CDCS APS Amendment No 2 Signed.pdf

Amendment No. 2 to the Annual Program Statement (APS) No. 72051921APS00001

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. Reflect the goals and objectives of the Root Causes of Migration Strategy (RCS), which will permit regional addenda; and

2. Modify various sections of the APS to incorporate the information related to the Root Causes of Migration and expansion of the geographical coverage. Please note that to facilitate the read out of the APS, the revisions to the various sections of the APS that are affected by this amendment are highlighted throughout the attached document.

All other terms and conditions of the basic APS remain the same and unchanged.

Sincerely, Albert Carrera Agreement Officer

Attachment I: Revised APS

Attachment I

REVISED ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)

Issuance Date: April 19, 2021

Deadline for Questions: May 3, 2021

Validity of this APS: April 19, 2022

Subject: Annual Program Statement No. 72051921APSAPS00001

Program Title: El Salvador Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Annual

Program Statement (APS).

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

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) El Salvador is issuing this

APS pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. The goal of this APS is to partner with numerous stakeholders to contribute to achieving the USAID/El Salvador’s

Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2020-2025 goal. This goal is to Reduce the

Drivers of Irregular Migration by Fostering a More Self-Reliant El Salvador: Secure, Prosperous and Well- Governed El Salvador. Secondly, this APS will also focus on activities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to contribute to achieving the United States Government’s Root

Causes of Migration Strategy (RCS).

Concrete activities, Open Innovation competitions, or Private Sector Engagements (PSE) under which interested applicants may submit concept papers will be published via addenda during the life of this APS. To be clear, this APS does not provide opportunities to receive funding from USAID El/Salvador (so please do NOT submit concept papers to it).

The forthcoming addenda issued following the guidelines contained in this APS will provide opportunities to work with USAID/El Salvador.

This APS disseminates information to prospective Applicants so they may have general information about the goals and objectives of USAID/El Salvador’s CDCS and have a good understanding of the potential areas that USAID/El Salvador envisions to support through addenda for specific activities or development challenges, referred as “Open Innovation” throughout this APS. Therefore, this APS is a catalyst that USAID hopes to help address and achieve locally sustained results, helping to mobilize public and private resources, strengthening local capacities, and supporting local actors in tackling their own development challenges. This

APS describes and provides for the following general information:

▪ A broad description of the types of activities USAID/El Salvador anticipates the issuance of addendum at this point in time;

▪ Potential available funding, application process, and requirements for submitting Concept

Notes;

▪ The critical selection factors for a Concept Paper; and

▪ Relevant documentation and resources.

The total anticipated level of funding available under this APS and resulting addenda is

$200,000,000.

The resulting awards under the addenda may include a variety of assistance instruments outlined in ADS 303.3.24 and ADS 303.3.25 such as: a) cooperative agreements, b) renewal of 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; c) simplified grants for small awards on a cost reimbursement basis may be appropriate for new local organizations that propose innovative solutions; d) Fixed Amount Awards which allow payments upon the successful completion of milestones and may represent a less administrative burden to new partners. All resulting awards will focus on the achievement of results and be sufficiently flexible to maximize activity results by responding to new development challenges including natural disasters, change interventions to those that have a greater potential, pilot new ideas, respond to central or municipal government needs, collaborate with other United States

Government (USG) projects, respond to the changed local context, and/or contribute to a new

USG strategy. The eligibility requirements as well as selection factors for award will be stipulated in the addenda, however, there are three critical factors that applicants must comply with in order to be considered in any addenda, as outlined in Section C of this APS.

Subject to the availability of funds, USAID anticipates the issuance of various awards to responsible applicant(s) whose concept notes best meet the objectives of the addendum and the merit review criteria contained therein. Interested organizations should read this entire APS, as well as any addenda, and follow the instructions for submitting a Concept Note in response to a specific addendum. USAID reserves the right to fund any or none of the concept notes submitted.

USAID is available to respond to questions from Applicants about the process. Applicants should submit questions by email to the point of contact (POC) identified Section D of this APS or under the addendum through which they are submitting a concept note. Applicants should send general questions about this APS to following Agreement Specialists: Ms. Blanca Ibarra, email: bibarra@usaid.gov with a copy to Ms. Alejandra Quinonez at aquinonez@usaid.gov.

