FOA-ILAB-23-32.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Program Office:

OCFT

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for: Increasing Responsiveness of Local Communities to Child Labor and/or Forced Labor in the Context of a Changing Climate in Nepal

Announcement Type: _________

Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ILAB-23-32

Assistance Listing Number: 17.401

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is 10/09/2023.

Applications must be received no later than 11:59 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.

Award decisions are expected to be made between 09/30/2023 and 12/31/2023.

The Department will make its best efforts to make award decisions within this timeframe, but please be aware that there are a variety of circumstances that may result in a later or earlier than expected award decision.

To apply: Submit applications via https://www.grants.gov/ in response to this funding opportunity number.

Please refer to Section IV for application submission instructions.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $4,000,000 total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for 1 cooperative agreement(s) to fund a technical assistance project in Nepal to increase the responsiveness of local communities to child labor and/or forced labor in the context of a changing climate.

https://www.grants.gov/

The duration of the project will be 54 months from the effective date of the award.

Eligible applicants include any commercial, international, educational, or non-profit organizations, including any faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, or public international organizations (PIOs). Please see section III of this funding opportunity announcement for complete eligibility requirements.

Project-level objective: Increased responsiveness of local communities to child labor and/or forced labor in the context of a changing climate.

Outcomes include the following:

Outcome 1: Increased understanding of the link between climate change and vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor risks.

Outcome 2: Increased implementation of child-centered, gender-sensitive and socially inclusive climate adaptation initiatives.

The applicant must propose strategies that are based on a gender equity and social inclusion analysis to identify potential barriers of access to and control of resources and decision-making faced by men, women, boys and girls from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented populations, and how these barriers will be overcome by the project. The applicant must propose a collaborative process that supports the Government of Nepal’s priority that climate change adaptation be locally-led. To that end, the applicant should propose strategies that center on the priorities of climate-vulnerable populations, such as children, women, indigenous populations, and other disadvantaged groups. To the extent possible, applicants should propose strategies that are sustainable and describe how they will be sustained after the project ends. Applicants must propose geographic locations, including the number of provinces and municipalities, supported by applicable justification, such as high vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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. Cost Proposal

3. Submission Date, Times, and Process

C. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

D. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

E. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

F. 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 Federal Financial Report (SF 425, FFR)

2. Semi-Annual Technical Progress Reports

3. Final Technical Report

4. Indirect Cost Rates

5. Closeout Reports

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

IX. APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Acronyms

APPENDIX B: Definitions

APPENDIX C: Relevant Grant and/or Contract Experience

APPENDIX D: Requirements for Application Submission

APPENDIX E: Past Performance Questionnaire

APPENDIX F: List of Common Outcome Domains and Standard Indicators

APPENDIX G: Sustainability Strategy Template

ENDNOTES

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

ILAB leads the U.S. Government’s (USG) efforts to improve working conditions and fight labor exploitation around the world. ILAB's mission is to strengthen global labor standards, enforce labor commitments among trading partners, promote racial and gender equity, and combat international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. ILAB’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (OCFT) works to eliminate child labor, forced labor and human trafficking through international research, policy engagement, and technical cooperation.

See ILAB’s webpage for additional information: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab.

This FOA solicits applications to implement 1 project(s) with the objective to fund a technical assistance project in Nepal to increase the resiliency of local communities to child labor and/or forced labor in the context of a changing climate.

Project-level objective: Increased responsiveness of local communities to child labor and/or forced labor in the context of a changing climate.

Outcomes include the following:

Outcome 1: Increased understanding of the link between climate change and vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor risks.

Outcome 2: Increased implementation of child-centered, gender-sensitive and socially inclusive climate adaptation initiatives.

The applicant must propose strategies that are based on a gender equity and social inclusion analysis to identify potential barriers of access to and control of resources and decision-making faced by men, women, boys and girls from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented populations, and how these barriers will be overcome by the project. The applicant must propose a collaborative process that supports the Government of Nepal’s priority that climate change adaptation be locally-led. To that end, the applicant should propose strategies that center on the priorities of climate-vulnerable populations, such as children, women, indigenous populations, and other disadvantaged groups. To the extent possible, applicants should propose strategies that https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab are sustainable and describe how they will be sustained after the project ends. Applicants must propose geographic locations, including the number of provinces and municipalities, supported by applicable justification, such as high vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor.

