NOFO FINAL FINAL 6 18.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO)

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA)

U.S. Department of State (DOS)

I. AWARD INFORMATION

Announcement Type: New Announcement

Funding Opportunity Title: Addressing the Root Causes of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Caribbean through the Caribbean GBV Prevention and Survivor Support Small Grants

Assistance Listings Number: 19.750

Award Amount: $790,123 – Proposals that exceed this amount will be deemed NOT Competitive

Number of Awards: One (1) Award

Cost Sharing Requirement: Not Required

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Funding Type: Economic Support Funds

Closing Date for Submission of Complete proposal packages must be

Applications: submitted through www.grants.gov by July 24, 2020, 11:59 pm, EST

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: July 14, 2020, 5 pm, EST

Electronic Requirement: Yes - e-mailed, faxed, or mailed proposal packages, or individual submission documents, will NOT be considered.

Eligibility Category: U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations subject to section

501(c) (3) of the U.S. tax code; Overseas non-governmental non-profit organizations; Foreign

Public Entities and Public International Organizations (PIO); U.S.-based institutions of higher education, and accredited overseas universities.

Country Eligibility: The following Caribbean countries will be eligible for small grant projects to include high-income countries; however, Cuba will be excluded from all project activities. The eligible list of countries only includes Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican

Republic, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago).

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400, it is the U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under federal assistance instruments.

Type of Applicant: Organizations. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Number of Applications: One (1) per applicant organization.

Note: Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined proposal. However, only one organization may be designated as the lead applicant. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed in this NOFO.

Anticipated award date: The successful applicant will receive notification within approximately four-to-five weeks of the closing of this announcement. The U.S. Department of State is under no obligation to fund any of the proposals submitted under the funding opportunity.

Project Duration: 36 months

Est. Project Start Date: September 2020

Est. Project End Date: September 2023

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended. Answers to questions from eligible interested organizations will be posted as attachments to this NOFO.

Applicants should regularly check the www.grants.gov for the most recent information pertaining to this funding opportunity.

WHA reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the project and the availability of funds. The authority for this NOFO is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. The Assistance Listings Number for this funding opportunity is 19.750.

This NOFO consists of the following sections:

I. Award Information

II. Funding Opportunity Description

III. Application Submission

IV. Application Evaluation

V. Award Issuance and Administration

VI. Agency Contacts

Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to review this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of project sought and the application submission requirements and review process as outlined in this NOFO.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

http://www.grants.gov/

The United States Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a gender-based violence (GBV) small grants program in the Caribbean that will work with local civil society organizations to address the root causes of GBV. Project activities will focus on gender sensitivity training for men and boys, strengthen civil society organization (CSO) networks and victim support, and support civil society training for local government agencies and service providers that support GBV survivors.

GBV ranges from intimate partner violence to gender-based killing of women and girls, significantly hindering the ability of individuals to participate fully in society and contribute to their families and communities. Subject to availability of funds, WHA intends to issue one award not to exceed $790,123 in FY 2019 Economic Support Funds (ESF) for a project period of three

(3) years. The eligible countries for this project include only the following countries: Antigua and

Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and

Tobago). The project does not provide for assistance to Cuba, Belize, or the islands of the Dutch

Caribbean. Of the total award, up to $430,000 can be used for the small grants, and of the $430,000, no more than $120,000 total can be used for small grants to high-income countries (Antigua and

Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and The Bahamas). The proposed Caribbean small grantees will implement project activities that improve local capacity in preventing and/or responding to gender-based violence affecting Caribbean communities, while also addressing the root causes of GBV and social-cultural attitudes of young men and boys. In coordination with WHA and other key local stakeholders, a non-government organization, education institution, or public international organization will provide 12-18 small grants of no more than $80,000 and no less than $15,000 each with a preference for selection of local nongovernmental organizations to implement the awards to enhance awareness and prevention of GBV in the Caribbean region.

WHA seeks to engage a broad range of civil society actors and foster partnerships between local governments and civil society organizations on GBV prevention by addressing root causes. The project will also include project activities that improve Caribbean CSO’s abilities to provide GBV survivor support services and strengthen linkages with local governments that may also be providing services. Small grant activities can provide education and training activities to empower youth and engage men and boys on GBV prevention, and may include communication and outreach strategies to engage local communities and a wider country-level audience through using different media outlets to include op-eds, local radio, and television. Alternatively, small grant projects can advance youth leadership, especially among young women and girls, to engage with civil society and local governments on activities to address GBV prevention. The prime implementer will need to create project activities that link small grant projects into existing social and informational platforms and networks on GBV prevention. While training for youth is one method of achieving the overall project goal of addressing the root causes of GBV, it is not meant to serve as an end in itself.