For the purposes of this APS the term "Grant" is synonymous with "Cooperative Agreement";

"Grantee" is synonymous with "Recipient"; and "Grant Officer" is synonymous with "Agreement

Officer". Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this funding opportunity thoroughly to understand the award process.

mailto:aquinonez@usaid.gov

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in any prospective addendum and meet eligibility standards as described in Section C of this APS. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended as necessary. Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity. Applicants will need to have available or download Adobe programs to their computers in order to view and save the Adobe forms properly. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the entire APS has been received from the internet in its entirety 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 APS, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the US Government nor does it commit the US Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Please note that

USAID/El Salvador will not accept concept papers or applications under this APS but rather, only through future addenda issued during the one-year validity period of the APS.

All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense and will not be recognized by

USAID.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/El Salvador projects.

Sincerely, Craig Riegler

Agreement Officer http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE NO.

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 6

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 21

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 24

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 29

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 37

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 38

SECTION G: FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S) 41

SECTION H: OTHER INFORMATION 42

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in El Salvador issues this APS under the Authority of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended, in order to prepare potential applicants to propose development approaches from U.S. and non-U.S. organizations who demonstrate the ability to implement activities in the following Programmatic Areas. Any resulting award(s) under any forthcoming addenda to this APS will be subject to the requirements in Part 200 of Title 2 of the Code of Federal regulations (CFR), Uniform

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; Part

700 of Title 2 of the CFR; Standard Provisions for U.S./Non-U.S. Organizations under ADS 303.

1. Overview of Funding Opportunity

USAID/El Salvador’s CDCS goal is: Reduce the Drivers of Irregular Migration by Fostering a

More Self-Reliant El Salvador: Secure, Prosperous and Well-Governed. Specifically, USAID/El

Salvador will remain focused on stemming the flow of irregular migration to the United States by addressing the root causes that drive Salvadorans north, and, thereby, advance the country’s sustainable development.

The CDCS aims to focus programming demographically and geographically. Demographically, USAID/El Salvador will target activities and interventions to reach most likely to irregularly migrate to the United States from El Salvador’s main urban hubs, and increase their sense of hope by improving economic opportunities, security, and confidence in the government.

Geographically, as most likely migrants come from vulnerable communities with high crime rates, USAID/El Salvador will focus on three urban hubs which account for the majority of migration, insecurity, economic life and population in the country: Santa Ana, San Salvador and

San Miguel.

Although concentrating on these populations and hubs, USAID strives to benefit citizens nationwide by working with several national level institutions. The strategy hinges on the idea that by improving the lives and livelihoods of Salvadorans and making the three urban hubs safer and more prosperous USAID/El Salvador’s efforts will have positive impacts far beyond the stated demographic and geographic scope.

At the Development Objective (DO) level, the Mission’s work will do the following:

DO 1. USAID/El Salvador’s security programming will improve real and perceived security by preventing crime, advancing human rights, protecting vulnerable populations and victims, and improving the criminal justice system in El Salvador. Programming will strengthen stakeholder capacity, particularly within the justice sector, to prevent crime and better protect human rights. USAID/El Salvador will champion national and local initiatives to address community violence; improve organizations’ ability to monitor and respond to human rights violations; and strengthen the justice system to more fairly and effectively prosecute criminals.

Under the CDCS APS, USAID/El Salvador seeks to implement activities that can make a significant impact on strategic results related to security, both real and perceived. While the strategic results recognize the combined effort of multiple stakeholders, the Mission will prioritize programming that offers promising approaches to “moving the needle” on the following results:

● Sustained reduction of the homicide rate in targeted areas

● Reduce gender-based violence, extortion and transportation crime rates

● Improve citizen perception.

DO 2. USAID/El Salvador’s economic growth and education programming will spur job creation and investment and develop the capacity of key populations, current and future, to fill formal jobs and place them in those jobs. Programming will undertake inclusive economic growth programming in select high-growth sectors in order to create jobs and enable targeted demographics to gain employment. USAID/El Salvador will emphasize strengthening the private sector’s capacity to develop new products and services in alignment with GOES priorities.

