FAQ - SFOP0009872 - Ukraine Women Peace and Security Program (v20230907).pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

SFOP0009872

Ukraine Women Peace and Security Program

Department of State

Bureau of Conflict Stabilization Operations

AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE ALL

DOCUMENTS REQUESTED WITH THE APPLICATION. YOU MAY WITHDRAW and RESUBMIT YOUR

APPLICATION BEFORE THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE. ONLY ONE APPLICATION IS ACCEPTED PER

APPLICANT.

Question Deadline: August 31, 2023

FAQ Posted: September 7, 2023

Application Deadline: September 11, 2023

Q: Application – Can our organization have a call to discuss our application/proposal?

A: No. All questions had to be submitted in writing by August 31, 2023.

Q: Application – My SAM.gov registration is still pending. Is an accommodation possible?

A: An active SAM.gov registration is a requirement to apply for this award, and is outside the control of

CSO or the Department of State. While accommodations on transmission of the application are possible in appropriate circumstances for disability or national security, CSO does not consider the lack of

SAM.gov registration to be an appropriate circumstance.

Q: Application – Should the application be submitted in Calibri or Times New Roman?

A: In early 2023, the Department of State changed its standard font from Times New Roman to Calibri.

Some templates and instructions have not yet been updated. Applicants are encouraged to use Calibri but both Calibri and Times New Roman will be accepted.

Q: Application - Can an organization submit as a prime applicant on one proposal, and a sub on one or more proposals simultaneously?

A: Yes. While an eligible organization can only submit one application as a prime, it can be part of multiple consortia applications as a sub-applicant.

Q: Application - Is the Logical Model/Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) intended to be an attachment to the technical approach (as indicated on page 19 of the NOFO) or embedded in the technical approach (as indicated on page 18 of the NOFO)?

A: Applicants should use the provided template to attach the logic model/PMP. The technical approach within the project narrative can and should draw elements from the logic model/PMP, but the entire logic model as provided in the excel template does not also need to

-2-be included within the technical approach. Please note that the “intermediate outcome” referenced in the NOFO is the same as the “outcome” in the template.

Q: Application – Does my organization need to provide a financial management summary?

A: No. The financial management summary is no longer required for any applicants.

Q: Application - Are templates available for the Gender Analysis of Conflict (GAOC) and Disabilities

Annex?

A: While it is not a “template” on the grants.gov listing under “related documents”, there are guiding questions listed under “Gender Analysis of Conflict (GAOC)” and “GOAC.” We apologize for the labeling confusion. The GAOC with Disabilities Annex should be provided as a separate attachment with elements of the analysis reflected in the proposal narrative.

Q: Application - My organization has not conducted an audit. What should I provide?

A: Per the proposal submission instructions, a non-federal entity that expends $750,000 or more in all

USG federal assistance awards during the non-federal entity’s fiscal year is required to conduct a single or program-specific audit for that year in accordance with the provision of 2 CFR 200 subpart F. For more information, see Audit Services, 2 CFR 200.425.

While the technical review panel does not review the audit, organizations that are required to provide an audit and do not do so with their application may encounter delays or ultimately not receive an award.

A: Application - Can program funds be used to perform an audit?

A: Yes. Per the proposal submission instructions, applicants may include the cost of an audit that complies with certain established criteria.

Q: Eligibility – Are for-profit entities eligible to apply as the prime on this opportunity?

A: No. For-profit entities cannot be the prime applicant for this opportunity. For-profit entities may be sub-awardees and/or part of a consortium.

Q: Eligibility – Are government or quasi-government institutions eligible to apply?

A: Yes. Organizations that qualify as a Foreign Public Entity per 2 CFR 1108.210 may apply.

Determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis and cannot be pre-determined prior to application.

Q: Eligibility – Are U.S. Universities/Educational Institutions that do not have 501(c)(3) status eligible to apply?

A: No. U.S. Universities that do not have 501(c)(3) status are not eligible to apply but they may be sub-awardees and/or part of a consortium.

Q: Implementation: Are local partner organizations that will be part of the project expected to devise their own monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) plans?

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XI/subchapter-A/part-1108/subpart-B/section-1108.210

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A: Local partner organizations should be included in Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) planning and activities. Prime organizations are welcome to provide their own MEL materials to local partners that will feed into overall reporting to CSO. The successful applicant will receive some template MEL materials from CSO, but the expectation is that information from applicant MEL practices can feed into

it. There is some expectation that doing MEL activities with local organizations will build their capacity, but if building MEL capacity is meant to contribute to achieving discrete activities in the proposal, that distinction should be made explicit in the narrative.

Q: Partnerships - Has the Department of State identified potential partners in Ukraine that the recipient will be working with directly? If yes, are those partners able to field questions related to the ideal partner they are searching for?

A: CSO has not pre-determined/identified partners in Ukraine. Per page 10 of the announcement, “the implementing partner must demonstrate extensive contacts within Ukraine’s civil society…”

Q: Partnerships – How should the contributions of partner organizations be depicted?

A: Per the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) page 9 under Coordination and Partnerships, “Applicants should partner with local organizations as sub-grantees.” How exactly an organization demonstrates its “extensive contacts” is ultimately up to the organization but the roles of partner/consortium members should be made clear in the narrative and in the summary budget. If a proposal includes small grants opportunities, we do not expect those sub-recipient organizations to be included based on the assumption of open competition.

Q: Proposal – Is there a template for the narrative proposal?

A: No. There is not a template for the proposal narrative itself but there are guidelines (including a ten-page limit) in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and the Proposal Submission Instructions.

Q: Proposal - Are there any geographical restrictions on where program activities may take place?

A: Per page 8 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, the activity is limited to Government of Ukraine-held areas. Areas may be changed in consultation with the Grants Officer based on conditions in-country.

Q: Proposal - Should proposed sub-recipient budget summary information be provided for the duration of the project or only the initial phase?

A: Proposals should include expected sub-recipient budget information for the duration of the project. Although the initial phase will inform and possibly change subsequent activities, applicants should expect to begin some activities from the start of the project and have a plan for the duration of the project, including the roles of sub-recipients.

Q: Proposal - Should the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) information be included as a separate annex or integrated into the proposal? Are there any further guidance on the GESI?

A: Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) should be included in the project narrative and can also be include in a (brief) attachment. There is no further guidance on Gender Equity and Social Inclusion

(GESI) than what is presented in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and other provided

-4-documents. However, applicants should be aware of publicly available documents from the U.S.

Government and draw upon them accordingly.

Q: Proposal - Is there a need for primary data in the proposal/ analysis?

A: Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide data to support their proposals. However, there is no expectation that applicants will commission data gathering projects for the sake of making this proposal. Applicants may cite data they have gathered for other purposes, as applicable.