The $790,123, is attributed to a global U.S. Department of State congressional GBV earmark, and supports the U.S. Department of State and the Administration’s Women Peace and Security (WPS)

Policy Outcomes 2 & 3, and the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative

Pillar 3, which are:

• WPS Outcome 2: Women and girls around the world have access to aid, and are safe from all forms of gender-based violence (GBV), abuse, and exploitation;

• WPS Outcome 3: U.S. personnel and international programs advance women’s and girls’ equality and empowerment; and,

• W-GDP Pillar 3: Promote an enabling environment that increases women’s economic empowerment by reducing barriers and enhancing protections in policies, laws, regulations, and practices (public and private) to facilitate women’s participation in the economy.

The award recipient will need to be able to track and account for the results attributed to this global

GBV earmark and WPS Policy.

Julie Chung

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs U.S. Department of State

II. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

According to UNDOC’s Crime Trend Survey (CTS) based on police statistics, three of the top ten sexual violence rates in the world occur in the Caribbean. In addition, all countries in the

Caribbean for which comparable data is available (The Bahamas, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Jamaica, St. Kitts/Nevis, Dominica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago) experience a rate of sexual violence above the unweighted average of the 102 countries in the CTS. GBV survivors experience post-traumatic stress, and girls in particular are often the victims of sexual abuse. The

Caribbean has minimal infrastructure in health and human services, limited criminal justice resources, and limited ability of NGOs to address GBV issues. These limitations lead to commercial sexual exploitation of young women and girls, social exclusion of girls and women from the economy, socio-cultural attitudes that contribute to GBV, and violence committed against women at home and in the community. Local communities in the Caribbean struggle to address the root causes of GBV because of a lack of understanding of the scope of the crisis and pervasive gender discrimination. The rates of GBV are highest in settings where social norms support gender inequality, communities fail to punish those who use physical or sexual violence against women and girls, and where such attitudes are considered normal and justified. Focusing activities on boys and young men will help GBV prevention because attitudes and beliefs about gender norms and violence are still forming in those groups. Improving local government responses to girls and young women who experience gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, is also critical.

The perpetuation of GBV significantly hinders individuals’ abilities to participate fully in economic, political, and social dimensions of their lives and local communities.

PROJECT GOAL AND DESCRIPTION

Address the root causes of GBV in the Caribbean through a series of community-level small grants.

The prime award recipient will manage the awards process and create an enabling environment for civil society organizations already engaged in GBV prevention activities to a) further engage with local communities through education and training; or b) strengthen linkages with local governments that are also engaged as service providers to women GBV survivors.

This Caribbean GBV small grants project will improve collaboration between civil society and local governments on support services for GBV survivors in the Caribbean, address socio-cultural norms that perpetuate GBV working with youth, and provide technical expert training to CSOs on both GBV preventive measures and best practices for GBV survivor support services. Grant funds cannot directly assist or support GBV survivors; rather, grant funds should improve the delivery of existing services from organizations to GBV survivors and/or address socio-cultural norms that perpetuate GBV through sensitization training to communities. Special consideration will be given to applicants that broaden existing services to historically-marginalized communities as project beneficiaries. Applicants should consider the implications the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) may have on the project and any possible restricted activities. The required risk assessment should include a contingency plan for the various restrictions that may occur due to COVID-19.

Small grant recipients will be competitively chosen by the prime grantee and will choose specific activities that WHA believes will support strengthening the GBV-focused CSO communities in which they exist. WHA has stipulated particular budgetary levels for sub-regions within the

Caribbean in order to ensure geographic distribution of resources. Subrecipients may choose between:

• Project activities that provide root-cause intervention aimed at empowering youth, and men and boys in local schools, after-school programs, or communities to address social-cultural attitudes, or teach respectful personal expression without violence toward women;

OR

• Project activities that strengthen linkages between CSOs and local governments on youth empowerment related to preventing GBV; technical capacity building for local government agencies; and improved services of women’s shelters or case managers, or CSO GBV support and referral networks. In this set of activities, sub-recipients would focus on developing pilot projects that host governments could scale for further collaborations between civil society and local governments to address these challenges.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE SUMMARY

In order to fulfill the goal of addressing the root causes of GBV, project objectives will be implemented either by the prime grantee or the selected small grantees (hereafter “the subrecipients”) individually, or both together, and are listed by area of responsibility. The project objectives will be implemented in the following manner:

• Objective 1: The prime award recipient will develop, compete, and effectively manage the Caribbean GBV small grants program.

