APS 72051921APS00001- Addendum 1 -Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants .pdf

El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS) No.: 72051921APS00001- Addendum 1

Issuance Date: May 28, 2021 Deadline for Questions: June 15, 2021 Closing Date: April 19, 2022 Concept Paper Submission Closing Dates:

First Round: July 9, 2021 Second Round: To be determined

Subject: El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS) No.: 72051921APS00001

Program Title: Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants- Addendum 1

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 98.001, Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas

Pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, the United States Government, as represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), USAID/El Salvador, is announcing the Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum to the USAID/El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement (APS), hereafter known as the CDCS APS.

Through this Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum, USAID/El Salvador aims to engage locally based new and underutilized partners to expand and amplify the Agency’s work through and with private sector and education service providers. The overall Agency New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) seeks to support partner countries’ progress, to achieve sustainable and resilient results, and catalyze more effective partnering for impact. This Addendum disseminates information to prospective Applicants so they may develop and submit Concept Papers in response and ultimately to be considered for USAID/El Salvador funding.

This Addendum describes and provides:

● The type of activities for which Concept Paper will be considered;

● Available funding, process and requirements for submitting Concept Paper and Full

Applications;

● The Criteria for evaluating Concept Papers; and https://www.usaid.gov/

● Refers prospective Applicants to relevant documentation and resources.

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

Government, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a Concept Paper or Application(s). Subject to the availability of funds, USAID/El Salvador anticipates supporting up to three awards totalling up to $29,674,000.00 over the life of the award(s). USAID/El Salvador reserves the right to award more or fewer awards than this estimate and is not obligated to make any awards. The actual number of assistance awards, if any, is subject to the availability of funds, as well as the viability of eventual Full Applications received. Interested applicants are highly encouraged to submit Concept Papers for the first round as USAID may determine that a second round is not feasible.

Based on the submitted Concept Paper(s), USAID/El Salvador will determine whether to request a Full Application from an eligible organization. To be competitive under this Addendum to the subject CDCS APS, Concept Papers and Full Applications must be fully responsive to all directions under the APS except when specifically noted otherwise in this Addendum.

It is the responsibility of the Applicant to ensure that the entire CDCS APS and Addendum opportunity has been downloaded from www.grants.gov and 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 CDCS APS document, please contact the grants.gov helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Craig Riegler Supervisory Agreement Officer Regional Office of Acquisition and Assistance USAID/El Salvador mailto:criegler@usaid.gov http://www.grants.gov mailto:support@grants.gov

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ANNOUNCEMENT

CALL FOR Concept Papers

Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum

UNDER EXISTING

USAID/El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual Program Statement

No.: 72051921APS00001

PLEASE NOTE: This is an Addendum to an existing announcement. All interested organizations should carefully review both the Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants

Activity Addendum AND the full CDCS APS announcement, which can be found here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=72051921APS00001

Important information contained in the full announcement (CDCS APS) is not repeated in the Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum.

This activity is authorized in accordance with Part 1 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Through the Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum to the USAID/El Salvador CDC APS No.72051921APS00001, USAID/El Salvador seeks to better prepare Salvadorans to take advantage of the economic opportunities, jobs, and income potential through:

1. improving skills, labor productivity, and employability of beneficiaries- especially among Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations;

2. strengthening performance of technical workforce education service providers;

3. collaborating with the private sector to more directly link training to jobs in the most promising sectors; and

4. supporting policy and regulatory reforms related to human capital development in areas where GOES commitment is evident.

Through these interventions, incentives to irregularly migrate to the United States will decrease, and beneficiaries' livelihoods will improve and will contribute to El Salvador’s prosperity and self-reliance.

Subject to the availability of funds, USAID/El Salvador anticipates supporting up to three awards totalling up to $29,674,000.00 over the life of the award(s). USAID/El Salvador reserves the right to award more or fewer awards than this estimate and is not obligated to make any awards.

