72026725RFA00001 Iraq Civic Engagement Amendment 1.pdf

Issue Date: December 5, 2024 January 15, 2025 Deadline for Questions: December 16, 2024 Closing Date and Time: January 31, 2025 February 14, 2025 4:00 PM Baghdad time Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity 72026725RFA00001/Initial Announcement Amendment 1 Program Title: Iraq Civic Engagement Activity Federal Assistance Listing Number: 98.001

Greetings, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement Iraq Civic Engagement Activity.

Eligibility for this award is not restricted.

USAID intends to make an award to the applicant who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO subject to a risk assessment. Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process. The selection process, as described in detail in the NOFO, will be in two phases. Only Applicants specifically asked by the Agreement Officer to submit Phase Two documentation will need to provide it. Unless otherwise informed, only Phase One information is required to be submitted for evaluation by the closing date and time above.

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in Section B of this NOFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this NOFO and to ensure that it has been downloaded from the internet in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov

Grants.gov Support Center at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance or if you need assistive technology and are unable to access any material on this site.

Unless an exception in 2 CFR 25.110 applies, applicants must comply with 2 CFR 25 requirements to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), as applicable. See Section E, Submission Requirements and Deadlines, for more information. The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early.

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section A.4. The deadline for questions is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Eric Strong

Agreement Officer mailto:support@grants.gov

NOFO TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section A – Basic Information

Section B – Eligibility

Section C – Program Description

Section D – Application Content and Format

Section E – Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Section F – Application Review Information

Section G – Award Notices

Section H – Post-Award Requirements and Administration

Section I – Other Information

Annex 1 - Attachments

Annex 2 - Standard Provisions

SECTION A: BASIC INFORMATION

1. Executive Summary

The Civic Engagement Activity is an initiative aimed at fostering a more politically engaged citizenry in Iraq, enhancing trust and participation in the country's democratic processes. This activity seeks to elevate civic literacy, empower citizens to actively engage and contribute to discussions on issues of concern. Equipping citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate effectively in the democratic processes. This includes fostering awareness of governmental processes, promoting access to accurate media content, facilitating increased engagement with government entities at various levels, and empowering citizens to participate in public life. Overall, this activity represents a concerted effort to build a more resilient and participatory democracy in Iraq, with a particular emphasis on empowering marginalized groups.

Localization will be central to this activity, with local leadership involved in activity design and priority setting. The implementing partner will integrate local capacity strengthening in line with USAID's policy throughout all activities.

2. Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated

USAID intends to award a Cooperative Agreement pursuant to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide $30,000,000 in total USAID funding over a 5 year period.

3. Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Awards

The anticipated period of performance is five years. The estimated start date will be May 30, 2025.

4. Agency Point of Contact

Ms. Olga Ekkert Acquisition & Assistance Specialist USAID/Iraq Email: baghdadoaa@usaid.gov

5. Acquisition and Assistance Ombudsman

The A&A Ombudsman helps ensure equitable treatment of all parties who participate in USAID’s acquisition and assistance process. The A&A Ombudsman serves as a resource for all organizations who are doing or wish to do business with USAID. Please visit this page for additional information: https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/acquisition-assistance-ombudsman.

https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/acquisition-assistance-ombudsman

The A&A Ombudsman may be contacted via: Ombudsman@usaid.gov

6. Authorized Geographic Code

The geographic code for the procurement of commodities and services under this program is 937 (the United States, the recipient country, and developing countries other than advanced developing countries, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source). Except as may be specifically approved in advance by the Agreement Officer, all commodities and services that will be reimbursed by USAID under this award must be from the authorized geographic code specified in this NOFO, and must meet the source and nationality requirements set forth in 22

CFR 228.

7. Selection of Instrument

The results of market research conducted during the planning phase support the recommendation of an assistance instrument over an acquisition instrument.

USAID conducted a series of consultations with Iraq’s non-state actors - CSOs, formal and informal groups, as well as other donors and international implementing organizations operating in the sector. The outcome of the consultations and corresponding analysis of both consultations, research documents, data and other information was the development of the concept for this new civic engagement activity. The Agency’s programmatic needs are best met by providing funds and/or in-kind support to an implementing organization, where the primary beneficiary is the recipient organization, who then acts as a pass-through entity to provide a benefit to third-party democracy promotion organizations throughout Iraq.

