Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI WGS 2021 0001
The Water Governance for Sindh Activity is a USAID/Pakistan market research notice issued as a Request for Information (RFI) and Sources Sought, meant to measure interest and identify capable Pakistani local organizations that could potentially implement a future activity in Jacobabad, Sindh. It is not a formal Request for Applications and does not obligate the U.S. Government to release a solicitation, make an award, or reimburse any costs incurred in preparing or submitting information. In other words, the RFI is an early step that helps USAID understand the local partner landscape before deciding whether and how to move forward with a funded opportunity.
If USAID proceeds beyond the RFI stage, it anticipates making a single award in the form of a three-year cooperative agreement, with an estimated award ceiling of up to USD 3,000,000. The activity is categorized under NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services) and is associated with CFDA 98.001. The eligible applicant pool is described broadly but is specifically aimed at Pakistani local organizations, reflecting an intent to identify local implementers with on-the-ground presence, relationships, and operational familiarity with municipal service delivery realities in Sindh.
Programmatically, the activity is designed to strengthen the Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ) so it can deliver better municipal services to residents, with a clear emphasis on water delivery and the linked areas of water management and solid waste management. The core idea is that service improvements in Jacobabad depend not only on physical infrastructure, but also on the municipal institution behind it. As a result, the central workstream is capacity building: improving MCJ management systems, operational practices, and the ability to plan, budget, operate, and maintain services in a consistent and accountable way. The intervention is described as needing to be high-quality, reliable, timely, and objective, suggesting USAID is looking for implementers that can provide technically sound assistance as well as practical, day-to-day operational support that produces visible service gains.
A second major pillar is community mobilization, which is framed as essential to helping MCJ become self-reliant and financially viable. That signals attention to the demand side of municipal services: engaging residents, improving communication and trust, encouraging appropriate customer behaviors, and potentially strengthening feedback and grievance channels so services become more responsive and customer-oriented. The mention of financial viability implies the activity may focus on improving revenue-related functions and governance practices, such as billing, collections, customer records, service standards, transparency, and other steps that help a municipality pay for operations and maintenance over time rather than relying on ad hoc support.
Beyond MCJ itself, the activity also expects coordination with other government departments and offices to ensure smoother and timelier operations. This reflects the reality that municipal water and waste services often depend on multiple actors, approvals, and overlapping mandates. USAID is signaling that the implementing partner should be able to navigate local government coordination, reduce bottlenecks, and align stakeholders toward practical improvements that residents can feel. The intended end state is improved customer satisfaction for Jacobabad residents, meaning progress will likely be judged by whether service delivery becomes more reliable, better managed, and more responsive, rather than by planning documents alone.
From an opportunity timeline perspective, the notice was created July 13, 2021, with an original closing date of July 27, 2021, indicating a short window typical of RFIs that are used to quickly map interest and capability. The official funding opportunity number is RFI WGS 2021 0001, and the issuing agency is USAID-Islamabad. Any further details about expected outcomes and implementation approach are referenced as being in an attachment (Attachment B, Program Description), which would normally expand on the specific technical areas, geographic scope within Jacobabad, and the types of capacity-building and mobilization activities USAID had in mind.Apply for RFI WGS 2021 0001
- The Agency for International Development, Pakistan USAID-Islamabad in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Water Governance for Sindh 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 Jul 13, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 27, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: Water Governance for Sindh Activity (USAID/Pakistan) - RFI / Sources Sought
1) What is the Water Governance for Sindh Activity notice?
It is a USAID/Pakistan market research notice issued as a Request for Information (RFI) and Sources Sought. Its purpose is to measure interest and identify capable Pakistani local organizations that could potentially implement a future activity in Jacobabad, Sindh.
2) Is this a formal funding opportunity or an application request?
No. The notice is not a formal Request for Applications. It is an early market research step to help USAID understand the local partner landscape before deciding whether and how to move forward with a funded opportunity.
3) Does submitting information to this RFI guarantee an award?