Concurrently, USAID/El Salvador will seek to improve El Salvador’s business enabling environment and capacity to build a highly skilled workforce with strong technical expertise and critical life skills, which requires access to quality primary, secondary, and tertiary education.

USAID/El Salvador’s prosperity programming will work to reach not only youth, but also to improve economic opportunities for those under 40 years old with a high school education or less.

Under the CDCS APS, USAID/El Salvador seeks to implement activities that can significantly impact on strategic results related to prosperity, primarily in human capital development and education and job creation and placement. While the strategic results recognize the combined effort of multiple stakeholders, the Mission will prioritize programming that offers promising approaches to “moving the needle” on the following results:

● Assist firms and/or sectors recover from the COVID pandemic or operate effectively in a COVID world

● Create a significant number of new and better formal jobs

● Spur billions of dollars in new investment

● Increase exports by a significant amount

● Train and place thousands of vulnerable people in better jobs

● Help schools and/or the school system operate effectively during the

COVID pandemic and then recover from it

● Improve educational outcomes of vulnerable primary and secondary school students

● Significantly increase primary and secondary school retention

● Assist thousands of school dropouts complete their education

DO 3. USAID/El Salvador’s governance programming will strengthen the responsiveness of government to citizen needs and demands, reduce corruption, and ultimately improve the citizens’ confidence in their government. Programming will improve citizens’ confidence in government, both nationally and sub-nationally; result in more efficient and effective resource management and expenditure; and provide better quality service delivery that responds to citizen needs and demands. USAID/El Salvador will enhance civil society’s capacity to monitor government performance, with an emphasis on institutions related to anti-corruption and improved governance. Programming will also strengthen free and independent media, work to ensure participatory and credible elections, and bolster transparent, well-governed political parties. USAID/El Salvador will similarly support open government, government oversight and justice institutions to fight corruption effectively. USAID/El Salvador will build on natural disaster and disaster risk reduction support to the GOES to find opportunities to expand existing capacities, create contingency plans and improve service delivery during emergencies.

Under the CDCS APS, USAID/El Salvador seeks to implement activities that can make a significant impact on strategic results related to governance, especially in advancing civil society advocacy with improvements to transparency and accountability. While the strategic results recognize the combined effort of multiple stakeholders, the Mission will prioritize programming that offers promising approaches to “moving the needle” on the following results:

● Improve the Perception Index score on corruption

● Increase citizen satisfaction with government services

● Improve demand for government services and accountability

This APS will allow interested parties to learn how to propose development activities that respond or complement Mission’s efforts that contribute to the accomplishment of the Mission’s

DOs. The Mission anticipates the issuance of Addendum for specific activities under each DO and potentially support regional activities. Any forthcoming Addendum will provide the specific development objective and results that USAID/El Salvador is seeking to address at the country or regional level.

This APS is concentrated on USAID/El Salvador bilateral activities. However, addenda issued under the APS may also request concepts for activities in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in order to support the USG’s Root Causes of Migration Strategy (RCS).

2. Potential Addenda to this APS

USAID/El Salvador anticipates the issuance of the following potential addenda during the validity period of this APS:

1. Crime and Violence Prevention

The addendum will seek innovative approaches to crime and violence prevention in El

Salvador. Specifically, the addendum will consider requesting activities that expand solutions in primary prevention, including interventions to support and stabilize communities; secondary prevention targeting those individuals at highest risk for perpetrating or being victimized by violence; and tertiary prevention that aims to treat and rehabilitate perpetrators of violence. Evidence-based solutions will be sought, so they can be tested and then scaled up in targeted locations in partnership with civil society, the private sector, and/or the host government.

2. Countering Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

The addendum will aim to promote improvements in prevention of GBV, victims’ assistance, and judicial accountability for perpetrators. Desired programming will focus in three programmatic areas. First, programming will address prevention of gender-based violence from occurring in the first place, by working with local organizations, civil society, and key stakeholders, including men and boys to develop and implement social behavior change strategies. Second, programming will expand protection of survivors of

GBV, by identifying and providing evidence-based services to survivors, preventing the recurrence of violence and supporting livelihoods for victims to live free from violence and their perpetrators. Third, programming must improve accountability of perpetrators of GBV, to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted, and to reduce impunity by strengthening legal and judicial systems.

