Unlock Funds: Strengthen Government Effectiveness & Citizen Oversight

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ISSUANCE DATE: 11/08/2021 CLOSING DATE: COB on Monday, December 20, 2021, Local Time in Peru SUBJECT: Request for Information (RFI) - Design of a new activity entitled "Government Accountability and Effectiveness in Peru" Please email responses to limasolicitations@usaid.gov and asoh@usaid.gov. Reference the email with the subject title "Response to RFI No. 72052722RFI00001". The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback on the activity proposed in the outline below and to invite interested organizations to attend a Pre-Solicitation Conference on January 12, 2022.

The U.S Agency for International Development (USAID)/Peru may use feedback and comments from this RFI to refine the approach and focus areas for a future Solicitation. If a Solicitation is issued, USAID/Peru intends to make one award with an estimated duration of five years in length. The type of award (Acquisition or Assistance) has not been determined yet. More specifically, USAID/Peru is issuing this request for information to: Solicit and obtain input, advice, knowledge, and best practices from a broader audience that is experienced in strengthening government accountability and effectiveness and citizen oversight.

Better define the problem statement and theory of change. Elicit innovative ideas on essential programmatic objectives and approaches to include in the new activity. Elicit comments or ideas on the most appropriate mechanism (Acquisition or Assistance) to achieve the objectives. INSTRUCTIONS: Responses (comments, questions, suggestions, and enhancements) to this RFI are due to limasolicitations@usaid.gov and asoh@usaid.gov by COB on Monday, December 20, 2021, Local Time in Peru.

Response submissions must be in Microsoft Word and must not exceed 5 pages in length. PRE-SOLICITATION CONFERENCE (VIRTUAL): USAID/Peru intends to host a Pre-Solicitation Conference on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. This event is FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC; however, registration is required. Organizations are asked to register by submitting company name, company address, names of attendees (not more than 2 per organization), and a brief synopsis of the company's services and experience by email to limasolicitations@usaid.gov no later than Monday, December 20, 2021.

Attendees will be notified by email of the meeting link and agenda. Please register at this link. The purpose of the Pre-Solicitation Conference is for USAID to engage interested organizations in an open discussion addressing key points that emerge from written responses to the RFI. No proprietary information submitted will be shared.

Cognizant USAID personnel from the Mission's Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) and Acquisition and Assistance Office will be present to brief attendees and respond to questions. DISCLAIMER: This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. It is not a Request for Proposal/Application/ Quotation, an Invitation for Bids, or a Solicitation. This RFI is an opportunity for USAID/Peru to obtain information from interested parties regarding the Problem Statement and Program Objectives presented in this RFI.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract or agreement. Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and USAID will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review.

USAID reserves the right to use any, all, or none of the information submitted in response to this RFI in a future solicitation. Thus, respondents must clearly mark or label all proprietary information contained in their submission. USAID will not disclose proprietary information. Failure to properly mark or label proprietary information may result in an inappropriate use of such information.

If a Solicitation is issued, it will be announced on www.sam.gov at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that Solicitation announcement separately from any response to this announcement. This RFI does not restrict the Government’s acquisition approach on a future Solicitation. BACKGROUND Since the initiation of decentralization reform in Peru in 2002, USAID has implemented various activities in partnership with the Peruvian government to support efforts to implement decentralization and strengthen local governance. From 2003 to 2017, these activities aimed to improve public service provision and citizen participation at the subnational level.

Final and mid-term evaluations of these USAID activities can be found on the Development Experience Clearinghouse. Additionally, USAID conducted an analysis of the results, lessons learned, and recommendations from three phases of the Pro-Decentralization Program. This report can be reviewed in the document: "Decentralization at the Service of People, USAID Contributions" issued in 2017. PROBLEM STATEMENT Public service delivery to the most vulnerable populations is uneven and inadequate due to low capacity for budget planning and execution; limited citizen engagement and oversight mechanisms; and lack of adequate accountability between the national and subnational governments to prevent and detect corruption.

OBJECTIVES This activity will strengthen the institutional capacity of target subnational governments to plan, budget, and engage the national government to improve public service delivery to the most vulnerable populations in target regions. The activity will strengthen the capacity of civil society, including the media, to provide effective citizen oversight of public budget execution and decision making in target regions. The new activity will complement other efforts currently being implemented within USAID/Peru’s Democracy, Alternative Development, and Environment portfolios. GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR INTERESTED RESPONDENTS Based on successful programming you have seen deployed elsewhere, what are some examples of: approaches to strengthen systems of coordination and accountability between national governments and subnational governments, particularly in a context where decentralization has stalled due to lack of political will?

approaches to achieve sustainable strengthened capacity within government institutions that are systematized despite high employee turnover and that can survive waves of political transition? approaches to strengthen the capacity of civil society to provide consistent and effective oversight within a newly decentralized/decentralizing governance model? innovations - technological or otherwise - that awaken the civic interest of citizens and promote their active and collaborative participation in decision-making processes? approaches that ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment are integrated throughout public investment decision making and oversight?

cross-cutting thematic approaches that address not only governance and oversight objectives, but also other USAID/Peru objectives such as alternative development, environmental protection, empowerment of vulnerable populations, and sustainable economic growth? What are some examples of promising theories of change to address the proposed problem? Are there additional programmatic objectives you would suggest to address the problem statement? What are the primary risks that would limit successful achievement of the objectives identified?

Are there programmatic elements that could mitigate those risks? What are some examples of programmatic approaches in subnational governance and oversight that are destined for failure in the current socio-political context of Peru? What are some flexible programmatic approaches or award elements you have found to be successful in enabling adaptive management in governance and citizen oversight activities to keep them relevant and nimble in a dynamic socio-political context? What are some ways to ensure effective and ongoing collaboration, learning and adaptation throughout the life of an activity?

END of RFI