Unless otherwise stated herein, all terms and conditions of the CDCS APS found here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=72051921APS00001 apply.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ACRONYMS 6

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 6

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 19

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 21

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 23

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 25

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 28

SECTION G: FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S) 29

SECTION H: OTHER INFORMATION 30

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12nNgoEZDJUB9n7MXZGa_tVveX69VeXXazWpbMEbKoPs/edit?ts=6008a53f#heading=h.x8lus6aofan4 https://docs.google.com/document/d/12nNgoEZDJUB9n7MXZGa_tVveX69VeXXazWpbMEbKoPs/edit?ts=6008a53f#heading=h.1pkjzfe4xibw

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ADS: Automated Directives Systems AO: Agreement Officer AOR: Agreement Officer Representative APS: Annual Program Statement CDCS: Country Development Cooperation Strategy CFR: Code of Federal Regulations CLA: Collaborating, learning and adapting COR: Contracting Officer Representative DO: Development Objective DOC: Development Outreach and Communications EGE: Economic Growth and Education Office GOES: Government of El Salvador NPI: New Partnerships Initiative RFA: Request for Application UDL: Universal Design for Learning USG: United States Government

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

USAID/El Salvador is issuing this Addendum pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. Any potential resulting award(s) will be subject to 2 CFR 700 and 2 CFR 200

– Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and USAID’s Standard Provisions for U.S and Non-U.S Based organizations per ADS 303.

1. Background Country Context El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It is also much more urbanized than most of its neighbors. Seventy-two percent of the country’s approximately 6.2 million population live in urban areas.1

El Salvador’s economically active population averages only seven years of schooling, with 7.2 years for boys and 6.9 years for girls. In addition, half of the population with no formal2 education is unemployed, and 42 percent of young people have seriously considered leaving the country. This is the cycle of poverty that needs to be broken in order to stem irregular3

3Fundación Salvadoreña para el Desarrollo Económico y Social, (2018). Informe de coyuntura social 2017-2018, Octubre de 2018.

http://fusades.org/lo-ultimo/noticias/informe-de-coyuntura-social-2017-2018.

2Encuesta de Hogares para Propósitos Múltiples 2018, Dirección General de Estadìsticas y Censos (DIGESTYC).

1 CIA World Factbook: El Salvador, August 14, 2019.

http://fusades.org/lo-ultimo/noticias/informe-de-coyuntura-social-2017-2018

On average, Salvadoran school ending exams indicate that students exiting primary education have only mastered half of what is expected. The links between migration, violence,4 underemployment (i.e., lack of decent economic opportunities), and low levels of education are clear. Nearly 70 percent of Central American migrants surveyed on their journey north reported having only primary education levels or less, with 20 percent reporting no formal education.5 Consequently, meeting the demand for technical and vocation skills and addressing learning deficits in El Salvador is critical to improving employability, reducing irregular migration, and making El Salvador more attractive for foreign investment due to an adequately skilled workforce.

Research from late 2019 indicates that El Salvador had reached common benchmarks for middle income countries in areas such as business enabling environment, trade freedom, GDP per capita, and export sophistication. However, other data sources and USAID/El Salvador’s experience indicate that major challenges still exist. In particular, an uncompetitive business environment, anemic foreign direct investment, and a heavy dependence on remittances from the U.S. ($5.92 billion, approximately 23 percent of the country’s annual GDP) has resulted in El Salvador having the second slowest economic growth rate in Central America, averaging 1.9 percent per year over the past 15 years. As a result, the economy is unable to create a sufficient number of6 quality jobs to employ those seeking work. This leads to underemployment and a poverty rate that remains above 25 percent, which causes some to turn to gangs and criminal activity or to seek employment opportunities elsewhere.

Workforce Development in El Salvador In an effort to support El Salvador’s workforce development and skills enhancement in key economic sectors, this activity will strengthen El Salvador’s commitment to ensure that economic development reaches across gender lines, diverse social groups, and geographic areas of the country. It will also focus on increasing citizen capacity through both the quality of education (e.g., minimum proficiency in reading) and increasing income potential levels of the most vulnerable.7

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated many aspects of life in El Salvador from healthcare to education. The pandemic has harmed the economy and likely reduced the effectiveness of education in the country. From mid-March to June 2020, the GOES imposed a strict quarantine, which included a shift to virtual education at the national level; this included online education, as well as curricula offered through dedicated public television channels. In April 2021, the GOES allowed for the reopening of schools in hybrid modes.

Although technology is a great way to salvage learning opportunities from COVID-19, many residents in El Salvador were not able to adequately access lessons. Only 33 percent of

7 This activity will contribute to the J2SR roadmap in both dimensions, as follows: a) Commitment: Inclusive Development; b) Capacity: Citizen Capacity, Education Quality and Poverty Rate.

6 Banco Central de Reserva, 2018

5Red de Documentación de las Organizaciones Defensoras de Migrantes, (2018). El Estado indolente: recuento de la violencia en las rutas migratorias y perfiles de movilidad en México, Informe 2017. Impresos Mercurio, S.A. de C.V.: Sinaloa, México.

