United States Institute of Peace
Study on the Political Economy of Mineral Extraction in Afghanistan
December 20, 2015
Project Name: Study on the Political Economy of Mineral Extraction in Afghanistan
Response Deadline: December 27, 2015
I. General Instructions
A.
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) requests proposals to conduct research and produce a publication on the political economy surrounding mining and extraction sites in Afghanistan.
B.
The project will require the evaluation firm to produce a short policy-focused report and a longer, in depth research report on their findings.
C.
The response must be submitted by email to ehorin@usip.org by December 27,
2015 at 11:59PM EDT.
D.
The Institute is not liable for any costs incurred by the responding firms prior to issuance of an executed agreement with the Institute.
E.
Submissions must be typed or printed, and must follow the organization of the requests for information in the Submission of Proposals section below. No changes or corrections to a response will be allowed after the deadline.
F.
Any questions concerning this Request for Proposals should be directed to ehorin@usip.org. Pertinent responses will be made available to all proposers by email. No inquiries will be accepted or responses given after December 24, 2015.
G.
Proposed schedule:
December 20, 2015– Issue Request for Proposals
December 27, 2015– RFP submissions due by 11:59PM.
December 30, 2015 – Review submissions and selection of evaluation firm
December 30, 2015 – Announce results of selection process.
January 1, 2016 – Full performance of contract begins.
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II. Scope of Work
Deliverable
Research Framework shared with
USIP
First Draft of Publication
Date Due
January 15, 2016
Detailed report of findings (for internal use only)
Final draft of publication
March 1, 2016
March 1, 2016
March 30, 2016
E. Level of effort:
It is estimated that for each of two evaluation reports, the level of effort will be as follows.

2 lead researchers 2 months of work.

5 field researchers 2 months of fieldwork.

1 program manager 20% of their time for 3 months.

1 writer to prepare publication – about 20 days of writing.

Additional financial, editorial, translation, etc. staff considered as necessary.
III. Submission Requirements:
To be considered under this RFP, please submit the following:
Technical Proposal (no more than 3 pages)
The narrative proposal should include the following sections:
A.
Past Experience: Describe at least two projects of similar scope and complexity you have worked on previously.
B.
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 research methodology will be developed in consultation with USIP.
C.
Specific Expertise: Describe your level of knowledge of mining and extraction as well as on political economy-related research, and on past experience in data collection in remote areas of Afghanistan.
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D.
Key Personnel and Staffing Describe the key personnel as well as information on the overall staffing plan for the project. Please note that staff may be non-US citizens and do not require a security clearance.
Curriculum Vitae
For each of the key personnel, please provide a CV of no more than three pages. CVs will not count as part of the 3 pages of the technical proposal.
Cost Proposals
The cost proposal should include a budget summary, a detailed budget, and a budget narrative. The budget should include detailed travel costs for fieldwork. Budget should not exceed $40,000.00.
IV. General Terms and Selection Process
A.
The Selection Committee will review all submissions received on time using the selection criteria established for the project.
B.
The Selection Committee reserves the right to reject any submission or to reject all submissions in the best interests of the Institute. The Institute may cancel this
Solicitation at any time prior to contract award if it is in the best interests of the
Institute.
C.
The successful firm shall not discriminate against any person in accordance with
Federal, state, or local law.
D.
The submission of any materials to USIP in response to this RFP will constitute
(i) a representation that the submitting party 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 an agreement with any party.
E.
Proposals will be judged as follows: a.
Technical Proposals will be judged on the following factors:
Factor 1. Overall Approach and Methodology
Factor 2. Past Experience
Factor 3. Staffing and Key Personnel
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Factor 4. Specific Expertise b.
Cost Proposals are a determinate factor whose value is equal to that of sum of the elements of the technical proposal.
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