Q&A - GBV Shelters NOFO.pdf

Applicant Questions & INL Answers

Opportunity Number: INL21CA0002-CostaRica-GBVCitizenSecurity

Opportunity Title: Response to Gender Based Violence Technical Assistance for Shelters

Application Deadline: December 8, 2020

1. Can INL provide additional information about the “Hacete Escuchar” program, especially about the 10-session workshop?

The program includes a facilitator guide and a student guide divided into two: Ages 12 to 15 and ages 15 – 18. These are the titles of the 10 sessions:

1- Knowing My Club

2- Self-Esteem and Personal Identity

3- My Relationship with Others and Support Tools

4- Communication and Emotions Management

5- Human Rights

6- Gender

7- Sexuality and Affections

8- Violence and Gender-based Violence

9- Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence

10- Action Against Violence

Each session lasts between 90 and 120 minutes.

The work with students also includes coaching sessions (sports related activities).

All the materials have been reviewed by the Ministry of Public Education and Children Welfare in Costa Rica. The materials will be provided to the selected Grantee upon award.

2. Should the objectives and activities proposed match what is listed in the NOFO? Can the activities be broken down or should they stay as listed in the NOFO?

Objectives are the main actions to obtain the results that INL desires from this project. Therefore, INL expects that proposals will be in line with those intents. Activities can be broken out and additional or new activities are welcome, but the funding amount remains the same.

3. ES: La convocatoria no es clara en cuanto a los albergues a los que se pretende atender. Si son los directamente atendidos por el PANi o aquellas ONGs que brindan el servicio al PANI como albergues. Esto hace una diferencia sustancial en la propuesta. En esta línea, y más allá de esto, tampoco es claro si más bien esto se define en un diagnóstico que haría el mismo proyecto en su ejecución, para definir cuáles serán los 3 albergues por atender.

ES: Los albergues por atender para este proyecto son tres que fueron identificados por los gobiernos locales de cada área. En Alajuela: La Posada de Belén y Hogar Mariano Juvenil. En

Limón: El Bosque de las Madres.

EN (summary): It is not clear which shelters should be served, or whether the three shelters should be defined through a diagnosis by the applicant.

EN: There are three shelters to be served for this project, which were identified by the local governments of each area. In Alajuela: La Posada de Belén and Hogar Mariano Juvenil. In

Limón: The Forest of the Mothers.

4. ES: El NOFO no define si son albergues que atienden solo a mujeres adolescentes y jóvenes o si incluye a albergues que atienden varones. ¿Son albergues que atienden únicamente mujeres?

ES: Los albergues pueden ser solo para mujeres o mixtos, dependiendo de su propio modelo. La prioridad va a ser siempre el trabajo en asistencia técnica para cada albergue en la prevención de la violencia intrafamiliar, las herramientas para la vida y completar estudios de secundaria.

EN: Do the shelters only serve adolescent and young women, or young men too?

EN: The shelters can be for women only or mixed, depending on their own models. The priority for either will be to provide technical assistance for each shelter in the prevention of inter-family violence, life skills, and the completion of secondary education.

5. ES: Para este NOFO se incluye el INL Activity Map Template, y no un formato de Marco

Lógico? Es decir ¿el INL Activity Map Template sustituye al ML?

ES: Si, INL ha cambiado sus documentos requiridos y, segun el checklist en el NOFO, el INL

Activity Map es un documents requirido. El Marco Logico no es requirido.

EN (summary): Does the required INL Activity Map substitute the Logic Model that is usually included in INL’s NOFOs?

EN: Yes, INL has updated its required documents and, per the application checklist in the

NOFO, the Activity Map is a required document. The Logic Model is not required.

6. ES: En el INL Activity Map Template se incluye la Visión del proyecto. ¿Se refiere al estado deseable que se desea alcanzar con el proyecto?

ES: Si, pero como se explica en la plantilla, esa sección es opcional.

EN: Does the “Vision” within the INL Activity Map Template refer to the desired state that one should reach with the project?

EN: Yes, but as explained in the template, that section is optional.

7. ES: También en el INL Activity Map Template, se solicitan sub-objetivos ¿a qué se refieren?

¿Es obligatorio o deseable que se planteen los sub-objetivos?

ES: Su organización debe formular un proposito que sigue la pantilla lo major que pueda.

Tambien INL trabajará con la organización seleccionada para refinar el documento.

EN: The INL Activity Map template asks for sub-objectives. What do these refer to? Is it required or desirable for the sub-objectives to be included?

EN: The applicant should be able to formulate a proposal following the requested model, to the best of its ability. INL will also work with the selected applicant to refine the Activity Map document.