No. The RFI does not obligate the U.S. Government to release a solicitation, make an award, or take any other action leading to funding.
4) Will USAID reimburse costs for preparing or submitting an RFI response?
No. The notice states the U.S. Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in preparing or submitting information in response to the RFI.
5) Who is the issuing agency for this RFI?
The issuing agency is USAID-Islamabad (USAID/Pakistan).
6) What is the funding opportunity number for this notice?
The official funding opportunity number is RFI WGS 2021 0001.
7) When was the notice created and when did it close?
The notice was created on July 13, 2021, and the original closing date was July 27, 2021.
8) What geographic area is the potential activity focused on?
The potential activity is focused on Jacobabad, Sindh, specifically supporting the Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ).
9) Who is USAID primarily trying to identify through this Sources Sought?
The notice is specifically aimed at Pakistani local organizations, reflecting an intent to identify local implementers with on-the-ground presence, relationships, and operational familiarity with municipal service delivery realities in Sindh.
10) If USAID proceeds after the RFI, what type of award is anticipated?
If USAID proceeds beyond the RFI stage, it anticipates making a single award in the form of a three-year cooperative agreement.
11) What is the estimated funding level if USAID moves forward?
The anticipated award ceiling is up to USD 3,000,000.
12) How many awards does USAID expect to make if it issues a future solicitation?
USAID anticipates making a single award if it proceeds beyond the RFI stage.
13) What NAICS code is associated with this opportunity?
The activity is categorized under NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services).
14) What CFDA listing is associated with this notice?
The notice is associated with CFDA 98.001.
15) What is the overall goal of the activity described in the notice?
The activity is designed to strengthen the Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ) so it can deliver better municipal services to residents, with a clear emphasis on water delivery and linked areas such as water management and solid waste management.
16) Which municipal service areas are emphasized?
The notice emphasizes water delivery, water management, and solid waste management as linked areas of focus for improving municipal services in Jacobabad.
17) What is described as the central workstream of the activity?
Capacity building is described as the central workstream, focused on improving MCJ management systems, operational practices, and the ability to plan, budget, operate, and maintain services in a consistent and accountable way.
18) What kinds of improvements to MCJ are mentioned?
The notice highlights improving management systems and operational practices, strengthening planning and budgeting, and improving operations and maintenance capabilities so services can be delivered more consistently and accountably.
19) What does USAID indicate it expects from technical assistance under this activity?
The intervention is described as needing to be high-quality, reliable, timely, and objective, signaling interest in implementers that can provide technically sound assistance along with practical operational support that leads to visible service improvements.
20) What is the second major pillar of the activity besides capacity building?
Community mobilization is described as a second major pillar, framed as essential to helping MCJ become self-reliant and financially viable.
21) Why is community mobilization considered important in this notice?
It is framed as essential to strengthening MCJ's self-reliance and financial viability, with attention to engaging residents, improving communication and trust, encouraging appropriate customer behaviors, and strengthening feedback or grievance channels so services become more responsive and customer-oriented.
22) Does the notice suggest any focus on municipal financial viability?
Yes. The notice connects community mobilization to helping MCJ become financially viable, implying potential focus on governance and revenue-related functions such as billing, collections, customer records, service standards, and transparency to support sustainable operations and maintenance.
23) Does the activity involve coordination beyond MCJ?
Yes. The notice expects coordination with other government departments and offices to ensure smoother and timelier operations, recognizing that municipal services often depend on multiple actors, approvals, and overlapping mandates.
24) What outcomes does USAID imply will matter most for judging progress?
The notice points to improved customer satisfaction for Jacobabad residents and suggests progress will likely be judged by more reliable, better managed, and more responsive service delivery, rather than planning documents alone.
25) Where are additional technical details referenced?
The notice references an attachment (Attachment B, Program Description) for further details about expected outcomes and the implementation approach, which would typically expand on technical areas, geographic scope within Jacobabad, and specific capacity-building and mobilization activities.
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