• Objective 2: The prime grantee will create a training curriculum (in Spanish, French, and English) and provide ongoing in-person training (two summits/workshops), and at least quarterly webinars for the subrecipients for GBV prevention capacity building purposes. The prime grantee will lead training for the subrecipients and should include technical experts and curriculum that includes topics both on GBV prevention and best practices for GBV services provided by both CSOs and local or municipal governments.

• Objective 3: The subrecipients will be responsible for developing simple stakeholder maps or performing gap analyses to set the baseline data of individual local community

GBV prevention and survivor services in the communities where activities will take place.

• Objective 4: The subrecipients can design projects that address the root causes of GBV by providing intervention activities aimed at youth to address socio-cultural attitudes that lead to GBV.

• Objective 5: The subrecipients can design projects that will strengthen CSO and local governments’ abilities to improve access to GBV survivor services and networks by working with and providing training to local government agencies that already participate in the GBV prevention sphere. WHA is particularly seeking subawards that improve safety networks for historically marginalized populations, including Dominicans of

Haitian descent, migrants, and refugees, including in rural areas.

• Objective 6: Both the prime grantee and subrecipients should consider the implications of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on project activities and create contingency plans to include virtual activities, and submit project activities that address GBV issues that result from COVID-19 and emergency GBV care.

DETAILED PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

The Caribbean GBV small grants project is composed of the following objectives and corresponding activities:

Objective 1: The prime grantee will administer and implement the GBV prevention small grant projects, which will foster partnerships between civil society and local municipalities to help address the root causes of GBV and improve services to GBV survivors. The prime grantee will develop and effectively manage a small grants competition of between 12-18 small grants for a total not to exceed $430,000. Of the $430,000 in total subawards, the prime grantee should allocate the subawards in this manner:

• One subaward of up to $80,000 for the Dominican Republic to address GBV issues with

Dominicans of Haitian descent;

• One subaward of up to $50,000 for Jamaica to address the root causes of GBV;

• 2-4 subawards ranging between $25,000-$40,000 each for between 2-4 of the high-income countries of Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas;

• 8-12 awards between $15,000 and $25,000 each going to the Eastern Caribbean countries to provide training on GBV prevention for civil society and local government officials.

• These small grants will be open to all NGOs; however, an emphasis will be placed on the selection of local civil society organization(s) based in the country of project implementation. These small grants should be implemented in two rounds of competitions, broken up into 8-12 month implementation timeframes based on the funding amount of the small grants. Sub-awards of more than $25,000 should be 10-12 months and grants less than $25,000 should have an 8-10 month implementation period of performance.

Activity 1.1: Create and implement an outreach strategy to make regional CSO organizations, international nonprofits, and academic institutions in the Caribbean region aware of the small grants project Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) through at least the following:

• The prime awardee will create an outreach strategy that includes innovative branding for the overall project directly related to the project’s goal of addressing GBV issues in the region.

Activity 1.2: Manage the application process for the Caribbean GBV small grant project that should include, but is not limited to:

• Develop a small grants toolkit to provide to prospective applicants with information about the Caribbean small grants project.

Activity 1.3: Manage the selection process for small grants that should include, but is not limited to:

• Design of a standard application form.

• Create an openly-competed NOFO or request for proposal (RFP).

• Deliver a standardized process to receive and review all applications for technical eligibility.

• With WHA feedback, organize a multi-sectoral and multi-country panel of GBV technical experts and participation to recommend the best small grant proposals.

• Coordinate transparent and internal processes for the negotiation of the subawards.

Activity 1.4: Manage the selected subrecipients through at least the following:

• Inform small grantee applicants of the selection of small grant awards.

• Work with small grantee applicants to convert project proposals into subaward agreements.

• Develop and apply a standard monitoring framework to subaward activities.

• Provide quarterly progress updates to WHA on subaward results.

• Provide troubleshooting as needed and project closeout for all subawards.

• Facilitate sharing of best practices among subrecipients as well as with the broader

Caribbean GBV-related civil society community and local governments, as appropriate.

Activity 1.5: Monitor and report on subrecipient results, which should include but is not limited to:

• Compile results and other relevant information both for internal use by WHA and more publicly available information for the benefit of the broader GBV prevention community.

• Develop a series of one-page documents on subrecipient and beneficiary experiences during the Caribbean GBV small grants project.