3. Workforce Development and Job Placement

The addendum will seek to economically stabilize vulnerable Salvadorans to take advantage of economic opportunities, jobs, and increase their income potential through four interrelated objectives. First, programming will advance private sector engagement to improve the enabling environment for employment. Second, programming will increase relevance and quality of curricula for Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations to achieve employment or complete their primary and secondary education. Third, programming will improve the institutional capacity of education service providers and civil society for job placement, including wraparound support, for

Salvadoran migrants, returnees, and vulnerable populations. And lastly, programming will provide targeted training and job placement to ensure the economic stabilization of returnees and likely migrants.

4. Basic Education Retention and Psychosocial Support

The addendum will seek to reduce irregular migration by increasing individual and family sense of rootedness through increased access to safe, inclusive, quality education and more effectively preparing children and youth to be economically productive citizens. Programming will increase the number of years that students complete school and increase the number of students who reach graduation, expanding support from outside the school, and expanding safe spaces within the school. Specifically, programming that will strengthen institutional capacity to provide and sustain education services, and improve age appropriate life skills and vocational training for students and/or their parents. Programming that will increase support from outside the school may aim to link parents and students to programs that may help address economic, vocational training, and flexible basic education (flexible modalities) needs. Programming that will expand safe spaces in schools may seek to improve psychosocial support, establish or update codes of conduct, improve capacities to resolve conflicts nonviolently, and support efforts to establish and/or improve school-related referral systems.

5. Private Sector Engagement (cross-cutting)

The forthcoming addendum is to catalyze public sector opportunities to address development challenges in El Salvador in tandem with private sector actors. Specifically, the addendum will present a set of development challenges for the Mission to leverage private sector expertise or capabilities. USAID may also seek to address challenges in El

Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras in support of the RCS. Under this addendum, USAID will pursue and support alliances with the private sector as a means to increase the sustainable impact of our development assistance programs and more effectively address critical development challenges in El Salvador and throughout the Northern

Triangle region. Therefore, alliances developed under this APS must support one or more of USAID’s core development initiatives and advance the development objectives and priorities articulated in the CDCS and/or the RCS.

The Private Sector Partner Requirement is a core working relationship between USAID and one or more private sector partners. This relationship is grounded in a commitment by USAID to better understand private sector interests and objectives and jointly explore how USAID might help the private sector achieve those interests and objectives in a way that drives the ongoing and sustainable generation of valuable business and development results. Collaborations and activities that result from this relationship are co-created.

If a company has interests and objectives that might benefit from working with USAID, or if an organization is interested in working with USAID and the private sector to facilitate achievement of core business interests and objectives as USAID tackles critical development challenges, please read the forthcoming Addendum on Private Sector

Engagement (PSE) and contact the PSE point of contact identified in the PSE Addendum with any questions.

6. Open Innovation (cross-cutting)

USAID has a growing track record of using open innovation competitions to stimulate engagement with a wide range of non-traditional partners around some of it’s most critical development challenges. USAID/El Salvador will use the best practices of this procurement approach and issue this Open Innovation addendum with the goal of supporting breakthrough solutions to El Salvador’s development challenges.

Through this addendum, USAID/El Salvador will identify well-defined El Salvador development challenges, and promote innovative approaches, processes, and solutions outside of traditional funding and programming models to solve them. Instead of prescribing answers to implementers, the Mission will identify a development challenge and then ask how it should be solved, and as a result, solicit the most promising solutions.

This addendum will attempt to incentivize entrepreneurs, start-ups, academics, civil society, faith based organizations, and other passionate problem solvers to address a well-defined problem, to inspire something different, and to encourage them to scale it up.

USAID/El Salvador intends to partner with, discover, test, and accelerate innovative solutions to sticky development challenges; we will shepherd solutions along their growth path, accelerating and validating those that are proven to have the greatest impact and have the potential to reach those most in need.

3. Extensive Partnership: Co-Creation and Shared Responsibility

To foster sustainable and transformational development impact, the award process will likely entail extensive partnering and collaboration between USAID/El Salvador and the Applicant from design to implementation. USAID/El Salvador will identify and define the required results and may jointly with the Applicant further develop how to tackle the problem, and then collaborate to determine how to solve those problems and achieve the greatest degree of measurable, sustainable impact. USAID will assess risks and responsibilities with the Applicant, and both work together to mobilize leverage, and apply more effectively each other’s respective assets, expertise, and resources.