8. ES: Para el segundo objetivo, el trabajo ¿se requiere realizar solamente con personal de los albergues (formación de formadores) o también hay un trabajo directo con las chicas (y chicos si es el caso) con la metodología Hacéte Escuchar?

ES: El trabajo será principalmente instalar capacidad en el personal técnico de los algergues.

Pero, también se hara trabajo con las personas usuarias del albergue relacionado directamente con las capacitaciones que se implementaran al personal técnico de cada albergue.

EN: For the second objective, is it required to work with the shelter staff or also with the adolescents at the shelter on the Hacete Escuchar methodology?

EN: The work should be primarily to increase capacity of the shelter staff, but also there will be work with the shelter beneficiaries related directly to the trainings implemented by the staff at each shelter. For example, the grantee should implement a train-the-trainer approach for the

Hacete Escuchar program, which would include supporting trainings with adolescents in attendance.

9. ES: ¿La metodología Hacete Escuchar está documentada como un Manual/Publicación? ¿Es posible obtenerla?

ES: Hacete Escuchar contiene guías para facilitadores y guías para participantes. Todos los materiales didácticos han sido revisados por el Ministerio de Educación Publica de Costa Rica.

Se divide en dos niveles a. participantes de 12 a 15 años y b. participantes de 15 a 18 años.

EN: Is the Hacete Escuchar methodology documented in a manual/publication? Is it possible to obtain it?

EN: Hacete Escuchar contains guides for facilitators and participants. All the training materials have been revised by the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education. It is divided into two levels:

one for participants aged 12-15 and one for participants aged 15-18.

10. As part of the train the trainer activity, do we need to consider an after-action review to evaluate if the beneficiaries trained are developing what they learned in the shelters?

Evaluation of the learning process is a key element of the technical assistance support that is expected to be delivered by the implementer to the shelter staff.

11. For the train-the-trainer activity, can we also include other public servants, not only shelter employees? (i.e. Public servants and other stakeholders that provide services to gender-based violence victims).

The focus for this small grant is providing technical assistance to the staff in the shelter. Other desired outcomes could include that the shelter develops working partnerships with other stakeholders in the territory that serve domestic violence victims, so INL encourages applicants to include this coordination where possible.

12. In Limón, may we work on a more preventive level, focusing on high risk adolescents from public high schools in the Bananito Sur/Bananito Norte area, rather than working with a shelter?

In addition to the work at the shelter, you may also propose to implement the Hacete Escuchar program in public high schools. Working with shelters is a non-negotiable requirement of this project.

13. Objective 2 / Activity 1 (p.5) presents a list of the components the activity could include. The listed components are conference room rental, subject matter experts, translation services for the participants, and meals for the participants. Would the cost associated with these items be listed under category “H – Other Direct Costs” of the budget, or as new, separate fields within that budget table?

All unique expenses should be listed in separate line items within the main excel budget, under any of the approved budget categories. Expenses such as facility rental and meals for participants would likely fit under Category H. Depending on the nature of the contract or agreement, translation services could go under Category F or Category H. The Grants Officer will review the budget closely and work with the selected organization to adjust or correct the budget as needed.

14. Would it be possible to include additional items that were not listed under objective 2?

Specifically, can we add transportation for the participants, materials and supplies (e.g., photocopies, notebooks, COVID-19 protection gear), and equipment such as baby seats and cribs, necessary to keep adolescent mothers and their babies together. Would these latter items, if allowed, be presented within the travel, supplies, and equipment fields of the OMB-approved budget table?

Please refer to the Budget Guidelines section of the NOFO (Tab C) for guidance about the types of expenses that can and cannot be included in the budget. Transportation is often classified under Category C – Travel. Any tangible item (e.g. notebooks, baby seats) under $5,000 USD per unit should be placed under Category E – Supplies. All other expenses that do not fit neatly within the parameters of the other categories (e.g. photocopies, meals for participants) would likely fit best under Category H.

15. Which organizations are eligible to apply for the minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC)? Or would we have to list important indirect charges under “Field H- Other Direct

Costs”?

Any organization that has never had a NICRA agreement is eligible to apply the 10% de minimis rate. Alternatively, organizations may itemize adminsitrative expenses as direct expenses within

Category H – Other Direct Costs.

16. Based on 2 CFR 200.500 -Subpart F, is it correct that organizations are not required to conduct an audit given that the funds to be possibly managed are below $750,000?

Organizations are not required to complete an annual audit if the total amount of U.S.

government funds expended in a year are below $750,000 USD. This amount could include funds from multiple USG grants.