Activity 1.6: Creation of the Caribbean GBV prevention small grants strategic communication plan from the beginning to the end of the project, which could include but is not limited to the following components:

• Provide creative and innovative approaches to involve and inform the Caribbean GBV prevention community of shared best practices and successes of the project (i.e. radio interviews, brochures, social media, newspaper op-eds or articles, etc.).

• Create visuals and other outreach materials for public dissemination and promotion.

• Provide WHA with short, easy-to-understand brochures, one-page summaries, a final publicly available report to highlight project success stories.

Objective 2: The prime will design and implement training for the Caribbean subrecipients through two summits to be held in conducive and cost-effective locations for grantee travel (i.e.

Kingstown, Jamaica or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, etc.). The prime should hold at least quarterly webinars with GBV technical expert for subrecipients and develop training curriculum focused on building the capacity of the subrecipients, as well as consistent, ongoing coaching or mentoring of subrecipients from GBV technical experts. (Timing and location of in-person meetings would be dependent upon the COVID-19 crisis and could also be implemented virtually and determined in coordination with WHA.)

Activity 2.1: Support the Caribbean subrecipients through ongoing training and mentoring:

• Leverage existing webinars and digital fora to share best practices between the Caribbean

GBV small grantees.

• Dependent upon COVID-19 regulations or travel restrictions, the prime award recipient must include and budget up to a $1,200 travel stipend for one staff member of each subrecipient to attend the in-person training/summits.

• Create a communications plan for subrecipients to apprise all subrecipients of subaward project activities and the required summits and trainings.

Objective 2a.) The prime will develop a GBV prevention and improved services curriculum for implementation of the in-person/virtual summits and online quarterly webinars for subrecipients.

The training curriculum will focus on building the capacity of the subrecipients and should provide technical expertise that explores gender and identity; gender norms; exploring power and relationships; implicit bias; coping mechanisms for emotions; violence and relationships;

commitments to healthy lives; and engaging youth who serve as agents of change against GBV.

Objective 3: Each subrecipient will begin approved subawards by creating a GBV service mapping or gap analysis of the existing GBV survivor support services and resources provided at local CSOs, healthcare providers, and municipal governments within their local communities to help set the baseline for GBV prevention small grant project goals and objectives.

Objective 4: Subrecipient awards can address the root causes of GBV by providing intervention activities aimed at youth and men and boys in local schools, after-school programs, or communities to address socio-cultural attitudes that lead to GBV, and will include sessions on: male expressions of constructive emotions as partners in addressing GBV. Subrecipients can also develop gender-sensitive and youth-friendly capacity building training on socio-cultural skills (i.e. educational, leadership, and empowerment training) to protect young women and girls and empower them to break cycles of social exclusion and violence.

OR

Objective 5: The subrecipients can design projects that will strengthen CSO and local governments’ abilities to improve access to GBV survivor services and networks by working with and providing training to local government agencies that already participate in the GBV prevention sphere. WHA is particularly seeking subawards that improve safety networks for historically marginalized populations, including Dominicans of Haitian descent, migrants, and refugees, including in rural areas.

Objective 6: Both the prime implementer and subrecipients should consider the implications of COVID-19 on project activities and any possible restrictions that could occur in the Caribbean, including for planned locations of subaward activities. The contingency plan should include reviewing whether project activities can be done virtually for at least the first six months to one year of the award. As appropriate, the prime can assist subrecipients to develop subaward activities that address GBV issues amplified by the COVID-19 crisis, including technical assistance to help

NGOs and municipal government agencies create help lines, virtual counseling, and/or other GBV survivor support services directly related to GBV issues caused by Caribbean country COVID stay-at-home orders). Subaward funding cannot be used to provide direct social services for GBV survivors.

BUDGET GUIDANCE

An allowable project must include the following budget items:

• Of the total $790,123 federal award, no more than $430,000 can be used for small grants.

• The total number of small grants will be between 12-18.

o The small grants selection and implementation should occur in two rounds, broken up into 8-12 month implementation timeframes.

▪ Small grants of more than $25,000 should have a 10-12 month period of performance, and grants less than $25,000 should have an 8-10 month implementation time period.

▪ Small grants can only take place in one country. There can be more than one small grant implemented per country over the two rounds of small grants.

• All subawards must outline a plan to achieve Objective 6.

• Subaward project activities should be appropriate to the audience and location of the community in which activity will take place.

• An $80,000 small grant to the Dominican Republic and a $50,000 small grant to Jamaica must include project activities that support all of Objectives 3-6.

