McGovern-Dole FY20 Notice of Funding Opportunity FINAL 5.14.20.pdf

FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

International Food Assistance Division

Global Programs

FY 2020 Proposal Instructions and Request for Applications

MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

May 15, 2020

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is soliciting applications for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. FAS expects to enter into multiple cooperative agreements under McGovern-Dole to make awards, totaling up to $218,000,000 SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING. These awards will be for three- to five-year projects. FAS will accept applications for the following priority countries: Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, and Rwanda. McGovern-Dole provides for the donation of U.S.

agricultural commodities and the procurement of local and regional agricultural commodities, as well as financial and technical assistance, to carry out school feeding programs that strengthen food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, improve literacy and education, particularly with respect to girls, and support maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs. Projects under McGovern-Dole are carried out in low-income, food-deficit countries around the world.

Applications must be submitted to USDA through the Food Aid Information System (FAIS) by 5:00:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on July 14, 2020. Applications received after this date and time will not be considered. FAS advises Applicants to begin the application process early to allow time to address any information technology difficulties that may arise. There will be no exceptions to this application deadline. Please be advised that incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Refer to Part C Section 1 and Part D Section 3b for Applicant eligibility and application completeness requirements. Questions regarding this request for applications will be considered to the extent practicable and should be submitted to ppded@usda.gov.

Questions must be received no later than 5:00:00 P.M. EDT on July 7, 2020. Responses to questions will be posted to grants.gov.

https://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid-information-system mailto:ppded@usda.gov

NEW in FY20

1. Local and Regional Procurement of Commodities: The Agriculture Improvement Act of

2018 included revisions to the statute authorizing the McGovern-Dole Program to provide up to ten percent of the funds made available to carry out the program to be used by award recipients to purchase agricultural commodities through local and regional procurement (See 7 USC 1736o-1.) Local and regional commodities are defined as those produced in and procured from a developing country that is a target country or a development country in the target region and at a minimum, meet each nutritional, quality, and labeling standard of the target country, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture (see 7 CFR section 1599.2).

Local and regional commodities may be used to enhance project sustainability. Illustrative uses of local and regional procurement are to mitigate pipeline breaks; to improve dietary diversity of beneficiaries by incorporating fresh fruits, vegetables, animal proteins, etc. into the ration; and to target specific populations (i.e. pregnant and lactating women and children under five). Applicants are encouraged to propose contextually appropriate and feasible uses of locally- and regionally- procured commodities and are not limited to the above examples.

Please note that:

a. For FY20, not more than ten percent of the $220,000,000 made available for the McGovern-Dole Program and not less than $20,000,000 will remain available until expended to purchase locally- or regionally produced commodities. This amount will include the cost of the commodities and may include transportation, storage, and handling costs associated with getting such commodities to the beneficiaries, as well as staff time directly related to the procurement. It will not include capacity building costs.

b. Food vouchers and cash-based transfers are not allowable procurement methods under this new local and regional procurement component of McGovern-Dole.

c. The donation of U.S. commodities remains an integral part of McGovern-Dole and Applicants are encouraged to use U.S. donated commodities to maximize program reach of targeted beneficiaries in the most cost-effective manner.

2. SF-424A: This form is required in FY20. Please see Part D Section 3 b Required Contents and Forms and Appendix I for instructions.

3. Methodology for Literacy: Please review the updated literacy section and changes to the suggested methodology used. Applicants should consider the USAID Reader MATTERS Conceptual Framework which presents the components of the ideal system that evidence shows are critical to supporting reading acquisition for all children, including the marginalized and vulnerable. Please review guidance in ‘Plan of Operations and Activities’ and Appendix C for further information.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section1736o-1&num=0&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjcgc2VjdGlvbjoxNzM2byBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSk%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1128dcfc8c203ddb2ddad8cc1854a29c&node=7:10.1.3.4.8&rgn=div5 https://www.edu-links.org/resources/usaid-reading-matters-conceptual-framework

4. Definitions: Please note, throughout the NOFO, the use of the phrase “USDA-funded commodities” includes commodities procured from the United States and those that are locally and regionally procured. Please see definitions in 7 CFR section 1599.2. For the purposes of commodities that are locally or regionally procured, a country that is included among the “Low-Income Economies,” “Lower-Middle-Income Economies,” or “Upper- Middle-Income Economies” on the World Bank Country and Lending Groups list at World Bank will meet the definition of a “developing country” in 7 CFR 1599.2.

5. Past Performance Reviews: See Part D Section 3 c Content Guidance for changes to Past Performance Review submission requirements.

