FOA-ILAB-17-07 Coffee Supply Chains.pdf

ILAB/OCFT Funding Opportunity Announcement Template

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for Addressing Child Labor and

Forced Labor in Coffee Supply Chains.

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ILAB-17-07

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.401

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is October 11, 2017.

Applications must be received no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

All technical questions related to the content of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) must be submitted no later than 10 business days prior to the close date of the FOA.

Addresses: Mail applications to the following address.

The U.S. Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management

Attention: Elizabeth Whittington, Grant Officer

Reference FOA-ILAB-17-07

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N-4673

Washington, DC 20210

For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to section IV.

Executive Summary:

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $4 million total costs for up to two cooperative agreements of up to

$2 million total costs each to fund technical assistance project(s) in two different countries to improve implementation of social compliance systems that promote acceptable conditions of work and the elimination of child labor and forced labor in coffee supply chains. Each cooperative agreement will fund a project in one of the following countries in the Latin America/Caribbean region, where DOL’s List of Goods Produced by Child

Labor or Forced Labor (TVPRA List) documents child labor and/or forced labor concerns: Colombia, Costa

Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua. Project outcomes include: 1) Adoption of a robust and sustainable social compliance system by private sector stakeholders in coffee supply chains; 2) Strengthened

For the purposes of this project, “acceptable conditions of work” encompasses minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. See 19 USC 3813(6)(E); Trade Act of 2002, Section 2113(6) (E), available at:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title19/html/USCODE-2011-title19-chap24-sec3813.htm

For the purposes of this project, a social compliance system is defined as: An integrated set of policies and practices through which a company seeks to ensure maximum adherence to the elements of its code of conduct that cover social and labor issues. While systems may vary from industry to industry, a robust and sustainable social compliance system generally follows the good practice guidance set forth in DOL’s Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses.

capacity of private sector stakeholders to implement a robust and sustainable social compliance system in coffee supply chains; and 3) New social compliance tools on child labor, forced labor, and acceptable conditions of work piloted in the coffee supply chain.

The duration of the project will be a maximum of 4 years (48 months) from the effective date of the award.

Applicants may apply for one or two of the cooperative agreements listed above. No more than two applications per applicant will be accepted. If applying for two cooperative agreements, applicants should not combine countries in a single application, but must submit separate applications for each country. Each application should request no more than $2 million total costs in funding. In the event that the same applicant is selected for award in two countries, DOL reserves the right to possibly issue one cooperative agreement covering more than one country. Eligible applicants may include any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit organizations, including any faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, or public international organizations (PIOs), capable of successfully fulfilling the objectives identified in the Funding Opportunity

Description.

Private sector stakeholders could include coffee producers, employers’ organizations, exporters, U.S. importers, U.S. retailers, and/or other stakeholders as appropriate.

Table of Contents Addresses:

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Purpose B. Program Authority

C. Background Information II. Award Information

A. Award Type and Amount B. Period of Performance

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching C. Other Information

1. Application Screening Criteria

2. Number of Applications To Be Submitted

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

1. Technical Proposal

2. 1 Page Resume for Required Other Professional Personnel Cost Proposal

3. Submission Date, Times, and Process

C. Intergovernmental Review D. Funding Restrictions

E. Indirect Costs F. Intellectual Property Rights G. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information A. Criteria

B. Review and Selection Process

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

2. Risk Review Process

VI. Award Administration Information A. Award Notices

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. General Requirements

2. Audits and Attestation Engagements

3. Administrative Standards

4. Other Legal Requirements:

5. Other Administrative Standards

6. Special Program Requirements

C. Reporting

1. Quarterly Financial Reports

2. Semi-Annual Technical Progress Reports

3. Final Technical Report

4. Indirect Cost Rates

5. Closeout Reports

VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

OMB Information Collection IX. Appendices

APPENDIX A: Acronyms APPENDIX B: Definitions

APPENDIX C: International and US Government Grant and/or Contract Experience

APPENDIX D: Requirements for Application Submission

APPENDIX E: Past Performance Questionnaire

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Program Purpose

ILAB leads the U.S. government’s efforts to improve working conditions and fight labor exploitation around the world. ILAB’s mission is to promote a fair global playing field for workers in the United States and around the world – by enforcing trade commitments, strengthening labor standards, and combating international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. ILAB’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (OCFT) conducts and funds research, develops strategic partnerships, and funds an international technical cooperation program to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. See ILAB’s webpage for additional information: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab.