4 USAID Education Sector Assessment, 2017.

Salvadorans had access to broadband internet in 2018. The internet is a much better medium for education than nothing at all, but it is not a perfect solution, and especially not so if the learning device is a smart phone and if there is only one learning device per home. According to a recent study , students in poverty have a greater chance of absences affecting their educational goals in8 the future compared to students living in better socioeconomic conditions.

As noted above, during the pandemic, the MINED established a plan to integrate different technological platforms to prioritize children and youth learning. To this effect, the MINED trained 30,000 teachers in Google Classroom, provided online learning, television, radio, and texting to support teaching and learning access, and distributed educational materials for over 200,000 students.

USAID/El Salvador Country Strategy USAID/El Salvador’s goal is to “Reduce the Drivers of Irregular Migration by fostering a more self-reliant El Salvador: secure, prosperous and well governed”. The strategic vision is to increase the belief among targeted populations that they can lead safe and prosperous lives, supported by a transparent and accountable government in El Salvador. Over 75 percent of returned migrants cite a lack of economic opportunity as one of the main reasons for migrating.

The majority of irregular migrants from El Salvador do not have sufficient education to earn a decent wage. To this point, of adult Salvadorans caught and returned at the U.S. border in 2018, approximately 98 percent only have a high school or less education with the majority--78 percent--having only a ninth grade or less education . Household survey data indicated that 409 10 percent of youth who had left school cited lack of interest, while 25 percent reported economic causes as the main reasons for dropping out of school.

The USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) utilizes an urban-hub place-based approach that focuses on the most violent geographic locations as well as locations where there are both large numbers of people in need of work and the most potential for economic growth and job creation. These are also the locations where the majority of likely migrants live and work. Activities under this Addendum would therefore largely be focused at least one of the three urban hubs defined by the CDCS (i.e., San Salvador, San Miguel, and/or Santa Ana), as well as on the targeted demographic (individuals under 40 with less than $400 per month in income or at risk of dropping out of school; and/or likely to be subjected to violence).

New Partnership Initiative (NPI) USAID is focused on building country ownership, defined as the ability of a country, including the government, academia, civil society, and the private sector, to plan, finance, and implement solutions to solve its own development challenges. This approach is the cornerstone for how USAID/El Salvador orients awards and country partnerships.

10 Ministry of Economy. Multipurpose Household Survey 2018 9 Internal USAID analysis of Returnee Care Center. El Salvador Ministerio de Gobernación returnee data.

8 Douglas D. Ready (2010) Socioeconomic Disadvantage, School Attendance, and Early Cognitive Development:

The Differential Effects of School Exposure

Through this Addendum, USAID/El Salvador will prioritize leveraging private development assistance to respond to USG priorities and strengthen long-term partners to advance country ownership; equip and empower new and underutilized development partners; and identifying development solutions that are partner driven for maximum long term impact. Please refer to the CDCS APS for further details.

2. Purpose/Objectives/Development Results

A lack of education (technical and vocational), training, and inadequate workforce development means many unemployed people lack necessary skills and do not understand the expectations nor the conditions of the job market. This is a substantial driver of irregular migration from El Salvador to the United States.

USAID will equip likely Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations with11 social emotional and technical skills for employment by matching workforce skill needs with formal technical and vocational training opportunities, through collaboration with El Salvador’s private sector and civil society. USAID will also seek to reduce this key driver of migration and strengthen both the protective factors and resilience of potential migrants in urban hubs as defined by El Salvador’s CDCS.

This activity will also help vulnerable populations likely to migrate, returned migrants, and vulnerable populations to be better prepared and, as a result, more likely to become and stay employed. Thus, it will increase their current and future income potential. Social emotional learning, formal technical training, on-the-job training, and job placement support will be implemented to bridge the technical and soft skills gaps, make education more relevant to market needs, and foster closer public-private collaboration. Key focus areas include improved technical skills and related competencies, socio emotional learning, wraparound support services , and12 training linked to work experience may translate into employment.

Expected Outcomes and Results This activity will advance USAID/El Salvador’s efforts in achieving the following goal:

Human capital improved to increase income potential and decrease key factors for irregular migration.

CDCS Goal: Reduce the drivers of migration by better preparing Salvadorans to take advantage of economic opportunities.

At the highest level, under the El Salvador 2020-2025 CDCS, USAID will endeavor to directly train and place 10,000 vulnerable people in better jobs and foster a more competitive workforce

12 Wrap around support for Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations include, but are not limited to: life skills, social emotional learning, psychosocial support, trauma support, and job placement support services.