The overall objective is to stimulate trust and participation in the country's democratic processes. This activity seeks to elevate civic literacy, empower citizens to actively engage and contribute to discussions on issues of concern, and it will require a flexible approach that prioritizes experimentation, particularly when supporting any newly emerging civic groups or movements, exploring new ways of supporting existing groups and networks, as well as seeking sustainable funding models that are specific to the Iraq context. Moreover, given the nature of activity and sensitivity of working with informal entities and groups of citizens seeking to organize around common goals, this context lends itself to a relationship based on assisting a recipient to provide support to third parties to foster a more democratic, engaged, and empowered citizenry.

https://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/acquisition-assistance-ombudsman

SECTION B: ELIGIBILITY

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility for this NOFO is not restricted.

Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

Additionally, USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.

The Applicant must have established financial management, monitoring and evaluation processes, internal control systems, and policies and procedures that comply with established U.S. Government standards, laws, and regulations. The successful Applicant(s) will be subject to a positive risk assessment by the Agreement Officer (AO).

A positive risk assessment means that the applicant possesses or has the ability to obtain the necessary management competence to plan and carry out the assistance program to be funded, and that the applicant will practice mutually agreed upon methods of accountability for funds and other assets provided by USAID.

Each applicant is limited to one Application submission under this NOFO as the prime Applicant. There is no limitation on being included as a potential sub-awardee across multiple applications. The use of exclusive teaming arrangements is discouraged.

USAID has determined that any award resulting from this NOFO is subject to vetting. An applicant that does not pass vetting is ineligible for award. More information regarding vetting requirements is in the Section I - Other Information of this NOFO.

2. Cost Sharing

Cost Sharing is not required for this activity.

SECTION C: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION1

This funding opportunity is authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. The resulting award will be subject to 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and USAID’s supplement, 2 CFR 700, as well as the additional requirements found in Section H.

Goal:

The USAID funded Iraq Civic Engagement Activity is a five-year activity whose goal is to increase Iraqi citizens’ confidence in democracy, by promoting an environment where they are more informed, engaged, and active participants in Iraq’s democratic processes. USAID will promote the inclusion of those individuals and groups that are most underrepresented in Iraqi civic and political life.

The activity has two main objectives:

Objective 1: Citizens’ civic literacy increased.

Objective 2: Citizens proactively engage in political life on issues of their choice online and in person.

Background:

Iraq’s political system is heavily influenced by entrenched political interests that limit citizen participation through corruption, the promotion of insecurity fears, and the use of the Muhasasa system. Muhasasa is a system of governance adopted in Iraq in 2003. It was implemented in part to help ensure inclusion and diversity in governance, but it has been manipulated to award government positions at all levels to specific political movements based on sectarian and political identification, thus perpetuating the political status quo. Political elites also use this system to co-opt other constituencies.

Similarly, the two main political parties in Kurdistan manage a political system that allows them to exert control over the Iraqi Kurdish Region. Recent tensions between the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), as well as tensions between Erbil and Baghdad, have challenged these two parties’ continued control of this region. Although new political movements have tried to enter this political space, the KDP and PUK’s domination of the Kurdish political space has blocked new participants from achieving success in Kurdish politics.

Iraq’s political landscape has been threatened by political instability driven by public protests, the most significant of which occurred in 2019. This fear of political instability drives political elites to thwart widespread participation in political processes. Although the 2021 elections were

1 Note: The term “program” as used in 2 CFR 200 and this NOFO is typically considered by USAID to be an Activity supporting one or more Project(s) pursuant to specific Development Objectives. Please see 2 CFR 700 for the USAID specific definitions of the terms “Activity” and “Project” as used in the USAID context for purposes of planning, design, and implementation of USAID development assistance.

deemed technically sound, the resulting government did not align with electoral results as the Muhassasa system was used to block the election’s winners from forming a government. Political elites used the courts, legislative maneuvering, and internal deals among Iran-aligned political parties, known as the Coordination Framework2, to forge the current Iraqi government. This, coupled with the exclusion of independent voices from the political space and the failure of these voices to coalesce into a potent political force, continues to erode the confidence of citizens in exacting change, further solidifying the influence of political elites. Recent Provincial Council elections have furthered these elites’ control, and the significant victory of parties aligned with Iran Aligned Militia Groups (IAMG) bodes poorly for future democratic freedoms.

Their views of political participation, human rights, and freedom of speech and association are viewed by the U.S. government and like-minded partners as regressive.