This FOA solicits applications to implement a project with the objective of improving the implementation of social compliance systems that promote acceptable conditions of work and the elimination of child labor and forced labor in coffee supply chains. Each cooperative agreement will fund a project in one of the following countries in the Latin America region, where DOL’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or

Forced Labor (TVPRA List) documents child labor and/or forced labor concerns: Colombia, Costa Rica, El

Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua. Project outcomes include: 1) Adoption of a robust and sustainable social compliance system by private sector stakeholders in coffee supply chains; 2)

Strengthened capacity of private sector stakeholders to implement a robust and sustainable social compliance system in coffee supply chains; and 3) New social compliance tools on child labor, forced labor, and acceptable conditions of work piloted in the coffee supply chain. The duration of the project will be a maximum of 48 months from the effective date of the award.

This announcement is for the award of a new cooperative agreement with the specific project objectives and outcomes outlined in this FOA. As such, applicants may not submit applications to renew or supplement an existing project.

B. Program Authority

ILAB is authorized to award and administer grants and cooperative agreements by the Consolidated

Appropriations Act 2017 (Pub L. 115-31, Division H).

C. Background Information

An estimated 168 million children engage in child labor in a range of sectors and supply chains around the world. Roughly 18.7 million of the 21 million people trapped in forced labor globally are exploited by individuals or businesses in the private economy, generating approximately $150 billion in illegal profits each year.

In global supply chains in which due diligence on child labor, forced labor, and acceptable

For the purposes of this project, “acceptable conditions of work” encompasses minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. See 19 USC 3813(6)(E); Trade Act of 2002, Section 2113(6) (E), available at:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title19/html/USCODE-2011-title19-chap24-sec3813.htm For the purposes of this project, a social compliance system is defined as: An integrated set of policies and practices through which a company seeks to ensure maximum adherence to the elements of its code of conduct that cover social and labor issues. While systems may vary from industry to industry, a robust and sustainable social compliance system generally follows the good practice guidance set forth in DOL’s Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses.

Private sector stakeholders could include coffee producers, employers’ organizations, exporters, U.S. importers, U.S. retailers, and/or other stakeholders as appropriate.

ILO, Global Estimate of Forced Labor. Geneva; 2012. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_182004.pdf https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title19/html/USCODE-2011-title19-chap24-sec3813.htm http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_182004.pdf http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_182004.pdf conditions of work is weak, there is a risk that goods imported into the U.S. may be tainted by exploitative labor. This gives an unfair competitive advantage to those who would violate labor rights to produce goods at artificially low prices. These exploitative labor practices not only harm vulnerable workers, but they also create an uneven playing field for responsible businesses that play by the rules.

In the most recent edition of the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor and Forced Labor (TVPRA List), DOL has documented the use of child labor and forced labor in the production of 139 goods from 75 countries.

Coffee appears on the TVPRA List for countries across Latin America, including Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The U.S. imports millions of dollars of unroasted coffee from these countries annually.

While governments have a fundamental responsibility to prevent labor exploitation from occurring within their territory, the private sector has a critical role to play as well, especially in contexts in which governments have limited resources and capacity to address these concerns.

The TVPRA List is an important tool for stakeholders seeking to better understand the risks of child labor and forced labor in their supply chains and to take action to address them. In many cases, inclusion of a good on the TVPRA List has spurred private sector stakeholders to take a closer look at what systems they have in place to ensure that national labor laws and internationally recognized worker rights are respected throughout their business operations and supply chains. The most successful of these initiatives have often included effective engagement with workers and strong partnerships with civil society organizations.

DOL's Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses (Toolkit) contains good-practice guidance for private sector stakeholders seeking to develop or strengthen social compliance systems that address a broad range of labor standards, especially child labor and forced labor.

However, some companies, including in the coffee sector, face obstacles in adopting and implementing robust social compliance systems, such as insufficient commitment of human and financial resources; lack of awareness of the benefits of responsible business practices; and inadequate knowledge and skills to develop, implement, and manage a social compliance system.