11 Vulnerable groups include: youth, women, single parents, people with disabilities, returned migrants, and salvadorans who have a higher risk of migrating or being internally displaced in the selected urban-hubs. Characteristics of a likely migrant pg 9 CDCS.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WXA9CMeUSDb-3bQmtnglSw8m9wEryHgQ/view?usp=sharing nationwide. The interventions resulting from this activity will contribute to the Mission’s highest level results by pursuing the following goals:

Project goal: Human capital improved to increase income potential and decrease key factors for irregular migration.

Expected Outcome 1: Increased Private Sector Engagement to improve the enabling environment for employment.

Expected outputs contributing to expected outcome 1:

1. Achieve a $5 million leverage with the private sector (financial, in-kind, etc.) to contribute to preparing likely migrants for employment.

2. Partner with at least 15 large private sector companies to establish and implement academic advancement career paths for current workers who have less than a high school degree. For example, this may include fostering corporate social responsibility programs within companies that allow for workers to increase their current academic level.

3. Foster at least 25 alliances between private sector and U.S. Government-assisted academic organizations and/or education service providers to institutionalize internships, to update curricula, and offer wraparound services and job placement support.

4. Establish industry-recognized certifications of in-demand professional qualifications.

a. These certifications will consider previous work done by the US Government through the Millenium Challenge Corporation and six private sector committees created to inform technical and professional training .13

b. In coordination with the Salvadoran Institute of Professional Formation (i.e.

INSAFORP) design of at least 15 technical-professional certification programs (at least three for each sector in technical areas with an average minimum wage twice the established minimum wage).

c. Establish the norms and standards required for certification by each sector (except Plastics which was strengthened through previous USAID workforce development interventions), proposing as well as the necessary equipment needed for training.

5. Implement a multi-year national communication campaign to bolster recruitment of vulnerable Salvadorans into training and job placement support efforts implemented by the activity

Expected Outcome 2: Increased relevance and quality of curricula for Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations to achieve employment or complete their high school education.

Expected outputs contributing to expected outcome 2:

1. Benefit 36,000 participants with improved facilities, services (including social-emotional learning, institutionalized psychological support and job placement services, strengthened job placement assistance to improve access to new or better employment, workforce

13Tourism, Textile, Construction, Plastic, Poultry, and Sugar https://www.fomilenioii.gob.sv/fomilenio-ii-conforma-seis-comites-sectoriales-que-optimizaran-la-formacion-tecnica-y-profesional.html https://www.fomilenioii.gob.sv/fomilenio-ii-conforma-seis-comites-sectoriales-que-optimizaran-la-formacion-tecnica-y-profesional.html readiness and job preparation trainings and individualized support ) and/or improved or14 new curricula for technical high school through flexible modalities delivered by education service providers (primary and secondary attribution combined).

2. Train at least 12,000 vulnerable Salvadorans who complete the USG-assisted program (primary attribution),

3. Place at least 2,500 vulnerable Salvadorans in better jobs within the formal economy (primary attribution).

4. Place at least 1,500 vulnerable Salvadorans in new jobs (primary attribution).

5. At least 50% of beneficiaries on average who complete a USG-assisted program experience a positive change in earnings (increased income potential) following their participation in the workforce development program.

6. Combine vocational training with flexible high school education options improving the employability of likely migrants with updated vocational technical training courses aligned with the needs of the labor market and job placement support.

7. Provide blended high school under flexible education programs to achieve high school15 level education (e.g. General Equivalency Diploma or GED) to increase the average adjusted years of schooling of beneficiaries. This increase will improve job readiness and employment opportunities, especially for likely migrants.

8. Strengthen at least 6 education service providers (2 per prioritized geographical hub) to increase their enrollment to high school graduation ratio through flexible modalities.

9. Design at least one USG-supported specific academic curricula for a technical vocational high school program in flexible modalities with private sector collaboration, including experiential and/or applied learning opportunities that allow the program to link with a MEGATEC fast track program .16

10. In coordination with El Salvador’s Ministry of Education (MINED) and INSAFORP, design a sufficiency test in key technical areas to apply certified professional training towards a high school level degree from MINED .17

11. Implement non-structural adaptations in educational infrastructure, and provide equipment, technology and didactic materials necessary for the effective development of educational services in flexible modalities.

Expected Outcome 3: Increased institutional capacity of education service providers and civil society for job placement, including wraparound support , for Salvadoran migrants,18 returnees, and vulnerable populations Expected outputs contributing to expected outcome 3:

1. Strengthen at least one USG-assisted employment and labor market information department at each participating education service provider to institutionalize the link

18 Wrap around support for Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations include, but are not limited to: life skills, social emotional learning, psychosocial support, trauma support, and job placement support services.