While the political system is occasionally responsive to public pressure, many citizens feel that their participation in the political process is ineffective. Citizens also lack the knowledge, skills, and abilities to engage in the civic and political space in an informed manner and with confidence. This bodes poorly for broad-based political participation and the long-term political stability of the country.

Activity Problem Statement:

Confidence in the democratic system is being undermined as Iraqi citizens lack information about their roles, rights, and obligations in their democratic state. Iraq’s current institutions and political processes ostracize large segments of the population, leading to an apathetic and disenfranchised citizenry with a weak commitment to democracy.

Theory of Change and Activity Objectives:

2 The Coordination Framework is a coalition of Iran-aligned Shia political movements forged to elect Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani to office.

PLEASE NOTE: The Theory of Change includes "Promote democratic values through strengthened enabling environment for democracy." This refers to the activities of other awards and other actors/donors in the sector and is not an objective of this award.

USAID Administrator Power has emphasized “localization” as a priority for USAID programming across sectors. USAID has defined “localization” along four principal lines of effort that include channeling a larger portion of funding directly to local civil society, business, and other institutions that are supported by and accountable to local communities. The Agency has a mandate to shift not only funding but also to put local partners in the lead to co-design projects, set priorities, drive implementation, and evaluate impact of aid programs. Grounded in these principles, the Iraq Civic Engagement Activity has two (2) defined objectives:

Objective 1: Citizens’ civic literacy increased.

Under Objective 1, the Expected Results of the Activity are:

● Citizens exercise their rights and responsibilities as citizens in the Iraqi democratic system.

● Citizens understand how their government is meant to work.

Under this objective, the Activity will focus on increasing citizens' civic literacy through interactive, creative, innovative approaches, designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to actively participate in Iraq's democratic system. Participants in the Activity under this Objective will not only have a deeper understanding of how their government is meant to operate but also feel empowered to actively engage in shaping the future of their communities and nation. Through informed and conscientious citizenship, Activity participants will contribute to the realization of a more vibrant and inclusive democratic society in Iraq.

Objective 2: Citizens proactively engage in political life on issues of their choice, online and in person.

Under Objective 2, the Expected Results of the Activity are:

● Citizens have more opportunities to engage with government at all levels (Provincial Councils/Council of Representatives/ Local and district government officials).

● Citizens effectively advocate for public policy on issues they prioritize.

● Citizens increasingly participate in democratic processes.

● Citizens successfully identify and resist mis/disinformation and actively promote reliance on accurate information.

Under this Objective, participants will not only be increasingly informed, they will become increasingly engaged in civic life. This objective is focused on action and participation.

Approaches should be customized to geographies and political realities within those Iraqi geographies, setting citizens up for success with their engagement efforts. This Objective also includes a focus on in-person and virtual participation in civic life which necessitates a resilience to mis- and disinformation. Accordingly, approaches to building citizens’ digital literacy are critical under this Objective.

Combining the expected results of Objectives 1 and 2 should lead to increasingly informed and conscientious citizenship amongst Activity participants who will contribute to the realization of a more vibrant and inclusive democratic society in Iraq. USAID/Iraq is very focused on and committed to empowering and increasing the capacity of Iraqis to lead their own development.

Therefore, any support under both of these Activity Objectives must align with USAID’s Local Capacity Strengthening Policy and USAID’s Localization Vision and Approach.

Programming Approach - Small Grants Component The Activity will create and implement a demand-driven small, sub-grants component valued up to $500,000 dollars annually to enable local sustainability, and encourage leadership, ownership, decision-making, and implementation by local groups. Small grants must contribute to the accomplishment of Objective 1, Objective 2, or a combination of both. In line with USAID’s emphasis on localization, the Activity will support the organic and locally-led priorities of Iraq’s local entities through these small sub-grants while also presenting opportunities to address specific issues and priorities important to USAID, including but not limited to climate change, transparency, accountability, deepening our investments in locally-led development and localization, and inclusion of underrepresented groups. The sub-grants component will not include funds for renovation, rehabilitation, or construction related activities.

Programming Approach - Inception Phase As the situation on the ground in Iraq continues to be dynamic, new challenges or new opportunities arise regularly, and may arise between the design and launch of this activity. The nature of the Iraqi environment requires shorter planning cycles, active monitoring and robust feedback systems that allow managers to adapt implementation at every stage. To identify challenges and allow flexibility and adaptation at an early stage of implementation, the Activity should apply a Refine and Implement (R&I) approach for an initial four-month inception phase.

