Questions and Answers.pdf

Title: Intensive Media Training for Investigative Journalists

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0006976

Bureau: Bureau of South and Central Asia

Questions and Answers, June 4, 2020

Posted: June 4, 2020

Question: Are specific countries favored or is there a preferred number of countries?

Answer: There is no specific country favored in this NOFO. Proposals should have a regional scope including all or as many countries in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan) as possible. Proposals that include more countries within the scope, without sacrificing program quality, are preferred.

Posted: June 8, 2020

Question: Does the program scope include Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Answer: Afghanistan and Pakistan are not within the program scope.

Question: Can you please confirm public and private educational institutions remain eligible applicants.

Answer: Per the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), “public and private educational institutions” are eligible to apply.

Question: The intended beneficiaries of this funding opportunity are described as journalists in South Asia. Does this include citizen journalists, social communicators, and bloggers who engage in journalism and investigative journalism, but may not have formal training?

Answer: The beneficiaries within the proposal may include journalists that do not yet have formal training.

Question: Can we confirm the participating journalists should be independent journalists, i.e. not members of state-owned or political media?

Answer: That can be considered in the negotiation phase. If the application is selected, inclusion of state-owned or political journalists can be discussed.

Question: Does SCA require the program to support journalists from all countries in the

DOS South Asia region (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri

Lanka, Maldives), or can the proposed project focus on a selection of these countries?

Answer: Proposals should have a regional scope including all or as many countries in South

Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan) as possible. Proposals that include more countries within the scope, without sacrificing program quality, are preferred.