Awards may also be co-created, co-developed, and co-implemented. This means that, rather than telling applicants how USAID wants to solve a problem, USAID may present a development challenge, or an opportunity important to the achievement particular results, and solicit the best ideas for how to address it, and work from concept to issuance and then management of awards in an iterative, participatory, and collaborative process.

4. Cross Cutting Agency Development Approaches

USAID/El Salvador will seek, among other elements to be identified in prospective addenda, for proposed activities that also contribute, to the maximum extent possible, to Agency Initiatives and Policies, including:

A. New Partnerships Initiative (NPI)

Under each addendum, USAID will strongly encourage local and locally established organizations to submit concept papers. We will also favorably evaluate international applicants that form alliances with local partners to the greatest extent possible, including management plans that identify a local partner responsible for an objective(s) of the activity. Capacity assessments and the strengthening of local organizations should be a component when necessary.

Each addendum will include the possibility of issuing more than one award. If a local organization is unable to technically respond to the entire activity, then we will encourage them to submit a concept paper to achieve an objective of the activity or pursue an alliance with an international organization. Last, each addendum will likely have a Private Sector Engagement

(PSE) component and will expect applicants to identify opportunities that it will actively pursue and realize throughout implementation.

The overarching goal of the NPI is to empower new and underutilized partners, many of which are local and locally established organizations, to solve problems not adequately addressed by other USAID investments and that directly respond to the development objectives of the USAID

Mission. NPI will increase USAID’s programmatic impact, based on more collaborative and adaptive partnerships, and improve measurable outcomes at the country level through the following:

1. Leveraging private development assistance to respond to the Administration’s priorities and strengthen the long-term, sustainable development of partners;

2. Equipping and empowering new and underutilized development partners to maximize the impact of American tax dollars;

3. Supporting solutions to near- and long-term U.S. government priorities that will advance the strategic USG objectives and foreign assistance aims;

4. Identifying development solutions that will be country- and partner-driven for maximum long-term impact; and

5. Creating incentives for expanding and diversifying USAID’s partner base so that we help to equip and fund more local and locally established partners to support country-level progress.

B. Private Sector Engagement

USAID is undertaking a major cultural and operational transformation to expand our engagement with the private sector to achieve outcomes of shared interest and shared value. The Private-

Sector Engagement Policy is an Agency-wide call to action, and a mandate to work hand-in-hand with the private sector to design and deliver our development and humanitarian programs across all sectors, and to harness our resources to open markets and other opportunities for U.S.

businesses. This policy signals an intentional shift to pursue market-based approaches and investment as a means to accelerate countries’ progress of sustainable development.

Effective development work requires vibrant private-sector actors in both donor and host countries. Private-sector engagement and enterprise-driven development are fundamental to the goal of ending the need for foreign assistance and empowering partner countries and communities in becoming more self-sufficient, and are at the core of how the United States approaches development. Many of the Mission’s long-standing partners have played an important role in connecting development activities with private-sector actors. To expand and diversify partners, each addendum will view favorably a concept paper that identifies opportunities to collaborate with the private sector to obtain greater benefits from the private sector’s creative thinking and market-based and enterprise-driven solutions. USAID/El Salvador seeks market-based approaches to understand and address barriers to investment in order to achieve more sustainable development outcomes and jointly identify and define the challenges and opportunities.

USAID/El Salvador has been one of the most proactive Missions in the region in advancing its development goals through partnerships with the private sector in areas that are aligned with the

Mission’s CDCS, such as crime and violence prevention, education, workforce development, and

SMEs development among others. In FY 2019, 159 private sector companies contributed more than $27M to leverage key projects aimed at preventing irregular migration to the US. Most of the private sector companies partnering with USAID were local, fostering in this way sustainability.

For the 2020-2025 period under the current CDCS, USAID/El Salvador will actively seek to strengthen and expand alliances with the private sector to achieve the development objectives outlined in the CDCS (including increased security, jobs and income for likely migrants, and government accountability and transparency) and align with the strategic objectives of the RCS.

