US Compliance Specialist At Relief International

Request for Proposal

Request for US Compliance Specialist

To be supplied to:

Relief International

SCO@ri.org

www.ri.org

DATE: August 2021

1. INTRODUCTION

Relief International (RI) invites Service Providers and/or individuals to submit proposals, price quotations, and technical specifications to review, assess, advise and train Relief International management and offices on US Government Regulations.

RI seeks a consultant or a team of consultants to provide technical assistance in compliance, particularly, but not limited to, United States government regulations, across its Awards Management and Supply Chain and Operations teams.

The Compliance Specialist(s) will support RI’s culture of ethics, integrity and compliance in accordance with RI’s code of conduct, our values, local laws and donor rules and regulations. Under the overall guidance of the General Counsel, the Specialist(s) will work directly with RI awards management and supply chain staff to analyse, interpret, and apply donor regulations, award terms and conditions, and RI policies and procedures in the day-to-day management of the award compliance. The Specialist(s) will further develop Grants internal protocols, procedures, manuals, and templates in collaboration with the Award Managements Unit, General Counsel and Senior Management Team. Lastly, the Specialist(s) will lead the revision or development of key templates to be used in all RI country and regional offices when contracting a supplier or vendor.

2. BACKGROUND OF ORGANISATION

Relief International specializes in relief and development programs that benefit people in acute distress.

Relief International supports vulnerable communities in places other NGOs can’t, don’t or won’t go. We craft custom solutions that address the origins of poverty that empower communities to reach the goals they set.

A registered non-profit in the US, UK, Belgium, and France, our work targets those fragile countries or communities that suffer from recurrent man-made or natural crises that impede human development.

We invest in four program sectors—Economic Opportunity, Education, Health and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)—by supporting solutions that reinforce and improve upon existing in-country systems.

2.1. OUR HISTORY

RI was founded by a group of concerned individuals in Los Angeles in 1990 to respond to the Manjil—Rudbar earthquake in Iran, the country’s worst natural disaster on record. The organization established a European headquarters in London, UK, and followed this with a merger with EnterpriseWorks/VITA, a development organization with more than sixty years of experience, uniquely bringing together a development approach with a focus on crisis settings.

Together, these organizations have grown under the Relief International name to become an international organization operating in 19 countries.

2.2. RI BY THE NUMBERS

We work in 19 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
6,000+ staff and auxiliary workers
- 98% of staff are local nationals
- 80+ expat staff out of 6,000+ active staff
$144 million in 2019 spent on our programs
4 primary sectors:
- Health (29%)
- Economic Opportunity (7%)
- WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) (1%)
- Education (21%)
- Multisector (31%)

2.3. THE PEOPLE WE SERVE

Relief International partners with people in fragile settings to achieve relief from poverty by supporting their response to crises, building their resilience to disasters and emergencies, and advancing the dignity and long-term well-being of people in the communities that we serve. RI’s core partners are communities of poor or vulnerable people in fragile settings, especially:

People living in underserved, remote, and/or hard-to-reach places;
Refugees, internally displaced persons, and victims of natural and man-made disasters and conflicts;
Women and girls, especially those in need of primary education, WASH and health services, and economic security;
Small-scale entrepreneurs, farmers and rural dwellers in need of training and strategic value chain interventions; and
Other vulnerable communities whose needs match RI’s strategic skills.

3. DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES OF SERVICE

Overall, the specialist will:

Serve as an external expert and consistent resource to support RI in navigating, understanding and training on compliance to ongoing and new USG funded projects.
Increase the understanding and expertise of RI staff and provide support in policy and tool creation to allow for continuity once the consultancy concludes.

3.1 TARGET STAFF

The service will have the following primary internal stakeholders. This list is not exhaustive and may be revised during the implementation period.

RI General Council
Awards Management department
Supply Chain & Operations department
Risk and Assurance department
Technical Assistance department (programs)
Finance department
Regional & Country (country presence worldwide)

4. OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

4.1 Objective 1: Support to Awards Management

Perform Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), ADS, USAID Mandatory Standard Provisions 2 CFR 200, 22 CFR 228, 2 CFR 600 and 2 CFR 700 rules and regulations research and prepare written responses to queries from regions, country offices and/or RI GSO.
Provide support to AMU on OFAC Issues, Administrative Agreement Plans, Consortiums agreements, Vetting requirements and other concerns raised by the Country Offices upon AMU request
Correspond as necessary with USAID/BHA, BPRM and State Department upon General Counsel, AMU or RSO/CO requests
Advise AMU and Program Teams on the applicable regulations governing their work and look for answers for specific questions raised by AMU and RSO/CO
Participate and advise for overall partnership tools development, management, policies and oversight of the sub-awards templates issued under prime USG awards . Provide regular advices on latest Federal regulations updates concerning pass-through entities roles and responsibilities towards their partners
Provide subject matter expertise in the development of policies, procedures, and training materials required for the Program implementation and USG Compliance.
Assist with developing the award related templates procedures, and training materials for HQ and field staff.
Assist with delivering the award related training to field offices and HQ staff.
Participate in USG grant compliance calls and review meetings if any upon AMU or RSO/CO request.
Keep abreast of, interpret, and provide guidance to staff on USAID and BPRM regulations and policies; educate project staff on award compliance
Prepare responses to audit questions as requested by General CounRelief InternationalRelief InternationalRelief InternationalRelief Internationalcil.

4.2 Objective 2: Support to Supply Chain & Operations

a) Supply Chain & Logistics Compliance

Provide user-friendly overviews and training sessions on supply chain and logistics related US regulations which may include but not be limited to the following topics:

Use of fumigation and pesticides
Understanding of GEO codes, sourcing and manufacturing restrictions (ie. Iranian manufactured goods)
Compliance with 889 Section
Compliance with Fly America
Enemy of the State Compliance and other USG agreement clauses related to supplier engagements.
Clarity on current BUY America restrictions and other restricted goods (specifically pharmaceuticals)
Long term vehicle rental waivers and new vehicle purchase waivers (as relates to buy America)
Reminders on new clauses in US awards on BIS / Sanctions
Commodity Control Documentation requirements
Confirm and clarify on waivers / derogations and when USAID approval is required

b) Supplier Template review (as applicable to the firm/candidate given legal aspects of this objective)

In order to ensure the work product is fit for purpose it is critical to understand the following:

RI operational environment, donors and types of services/goods being purchased.
Capacities of the suppliers with whom we engage.
Where, when, and why which template is used.
Support in the review and revision of all RI supplier contracts and agreement templates. All should follow a consistent formatting to allow for easier modification if changes need to be made in the future. Templates include but may not be limited to the following:
Purchase Order (Terms and Conditions only)
Contract for Goods
Contract for Services
Framework Agreement (Blanket Purchase Agreement)
Lease Agreement
Contract for Works / Construction[ [1]**](https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg01/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=RI&cws=1&rid=1694#_ftn1)\**

*All are being executed in countries of operation, signed by the country office with national suppliers regardless of value.

**If alternative templates are made available as a starting point instead of revision to what RI has this can be a consideration.

Support RI to ensure the following is represented and consistent throughout all templates and meet RI and donor requirements:
Representation of Relief International entity
Functional clauses (timeframe, payment term, scope, goods, obligations, etc.)
Standard legal clauses (termination, arbitration, taxes, indemnity, etc.)
DONOR Clauses (for all RI donors – US and others as practical.)
- Clarification on how and where to apply these clauses – if they can be combined or have to be unique.
RI Policies including supplier code of conduct

*Template structure: Which of the above should be integrated in the template language for sign off versus referenced as an annex or signed as a separate document.

Output / Deliverable:

Help to complete and finalize five (5) templates listed above [2]
Advise on any unique situations/countries

5. SUGGESTED TIMELINE – LEVEL OF EFFORT

Time Period

LOE

Start Up & Month One

20 hours/week

Month Two

10 hours/week

Month Three – December 2021

10 hours/week

6. BUDGET

A breakdown of the budget, in US Dollars. Provide full breakdown/details if hourly rate, daily rate or monthly engagement fee. Please provide as much detail as possible based on the deliverables presented in the objectives and Outcomes.

Please include in the proposal whether in-person meetings or trainings will be necessary during the project and if so, please state any expected costs for this.

In the event that we cannot meet our requirements within the allocated budget, we are willing to consider some requirements out-of-scope for this project, with a possibility for inclusion at a later date, under a separate budget.

Please submit budget proposals in US Dollars.

7. PROJECT TEAM

Leading this international project from Relief International will be primarily RI General Counsel in consultation with other participating departments and stakeholders.