As described in Step 1 of the Toolkit, a critical element of establishing an effective social compliance system is engaging workers and civil society organizations from the initial stages of implementation and throughout the entire process.

II. Award Information

A. Award Type and Amount

ILO, Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labor. Geneva; 2014. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/--

-ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_243391.pdf As defined by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, a process that includes assessing actual and potential human rights impacts (including fundamental labor rights such as child labor and forced labor), integrating and acting upon the findings, tracking responses and communicating how impacts are addressed. Due diligence should cover assessment of the adverse impacts that a business may cause or contribute to through its own activities, as well as those that may be directly linked to its operations, products or services through business relationships. Due diligence varies in complexity with the size of a business enterprise, the risk of severe human rights impacts and the nature and context of a business’s operations.

U.S. Department of Labor. List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. Washington D.C.; September 30, 2016.

Available at: https://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/

United Nations. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Geneva; 2011. Available at:

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf

U.S. Department of Labor. Toolkit for Responsible Businesses. Washington D.C., 2011. Available at:

https://www.dol.gov/ilab/child-forced-labor/About-this-Toolkit.htm

ILO-IOE. How to do business with respect for children’s right to be free from child labour: ILO-IOE Child Labor Guidance Tool for Business. Geneva; 2015. Available at: https://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/download.do?type=document&id=27555 http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_243391.pdf http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_243391.pdf https://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods/ http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf https://www.dol.gov/ilab/child-forced-labor/About-this-Toolkit.htm https://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/download.do?type=document&id=27555

Funding will be provided in the form of a cooperative agreement. Approximately $4 million total costs is expected to be available to fund approximately 2 award(s). Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $ 2,000,000 total costs. Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of Federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, DOL reserves the right to use such funds to select additional recipients from applications submitted in response to this announcement.

ILAB’s substantial involvement in program activities will focus on elements that are essential to meet program requirements and assure achievement of program objectives and outcomes. ILAB involvement will include:

Designating key personnel positions and monitoring key personnel performance;

Monitoring financial management on spending;

Collaborating with the recipient in order to review, refine, and approve all of the following: the project strategy and the project performance indicators;

Developing, reviewing, and approving a Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (CMEP);

Monitoring project implementation through work plans, progress reports, evaluations, attestation engagements, site visits or conference calls with the recipient; and

Reviewing and providing technical input on deliverables outlined in the cooperative agreement and

Management Procedures and Guidelines (MPG).

B. Period of Performance

The period of performance is a maximum of 4 years (48 months) from the effective date of the award. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

U.S. organizations:

Nonprofits, including any faith-based organizations or community-based organizations

Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education

Private Institutions of Higher Education

For-Profit Organizations

Non-U.S. organizations:

Non-US Entities, including public international organization(s) (PIO) (s), as described in 2 CFR

200.46.

Applicants must be capable of successfully fulfilling the objectives and outcomes identified in the Funding

Opportunity Description (see section I). Applicants do not need previous experience managing Federal awards, but they must speak persuasively about their ability to leverage other previous experience and bring it to scale in support of a large Federal investment.

The following types of organizations are not eligible to apply nor to participate as subrecipients/contractors:

Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to be associated with terrorism.

Organizations designated by the U.S. Government to have been debarred or suspended.

Organizations planning to charge a fee (profit) associated with a project funded by a DOL award.

In most cases, foreign governments and entities that are agencies of, or operated by or for, a foreign state or government. NOTE: If an exception to this eligibility criterion might be appropriate, the application should include a detailed justification for the possible exception. DOL funds are not intended to duplicate existing foreign government efforts or substitute for activities that are the responsibility of such governments. DOL will make eligibility decisions on a case-by-case basis after receiving the application.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching are not required for this program. Applications that include any form of cost sharing or matching will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Cost sharing or matching is not one of the application screening criteria.

C. Other Information

1. Application Screening Criteria

Use the following checklist as a guide when preparing the application package to ensure that the application has met all of the screening criteria. Note that this checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. It is recommended to use this checklist to ensure that the application contains all required items. If the application does not meet all of the screening criteria, the application will not move forward to the merit review process.

