Supply Chain Management Strengthening in the Dominican Republic

Through the Local Health System Sustainability Project (LHSS) Dominican Republic Activity,
USAID will strengthen the Government of the Dominican Republic’s (GoDR) capacity to
sustainably manage quality HIV prevention and services, to drive achievement of the country’s
commitment to achieve UNAIDS 95/95/95 targets by 2030. The LHSS activity in the Dominican
Republic (DR) will work with the GoDR to advance greater local ownership of HIV prevention
and control, and to strengthen supply chain mechanisms for HIV-related commodities. LHSS will
provide technical assistance and training to various agencies within the GODR and selected NGOs
(which operate some of the PEPFAR supported facilities) to improve HIV supply management,
focusing on quantification, warehousing, distribution, pharmaceutical management and appropriate
use of the national logistics management information system (SUGEMI), at the national and subnational
levels.

The Offeror will be responsible for:
Site Level Activities
Activities at the site level include technical assistance provided directly or indirectly to PEPFAR supported sites, including USAID and CDC supported sites (approximately 37 HIV services).

1. Strengthening HIV supply chain performance. The Offeror will support new sites included
   in the PEPFAR supported network. Stakeholders for this activity are the Directorate of
   Medicines and Supplies at National Health Service and Regional Health services and
   facilities.
   a. Baseline assessment: The Offeror will conduct a baseline assessment to document the
   situation of the regional warehouses, inventory management and supply chain
   operations in the new PEPFAR supported facilities. The tasks included in this activity
   are:
2. Develop the assessment protocol.
3. Data collection.
4. Develop a facilities assessment report documenting status of inventory
   management and supply chain operations.
   b. Training of personnel: The Offeror will train logistic managers in all PEPFAR sites
   in the implementation of the SUGEMI SOPs, as the best strategy to improve the
   performance of HIV supply management. Develop an auto-instructional course to
   facilitate the delivery to all personnel, including those out of PEPFAR prioritized
   areas. The tasks included in this activity are:
5. Design an auto-instructional course.
6. Validate and pilot training modules.
7. Implement the training course.
8. Development of operational tools for implementation of differentiated interventions.
   The Offeror will develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Community
   Dispensation of ARV, according to the international supply chain management standards and
   SUGEMI. A GODR (MOH and NHS) official approval of the guidelines and SOP is required
   before the implementation. Stakeholders for this activity are the Directorate of Medicines and
   Supplies at National Health Services, the HIV National Directorate at the MOH
   (DIGECITSS), and PEPFAR implementing partners. The tasks included in this activity are:
   a. Analyze the community dispensing of ARVs authorized under the recent updated
   national HIV policy framework.
   b. Develop and validate of SOPs.
   c. Pilot test at selected sites and partners and adjustment.
   d. Train personnel.
9. Monitoring and evaluation. The Offeror will monitor and evaluate the ARV availability and
   performance of new and old PEPFAR supported facilities, based on the changes in the
   baseline indicators. Monitoring data will come from the SUGEMI information system and
   supply chain dashboard and selected supervision visits to new PEPFAR supported sites and
   those that have been identified as underperforming facilities. Based on the analysis of
   monitoring indicators, the Offeror will conduct gap closing and mentoring meetings, as
   needed. Stakeholders for this activity are DIGECITSS, Directorate of Medicines and Supplies
   at National Health Service, and Regional Health Services and facilities. The tasks included in
   this activity are:
   a. Collection and analysis of monitoring data.
   b. Gap closing interventions / meetings.
   c. Reports of the performance of PEPFAR supported facilities.
10. FAAPS prescription / dispensing module. The SUGEMI information system does not
    record information on prescription and dispensation to individual users of ARVs (or any other
    product). This information should be linked to nominal and clinical information systems,
    such as the one used for HIV clinical follow up (FAAPS/ SIRNAI). The Offeror will support
    the development and implementation of the prescription and dispensation module of FAAPS.
    A baseline assessment is needed to determine need of information and the capacities of the
    system to collect, process and use of the information. The structure of the application must be
    validated by national counterparts and piloted. Stakeholders for this activity are the
    Directorate of Medicines and Supplies, Strategic Information Directorate and facilities. The
    tasks included in this activity are:
    a. Conduct a baseline assessment and feasibility analysis.
    b. Present and validate structure and information flow.
    c. Develop a final report including a summary of the rapid baseline assessment, the
    conceptual design of the prescription / dispensing module (structure, costs,
    information flow, requirements), and an implementation plan.
    Above Site Level Activities
    Above site level activities are those directly implemented at strategic (central) levels to facilitate
    the operations at the PEPFAR prioritized areas, and -indirectly- at the entire national system for
    the provision of HIV services.
11. Development of an HIV Procurement and Supply report and analysis system. The
    SUGEMI information system produces periodic information on the distribution and
    availability of HIV products. This information is often insufficient for a timely and accurate
    decision making to prevent stockouts, as have been demonstrated in previous years. The
    Offeror will develop a graphic and interactive on-line application (dashboard) for the analysis
    of HIV procurement status and supply management by procurement and supply chain
    decision makers. This tool should generate monthly reports on the consumption and
    availability of HIV products and the tracking of procurement orders. The Offeror will also
    promote and facilitate virtual meetings with stakeholders for the analysis of this information
    to concur on early courses of action to prevent overstocks or stockouts. Stakeholders for this
    activity are the Directorate of Medicines and Supplies, Strategic Information Directorate and
    DIGECITSS. The tasks included in this activity are:
    a. Develop an electronic application for ARVs and HIV commodities.
    b. Implement a virtual situational analysis and dashboards.
    c. Presentation and discussion of monthly analysis.
    