This announcement is for the award of 1 new cooperative agreement(s) with the specific project objective 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 Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2023, PL 117-328, Division H, Title I.

C. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Nepal ranks 10th on the list of countries most at risk of climate change according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.1 The World Bank estimates that 80% of Nepal’s population faces climate-related peril.2 Nepal also has pernicious rates of child labor and forced labor. An estimated 1.1 million children are in child labor of which 222,493 are in hazardous work and 85% are working in agriculture. Agriculture is a critical sector for Nepal, providing nearly 1/3 of GDP, and engaging 66% of the population,3 including 85% of forced laborers in Nepal (1.2 million men and 400,000 women).4 Agriculture is also a sector that is highly vulnerable to climate change.

As the temperatures climb, glaciers are melting faster, threatening more flooding and landslides.

While elsewhere, rainfall has become erratic, leading to the drying up of water sources, drought and soil aridity, making once fertile land unsuitable for growing crops or sustaining livelihoods.5,6 Lack of access to water in communities is also leading households to rely on children to fetch water from greater and greater distances, reducing time for activities such as schooling. Environmental impacts are taking a serious toll on people’s livelihoods.7 Rural households and other populations that depend on the land and forests for their livelihoods are particularly vulnerable to climate change. In many cases, crops and farming techniques currently being used are vulnerable to the impact of climate change.This increased vulnerability is having a particularly significant impact on women and children,8 and groups such as indigenous people,9 and some castes, including Dalits10 and Harawa-Charawa, that endure caste-based discrimination.11 To cope with the socio-economic shocks of sudden onset disaster, such as floods and slow onset disasters, such as drought, vulnerable households resort to migration, child labor and forced labor. For example, due to declining agricultural productivity, families that once farmed for their livelihood are increasingly relying on seasonal migration to brick kilns as an adaptation strategy. According to a December 2020 report, it is estimated that over 34,000 children between the ages of five and 17 are living in brick kiln areas, with over half of them working.12 While further research is needed on the link between climate change and child labor and forced labor, there is evidence of climate change increasing vulnerability to labor exploitation and trafficking,13 gender-based violence and trafficking of women and girls,14 child labor,15,16 and forced labor and trafficking.17 However there are still knowledge gaps regarding the link between climate change and its relation to child labor.18

As an Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder Country, the Government of Nepal has demonstrated strong political will to address child labor and has made climate change adaptation a key priority. The

Government of Nepal has developed an ambitious National Adaptation Plan (NAP) that builds on a consultative and gender-inclusive climate adaptation planning process.19 In 2015, Nepal adopted a new constitution, and power devolved from the federal level to the provincial and local levels. As a result, climate adaptation planning and implementation has also devolved to the local level. Nepal has pioneered the world’s first decentralized climate change adaptation process with its Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPA) Framework.20 LAPAs have helped communities across Nepal address the underlying drivers of vulnerability and prepare robust responses to future climate impacts. The LAPA framework ensures that climate change investment decision-making is devolved to the lowest appropriate level so that local actors drive decision-making on climate adaptation. There are multiple funding channels for the LAPAs, including from the government’s budget, international finance climate investments, and funding from NGOs and CSOs.21 By 2030, Nepal intends for all local governments to have a LAPA. So far 200 of the 753 municipalities have prepared LAPAs.22

Despite Nepal’s forward-thinking approach to locally-led climate change adaptation, local authorities still face a steep learning curve regarding their local governance duties, budgeting and procurement processes, child labor elimination strategies, in addition to sorting out the local climate change adaptation planning and programming processes. For example, funding that has been set aside to help communities address the impact of climate change may not be reaching some communities due to lack of awareness or capacity to solicit these funds. There is similar lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities at the provincial level regarding the NAP process. Also, according to the Youth Alliance for the Environment, most of the government’s climate change frameworks are not inclusive of children’s rights.23