Application Requirement Instructions Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met Section IV.B.3.a.

If submitted through Grants.gov, the components of the application are saved in any of the specified formats and are not corrupt.

(DOL will attempt to open documents, but will not troubleshoot any problems related to opening files.)

Section IV.B.3.c.

Application does not exceed the ceiling amount of $2 million total costs Section II.A

Applicant has registered with the System for

Award Management (SAM) and maintains an active account

Section IV.B.2.a

Completed and signed SF-424, Application for

Federal Assistance Section IV.B.2.b

SF-424A, Budget Information Form Section IV.B.2.c

Technical Proposal Section IV.B.1

Attachments to Technical Proposal

Work Plan

International and US Government Grant and/or Contract Experience

Evidence of Country Presence

Section IV.B.1.f

Project Management Organizational Chart

Key Personnel Signed Commitment Letters

(1)

1 Page Resume for Key Personnel (1)

1 Page Resume for Other Required

Professional Personnel (2)

Outcome based budget and budget narrative Section IV.B.2.d.

The application proposes activities in one and only one of the eligible countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua

IV.B.1.c.2.i

2. Number of Applications To Be Submitted

Applicants may submit one application per country, for a maximum of two applications per applicant. If submitting two applications, applicants must not combine countries in a single application, but must submit separate applications for each country. If applications are received combining countries, the application will be disqualified. The most recent application submitted by the deadline will be accepted per country up to a maximum of two applications per applicant. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, DOL will not replace it with an earlier application. Applicant entities are not precluded from participating as partners on another entity’s application.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov, contains all of the information needed to apply for funding.

Applicants should note that it includes hyperlinks to external forms and resources. Applicants are required to comply with all parts of the FOA, including those parts found at the hyperlinks.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of two separate and distinct parts: (1) a

Technical Proposal, including attachments; and (2) a Cost Proposal, including the SF-424 “Application for

Federal Assistance” and related forms identified as follows. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts of the application. If the funding amount is not consistent, the amount requested on the SF-424 will be considered for the purpose of the award.

1. Technical Proposal

Applicants should use their technical expertise to propose how to meet the requirements of the FOA and may provide justification for their choices as they see fit within the requirements of the FOA.

All pages of the application must be numbered. All required documents (including attachments) must be submitted in English. Any additional documentation submitted that is not required or specifically requested under this announcement will not be considered during the merit review process.

http://www.grants.gov/

Technical Proposals must be no more than 50 single-sided, double-spaced pages (8.5x 11 inches with 1 inch with 1 inch margins). If any page limits required by this FOA for any part of the application are exceeded, the content that exceeds the page limit will not be considered during the merit review process.

Font style must be Times New Roman and font size must be no less than 12-point. The Cover Page, Acronyms List, Table of Contents, and required attachments to the Technical Proposal do not count toward the page limit and do not have any spacing restrictions. Different fonts and font sizes may be used for tables, text boxes, and graphics. However, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they are legible and meet electronic submission requirements. Documents which cannot be read or accessed by the Department will not be considered during the merit review process. Please see section IV.B.3.

for the file format requirements for electronic submissions.

The following instructions provide all of the information needed to complete the Technical Proposal.

Applicants should carefully read and consider each section, and include all required information. The

Technical Proposal will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria identified in section V. Application

Review Information. Applicants must use the same section headers identified in this FOA for each section of the Technical Proposal:

a) Abstract (Executive Summary)

Submit as an attachment an abstract summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the project strategy and proposed outcomes. The description of the proposed project must include the applicant’s name, project title, a description of the geographic area to be served (if applicable), number of participants to be served (if applicable), and the funding level requested. The abstract is limited to two double-spaced single sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point text font, Times New

Roman font style, and 1 inch margins. When submitting in grants.gov, this document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “Abstract.”

b) Table of Contents

The table of contents must list all required documents and include their corresponding page numbers.

c) Project Narrative

The Project Narrative must describe in detail the applicant’s response to the FOA. At minimum, the

Project Narrative must contain the following sections:

1) Problem Analysis

Applicants must describe the need for assistance, including the nature and scope of the problems, and the consequences of not addressing the need. Include relevant cultural, economic, social, labor and legal factors contributing to the problem. This information must be supported by relevant empirical data, including citations. Applicants must identify significant gaps in laws, policies, programs and coordination efforts that contribute to the identified problem and that need to be filled by the project.