6. Scoring Criteria: Part E Section 1 Application Evaluation Criteria contains changes to scoring criteria.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9dfff371eeaeee4cef83c4cee94eeee5&mc=true&node=pt7.10.1599&rgn=div5#se7.10.1599_12 https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519 https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519

LIST OF ACRONYMS

CCC

CFR

COLA

CV

DUNS

FAIS

FAS

FICA

FtF

FY

GFSS

IFAD

IR

ITSH

M & E

MCN

Commodity Credit Corporation Code of Federal Regulations Cost of Living Adjustment Curriculum Vitae Data Universal Numbering System Food Aid Information System Foreign Agricultural Service Federal Insurance Contributions Act Feed the Future Fiscal Year Global Food Security Strategy International Food Assistance Division Intermediate Results Internal Transportation, Storage, and Handling Monitoring and Evaluation Maternal and Child Nutrition

McGovern-Dole McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program MOU Memorandum of Understanding MT Metric Ton(s) NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Recovery Agreement NOFO Notice of Funding Opportunity NTD Neglected Tropical Disease OMB Office of Management and Budget PEPFAR President’s Emergency Plan Fund for AIDS Relief PIN Personally Identifiable Number PMP Performance Monitoring Plan PSM Propensity Score Matching PTA Parent Teacher Association PVO Private Voluntary Organization R&R Rest and Recreation RCT Randomized Control Trial ROM Results Oriented Management RF Results Framework SAM System for Award Management SF Standard Form SFP School Feeding Program

SO

UN

USAID

USDA

USG

WB

WHO

Strategic Objective United Nations United States Agency for International Development United States Department of Agriculture United States Government World Bank World Health Organization

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. ISSUED BY

2. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER

3. CFDA TITLE

4. NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) TITLE

5. NOFO NUMBERS

6. AUTHORIZING AUTHORITY FOR PROGRAM

7. APPROPRIATION AUTHORITY FOR PROGRAM

8. ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE

9. PROGRAM REGULATIONS

10. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, OBJECTIVES, AND PRIORITIES

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. AWARD AMOUNTS, IMPORTANT DATES, AND EXTENSIONS

2. FUNDING INSTRUMENT

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

4. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION

5. COST SHARE OR MATCH

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. KEY DATES AND TIMES

2. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

3. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

a. Application Format

b. Required Content and Forms

c. Content Guidance

4. UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)

5. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

6. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

a. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs:

b. Indirect Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs:

7. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA

2. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

a. Review Process

b. Selection Process

c. Review of Applicant Integrity and Performance Information

d. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. NOTICE OF AWARD

2. ADMINISTRATION AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

a. Domestic Entities

b. Foreign Entities

3. REPORTING

a. Federal Financial Reporting Requirements

b. Program Performance Reporting Requirements

c. Closeout Reporting Requirements

4. MONITORING

5. OTHER AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS

a. Organizational Chart

b. Annual Work Plan

c. Monitoring and Evaluation Requirements

d. Local and Regional Commodity Procurement and Distribution Plan

e. Market Study

f. Subaward Requirements

g. Audit Compliance

G. AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

H. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. EXTENSIONS

2. PRIOR APPROVAL

3. BUDGET REVISIONS

4. PROGRAM INCOME

5. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

APPENDIX A – APPLICATION CONTENT CHECKLIST

APPENDIX B – COUNTRY GUIDANCE

APPENDIX C – GLOBAL STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES

APPENDIX D – BUDGET SUMMARY

APPENDIX E – BUDGET NARRATIVE EXAMPLE

APPENDIX F – RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF FOUNDATIONAL RESULTS

APPENDIX G – PAST PERFORMANCE REVIEW TEMPLATE

APPENDIX H – POTENTIAL AVAILABLE COMMODITIES FOR FY 2020 FOOD AID SOLICITATIONS

APPENDIX I – INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE SF-424A

APPENDIX J – SF-424A EXAMPLE

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number or are not currently registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a DUNS Number, if applicable, and then to register immediately in SAM at www.sam.gov. It may take 4 weeks or more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM. Detailed information regarding DUNS and SAM is also provided in Part C Section 2, Eligibility Criteria, and Part D Section 4, Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM).

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Issued By

Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Programs, International Food Assistance Division

2. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

10.608

3. CFDA Title

Food for Education

4. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Title

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL

FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM

5. NOFO Numbers

USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(388) – Bangladesh USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(681) – Cote d’Ivoire USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(520) – Guatemala USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(522) – Honduras USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(116) – Kyrgyzstan USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(439) – Laos USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(687) – Madagascar USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(688) – Mali USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(656) – Mozambique USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(367) – Nepal USDA- FAS-10.608-0700-20-(696) – Rwanda http://www.sam.gov/ https://beta.sam.gov/fal/d5a23b6a80e1a279d741c841a43d7ae6/view?keywords=Mc-Govern%20Dole&sort=-relevance&index=cfda&is_active=true&page=1

Please refer to Appendix B for Country Guidance for each NOFO number.