The impact climate change and labor exploitation have on communities is highly context-specific. To effectively build resilience to climate change and responsiveness to child labor/forced labor, climate adaptive strategies must be tailored to the local context. This will require locally-led research on the link between climate change and child labor/and forced labor, and adaptive strategies that are informed by indigenous knowledge and the priorities of local people. Those most vulnerable to climate change and labor exploitation must be involved in the analysis, design and implementation of climate change initiatives.24, 25 To be effective, climate adaptive solutions, such as climate smart agriculture, will require smallholder farmers to take risks and make capital investments. This will require removing existing access barriers that women and other vulnerable groups currently face.26 These climate-smart techniques must also be intentional about preventing increased demand for child labor.27 Local stakeholders will need the mindset and resources to build their resilience and adaptive capacity in order to achieve gender-just climate change adaptation that protects against child labor and forced labor.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a cooperative agreement. Approximately $4,000,000 total costs is expected to be available to fund approximately 1 (one) award(s). Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $4,000,000 total costs. Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, USDOL reserves the right to increase the amount of an award or to use such funds to select additional recipients from applications submitted in response to this announcement.

In addition to its normal consultative role as grantor, ILAB’s substantial involvement in program activities may focus on elements that are essential to meet program requirements and ensure achievement of program objectives and outcomes. ILAB’s involvement may include, but not be limited to:

Liaising with in-country USG officials and host country governments on matters related to the project.

Collaborating substantially on the project strategy and implementation, as well as the development of the project document package.

Collaborating substantially on the development and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation plan and all of its components.

Providing highly specialized input on the technical definitions and concepts of workers’ rights, international labor standards, occupational safety and health (OSH), industrial relations, social dialogue, collective bargaining, freedom of association, acceptable conditions of work, stakeholder compliance, non-discrimination, labor courts, labor administration, labor inspection, labor law and judicial reform, legal and policy frameworks, child labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and effective enforcement, among others.

Being substantially and actively involved in designing research, service provision, and/or capacity building activities jointly with the recipient.

Reviewing and providing input on project’s planning for sustainability and collaborating to promote sustainability of project efforts, including through replication of good practices.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The required period of performance is 54 months from the effective date of the award. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. Only allowable costs incurred during the period of performance may be charged to the federal award (2 CFR

200.1 Period of performance).

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

U.S. organizations:

o Nonprofits, including any faith-based organizations or community-based organizations o Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education o Private Institutions of Higher Education o For-Profit organizations

Non-U.S. organizations:

o Non-U.S. Entities, including PIOs, as described in 2 CFR 200.1.

Applicants selected for award, including PIOs, must abide by DOL's requirements in the term and conditions of the award, in alignment with U.S. appropriation laws and applicable U.S.

regulations.

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 USDOL award.

Foreign governments and entities that are agencies of, or operated by or for, a foreign state or government are not eligible to apply. However, they may be eligible to participate as a subrecipient in certain instances, subject to USDOL approval. NOTE: If an exception to this subrecipient eligibility criterion might be appropriate, the application must include a detailed justification for the possible exception. USDOL funds are not intended to duplicate existing foreign government efforts or substitute for activities for which such governments have already assumed responsibility. USDOL will make eligibility decisions on a case-by-case basis after receiving the application.

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. Including such funds is not one of the application screening criteria and applications that include any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Instead, the agency considers any resources contributed to the project beyond the funds provided by the agency as leveraged resources. Section IV.B.2 provides more information on leveraged resources.

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

Eligibility Section III.A

2. Number of Applications to be Submitted

Multiple applications from an organization are not allowed. If multiple applications are received, the most recent application submitted by the deadline will be accepted. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, USDOL will not replace it with an earlier application.

Applicant entities are not precluded from participating as partners on another entity’s

The components of the application are saved in any of the specified formats and are not corrupt. (USDOL will attempt to open documents, but will not troubleshoot any problems related to opening files)

Section IV.B.3.b

Application does not exceed the ceiling amount of $4,000,000 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, including a Unique Entity Identifier Number

Section IV.B.2.c

SF-424A, Budget Information Form Section IV.B.2.d Technical Proposal Section IV.B.1 Attachments to Technical Proposal

Abstract Work Plan Sustainability Strategy

Template Relevant Grant and/or Contract

Experience Evidence of Country Presence Project Management

Organizational Chart Gender Equity and Social

Inclusion Analysis (max 4 pages)

Section IV.B.1

Cost Proposal Section IV.B.2 Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2.e 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 must provide justification for their choices based on evidence (see definition in Appendix B), analysis of contextual opportunities and constraints, and available resources within the requirements of the FOA. Applicants must include specific citations to the evidence used to support their proposed project strategy. If there is limited evidence to support the proposed intervention(s), applicants may propose to pilot an innovative approach but must include and describe a plan for monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the intervention(s).