As such the implementing partner will carry out a four-month inception phase to ground-truth and refine specific implementation activities and sequencing, along with its monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans. The phase must include a landscape analysis, political economy analyses and/or other sectors or issue specific research and assessment components as determined by the applicant to inform the implementation and monitoring of the project generally and the annual implementation plan submission(s). The inception phase will also be extremely important to support the required localization approach through thoughtful and comprehensive engagement with communities to identify community leaders (women-led, youth-led or youth-focused, and marginalized/underrepresented community leaders), groups, and/or issue-focused organizations with whom to partner. As USAID requires more localization in all its awards, we recognize that, particularly in non-permissive environments, the necessary relationships to truly localize and co-design activities in partnership with local communities, groups, leaders, and CSOs, takes time. All of the inception phase work will contribute to the finalization of the year one implementation plan that is based on the Inception Phase analyses and outreach.

https://www.usaid.gov/policy/local-capacity-strengthening https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/USAIDs_Localization_Vision-508.pdf

Flexible Activity Modifier Component This component is focused on identifying and seizing opportunities that support the accomplishment of the Activity’s two Objectives or otherwise advance the civic literacy and engagement space in Iraq. This is meant to serve as an adaptive, collaborative program management tool. The eventual awardee will reserve $2.5 million ($500,000/year) of the total estimated amount of the activity for actions under this component that will be targeted to opportunities that emerge or may fill a gap in technical expertise or information required to achieve the objectives of the program. Use of the funding under the Flexible Activity Modifier component requires co-development and collaboration with USAID and will be initiated by the awardee only after specific agreement is reached with USAID. Specifically, the purpose of this component is to address the variabilities of the operational context in Iraq which requires programmatic flexibility particularly given the volatility of the political environment. With approval of the Agreement Officer, it is envisioned this mechanism will provide USAID/Iraq the ability to support emerging opportunities and evolving needs within the objectives of the program. It could also be used to scale and expand efforts. As needed and as directed by the Agreement Officer, in consultation with the USAID AOR, the awardee will present unique opportunities for assistance programming related to the program objectives. The cost line item will allow the release of rapid response funds to the Applicant and its partners for immediate activities to seize identified opportunities once approved by USAID. Subject to the availability of additional funding, USAID may also choose to invoke the activity modifier to implement additional interventions within the scope of overall activity objectives at any point in the life of the activity. Any use of the Flexible Modifier will include a process of co-development of concepts for the modifier alongside USAID and partners. The expenditure of funds for the activation of the modifier component, will be dependent on review and approval by the AOR and

AO.

Other Requirements Collaborate, Coordinate, and Share Data with USAID’s third-party monitoring (TPM) contractor:

The Recipient must collaborate, coordinate and share monitoring, evaluation, research, analysis, and reporting data and products with USAID/Iraq’s TPM contractor for verification, feedback, reporting and Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) purposes.

Guiding Operational Principles

Inclusive Development/ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) principles:

The Recipient must incorporate the following principles into the design and measurement of activities:

Inclusive Development: Inclusion is one of USAID’s core values. USAID promotes a nondiscriminatory and inclusive approach to development that ensures that all people – including those who face discrimination and thus may have limited access to a country’s benefits, legal protections, or social participation (including, but not limited to persons with disabilities, religious/ethnic minorities, women and girls, and youth in underprivileged/underrepresented communities) – are fully included and can participate in and benefit from development processes and activities.

Youth Engagement Policy: USAID’s Youth Policy outlines a conceptual approach to youth in devel opment and provides guiding principles and operational practices in support of USAID’s efforts to mainstream youth in development, carry out more effective programs, and ele vate youth participation. If youth and women continue to feel disassociated from the democratic government, and are unable to secure gainful employment and/or receive a living wage, then they will continue to lose confidence in Iraq’s democratic development.

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI): The 2023 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy affirms USAID's vision of a prosperous and peaceful world in which women, girls, men, and boys enjoy equal economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights and are equally empowered to secure better lives for themselves, their families, their communities, and their countries. Promoting equality between men and women is central to USAID's mission to foster greater stability and prosperity while encouraging a more transparent and inclusive democratic process in Iraq. The Recipient must systematically consider social inclusion aspects and implications of specific interventions and seek opportunities to promote vulnerable groups’ participation in targeted interventions. Data collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be disaggregated between men and women and other monitoring and evaluation tools, including surveys, must include questions to elicit information enabling differentiation of impact between men and women.