2) Project Design

i. Project Strategy

The project-level objective is to improve implementation of social compliance systems aimed at eliminating child labor and forced labor and promoting acceptable conditions of work in coffee supply chains. Applicants must propose a strategy to achieve the project level objective in one of the following countries per application:

Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua. In support of achieving the objective, the project should achieve the following outcomes:

Outcome 1: Adoption of a robust and sustainable social compliance system by private sector stakeholders in coffee supply chains.

Using the 8 components of an effective social compliance system set forth in the U.S.

Department of Labor’s Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for

Responsible Businesses (Toolkit) as a basis for their strategy, applicants must propose activities for achieving Outcome 1. These components include: 1) stakeholder engagement; 2) Risk and impact assessment; 3) Development of robust standards; 4)

Communication and training on standards across the supply chain; 5) Monitoring for compliance; 6) Remediating violations; 7) Seeking independent verification; and 8)

Reporting on performance (See DOL’s website for more information on the Toolkit:

https://www.dol.gov/ilab/child-forced-labor/index.htm). It is important to note that component 1 of the Toolkit includes active and sustained engagement with workers, workers’ organizations, and/or community-based and civil society organizations in producer communities. In addition, component 2 of the Toolkit requires mixed-methods research that combines qualitative and quantitative data to help the target private sector stakeholders to better understand the risks of child labor and/or forced labor in their supply chains.

Applicants must identify the private sector stakeholder(s) that will adopt a social compliance system under the project. Toward this end, applicants must identify strategies for raising awareness of the value of implementing social compliance systems, including a description of how they will make the “business case” for improving responsible business practices. Applicants must then describe their approach for tailoring all 8 components of a social compliance system described in the Toolkit to the coffee sector in the target country proposed by the applicant. As part of this strategy, applicants must assess, in consultation with the relevant private sector stakeholders, which components of the social compliance system need to be established or strengthened, and must build upon existing policies/programs/practices that are consistent with the Toolkit whenever possible.

Outcome 2: Strengthened capacity of private sector stakeholders to implement a robust and sustainable social compliance system in coffee supply chains.

For the purposes of this project, a social compliance system is defined as: An integrated set of policies and practices through which a company seeks to ensure maximum adherence to the elements of its code of conduct that cover social and labor issues. While systems may vary from industry to industry, a robust and sustainable social compliance system generally follows the good practice guidance set forth in DOL’s Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses.

For the purposes of this project, “acceptable conditions of work” encompasses minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. See 19 USC 3813(6)(E); Trade Act of 2002, Section 2113(6) (E), available at:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title19/html/USCODE-2011-title19-chap24-sec3813.htm

Private sector stakeholders could include coffee producers, employers’ organizations, exporters, U.S. importers, U.S. retailers, and/or other stakeholders as appropriate.

https://www.dol.gov/ilab/child-forced-labor/index.htm

Applicants must propose strategies for improving the knowledge and skills of private sector stakeholders in implementing a social compliance system, with a particular focus on acceptable conditions of work and the prevention and reduction of child labor and forced labor. Applicants must assess the Toolkit component areas in which technical support is needed to improve competencies, and describe their approach for doing so in consultation with workers, workers’ organizations, and/or community-based and civil society organizations in producer communities. When developing this approach, applicants must consider the obstacles that companies face in implementing robust and sustainable social compliance systems and propose capacity-building activities that will mitigate these challenges. As part of this outcome, applicants must describe how their proposed capacity building activities will develop strong management systems that clearly articulate policies and procedures, assign roles and responsibilities, allocate sufficient resources, and measure progress and improvement over time. In addition, applicants must describe their existing relationships with relevant U.S. brands, buyer companies, importers, and/or retailers of coffee, and how they will leverage those relationships to incentivize social compliance.

Outcome 3: New social compliance tools on child labor, forced labor, and acceptable conditions of work piloted in coffee business operations and supply chains.

