BAA-Guatemala-2015_-_Addendum_No._001_-_English_Version.pdf

BAA Number: BAA‐Guatemala‐2015

Addendum No.: 001

Identifying Opportunities for Youth

Under the

USAID/Guatemala Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Guatemala’s Development Challenges

Issuance Date: September 11, 2015

Closing Receipt Questions: September 24, 2015

Deadline to confirm attendance To pre‐application meeting: September 25, 2015

Closing Date: November 2, 2015 – 10:00 a.m.

(Guatemala Time)

E‐mail: guatemalaproposals@usaid.gov

I. Purpose

This is an Addendum to the USAID/Guatemala Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The purpose of this Addendum is to request Expressions of Interest for research, innovation and collaboration in support of Youth Activities.

II. Problem and Challenge Statement

Context

Country Overview With a population of 15.8 million people (World Bank, 2014), Guatemala is the largest country in Central America. Twenty‐five languages are spoken within its borders, yielding a rich heterogeneous cultural and ethnic population that doubles in size about every 25 years. Recent and considerable changes in age and socio‐demographics now characterize Guatemala as a ‘youth bulge’ nation ‐‐ where almost 70% of the population is under the age of 30, and almost 60% of these youth are poor1.

Youth in Guatemala are particularly vulnerable not only to poverty, but also to violence, as Guatemala has one of the highest rates of homicides in the world (31.2 per 100,000 persons2). Victims and perpetrators of

1 National Institute of Statistics (2012, INE, Spanish acronym) 2 Policía Nacional Civil, Julio 2015. According to INACIF, homicide rate is 36.6 per 100,000 persons.

BAA‐Guatemala‐2015 armed violence and homicides are mainly male youth, between 18 and 39 years old. In 2011, an estimated 8,000 ‐ 10,000 youth were involved in crime, gangs, drug trafficking, and dealing of illicit narcotics.

More broadly, Guatemala presents some of the lowest human development indicators3 in the hemisphere, suffers from the highest level of chronic malnutrition (49.8%) for children under five years of age, and has one of the highest measures of income inequality (Gini coefficient) in Latin America, and the 12th highest in the world. While considered a lower middle‐income country with a Gross Domestic Product of $58 billion (World Bank, 2014), large disparities also exist between rural and urban youth. Fifty‐four percent of the total population lives in poverty (World Bank, 2014) and there is significant overlap between those who are poor and the 40% of Guatemalans who are indigenous. The inequality that exists between indigenous and non‐indigenous populations is further reflected in limited access to health and educational services, employment, and markets. The higher levels of poverty, poorer health and nutritional status, and lower levels of education among indigenous populations compared to non‐indigenous populations further complicates demographic challenges in a ‘youth bulge’ nation.

Country Development Cooperation Strategy For a description of the USAID/Guatemala Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) please visit https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1862/GuatemalaCDCS.pdf, https://www.fbo.gov/spg/AID/OM/GUA/BAA‐Guatemala‐2015/listing.html, and http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view‐opportunity.html?oppId=278681.

Western Highlands Integrated Program To ensure integration of activities necessary to achieve Development Objective 2 (described in the CDCS), USAID/Guatemala created the Western Highlands Integrated Program (WHIP)4, which aligns with the Government of Guatemala’s (GOG) national food security plan, the Zero Hunger Pact, and combines Feed the Future, Global Health, Global Climate Change, and Education initiatives. Focusing in 30 of the GOG’s 166 target municipalities, WHIP includes activities that reduce poverty and chronic malnutrition through food assistance, applied agricultural research, increased agricultural income, improved access to quality health care and education, nutrition, climate change adaptation, and strengthened local governance. There are several coordination efforts and activities under WHIP to integrate USAID‐funded innovations in the region.

Problem:

Education and Employment The 2011 National Youth Survey presented the grim reality about the employment, economic, educational, and social conditions for youth in Guatemala5. Only 11% of 15‐29 year old youth had attended a training or workforce readiness course in the last twelve months. In the rural areas, the percentage was 8%. Only 5% of those who received labor market‐related training had completed primary school as their highest level of study. The vast majority of youth in the rural areas works in the informal economy and earns well below the minimum salary.

The lack of a recent population census makes impossible to assess the education system coverage when analyzing official coverage rates. However, official GOG data6 highlights sectoral trends and gaps. In four out of five Western Highlands priority departments, secondary education coverage is well below the

3 2011/2012 UNDP Guatemala Human Development Report 4 Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Quiché, and San Marcos.

