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To: All Interested Respondents/Parties: The USAID/Timor-Leste Local Works Program is designed to advance locally led development and enhance the Agency’s ability to empower local actors to take the lead in addressing the development challenges (https://www.usaid.gov/localworks). It will identify the priorities of Timorese youth and support youth in leading productive lives where their voices are heard. The Local Works program is currently designing a broad listening tour, which will include focus group and individual discussions with youth and other local stakeholders across the 13 districts of Timor-Leste. This Request for Information (RFI) seeks to identify local entities and individuals with capabilities needed to support the listening tour.

These capabilities include:

  1. Qualitative Data Analysis a. Ability to capture detailed notes from discussions in Tetun and/or English. b. Ability to transcribe, organize, code, and analyze notes in Tetun and English. c. Ability to produce a report in Tetun and English with key themes, priorities, and recommendations. d. Ability to train others in qualitative analysis.
  2. Production of Learning Products a. Experience with developing products from qualitative research that share findings and learning in compelling ways. b. Materials may include reports, fact sheets, case studies, and videos.
  3. Translation a. Ability to provide high quality immediate verbal translation from any local district languages/dialects to Tetun and/or English. b. Ability to provide written translation of reports and other products from any local district languages/dialects to Tetun and/or English
  4. Local Coordination a. Ability to identify relevant local stakeholders and set up meetings in any/all of the 13 districts of Timor-Leste. Locations will include cities as well as rural areas. b. Advise on and coordinate lodging and other travel logistics in any/all of the 13 districts of Timor-Leste.

For the purpose of the Local Works program, “Local Entity” refers to a local entity, including but not limited to individuals, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and private sector organizations that:

  1. Are legally organized under the laws of Timor-Leste
  2. Have identified their principal place of business or operation as Timor-Leste
  3. Is managed by a governing body comprised of a majority of citizens or lawful permanent residents of Timor-Leste.

Additionally, per the Local Works legislation, eligible entities must not have received more than $5 million (USD) from USAID in the past five years. Fluency in Tetun is required for the anticipated work.

Requested Content:

Please provide the following information in a maximum of three typed pages of no smaller than font size 12:

1. General Institutional Information.

a. Organization/individual name, physical address, and contact information (phone, email).

b. Number of full and part time staff members, and consultants.

c. Overview of your mission, technical expertise, language capabilities, and current services and programs.

d. Areas of geographic presence and focus in Timor-Leste. This can include where you have an office, as well as where you have experience working.

2. Areas of Expertise. Please provide the following information, as it applies to your organizational or individual experience. Feel free to omit information that does not apply to your experience or capacity.

a. Overview of your capabilities in any/all of the four areas specified in this RFI: Qualitative data analysis; production of learning products; translation, and local coordination.

b. Recent projects, results, and publicly available products in any/all of the capability areas, noting the location of performance, funding sources, program focus, and total amount.

c. Relevant specialized education and training in any/all of the capability areas.

d. Experience training others in any/all of the capability areas.

e. Professional references from those who have overseen your work in any/all of the capability areas.

Submission Instructions:

Please send submissions in Tetun or English by email to EastTimor-Dili-LocalWorks@usaid.gov by July 10, 2020 at 5PM. Please include the following on the email subject line: Subject: Local Works RFI – Name of Organization or Individual.

Disclaimer Notice:

This is NOT a solicitation. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes—it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) /Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or a promise to issue an RFP/NOFO in the future.

USAID may release a full solicitation at a later date through the U.S. Government portal at https://beta.sam.gov/ or www.grants.gov.

Interest will be treated as information only. Responses to this RFI are not official proposals and in no way will be deemed to form any binding agreement with the U.S. Government and will not be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue a solicitation or pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. Organizations responding to this request are solely responsible for bearing all expenses associated with the preparation and submission of the responses to the RFI. It is the 3 respondent’s responsibility to monitor www.fbo.gov or www.grants.gov for the release of any further information. Note that responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to any organization in any subsequent procurement. All responses to this request should be submitted to EastTimor-Dili-LocalWorks@usaid.gov.