17 Reference UK Education Technical and Professional Education System - To increase the academic level of targeted beneficiaries within El Salvador's Economically Active Population

16 i.e. Bachillerato técnico vocacional articulado a técnico superior para implementar en modalidades flexibles.

15 Likely migrants will receive the blended high school program using MINED-authorized content in two levels and the USAID updated INJUVE life-skills curriculum to finish high-school.

14 Workforce readiness and job preparation circuits are trainings where vulnerable salvadorans may receive workforce and labor orientation training as well as individualized coaching through on topics such as: 1) mock interviews, 2) resume tips, review, and feedback, and 3) practical simulations of real workplace scenarios or assessments.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ygp1BBZ3sD9E8OHSWmytC4qFgR4riIqp/view?usp=sharing between technical schools and the private sector. These centers will coordinate internships, and teacher and student visits to private sector institutions to enhance understanding of current job opportunities and labor market needs. It also maintains an alumni database to facilitate matching graduates to appropriate jobs.

2. Document at least one USG-assisted trauma-support process at each participating education service provider to provide job placement services and wraparound services for likely Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations who have dropped out of school to obtain new or better employment. The exact number will depend on the number of schools or education service providers recommended through the technical proposal. More specific targets would likely be overly prescriptive.

3. Decrease drop-put rates by 5% among technical high school students, who are likely migrant youth, through job placement services, wraparound services, and technical formal education. For example, this includes fostering clear exit regulations and processes for students in technical high school degrees (who are not in fast-track programs) to graduate early with general high school degrees .19

4. Implement in at least 40 public high schools (at least five per prioritized geographical hub and prioritizing at least half to be those with previous USG investments such as the integrated school systems strengthened by Fomilenio II) with fast-track programs with formal tertiary technical institutions (MEGATECs) .20

5. Increase survival in high school retention rates by 5% in at least 5 high schools in the respective urban hubs, and relevant municipalities and fostering a more competitive workforce .

6. Implement non-structural adaptations of educational infrastructure, and provide equipment, technology and didactic materials necessary for the effective development of educational services in at least 20 U.S. Government-assisted high schools and/or education service providers.

3. Coordination and Complementarity

Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum Concept Papers are encouraged to plan for collaboration with other USAID/El Salvador activities, including but not limited to:

● Current awards managed by EGE, USAID/El Salvador including:

○ Nuevas Oportunidades: This activity contributes to the prosperity of Salvadoran youth by increasing access to quality education opportunities and reducing the employability gap faced by those who have the academic potential and desire, but lack the financial resources, for the most dynamic and demanded sectors in the surrounding areas. This alliance will provide a path to greater school engagement, enhanced life skills, employment, and non-violent conflict resolution. These skill sets promote a stronger sense of community that encourage a decline in migration

20 To increase the employment of at-risk youth in specific high-risk and high-migJration municipalities, increase survival rate and decrease drop-put rates by offering an accelerated formal education track for selected economic sectors through the MEGATEC system, linking the curriculum between selected public high-schools in prioritized municipalities to the closest MEGATEC.

19 i.e. Salidas laterales de graduación para estudiantes de bachillerato técnico no articulados a un técnico superior.

driven by a lack of opportunities, improve a community's environment and impact the reduction of violence.

○ High Impact and Sustainable Communities Project in Soyapango: This activity contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of families in Soyapango, through the articulation of the key sectors to increase the opportunities of economic and social development of the municipality.

○ Scholarships and Incentives to Grow Livelihood through Education (SIGOe) This activity seeks to mitigate irregular migration from El Salvador by increasing equitable access to formal educational opportunities for 6,500 likely migrants and returnees to engender hope, prosperity, and positive self-worth in their lives.

● Future awards managed by EGE, USAID/El Salvador, including:

○ Awards made through the Higher Education for Leadership, Innovation, and

Exchange (Helix) APS Addendum will contribute to reducing irregular migration by increasing the sense of rootedness through safe, inclusive, quality basic education and more effectively preparing children and youth to be economically productive citizens.

● Other USAID/El Salvador new awards, as appropriate.

Also actively and effectively coordinating with any USG activities as appropriate, especially any workforce development interventions that may work with the same GOES partners, to avoid duplications or inefficiencies and seek complementary actions that maximize resources and strategically align all programming to the core drivers of irregular migration, including security, prosperity, and combating impunity and corruption.