To encourage private sector engagement, USAID/El Salvador will engage and explore partners and possibilities broadly. Prior to submission of a concept paper, the private sector, USAID and other organizations may engage one another to understand their respective interests and objectives, identify and define issues and opportunities that might warrant collaboration, explore how their respective expertise, resources and capabilities might provide opportunities to effectively address those issues and opportunities through market-based approaches, and, based on those discussions, begin formulating potential activities and approaches. Based on these collaborative discussions, prospective partners may decide whether or not to continue in the development and submission of a concept paper under. Should a private sector organization or other prospective partner choose to submit a concept paper, the application process detailed in

Section D (Application and Submission Information) must be followed.

C. Sustainable Development

Sustainable development entails a capacity to plan, finance, and implement solutions to local development challenges and a commitment to see these through effectively, inclusively, with accountability, and ensuring that the use of resources by one generation does not curtail the availability of such resources to the following generations. These solutions take many forms, from expanding access to finance for small businesses to ensuring more transparency from public officials, etc. Therefore, the focus of program interventions will be on providing opportunities to and developing the capacities of Salvadoran NGOs, Civil Society, businesses, foundations, faith-based organizations, experts, etc. to the greatest extent possible.

To address the long-term sustainability of programming, USAID/El Salvador will look for applicants that will propose activities that advance sustainable development, especially financing sustainable development, promoting private enterprise-driven development with private sector engagement, redefining partnerships that lead to autonomy rather than dependency, and strengthening partners’ resiliency as their capacity to weather and recover from natural and manmade events. USAID/El Salvador will focus on building sustainable development, particularly in areas that have the greatest impact on reducing irregular migration.

This includes building the capacity of key institutions so that they can better serve the

Salvadoran people, and deepening partnerships with the private sector and civil society entities in ways that enhance their sustainable development so that they champion and carry out future development efforts with reduced, and ultimately, no USAID assistance. In order to accomplish this objective, USAID/El Salvador will seek out innovative approaches in partnership with the government, local institutions, NGOs and the private sector, and enable local capacity to replicate and scale up.

The U.S. government helped shape the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. USAID is committed to supporting SDG, including SDG 8 Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, by promoting social cohesion and investing in community-led resilience and response systems.

D. Collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA)

Applicants are expected to contribute to USAID/El Salvador’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 doesn‘t. 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 the proposed 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 the proposed activities, while leaving open options for future evolution in its interpretation and application.

https://www.usaid.gov/globalgoals#:~:text=THE%20SUSTAINABLE%20DEVELOPMENT%20GOALS%20ARE,Goals%20%E2%80%93%20both%20domestically%20and%20abroad.

• Collaborating: Implementing Partners will be required to engage in active collaboration with other key in-country partners, including other USG partners, other donors, GOES, etc. to avoid duplication of efforts, find synergies, share knowledge around assessments, emerging research, best practices, lessons learned, and evaluations, and jointly develop action plans for integrating learning resulting from these activities into improved program implementation. By collaborating with other stakeholders, the assistance provided in the urban hubs is expected to have a greater impact and achieve more results thus benefiting more people and communities in El Salvador.

The partners will be required to propose approaches to collaboration that demonstrate efficient and strategic coordination of activities. Further, partners will be expected to anticipate inter-activity management challenges and opportunities and advise AORs and CORs and the

Mission’s Regional Office of Assistance and Acquisition (ROAA) on leveraging potential synergies, taking advantage of opportunities, and resolving challenges.

• Learning: Implementing Partners will be required to hold annual learning summits to identify promising practices, work collaboratively to overcome implementation obstacles, and address changing conditions. Results should be used to inform upcoming year work plans and activity design across multiple stakeholders, and captured and shared broadly. Specifically define how innovative and dynamic learning agendas will be developed and implemented with the teams and the Mission as a whole. Identify learning questions to guide the gathering of information to better understand or challenge key programmatic assumptions.

