Common use of Multi-tiered Review Clause in Contracts

Multi-tiered Review. The Planner, with the approval of the AO, may establish a solicitation and review system with two or more tiers. The AO may request potential applicants to submit an executive summary or concept paper. The AO may also request corresponding budget information at their discretion. After reviewing these submissions, the Selection Committee selects the best submissions and conducts a second level solicitation and review with the selected applicants and uses more specific merit review criteria. The AO may conduct additional levels of solicitation and review only if the second level does not adequately identify applicants for the activities to be funded. Section C or Section E of the NOFO must explain the intended multi-tiered review/eligibility process so that potential applicants know what to expect at each phase of the review process. a. The Planner must develop the merit review criteria. The criteria must include the programmatic factors or priorities that affect eligibility for selection. The number of criteria should be limited to three or four factors. The review criteria in an announcement must provide as much information as practical to allow potential applicants to judge whether it is in their best interest to incur costs to apply for the award. The criteria must address the importance of the programmatic and administrative elements, but must not be unduly restrictive. It is not necessary to quantify the relative weight of the criteria, but the announcement must identify the relative importance of the criteria. The Planner must obtain the AO’s approval of the criteria before the AO publishes the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO. b. No Requirement for Prior USAID Experience. NOFO documents for the award of USAID assistance instruments must not require prior USAID experience. c. Gender issues. USAID must address gender issues in all USAID-funded activities (see ADS 205). In NOFOs (including those for Leader with Associate Awards), the Agreement Officer must ensure that the NOFO: ● Integrates gender issues into the solicitation (unless a rationale was provided by the Activity Planner for not addressing gender in the project or activity) in accordance with ADS 205. When USAID directs applicants to incorporate gender issues into their applications, the NOFO must state the requirements in the different performance components, e.g., Program Description, key personnel qualifications, if applicable, and monitoring and evaluation requirements. ● Integrates gender issues into the programmatic selection criteria (e.g., technical understanding and approach, monitoring and evaluation, personnel, etc.) that correspond to the performance requirements stated above, unless an approved rationale for not incorporating gender issues has been included in the NOFO. If the program/project office provides the Agreement Officer with a procurement request for a program that does not include the requirements in ADS 205 for either integrating gender issues in the Program Description or the rationale for why gender is not an issue for the particular assistance program it intends to fund, then the Agreement Officer must notify the program/project office that no further action will be taken on the request until it meets one of these requirements. For technical assistance and additional guidance, consult the USAID Mission/Office or Bureau gender specialist or the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GENDEV) in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3).

Multi-tiered Review. The Planner, with the approval of the AO, may establish a solicitation and review system with two or more tiers. The AO may request potential applicants to submit an executive summary or concept paper. The AO may also request corresponding budget information at their discretion. After reviewing these submissions, the Selection Committee selects the best submissions and conducts a second level solicitation and review with the selected applicants and uses more specific merit review criteria. The AO may conduct additional levels of solicitation and review only if the second level does not adequately identify applicants for the activities to be funded. Section C or Section E of the NOFO must explain the intended multi-tiered review/eligibility process so that potential applicants know what to expect at each phase of the review process.. 303.3.6.2 Merit Review Criteria a. The Planner must develop the merit review criteria. The criteria must include the programmatic factors or priorities that affect eligibility for selection. The number of criteria should be limited to three or four factors. The review criteria in an announcement must provide as much information as practical to allow potential applicants to judge whether it is in their best interest to incur costs to apply for the award. The criteria must address the importance of the programmatic and administrative elements, but must not be unduly restrictive. It is not necessary to quantify the relative weight of the criteria, but the announcement must identify the relative importance of the criteria. The Planner must obtain the AO’s approval of the criteria before the AO publishes the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO. b. No Requirement for Prior USAID Experience. NOFO documents for the award of USAID assistance instruments must not require prior USAID experience. c. Gender issues. USAID must address gender issues in all USAID-funded activities (see ADS 205). In NOFOs (including those for Leader with Associate Awards), the Agreement Officer must ensure that the NOFO: ● Integrates gender issues into the solicitation (unless a rationale was provided by the Activity Planner for not addressing gender in the project or activity) in accordance with ADS 205. When USAID directs applicants to incorporate gender issues into their applications, the NOFO must state the requirements in the different performance components, e.g., Program Description, key personnel qualifications, if applicable, and monitoring and evaluation requirements. ● Integrates gender issues into the programmatic selection criteria (e.g., technical understanding and approach, monitoring and evaluation, personnel, etc.) that correspond to the performance requirements stated above, unless an approved rationale for not incorporating gender issues has been included in the NOFO. If the program/project office provides the Agreement Officer with a procurement request for a program that does not include the requirements in ADS 205 for either integrating gender issues in the Program Description or the rationale for why gender is not an issue for the particular assistance program it intends to fund, then the Agreement Officer must notify the program/project office that no further action will be taken on the request until it meets one of these requirements. For technical assistance and additional guidance, consult the USAID Mission/Office or Bureau gender specialist or the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GENDEV) Hub in the Bureau for Economic GrowthDevelopment, EducationDemocracy, and Environment Innovation (E3DDI).