Applicants must propose a strategy for developing and piloting new, user-friendly social compliance tools tailored to the coffee sector that are currently lacking from open-source social compliance platforms. Content could include, but is not limited to, such things as case studies; sample contract language and other types of sample language; supply chain traceability tools; guidance and tools related to worker engagement and grievance mechanisms; and/or many others. Applicants must show how the proposed content and tools would be effective in driving greater adoption and implementation of robust social compliance practices in the coffee sector. The proposed content and tools must address child labor, forced labor, and/or other relevant acceptable conditions of work. In addition, Applicants must organize and carry out a learning workshop with key private sector and civil society stakeholders to share their work under the project, particularly the tools developed under Outcome 3.

Applicants must include this as a line item in the proposed outputs-based budget.

Applicants must propose a strategy to achieve the project-level objective and expected outcomes stated above. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed strategy will fill identified gaps and how it will achieve the identified objective and expected outcomes in a cohesive manner. Applicants may suggest additional outcomes and a rationale for how they contribute to the achievement of the project’s overall objective.

Applicants must describe all major areas of project intervention. In describing project interventions, applicants are expected to describe specific outputs and activities and how such activities will lead to the project’s expected objective and outcomes in an interrelated and holistic manner. Applicants must identify any potential barriers and describe how the project will be able to overcome those barriers.

3) CMEP Agreement and M&E Capacity Statement

The Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (CMEP) is a tool to integrate and guide the project’s monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on project progress toward achieving intended results and outcomes. It is also intended to serve as a management tool and facilitate managing for results. Applicants must confirm in their proposal their commitment to collaborate with

DOL-funded External M&E Experts and/or DOL staff M&E experts in developing the project’s

CMEP. Applicants must also describe their commitment to M&E and their capacity and approach to deliver the M&E requirements described in this FOA. These requirements include:

pre and post-situational analysis for non-direct service projects;

development and implementation of the CMEP, which includes collection, reporting, and analysis of data on project-specific and DOL-required performance indicators;

collaboration on externally conducted midterm and final evaluations.

For further information on the requirements for all of these activities, please see the 2016 MPG for initial guidance (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants); applicants must continue to monitor this website for additional guidance to be posted for 2017. Applicants may use their own staff, a partner organization, or a contractor to carry out all of these M&E activities

(or components of these activities. Applicants must describe in the capacity statement how they will carry out these activities and ensure high quality data and deliverables. Applicants also must briefly address how they will safeguard all project data, particularly any personally identifiable information.

d) Work Plan

The Work Plan must identify major project activities, including M&E activities, deadlines for completing these activities, and person(s) or institution(s) responsible for completing these activities for the entire life of the project. The Work Plan must be included graphically as an attachment and correspond to activities identified in the Project Design, budget and budget narrative. Applicants may choose an appropriate format for their Work Plan.

e) Organizational Capacity

This section must describe the qualifications of the proposed applicant and/or any proposed subrecipient to implement the project.

1) International and US Government Grant and/or Contract Experience

Applicants must describe any experience they or their proposed subrecipients have with implementing projects relevant to this FOA, provide references for past performance, and ask their references to complete and submit a past performance questionnaire (see Appendix E for a sample format). Projects included must have been active within seven years of the issuance date of the FOA and no more than a total of six (6) projects for the primary applicant and proposed subrecipients combined should be provided in the description or used for references.

Project descriptions should be included in this section of the technical proposal.

References must be included as an attachment in an International and U.S. Government

Grant and/or Contract Experience table (see Appendices for a sample format). DOL reserves the right to contact any references included in the chart and/or any other references that come to our attention.

Applicants must ask all listed references to provide information about project performance and administration such as that suggested in the sample past performance https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants questionnaire included as Appendix E. For consideration, references must email this information directly to DOL at OGM_ILAB@dol.gov by the closing date and time of this announcement. Email submissions must include the following subject line: FOA-ILAB-

17-07, Reference, [insert applicant name], [insert reference name]. DOL is not responsible for reviewing messages that do not include the proper subject line. Failure by references to submit the requested information by the required date and time will result in its omission from the panel review process and may affect how the application is scored.

Applicants are encouraged to follow-up with their references directly because DOL will not confirm receipt of emailed references.