6. Authorizing Authority for Program

McGovern-Dole is authorized by section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-1).

7. Appropriation Authority for Program

McGovern-Dole will be funded in FY 2020 through Title V of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020 (Division B of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-94).

8. Announcement Type

Continuation

9. Program Regulations

Awards within this funding opportunity that are made to Applicants other than foreign public entities (as defined in 2 CFR section 200.46) will be subject to the McGovern-Dole regulations, 7 CFR part 1599 (updated on November 26, 2019). As provided in 7 CFR part 1599, awards to Applicants other than foreign public entities will also be subject to 2 CFR part 200, as supplemented by 2 CFR part 400 and 7 CFR part 1599, with the exception that Subpart F of 2 CFR part 200 will not apply to a foreign organization (as defined in 2 CFR section 200.47) or a for-profit entity.

10. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

The principal objectives of the McGovern-Dole Program are to carry out: 1) preschool and school food for education programs in foreign countries to improve food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, and improve literacy and primary education, particularly with respect to girls; and, 2) maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs for pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and children who are five years of age or younger.

McGovern-Dole feeds school children and improves literacy (especially for girls) in low-income, food-deficit countries around the world. The program provides for the procurement of U.S. agricultural commodities, local and regional agricultural commodities, as well as financial and technical assistance, to support McGovern-Dole objectives. Section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, the program authorizing legislation, requires that the agreement include provisions to achieve graduation from the program or to provide other long-term benefits to targeted populations of the country (7 U.S.C. 1736o-1(j)).

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section1736o-1&num=0&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjcgc2VjdGlvbjoxNzM2byBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSk%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1128dcfc8c203ddb2ddad8cc1854a29c&node=7:10.1.3.4.8&rgn=div5#_top https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=9fcea0ab97190b944c3407ab52e27aa2&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b8d3f086737f4b170ffb10a5a97561cf&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2chapterIV.tpl https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2010-title7/pdf/USCODE-2010-title7-chap41-subchapIV-sec1736o-1.pdf

By providing school meals, teacher training, government capacity-building, and related education and nutrition support, McGovern-Dole helps boost school enrollment, increase attendance, and improve reading outcomes and literacy results. McGovern-Dole also provides support to Maternal and Child Nutrition (MCN). To improve health, nutrition, and dietary practices, McGovern-Dole encourages the inclusion of health- and nutrition-sensitive activities such as the use of micronutrient-fortified products, take-home rations, treatments for deworming and diarrhea, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives, school gardens, and curriculum-based nutrition education. FAS prioritizes sustainability, in efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity in fragile economies on their path to becoming self-sufficient. FAS is focusing on the most urgent challenges, helping communities develop sustainable sources of food supplies while building resilience in their food sourcing practices.

FAS will consider proposals from all eligible organizations, including current recipients and new organizations. For additional information on the priority countries for this funding opportunity, applicants should refer to Appendix B – Country Specific Guidance.

FAS expects that proposals will build upon McGovern-Dole activities and what has been accomplished to date. Expansion beyond current target regions will be considered if sufficiently justified.

Applications must focus on transition of McGovern-Dole activities to the host governments and set the path to sustainability. Applicants must work with countries that have a national government that is committed to or is working towards, through a national action plan, the goals of the World Declaration on Education for All. Furthermore, applications must align with the McGovern Dole Program Project- Level Results Framework (See Part D Section 3 c v.).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Award Amounts, Important Dates, and Extensions

Available Funding for the NOFO: Up to $218,000,000 (total) in FY2020

Total award funding: $218,000,000 Estimated number of Awards: 11 Estimated Funding per Award: $10 million - $25 million

All projects in this announcement will be funded subject to availability of appropriated funding.

Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the United States Government (USG) to make awards, nor does it commit the USG to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a concept note or full application.

http://www.un-documents.net/jomtien.htm http://www.un-documents.net/jomtien.htm

Period of Performance: 36 to 60 months Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 10/01/2020 Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 09/30/2023 - 09/30/2025

McGovern-Dole Program awards may be eligible for extensions to their period of performance. Refer to Part H Section 1 Extensions.

2. Funding Instrument

All awards will be made in the form of cooperative agreements. In a cooperative agreement, FAS will be substantially involved throughout the award period of performance. Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, the following:

• FAS specification of the manner, method, performance, or timing of the work in an approved work plan;

• FAS review and approval of one stage of work before a subsequent stage may begin during the performance period;

• FAS review and approval of an evaluation plan;

• FAS review and approval of proposed subawards and contracts, prior to award;

• FAS participation in the selection and approval of the individuals or organizations that will conduct all required evaluations;

• FAS participation in data collection and analysis for required evaluations and other performance reports;

• FAS approval of an organizational chart identifying the names, roles and responsibilities of all the Applicant’s key personnel and any subsequent changes or absences; and

• FAS provision of specific direction or redirection of the work during the period of performance.

