Primary Health Care and Maternal and Newborn Health (PERMATA) Program Design Update

25 July 2014

The PERMATA design document has been amended to ensure consistency and clarity throughout, ahead of going to tender as soon as possible. The updated design is attached herewith.

The main changes to the document include:

Amendments to the objective statement
Amendments the results framework
Integrating the gender and equity strategy into the design document
Overall shortening and repositioning of information to annexes.

DFAT will ensure sufficient time is provided to the market to prepare bids over the end of year holiday period if required.

DFAT thanks organisations for their ongoing interest in the design of the Primary Health Care and Maternal and Newborn Health (PERMATA) Program. DFAT takes this opportunity to provide interested parties with the latest design document for information. The information contained in the design document is caveated by the fact that the scale, scope and focus of the proposed program may change at any time and is subject to formal approval by the Australian and Indonesian Governments before a tender process will commence. The design will be formally peer reviewed in late July. Subject to internal approvals, we aim to commence the tender process in August 2014, including holding an industry briefing in late August. DFAT welcomes comments and feedback on any aspects of the draft design document, but will not be responding to questions outside of the standard industry briefing process. A Draft Scope of Services is being prepared which will articulate how the contractor will support a cross-sectoral approach to improving frontline service delivery, complement a separate M&E contract and ensure flexibility for DFAT to modify the program as required in future.

The Scope of Services is also intended to reflect the flexibility to be afforded to organisations to personalise the delivery approach for this Program. In responding to the Request for Tender, organisations will be able to propose:

alterations to the Program Logic
the approach to M&E
the approach to stakeholder communications and the Learning Platform
the number and structure of all personnel required (from technical to administrative)
the budget for the entire cost of the Program, including Management Fees, all Personnel Costs, Operational Costs, and Program Costs.

In line with the approach outlined above, DFAT has removed information about the budget from the design document, to provide flexibility for organisations to make alternative proposals. The total budget for the program is currently estimated at $165 million over 8 years, subject to approval.

The final Scope of Services will reflect the preferred Tenderer's proposal as much as practicable.