Inclusive Socio-Economic Development Program in the Marrakech-Safi Region (ISED-MS)

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Morocco Draft Program Description is issued for the purpose of providing stakeholders and potential partners an opportunity to review, comment, suggest, and enhance areas in the attached Draft design document for a new USAID/Morocco Activity: “Inclusive Socio-Economic Development in Marrakech-Safi Region” (Attachment 1). The release of this abbreviated Draft Program Description is solely for information and planning purposes. This announcement does not represent a request for applications or proposals, and responding to this request for feedback will not give any advantage to any individual or organization in any subsequent procurement. USAID/Morocco will not provide answers to any questions submitted in response to this request.

Eligibility for these awards will be open to qualified U.S. and Moroccan, non-profit or for-profit, non-governmental and international organizations, higher education institutions, and coalitions and consortia of these. Innovative partnership and/or consortia approaches among partners or other arrangements are highly encouraged.

USAID has revised its program cycle guidance to facilitate more adaptive, contextually driven programming approaches, and the choice of a high-level, objective-oriented Program Description rather than a more prescriptive Program Description reflects this. The attached draft presents the objectives and expected outcomes for a prospective new program entitled “Inclusive Socio-Economic Development in Marrakech-Safi Region”.

Subject to the availability of funds, USAID/Morocco anticipates that the final “Inclusive Socio-Economic Development in Marrakech-Safi Region” funding opportunity will be issued as an Addendum to the existing Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (STIP) Annual Program Statement (APS), Opportunity Number 7200AA20APS00006. The base STIP APS is unfunded and serves as an umbrella APS, to which USAID can post specific addenda or funding opportunities that are focused on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnership related development challenges. The Addendum will be announced on the Grants website at https://www.grants.gov at a later date (expected for December 2020), and all interested parties must respond to that notice of funding opportunity announcement separately from any response to this announcement. One or more awards are anticipated, but USAID/Morocco reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted in response to the notice of funding opportunity.

By issuing the Draft Program Description for feedback, USAID/Morocco aims to consult with a broad community of public and private sector actors concerned with inclusive Socio-Economic Development in Marrakech-Safi Region. Comments are requested to help refine key elements of the draft design to ensure clarity, maximum development impact, coordination with existing and planned USAID and other development partner programs, and alignment with country and regional priorities.

USAID/Morocco asks that the public submit short written responses to the questions outlined below. Respondents are encouraged to review the questions and respond to those most relevant to them to assist USAID/Morocco in refining the PD. Responses to all questions are not required. Please also provide your name, title, organization, and contact information in your response. USAID/Morocco requests the use of the response template described in Attachment 2.

1. Are the theory of change and programmatic objectives in the draft Program Description clear and realistic? How could they be improved?

2.USAID/Morocco believes that participation and ownership by local actors is essential to long-term sustainability. What tools, mechanisms, partners, incentive structures, etc. are needed to ensure utmost local participation and ownership in the proposed program?

3. How can USAID/Morocco best ensure a program in which the economic growth and governance activities are appropriately integrated together to support program outcomes and sustainability?

4. The draft Program Description was developed during the pre- Covid-19 pandemic period. Do you think that the objectives and intended results as laid out in the PD properly address the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in the MS region? If not, how can they be adjusted to better address the post-Covid-19 realities in MS region?

5. What specific roles/contributions do you envision for the following entities in the proposed Socio-economic Inclusion program? How can USAID/Morocco best engage with these players to leverage resources in support of the proposed Socio-Economic Inclusion Program?

a- Private sector (includes NGOs, implementing partners, businesses, corporations, etc.)

b- Public sector (US and Morocco)

c- Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the Academic community (US, Moroccan, or others)

d- Civil society

e- Others: please specify

6. As activities are being implemented, how can USAID ensure continued communication and collaboration between central, regional, and local public institutions for enhanced political support, nationwide replication of successful models and sustainability

7.Does the draft Program Description provide potential implementers with sufficient information and guidance about USAID’s overall objectives and expectations?

8.In its current version, the Program Description includes DG/EG integration as a key principle. Do you agree with this principle or do you think the Applicant should have the flexibility to only address one of the IRs (or even sub-IRs)?

9.Given that this program includes a co-creation component, what would be, in your view, the most effective ways to co-create ideas for this project among the different stakeholders during the procurement phase?

Please note that due to Covid-19, it is very probable that in-person co-creation meetings will not be possible in the foreseeable future.

USAID/Morocco also welcomes general reactions to the draft Socio-economic Inclusion Program description provided (Attachment 1)

Submissions, utilizing the response template, must be in English, in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format, and should not be longer than four (4) typed pages using the following formatting requirements: single-spaced, Times New Roman font (or similar size typeset), size 12, 1-inch margins, pages numbered consecutively in the bottom margin. Although we will accept up to 4 pages of text, USAID/Morocco values concise, issue-specific comments with references to page and section numbers in the draft design document, where appropriate.

Responses will be held confidential, but respondents are advised to refrain from sending proprietary information. Please do not submit applications or resumes as they will be discarded.

USAID/Morocco reserves the right, but is not obligated, to incorporate any, some, or none of the comments received into any subsequent Notice Of Funding Opportunity.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted by email only to Salya Yacoubi at syacoubi@usaid.gov and usaidmoroccocontracts@usaid.gov no later than September 11, 2020 by 4:00pm, Rabat, Morocco time. The email subject line and file name should be as follows: “Responses to RFI Draft PD: Inclusive Socio-Economic Development in Marrakech-Safi Region.”

An Addendum to the STIP APS (#7200AA20APS00006) Link will be issued at a later date. It will describe “Inclusive Socio-Economic Development in Marrakech-Safi Region” application process in full. Issuance of this pre-notice of funding opportunity request for comments does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in order to prepare response to this Pre-Notice.

USAID/Morocco values input from our potential partners, and we thank you for your interest and assistance in developing potential future programs.