• The 2-4 small grants between 25,000 to $40,000 each for the high-income countries of

Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas must include Objective 3 but can also choose to address either Objectives 4 or 5. The total amount of funding supporting subrecipients in all four countries cannot exceed $120,000 of the $430,000 in small grants.

• Subawards to the Eastern Caribbean countries between $15,000 to $25,000 each must include Objective 3 and the subrecipient can choose either Objective 4 or 5.

• The prime grantee budget must include a small grants coordinator position with 100%

Level of Effort dedicated to setting up the small grants Request for Proposal (RFP), writing and conducting both the small grants outreach plan and overall project communication strategy plan, managing and monitoring the small grants, and closing and reporting on the small grant project activities.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

The proposal narrative should be organized into the following components:

1) Introduction

2) Narrative- Problem Statement and Rationale

Successful applicants under this funding opportunity will describe an approach based on a problem statement and rationale analysis. Please provide background on the context in which the proposed project will be operating. This must incorporate findings from the required gender analysis provided in the PSI document - TAB C.

3) Theory of Change

Provide a theory of change in the proposal that describes the connections between the project’s activities, key short-term outputs, key intermediate outcomes, objectives, and the long-term goal.

4) Planned Activities/Implementation Plan

Applicant should address the following points:

a. Project Goal and Objectives: Fully explain the project’s goal and objectives. The overarching goal should outline what the activities and objectives should be building towards. The objectives of the project should describe the applicant’s expectations for the end of the project.

The objectives should be measurable, results-focused, and achievable within the timeframe of the project.

b. Activities: All activities should be clearly developed and sufficiently detailed to understand the resource and time requirements, and the expected contribution to the project’s objectives and goals. Please identify: target areas for activities; target participant groups or selection criteria for participants; the plan to engage relevant stakeholders and local partners as appropriate.

c. Identified CSOs: This project is intended to work with CSOs that are already in existence in the Caribbean, and is not a platform for creating new CSOs. Therefore, the proposal should describe the process to engage or partner with relevant local CSOs in the Caribbean to provide operational and training support to ensure local CSO sustainability after the period of performance of this award.

d. Target Population: Project participants will include representatives from local CSOs, educational institutions, primary and secondary school system teachers, counselors, and officials, healthcare providers, and municipal governments that provide support services to

GBV survivors and/or GBV prevention for youth, or that train other CSOs and local municipal governments that do so. Grant funds cannot directly assist or support GBV survivors;

rather grant funds should improve the delivery of services from existing organizations to

GBV survivors and/or address socio-cultural norms that perpetuate GBV through sensitization training to communities and GBV prevention and leadership empowerment for youth. The project should also be inclusive of all GBV demographics, especially survivors of indigenous and African descent, those with disabilities, and survivors from the LGBTI community in project activities.

e. Resources and Timeline for Activities: Demonstrate the process of implementing the proposed activities to build upon one another and the logical sequence to achieve the desired outcomes.

The applicant must submit a plan that sets out a realistic outline of tasks and deliverables, anticipated time frames, challenges, opportunities and due dates, and persons responsible for achieving each task. This should be a narrative description.

f. Do No Harm: List any significant risks of harm to implementers, participants, beneficiaries or their communities, or of exacerbating conflict or creating new conflicts, which may result from this project. Include specific risks to women and girls. Consider how resources or skills provided might be misused, create grievances among non-recipients, or cause key actors to react in harmful ways. Explain the plan to minimize these risks and for ensuring the security of beneficiaries. In addition, programmatic data, personally identifiable information (PII), and implementing partners’ information should be protected and encrypted, if possible, to maintain the safety of those involved in the project.

g. Contingency Plan: Applicants should consider the implications that COVID-19 may have on the project and any possible restricted activities. The risk assessment should include a contingency plan for the various restrictions that may occur due to COVID-19. The project narrative should identify which project activities can be done virtually for up to a year.

5) Sustainability Plan: Clearly indicate the plan for GBV prevention and long-term capacity building for CSO and GBV survivor support service providers in the Caribbean. Outline the possibilities for the institutionalization of capacity-building functions as well as any other donors that may be able to lend support after the project is completed.

6) Past Performance: Provide a description of the applicant organization, including a proven record of successful projects and past performance in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the areas of capacity-building assistance for GBV survivor support services. Describe past performance and experience in working with host governments, local organizations, communities, and marginalized populations. The roles and responsibilities of primary staff under this project should be defined, and the proposal should demonstrate the plan to engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders.

7) Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP)

The PMP should include the following:

• A narrative explaining the plan to conduct Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and the expected roles of key staff in M&E.