If the applicant and/or subrecipient does not have any past experience with grants and/or contracts, the applicant must include a narrative explanation in this section and also include an attachment indicating that the list of references is not applicable.

2) Country Presence and Host Government Support

Applicants must describe their organization’s (and/or subrecipients’) existing presence and ability to start up project activities in the target area(s) upon receiving an award (see section

IV.B.1.d.3 for more information on partners). Any documents that demonstrate country presence

(e.g., official registration of the applicant’s organization and/or subrecipient in the host country, a current Memorandum of Understanding between the applicant and/or subrecipient and the host government) must be included as an attachment to the Technical Proposal.

Applicants must describe their ability and plans to collaborate directly with relevant national, regional and/or local government and non-government agencies, and other organizations as relevant to this project in each country, and their past experience working with these stakeholders.

If the applicant and/or subrecipient does not have country presence, the applicant must include a narrative explanation in this section indicating why this is the case and explain how it may impact project implementation. The applicant also must include an attachment indicating that the

Country Presence Attachment is not applicable.

3) Partners

Applicants must describe their approach for working with organizations in the target country to implement project activities to advance the objectives of the project. Applicants may demonstrate this approach in their proposal by describing established partnerships, including with local organizations that have capacity and experience working on issues related to the objectives of the project. Applicants that propose such project implementation partners must include a brief description of such partners, including a description of the project partners’ role in implementing the proposed project strategy and how this approach will strengthen the overall proposal.

Applicants without such established partnerships must propose an approach that they will pursue for working with other organizations to implement project activities, which could include formal partnerships or informal collaborations, to advance the objectives of the project. Applicants must describe how this approach will strengthen the overall proposal.

Applicants must specify the private sector stakeholder(s) with whom they propose to work and provide a description in this section of the proposal demonstrating these stakeholders’ in-kind mailto:OGM_ILAB@dol.gov support and commitment to the project. Examples of in-kind support could include, but is not limited to, full- or part-time staff dedicated to implementing project activities, materials, meeting space, and/or equipment.

Implementation of the project must also include active and sustained engagement and collaboration with workers, workers’ organizations, and/or community-based and civil society organizations in producer communities.

4) Management Plan

Applicants must discuss their project’s management plan, including a narrative description of the structure of the project’s management team, key personnel roles and responsibilities, and the lines of authority between key personnel and other project staff responsible for providing services related to project intervention. If other professional personnel are proposed, their role must be explained in the management plan. If any of the project’s personnel would be employed by a subrecipient, the applicant must provide a rationale for this arrangement and an explanation of the staffing structure.

Applicants must also include as an attachment a project management organization chart that provides a visual depiction of the project’s management structure and lines of authority among organizations, all key personnel, other professional personnel, and other project staff being proposed. Applicants may choose an appropriate format for their project management organization chart.

5) Personnel

Key Personnel

Key personnel positions are deemed essential to the successful operation of the project and completion of all proposed activities and deliverables. ILAB retains the authority to approve all key personnel changes throughout the life of the award. Key personnel must:

devote at least 90 percent level of effort to the project.

be available to staff the project within 45 days of award should the applicant be selected for award.

Applicants must propose candidates with qualifications to successfully implement the proposed strategy.

Applicants must address candidates’ level of competence, past experience relevant to this announcement and qualifications to execute the project strategies proposed by the applicant.

ILAB encourages applicants to hire national/local staff for key personnel positions. If any of the proposed personnel do not meet all the requirements, applicants must explain how the proposed personnel will still benefit the project and be able to perform the required duties.

Recipients assume full responsibility for ensuring that all key personnel have a clear and thorough understanding of DOL policies, procedures, and requirements and that all documents submitted to DOL are in fluent English.

ILAB has designated the following position(s) as key personnel. Other requirements for each individual position follow:

Project Director:

Must be directly hired by the recipient, not a subrecipient.

Minimum of five years of experience in project management, supervision, administration, and implementation of cooperative agreement and/or contract requirements (including meeting deadlines, achieving targets, and overseeing the preparation and submission of required reports), preferably in the country of implementation.

Ability to maintain working relationships with all project stakeholders, including public, private, and civil society partners, and to effectively build partnerships between them.

Experience in implementing projects on corporate supply chain social compliance programs.