• Adapting: Implementing Partners will be required to engage in periodic reflection activities using approaches such as after action reviews to identify, capture, and act upon lessons learned in technical, cross-cutting, and management activities. The applicant will demonstrate adaptability that is informed by knowledge gained through learning, and recognize behaviors and incentives necessary to create change. Knowledge gained through learning will influence decision making, resource allocation, and adaptation to contextual shifts. Application of new knowledge to implementation decisions will be reflected in the Semi-annual work plan, and the

Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (Activity MEL Plan). Decisions to adapt may be based on, but not limited to the following:

• Sudden or unexpected changes in the operating environment (i.e. emergency or natural disaster, policy changes);

• Financial and human resource constraints; and

• Emerging evidence that interventions are not working or could work better if adapted.

E. Communication Strategy

Communications and public perception are critical to the achievement of USAID/El Salvador’s development objectives to improve security, increase prosperity and strengthen democratic governance. 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. Each activity 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 Development Outreach Coordinator office 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.

F. Geographic Focus of Potential Interventions

Potential interventions will primarily focus on El Salvador. Where appropriate, addenda issued under the APS may request concepts for regional programming in El Salvador, Guatemala, and

Honduras to support the RCS.

El Salvador: Urban Hubs definition: USAID/El Salvador is focused geographically on El

Salvador’s three urban hubs where most people live and work, and from which the majority of people attempting to irregularly migrate to the United States originate. The Mission has analyzed data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the International Organization for

Migration (IOM) to understand migration outflows and returns, and mapped those data points to target the areas in need of assistance. USAID has also examined areas with the greatest economic potential, and coordinated with colleagues from INL, the Justice Department, and GOES to identify areas targeted for crime reduction. This analysis resulted in the geographic focus on the urban hubs of San Salvador, San Miguel and Santa Ana (see the map below). Although most

USAID programming will target these efforts, making these hubs safer and more prosperous will have positive impacts far beyond their limited geographic area, and some activities will expand beyond these boundaries.

The Mission is assessing the needs in each the urban hubs and addenda may further refine the geographic focus as required.

Regional activities: Addenda issued under the APS may request concepts for regional programming in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to achieve the strategic objectives outlined in the RCS. The nature and scope of regional activities to be authorized under this APS will be defined in the corresponding addenda.

G. Gender and Inclusive Development Considerations

Per ADS 205, 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.

Therefore, all Activities must integrate the Gender topic to contribute to the achievement of any of the five 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;

● Support strategies and activities that secure private-property rights and land tenure for women; and

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

In El Salvador, analyzing the current situation and the needs presented by vulnerable populations such as women, youth, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) community, USAID research and studies have found that these vulnerable groups have continued to experience discrimination in all areas, but mainly in the fulfillment of social, economic, and employment rights. As a result, it is very important to become aware of the needs and priorities of these vulnerable populations in

Salvadoran society. Therefore, the USAID’s social inclusion policies need to be taken into account from the design and implementation of USAID programming to advocate for, and outreach to, people from vulnerable populations, and the Activity should integrate these guidelines throughout, including in its implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

More information can be found at USAID Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Policy

5. Cross-Cutting Agency Management Requirements

A. Environmental Considerations and Compliance

Environmental sustainability is integral to USAID's overall goal, and therefore must be incorporated into all activities to achieve optimal results, to avoid inadvertent harm to people and the environment, and to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars. To meet this goal, USAID/El

Salvador will incorporate environmental considerations into results-based planning, achieving, and assessing and learning as part of this APS. If it is anticipated that proposed activities will have environmental impacts, therefore Applicant(s) must state clearly how that environmental considerations will be addressed during program implementation and incorporate it as a component of any resulting award’s annual work plan. For further information and guidance, consult USAID’s Automated Directive System (specifically ADS 204 – Regulation 216 -available at https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/204.pdf.

