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

U.S. Extends Program to Reduce School Dropout Rate

A U.S. government effort to discourage students from dropping out of secondary and even primary  school has been extended, giving a federal contractor two more years to achieve the Obama Administration's goals in this program. The initiative, however, focuses on students in the Middle East and Asia.

Creative Associates International since 2010 has carried out the School Dropout Prevention Pilot program (SDPP) in Cambodia, India, Tajikistan, and Timor Leste on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which awarded Creative a three-year task order with a $51.5 million maximum ceiling.

The contract balance is projected to remain around $25.5 million by September, necessitating no additional program costs, according to a Justification & Approval for Other Than Full & Open Competition (J&A) document that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor located through routine database research.

The J&A claims that opening up the project to competitive bidding would have interfered with ongoing research, data collection, and program-implementation, subsequently resulting in unnecessary costs to the government.

FOR FURTHER COVERAGE OF THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

ALSO SEE THE MONITOR'S EDUCATION PAGE.

- See more at: /education/#sthash.nYLHoHjp.dpuf

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.