Additionally, Concept Papers are encouraged to build on the work done to date in education and workforce development , including, but not limited to the following:

● Higher Education for Economic Growth

○ Final report:https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TS42.pdf

● USAID Bridges to Employment

○ Final report: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00X3KS.pdf

● Education system strengthening under the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact.

4. Programmatic and Geographic Focus

USAID/El Salvador anticipates that ultimately the Job Placement for Likely Migrants Activity will contribute to USAID’s Mission and objectives and directly support programming under DO2 “Jobs and Income Potential Increased for Likely Migrants” of the CDCS. In turn, it will also directly contribute to achieve the intended results for this DO as described in Section A.1 of the https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TS42.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00X3KS.pdf

CDCS APS (Please refer to Section A.1 of the CDCS APS specifically to the table entitled “Key Intended Results per Development Objective”).

USAID/El Salvador anticipates that ultimately the Job Training and Placement for Likely Migrants Activity will contribute to USAID’s mission and objectives through successful achievement of one or more of the following guiding principles and focal areas as leverage points in workforce development and economic growth programming.

Geographic Focus The activity should be active in at least one of the three urban hubs in El Salvador: San Salvador, San Miguel, and/or Santa Ana.

Guiding Principles Proposed interventions under this activity should incorporate the following guiding principles:

1. Private sector engagement enables USAID and partner countries to collaborate with the private sector to co-create and co-design market-based and enterprise-led development approaches. Such approaches leverage markets, investments, firm behavior, and technical expertise to drive valuable business and development results in a sustainable manner over the short, medium and long term. Given the growing and vital role the Salvadoran private sector has in spurring economic growth and prosperity, private sector engagement is essential to building resilient and lasting self-sufficiency. Engagement and partnerships with the private sector will help improve the effectiveness of interventions under this activity and ensure sustainability of safe spaces for psychosocial support and that the quality of workforce development interventions meets the needs of private sector demands.

2. Positive Youth Development (PYD) engages youth along with their families, communities and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems. The proposed activity will use the PYD framework to engage with Salvadoran youth and in developing relevant interventions to achieve the activity’s objectives and purpose.

3. Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. For societies to thrive, women and girls, men and boys must have equal access to opportunities and resources, such as education and technology. This will further enable them to access economic opportunities, income, land, and markets to enable them to fully participate as productive members of society. They must also have equal rights and opportunities as changemakers, peace-builders, and leaders. Transforming the ways in which we engage men and boys in gender equality and women’s empowerment efforts is essential to creating long-lasting change and challenging the negative cultural and social definitions that can limit the ability of boys and girls to achieve their full potential. The activity will address gender inequalities and support women’s empowerment in the design of interventions.

4. Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.

UDL’s goal is to support learners to become “expert learners” who are, each in their own way, purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal driven. Instead of changing the learner, UDL aims to change the design of learning environments to reduce barriers so that all learners can engage in rigorous, meaningful learning. The UDL Guidelines provide a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities. The proposed activity should use the UDL Guidelines in designing and implementing interventions to ensure an inclusive learning environment for all.

5. Cross-Cutting Principles

Coordination

USAID/El Salvador foresees coordination and collaboration opportunities between implementing partners to integrate the Mission’s geographic targeting, technical needs, and cross-cutting CDCS objectives and priorities in the following areas:

● Private Sector Engagement,

● Partnering with and building the capacity of local partners,

● Partner coordination and collaboration in the three urban hubs, and

● GOES collaboration, leadership and improving public perceptions of government.

As coordination and collaboration around these efforts is incumbent for all actors, the Mission expects that all applicants discuss the integration of coordination and collaboration as part of the award. In particular, applicants must detail how they will seek potential activity synergies, align results, prepare reporting, and minimize confusion with Agreement/Contracting Officer Representatives (AORs/CORs,) implementing partners and beneficiaries. Applicants are expected to anticipate inter-activity management challenges and opportunities and advise AORs and CORs and the Mission’s Regional Office of Assistance and Acquisition on leveraging potential synergies, taking advantage of opportunities, and resolving challenges.

Please refer to Section A of the CDCS APS for further information on Shared Responsibility and CLA that applies to this Addendum.

Monitoring & Evaluation and CLA

Monitoring, evaluation (M&E), and collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) for activities should emphasize the systematic process of collecting and analyzing performance data and other information to track progress toward planned results. It also involves collaborating with and across implementing partners to manage the relationship among activities, or between activities and a project, to achieve higher-level outcomes. Activity M&E and CLA focuses on whether an activity is achieving programmatic results and generating learning to inform the adaptation of activities based on evidence.

