EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN SENEGAL | RFI 685 17 000002

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) What is this USAID/Senegal opportunity?

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by USAID/Senegal (USAID-Dakar). It is tied to a draft program description for a planned activity called "Equitable Access to Education in Southern Senegal."

2) Is this an open grant competition or call for proposals?

No. Based on the information provided, this is not a grant competition and not a call for applications or proposals. It is an information-gathering step intended to collect feedback to improve the design of a potential future program.

3) What is the purpose of the RFI?

The purpose is to gather targeted, actionable feedback from organizations and experts so USAID can refine the program design, clarify assumptions, pressure-test the logic (theory of change), and improve the likely impact of a future activity.

4) What activity is USAID planning?

USAID is considering a planned activity called "Equitable Access to Education in Southern Senegal," described as a five-year effort focused on increasing equitable access to education for children and adolescents in crisis-affected areas of southern and southeastern Senegal.

5) What is the anticipated time period for the planned activity?

The envisioned activity is described as a five-year effort.

6) How much funding is anticipated?

The draft describes an estimated total funding ceiling in the range of $20 million to $25 million, depending on the availability of funds.

7) Is the funding amount guaranteed?

No. The funding ceiling is described as an estimate and is explicitly dependent on funds being available.

8) Where would the planned activity take place?

The focus areas are Senegal's crisis-affected southern and southeastern regions, specifically the Casamance regions (Ziguinchor, Sedhiou, and Kolda) as well as Kedougou.

9) Who is the target population for the planned activity?

The target population is girls and boys roughly ages 9 to 16, particularly children who are out of school or at high risk of dropping out.

10) What context or challenges is the activity meant to address?

The program is framed around persistent barriers to education in areas shaped by fragility, insecurity, displacement, poverty, and uneven service delivery. It is intended to support children who are not being reached effectively by the standard education system.

11) What are the main directions or components USAID expects the activity to include?

Based on the draft description summarized in the notice, the activity is expected to: (a) provide complementary education services delivering basic education in ways that better match community needs; (b) help formal basic education become more responsive to community needs and connect with complementary services; (c) increase successful transition from primary school to middle school; and (d) support efforts that help families and caregivers enroll out-of-school children in relevant and responsive education services.

12) What are "complementary education services" in the context of this draft activity?

The RFI describes complementary education services as basic education approaches designed to better match community needs, particularly for children not being reached effectively by the standard system. The draft also emphasizes that complementary services should not be treated as a separate track that never connects back to public schooling.

13) How does the draft frame the relationship between complementary education and the formal system?

The draft indicates an intention to both provide complementary education services and help improve formal basic education so it becomes more responsive to communities. It suggests complementary education should support and connect with the formal system rather than operate in isolation.

14) Why is the transition from primary school to middle school highlighted?

The draft notes this is a point where many students drop out due to factors such as cost, distance, safety concerns, academic readiness, and social expectations (including pressure to work, early marriage, or household responsibilities).

15) How does the planned activity intend to engage families and caregivers?

The draft includes an objective to support efforts that help families and caregivers enroll out-of-school children in education services that are relevant and responsive, recognizing that household decision-making and constraints often drive whether children attend and persist.

16) What kind of feedback is USAID asking for through this RFI?

USAID is asking stakeholders to review the draft program description and provide targeted, actionable comments that reference specific pages and sections.

17) What specific questions or topics does USAID want RFI respondents to address?

USAID highlights interest in feedback on: (a) whether the theory of change is clear and captures key challenges to education access in the target regions; (b) whether expected outcomes are realistic and well-defined; (c) how complementary basic education can best support the formal system to reach out-of-school youth; (d) how life skills could make education more relevant and valued by communities; and (e) whether the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) approaches are appropriate and what additional methods could strengthen collaboration, learning, and adaptation.

18) What does USAID mean by "theory of change" in this RFI context?

In this RFI, USAID is using "theory of change" to refer to the draft program's logic for how planned activities would address barriers and lead to increased equitable access to education in the target regions. USAID is requesting feedback on whether that logic is clear and comprehensive.

19) What is USAID asking about life skills?

USAID invites views on how life skills could make education more relevant and valued by communities, which the draft suggests may influence attendance, retention, and the perceived payoff of schooling, especially for adolescents.

20) What is USAID asking about monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)?

USAID wants feedback on whether the draft proposes the right MEL approaches to credibly measure results and whether additional methods could strengthen collaboration, learning, and adaptation during implementation.

21) Who can respond to this RFI?

The eligible applicant category is listed as "unrestricted," meaning a wide range of organizations could potentially participate (particularly if a formal solicitation is later released). For the RFI itself, USAID is seeking input from stakeholders, organizations, and experts.

22) Does responding to the RFI provide any advantage in a later competition?

No. USAID explicitly emphasizes that responding to the RFI does not create any competitive advantage in any later solicitation.

23) Can USAID change the planned activity based on RFI feedback?

Yes. USAID states it may revise the activity substantially based on what it hears through the RFI process.

24) What type of funding instrument is anticipated if a future solicitation is released?

The anticipated award instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement by USAID during implementation compared to a standard grant.

25) Where would a future formal funding announcement be posted?

If USAID proceeds with a formal Request for Applications (RFA), it will be posted on Grants.gov and other USAID channels. Interested parties are responsible for monitoring those sites.

26) Who is the listed USAID contact for this RFI?

USAID directs comments and questions to Khady Sadio, with submissions copied to a second USAID email contact (as indicated in the opportunity notice).

27) What is the submission deadline for the RFI response?

Submissions are requested by March 20, 2017.

28) Will USAID answer questions submitted in response to this RFI?

No. USAID states it will not provide direct answers to questions submitted in response to the RFI.

29) What should an RFI response look like, based on USAID's instructions?

USAID requests targeted, actionable comments that reference specific pages and sections of the draft program description, and that address the key design questions highlighted in the RFI.

30) What is the main takeaway for organizations interested in funding?

The key point is that USAID is not requesting project bids at this stage. It is requesting input to refine a planned, multi-year education access initiative before any future competitive funding announcement is finalized.