DEADLINE: 20TH APRIL, 2022
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION (GAIN)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE EVALUATION PARTNER TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE DIET QUALITY AND RESILIENCE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE ISSUED BY THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION (GAIN)
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
ABOUT GAIN
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people.
GAIN’s work to improve the consumption of safe and nutritious food is based on three interlinked strategic objectives:
(1) to improve the demand for safe, nutritious foods,
(2) to increase the availability of nutritious foods and enhance the nutritional value of foods, and
(3) to strengthen the enabling environment to improve the consumption of safe, nutritious foods
We build alliances between governments, local and global businesses, and civil society to deliver sustainable improvements at scale. We are part of a global network of partners working together to create sustainable solutions to malnutrition. Through alliances, we provide technical, financial and policy support to key participants in the food system. We use specific learning, evidence of impact, and results of projects and programmes to shape and influence the actions of others.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has representative offices in Denmark, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, we have country offices in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania. Programmes and projects are carried out in a variety of other countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
GAIN seeks to transform food systems leading to lasting changes that favour improved diet quality and ultimately, nutrition outcomes. With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (MoFA), GAIN is embarking on a new round of programming (5-year grant) being undertaken in up to 6 countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Benin, Uganda). The approach will build on the previous work of GAIN and others and varies in each country context. In general, activities can be classified into 4 categories:
(1) Strengthening nutritious food value chains from production to consumption.
(2) Prioritise, empower, protect those in situations of vulnerability.
(3) Generate and use evidence for programme improvement, to inform policymaking, and to influence the approaches and priorities of others.
(4) Collaborate, share, disseminate, learn, and strengthen impact potential. The portfolio of work is under development and the detailed theories of change and workplans will be finalized early to mid-2022.
OBJECTIVES FOR WORK SOUGHT THROUGH THIS RFP
With this RFP GAIN seeks an evaluation partner who will work closely with GAIN’s Knowledge Leadership team to conceptualize and eventually commission process and impact evaluations in up to 6 focus countries. We envision this role as thought partner, drawing on evidence and experience, and building on the evaluation approaches that have been utilized by GAIN previously to assess progress and impact of nutritious value chain projects. The specific objectives to be addressed by this RFP are as follows:
(1) Design a proposed approach to assessing progress and impact of the programme in each of 4 (and up to 6) focus countries.
(2) Identify a local research / academic institution in each of the focus countries to conduct the evaluations as full intellectual partners (including local co-PI) and collaborate with these institutions throughout the evaluation lifetime.
(3) Identify opportunities for and lead in collaboration with GAIN peer-reviewed papers about evaluation frameworks, approaches, methods, and similar.
SCOPE OF WORK
The successful applicant shall provide the following services:
- Review the theories of change underlying the 4 (and potentially 2 additional) country programs, and based on these develop detailed impact pathways that can be used to guide the evaluations
- Support GAIN to ascertain evaluability of the programs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Nigeria by the end of 2022 (and potentially up to 2 additional countries by mid-2023)
- Based on the impact pathway and evaluability assessment, develop an initial overview of potential evaluation approaches for each of the country programs, including a detailed overview of how they will work with GAIN, and engage with local academic/ research institutions as full evaluation partners (i.e., local co-PI), including specific details of roles and responsibilities for all stages of evaluations from design through reporting and publications
- Identify a local evaluation partner in each country context and support (together with GAIN) that partner to obtain all relevant ethical approvals, access and data collection permissions as appropriate, e.g., government approvals.
- Support the local partner in the development of study protocols (including literature review, detailed methodology and justification, sampling plan (where applicable), data analysis plan, and data collection tools) for review and approval by GAIN
- Support or oversee (as agreed with GAIN) all aspects of primary data collection, quality assurance, and data entry, cleaning, management and analyses conducted by local implementing partners.
- For primary data collected, ensure that GAIN receive raw and clean datasets, accompanying codebooks, and syntax and output of all data analyses. If quantitative data are collected, data documentation must be provided using Nesstar2.
- Work with local evaluation partners (aligned with pre-defined roles and responsibilities), draft full reports, including literature review, methods, data collection activities, results and conclusions/recommendations.
- Identify opportunities for and lead in collaboration with GAIN peer-reviewed papers about evaluation frameworks, approaches, methods, and similar.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
This RFP will be managed in a 2-stage process. This initial expression of interest must be based on the information available in this pre-RFP only and does not represent a commitment to submit a full proposal should the additional details modify the interest. For those selected to submit a full proposal, no funding will be made available from GAIN for this process. GAIN anticipates inviting 2-4 expressions of interest to submit a full proposal. The decision will be based on understanding of the task, viability and innovation of proposed approach, and composition of the team.
For the expression of interest, we request a response of no more than 2 pages containing at least the following information:
(1) Clear explanation of the bidder’s understanding of the role of the proposed evaluation partner
(2) Brief overview of proposed approach to meeting the 3 stated objectives
(3) Overview of approach to working in collaboration with GAIN
(4) One paragraph capacity statement outlines key proposed team members and overview of relevant experience
(5) One paragraph overview of anticipated costs (excluding field data collection and associated costs as discussed above)
CONTACT AND INQUIRIES
Staff will be available to respond to clarifications on this solicitation. Please direct all inquiries and other communications to the GAIN email address: rfp@gainhealth.org. Queries sent by March 4th, 2022 at 5:00pm EST will be responded to via an online post on the website on March 11th, 2022. Responses will not be confidential except in cases where the applicant clearly indicates that proprietary information is involved.
