FY 2021 Women in Politics ARDF NOFO.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

U.S. EMBASSY GABORONE

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Funding Opportunity Title: Promoting Women in Politics in Botswana

Funding Opportunity Number: GABPE-20-AW-001-AF-081720

Deadline for Applications: September 18, 2020

Type of Funding: FY 2019 State Africa Regional Economic Support Fund-

Overseas Contingency Operations (ESF-OCO)

Maximum for Award: $250,000

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy Gaborone announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to provide training, resources, and support to empower women to meaningfully take part in political processes in Botswana. The end goal is to increase the role and influence of women in Botswana political institutions and decision-making.

Program Objectives:

Botswana is considered one of the most stable democracies in Africa, with peaceful, transparent elections, and leaders who willingly relinquish power in accordance with set term limits.

However, it lags far behind most SADC region countries in one key area – political participation by women. Only five percent of elected members of the National Assembly are women (3 out of

57), and a mere 11 women ran for Parliament in 2019. Levels are equally low at the district council level. While there are some encouraging signs, such as younger women candidates in who beat established male opponents, women face significant structural and social barriers.

Women involved in politics report that lack of fundraising support, party structures that discourage women from standing for office, electoral laws that do not support politically marginalized groups, and sexual harassment are primary factors for low representation of women.

Botswana prides itself on being a model of a modern democracy in Africa, but this narrative is weakened by the lack of a political voice and decision-making for half of its population. This has ramifications beyond politics. Botswana struggles with gender issues, particularly gender-based violence, which is a major focus of U.S. government assistance in the country. While societal views are often hard to change, Botswana has shown that it has the capacity to do so in the past, include through reducing stigma on HIV/AIDS. By empowering women and giving them a stake in decision-making processes, Botswana can make progress on this societal challenge.

The objective of this funding opportunity is to develop the skills women need to run for office, build networks to help them in this effort, and directly address social stigma factors that discourage women candidates. With the next national elections scheduled for 2024, women interested in taking part in the political process will have to start as soon as possible to gain a voice in the next vote.

Possible project activities could include, but not be limited to:

• A public advocacy campaign to highlight the contributions that women have made to politics in Botswana and directly address the issue of sexual harassment and exploitation towards women who stand for office.

• Regional training sessions for women interested in running for office or taking part in campaigns. Workshops to introduce women to issues such as strategies for fundraising that do not depend on male members of their households, media promotion strategies, working with the press, and development of grassroots networks. Videos and materials produced for these workshops could be made available site as resources for women interested in politics. The number and size would be determined by the final cost of each event.

• Formation of women’s political clubs at the local level or at universities. These groups can serve as local resources for women who choose to run in 2024, as well as provide a forum for collaboration among women involved in politics. This will leverage the

Independent Electoral Commission’s existing network of youth political organizations.

• Creation of a hotline or other reporting mechanism that would allow women to anonymously report sexual harassment in politics. This would also include online harassment, which is a major problem for women in political life. A database of claims would be created, while major claims would be forwarded to legal authorities for investigation.

Participants and Audiences:

• Women already involved in politics, including members of Botswana’s political parties.

• University students interested in politics, campaigns, or political processes

• Prospective women candidates

• Media

• Representatives of political parties, including men

The role of the grantee will be the following:

• Organize logistics, present information, and host a series of events or educational/cultural sessions, each focused on at least one of the priority areas listed above.

• The award amount is inclusive of venue, travel, speaker, media, refreshment or any other fees. No funding above or beyond the $250,000 award ceiling will be considered.

• Given the ongoing constraints on public gathering and travel posed by COVID-19, grantees should be prepared to explain how their proposals could be conducted virtually as a contingency if in-person events are not possible.