Environmental Compliance:

USAID Environmental Procedures (22 CFR Reg. 216), including appropriate environmental mitigation and monitoring measures, should be considered an integral and REQUIRED part of all activity development and implementation and should be budgeted appropriately. Through the development of an “Initial Environmental Examination” or IEE, 22 CFR 216 ensures that any unintended environmental impacts of USAID-funded activities are identified and mitigation measures proposed at the design stage. Subsequently, over the life of the program, these environmental mitigation measures are expected to be a standard component of program https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USAID_GenderEquality_Policy_MT_WEB_single_508.pdf management. The Applicant must also comply with host country environmental regulations. In case of conflict between host country and USAID regulations, the latter shall govern. No activity funded under this Annual Program Statement can be implemented unless the requirements of 22

CFR 216 have been met for that activity. Any Mission Environmental Officer can be contacted for further information. For a listing of USAID Environmental Officers and background information on this requirement please refer to the USAID Environment Website:

https://www.usaid.gov/environmental-procedures/environmental-compliance-officers

Respondents to prospective addenda to this APS should include as part of their full technical application a clear statement (no greater than one paragraph) of their approach, experience, and/or expertise for achieving environmental compliance, protection and management over the life of the proposed program.

B. Geographical information system (GIS)

USAID Operating Units (OUs) will collect Activity Location Data at the most detailed geographic level appropriate for each activity they implement using one of the four Levels of

Geographic Detail (see section IV below) defined in ADS 579saa, USAID Data Collection and

Submission Standards. USAID OUs will: 1. At a minimum, collect Activity Location Data at the following Level of Geographic Detail: a. Sub-national activities: Administrative Unit 1 level, e.g., region, province, department (see Frequently Ask Questions below for administrative unit definition); and b. Regional, i.e., activities implemented across multiple countries, and National

Level activities: Administrative Unit 0 level (i.e., country) and represented by the latitude/longitude coordinate location of the capital city. 2. Ensure that Activity Location Data is collected and submitted according to ADS 579saa, Geographic Data Collection and Submission

Standards, in accordance with roles, responsibilities, and required procedures defined in ADS

579 that govern the collection, management, and submission of all USAID development data.

This must include verifying Activity Location Data quality (see ADS 578, Information Quality

Guidelines).

C. USAID Data Collection

[Mandatory Requirements - A Mandatory Reference for ADS Chapters 201 and 579]

Starting in Fiscal Year 2021, Implementing Partners must establish effective procedures for collecting and responding to feedback from beneficiaries, and reporting to USAID a summary of beneficiary feedback and how the implementing partner and the Mission addressed it. A summary of beneficiary feedback received and actions taken in response to beneficiary feedback by an implementing partner should be described in the implementing partner’s progress reports.

As with any data regarding beneficiaries, Implementing Partners should ensure that beneficiary feedback is collected and used responsibly to ensure the safety and protection of beneficiaries.

USAID OUs are required to collect Activity Location Data depicting the geographic location where an activity is implemented. In some cases, an activity’s “Location of Implementation” may be different than its “Location of Intended Beneficiaries” and therefore it may be useful to collect geographic data depicting both types of locations. To collect data that depicts an activity’s Location of Intended Beneficiaries, the same methods and standards used to collect the

Location of Implementation would be applied.

https://www.usaid.gov/environmental-procedures/environmental-compliance-officers

D. Prohibition on Certain Telecommunication and Video Surveillance Services or

Equipment.

Effective August 13, 2020, 2 CFR 200.216 for U.S. organizations and the mandatory standard provision “Prohibition on Certain Telecommunication and Video Surveillance Services or

Equipment (AUGUST 2020) for non-U.S. organizations implemented the statutory prohibition under Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year

2019 (NDAA). Section 889(b)(1) of the NDAA specifically prohibits the use of award funds, including direct and indirect costs, cost-share and program income, to procure covered telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment.

E. Branding Strategy and Marking Plan

Information on how to adhere to branding policies and marking requirements for grants and cooperative agreements are found in ADS 320. This includes visibly displaying the USAID

Standard Graphic Identity that clearly communicates assistance is ―From the American people- on all programs, projects, activities, publications, public communications, and commodities provided or supported through USAID assistance awards. ADS 320 requires that, after the evaluation of the applications, the USAID Agreement Officer will request the Apparently

Successful Applicants to submit a Branding Strategy that describes how the program, project, or activity is named and positioned, how it is promoted and communicated to beneficiaries and cooperating country citizens, and identifies all donors and explains how they will be acknowledged. ADS 320 may be found at the following website:

www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/320.pdf.

F. Key Initiatives

USAID and the USG have global and regional policy priorities and initiatives. Please note that initiatives may change or new initiatives may supersede or pivot from existing ones. As such the

APS will be updated to reflect those changes in policy and priorities.