J&A under EPP - Strengthening municipal governments capacity to respond to COVID19 challenges and response

The J&A allows the Agency to increase the total estimated cost of the contract by $4,998,750 dollars, extend the duration of the award by 12 additional months, and update the statement of work to allow DAI Global LLC to continue to work with key offices in 22 prioritized municipalities; two municipal associations (mancomunidades MANQOSEC, MANCUERNA); the National Association of Municipalities (ANAM), and the Guatemalan Association of Mayors and Indigenous Authorities (AGAAI) to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency. Approval of this authority for exceptions to full-and-open competition was necessary to provide the flexibility that is essential to USAID's ability to implement activities that respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by strengthening local capacity at the municipal level. Approximately 74% of municipal authorities who took office in January 2020 were newly elected. As anticipated, a significant number of municipal technical personnel were replaced with new and inexperienced staff. Less than three months after taking office the new authorities were challenged with responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Nexos Locales Project has gained the trust of the new municipal authorities who are partnering with the Project; however, the project is scheduled to end June 2022 and currently has limited pipeline available to respond to the urgent and diverse needs that municipalities face due to COVID-19. USAID, through Nexos Locales, will seek to soften the negative consequences derived from the global pandemic by assisting targeted municipalities in their planning, response, and recovery from this forthcoming threat. The current health crisis requires municipal governments in the Western Highlands increased capacity to ensure access to safe water, strengthen transparent and good governance, establish recovery plans, and ensure municipalities and communities are more resilient to these types of shocks. Required activites: 1. Strengthen municipal capacity in prioritized municipalities to increase own source revenue and ensure robust, transparent mechanisms are in place for public expenditure reporting and inclusive citizen decision-making processes. 2. Ensure sustainable access to safe water at the municipal urban level in targeted municipalities by providing technical assistance to the municipal office of water and sanitation. 3. Strategy Development for Local Economic Development Resiliency