Expected Results and Indicators for the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP)

By the end of the 36 months of the project, the Caribbean GBV prevention small grants project will have increased the capacity of a variety of participants, depending on the specific objectives selected by the subrecipients: local CSOs, educational institutions, primary and secondary school system teachers, counselors, and officials, healthcare providers, or municipal governments. In addition, CSOs and local governments addressing the root causes of GBV and providing support services to GBV survivors training for GBV prevention for youth will have received training support from the Caribbean subrecipients.

Applicants will develop a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) with annual and end-of-project targets and results anticipated for key performance indicators. Further guidance on this PMP is included in TAB A of the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Any recipient organization will be required to monitor these targets and indicators during and after the project’s activities. All applicants should propose additional outputs, indicators, and/or targets as necessary. WHA will regularly monitor the project’s performance to assess whether project activities are on track and targets are being achieved.

The required output and outcome indicators for the project are provided below. The applicant should review these and provide illustrative targets for each output and outcome indicator, as appropriate. The applicant is expected to identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project and on the expected overall project results described above.

By the end of the project’s period of performance, WHA expects the following outcomes to have been achieved with the allocated funding:

Expected Outcomes:

• Effective and transparent implementation of the Caribbean GBV prevention small grants project that results in increased civil society capacity to engage with local municipalities to address the root causes of GBV.

• Effective design and implementation of the Caribbean subrecipient training curriculum on

GBV prevention to share best practices for local government agencies to improve GBV survivor services.

• Accurate baseline data on GBV services for the affected local communities, through the use of GBV stakeholder mapping implemented by subrecipients.

• Subrecipients have worked with local CSOs to strengthen the ability of healthcare providers and/or municipal governments to provide more robust crisis support (to include virtual support as a result of the COVID19 crisis), transitional housing, care services, psychological care, medical services, or legal aid for survivors of GBV in urban, rural, and marginalized communities.

• GBV survivors from marginalized and remote communities receive increased assistance from institutions that participated in the project.

• Local CSOs, healthcare providers, and municipal governments, as well as the affected

GBV survivors, will be connected to existing networks that address GBV and will have received support and shared best practices.

• Increased access to services for GBV survivors at the community level, through strengthened CSO and municipal government partnerships.

The selected recipient will be required to collect baseline data for all the below PMP indicators during the first year of the project. In addition, applicants should define certain terms included in the outcomes and indicators at the very beginning of the project, so that it is possible to measure the change during and at the end of the project. Examples of such are “capacity,” “spread effect,” etc. Such baseline information will be critical for both monitoring and evaluation of project progress and results. The PMP must also ensure that, based on the context/gender analysis implementation, the results of the award are informed by and responding to risks and gender gaps that are related to implementation.

Below are required output indicators that must be incorporated into the project proposal with illustrative targets. The applicant may propose additional output and outcome indicators, and/or targets as appropriate.

Required Output Indicators by Objective Illustrative Target(s):

(Objective 1) Output: Number of civil society organizations that have increased participation and engagement with local and national government agencies on GBV prevention.

20 CSOs have increased participation with local government agencies.

(Objective 1) Output: Number of people reached through small grant project activities.

2,500 people in local Caribbean communities have improved knowledge and awareness of

GBV prevention through small grant outreach activities (to include radio, social media, news, television and training workshops, and community outreach).

(Objective 1) Output: Creation of an outreach plan to include branding to promote Caribbean

GBV prevention small grants RFP. This outreach plan will roll up into the entire project’s strategic communication plan

1 GBV Prevention Small Grants RFP

Outreach Plan

(Objective 2) Output: Number of technical trainings held by prime implementer to help build the capacity of subrecipients either through in-person workshops or webinars.

15 trainings held for subrecipients

(Objective 2) Output: Number of technical

GBV experts providing training for subrecipients and or participants.

10 GBV technical experts brought in to build capacity and technical expertise on best practices for GBV survivor services as part of

Objective 2 training curriculum.

(Objective 2a) Output: Creation of an overall communication strategy plan for the entire project from the beginning to the end of the period of performance of the grant.

1 Strategic Communication Plan

(Objective 3) Output: Number of local GBV services stakeholder maps created to set baseline data.

10 local GBV services stakeholder maps created to set baseline data to measure small grantee project goals and objectives.

(Objective 3) Output: Number of CSOs, national or municipal-level government agencies, and healthcare providers that sign MOUs or create an official partnership in host Caribbean country as a result of a subaward

8 CSOs, national or municipal level government agencies, or healthcare providers sign MOUs or create an official partnership.

