United States Agency for International Development; Regional Center for Southern Africa/Gaborone, Botswana; Department of State; Washington, D.C. 20521-2170

R -- EXECUTE, MANAGE, AND ADMINISTER GRANTS UNDER THE CAMPFIRE PROGRAM IN ZIMBABWE AND BUILD MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITIES OF THE CAMPFIRE ASSOCIATION TO ENSURE PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY DUE 011199 POC Contact Point: Peggy Manthe; Jay M. Bergman; RCO; USAID/RCSA-Gaborone; Department of State; Washington, D.C. 20521-2170; Tel: 011-267-324449; Fax: 011-267-324486; E-mail: pmanthe@usaid.gov The United States Agency for International Development/Zimbabwe(USAID/Zimbabwe) in Harare, Zimbabwe plans to noncompetitively extend an existing contract with Development Associates, Inc. for 13 additional months, and to expand the number of service-provider agencies, and transfer to the Contractor responsibility for executing, managing, and administering support grants to all participating non- Governmental organizations. Under the current contract (which expires in July 1999), Development Associates is responsible for the following activities: 1) executing, managing and administering grants under the CAMPFIRE program Zimbabwe to the CAMPFIRE Association and its Rural District Council (RDC) members, as well as those service-provider agencies which require such assistance; and 2) building, through specific in- service training programs relating to the management of USAID funds, the general management and adminstrative capacities of the CAMPFIRE Association and its RDC members, as well as those service-provider agencies which require such assistance, to ensure program sustainability beyond the life of the contract. Following the recommendations of a recently completed mid-term evaluation of the Zimbabwe Natural Resources Management project (690-0251.13 and 613-0241), USAID/Zimbabwe has decided to extend the time period for completion of activities under the re- engineered program from 8/18/99 to 9/30/2000 in anticipation of the Mission closure in FY 2003. USAID/Zimbabwe now desires to concomitantly extend Development Associates' contract. The thirteen month time extension is for the continuation of the same services which Development Associates has been providing. 48 CFR (AIDAR) 706.302-70(b)(5) permits the noncompetitive award of this additional work because it represents the continued provision of highly specialized services and award to another resource would result in substantial additional costs to the government or would result in unacceptable delays. Development Associates has been successfully performing the current contract for three years and has developed an in-country capacity to provide the required services, a detailed knowledge of the CAMPFIRE Association, its RDC members and the array of NGO service-provider agencies and has established good working relationships with the applicable partners, stakeholders, and customers. Replacing Development Associates with another contractor would thus result in substantial additional and duplicative costs and unacceptable delays in the NRM program. Nevertheless, all interested parties may express their interest and demonstrate their capabilities, which shall be considered by USAID. Expressions of interest without a demonstration of capability will not be considered. Expressions of interest and demonstrations of capability must be received no later than 4:00pm Botswana time on 11 January 1999. No RFP will be available. See Note 10. Posted 11/20/98 (I-SN273584). (0324)

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