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.

Technical Proposals must be no more than 50 single-sided, double-spaced pages (8.5 x 11 inches 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 12-point. The Cover Page, Acronyms List, Table of Contents, required attachments to the Technical Proposal, and the Cost 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 the information needed to complete the Technical http://www.grants.gov

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)

Applicants must submit as an attachment an abstract summarizing the proposed project including, but not limited to, the project objective, proposed outcomes, sub-outcomes (if included in this FOA), outputs, and activities. The abstract should describe the proposed project in plain language and include the following sections:

1) Applicant’s Name and Title for the Project. The applicant’s name and title for the proposed project.

2) Purpose. A brief description of the purpose for the award, including a description of the geographic area to be served (if applicable), population(s) to be served (if applicable), number and description of individuals, groups and institutions to be served (if applicable), and the funding level requested.

3) Activities to be Performed. A brief description of award specific activities and other deliverables.

4) Expected Outcomes. The project objective, proposed outcomes, sub-outcomes (if included in this FOA), and outputs.

5) Intended Beneficiaries. Intended beneficiary(ies) or recipient(s) of the project activities.

6) Subrecipient Activities. If sub-awards are proposed, then specify the activities to be provided and the name of each proposed sub-awardee, if known.

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 (up to 10 points)

Applicants will be evaluated based on their degree of understanding the scope and nature of the problem that forms the basis of the project design. 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/or legal factors contributing to the problem. This information must be supported by relevant empirical data, including citations.

This information must be supported by relevant empirical data, including citations.

Applicants must identify significant gaps in laws, plans, policies, programs and coordination efforts that contribute to the identified problem and that need to be addressed by the project. The problem analysis should draw from insights gleaned from their Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis (described in the Project Design section below).

2) Project Design (up to 40 points)

a) Project Strategy and Sustainability Strategy (up to 35 points) The applicant's Project Strategy and Sustainability section will be evaluated based on its responsiveness to the unmet need described in its Problem Analysis.

The project-level objective is to increase responsiveness of local communities to prevent child labor and/or forced labor in the context of a changing climate.

In support of achieving the objective, the project should be designed to achieve the following outcomes and sub-outcomes, if required:

Outcome 1: Increased understanding of the link between climate change and vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor.

Outcome 2: Increased implementation of child-centered, gender-sensitive, and socially-inclusive climate adaptation initiatives.

The applicant's Project Strategy and Sustainability Strategy section will be evaluated based on its responsiveness to the unmet need described in its Problem Analysis. Each applicant’s proposal will be assessed based on how well the GESI Analysis informed the design of the overall project.

For the GESI Analysis, applicants must consider barriers faced by women and girls and one underrepresented population that the project might address for equitable inclusion, meaningful involvement, and equal benefit. Applicants must consider and describe what kinds of barriers would have to be overcome and what factors would need to be true to overcome the barriers. Factors that applicants should consider include but are not limited to:

Time Use and Mobility; Health and Body Autonomy; Knowledge and Education; Voice and Leadership; Decent Work and Income; and Assets and Credit. (See Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor website for an example of Gender and Inclusion Analysis Guiding Questions). The GESI Analysis should be submitted as a separate attachment. (Maximum 4 pages. This does not count against the Technical Narrative page limit.)

Proposed project strategies must be focused on geographic areas. Applicants must specify the provinces and municipalities selected and provide evidence-based reasoning for their selection.

Outcome 1: Increased understanding of the link between climate change and vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor.

For Outcome 1, applicants must propose a strategy and describe how they will work with and support local stakeholders to design and implement gender and socially-inclusive research to examine the link between climate change and increased vulnerability to child labor and/or https://www.state.gov/drl-proposal-submission-instructions-psi-for-applications-updated-december-2021/#_Toc89166706 https://www.state.gov/drl-proposal-submission-instructions-psi-for-applications-updated-december-2021/#_Toc89166706 forced labor. The purpose of the research is to inform local climate adaptation strategies based on the delivery and dissemination of knowledge products.

