Synopsis of an intended sole source contract modification

USAID/Madagascar intends to modify Contract No. 687-C-00-04-00155-00 with International Resources Group (IRG) under the Sustainable Environmental and Forest Ecosystems Management (Jariala) Program. The modification will extend the current contract by ten months with an additional cost of $2,300,000. The contract will enable IRG to support the Madagascar Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests and Tourism (MEEFT) to fully consolidate and internalize the numerous strategic, organizational and policy reforms that the MEEFT has adopted with USAID assistance over the past four years. The extension will place a major focus on accompanying the MEEFT in communicating reforms to its regional offices and to other stakeholders and, notably, in building the capacity of regional offices to absorb and implement those reforms at the decentralized level. It is also a key period to reinforce the benefits of reform for other stakeholders in forest and environmental management and governance. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under 706.302-70(b)(5) for the continued provision of specialized services when award to another resources would result in acceptable delays in the US Government commitment to the Government of Madagascar under the Strategic Objective agreement. However, the Government will consider all proposals received within 15 calendar days (fifteen days) after the date of publication of this synopsis. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct competitive procurement.