12. Quantification and programming for procurement. The Offeror will support the
    quantification exercises for the procurement of HIV products in 2022 and will review the
    quantification of 2021. This exercise will be carried out with the involvement of MOH, SNS,
    CONAVIHSIDA and PROMESE staff responsible for this activity. Stakeholders for this
    activity are the Directorate of Medicines and Supplies, Regional Health Services,
    CONAVIHSIDA and DIGECITSS. The tasks included in this activity are:
    a. Gather and analyze pertaining information.
    b. Review and adjust 2021 quantification.
    c. Develop 2022 quantification / programing report.
13. Coordination and quarterly reporting. The Offeror will participate in coordination
    meetings with USAID officials and Abt supervisors and other partners. The Offeror will
    submit quarterly reports SUGEMI and PEPFAR supply management indicators and
    information documenting the progress in the implementation of the activities and eventual
    bottle necks. The tasks included in this activity are:
    a. Participate in coordination meetings.
    b. Quarterly progress reports.
    Period of Performance:
    The period of performance is expected to begin on April 1, 2021 and ends on August 31, 2021.

How to apply:

If interested in applying, please request the entire RFP from julie_collins@abtassoc.com

Separate technical and cost proposals must be submitted both electronically no later than March
30, 2021 to: julie_collins @abtassoc.com
Electronic submissions shall include up to [4] attachments per email compatible with MS Word,
MS Excel, readable format, or Adobe Portable Document (PDF) format in a Microsoft
environment. Offerors must not submit zipped files.

