will be desk research, and if any in-person interviews are necessary DIAL will help organize these conversations and will be considered the relationship manager with the donor organizations. This work should not exceed 3 weeks in order to remain within planned timeline for work.
7	Option A, Deliverable 1 (p. 3), “The landscape assessment should also test options for the best approach and delivery format for the products in Option B.” -- It is no clear to us how the landscape assessment can “test” this. However, it is certainly possible for the landscape assessment to indicate options for possible approaches and formats. Is that what is meant?	The landscape assessment will have tested options for the best approach and delivery formats through interviews or by conveying evidence of success from previous approaches undertaken by donor organizations or implementers in the past. The landscape assessment may also recommend approaches and formats, though these recommendations may not be taken forward in Option B.
8	Option B, Deliverable 1 (p. 4) “Respondent is encouraged to suggest the best format for delivery of this information. Multiple format options will be tested during the Landscape Assessment.” -- Clearly it it desirable for respondents suggest formats for delivery of this information. However, it is not clear how the “testing of multiple formats” would be part of Option A, as it appears that Option A does not include testing or trialling otherwise. Was the “options testing” meant for Option B, or should such testing/trialling occur in Option A?	Please refer to the above question response for scope of testing in Option A. Option B will test the actual delivery formats as recommended in Option A based on feedback from donor organizations during the landscape assessment and gap analysis phase.
9	Option A, Deliverable 1 (p. 3), “The vendor will be responsible for identifying the existing material (in addition to what DIAL can provide).” -- Does “existing material” here mean “existing material that donors have, but DIAL is unaware of”, or does “existing material” mean “new information collected”.	“Existing material” means materials donors currently have and/or utilize, but which DIAL may be unaware of. In line with the Principles for Digital Development, we would like to reuse and improve on existing materials and methodologies as much as possible.
10	Option A, Deliverable 2 (p. 3) “This work may include 1:1 interviews and group conversations with practitioners including implementers and country government representatives”. -- The wording “country government representatives” would point towards international travel, perhaps significantly so. In relation to travel, we are wondering about the global scope. May we assume that you would want a number of major global funders, who support the Principles (and a small selected number of their major programmes) to engage with this work? If not, could you state preference for which funders / geographical regions you would like to focus on?	Interviews with practitioners will primarily be limited to phone and virtual conversations. Group conversations and/or content testing will take place under specific circumstances and during workshops already identified by DIAL. DIAL will lead on planning these sessions, with input from the selected respondent and the respondent will be expected to provide one representative to attend the meetings to facilitate. DIAL will take into consideration a second representative attending, if strong justification can be presented. No more than three instances of travel will occur, but none are guaranteed. All travel costs much be approved by the DIAL program manager prior to any tickets being booked or fees being undertaken. The selected respondent will be expected to engage donor organizations from all over the world, both major and minor, to ensure a diversity of representation in materials produced. Though certain donor organizations may be able to participate at a more involved level, the respondent should not limit their focus to only “major” funders or those already identified by DIAL.
11	Option B, Deliverable 6 (p. 5) states that activities are “Estimated for May and June”. However, previous deliverables states “Draft & Testing: March; Draft 2 & Testing: May & June; Draft 3 & Testing: July“.	Deliverables will not all have the same dates as some deliverables will be able to be undertaken independently of others. Deliverables that must build on the results of others have been identified in the RFP.
12	Could you clarify the scope for travel to conduct testing? Can we propose travel as we deem necessary?	The selected vendor will not be able to propose travel as they deem necessary. DIAL has already identified when travel will be necessary and will communicate these to the vendor during the work planning and contracting process. Please include travel estimates as requested in the RFP, following the scope and specifications already outlined there.
13	We are planning to apply as a consortium of several organisations. We assume that you would want to award the funding to one organisation, as lead organisation? Could you confirm?	As stated in the answer to another question above, if a proposal is submitted by a consortium of partners, it should be clear what the role of each partner will be, what their expertise is, how the partnership will work (how each relate to one another and who will be responsible for what), and how the consortium will coordinate with DIAL (i.e. who will be the primary POCs from each organization). If your proposal recommends one organization take primary leadership of the consortium relationship, you should clarify how the other organizations will work with and report to the lead organization.
14	Given that we are planning to apply as a consortium, we will provide fully staff details as indicated, and justify the composition of the team, and will also provide a rationale for forming the consortium. (“Identify the team structure including roles, responsibilities, and level of effort of staff and any sub-contracted resources”). However, for members of the core consortium, we then assume that we then do not need to “provide rationale and background on any sub-contracted firms or individuals”?	Please refer to the above question response.
15	Regarding p. 6, “Budget”. “Budget should be organized by deliverable with a cost breakdown per deliverable as follows”. -- If our proposal adjusts the deliverables, we assume that we can break the budget down according to the adjusted deliverables?	If your proposal adjusts stated deliverables, you will be required to provide a justification for doing so. The budget may then be broken down according to the adjust deliverables.
16	Where activities span several deliverables, is it acceptable to apportion costs to deliverables?	Yes, it is acceptable (and preferable) to apportion costs to deliverables. This will also serve as a guide to DIAL for how the respondent intends to break out their resources against each deliverable.
17	P. 2 “DIAL anticipates awarding a fixed price, deliverables-based contract.” It is our policy to quote for work in our operating currency (GBP). For information, USD rates at the current exchange rate are provided, so the proposal can be easily compared against other proposals. However, the actual amount invoiced would be according to the exchange rate current at the time of the invoice. This is to shield us (as a smaller contractor) against currency fluctuations. Is this acceptable, or do you require a budget that is fixed in USD?	DIAL can accept invoices in operating currencies for the country in which the organization is based. Please include the source of exchange rate and the date the exchange rate was estimated for historical reference.
18	Who will be the contracting organization and would the recipients be considered sub-contractors to DIAL?	As the host of the Digital Impact Alliance, the contract agreement will be with the United Nations Foundation and will be in compliance with prime agreements with USAID, Sida, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (DIAL's funders).
19	Would we submit two separate and independent proposals (Option A and Option B), so that you are able to compare this easily to other proposals (that may only be for one option)? Or would you prefer a combined proposal text, that has separate headings for some elements (Option A, Option B) where needed?	If a respondent intends to submit proposals for both Options A and B, they should submit one proposal with the responses to the two options separated. This can be done via headings or through a page break/new section of the same document.
20	It sounds as if you have an already defined set of workshops and occasions "when travel will be necessary", and I assume the workshops/occasions are the same - which would mean three sets of travel in total, to specified locations. I'm not sure how we can accurately plan the cost of travel if we don't know the duration or location/continent of the event?	As stated in the answer to travel-related questions above, DIAL has already identified the opportunities where a workshop will take place. This is no more than three instances; three instances of travel are not guaranteed. Respondents will be expected to provide one representative, but can recommend a second representative attend workshop testing with strong justification for their inclusion. Also stated in the RFP, under Deliverable 6 for Option B: "It is anticipated that this will require at least 2 international trips (not exceeding one week each, and with no more than two vendor team members attending)." As the workshop locations identified by DIAL have not been confirmed yet, respondents should assume average international travel costs for no more than one week (5 business days) when proposing their budget. This can be based on previous experiences/ required international travel from previous assignments and should comply with USG regulations for international travel.
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