The following is not eligible for funding:

• Projects relating to partisan political activity. While this funding is intended to support women interested in politics, it is not intended to promote the political agenda of any party;

• Purchase and set up of surveillance equipment;

• Duplication of other U.S. Government programs;

• Projects that would benefit, either personally or politically, to any employee (e.g. direct hire, contractor, part-time) of the U.S. Government, or the spouse or family member of a

U.S. Government employee;

• Production of agricultural commodities for export that can be expected to have a significant impact on competing U.S. exports;

• Contributing to the violation of internationally recognized rights of workers;

• Charitable or donation related activities;

• Projects that support specific religious or military activities, as well as those relating to police, prisons, or other law enforcement;

• Fund-raising campaigns;

• Lobbying for specific legislation or projects;

• Scientific research;

• Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;

• Projects that duplicate existing efforts;

• Staff salaries or stipends;

• Purchase of alcohol, medicine, school uniforms, school fees, bursaries, or personal expenses;

• Support for educational or other facilities used to a significant degree by U.S. employees or their dependents;

• Support for abortion-related facilities and services;

• Purchase of used equipment – to avoid recurring maintenance and support costs. There is a general policy for financing only new equipment unless it is simple in design and spare parts are available locally, thus providing operational and maintenance advantages in less developed countries;

• Creating, continuing, or supplement technical assistance programs;

• Support for private businesses, private crèches, or public/government schools unless through involvement of a Parent-Teacher Association;

• Purchase of luxury goods and gambling equipment;

• Purchase or production of toxic or otherwise unsafe products such as pesticides or hazardous chemicals;

• Assisting any individual or entity involved in illegal drug trafficking as noted in Section

487 of the Foreign Assistance Act;

• Support, benefit, or other services associated with those persons or entities listed under

Executive Order 13224, or determined to be subject to this order or other subsequent laws or orders, who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism;

• Support for any activity barred under the Foreign Assistance Act and legislation appropriating funds for foreign assistance.

PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO

SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT

Non-Federal entities are prohibited from obligating or expending grant funds for covered telecommunications equipment or services to:

(1) procure or obtain, extend or renew a contract to procure or obtain;

(2) enter into a contract (or extend or renew a contract) to procure; or

(3) obtain the equipment, services, or systems.

Covered telecommunications equipment and services mean any of the following:

(i) Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE

Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).

(ii) For the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).

(iii) Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment.

(iv) Telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of the National

Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered foreign country.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: One (1) year

Number of awards anticipated: One (1)

Award amounts: Maximum of $250,000

Anticipated project start date: December 01, 2020

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in twelve (12) months or less.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

• Businesses and government entities do not qualify. Applicants must be individuals or registered NGOs.

• Recipients may demonstrate their commitment by either contributing to the project financially, or providing labor or supplies to carry out the project. Cost-sharing is not required but encouraged.

All applicants must display sound management in the form of financial and administrative procedures that protect against waste, fraud, and abuse.

2. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering

System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet

(http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp); NCAGE/CAGE code from

(https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx); as well as an active registration in www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.1.f. for information on how to obtain these registrations.

The program office reserves the right to request additional background information on applicants that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Please follow all instructions below carefully

Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be deemed technically ineligible for competition.

1. Content and Form of Application Submission

The following documents are required:

a. Mandatory application forms required below are available at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html or the U.S. Embassy Gaborone website.

These forms are ALWAYS FREE OF CHARGE. If you are requested to pay, you may be targeted by a scam.

Do not save these forms as they are encrypted and you will lose the information entered.

Fill out the forms, print immediately, sign, and scan all three together into .pdf format document and include in your application package.

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)

• SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

• SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs)

b. Summary Coversheet: Coversheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

c. Proposal (5 pages maximum):

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

Please ensure:

• The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity

• All documents are in English

• All budgets are in U.S. Dollars

• All pages are numbered

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include the items below.

• Proposal Summary: Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives, description of community contribution and involvement, anticipated impact and the number of female and male beneficiaries.

• Introduction to the Organization applying: A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U.S. Embassy and/or U.S. government agencies.

• Problem Statement: Clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed.

• Program Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve. Describe the program activities and what they are expected to achieve.