Procurement contracts or subawards may be awarded under this cooperative agreement. Procurement contracts must have an operational or administrative objective and subawards must be related to achieving objectives of project activities.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

In accordance with the McGovern-Dole authorizing legislation, 7 U.S.C. 1736o-1, the following entities are eligible Applicants:

• Private voluntary organizations*;

• Cooperatives;

• Intergovernmental Organizations;

• Governments of developing countries and their agencies; and

• Other organizations https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section1736o-1&num=0&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjcgc2VjdGlvbjoxNzM2byBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSk%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelimhttps://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section1736o-1&num=0&saved=%7CKHRpdGxlOjcgc2VjdGlvbjoxNzM2byBlZGl0aW9uOnByZWxpbSk%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim

*See 7 CFR section 1599.2 for the definition of a private voluntary organization.

2. Eligibility Criteria Each Applicant, unless exempted by FAS under 2 CFR section 25.110(d), is required to:

• Be registered in SAM before the closing date of this announcement;

• Provide a valid unique entity identifier (DUNS number) in its application; and

• Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which the Applicant has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by

FAS.

All Applicants must have an active registration in the SAM database at www.sam.gov – pending or expired registrants are not eligible. This requirement must be met by the closing date of the announcement and will not be waived. Please contact ppded@usda.gov if you have questions about this requirement. Applicants without an active SAM registration will be found ineligible and the application will NOT be considered for funding. All subrecipient organizations must also have active SAM registrations before the subaward is signed, unless the organization has an exemption approved by FAS under 2 CFR section 25.110(d).

Applicants must include a valid data universal numbering system (DUNS) number in the organizational unit section of Block 8 of the SF-424. All subrecipients listed in the proposal must have a current DUNS number. Organizations that do not have a DUNS number can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by using the web-based form available at: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Refer to Part D Section 4, Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management, where SAM requirements are also discussed.

3. Debarment and Suspension

An Applicant will be considered ineligible to receive an award under the McGovern-Dole program if the entity or one of its principals has been debarred or suspended in USG funded procurements or non-procurement transactions, or otherwise prohibited by applicable U.S. law or executive order or U.S.

policies. See 2 CFR parts 180 and 417. FAS will review the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS.gov) and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) to verify that the Applicant, potential subrecipients and contractors, and their principals have not been debarred or suspended.

4. Other Submission Requirements and Information

For an application to be considered complete, the Applicant must submit in FAIS all required content and forms as listed in Part D Section 3 b, Required Content and Forms, by the closing date of the https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9dfff371eeaeee4cef83c4cee94eeee5&mc=true&node=pt7.10.1599&rgn=div5#se7.10.1599_12 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9644ed499b5db03b7b50fbc66e8fc92d&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5#se2.1.25_1110 http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:ppded@usda.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9644ed499b5db03b7b50fbc66e8fc92d&mc=true&node=pt2.1.25&rgn=div5#se2.1.25_1110 http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.fapiis.gov/fapiis/index.action https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ announcement. Incomplete applications will not be considered. As specified in this NOFO, an Applicant must also submit required information to ppded@usda.gov and SAM.gov. There is no limit on the number of applications which an Applicant may submit.

All Applicants and subrecipients must comply with the conflict of interest requirements in 2 CFR section 400.2.

Note: The required forms vary depending on whether an Applicant is a domestic entity, a foreign organization, or a foreign public entity. An Applicant must submit all of the forms that are required to be submitted by the category of entity to which it belongs.

5. Cost Share or Match

Cost sharing or matching is not required for eligibility but is encouraged to maximize program impacts and engender in-country sustainability. If Applicants choose to provide cost share or matching, Applicants must identify and explain any cost sharing in the budget summary and narrative (7 CFR section 1599.4(b)(4)(i)). Applicants should include cost share and in-kind contributions as part of the total award value on the SF-424 and other required budget documents.

Cost share will be reviewed and considered for bonus points by the review panel as part of the Budget content section.

If an award is made, the Applicant will be responsible for obtaining and providing any cost share and in-kind contributions that are included in the agreement. Award recipients shall not procure these resources with FAS funding. Refer to Part E Section 1, Application Evaluation Criteria, for details on how cost share or match will be evaluated.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Key Dates and Times

Application Start Date: May 15, 2020

Question Submission Deadline: July 7, 2020

Questions regarding this NOFO will be considered to the extent practicable and should be submitted to ppded@usda.gov. Please include “FY20 McGovern-Dole NOFO” in the subject line of your email.

