Solicitation Number: AgTrade-TI-RFP-004
Solicitation Type: Request for Proposals (RFP) – Individual Consultants Only
Procurement Description: The purpose of this assignment is to contract a qualified consultant to develop a Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) for the USAID Agricultural Trade Diversification Program in compliance with USAID’s environmental regulations (Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 216, or Regulation 216.3) on pesticide use.
Anticipated Period of Performance: January 15, 2025 – May 30, 2025
Place of Performance: Hybrid (remote and Georgia)
Contracting Party: CNFA
Under: USAID Agricultural Trade Diversification Program
(Contract No. 72011424C00002)
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Point of Contact for Questions:
Name: Nino Inasaridze
Title: Environmental and Sustainability Manager
Address: 47 Merab Kostava str., Tbilisi, Georgia 0179
Email: ninasaridze@cnfageorgia.org
Question Deadline: December 6th, 2024
Offer Submission:
Email: agprocurement@cnfageorgia.org
Offers:
Offer Deadline: December 23, 2024
Via: ☒ Email
☐ Hard copy
☐ Email or Hard copy
Instructions: Reference the Solicitation Number in any response to this solicitation. Offers received after the specified time and date will be considered late and considered only at CNFA’s discretion. Offerors must strictly follow the deadlines provided in this solicitation to be considered for award.
Offer Validity: Offers must remain valid for not less than 60 calendar days after the offer deadline.
Award: Award will be made to the offeror who is determined to be the best offeror per the evaluation criteria and methodology provided herein. CNFA will not issue an award to different offerors, entities, or third parties other than the selected offeror(s) which submits an offer in response to this solicitation. CNFA anticipates awarding a fixed-price subcontract to the selected offeror(s).
Terms and Conditions: The resultant award is subject to CNFA’s Standard Terms and Conditions as stipulated in Section 6.
PERSUAP Consultant Scope of Work
The purpose of this assignment is to contract a qualified individual consultant to develop and update the Pesticide Evaluation Report (PER) and Safe Use Action Plan (SUAP) to bring USAID/Georgia-funded projects into compliance with USAID’s environmental regulations (Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 216, or Regulation 216.3) on pesticide use.
Beyond compliance, this document should offer a selection of best practices and pest prevention tools that build on the current programs in Georgia to help ensure that projects can use as a base for adapting and adoption, with their own local best practices and pest monitoring levels. The PERSUAP developed under this scope of work is expected to apply to all USAID/Georgia projects involving pesticide recommendations, distribution, or sales.
Scope of Work:
The assignment seeks to revise the Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) in accordance with 22 CFR 216. This assignment’s objective is to develop the USAID Agricultural Trade Diversification Program Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safe Use Action Plan (PERSUAP) which shall guide all activities that may entail the use of, or training in, pesticides. These services will make it possible for the program to comprehensively contribute to environmental and human health safety on this project, bringing USAID/Georgia-funded projects into compliance with USAID’s environmental regulations while achieving project goals.
The consultant shall use USAID’s standard template for PERSUAPs, which includes the sections below. The link to the template is here:
https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/PERSUAP_pesticide_procedures_template_v2.docx
• Crop/Pest Information
• Integrated Pest Management
• Pesticide Information
• Pesticide Evaluation Report (PER)
• Pesticide Data Sheets
• Safe Use Action Plan (SUAP)
• Prohibited Materials Analysis
• Mitigation and Monitoring
The PER section addresses the below listed informational elements required in USAID’s Pesticide Procedures:
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration status of the proposed pesticide
• Basis for selection of the pesticide
• The extent to which the proposed pesticide use is, or could be, part of an IPM program
• Proposed method or methods of application, including the availability of the application and
safety equipment
• Any acute and long-term toxicological hazards, either human or environmental, associated
with the proposed use, and measures available to minimize such hazards
• Effectiveness of the requested pesticide for the proposed use
• Compatibility of the proposed pesticide use with target and non-target ecosystems
• Conditions under which the pesticide is to be used, including climate, flora, fauna,
geography, hydrology, and soils
• Availability of other pesticides or non-chemical control methods
• Host country’s ability to regulate or control the distribution, storage, use, and disposal of
the requested pesticide
• Provision for training of users and applicators
The Safe Use Action Plan (SUAP) section describes the actions to ensure each pesticide recommended in the PERSUAP can be used safely by the intended project participant. This includes complete and implementable plans for: 1) targeted training for farmers, agricultural extension agents, handlers, applicators; 2) establishing pesticide quality, use of regulatory labels (or other guidance), and container standards; 3) pesticide-appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to be sustainably used and supplied; 4) location-specific good practice methods for safe pesticide transport, storage, handling, use, and disposal, as well as safe management and disposal of empty pesticide containers.
The consultant will conduct this assignment in collaboration with the USAID Agricultural Trade Diversification Program Chief of Party and Environmental and Sustainability Manager, as well as CNFA Headquarters Program Management Unit. The consultant will have access to project documents, such as the program description, the Initial Environmental Examination, and annual work plans to ensure the PERSUAP is aligned with these.
Tasks
To fulfill the objectives of this consultancy, the Consultant is expected to complete the following tasks:
• Review of key documents. The consultant will review key documents such as the project scope of work, draft Annual Implementation Plan, and Initial Environmental Examination to inform the development of the PERSUAP.
• Research Georgia’s pesticide regulations on import, transport, wholesale storage, spill
clean-up, safety, retail safety and sale, farm storage, farm use, farm first aid, farm clean-up
and disposal of leftover pesticides and empty pesticide containers.
• Research issues of risks, via interviews with wholesale, retail, and on-farm use with each of
the following for pesticides: import, transport, wholesale storage, spill clean-up, safety, retail sale, farm storage, farm use, farm first aid, farm clean-up and disposal of leftover pesticides and empty pesticide containers, buying amounts on an as-needed basis as well as producing, marketing and selling of counterfeit and illegal pesticides.
• Research Georgian crops (including greenhouse crops) and livestock for risks from different pest insects (including BMSB), mites, nematodes, rodents, birds, fungi, viruses, bacteria, protozoans, rickettsia, spirochetes, and annual, perennial and sedge weeds.
Research IPM tools and pesticides useful for improving soil microbial health and soil structure, controlling crop and livestock pest insects, mites, nematodes, rodents, birds, fungi, viruses, bacteria, protozoans, rickettsia, spirochetes, and annual, perennial and sedge weeds.
• Develop a detailed outline for PERSUAP, emphasizing safety measures with spraying of pesticides, as required by Regulation 216.
• Develop the first Draft of the PERSUAP.
• Incorporate CNFA comments into the PERSUAP.
• Develop the final PERSUAP.
• Incorporate USAID comments into PERSUAP.
• Submit the final PERSUAP to CNFA.
These tasks are expected to be implemented through field visits in Georgian regions as well as desk research under the guidance and in close cooperation with the Program Environmental Manager and respective staff members.
Deliverables:
Deliverable Deliverable Description Anticipated Delivery Date
1. A detailed outline for the updated PERSUAP January 31, 2025
2. Draft revised PERSUAP April 1, 2025
3. Final revised PERSUAP May 15, 2025
4. USAID approval of final PERSUAP. Following submission of the PERSUAP to USAID, the consultant will work with the CNFA staff to address USAID’s questions or comments, resulting in submission of a revised PERSUAP. The consultant will be available to provide guidance and/or directly revise sections of the PERSUAP until the document is accepted and considered final by USAID. If the first draft is approved with no comments from USAID, this deliverable will be considered achieved. May 30, 2025