The applicant will be expected to contribute to the Mission’s commitment to a multifaceted collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) approach to development. The CLA approach is based on the understanding that development efforts yield more effective results if they are coordinated and collaborative; test promising, new approaches in a continuous yet also rapid, targeted search for generating improvements and efficiencies; and build on what works and eliminate what does not. It is also understood that CLA takes into account programmatic learning and shifts generated by the activity (outward-generating) as well as those adopted by the activity from external learning sources. USAID also anticipates that a strong focus on adaptive management techniques as expressed through staffing skills, structure and culture, business processes, and stakeholder engagement will be particularly important in the implementation of each resulting activity, in order to track and adjust to the opportunities to operationally integrate with other activities working in related efforts. Thus, USAID anticipates a CLA approach that tailors CLA to the needs and opportunities of each resulting activity, while leaving open options for future evolution in its interpretation and application.

Gender

USAID strives to deliberately promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, in which women, girls, men, and boys have equal opportunity to benefit from and contribute to economic, social, cultural, and political development; and are equally empowered to secure better lives for themselves, their households, their communities, and their countries.

All Activities must integrate gender to contribute to the achievement of any of the overarching outcomes of the USAID Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy:

- Reduce disparities between women and men in access to, control over, and benefit from economic, social, political, educational, and cultural resources, as well as wealth, opportunities, and services;

- Strive to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV), which affects women’s abilities to thrive and succeed, and mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and communities, so all people can live healthy and productive lives;

- Increase the capability of women and girls to exercise their basic and legal rights fully, determine their life outcomes, assume leadership roles, and influence decision-making in households, communities, and societies; and

- Improve the access of women and girls to education, including opportunities for higher education and workforce development.

Therefore, in response to the USAID requirements, the Recipient must at a minimum:

- Complete a gender analysis as an aid to planning and addressing gender issues during the first 120 days of the award;

- Ensure opportunity for equitable participation in the planning of and access to program benefits by both girls and boys/women and men;

- Incorporate gender-equity targets for participation and benefit in all activities and indicators;

- Collect sex-disaggregated data and monitor gender impacts to ensure that inequalities are addressed; and

- Integrate gender in all aspects of program development, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

Programming developed in response to this activity will support strategic alliances between government and academic institutions, especially higher education institutions, technical education programs, and universities. They will also strive to address issues of gender equality in all career paths, especially those related to public service.

Environmental Compliance

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, Section 117 requires that the impact of USAID’s activities on the environment be considered and that USAID include environmental sustainability as a central consideration in designing and carrying out its development programs.

This mandate is codified in Federal Regulations (22 CFR 216) and in USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) Parts 201.5.10g and 204 (http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ADS/200/), which, in part, require that the potential environmental impacts of USAID-financed activities are identified prior to a final decision to proceed and that appropriate environmental safeguards are adopted for all activities.

No activity funded under this addendum will be implemented unless an environmental threshold determination, as defined by 22 CFR 216, has been reached for that activity, as documented in a Request for Categorical Exclusion (RCE), Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), or Environmental Assessment (EA) duly signed by the Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO).

(Hereinafter, such documents are described as “approved Regulation 216 environmental documentation.”) For this Activity, an IEE has been completed (LAC-IEE-15-23).

The selected Recipients must comply with all required laws and regulations pertaining to the environment. Further instructions regarding environmental compliance requirements will be provided at the full application stage.

Communication Strategy

Communications and public perception are critical to the achievement of USAID El Salvador’s development objectives. Together with our partners, GOES and the communities in which we work, USAID promotes an increased level of hope for Salvadorans living a good life at home, measured by improvements in educational and economic opportunities, security and government.

Each activity will contribute to this shared objective and will provide a communications strategy demonstrating how the partner and activity will utilize communications to achieve results, and how the activity contributes to higher level objectives of increased hope and improved public perceptions. USAID El Salvador/DOC will coordinate with communications leads of all partners regularly to align efforts, refine local hub messaging and national campaigns, and encourage partners’ continued understanding and development of communications products that prioritize CDCS communication goals.

New Partnerships Initiative (NPI)

USAID/El Salvador highly supports NPI. The goal of the NPI is to increase USAID’s development impact by elevating local leadership, fostering creativity and innovation, and mobilizing resources across the Agency’s programs.