Sustainability, Legacy, and Localization The Applicant’s approach to sustainability of the goals and objectives is a key consideration for USAID. To the extent possible, reasonable, and within the bounds of Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity - recognizing the diversity and societal divisions in Iraq - the Recipient must engage Iraqi actors with existing capacity and competitive advantage to implement the activity and to maximize skills transfer and direct relationship building across entities. The Recipient must build the institutional capacity of CSOs that it works with while also increasing the resilience of Iraq’s civil society. The aim is to foster partnerships and to introduce tools and mechanisms in a manner that will continue to develop beyond the timeframe and life of the activity. The Activity’s interventions may build on existing opportunities and support target entities that are committed to investing in and receiving tailored assistance to improve their technical, organizational, as well as partnership and alliance-building skills to engage in inclusive development. To further sustain the outcomes of this Activity and foster local ownership, interventions should not only focus on building and strengthening the capacity of local partner CSOs, but also fostering the motivation to utilize the new knowledge, skills, and the benefits of broader collaboration and coordination.

Additionally, the Recipient is required to work with local partners to understand their legal parameters and maximize the resources available to them through networking to continue and build on the interventions beyond the life of the Activity. Other donors and the private sector could play a role in this space. The Recipient should also prioritize local hiring, local staff development, and that levels of effort to be primarily in Iraq to further build the capacity of their Iraqi staff and Iraqi talent pool.

Link to USAID’s Local Capacity Strengthening Policy:

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) USAID has put time and effort into building a culture of CLA into its operations. The Recipient must model a CLA culture and integrate that culture into internal processes and in the implementation of activities. Where applicable and appropriate, the Recipient should collaborate with the Mission’s other implementing partners, interagency colleagues, and/or other donors. In addition, all products, briefings, and facilitated events should focus on providing recommendations for how the Mission can use that data to make evidence-based decisions and adapt programming as necessary.

USAID defines CLA as a set of practices that help improve development effectiveness throughout activity implementation. Key aspects for ongoing investigation include:

● Collaborating: Are we collaborating with the right partners and promoting synergy across USAID activities and activities implemented by others?

● Learning: Are we asking questions relevant to improving activity implementation and/or sharing information regarding implementation across audiences who can increase understanding of the effectiveness of implementation?

● Adapting: Are we using information gathered through CLA activities to pause, reflect and inform decisions regarding adaptation of the program if necessary?

Flexibility and Adaptability of Activities and Managing Risk:

As Iraq's operational environment shifts frequently, the Activity must be able to operate in a wide range of possible security, economic, and political environments. USAID desires to fund an activity which is adaptive to contextual changes in order to achieve the stated objectives. During implementation of the Activity, plans and methods for assessing, mitigating, and adapting to risk factors should be vetted with USAID and regularly reviewed.

USAID recognizes that risks abound in the Iraq context and as such we expect the grantee to have an approach to implementation that accounts for and mitigates risk to the greatest possible degree. This means risk that program description objectives are not met as well as risk to implementing partners operating in the field. USAID has made the following critical assumptions with respect to the activity’s theory of change and these may serve as a basis for considering risk mitigation efforts.

Activity Level Assumptions:

● Political culture is flexible enough to allow for some shifts in citizen participation.

● The security situation remains permissive enough for USAID’s partners to operate.

● Citizens are willing to participate in the activity’s interventions.

● Political elites will not completely block the activity, and some may support it.

● The digital environment/cyberspace remains open.

● The political environment remains stable (absent of violence), and citizens are able to participate in it.

● Legal frameworks, and implementation of them, allow civil society, implementing partners, and citizens to engage with USAID’s activity.

● The private sector is willing to engage in and support democracy promotion.