• Proposed Program Schedule: The proposed timeline for the program activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

• Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program.

• Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants.

Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?

• Future Funding or Sustainability Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.

d. Budget Justification Narrative: After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail. See section H. Other

Information: Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

e. Required attachments:

• 1-page CVs of proposed primary participants

• If applicable for program activities, official permission letters.

• Copy of applicant’s mission statement.

f. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

All organizations applying for grants should obtain these registrations. All are free of charge:

• NCAGE/CAGE code

• Unique Identifier Number from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)

• www.SAM.gov registration

Step 1:

NCAGE application: Application page here:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

Instructions for the NCAGE application process:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCA

GE.pdf

For help from outside the U.S., call +1-269-961-7766

Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2:

Apply for a DUNS number. Make sure the addresses used are the same as in NCAGE registration to link your organization in the two systems.

DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet, if your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling +1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

Step 3:

After receiving the NCAGE Code and DUNS number, proceed to register in SAM by logging onto: www.sam.gov (please use the Chrome browser). Start by creating an individual account, log in, and then proceed to register your entity. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

The U.S. Embassy will verify your SAM.gov registration status when reviewing your application and awarding grants.

Please note: The Embassy retains the right to ask for additional documents not included in this NOFO.

2. Submission Dates and Times

Applications for fiscal year 2021 may be submitted by September 18, 2020. Applications received by the U.S. Embassy after the closing date will not be considered.

3. Funding Restrictions

Any costs incurred in preparation of your proposal or in advance of an award will not be reimbursed.

4. Other Submission Requirements https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

Complete proposals can be:

• Emailed to:

Mannings@state.gov; MoreengAR@state.gov

• Mailed to:

U.S. Embassy, ATTN: Political-Economic Section, P.O. Box 90, Gaborone

• Hand delivered to:

U.S. Embassy, Government Enclave, Gaborone, ATTN: Political-Economic Section

All applicants will be notified of the status of their proposals after the review process is completed.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria

Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below. The criteria listed are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.

Organizational experience, capacity, and record on previous grants: The organization has experience and expertise in its stated field and the Political-Economic Section is confident of its ability to undertake the proposed project. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.

Goals and objectives: Clearly stated objectives and project approach, as well as a realistic implementation timeline. Whether the project adequately addresses the problem and provides tangible outcomes.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how project activities will be carried out.

Budget: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.

Monitoring and evaluation plan: Applicant demonstrates it is able to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The project includes output and outcome indicators and shows how and when those will be measured.

mailto:Mannings@state.gov

Sustainability: Project activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the project.

2. Review and Selection Process

An Embassy grants committee will conduct a review of all applications based on the above criteria. A selection will be announced when this process is complete.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

The Grant agreements will be written, signed, and awarded by the Grants Officer and administered by the Grants Officer or his/her Representative. The Grant agreement is the authorizing document and will be provided to the recipient for review by email before being invited to sign. The recipient may only start incurring project expenses beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S.

government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received.

Payment Method: Payments will be made by electronic funds transfer in at least two advances, as needed to carry out the project activities and based of agreed milestones.

Organizations whose applications will not be funded will also be notified via email.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include: 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at:

https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

*Note the U.S. Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions.

3. Reporting https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/pages/home.aspx

Reporting Requirements: Recipients will be required to submit financial and program reports.

The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact the Political Section at: Mannings@state.gov; MoreengAR@state.gov

Note: We do not provide any pre-consultation for application related questions that are addressed in the NOFO. Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials will not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

Guidelines for Budget Justification

Personnel: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the program, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the program.

Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this program (consultants or speakers, program staff, and participants/beneficiaries). If the program involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.

Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the program, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the program), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.

Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, devices that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.

Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the program activities.

Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the program, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.

Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating. If your organization has a

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, attach a mailto:Mannings@state.gov copy of your latest NICRA. Organizations that have never had a NICRA may request indirect costs of 10% of the modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.

“Cost Sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S.

Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.

Alcoholic Beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.