Applicants must:

1. Explain how they will fill research gaps to examine the link between climate change and child labor and/or forced labor in Nepal.

2. Propose an inclusive research design strategy that uses a valid methodology that draws upon science and indigenous knowledge.28

3. Describe how they will meaningfully engage local stakeholders, including climate-vulnerable populations, such as children, women, indigenous populations, and other disadvantaged groups.

4. Give examples of knowledge products proposed as project deliverables and means for their dissemination.

5. Describe methods for measuring change in knowledge and behavior change in areas of project implementation.

Outcome 2: Increased implementation of child-centered, gender-sensitive and socially-inclusive climate adaptation initiatives.

For Outcome 2, applicants will focus on putting learning from Outcome 1 into action.

Applicants must describe their strategy for locally-driven climate change adaptation that bolsters the resiliency of local communities in order to protect children and parents from child labor and/or forced labor. The strategy should build upon existing local adaptation initiatives and plans such as LAPAs or drive local organizing and engagement in the development of new LAPAs where none exist. The applicant should identify and determine how to integrate climate change into labor-related plans, policies and programs in target communities, and as needed, propose relevant ways to support local organizing and action in this area. It should also describe how local climate adaptation initiatives will be appropriately resourced in terms of technical capacity and financing.

Applicants must:

1. Describe how they will center those most vulnerable to climate change, such as women and children, indigenous populations, and other disadvantaged groups in climate change adaptation planning and programming, building on the problem analysis.

2. Give illustrative examples of the types of local community initiatives and organizations that the project would support.

3. Explain their organizing strategy to facilitate community input into and access to flexible funding mechanisms and strategies to carry out locally-led climate change adaptation initiatives that reduce vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor.

4. Outline how they will support community-led monitoring to advance accountability and transparency of climate adaptations that ensure rights-based and equitable outcomes for vulnerable populations, including children, women, indigenous populations, and other disadvantaged groups.

For the illustrative examples of local community initiatives, applicants may propose a variety of interventions and activities to address child labor and/or forced labor risks and should justify proposed activities by describing identified gaps and weaknesses needing to be addressed in the implementing environment. Among the strategies applicants could consider are the following:

Building or strengthening local or national networks between rural civil society groups, workers, and climate advocates to develop joint awareness-raising and advocacy strategies on the nexus between climate change and child labor.

Capacity building for farmers and farm workers, rural civil society organizations, and local communities to participate more effectively and advocate for themselves in the implementation of existing LAPAs or the development of new ones (where none exist or are still in process).

Developing collective advocacy strategies for communities to promote just transition for rural workers and vulnerable families, including access to social protection, child care and family support, and decent work, or access to national climate transition funds.

Identification and implementation of locally-appropriate climate-smart agriculture (CSA) approaches that help families enhance household livelihoods and reduce reliance on child labor and prepare workers for decent work in new CSA value chains or practices.

Training or re-skilling for adult workers for decent work opportunities in climate-sustainable fields such as eco-tourism, renewable energy and recycling, as applicable in a given community.

Final decisions for community initiatives must be made post award in consultation with target communities and will be subject to DOL approval.

Applicants must propose a strategy to engage local communities in a meaningful assessment and co-design process upon award.

Applicants are encouraged to suggest additional outcomes they deem necessary to achieve the project-level objective and a rationale for how they contribute to the achievement of the project-level objective. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed strategy will address gaps and potential barriers identified in the problem analysis and gender equity and social inclusion analysis.

Requirements Across Outcomes Applicants must propose a strategy to achieve the project-level objective and expected outcomes stated above. Applicants may suggest additional outcomes they deem necessary to achieve the project-level objective and a rationale for how they contribute to the achievement of the project’s overall objective. One or more existing outcomes may be revised during the project validation process post-award in consultation with ILAB. A subsequent amendment to the cooperative agreement will formally reflect the incorporation of revised outcomes.

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 should logically lead to the project’s expected objective and outcomes in an interrelated and holistic manner. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed strategy will address gaps identified in the problem analysis, identify any potential barriers, and describe how the project will work to overcome those barriers. Applicants must provide evidence of the effectiveness of their proposed strategy. If there is limited evidence to support the proposed intervention(s), applicants may propose to pilot an innovative approach but must include and describe a plan for monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the intervention(s).