(Objective 4) Output: Number of young men and boys that participate in educational and training activities on the prevention of GBV in local communities.

250 young men and boys participate in educational and training activities on the prevention of GBV in local communities.

(Objective 4) Output: Number of youths that are trained in leadership roles in GBV prevention and advocacy, disaggregated by age and gender.

100 young women and girls and 50 young men and boys are trained in leadership roles in GBV prevention and advocacy.

(Objective 4) Output: Number of sensitization trainings or revised school curricula, after school activities, and/or workshops and trainings with local universities, small businesses, or community-based organizations to address socio-cultural attitudes.

Between 10-20 sensitization trainings or revised school curricula, after-school activities and/or workshops and trainings with local universities, small businesses, or community-based organizations to address socio-cultural attitudes.

(Objective 5) Output: Number of Caribbean local or government officials receive training on GBV prevention and services from technical experts

(these trainings could be virtual in light of COVID-

19 constraints).

Between 10-20 Caribbean local or government officials receive training on GBV prevention and services from technical experts (virtual training if required by

COVID-19 constraints).

GNDR-6: Number of people reached by a USG funded intervention providing GBV services (e.g., health, legal, psycho-social counseling, shelters, hotlines, other).

TBD

GNDR-6a (Output): Number of Men TBD

GNDR-6b (Output): Number of Women TBD

GNDR-8 (Output): Number of persons trained with USG assistance to advance outcomes consistent with gender equality or female empowerment through their roles in public or private sector institutions or organizations.

GNDR-8a (Output): Number of Men TBD

GNDR-8b (Output): Number of Women TBD

WPS/NSC: Number of people who benefit from

U.S.-funded support to GBV survivors.

Required outcome indicators for the project are provided below with illustrative targets. The applicant is expected to identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project, and based on the expected overall project results described above.

Required Outcome Indicators by Objective Illustrative Targets:

(Objective 1) Outcome: Effective and transparent implementation of the Caribbean GBV prevention small grants project resulting in increased civil society capacity to engage with local municipalities to address the root causes of GBV. Selected subrecipients surveyed indicate satisfaction with prime grantee’s performance

80% satisfaction with surveyed subrecipients

(Objective 2a.) Outcome: Effective design and implementation of the Caribbean GBV small grantee training curriculum on GBV prevention and shared best practices for local government agencies to improve GBV survivor services

70% satisfaction of training participants as measured by post-training surveys.

(Objective 3) Outcome: Through the GBV stakeholder mapping implemented by subrecipients, baseline data on GBV services is determined in the local treated communities.

(Objective 3) Outcome: Administer and implement small grant projects to foster partnerships between local governments and civil society organizations to address GBV prevention and root causes.

100% of proposed small grant projects are implemented meeting at least 75% of outcome and output goals.

(Objective 5) Outcome: GBV survivors from historically marginalized and remote communities receive increased or better assistance from responding institutions as a direct result of subrecipient project activities that facilitate CSO and local municipality coordination on safety networks for GBV survivors as measured against initial GBV stakeholder mapping baseline data.

15 percent improvement in number of GBV survivors from marginalized communities that either receive better service from GBV service providers or get access for the first time as measured by baseline data from GBV stakeholder mapping.

(Objective 5) Outcome: Number of GBV survivors that receive improved services and assistance from their local government agencies and CSOs.

100 GBV survivors receive improved services and assistance from their local government agencies and

CSOs.

(Objective 5) Outcome: Beneficiary local CSOs, healthcare providers, and municipal governments are able to provide more robust crisis support, transitional housing, care services, psychological care, medical services, and legal aid for survivors of GBV.

Outcome: Beneficiary individuals have a better understanding of the root causes of GBV in home communities and promote non-violent relationships.

As a result of better understanding of the root causes of GBV in local communities there is a 5 to 10 percent reduction in the number of GBV incidences in the local communities where small grants are implemented.

Outcome: Beneficiary local CSOs, healthcare providers, or municipal governments are connected to existing networks addressing GBV and have access to new resources and best practices to combat GBV and provide improved support services to

GBV survivors, measured by number of GBV prevention and survivor support network connections made.

At least 3 formal connections made among existing national, regional, or international

GBV provider or service support networks

Outcome: Awareness of socio-cultural attitudes among young men and boys is improved through engagement in local schools, after-school programs, and community engagement, expressed as a percent change in view of GBV as less acceptable after participating in project activities.