Responses to questions will be posted to grants.gov weekly.

mailto:ppded@usda.gov https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=09d93ea422877b968183214c81dfed25&mc=true&node=pt2.1.400&rgn=div5#se2.1.400_12 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=09d93ea422877b968183214c81dfed25&mc=true&node=pt2.1.400&rgn=div5#se2.1.400_12 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9dfff371eeaeee4cef83c4cee94eeee5&mc=true&node=pt7.10.1599&rgn=div5#se7.10.1599_14 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9dfff371eeaeee4cef83c4cee94eeee5&mc=true&node=pt7.10.1599&rgn=div5#se7.10.1599_14 mailto:ppded@usda.gov

Application Submission Deadline: July 14, 2020 prior to 5:00:00 P.M. EDT

FAS will run a report from the FAIS system showing all submissions prior to 5:00:00 P.M. EDT on July 14, 2020. Applications received after this date and time will not be considered. Applicants should begin the application process early to allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise.

There will be no exceptions to the application deadline.

Anticipated Funding Selection Date: August 31, 2020

Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2020

2. Address to Request Application Package

This NOFO and instructions for submitting the application are located on the FAIS homepage. Before you can view the FAIS homepage, you must first establish an FAIS account. See the following website for more information: https://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid-information-system. These documents are also located on www.grants.gov. However, all applications must be submitted via FAIS. If an Applicant does not have access to the Internet or experiences trouble accessing FAIS, the Applicant can request a hardcopy of the full NOFO by calling (202) 720-1230 between 9:00 A.M.

and 5:00 P.M. EDT or by contacting FAS in writing at:

IFAD Senior Director 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Room 4159 Washington, DC 20250

This NOFO plus the appendices constitute the full application package.

3. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Application Format All submitted applications must:

• Be written in English;

• Be written using Times New Roman, 12-point font; tables and graphs may have a smaller font as appropriate;

• Be typed on standard 8.5” x 11” sized paper with 1-inch margins;

• Be paginated with each page consecutively numbered;

• Cite source information and/or provide an explanation of the analysis undertaken;

• Be submitted in PDF; and

• Adhere to the maximum page limits in Part D Section 3 b, Required Content and Forms.

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/fais/webapp/files/Instructions%20for%20Submitting%20Proposals%20in%20the%20FAIS.pdf https://www.fas.usda.gov/food-aid-information-system http://www.grants.gov/

Note: If an application exceeds the page limit for any section, the application will be reviewed, but the review will be restricted to the section’s page limit.

b. Required Content and Forms Each application must include the following content and forms to be considered complete:

• Introduction and Strategic Analysis – 20 pages

• Plan of Operation and Activities – 20 pages o Project Map (no page limit restrictions)

• Sustainability and Lasting Impact – 5 pages

• Organizational Capacity and Staffing – 8 pages o Capacity and Staffing – 6 pages o Organizational Chart – 1 page o In-Country Registration – 1 page o Curriculum Vitae for Project Lead (no page limit restrictions) o Project-specific Commitment Letters from anticipated subrecipients (if subrecipients are proposed) (no page limit restrictions) o Past Performance Reviews (no page limit restrictions) o Applicant’s most recent Single Audit (no page limit restrictions)

• Monitoring and Evaluation – 24 pages o Project-Level Results Framework – 5 pages o Performance Indicators – 5 pages o Evaluation Plan – 14 pages

• Commodity Management – 7 pages

• Budget – 26 pages o Standard Budget Summary – 1 page o Budget Narrative – 25 pages o Applicant’s most recent approved NICRA agreement (no page limit restrictions) (See

Part D Section 3 Budget for more on indirect costs) o SF-424A (See Appendix I and Appendix J for instructions and an example)

• SF- 424

• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying (Required if Applicant is involved in lobbying activities.)

Applications that do not provide the required content and forms will be considered incomplete and will NOT be considered for funding. An Application Content Checklist can be found in Appendix A.

Additional details on the content of each section of the proposal are found below in Part D Section 3 c, Content Guidance. Applicants should review the content guidance to determine what sections may be submitted as attachments and what information is required to be input directly into FAIS. FAS strongly https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.gsa.gov/Forms/TrackForm/33144 discourages, and will not consider, any materials submitted by or on behalf of the Applicant other than those materials specifically requested in this NOFO.

i. Domestic Entities In addition to the required content and forms listed above, each Applicant that is a domestic entity (as determined by FAS based on the entity’s registration information on SAM.gov) must also certify to the “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications” and “Grants Certifications” in SAM.gov by the closing date of the announcement. Effective January 1, 2020, the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations are a common set of certifications and representations required by Federal statutes or regulations in accordance with 2 CFR section 200.208. Applicants must keep these representations and certifications current, accurate, and complete as part of their entity registration.