SUBMISSION
Expressions of Interest should be in English and submitted in electronic copy to the following e-mail address: rfp@gainhealth.org. Please include EoI: EVALUATION PARTNER in the subject line.
DEADLINE
Completed Expressions of Interest should be submitted electronically to GAIN before 5:00 pm EST on April 20 2022.
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED IF:
- received after the RFP deadline at the specified receiving office.
- received by fax.
- Incomplete as per sections noted above.
- not signed.
RIGHTS OF REJECTION
GAIN reserves the right to reject any or all submissions or to cancel or withdraw this pre-RFP for any reason and at its sole discretion without incurring any cost or liability for costs or damages incurred by any applicant, including, without limitation, any expenses incurred in the preparation of the submission. The applicant acknowledges and agrees that GAIN will not indemnify the applicant for any costs, expenses, payments or damages directly or indirectly linked to the preparation of the submission.
SUMMARY OF DEADLINES
(1) Queries to be submitted by: April 13th 2022
(2) Response will be disseminated on the website by: April 15th 2022
(3) Expression of Interest submission deadline: April 20th 2022
(4) Response from GAIN on acceptance or rejection of EoI: May 6th 2022
(5) Anticipated deadline for full proposal from selected EoI: May 20th 2022
(6) Anticipated award of contract: July 1st 2022
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SOLICITATION
NOTICE OF NON-BINDING SOLICITATION
GAIN reserves the right to reject any and all bids received in response to this solicitation and is in no way bound to accept any proposal. GAIN additionally reserves the right to negotiate the substance of the successful applicants’ proposals, as well as the option of accepting partial components of a proposal if deemed appropriate.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All information provided as part of this solicitation is considered confidential. In the event that any information is inappropriately released, GAIN will seek appropriate remedies as allowed. Proposals, discussions, and all information received in response to this solicitation will be held as strictly confidential.
RIGHT TO FINAL NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FULL PROPOSAL
GAIN reserves the right to negotiate on the final costs, and the final scope of work of the proposal. GAIN reserves the right to limit or include third parties at GAIN’s sole and full discretion in such negotiations.
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR FULL PROPOSAL (ALSO USED FOR REVIEW OF EOI)
Proposals will be reviewed by the Selection Team. The following indicate a list of the significant criteria against which proposals will be assessed. This list is not exhaustive or 100% inclusive and is provided to enhance the applicants’ ability to respond with substance.
Applicants are required to submit the following information, conforming to the guidelines given in this section:
- Technical quality of proposal 40%
- Clear articulation of the respondents understanding of the scope of word and objectives
- Proposed collaborative approach for meeting the 3 stated objectives
- Example of detailed approach in 1 chosen country (Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria), drawing on the nature of activities as listed in Table 1.
- Team profiles and experience 50%
- Demonstrated expertise and prior experience in the evaluation of relevant programs
- Composition of evaluation partner team
- Demonstrated ability to identify and collaborate as full intellectual partners for research institutions in each of the focus countries
- Experience working in at least one of Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ethiopia, with preference for experience in multiple African countries
- Budget 20%
- Total budget
- Value for money
AS PART OF THE SELECTION PROCESS, GAIN RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REQUEST CLARIFICATIONS AND FURTHER DETAILS FROM ONE OR A SHORT LIST OF FINAL RESPONDENTS.
REVIEW PROCESS
The review process will involve a Review Panel with participants selected by GAIN.
LIMITATIONS WITH REGARD TO THIRD PARTIES
GAIN does not represent, warrant, or act as agent for any third party as a result of this solicitation. This solicitation does not authorise any third party to bind or commit GAIN in any way without GAIN’s express written consent.
COMMUNICATION
All communication regarding this solicitation shall be directed to appropriate parties at GAIN. Contacting third parties involved in the RFP, the review panel, or any other party may be considered a conflict of interest and could result in disqualification of the proposal.
FINAL ACCEPTANCE
Award of a Proposal does not imply acceptance of its terms and conditions. GAIN reserves the right to negotiate on the final terms and conditions including the costs and the scope of work when negotiating the final contract to be agreed between GAIN and the applicant.
VALIDITY PERIOD
The offer of services will remain valid for a period of 60 days after the Proposal closing date. In the event of award, the successful applicant will be expected to enter into a contract subject to GAIN’s terms and conditions.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Subject to the terms of the contract to be concluded between GAIN and the applicant, the ownership of the intellectual property related to the scope of work of the contract, including technical information, know-how, processes, copyrights, models, drawings, source code and specifications developed by the applicant in performance of the contract shall vest entirely with GAIN.
SCOPE OF CHANGE
Once the contract is signed, no increase in the liability of GAIN or in the fees to be paid by GAIN for the services resulting from any change, modification or interpretation of the documents will be authorised or paid to the applicant unless such change, modification or interpretation has received the express prior written approval of GAIN.
