Special Notice – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - Foundations for Political Change Activity | RFI 522 18 00005

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI 522 18 00005

The "Special Notice - Request for Information (RFI) - Foundations for Political Change Activity" is a market research and consultation notice issued by USAID/Honduras (USAID-Tegucigalpa) under RFI Number RFI-522-18-00005. It was re-issued on September 6, 2018 (originally issued August 23, 2018) as Amendment #1, with responses due by September 17, 2018. The notice is explicitly not a funding solicitation and not an offer to award a contract or grant. Instead, it is issued under relevant Federal Acquisition Regulation provisions (FAR Part 15.201 and FAR Part 10.002) to gather outside perspectives that could shape an anticipated future activity focused on political and democratic reform in Honduras and on rebuilding citizen trust in national-level institutions.

At its core, the RFI is asking organizations and individuals to provide opinions and recommendations on how USAID might design an intervention that supports reform of key political and democratic structures in Honduras. USAID also explains that the practical reason for collecting this input is to improve the efficiency of any future process, meaning it could help USAID craft clearer requirements and reduce inefficiencies later if it decides to release a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Applications (RFA). The notice repeatedly emphasizes that responding is voluntary, that no payment will be made for submitted information, and that responses do not create any claim or obligation against the U.S. Government. It also warns not to submit proprietary information, since USAID may use submitted ideas without incurring obligations.

The background section lays out why USAID is considering this kind of activity. It highlights the political unrest following the November 26, 2017 national elections, including public accusations of electoral irregularities, weakened institutional credibility, and polarizing rhetoric. USAID links the post-2017 tensions to deeper, unresolved structural challenges dating back to the 2009 coup, noting that despite international investment, observer recommendations (including around the 2013 elections), and a national Truth and Reconciliation process in 2011, Honduras political and democratic institutions are still not well adapted to modern realities. The notice also describes a broader environment of fragmentation and mistrust: political actors and civil society organizations are portrayed as divided, frequently relying on rhetoric over evidence, often struggling to unify around shared priorities, and in some cases competing for scarce resources and influence rather than aligning around substantive policy or governance goals. USAID acknowledges that some governance-related indicators have trended positively over the decade and notes that, from a technical standpoint, the 2017 elections showed unprecedented levels of transparency and fairness, while still recognizing that perceptions of legitimacy and trust remain major problems. Overall, USAID frames the core barriers as a combination of limited political will, limited capacity among key stakeholders (parties, congress, executive agencies, civil society), and insufficient sustained citizen demand for reform.

The proposed intervention described in the notice is broad and intentionally conceptual, since this is pre-solicitation outreach. USAID indicates the anticipated activity would aim to reform key political and democratic institutions and to rebuild citizen trust in those institutions. The approach USAID signals is two-sided: improving credibility, accountability, and responsiveness of national institutions, while also increasing or even creating public demand for these reforms. USAID also states the activity would draw on lessons learned from prior and current USAID programs and complement ongoing bilateral engagement between the U.S. Government and the Government of Honduras.

To guide the feedback it wants, USAID asks respondents to address five specific design questions, all framed from a "systems perspective." First, it asks where the key leverage points are for fostering political will among citizens, strengthening public confidence in democratic processes and institutions, and restoring trust between civil society organizations and government institutions. Second, it asks where leverage points may exist to generate, increase, and sustain momentum for national-level political reform so institutions earn greater citizen trust. Third, it asks what approaches could strengthen ties between the general public and civil society organizations, requesting concrete examples from Honduras or comparable environments, along with identification of key stakeholders and practical engagement strategies. Fourth, it asks how a new activity might develop or complement civic education efforts in a strategic, targeted way, implying a desire to avoid generic civic education and instead focus on approaches that are more effective and better aligned to reform goals. Fifth, it asks how USAID could ensure the overall process is Honduran-led, sustainable, and socially inclusive, signaling interest in local ownership and inclusion across different social groups.

On participation logistics, USAID instructs interested parties to email responses to the Contracting Officer, Vann D. Rolfson, at oaahonduras@usaid.gov, using "RFI-522-18-00005" in the subject line and including the respondent's name, address, and contact information. Submissions are limited to ten pages, and respondents may answer any or all of the questions and may include additional relevant insights related to improving political and democratic structures in Honduras. USAID states it will send an electronic confirmation of receipt but will not answer questions submitted in response to the RFI.

Finally, USAID announces an in-person listening session for interested organizations on September 19, 2018. It emphasizes this is not a bidders conference and that USAID will not provide additional information about the anticipated activity during the session. The stated purpose is simply to allow local organizations to provide verbal feedback on the same RFI questions and share additional input. The session would be conducted entirely in Spanish and only in person. Registration required emailing contact details to the same address by noon on September 14, 2018, including the number of attendees, with the time and location to be shared later.

In the source data fields, the opportunity is categorized broadly as "Other" (opportunity category, instrument type, and activity category), lists CFDA 98.001, shows no award ceiling, and does not specify expected awards, reinforcing that this notice is purely information-gathering rather than an actual funding competition.

• The Honduras USAID-Tegucigalpa in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Special Notice – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - Foundations for Political Change Activity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-08-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-09-17. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for RFI 522 18 00005

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