All domestic entities receiving financial assistance from FAS must respond “yes” to the Grants Certification question: “Does the Non-Federal entity wish to apply for a Federal financial assistance project or program, or is the Non-Federal entity currently the recipient of funding under any Federal financial assistance project or program?”

FAS will endeavor to verify that the proper certifications are completed in SAM.gov and to contact an Applicant if its certifications are not complete. However, it is the responsibility of an Applicant to ensure that its required certifications are complete. FAS will not sign an award agreement with an Applicant if the Applicant’s required certifications are not complete and current within the SAM.gov portal.

ii. Foreign Entities

In addition to the required content and forms listed above, each Applicant that is a foreign organization or a foreign public entity (as determined by FAS based on the entity’s registration information on SAM.gov) must also certify to the “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications” in SAM.gov. Not all of the terms apply to foreign entities; however, the Lobbying Disclosure term within does apply to foreign organizations and foreign public entities. Effective January 1, 2020, the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations are a common set of certifications and representations required by Federal statutes or regulations in accordance with 2 CFR section 200.208.

Applicants must keep these representations and certifications current, accurate, and complete as part of their entity registration.

All foreign organizations and foreign entities receiving financial assistance from FAS must respond “yes” to the Grants Certification question: “Does the Non-Federal entity wish to apply for a Federal financial assistance project or program, or is the Non-Federal entity currently the recipient of funding under any Federal financial assistance project or program?”

FAS will endeavor to verify that the proper certifications are completed in SAM.gov and to contact an Applicant if its certifications are not complete. However, it is the responsibility of an Applicant to https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://sam.gov/SAM/ https://sam.gov/SAM/ ensure that its required certifications are complete. FAS will not sign an award agreement with an Applicant if the Applicant’s required certifications are not complete and current within the SAM.gov portal.

c. Content Guidance

All McGovern-Dole proposals must include the following as attachments:

i. Introduction and Strategic Analysis

An Applicant must provide a one-paragraph summary of the proposed project. The summary will be an introduction and should include the duration of the project, estimated costs, number of targeted school-age children, number of direct beneficiaries, number of targeted schools, and the focus of the intervention.

In a table, under the one-paragraph summary, provide the estimated administration cost, activities cost, commodity and food purchases cost, ITSH cost, total indirect costs, as well as estimate U.S. commodity costs and freight costs. All Applicants, including foreign organizations, are required to include costs relating to ITSH: the moving of commodities from designated ports or points of entry to storage and distribution sites as well as costs of storing and distributing the commodities.

Cost Type Total Budget (USD)

Administration

Activities

Commodity and Food Purchases

ITSH

Total Indirect Costs

Sub-Total FAS Cash

U.S. Commodity Cost

Freight Cost

TOTAL PROGRAM VALUE

Proposals must include a comprehensive analysis of the potential needs, challenges, opportunities, and constraints that may impact the implementation and success of the proposed project. This section should explain the strategy behind the proposed method of intervention.

The strategic analysis will be evaluated based on how well the project is aligned with host government laws, policies, and programs; how well the proposed project will coordinate within the U.S. government, multilateral, private sector, or other stakeholder development strategies or frameworks; how the project aligns with the Appendix B - Country Guidance; and how the proposed program will complement and not duplicate existing projects and programs. This section should cite any sources and provide an explanation of any analyses undertaken by the Applicant.

The following must also be included in this section:

• Explanation of Need: Applicants must include an explanation of the need for a McGovern-Dole project in the target country and how the Applicant's proposed activities would address that need.

Additionally, the Applicant must provide information regarding (1) the country's current school feeding operations, if they exist, the length and sessions of a typical school year, and current funding resources; and (2) teacher training, parent-teacher associations, community infrastructure, health, nutrition, water and sanitation conditions.

• Local Capacity Building: Applicants must explain how they will involve indigenous institutions as well as local communities and governments in the development and implementation of the activities to foster local capacity building and leadership.

• Commitment to Education: Applicants must provide a statement verifying the commitment of the government of the targeted country to work, through a national action plan, toward the goals of the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien Declaration, and the follow-up Dakar Framework for Action of the World Education Forum).

• Method of Choosing Beneficiaries: Applicants must identify the criteria and methodology used to target the geographic area(s) and the beneficiary group(s). Criteria and methodology should help to distinguish why some regions or beneficiary groups will receive resources (funds or agricultural products) while others may not. Applicants should consider the following questions when preparing a response:

o Why and with what methodology did the Applicant select the particular geographic area(s), and beneficiary group(s)?

o What are the specific needs of the proposed beneficiaries?

o Which sources of information did the Applicant use (i.e. government agency survey, computer database, interviews, assessments, etc.)?

o With whom did the Applicant collaborate to target particular regions, institutions, and beneficiaries?