1. Proposal Conditions
   Offerors are expected to review, understand, and comply with all aspects of this RFP. Offerors
   must be in compliance with local law and duly registered to conduct business within the Dominican
   Republic.
   All received proposals will be assessed on a competitive basis using a trade-off or best value
   evaluation methodology as described in the in Section 3.
   Offerors or proposals must, include the following sections:
   1.1 Cover Letter
   All offers must include a cover letter, signed by an authorized representative of the company,
   stating their intent to bid and asserting that all proposal elements will remain valid for 60 days
   after submission. The letter shall also include the following information:
   i. Name of the company or organization
   ii. Address (Physical and Mailing)
   iii. Contact information of person authorized to negotiate for the Offeror, including
   telephone number and email address
   iv. Full names of members of the Board of Directors and Legal Representative (if
   applicable)
   v. Official bank account information
   vi. Other required documents that shall be included as attachments to the cover
   letter:
   a) Copy of registration or incorporation in the public registry, or equivalent
   document from the government office where the Offeror is registered.
   b) Copy of company tax registration, or equivalent document
   c) Other evidence of legal eligibility to provide services in Dominican Republic
   (for non-Dominican firms).
   1.2 Technical Proposal
   The technical proposal shall be up to 15 pages (using Times New Roman 12 point font) and
   comprise the following parts:
    Part 1: Technical Approach (10 pages). The Offeror should describe how the Scope of
   Work (section 4) will be implemented and the deliverables provided. The technical
   approach should address the requirements and assumptions provided in section 3
   (Evaluation and Basis for Award) and section 4 (Scope of Work). The technical approach
   should be organized along the technical selection criteria listed in the table in section 3.1
   of this RFP and should include timeline showing the approximate dates when activity
   milestones will be met and deliverables will be submitted for approval.
    Part 2: Firm Experience and Past Performance (2 pages): The Offeror should provide
   corporate capabilities and past performance experience describing how your firm’s past
   experience makes you uniquely qualified to execute the work outlined in the scope of work
   (section 4). At a minimum the Offeror shall demonstrate:
    Extensive knowledge of supply chain management
    Research experience.
    Capacity to undertake multiple data collection efforts simultaneously
   RFP# DR-2021-001 Page 3 of 13
    Proven skills in managing information-gathering logistics, including the ability to
   recruit experienced field staff
    Demonstrated experience sensitizing and engaging relevant government entities in
   supply chain management and HIV procurement activities
    Excellent documented knowledge of secure data management
    Proven capacity to analyze data, write reports and produce excellent finished
   products
    Demonstrated knowledge of and adherence to internationally recognized ethical
   research policies and procedures
    Proven application of various data quality assurance procedures
    Good interpersonal relationships from proposed staff and enumerators
    Ability to communicate effectively and clearly in verbal and written English
    Part 3: Staffing Plan (3 pages): The Offeror’s plan should provide detail on how and when
   progress will be communicated throughout each phase of research including planning, data
   collection, analysis, and reporting. The plan should also identify the Key Personnel who
   will be responsible for carrying out the work and submitting the deliverables described in
   the Scope of Work (section 4). Key personnel shall not be substituted without formal
   approval from Abt Associates. The Offeror should also designate other personnel deemed
   critical to the successful implementation of this scope of work. The staffing plan should
   include:
    A percentage of time spent on this activity per each Key Personnel identified.
    A description of roles and responsibilities for any additional proposed Personnel.
    A timetable of implementation project.
    An updated CV for each Key Personnel identified shall be included as an Annex in
   the Technical Volume. Key Personnel CVs will not count against the page
   limitation. Please only submit CVs (three page maximum) for Key Personnel. CVs
   should include 3 references with contact information.
   The sections of the technical proposal stated above must respond to the detailed information set out
   in the scope of work of this RFP, which provides the background, states the scope of work, and
   describes the requirements.
   Cost information shall not be included in the technical proposal. No cost information or any prices,
   whether for deliverables or line items, may be included in the technical proposal.
   1.3 Cost Proposal
   The cost proposal must include all costs associated with implementation of the technical proposal.
   All costs shall be proposed in Dominican Pesos (DOP) currency.
   Abt anticipates awarding a Cost-Plus Fixed-Fee subcontract (a draft agreement is attached as Annex
   2) but reserves the right to determine the subcontract type based on the final scope of work. No
   profit, fees, taxes, or additional costs can be added after award. Nevertheless, for the purpose price
   analysis, offerors must provide a detailed cost budget which includes line items for labor and any
   Other Direct Costs proposed, as well as any other usual and customary costs that would apply. A
   budget template has been provided along with this RFP as Annex 1.
   The cost proposal shall also include a budget narrative that explains the basis for the estimate of
   each line item. Supporting information may be requested to allow for a complete analysis of each
   RFP# DR-2021-001 Page 4 of 13
   cost element or line item. Abt reserves the right to request additional cost information if the
   evaluation committee has concerns of the reasonableness, realism, or completeness of an offeror’s
   proposed cost.
   Cost information must only be shown in the cost proposal.
   Cost Proposals must include the following elements:
    Unburdened daily rates for each category of personnel proposed. Please note that LHSS
   must abide with the Local Compensation Plan for the Dominican Republic so any proposed
   employee daily rates must not exceed the LCP maximum rates.
    Employees and consultants should be assigned to a labour category based on minimum
   qualifications outlined in the budget template (Annex 1).
    Any administrative costs and/or taxes, including ITBIS.
    Any supplemental supplies and/or commodities necessary to implement the SOW.
   Validity Period
   Offeror’s proposal cover letter must clearly state that the proposal remains valid for 60 calendar
   days after the proposal submission.