5 Primera encuesta nacional de juventud en Guatemala (ENJU 2011), Secretaria Ejecutiva del Servicio Cívico –SESC, Consejo Nacional de Juventud –CONJUVE, Instituto Nacional de Estadística –INE.

http://www.oij.org/file_upload/publicationsItems/document/20120111174515_14.pdf 6 http://estadistica.mineduc.gob.gt/ national average. Moreover, educational quality and academic achievement face significant challenges. On average, youth attained no more than a sixth grade education.

Several local and private‐funded programs offer a solution, albeit partial, to provide access to relevant training opportunities for youth. The Ministry of Education lists some thirteen different academic tracks for lower and higher secondary education. These tracks enroll a significant segment of the secondary level population, although still a minority of youth considering the breadth of the out‐of‐school population.

Upper secondary and professional training also have a large number of diversified curricular areas that do not respond to labor market demands, a condition which has contributed to creating false expectations among enrollees and their families about potential job prospects and the quality of education received.

Given youth demographics, Guatemala needs to generate employment opportunities for at least 222,000 youth per year for incorporation into the labor market7. However, few labor oriented training programs are rigorous and standardized, and those that do exist function under regulations that were set decades ago.

None have been evaluated. Small‐scale GOG efforts do not ensure the acquisition of relevant skills, nor provide job‐placement opportunities. Despite its importance, the role of the private sector has been absent in the design of these programs, thus impeding targeted education programs to support high‐demand economic sectors. In most of these vocational education programs there is a clear disconnect between the education supply and productive sectors’ demands. This phenomenon contributes to a growing population without relevant skills to enter the workforce and become productive citizens.

The youth bulge faces a core problem: 1.6 million out‐of‐school youth (OSY) between the ages of 15‐24, the vast majority without primary education certification and a limited skillset to enter the labor force, are underrepresented in social development programs. More than 660,000 OSY live in the Western Highlands.

Civic Engagement and Participation In general, Guatemalan youth do not express confidence in many aspects of democracy, and have low levels of satisfaction with the services provided by State institutions8. Consequently, their participation level in the community’s development is low, which threatens stability and governance. Youth in rural communities seldom have opportunities to engage in organized sports, cultural, or civic activities. Sports and cultural activities are valuable vehicles to promote youth leadership, empowerment, and collaboration to solve local problems. Moreover, there are few strategies that promote the acquisition of soft skills, including critical thinking, teamwork, problem solving, conflict‐resolution, and pro‐social attitudes. These spaces are important given their contribution to violence prevention, youth engagement, and youth participation in the community’s development. This critical void impacts the consolidation of a functional democracy, where resilient youth have valid, appropriate, and numerous civic engagement opportunities that enable them to grow into productive, engaged adult citizens.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Guatemala has provided limited sexual education and access to reproductive health services for youth. On average, 20% of youth became parents before turning 16 years old, and half of 19‐24 year old women are married9. First birth occurs earlier among indigenous, rural, poor women groups with the lowest formal education levels; and highest fertility rates. Young indigenous women (15‐24 years) have less knowledge about contraceptive methods. Only 3.5% of young illiterate women have had any kind of sexual education, 2.2% have received some kind of information on sexually‐transmitted diseases. Sexual and reproductive health care plays an important role in addressing the demographic aspects of the youth bulge.

7 ¡Si la promesa es empleo, las exportaciones son el camino! AGEXPORT, August, 2015.

8 Primera encuesta nacional de juventud en Guatemala (ENJU 2011), Secretaria Ejecutiva del Servicio Cívico –SESC, Consejo Nacional de Juventud –CONJUVE, Instituto Nacional de Estadística –INE.

http://www.oij.org/file_upload/publicationsItems/document/20120111174515_14.pdf 9 Participatory Youth Assessment, conducted in 12 WH Municipalities, USAID 2015

Violence Crime levels, narco‐activity, and gang activity are most intense in urban and peri‐urban areas of Guatemala, yet rural Guatemala is by no means violence‐free. Several studies10 have correlated the ‘youth bulge’ as a contributing demographic factor to increased violence. Moreover, several vulnerabilities directly limit youth potential: gender‐based violence, intra‐family violence, trafficking in persons, narco‐activity, unhealthy lifestyles, adolescent pregnancies, early marriage, stigmatization due to sexual orientation and gender identity, lack of inclusive services for persons with special needs, and the lack of appropriate civic participation spaces. Collectively, these compounding demographic issues exclude youth from social mobility opportunities.

