Responsive E-Services (RES-ist) Activity

Notice of Intent The United States Agency for International Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID/BiH) intends to award a contract modification to Millennium Partners Consulting LLC for a time and cost extension to an existing contract # 72016820C00001. Launching a competition at this stage of the activity would result in a duplication of costs and efforts, and unacceptable delays in fulfilling the Agency's requirements. The goal of USAID's E-Governance Activity in BiH is to help Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) increase transparency and reduce corruption in targeted government-led processes, focusing on digitalization as a tool for fighting corruption. Launched in April 2020, the E-Governance Activity is assisting BiH to harmonize its legislative and regulatory framework for e-governance with European Union (EU) directives and international best practices by adopting a country-wide e-signature service and supporting relevant agencies to complete the Certifying Authority accreditation process. To bolster accountability and transparency, the E-Governance Activity is also building the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to monitor and report on public procurement. The Activity is automating processes that will have an immediate, positive impact on BiH's citizens and businesses, first by reducing corruption and second by improving the efficiency of government processes, while improving horizontal and vertical interoperability, in selected areas, such as: - Inspection services in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) - E-construction permitting in selected municipalities in the FBiH - E-centralized public procurement, with Open Data Module and the Contractor Vendor Past Performance Report System (e-CPARS). The proposed extension requires continued technical assistance and capacity-building services across three priority areas in digital governance: 1. E-Governance Policy Development: Technical assistance will support the drafting, legislative consultation, and adoption of an E-Governance Law at the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) level and potentially other interested governance levels. This assistance includes expert policy consultation, EU and international alignment, and targeted workshops to build capacity in e-signature implementation and digital standards. 2. Expansion and Maintenance of the E-Construction Permitting System: The project will introduce up to four new key stakeholders into the e-construction permitting system, ensuring further adoption of the enabling legislation, to ensure compliance and sustainability. This includes technical onboarding, system integration for new entities, platform maintenance, and training for stakeholders to enhance usability and engagement. 3. E-Centralized Public Procurement Support: To support four pilot cantons in establishing centralized purchasing authorities, additional services are required to facilitate the final government approvals, provide targeted training, and expand reach to other interested municipalities, cantons and federation entities. Interventions include technical assistance, training workshops, and system implementation support to establish a standardized, transparent procurement system. The proposed extension will extend the duration of the Activity by one year. The current ending date of the contract is March 31, 2025. With the intendend extension, the end date of the contract will be March 31, 2026. The statutory authority permitting the award without providing full and open competition is AIDAR 706.302-70(a)(2), which says that - full and open competition need not be obtained when it would impair or otherwise have an adverse effect on programs conducted for the purpose of foreign aid, relief and rehabilitation. It further states in AIDAR 706.302-70(b)(5) that this authority may be used for an award for the continued provision of highly specialized services when award to another resource would result in substantial additional costs to the Government or would result in unacceptable delays. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. Please refer any questions to Ms. Lidija Kranjec, at lkranjec@usaid.gov.