Fluency in English and the language of the country of implementation is required.

Applicants must include as an attachment a signed letter of commitment from each proposed key personnel (as identified in this FOA) indicating their commitment to serve on the project for a stated term of service and their availability to commence work within 45 days of award.

Applicants must also submit as an attachment a one-page resume for each individual being proposed for each position designated as key personnel in this FOA. Each resume must include:

Educational background, including highest education level attained;

Work experience covering at least the last five years of employment to the present, including such information as employer name, position title, clearly defined duties, and dates of employment;

Special experience, capabilities, or qualifications related to the candidate’s ability to implement the proposed strategy and perform effectively in the proposed position; and

English and other relevant language skills, if required (includes speaking, listening, reading, writing).

Other Professional Personnel

The positions listed below are required other professional personnel who must devote the specified level of effort noted within their description to the project (but are not considered key personnel). Applicants must identify these required other professional personnel and submit resumes to DOL as an attachment to the application.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer (Part-time-Minimum 25 percent)

Minimum of three years of professional experience in a senior M&E position responsible for implementing M&E activities of international development projects.

Bachelors or Master’s degree in statistics, public policy, international development, economics, or related field. Master’s degree or Bachelor plus an advanced certificate in M&E, statistics, or economics preferred.

Proven success in designing, implementing, and operating project M&E systems from project initiation to closeout stages.

Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation approaches for capacity-building projects.

Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, and developing M&E and/ performance monitoring plans.

Experience developing and refining data collection tools.

Ability to facilitate and serve as project liaison for externally-managed evaluations.

Fluency in English and the language of the country of implementation is required.

Social Compliance Specialist (Part-time- Minimum 50 percent)

At least 3 years of professional experience in the area of private sector supply chain social compliance programs.

Ability to maintain working relationships with all project stakeholders, including coalition building and partnership promotion.

Understanding of key labor issues, including child labor, forced labor, and acceptable conditions of work.

Ability to meet deadlines, achieve targets, and provide all required inputs to deliverables.

Fluency in relevant national language and proficiency in English is required.

Applicants may propose other professional personnel (other than key personnel and required other professional personnel listed above) in their application. Applicants should hire national/local staff knowledgeable in the areas of intervention who will be responsible for implementing project activities. Applicants may submit resumes to DOL for other professional personnel, but it is not required. (Resumes are needed only for the key personnel and required other professional personnel listed above). There is no minimum required level of effort for other professional personnel. (Minimum levels of effort are needed only for the key personnel and required other professional personnel listed above).

f) Attachments

The following documents must be included with the application package. Those attachments listed here will be excluded from the technical proposal page limit.

Abstract

Work Plan

International and US Government Grant and/or Contract Experience

Evidence of Country Presence

Project Management Organizational Chart

Key Personnel Signed Commitment Letters

1 Page Resume for Key Personnel

2. 1 Page Resume for Required Other Professional Personnel Cost Proposal

Applicants must prepare a cost proposal as part of the application. The cost proposal must reflect consistency between the proposed costs and the work to be performed as outlined in the Project

Narrative of the applicant’s technical proposal.

As part of the process of developing a cost proposal, the applicant must have a Data Universal

Numbering System (DUNS) number and be registered in System for Award Management (SAM). In addition, the cost proposal must contain the following:

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance;

SF-424A Budget Information;

Detailed outcome-based budget and an accompanying budget narrative; and

Indirect cost supporting documentation.

If an applicant proposes cost sharing, cost sharing information must be included as part of the cost proposal. Cost sharing is not required for this program. Applications that include any form of cost sharing will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Any approved cost sharing will be subject to the same compliance and reporting requirements as any awarded federal funds.

a. DUNS and SAM Registration

All applicants for Federal funding opportunities are required to have a DUNS number and must supply their DUNS number on the SF-424. The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. Entities without a DUNS number can get one for free through the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) website:

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.

As authorized under 2 CFR Part 25, recipient organization must notify potential subrecipients that no organization may receive a subaward unless the organization has provided its DUNS number to the recipient.

Applicants must register with SAM before submitting an application. Instructions for registering with SAM can be found at www.sam.gov. A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or from the date of subsequent updates to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For clarification, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award.