Migration While Guatemala exhibits a number of harsh realities – high levels of violence; social, cultural and historical divides between ethnic, economic, and geographic groups; and limited public resources to address such issues – the problem at the individual level, as defined by those leaving Guatemala, is a lack of “opportunity”11. As a result of globalization Guatemalans have seen what the modern world has to offer, have developed an idea of what they need and want in order to live in it, and a large number have concluded that Guatemala cannot provide what they seek12. Hence, lacking a sense of inclusion, Guatemalans are migrating to other countries, leading to the disintegration of families and social structures within Guatemala. The main push factors are: lack of opportunities, domestic violence, social violence (gangs, organized crime, extortions, pressure on youth to join gangs in urban areas), coupled with pull factors of family reunification, aided by social media. USAID/Guatemala is well positioned to address the underlying root causes of migration.

The highest incidence of out–migration is from Guatemala City (19.4%), followed by departments in the Western Highlands: San Marcos (10.5%); Huehuetenango (8.4%); Quetzaltenango (6.1%). The average Guatemalan unaccompanied child migrant is from a rural, indigenous area, and between the ages of 14‐17 (of which 83% are boys).

Summary High opportunity costs and the problems identified above contribute to a rather apathetic and hopeless sentiment in rural youth. Economic problems, early marriage, and limited opportunities for civic participation, are the main barriers to accessing education reported by OSY. Almost 75% of all OSY do not have plans to return to study given the lack of pertinent and relevant education programs that can ensure higher income generation. As a result, a third of all OSY report having friends who migrated to another country13.

10Informe sobre violencia homicida en Guatemala durante año 2014, Carlos Mendoza, CABI, Febrero 2015.

11 “Opportunity” is a more abstract, individualized concept than “a job.” Migrants defining “opportunity” often cite economic (employment and income generation) and educational (technical, business, and leadership) activities and skills that can be used to improve livelihoods.

12 What people need and want to live in the modern world includes: (i) an income above the minimum needed to live (subjective and varies by location), (ii) liquid savings, (iii) basic life competencies, and (iv) good financial management skills.

13 Participatory Youth Assessment, USAID, 2015.

Challenge:

Out‐migration serves as a default solution for many Guatemalan youth in five target departments in the Western Highlands (Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Quiché, and San Marcos), as the vast majority ‐‐ rural and urban ‐‐ face cross‐sectoral and structural challenges that exacerbate the lack of relevant and sustainable livelihood and other opportunities.

With the active participation of youth councils, local authorities, community leaders, and civil society organizations, USAID/Guatemala integrates efforts to increase access to relevant, pertinent, and cost‐ effective opportunities for youth. However, various contextual aspects limit youth’s potential to live, work, and contribute to Guatemalan society. The desire to do so in a safe, healthy environment, as an educated citizen in the local labor market is clear. The youth bulge in Guatemala will not contribute productively to society without integrated efforts leading to an empowered population with high levels of well‐being.

USAID/Guatemala plans to engage in new cooperative ventures with all types of stakeholders to promote better opportunities for youth in five departments of the Western Highlands (Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Quiché, and San Marcos).

III. Instructions for Expressions of Interest Expressions of Interest must indicate the research or development idea(s) which will deliver potential solution to the Objective(s) in Section II, by increasing knowledge and understanding of potential solutions, exploiting scientific discoveries or improvements in technology, materials, processes, methods, devices, or techniques, advancing the state of the art, or using science, social science and technical knowledge in the design, development, testing, or evaluation of a potential new product or service (or of an improvement in an existing product or service). Expressions of Interest must:

1. Be in English or Spanish. The process to formulate the concept paper will be done in Spanish;

however, the resulting concept paper and the process afterward will be conducted in English.

2. Be no more than 5 pages in length, Times new roman size 12 font. An Expression of Interest that exceeds this page limit will only be evaluated through page 5 and the remaining pages will not be evaluated.

3. Be in .pdf or .docx format

4. Expressions of interest should be submitted by email to guatemalaproposals@usaid.gov by COB

November 2, 2015 before 10:00 a.m. Please include the following subject in your email: “BAA‐ Guatemala‐2015 – Addendum 001 – name of the submitting organization/individual”

USAID/Guatemala reserves the right to disregard submissions that do not meet the criteria stated above.