The NPI initiative will advance this goal by diversifying its partner base and changing how the Agency partners, based on three key principles:

1. Elevating Local Leadership. The Agency will:

o Work through local actors and systems;

o Engage traditional partners in strengthening local capacity; and o Identify partnerships with new and underutilized locally established partners (LEP) with deep roots in-country.

2. Fostering Creativity and Innovation. The Agency will partner with new, underutilized, and non-traditional non-profit and private sector organizations to take advantage of the full marketplace of ideas for strengthening sustainable development.

3. Mobilizing Resources. The Agency will work with organizations that are able to leverage their own private and other non-USG funding to achieve and scale development outcomes.

Please refer to Section A.4 and Section C.2 of the CDCS APS and Section C of this Addendum for further information on NPI and Sections A.4 and A.5 of the CDCS APS for further information on cross-cutting policies and Agency Initiatives.

END OF SECTION A

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

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

Government, nor do those commit the U.S. Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of questions, comments, suggestions, Concept Papers, and/or Full Applications. Applicants submit Concept Papers/Applications at their own risk, and all preparation and submission costs are at their own expense.

1. Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated

USAID/El Salvador may issue more than one award under the Job Placement for Likely Migrants Activity Addendum to the CDCS APS. The actual number of assistance awards, if any, is subject to the availability of funds and the interests and requirements of USAID/El Salvador, as well as the viability of eventual Applications received. Subject to funding availability, USAID/El Salvador intends to provide up to $29,674,000.00 in total USAID funding over the life of the award(s). Actual funding amounts and the number of awards- anticipated to be up to three- are subject to availability of funds, award type, and activity proposed.

Awards pursuant to this addendum may result in a variety of assistance instruments outlined in ADS 303.3.24 and ADS 303.3.25 such as:

a) Grants and Cooperative Agreements, including renewal awards which allow to adapt within the five year maximum period of performance to changing contexts, lessons learned during implementation and allowing scalability of pilot activities;

b) Simplified grants for small awards on a cost reimbursement basis may be appropriate for new local organizations that propose innovative solutions;

c) Fixed Amount Awards which allows payments upon the successful completion of milestones and may represent a less administrative burden to new partners.

2. Nature of the Relationship between USAID and the Successful Recipient

The principal purpose of the relationship with the Recipient is to transfer funds to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation of the activity which is authorized by Federal statute.

The successful Recipient will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the program objectives and the efficient and effective administration of the award through the application of sound management practices. The Recipient will assume responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the Federal award.

3. Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Award

The period of performance of individual awards may vary but will not exceed five (5) years.

4. Type of Instrument

USAID has a number of assistance award types to choose from when providing funds to successful Applicants. The type of award and terms and conditions included therein is based upon recipient organization type, programmatic factors, and other due-diligence matters-including responsibility determinations. The types of awards are defined in Section F of the CDCS APS. The preferred type of award(s) under this addendum is a cooperative agreement.

USAID reserves the right to make or not to make any awards under this Addendum. The actual number of assistance awards, if any, is subject to the availability of funds, the interests and requirements of USAID, and the viability of applications received. There is no predefined minimum or maximum number of partners or partnerships USAID will support through this Addendum. However, USAID will not provide funds under this Addendum for products and services that it would otherwise purchase through a contract. If USAID identifies opportunities to strengthen or fund a Concept Paper or application by connecting it with other USAID mechanisms, other potential funders, and/or external partners, USAID may make that Concept Paper or application available internally or externally for appropriate consideration.

USAID may decide to issue a renewal award(s) (grant or cooperative agreement) under this Addendum. A renewal award allows a grant or cooperative agreement to adapt, within the five-year maximum period of performance, to changing contexts, lessons learned during implementation, and performance by related activities within a project that affect the overall effectiveness of the initial award. A renewal award provides a specific level of support for an initial specified period of time or an initial set of programmatic activities and milestones with the possibility of a subsequent award to provide additional support for the project for succeeding periods, activities, or milestones. The Agency may renew these awards provided funds are available, the results achieved warrant further support, and the recipient meets any other renewal conditions specified in the award.A renewal award requires the recipient to reapply at a specified point(s) during performance to continue the award. As part of the re-application, USAID may revise the award and define further activities within the general program description of the award.

END OF SECTION

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligibility is unrestricted. This Addendum is open to all entities that meet the eligibility criteria set forth in Section C of the CDCS APS.

USAID/El Salvador highly supports NPI and welcomes partners that would comply with this Initiative. NPI defines “Implementing Partners” as U.S. and non-U.S. non-governmental organizations that can design and implement assistance activities outside the United States.

USAID/El Salvador strongly encourages a partnership approach that…