● USAID is able to identify and engage local partners who have the ability to operate throughout both Federal Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

USAID/Iraq will be substantially involved during performance of this Award as set forth below pursuant to ADS 303.3.11. The intended purpose of USAID involvement, primarily through the Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR), during the award is to assist the Recipient in achieving the objectives of the agreement. The AOR is not authorized to provide any approvals which would constitute: (1) a change to the scope or objectives of the activity described in Attachment B of this Award, which may only be approved by the Agreement Officer; or (2) a change to the Award Budget, unless the Agreement Officer's approval is not required for said budget changes pursuant to 2 CFR 200.308.

a. Approval of the Recipient's Implementation Plans

Annual Implementation plans shall be reviewed every year, revised and re-submitted for approval if necessary. The Agreement Officer has delegated authority to approve the Implementation Plan to the AOR.

b. Approval of Specified Key Personnel

Approval of specified key personnel assigned to the positions listed below. The following positions have been designated as Key to the successful completion of the objective of this award.

All changes thereto must be submitted for approval by the Agreement Officer (AO):

Position/Title:

1) Chief of Party (COP)

2) Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)

c. Approval of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (MELP)

Approval of the Monitoring & Evaluation and Learning Plan (MELP) for the project to ensure that it responds to USAID requirements. The Agreement Officer has delegated authority to approve the AMELP to the AOR.

d. Agency and Recipient Collaboration

1. USAID monitoring to permit direction and redirection because of interrelationships with other projects.

2. USAID may facilitate, when appropriate, the Recipient’s collaboration with other Recipients, Contractors and Government of Iraq in order to ensure the best utilization of program resources and greatest program impact.

e. Activities under Flexible Activity Modifier Component

USAID will collaborate and codevelop activities under Flexible Activity Modifier Component. The Agreement Officer’s Representative and the Agreement Officer will approve all new activities.

f. Approval of grants under the “Small Grants” Component

The Recipient will collaborate with USAID to develop a structure and approval process for small grants under this component.

SECTION D: APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

1. General Content and Form of Application

Applicants must review the full requirements in this Section before submitting a concept paper under this NOFO to ensure that you can meet all of the requirements listed therein.

Reviewing these requirements will help you prepare for what must be done to increase the likelihood that your concept paper is successful. Applicants are expected to review, understand, and comply with all aspects of the NOFO.

There are two (2) phases to this NOFO:

● Phase 1 - Concept Paper,

● Phase 2 - Full Technical and Cost Application

Only eligible and successful applicant(s) from Phase 1 will be invited to participate in Phase 2. USAID intends to award one (1) Cooperative Agreement pursuant to this NOFO, however, USAID reserves the right to negotiate more than one award, or no awards. Do not submit a full application under Phase 2 unless requested to do so by USAID.

PHASE ONE (1) CONCEPT PAPER FORMAT

The concept paper should be specific, complete and presented concisely. The concept paper should demonstrate the applicant's capabilities and expertise with respect to achieving the goals of this activity, keeping in mind the Implementation Principles identified in Section D. The Applicant should take into account the requirements of the activity and evaluation criteria found in this NOFO. During the merit review process, USAID is likely to reject those concept papers that are vague or merely restate the NOFO language. The concept paper must not exceed 13 pages. The cover page is not included in the 13-page limit. USAID will not review any pages in excess of the page limits.

Concept Paper must comply with the following

● Use standard 8 ½ x 11, single sided, single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, 1 inch margins, left justification and headers and/ or footers on each page including consecutive page numbers, date of submission, and Applicant’s name. 10 point font can be used for graphs and charts. Tables however, must comply with the 12 point Calibri requirement.

● Submitted via Microsoft Word or PDF formats (or equivalent).

● The total size of each e-mail transmission should not exceed 10 MB per email.

● Applicants are reminded that email is NOT instantaneous, and in some cases delays of several hours occur from transmission to receipt. Therefore, applicants are requested to send the application in sufficient time ahead of the deadline.

After submitting the concept paper, the applicants should immediately check their own email to confirm that the attachment was indeed sent. If an applicant discovers an error in transmission, please send the material again and note in the subject line of the email or indicate in the file name if submitted via grants.gov that it is a “corrected” submission. Do not send the same email more than once unless there has been a change, and if so, please note that it is a “corrected” email.

● A concept paper submitted in any other format will not be accepted or reviewed;

this includes exceeding the maximum number of pages. Applicants cannot submit any alternative document or narrative as a substitute for a concept paper.

A. Cover Page (1 page). A cover page is not included in the 13 page limit and must include the following information:

● Name of the organization(s) submitting the application;

● Identification and signature of the primary contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address) and the identification of the alternate contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address);

● Program name

● Notice of Funding Opportunity number

● Name of any proposed sub-recipients or partnerships (identify if any of the organizations are local organizations, per USAID’s definition of ‘local entity’ under

ADS 303.