The Expressions of Interest should be submitted using the following format:

a. Header. BAA‐Guatemala‐2015 – Addendum 001 – name of the submitting organization/individual

b. Title of the Idea or Solution.

c. Submitter’s Name and Contact Information.

d. Problem Statement. Explain the direct linkage to development challenge (Section II of the

Addendum) and why the submitter is interested in working in partnership with USAID to address the problem.

e. Description of the Solution.

f. Total Value of the Solution.

g. Partnership Expectations and other relevant information. Describe the organization or group of organizations which currently support the solution, the strengths they bring to a potential partnership, and any ability to provide matching resources. Describe any other relevant information, such as intellectual property rights associated with the proposed solution, etc.

IV. Selection Criteria

Expressions of Interest will be evaluated using the criteria specified in Section IV.B of the BAA. In addition, the following criteria will be also applied to all expressions of interest:

Criterion 1: Concepts developed under this BAA addendum must integrate several development sectors into a comprehensive approach promoting cross‐sectoral collaboration to provide relevant opportunities for youth.

Criterion 2: Concepts developed under this BAA addendum must develop local capacity and create partnerships or consortia at local levels to strengthen, consolidate, and sustain new approaches and best practices.

Criterion 3: Concepts submitted should be developed based on consultations with possible beneficiaries, communities, and local indigenous organizations.

V. Potential USAID Funding

While specific ideas submitted in response to this Addendum may form the basis of future co‐ investment partnerships with USAID, USAID does not anticipate providing U.S. Government funding in response to any initial Expression of Interest submitted under this Addendum. Rather, this Addendum is intended to facilitate an exchange of ideas that could lead to the co‐design of an intervention with

USAID.

VI. Intellectual Property Please refer to the USAID/Guatemala Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for instructions on how USAID will work with organizations to protect intellectual property.

Expressions of interest should be free of any intellectual property that the submitter wishes to protect, as the expressions of interest may be shared with USAID partners as part of the selection process.

VII. Process USAID will review and select expressions of interest submitted in accordance with the guidelines and criteria set forth in this Addendum. USAID and partners reserve the right to disregard any expressions of interest. USAID is not obligated to issue a financial instrument or award as a result of this Addendum.

Stage 1: Following the selection of initial expressions of interest, selected organizations or consortia will be invited, individually or in combination, to discuss their proposals with USAID and its partners, which may result in one or more applicants being invited to co‐create concept paper of no more than 10 pages, based on the expressions of interest, outlining a concrete programmatic plan, focus areas, goals, timelines, budget, etc. USAID will make every effort to provide as much advance notice as possible regarding meeting dates. Travel costs will not be reimbursed by USAID.

Stage 2: Co‐created concept paper will be submitted to USAID and reviewed for selection.

Stage 3: Those concept papers that are successful following the review process may then proceed to the co‐design of full application/proposals, will be further refined and may potentially proceed to an award process. USAID is not obligated to issue a financial instrument or award as a result of this Addendum.

VIII. Informative Meetings

USAID/Guatemala intends to carry out two informative meetings to provide information regarding this BAA Addendum. The first meeting will be held in Guatemala City on October 2, 2015. The second meeting will be held on Quetzaltenango on October 7, 2015. The hour and place for these meetings will be informed in the near future through an amendment to this BAA Addendum. Please confirm your attendance by sending an email to guatemalaproposals@usaid.gov no later than September 24, 2015 and provide the following information:

Subject of the email: BAA‐Guatemala‐2015 Addendum 1 – Informative meeting

Name of your organization

Name and position of the persons that will attend the meeting. Attendance is limited to two persons per organization.

Please indicate if you plan to attend the Guatemala City meeting or the Quetzaltenango meeting.

The agenda for both meetings will be the same. An amendment will be posted in www.grants.gov and www.fbo.gov with the notes from these meetings. Travel costs for the participants will not be reimbursed by USAID.

IX. Questions

Any questions about the process should be sent by email to guatemalaproposals@usaid.gov no later than the date specified in the page No. 1. No questions will be accepted after this date. Any amendments to this BAA or BAA addendum will be issued and posted on http://www.fbo.gov and http://www.grants.gov.