Firm to Coordinate the Deployment of a Pilot on Routine Verbal Autopsy Practice

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Background 

The Better Health Programme in Vietnam (BHP Vietnam) is a 3.5-year programme funded by the UK Government’s Prosperity Fund and aims to improve the health care system’s capacity to improve causes of death (CoD) identification and classification.In late 2021 and early 2022, the BHP Vietnam collaborated with the Department of Planning and Finance, and the Ministry of Health to support the Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI), conducting a pre-test study to prove the feasibility of using verbal autopsy methods (VA) to ascertain causes of deaths outside health facilities, accounting for about 80% of deaths in Viet Nam. Before compiling a VA protocol for routine practice in the primary health care system, the BHP Vietnam is seeking a firm to coordinate the deployment of a pilot on routine VA in some selected locations.

Scope of Work 

• The expected firm will play a role as a coordination agent to engage relevant stakeholders and support them in deploying an actual VA implementation, monitor and assess its feasibility in terms of time consumption, human capacity and technical assistance system. 
• The selected firm will perform the service under the supervision of the Family Health International (FHI 360) Monitoring and Evaluation throughout the contract duration. 

The firm selected will closely work with the BHP Vietnam and assigned colleagues to undertake the following tasks: 

I. Site preparation for the deployment 

• Endorse the cooperation with key stakeholders who can establish the network to carry out the VA at the communal level. The BHP Vietnam expects to deploy the VA at three commune health stations (CHS) in 3 targeted provinces, named Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh city.
• With the technical support from the BHP Vietnam, define and recruit relevant personnel at the site level to perform necessary tasks such as compiling the dead list, conducting VA interviews, and identifying and coding the causes of death.

II. Facilitation of VA implementation 

• With the technical and financial support from the BHP Vietnam, assist the key stakeholders and related human resources in equipping the necessary technical expertise and administrative support to ascertain the causes of death of all deceases outside of clinical settings from May 1, 2022, till August 31, 2022.
• Document the findings and make the recommendation based on the actual performance of VA in the field, such as collaboration of the Justice system, preference procedures for data sharing between different sectors, and the version of physicians in coding the cause of death.
• Assist the BHP Vietnam in monitoring and assessing the pilot in the field.

Duration of Contract 

June 20, 2022, to August 31, 2022 

Deliverables and Timeline 

The firm will accomplish the following activities: 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION 

The proposal must include the following items: 

1. Company profile 
2. Technical and financial proposal 

INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS 

FHI 360 is requesting quotations from qualified vendors registered for business in Vietnam. Bidders must submit to FHI 360 the materials detailed below. 

Technical proposal 

1. A brief organizational capability statement that includes general information/background of the vendor. 
2. A Staffing and Management Plan that includes
   
   • The proposed structure and composition of the team with responsibility to complete the scope of work. 
   • The team leader and team members’ profiles (CVs, educational degrees, professional certificates). 
   • Timeline 
3. Past performance statement that provides an overview of past work performed and clients. The statement must include at minimum two previous business projects and contracts, with contact information. 

Financial proposal: 

1. Quote/price list in VND for the required services, by payment period. The quote must list any taxes or other indirect costs as separate line items in the quote. The vendor agrees to hold the prices in its offer for the duration of the assignment. 

Submitted quotes should be valid for 60 days from the date of submission to allow adequate time for organizational approval. 

As an email with attachments may take some time to reach our designated mailbox (mentioned above), we advise all bidders to email us your proposal well before the submission deadline. Any proposals received after the submission deadline may not be accepted and shall be considered non-responsive. 

A purchase order may be awarded in VND to the responsive vendor whose quote will be evaluated as most advantageous to FHI 360 and have the highest evaluated average score. Only shortlisted bidders will be contacted. 

Bidders should note that project funds cannot be used to support the purchase of any equipment, system, or service (including servers) that uses telecommunications hardware or software from certain Chinese technology companies, including Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, Dahua Technology Company or subsidiary entities. Before contract signature, the selected vendor must complete a certification form confirming acknowledgement of this contract provision. 

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION 

Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria: Award will be based upon individual’s or firm’s technical expertise, proven past related experiences, timeline and Financial proposal.

FHI 360 Disclaimers 

• FHI 360 may perform a background check on any selected vendor. 
• FHI 360 may cancel the solicitation and not award. 
• FHI 360 may reject any or all responses received. 
• Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment by FHI 360. 
• FHI 360 reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on the failure of the offeror to follow solicitation instructions. 
• FHI 360 will not compensate any offeror for responding to a solicitation. 
• FHI 360 reserves the right to issue an award based on the initial evaluation of offers without further discussion. 
• FHI 360 may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation or issue multiple awards based on the solicitation activities. 
• FHI 360 has the right to issue amendments to the RFQ at any time.