Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor

U.S. Crafting New Economic Recovery Plan

The damage caused by the global financial crisis requires additional federal intervention, according to the Obama Administration, which is launching a new program to “foster growth and stability at a time of increasing economic turmoil.” This particular endeavor, however, will focus its efforts on improving conditions in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, and the “newly independent states,” or NIS, of the former Soviet Union.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is designing this Europe & Eurasia (E&E) regional project in order to “promote trade, investment and regulatory integration; enhance regional competitiveness, and support financial sector stability.”

The agency did not disclose an estimated cost of the program, which remains under development. It is conducting market research of potential contractors capable of carrying out services in the region. USAID may—or may not—release a more detailed solicitation at a later date.

If indeed it executes this project, USAID will target thirteen nations where USAID already has established a presence, “including the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia), Western NIS (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus), Russia, and the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan).

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According to a Sources Sought Notice that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor located via routine database research:

Despite the tremendous progress made over the years, many of these countries are still struggling to regain the living standards that they enjoyed under communism and to integrate themselves into the ever more competitive world economy.  Furthermore, the region has been disproportionately adversely affected by the 2008-2009 global economic crisis and, now, by the ongoing Eurozone financial crisis… Several countries in the region have unemployment rates above 20%, labor productivity remains well below the EU standards, and export growth rates have stagnated. 

The four “principal technical areas” for which contractors may provide services include:

            1. Regional Trade Facilitation;  

            2. Private Sector Competitiveness and Enterprise Development;

            3. Business Enabling Environment (meaning, support of “legal and regulatory reform and rule of law issues”); and:

            4. Financial Sector Stability, Growth & Inclusion.

USAID will accept capability statements from interested providers until June 11 at 2 p.m.

Source document: Solicitation #M-OAA-GRO-LMA-12-1002

FOR ADDITIONAL REPORTING ON THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SEE THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

FOR FURTHER REGIONAL COVERAGE, SEE THE MONITOR'S EUROPE PAGE.

OTHER NATION-SPECIFIC MONITOR PAGES ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE ABOVE ARTICLE.

U.S. Considers Financing Gas Extraction Projects in Central Asia

The U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) is weighing whether to partially subsidize a coal-bed methane extraction project in the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The agency will pay a U.S. contractor $60,000 to develop a “feasibility study” of the project before proceeding with additional financing or technical assistance. USTDA is providing a grant for the study on behalf of the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, or MINT, as well as at the request of ArcelorMittau —“the largest owner of coal resources in Kazakhstan,” according to the solicitation (#RFQ-CO201161288).

FOR ADDITIONAL REGIONAL COVERAGE, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S Azerbaijan AND KAZAKHSTAN PAGES.

FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF THE U.S. TRADE & DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S USTDA PAGE.

 

U.S. Seeks New Means of Predicting Internet Growth Overseas, from Albania to Zimbabwe

The U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is looking for a contractor capable of developing a new analytical model to predict Internet usage and growth in thirty-two foreign nations, from "A" (Albania) to "Z" (Zimbabwe).

The agency, which runs U.S. government-funded international broadcasting systems such as Voice of America and Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, said in a Statement of Work (Solicitation #BBG50-R-11-0020) that existing models for predicting growth are inadequate. The SOW said those models solely focus on specific technology sectors rather than the Internet in its entirety:

The ultimate goal is to estimate, using empirical data, the expansion of the number of unique individuals using the Internet on a weekly basis in these markets over the next five years. While various organizations have produced such estimates and prejections for sub-segments of the Internet market, such as mobile Internet use or fixed line broadband, BBG requires estimates of the growth of the entire Internet market, regardless of platform, including use via public access facilities.

Although the BBG attempted to justifiy why it wants a new predictive model, it did not specify why it needs -- nor what it intends to do -- with such a new mode of analysis. The agency said it would apply the model to Internet usage in the following nations: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam,  Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The BBG said the selected contractor should be able to complete the work within an eight-week period. It did not offer an estimated cost of the project.

USAID New Briefs; June 24, 2011

CHEMONICS SECURES MONGOLIAN ECONOMIC-GROWTH CONTRACT

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded an $18.2 million contract to Chemonics International, Inc., to carry out its "Business Plus Initiative" in Mongolia. Chemonics will be tasked with promoting economic growth in Mongolia by carrying out four primary duties over the course of the five-year endeavor:  (1) Implementation of Business Enabling Policies; (2) Private Sector Investment Support; (3)  Financial Sector Deepening Support; (4) Public Outreach and Performance Monitoring and Evaluation.

USAID REDUCES SCOPE OF AZERBAIJAN PROJECT

USAID has decided to scale back a proposed $10 million healthcare initiative in the Central Asian nation of Azerbaijan (Solicitation #SOL-112-11-000004). The "Azerbaijan Strengthening Health Systems through Integrated Programs" initiative, or AZ-SHIP, "has been reconfigured as a much smaller in scope, funding and time activity," USAID said today in an amendment to a Feb. 18 solicitation.  "Given the extent of changes to the program, USAID has determined that it will be best implemented through assistance.  Consequesntly, a Request for Proposals will not be issued.  The agency instead will post future "assistance opportunities"  to the federal government's grants.gov website.

USAID-ZIMBABWE SEEKS PHYSICIAN

As part of USAID"s $50 million healthcare program in Zimbabwe, the agency is seeking to hire a Health Development Physician for its team (Solicitation #613-11-001). The position offers a $99,628-$129,517 annual salary range via a two-year contract with extensions options.

USAID-CAMBODIA STILL SEARCHING FOR PROJECT OFFICER

USAID continues to seek candidates for a Project Development Officer who would be stationed in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The agency this week readvertised the personnel services contract notice (Solicitation #442-11-001-RFP) for the slot, which pays an annual salary in the $84,697 - $110,104 range.  The selected candidate would help to  plan, assess, and monitor USAID programs in this Southeast Asian nation.

$100 MILLION PHILIPPINES PROJECT NEED SENIOR ADVISOR

USAID-Manila is seeking a Senior Rural Development Advisor for The Philippines, where the selected candidate would help to manage the $100 million Growth with Equity in Mindanao II, or GEM II, initiative. (Solicitation # SOL-492-11-000012). The one-year position pays an annual salary in the $99,628-$129,517 range.