• Target Geographic Area: List the targeted geographic areas where the proposed activities will take place. Applicants must include map(s) to illustrate the areas of activity intervention.

• A description of any current programs, policies, interventions, and strategies of other http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001275/127583e.pdf http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf stakeholders (government of target country, USG and other public and private donors, private sector, etc. particularly those USG Agencies involved in the new USG International Basic Education Strategy) that are working in relevant sectors (education, school feeding, MCN, WASH, agriculture, deworming, etc.) and how the Applicant intends to coordinate with some of these stakeholders.

• Information specifically identifying opportunities to collaborate per the USG International Basic Education Strategy and USDA/USAID MOU (The MOU can be found on the FAIS homepage). This could include coordinating on policy dialogue, teacher training and coaching, reading materials, and assessments in advance of activity design. In addition, where feasible (if not, it is important to address why not), co- location in designated schools, districts, and regions is desirable to leverage resources, and to promote cost-efficiency, efficacy, and increased impact.

• If the Applicant intends to procure commodities locally or regionally, the Applicant should include information regarding the feasibility within the target area; access to diverse, nutritious, and quality foods; the capacity of relevant producers and producer organizations;

and market linkages to project schools in the target region(s).

• A description of the nutrition implementation strategy.

o Explain how the commodity selection was determined in the context of other nutrition programs in the country or project area and how the commodity selection would be appropriate for the local diet, as well as how it may fill identified nutrition gaps in the local diet.

o Provide a clear explanation of how the requested commodity and ration size addresses identified nutritional deficiencies of the beneficiaries. To meet the full nutritional requirements in this section, Applicants must offer at least three food components, and are encouraged to add seasonal vegetables, fruits, and/or animal-sourced proteins, when feasible. This will encourage dietary diversity and teach children about nutrition and healthy eating. Applicants who do not offer at least three food components will need to justify the reason for the omission.

o If applicable, describe how local and regional procurement will contribute to the implementation strategy. Illustrative uses of local and regional procurement are to mitigate pipeline breaks; to enhance project sustainability; to improve dietary diversity of beneficiaries by incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables, animal proteins, etc. into the ration; and, to target specific populations, i.e. pregnant and lactating women and children under five. Applicants are encouraged to propose contextually appropriate and feasible uses of locally and regionally procured commodities and are not limited to the above examples. Applicants must still include U.S. commodities in the project proposal.

• Information about the target population’s access to safe water and sanitation facilities as well as sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors.

• An identification of specific in-country constraints, including the potential risks related to weather variability and water availability that could obstruct the project’s efforts to address the identified needs.

• The expected method of educating the public: State the methods of notifying consumers in the

Applicant country of the source of funding for program activities.

ii. Plan of Operation and Activities

This section must include a list of each of the activities to be implemented, with a brief statement of the objectives to be accomplished under each activity, the anticipated number of beneficiaries, and a detailed description of the activity, including the steps involved in its implementation, and the anticipated timeline.

Proposed activities must address the needs as identified in Section i – Introduction and Strategic Analysis. The activities should accurately capture the project scope, beneficiaries, and deliverables.

Furthermore, this section must detail how each activity will lead to the results as stated in the Project- Level Results Framework. The activities should not only identify the project’s targeted interventions, but also demonstrate how the project will complement existing efforts. The Applicant should distinguish for each activity if it will be implemented by the Applicant or by subrecipients. If an Applicant is a current or past McGovern-Dole implementer, the Applicant should describe successes and challenges from previous experiences and efforts to improve project implementation.

The Activities section will be evaluated on the completeness, quality and technical merit of the content submitted. With respect to this, Applicants must adhere to the following technical guidance:

Proposed literacy activities, in support of McGovern-Dole Strategic Objective 1, must adhere to evidence-based approaches and best practices that sustainably improve reading and literacy outcomes for all learners. Activities designed to improve basic reading and literacy skills should be part of a holistic approach to the challenge of ensuring that disadvantaged children are physically, nutritionally, and cognitively fit to succeed in school.

The Applicant must demonstrate an understanding of the reading and literacy needs and barriers in the local system and propose tailored, contextually relevant, and evidence-based interventions to sustainably improve reading and literacy outcomes for all learners. For more information on local systems, see USAID’s Local Systems: A Framework for Supporting Sustained Development. The Applicant should consider the USAID Reading MATTERS Conceptual Framework which presents the components of the ideal system that evidence shows are critical to supporting reading acquisition for all children, including the marginalized and vulnerable.