Multi-tiered Review. The Planner, with the approval of the AO, may establish a solicitation and review system with two or more tiers. The AO may request potential applicants to submit an executive summary or concept paper. The AO may also request corresponding budget information at their discretion. After reviewing these submissions, the Selection Committee selects the best submissions and conducts a second level solicitation and review with the selected applicants and uses more specific merit review criteria. The AO may conduct additional levels of solicitation and review only if the second level does not adequately identify applicants for the activities to be funded. Section C or Section E of the NOFO must explain the intended multi-tiered review/eligibility process so that potential applicants know what to expect at each phase of the review process. a. The Planner must develop the merit review criteria. The criteria must include the programmatic factors or priorities that affect eligibility for selection. The number of criteria should be limited to three or four factors. The review criteria in an announcement must provide as much information as practical to allow potential applicants to judge whether it is in their best interest to incur costs to apply for the award. The criteria must address the importance of the programmatic and administrative elements, but must not be unduly restrictive. It is not necessary to quantify the relative weight of the criteria, but the announcement must identify the relative importance of the criteria. The Planner must obtain the AO’s approval of the criteria before the AO publishes the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO. b. No Requirement for Prior USAID Experience. NOFO documents for the award of USAID assistance instruments must not require prior USAID experience. c. Gender issues. USAID must address gender issues in all USAID-funded activities (see ADS 205). In NOFOs (including those for Leader with Associate Awards), the Agreement Officer must ensure that the NOFO: ● Integrates gender issues into the solicitation (unless a rationale was provided by the Activity Planner for not addressing gender in the project or activity) in accordance with ADS 205. When USAID directs applicants to incorporate gender issues into their applications, the NOFO must state the requirements in the different performance components, e.g., Program Description, key personnel qualifications, if applicable, and monitoring and evaluation requirements. ● Integrates gender issues into the programmatic selection criteria (e.g., technical understanding and approach, monitoring and evaluation, personnel, etc.) that correspond to the performance requirements stated above, unless an approved rationale for not incorporating gender issues has been included in the NOFO. If the program/project office provides the Agreement Officer with a procurement request for a program that does not include the requirements in ADS 205 for either integrating gender issues in the Program Description or the rationale for why gender is not an issue for the particular assistance program it intends to fund, then the Agreement Officer must notify the program/project office that no further action will be taken on the request until it meets one of these requirements. For technical assistance and additional guidance, consult the USAID Mission/Office or Bureau gender specialist or the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GENDEV) Hub in the Bureau for Economic GrowthDevelopment, EducationDemocracy, and Environment Innovation (E3DDI).