USAID RFP: Institutional Capacity Building for Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Programs in West Africa

The USAID RFP for Institutional Capacity Building for Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Programs in West Africa is a strategic initiative to strengthen local health systems through enhanced M&E capabilities. This opportunity is part of USAID's broader commitment to advancing self-reliance in partner countries, ensuring that local institutions can independently monitor and evaluate health programs to improve outcomes. The RFP seeks proposals that build the skills, systems, and structures necessary for effective M&E, including but not limited to data collection, analysis, reporting, and use for decision-making. Geographically focused on West Africa, the RFP targets countries with significant health challenges and limited M&E infrastructure. USAID recognizes that robust M&E is essential for achieving health goals such as reducing maternal mortality, combating infectious diseases, and strengthening primary health care. The call for proposals is highly competitive, requiring applicants to demonstrate deep local knowledge and technical expertise. Organizations must propose interventions that are context-appropriate, scalable, and sustainable. Key components of the RFP include a focus on digital health solutions, gender equality, and integration with national health priorities. Applicants are encouraged to form consortia that leverage complementary strengths, including partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector entities. The deadline of August 1, 2026, provides a window for thorough planning and collaboration. This dossier provides an in-depth analysis to help prospective bidders navigate the requirements and craft a winning proposal, emphasizing the strategic value of GSLI training courses in meeting the donor's expectations.

Strategic Overview

The USAID RFP for Institutional Capacity Building for Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Programs in West Africa is a strategic initiative to strengthen local health systems through enhanced M&E capabilities. This opportunity is part of USAID's broader commitment to advancing self-reliance in partner countries, ensuring that local institutions can independently monitor and evaluate health programs to improve outcomes. The RFP seeks proposals that build the skills, systems, and structures necessary for effective M&E, including but not limited to data collection, analysis, reporting, and use for decision-making. Geographically focused on West Africa, the RFP targets countries with significant health challenges and limited M&E infrastructure. USAID recognizes that robust M&E is essential for achieving health goals such as reducing maternal mortality, combating infectious diseases, and strengthening primary health care. The call for proposals is highly competitive, requiring applicants to demonstrate deep local knowledge and technical expertise. Organizations must propose interventions that are context-appropriate, scalable, and sustainable. Key components of the RFP include a focus on digital health solutions, gender equality, and integration with national health priorities. Applicants are encouraged to form consortia that leverage complementary strengths, including partnerships with government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector entities. The deadline of August 1, 2026, provides a window for thorough planning and collaboration. This dossier provides an in-depth analysis to help prospective bidders navigate the requirements and craft a winning proposal, emphasizing the strategic value of GSLI training courses in meeting the donor's expectations.

Who is it For?

This opportunity is designed for a diverse array of organizations operating in West Africa, including local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), academic institutions, research centers, and private sector entities with expertise in public health and monitoring and evaluation. Government agencies, such as ministries of health and national statistical offices, are also eligible to apply, particularly if they propose partnerships that leverage complementary strengths. The RFP encourages consortia that bring together multiple stakeholders to foster integrated capacity-building approaches. Ideal applicants have a proven track record in implementing health programs in resource-limited settings and possess technical expertise in M&E methodologies, including both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. Experience in using digital tools for data management, such as DHIS2 or mobile data collection platforms, is highly valued. Additionally, organizations should demonstrate strong financial management capabilities and adherence to donor compliance standards. For local entities, prior experience with USAID-funded projects is advantageous but not mandatory; however, they must show a clear understanding of USAID's operational frameworks and reporting requirements. The RFP particularly targets institutions that can facilitate knowledge transfer and sustain M&E capacity beyond the project lifecycle, thereby contributing to long-term health system strengthening in West Africa.

Priorities

USAID's global priorities in this RFP center on enhancing institutional capacity for M&E to achieve measurable health outcomes in West Africa. Key investment KPIs include the percentage increase in local institutions that can independently conduct M&E activities, the number of health programs with functional M&E systems, and the improvement in data quality and use for decision-making. The donor emphasizes the adoption of digital health technologies to streamline data collection, analysis, and visualization. There is a strong focus on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), requiring that M&E frameworks incorporate sex-disaggregated data and address the needs of marginalized populations, including persons with disabilities and displaced communities. Another priority is the alignment of capacity-building efforts with national health strategies and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). USAID expects proposals to incorporate innovative approaches such as adaptive management, where M&E findings are used to continuously improve program implementation. Additionally, the donor prioritizes sustainability, with a requirement that capacity-building activities be designed to outlast the project period, through train-the-trainer models, institutionalization of M&E units, and knowledge management platforms. Financial transparency and value for money are critical, with USAID seeking cost-effective proposals that maximize impact per dollar invested.

Eligibility

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that meet specific financial, spatial, and corporate legal criteria. Financially, applicants must demonstrate sound fiscal management with audited financial statements for the past two years, indicating a stable revenue stream and adequate internal controls. The proposed budget must align with USAID's cost principles, with detailed justifications for direct and indirect costs. Spatially, the project must be implemented in one or more West African countries—typically including but not limited to Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, Togo, Guinea, and Liberia. Organizations must have a registered office or a legal presence in the region, either as a local entity or through a formal partnership with a local institution. Legally, applicants must be registered as a non-profit or for-profit entity with the relevant national authorities, and must not be debarred or suspended by the U.S. government. Additionally, they must comply with anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering regulations. For consortia, a lead applicant must be identified and must meet eligibility criteria; sub-awardees must also comply with the same standards. USAID encourages applications from women-led and minority-owned organizations. All applicants must submit a completed registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and have a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The absence of any of these prerequisites will result in immediate disqualification.

Path to Success

To secure this USAID RFP, organizations must follow a strategic roadmap that integrates GSLI's specialized training courses to bolster their institutional capability. Step 1: Conduct a thorough assessment of your organization's current M&E capacity and identify gaps. Use the M&E for Health Programs course to align your team's skills with donor expectations. This course provides foundational knowledge in indicator development, data quality assurance, and results reporting, ensuring your proposal demonstrates technical competence. Step 2: Forge partnerships with local institutions to enhance credibility and ensure on-the-ground presence. Enroll key staff in the Project Management for Development course to strengthen consortium coordination and compliance management. This course covers logical frameworks, risk matrices, and stakeholder mapping, which are critical for articulating a robust implementation plan. Step 3: Develop a detailed budget that emphasizes cost efficiency and aligns with USAID's financial compliance requirements. The Financial Management for NGOs and Grants Management courses train staff in budgeting, audit readiness, and donor reporting, directly addressing the eligibility requirements. Step 4: Craft a compelling narrative using the proposal writing techniques from the Writing Winning Proposals course. This course teaches how to structure technical approaches, incorporate GESI and sustainability, and present measurable KPIs. Finally, ensure your M&E framework leverages data-driven decision-making by training key personnel in the Monitoring & Evaluation course, which provides hands-on experience with digital tools like DHIS2. By systematically addressing each capacity gap with GSLI training, your proposal will not only meet but exceed USAID's evaluation criteria, positioning your organization for success.

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Deadline: 2026-08-01

Persona: General

Urgency: Normal