In addition, applicants must clearly describe in their proposed strategy how they will integrate sustainability into their project strategy, beginning in the early stages of project implementation (please see Appendix B for a definition of sustainability).

Applicants are not required to develop an integrated sustainability strategy for every outcome or sub-outcome proposed, but rather, only where appropriate and needed to maximize long term impact. Applicants shall use the Sustainability Strategy Template (please see Appendix G) to show how they plan to build sustainability into their design for applicable outcomes/elements. Successful applicants will have an opportunity to update and elaborate on this template post-award.

As part of its strategy, applicants must undertake an initial assessment of any unique needs of underserved or historically marginalized populations and the most at risk or vulnerable groups and describe how any identified needs will be addressed.

Expected Outcomes

USDOL has informed host government officials of the proposed project. Applicants may propose strategies for collaborating with the relevant government agencies, especially at the provincial and municipal levels.

Efforts must be made to avoid duplication and to build upon relevant previous or ongoing activities in Nepal. Applicants must include a mapping of the landscape of current relevant programming in Nepal. Applicants must also demonstrate how they intend to build upon existing locally-led climate change adaptation initiatives, and coordinate and collaborate with other relevant projects, including those funded by the host government (where applicable), USDOL, other U.S. Government agencies, and/or other donor governments and organizations. Applicants must include a brief description of the consultative process undertaken in preparing their proposal.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have undertaken an initial assessment of the needs, resources, interests, influence and capabilities of all target groups, institutions, organizations or structures that are deemed vital to sustaining project outcomes, by describing the process of conducting the assessment and the results. The needs assessment and discussion of results should give particular attention to structural inequities and vulnerable groups, and should include a gender analysis.

Applicants must plan for long-term sustainability of outcomes in their proposed strategies. The applicant’s description of the project strategy should:

Explain the flow of inputs to activities, activities to outputs, outputs to outcomes, outcomes to the project objective, and the sustained impact on worker rights that the project will contribute to.

Fully justify proposed interventions by explaining their purpose and the problems they are intended to address. If available, note any applicable research that establishes evidence of a causal relationship or correlation between interventions and expected outcomes. Proposed interventions, including the activities and outputs that comprise them, should be fully described and should be ambitious but realistic given the implementing environment, scope of the problems to be addressed, and proposed budget.

Demonstrate knowledge of political, gender, cultural, or other traditions and norms pertaining to and impacting the interventions proposed in the target sectors, including how these issues will be considered while implementing project activities.

Demonstrate the long-term sustainability of all efforts and outcomes in the design of the proposal, including which outcomes have the potential to be sustained after the end of the project and explain how the responsibility for sustaining them is expected to transition to local stakeholders, systems and institutions.

Identify risks and opportunities inherent in the project design that could impact the likelihood of achieving or sustaining project outcomes, and describe appropriate mitigation and response strategies.

Recognize possible external factors or shocks and their potential influence on the project, expected outcomes, and their sustainability.

Sustainability must be the centerpiece of the project strategy. “Sustainability” is concerned with measuring whether the benefits of an activity are likely to continue after donor funding has been withdrawn. Applicants must take into account the likelihood that the benefits or effects of a particular output or outcome will continue after donor funding ends. In developing the project strategy, applicants must consult with key stakeholders to ensure that the proposed strategy takes into account the factors, partners and institutions that are likely to have the strongest influence over, and the capacity and willingness to sustain the desired outcomes and impacts.

Applicants should embed sustainability success factors into the project design in accordance with the Sustainability Guide available on ILAB’s website at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants.

After award, the selected recipients will be required to refine the Sustainability Strategy, report on it in each of their progress reports and modify or update the strategy as needed. Although there are restrictions on the awarding of subawards or contracts to government entities, to the extent possible, recipients should consider engaging relevant government agencies through other mechanisms, as well as partnering with other local organizations or associations to strengthen their capacity.

b) Project Targets (up to 5 points)

The applicant's Project Targets section will be evaluated based on how well it supports the overall project strategy, as well as for how reasonable project targets are with consideration to the allocation of project resources (e.g., budget, staffing) to support the meeting of those targets.

Applicants must describe the target populations, institutions, systems or processes that will be impacted by the project. Applicants must describe how target https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants populations, institutions, sectors and/or geographic areas, etc. reflect the problem to be addressed and the overall strategy being proposed by the applicant.