Any erasures or other changes to the application must be initialed by the person signing the application. Applications signed by an agent on behalf of the applicant must be accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

Table of Contents and Acronym List are not included in the 13-page limit.

B. Technical Approach (5 pages)

The Technical Approach section must include:

a) A discussion of the development context, including a brief background on the specific development challenge/opportunity and the needs that will be addressed by the Activity (include a description of the target population and any women and men integration specific challenges);

b) A statement of how the goals and objectives relate to specific challenges and opportunities in Iraq and in the elections and political process sub-sector, overlapping with the civil society sector.

Applicants should indicate how proposed activities will contribute to supporting specific U.S.

government objectives included in the Integrated Country Strategy and stated USAID priorities described throughout the Activity Description, such as localization, conflict sensitivity/do no harm, women and men integration, inclusive development, and climate change integration/consideration, as emphasized by Administrator Power in numerous public statements including the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 President’s Budget Request .

c) The technical approach to be used, including the specific program activities to be conducted and implemented, including the following specifics;

● Under Objective 1 and Objective 2, the Applicant must present creative, innovative, interactive approaches and methodologies that are customized to the Iraqi context and the unique Iraq geographies in which the Applicant proposes to work. There should be clear linkages between the two objectives and the application should point out where activities under one objective complement or mutually reinforce the other objective and/or where activities meet USAID’s expectations in the Guiding Operational Principles section of the Activity Description.

● Under the Small Grants Component: the Applicant must articulate its approach to creating, managing, and maximizing the effectiveness of a small grants component, connect the small grants clearly to the Activity Objectives, and directly to Local Capacity Strengthening and locally-led development principles.

● With respect to the necessary Local Capacity Strengthening elements present in the activity description, the Applicant will incorporate relevant organizational capacity and resilience related findings in their support to local partners (if known), and articulate this in their technical approach.

d) A clear description of how the applicant will ensure the sustainability of the approaches that are developed and the results that are achieved via the activity and any proposed partnerships within the activity. For example, what specific steps and actions will the applicant take to ensure sustainable results and impacts beyond the term of USAID’s financial support?

C. Project Management Approach (3 pages)

The approach must include:

a) Inception Period

The Applicant must submit a brief narrative description of the Inception Plan specific to the four-month Inception period. This will include a matrix that illustrates proposed interventions and when they will take place. The matrix can be included as an annex and will not be counted against the page limit. The following must be included:

● A summary of the main tasks that Offeror plans to complete during the Inception period.

● The methodology and timeline for development of a Social Inclusion Action Plan, Civil

Society Landscape Analysis or Mapping Exercise, Political Economy Analysis, and Conflict Sensitivity Analysis.

https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/051122_Power_Testimony.pdf

● A description of any other planned studies or surveys to be undertaken in year 1 with clear justification for their use in terms of learning, baseline understanding or adaptive management benchmarks.

● A description of any innovative approaches or technologies to be tested in the first 18 months of implementation and a methodology to demonstrate the efficacy of these approaches prior to scaling or further deployment.

● A timeline and processes for regular consultation with USAID during the Inception period and through the first year of implementation, to include discussion of adaptive management needs identified (also can be referred to as “pause and reflect” sessions).

b) A clearly articulated approach to incorporate lessons learned from previous USAID efforts. This activity will build on previous investments in the elections and civil society sector(s) (USAID and non-USAID) and expand into new activities supporting civic engagement and participation as well as the promotion of democratic values. Applicants must ensure that lessons-learned from previous elections and political process AND civil society capacity strengthening efforts are integrated into this design, with a view towards the overall advancement of democratic culture in Iraq and not capacity strengthening simply for administrative and financial purposes.

Applications should briefly describe what other USAID, USG, and other donor entities are operating in this space and how they will relate to, coordinate with, mutually support, and/or avoid duplication.

c) An efficient and logical structure for overall program implementation, including how the applicant will divide labor, responsibilities and funding with partners or any potential Sub-grantees.

d) An organizational chart of the Applicant organization. The organizational chart is not included in the 13-page limit.

D. Staffing - not to exceed 2 pages – This section must include:

a) A staffing plan that corresponds to the skills and experience called for by the applicant’s approach and project management / implementation plan, catering to the technical approach, necessity for flexibility and adaptability, and the other specific elements of the program description.

b) Technical and managerial experience and skills.

c) Subject matter expertise related to the activity objectives, program description, and proposed approaches.

d) Focused, practical experience in managing and implementing similar programs in developing countries.