The Applicant must ensure that all reading and literacy activities are designed and implemented to sustain positive outcomes in improved literacy and reading beyond the life of the McGovern-Dole https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-systems-framework project. If feasible, the Applicant should also consider co-locating with a USAID-funded literacy activity.

Per the USDA-USAID MOU and USG Education Strategy, the Applicant must demonstrate strategic program coordination and complementarity in countries where both McGovern-Dole and USAID have active or planned activities, while keeping in mind the importance of seeking to leverage “lessons learned” or best practices where applicable. This could include, but is not limited to, coordinating on the following:

• Geographic location, including co-location where feasible (if not feasible, it is important to explain why)

• Evidence-based standards, benchmarks, policies, and curriculum

• Teaching and learning materials

• Teacher training and coaching

• School administration

• Regular assessments to inform instruction

• Extra reading practice and support outside of school

• Monitoring and evaluation

In addition, Applicants must develop nutrition specific and sensitive activities. Proposed school feeding activities, in support of McGovern-Dole 1.2.1.1, 1.3.1.1, must describe the ration: whether it is a snack, beverage, or meal, and specify what it will consist of, i.e. US commodities, locally and regionally procured foods, or community donated foods. Applicants must describe how often (per week, per month, etc.) the foods will be provided. In addition, Applicants must describe how to ensure each child receives his/her portion of food under bulk cooking situations. Consider providing a chart as an attachment to illustrate the ratio of food needed compared to the number of children, and preparation instructions that cooks must follow.

If contextually appropriate, applicants may provide rations for pregnant and lactating women and children under five who live within the communities that receive McGovern-Dole school meals. USDA-funded commodities may be offered alone or combined with locally available foods provided with non- USDA funds or by the community, or through school or community gardens, orchards, or local value chains, livestock and fisheries.

These activities must take place in the same catchment areas as the schools under the proposed project and Applicants must describe how they will be coordinated with the school meals component.

Illustrative examples of maternal and child nutrition activities could include, but are not limited to: early childhood development centers; growth monitoring and promotion; take-home rations conditional upon promoted maternal, infant, and young child feeding and care behaviors; and social and behavior change interventions like counseling, peer group education, cooking demonstrations, mass media campaigns, etc. Applicants should also consider the need for medical referrals for childhood illnesses, acute malnutrition, maternal malnutrition, and other related conditions. Applicants must describe how their proposed project aligns with existing maternal and child nutrition policies, strategies, institutional structures, and programs at the national and sub-national levels in the target country, and ensure their project is carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health or another relevant ministry where possible.

In implementing maternal and child nutrition activities, Applicants are encouraged to work with, and build on, any existing nutrition activities to maximize impact, including other activities implemented by the Applicant, other organizations, or target country government agencies in the same school catchment areas. Applicants should distinguish the activities that will be implemented only by the Applicant from the activities that will be implemented in coordination with other entities.

iii. Sustainability and Lasting Impact

Applicants must explain (1) how the benefits of education, enrollment, and attendance of children in schools in the targeted communities will be sustained when assistance under McGovern-Dole terminates and (2) the estimated period of time required until the targeted country or the Applicant would be able to sustain the program without additional assistance under McGovern-Dole.

Applications should include a detailed timeline that shows the project’s progression towards graduation with measurable and achievable targets at each stage, including work with any public, private, and local entities. If the graduation of an activity to the target country government or another eligible organization is not imminent, the Applicant must explain the barriers to graduation.

If an Applicant is proposing to continue an existing project, it must be clear whether the proposed project will carry forward activities with the same beneficiaries towards the same long-term goals as the prior project, and build upon previous results, demonstrating progression towards sustainability and graduation. Furthermore, the Applicant should demonstrate any prior successes regarding graduation of food assistance or education projects, especially those funded by USG agencies.

Applicants should include information on their collaboration with the host government and their efforts to build government capacity to take over the activities. All Applicants are encouraged to enter into a MOU with the government detailing a path forward on sustainability.

iv. Organizational Capacity and Staffing

Applicants must clearly demonstrate organizational capabilities to develop, manage, implement, monitor, report, and provide for accountability and sustainability for the proposed project in the target country. Project management capability and current and past experience in implementing food aid

(literacy, agriculture, nutrition, or logistics and procurement projects), including experience within the target country, must be included in this narrative.

The narrative should also include a staffing plan that demonstrates the technical and regional or national expertise required for efficient and effective project implementation, administration, and management.

The staffing plan should include a brief description of all long-term staff positions and levels of experience. The staffing plan should be as cost effective as possible. The staffing plan should demonstrate a solid understanding of key technical and organizational requirements and an appropriate mix of skills, while avoiding excessive staffing.