Applicants must provide a justification for their selection of a target geographical area(s), as applicable.

Applicants must describe how geographic areas reflect the problem to be addressed and the overall strategy being proposed by the applicant.

Applicants must provide a justification for their selection of a target geographical area(s), such as provinces and municipalities.

Applicants must put forward a proposed approach to ensure the safety of participants and implementers within the target geographic area(s). Applicants must describe how they will administer services in a safe environment.

3) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Agreement and Capacity Statement (up to 5 points)

The applicant's M&E Agreement and Capacity Statement will be evaluated based on how well it addresses OCFT M&E requirements (outlined below). Applicants must confirm in their proposal their commitment to strong project M&E. They must also confirm their agreement to collaborate with USDOL in developing and revising required M&E deliverables, including the project’s Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

(CMEP).

M&E requirements include:

conducting a rigorous process for establishing baseline values for USDOL standard and project-specific indicators, as applicable. Please see Appendix F for a list of OCFT’s standard indicators;

development and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation plan, which includes the collection, entering, processing, reporting, and analysis of data on project-specific and USDOL-standard performance indicators throughout the period of performance;

development of project-specific definitions (as applicable);

implementation of a monitoring system to collect data to monitor the provision of services for all participants, in accordance with USDOL’s specific standard indicators;

collaboration with ILAB on required performance evaluations and/or other learning/accountability activities;

ensuring adequate M&E staffing capacity to support monitoring activities throughout the project’s period of performance; and working with USDOL post award to develop appropriate indicators and a plan for assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of key components (or activities) of the project.

For more information on M&E expectations, please see the most recent Management Procedures and Guidelines (MPG) for OCFT projects and Monitoring and Evaluation

(M&E) Resource Guide for OCFT Projects under “Grantee Resources” at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants.

4) Work Plan (up to 5 points) The applicant's Work Plan will be evaluated based on how clearly and realistically it outlines major activities and their related deadlines. The Work Plan must identify major project activities, deadlines for completing these activities, and person(s) or institution(s) responsible for completing these activities for the entire life of the project, as well as a sustainability plan. 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, but the format must include a field/column where the applicant, if funded, would report on the status of plan items (e.g., not yet started, on track, delayed, completed).

d. Organizational Capacity (up to 25 points) This section must describe the qualifications of the proposed applicant and/or any proposed subrecipients to implement the project.

1) Relevant Grant and/or Contract Experience (up to 5 points) The applicant's Relevant Grant and/or Contract Experience will be evaluated based on how well it reflects their ability to address the requirements of the FOA (including the ability to meet USDOL monitoring, oversight, and reporting requirements) and implement the applicant’s proposed Project Strategy. Applicants must describe any experience they or their proposed subrecipients have with implementing projects relevant to this FOA and provide references for past performance, as well as ask their references to complete and submit a past performance questionnaire. Each of these requirements is further explained in the corresponding bulleted item below. Projects included must have been active within seven years of the issuance date of the FOA and no more than a combined total of six (6) projects for the primary applicant and proposed subrecipients 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 a Relevant Grant and/or Contract Experience table (see Appendix C for a sample format). USDOL 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 questionnaire included as Appendix E. For consideration, references must email this information as a Word document or PDF attachment directly to USDOL at OGM_ILAB@dol.gov by the closing date and time of this announcement. Email submissions must include the following subject line: FOA-ILAB-23-32, Reference, Applicant [insert applicant name] or if applicable Proposed Subrecipient [insert sub name], [insert reference giver’s name and organization]. USDOL 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 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants http://OGM_ILAB@dol.gov 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 USDOL cannot guarantee to confirm receipt of emailed references.

Applicants and/or subrecipients with no relevant past grants and/or contracts experience must include a narrative describing their ability to leverage other previous experience to achieve this FOA’s required outcomes. In such cases, applicants must include an attachment indicating that the list of references is not applicable.

2) Country Presence (up to 5 points)

The applicant's Country Presence section will be evaluated based on how well it demonstrates the applicant’s ability to effectively meet USDOL requirements for start-up and implementation of the proposed project. Applicants must describe their organization’s (and/or subrecipients’) existing presence in-country 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.