Lara Kalwinski (RI General Council)

Valerie Docher (Director, Awards Management Unit – AMU)

Claire Donohue (Lead, Supply Chain & Operations – SCO)

8. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

8.1. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

In order to bid for this RFP successfully, the company should provide:

Description of the company’s/ consultant’s experience and capacity
Description and proof of similar work in this area:
Description of proposed methodology and approach
Work plan
The overall price (in USD)
A price breakdown per step/objective
Detailed overview of personnel costs (per personnel category) and any other expenses.

Description of company

Please provide your company’s full legal name, registered address and company registration number.
A portfolio with relevant work.
Location of offices.
Number of FTE employees.
Disclosure of any current or past affiliation with RI, or any current or former RI staff member.
Number of years of experience the organization or individual has had with USG funding and compliance.
References of at least three related consultancies, including contact details.

Brief outline of what your company envisions for this project

Summary of the proposal.
Proposed budget, including a detailed breakdown of line items and optional project components. Any requirements that do not fall into the specified budget should be priced separately.
Description of the project management methodology you would apply to this project.
Timeline with expected stages, milestones and proposed dates.
Expected staffing for the project team and their qualifications.

8.2. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Vendors will be assessed according to (but not limited to) the following criteria, by an internal RI selection committee:

30% – Vendor’s demonstrated experience with similar consultancies and initiatives (including key personnel qualifications) with at least three company references’ contact information including name, position, and email and telephone number and written permission to contact each reference.
30% – Price and cost-effectiveness for the project.
40% – Technical approach and demonstrated capacity to meet requirements outlined in overall consultancy design.

8.3. VENDOR REQUIREMENTS

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast-paced environment.

Specific Expertise (may be present in one consultant or split across a team):
- Significant knowledge of U.S Federal regulations (e.g USAID and BPRM), including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), ADS, USAID Mandatory Standard Provisions.
- Significant depth and breadth of experience managing USAID and BPRM funded projects, especially in complex partnering.
- Experience implementing operational policies and procedures (e.g. procurement, blanket purchase agreements, supply chain, logistics, etc.) required.
- Expertise in legal compliance/aspects of supplier/vendor contracts.
General Skills:
- Business process improvement and change management experience.
- Ability to manage and complete work with minimal to no supervision.
- Flexibility to assume a workload which frequently necessitates an adjustment of priorities.
- Strong organizational skills for managing and coordinating a variety of tasks
- Firm understanding and sense of the importance of paying attention to detail.
- Good interpersonal and strong communication skills verbally and in writing. Must be able to write clearly and concisely.
- Ability to work in a team-oriented environment and ability to adapt to new and unplanned situations.
- Demonstrated problem-solving abilities.
- A Master’s degree or Juris Doctorate is required
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience with international NGOs is required.

9. PROPOSED DRAFT TIMELINE

DATE

ACTION

Monday 09 August

RFP issued to prospective vendors and posted on public sites

TBD based on feedback and interest of potential candidates

Q&A session for all interested vendors. All questions should be raised during this session. Any items not able to be answered during the call will be emailed out to all interested vendors

Open Q&A period – Queries will only be accepted and responded to between August 16-20. Any questions regarding the RFP content or process can be directed to:

Lara Kalwinski lara.kalwinski@ri.org copying sco@ri.org

Monday 30 August, COB (EST)

Upload submission to https://ri.app.box.com/f/586d90d9c8844a91812c5aa5a82c369d

Contact SCO@ri.org if you have issues.

Review submissions and create shortlist for interview in the week following receipt of proposals

01-03 September

Shortlisted vendors contacted and interviews arranged (in-person or remote as possible)

6-10 September

Shortlist interviews and presentations (remote)

Week of 13th September – Final selection announced

First Week of October

Work begins

10. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Proposals should be uploaded to the following location by Monday 30 August, COB (EST)

https://ri.app.box.com/f/586d90d9c8844a91812c5aa5a82c369d

We encourage bidders to contact us to clarify our requirements and explore potential solutions.

All companies responding to this RFP will be notified of the outcome of their submission according to the timetable. Proposals of unsuccessful candidates may be kept on file for future opportunities.

RI will not be liable for any costs incurred by vendors in responding to this RFP. RI reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFP, or to negotiate separately with any source whatsoever in any manner necessary to serve the best interest of RI.

This RFP is a private, copyrighted document that may not be shown to others.

10.1. STATEMENT ON POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

RI selects vendors based on an RFP process. Any contributions of cash or gifts made by a company or its employees prior or subsequent to the submission of a proposal will not be taken into account in selecting vendors.