RFI No. 72088720-PACIFIC-RFI-00002 Pacific-American Partnership Fund (PACAP).pdf

RFI No. 72088720-PACIFIC/RFI-00002 Pacific-American Partnership Fund (PACAP)

ATTACHMENT 1

Summary of Pacific Islands Resilience Project Framework 2020-2025

USAID/Philippines has developed a 2020-2025 new project for the Pacific Islands. The project results framework is shown below. The Pacific-American Partnership Fund activity will support the goal and development objectives 1, 2, and 3.

Summary of the Draft Activity Description

United States Agency for International Development, Philippines (USAID/Philippines) seeks to establish the Pacific-American Partnership Fund, a grant-making facility that will provide and monitor grants, on behalf of USAID/Pacific Islands, that support the goal of self-reliant Pacific Island partners. At the highest level, the goal of the activity is to improve the quality of life of Pacific Islanders by reducing long-term vulnerabilities associated with climate change and disasters, achieving sustainable market-driven economic growth, and advancing democratic governance. The Pacific-American Partnership Fund will provide USAID a platform to invigorate partnerships within and between Pacific communities to reach this goal.

The Recipient must establish, manage, and administer this grant facility on behalf of USAID. Grant administration entails preparing and issuing solicitations, reviewing proposals, awarding grants, monitoring and evaluating grant performance, monitoring and auditing financial reports, ensuring due diligence and compliance with USAID rules and regulations, closing out grants, and reporting to USAID.

The Pacific-American Partnership Fund also provides organizational capacity-building to local sub-grantees to ensure proper stewardship of United States Government (USG) funding and improved organizational and financial management of local partners.

Sub-grants awarded by USAID through the Pacific-American Partnership Fund are aimed toward civil society organizations, including local, national, and internationally-operating organizations. By creating a grant-making facility that provides grants to qualifying recipients (here, referred to as sub-grantees), through an open and competitive process, USAID will support civil society organizations (CSOs) to overcome the challenges facing dispersed and isolated Pacific Island communities. Subject to USAID approval, grants made and administered by the facility will fund non-sovereign civil society entities, including private enterprises, non-governmental organizations and institutions, universities, faith based organizations, and local civil society organizations.

Sub-grants will support USG development objectives and will complement other support being given by the USG to the Pacific Islands. Under the Pacific Pledge of the Indo-Pacific Visions, the USG is committing over $100 million in new U.S. assistance to the region, the majority of which will be delivered by USAID.1

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Pacific-American Partnership Fund is to cover a wide range of sectors that may include but are not limited to: disaster preparedness, biodiversity conservation, water security, education, and governance. The activity will support measures that go beyond direct implementation to ones that are replicating best practices, scaling up appropriate technologies, and engaging the private sector. The Pacific-American Partnership Fund will be a flexible and adaptable resource to respond to the many diverse conditions, challenges, and circumstances encountered in the Pacific Island Region. Ultimately, the Pacific-American Partnership Fund endeavors to ensure sustainability of funded activities through community-wide ownership and forging partnerships based on shared values in the Pacific.

In addition to development objectives, this activity will structure sub-grants in a way that strengthens the managerial and financial capacity of civil society entities that are technically capable, but require additional financial, managerial, and organizational training. Although sub-grants under the Pacific- American Partnership Fund will be open to civil society entities operating nationally or internationally, building local managerial and financial capacity will be encouraged, so that local recipients develop a stronger capability for contributing to and sustaining the country’s development in the long-term.

1 https://www.state.gov/u-s-engagement-in-the-pacific-islands-un-general-assembly-update/ https://www.state.gov/u-s-engagement-in-the-pacific-islands-un-general-assembly-update/

ATTACHMENT 2

Response Requirements

Responses to this RFI must be limited to not more than 8 pages and must include the following:

1. A table that contains the following information:

a. Organization name and address;

b. Organization point of contact, title/position, mobile and landline numbers, email address and website (if applicable);

c. A brief statement that indicates the organization’s interest in proposing as a prime or sub-recipient.

2. A write-up on demonstrated organizational capability by providing at least two (2) past performance references that meet the following criteria:

a. The organization was either a prime or sub-award recipient or contractor;

b. The value of the award/contract, or sub-award, was at least $1 million;

c. The scope of the work focused on establishing a multi-sectoral, grant-making facility.

Please include the following details:

i. Donor/funding organization

ii. Project title

iii. Place of performance

iv. Period of performance

v. Total value of the award (and subaward if applicable)

vi. Role- prime or subrecipient/contractor

vii. Description of the effort, interventions and outcomes, including subrecipients’/contractors’ activities.

3. Please answer the following questions or provide responses as appropriate:

a. Provide one or two examples of multi-sectoral capacity building that your organization has implemented for local civil society and non-governmental organizations. Provide data or evidence to show the impact of these interventions.

b. How does your organization balance the need for capacity building with the organizations need or desire to accomplish results?

c. The Pacific Islands region faces unique logistical and cultural challenges due to the nature of their remote and diverse communities. How is your organization structured to reach the most vulnerable communities?

d. The Pacific Islands region struggles to attract investment due to limited economies of scale. How do you leverage private sector, civil society, and other non-government partners?

e. What limitations does your organization face in building the capacity of Pacific Islands organization?