A balance of technical experience, management qualifications and compliance experience is encouraged in the proposed team. Expatriate staff will be considered for this program but skilled Regional experts and/or Iraqi nationals are encouraged. Proposed staff from the region should have demonstrated ability to work in a diverse environment with flexibility and adaptive approaches to learning and sharing experience.

E. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Approach (2 pages) The Applicant must submit a brief proposed activity level Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Approach - a matrix format is acceptable - aligned with the stated technical and implementation approaches and that would rigorously and credibly document the activity’s effectiveness as well as the Applicant’s commitment to sharing and learning. This entails identifying indicators that correspond to and measure the activity’s interventions at different levels of results (goal, objectives, expected outcomes, outputs). Applicants should also consider that collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) approaches must be applied throughout the course of implementation for all interventions.

The Applicant should use a mix of custom and standard indicators from the Standard Foreign Assistance Master Indicator List, with people-level indicators disaggregated by sex and age.

USAID values quality indicators over quantity of indicators. The Applicant will provide their suggested indicators and proposed learning questions, that align with outcomes flowing from their particularly stated technical approach.

F. Institutional Capabilities (1 page) - The Applicant must describe any experience implementing activities of similar size and scope, including demonstrated ability to address gender gaps and sustainably build local capacity..

PHASE 2 - FULL TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS APPLICATION:

After the concept papers are evaluated, successful Applicants may be invited to submit a Full Technical and Business Application. A Full Technical and Business Application will not develop new concepts from the ground up, rather it will build on the Concept Paper, incorporating any feedback provided by USAID to Applicants. The full application will detail and expand upon the concept(s) in the Concept Note. The Apparently Successful Applicant may also be asked to provide additional information on its technical approach, capacity, management and organization, and proposed costs and budget. USAID intends to identify one (1) Applicant as the most likely successful Applicant to submit a Full Technical and Business Application after evaluation of the Phase 1 submissions, but USAID reserves the right to invite more than one Applicant to submit a Full Technical and Business Application. If USAID is unable to reach agreement on activity design, award terms, conditions, or cost/price within a reasonable time, or USAID believes it is otherwise in its best interest, it may remove any Applicant from consideration for award.

Do not submit a full application unless requested to do so by USAID. Successful applicant(s) will be notified in writing and will be requested to submit a full technical and cost application.

If requested to submit a full application, please follow the instructions below:

Successful applicant(s) for Phase Two (2) will be notified in writing and will be requested to submit a full technical and cost application.

I. Preparation of Applications:

Each applicant must furnish the information required by this NOFO. Applications must be submitted in two separate parts: the Technical Application and the Business Application. This subsection addresses general content requirements applying to the full application. Please see subsections 2 and 3, below, for information on the content specific to the Technical and Business Applications. The Technical Application must address technical (e.g., programmatic) aspects only while the Business Application must present the budget and budget narrative, address risk, and include required standard forms and certifications.

Both the Technical and Business Applications must include a cover page containing the following information:

● Name of the organization(s) submitting the application;

● Identification and signature of the primary contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address) and the identification of the alternate contact person (by name, title, organization, mailing address, telephone number and email address);

● Program name;

● Notice of Funding Opportunity number;

● Name of any proposed sub-recipients or partnerships (identify if any of the organizations are local organizations, per USAID’s definition of ‘local entity’ under ADS 303.

Any erasures or other changes to the application must be initialed by the person signing the application. Applications signed by an agent on behalf of the applicant must be accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

Applicants may choose to submit a cover letter in addition to the cover pages, but it will serve only as a transmittal letter to the Agreement Officer. The cover letter will not be reviewed as part of the merit review criteria. Applications must comply with the following:

● USAID will not review any pages in excess of the page limits noted in the subsequent sections. Please ensure that applications comply with the page limitations.

● Unless otherwise noted, the Technical and Business Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted in English.

● Use standard 8 ½” x 11”, single sided, single-spaced, 12 point Calibri font, 1” margins, left justification and headers and/or footers on each page including consecutive page numbers, date of submission, and applicant’s name.

● 10 point font can be used for graphs and charts. Tables however, must comply with the 12 point Calibri requirement.

● Submitted via Microsoft Word or PDF formats, except…