The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Haiti has released a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input for an upcoming initiative focused on Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Adapting (MERLA) to support USAID/Haiti’s development goals and activities. This request invites responses from organizations with an interest and expertise in providing MERLA services to guide USAID’s strategic initiatives across multiple sectors in Haiti. Responses to this RFI are intended solely for information gathering, not as proposals, and will not confer any advantage in subsequent procurement processes.

The upcoming MERLA activity will support USAID/Haiti’s strategic objectives within its current Strategic Framework, designed to engage Haitians in fostering a resilient, prosperous, and democratic future. Operating in a challenging and complex context, USAID/Haiti requires enhanced monitoring, performance evaluation, learning, and capacity-building support to manage approximately 70 ongoing activities in Haiti. The MERLA initiative will supplement USAID’s internal resources and a current third-party monitoring contract, Evaluation and Survey Services Plus (ESS+), which is nearing its operational ceiling, necessitating additional support for continuous monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

Key objectives of the MERLA program include providing technical support for third-party performance monitoring and offering evaluation, learning, and capacity-building services. MERLA will establish independent third-party systems to verify and monitor the performance of USAID/Haiti’s entire portfolio, which includes humanitarian activities in hard-to-access areas. The third-party monitoring system is designed to deliver impartial assessments and enhance data quality and reliability. Additionally, MERLA will provide evaluation and learning services, offering empirical evidence to guide programmatic adjustments and foster continuous learning and adaptation within USAID/Haiti and its partner organizations. This service aims to bolster local capacity and support USAID’s learning goals.

This initiative will be integral to USAID/Haiti’s seven key technical sectors: democracy, human rights, and governance; education; health (including nutrition); economic growth and agricultural development; infrastructure, energy, and engineering; humanitarian assistance; and resilience and new partnership engagement. By embedding a strong monitoring and learning framework, USAID/Haiti seeks to improve understanding of project outputs, progress, and outcomes across these sectors, informing future strategic actions.

Respondents to this RFI are encouraged to provide feedback on several aspects, including their organizational expertise, experience in Haiti or similar environments, and examples of previous work. Additional areas for input include collaboration with local Haitian organizations, best practices and lessons learned, identification of gaps in the Scope of Work for MERLA as presented, and suggestions for scaling up innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions. Respondents may also express potential interest in applying as a prime or sub-grantee and, if applicable, list potential consortium partners.

To respond, organizations should submit concise responses, limited to three pages, detailing their insights and relevant experience by November 27, 2024. Submissions will only be accepted electronically, with no feedback provided by USAID beyond a receipt acknowledgment.