15 percent

In addition to the proposal narrative components, the applicant must provide the six mandatory attachments provided in TAB A of the PSI:

a. Roles and Responsibilities to include the names of key personnel

b. Timelines/Schedule of Activities

c. Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) With Results/Logic Framework

d. Detailed Budget and Budget Narrative

a. See Budget Guidelines (TAB B) in the PSI for more information.

e. Risk Assessment

a. The safety and security of recipients and beneficiaries are of utmost importance.

WHA requires all applicants to conduct a thorough risk assessment and take all actions necessary in accordance with those assessments to mitigate those risks.

WHA does not take responsibility for the risks incurred by any applicants.

b. Applicants should consider the implications COVID-19 may have on the project and any possible restricted activities. The risk assessment should include a contingency plan for the various restrictions that may occur due to COVID-19 using the questions in the sample risk assessment in TAB D.

f. Gender Analysis (mandatory for all Gender–based violence prevention proposals)

a. See TAB C in the PSI for more information.

Note: Additional optional attachments -- Attachments may include further timeline information, letters of support, memoranda of understanding (MOU)/agreement, etc. For applicants with a large number of letters/MOUs, it may be useful to provide a list of the organizations or government agencies that support the project rather than the actual documentation.

Proposals submitted without the mandatory attachments will be ruled technically ineligible.

III. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application package has been received by www.grants.gov in its entirety. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible. Applicants are urged to begin the application process well before the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps.

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional application submission instructions, including information on required documents and format. Please follow both the PSI and the NOFO to ensure that the proposal package submission is in full compliance with the requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in this NOFO and PSI will not be considered.

The U.S. Department of State bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions via www.grants.gov. Incomplete application packages will not be considered.

Applicants, including U.S. affiliates of international organizations, must provide a valid Data

Universal Numbering System (DUNS), and completed www.sam.gov registration when submitting the application on www.grants.gov in response to this NOFO. Applicants that do not have a valid DUNS number and completed www.sam.gov registration will NOT be eligible http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ for consideration.

In accordance with the applicable Federal awarding agency’s policy, applicants must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity.

It is the U.S. Department of State policy that English is the official language and the U.S. dollar is the controlling currency. Proposal and related supporting documents must be English and accompanying the budget in U.S. dollars.

IV. APPLICATION EVALUATION

U.S. Department of State/Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs will issue an award to the applicant whose proposal represents the best value to the U.S. Government on the basis of technical merit, efficient use of U.S. Government funds, and satisfactory organizational capacity. In addition, the organization must demonstrate adequate financial management capability to be measured by a responsibility determination. Applications should contain the applicants’ best terms from both cost and technical standpoints. The implementing partners (sub-recipients) of the primary applicant will be subject to the U.S. Department of State approval. Eligible applications will be evaluated by an independent review panel consisting of subject matter experts from other

U.S. Department of State bureaus/or offices, and/or other USG agencies. Final approval resides with the U.S. Department of State Grants Officer.

The following criteria will serve as a standard against which all eligible applications will be evaluated. Each eligible application will be evaluated and scored on the review criteria using a

100-point scale. The review panel will apply the following criteria when rating proposals:

1. Quality of Project Idea (Total Possible 15 Points)

• The proposal is responsive to a call for programming designed to build CSO capacity as it relates to addressing the root causes of GBV in the Caribbean and identifies relevant local and international dynamics and drivers against which programming will be designed;

• The proposal clearly states a theory of change;

• The proposal outlines a vision for a “whole of society” approach – meaning the key sectors and actors (e.g. NGOs, local government agencies, women/girls, and youth) who will be the project’s key beneficiaries and protagonists;

• The proposal directly connects proposed activities with the desired outcomes, tying back to the project objectives;

• Exhibits originality, prioritizes innovation, but is feasible.

2. Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives (Total Possible 15 Points)

• The proposal provides a detailed work plan of proposed project activities and includes a clear articulation of the planned activities’ contribution to the overall project’s goals and objectives;

• Each activity is clearly developed and detailed. Objectives are clear, specific, attainable, measurable, results-focused, and placed in a reasonable time frame;

• The proposal demonstrates a willingness to be flexible and the ability to adapt based on WHA feedback over the course of the project;

• Describes the division of labor among the direct applicant, any partners, and any potential subrecipients; addresses the planned engagement from relevant stakeholders;

and identifies local partners where appropriate;

• Includes contingency plans for potential difficulties in executing the original work plan, including for COVID-19.

3. Organizational Capability and Record of Performance (Total Possible 20 Points)

• Personnel and institutional resources are adequate and appropriate…