FOA-ILAB-24-31_Malaysia.docx

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Bureau of International Labor Affairs

Program Office:

OTLA

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for: Strengthening Workers' Rights in Malaysia's Electronic Supply Chain

Announcement Type:

Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ILAB-24-31

Assistance Listing Number: 17.401

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is 09/30/2024. 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 09/30/2024 and 12/31/2024.

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 $3,000,000 total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for 1 cooperative agreement(s) to fund a technical assistance project in Malaysia with the objective to support workers and worker organizations advocate for improved occupational safety and health (OSH) standards, including gender-responsive standards, and the integration of effective programs to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the electronics sector through worker organizing and collective bargaining. .

The duration of the project will be 48 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.

The project must be designed to achieve the outcomes below, which are considered both necessary and sufficient to achieve the project objective, and substantially contribute to the desired long-term impact.

Outcome 1: Increased union participation and integration of new union members, particularly women members, resulting from worker organizing campaigns.

Outcome 2: Improved skills of worker organizations to advocate for improvements in OSH standards, including gender-responsive standards, and eradication of GBVH in target workplaces and communities.

Outcome 3: Increased engagement by workers and worker organizations with government officials and employers to negotiate, address, resolve and prevent OSH and GBVH abuses in the workplace through collective bargaining.

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

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 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 Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) works to make sure that U.S. trade partners fulfill their promises and play by the rules, and that American workers are able to compete on a level playing field by negotiating strong labor provisions in trade agreements and preference programs, monitoring for compliance, enforcing trade agreement and preference program commitments, and sharing technical expertise. 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 support workers and worker organizations in Malaysia as they advocate for improved OSH standards, including gender-responsive standards, and integration of effective programs to prevent and address GBVH in the electronics sector through worker organizing and collective bargaining.

The project will work to strengthen OSH standards and ensure that such standards consider women's health and safety needs. Additionally, the project will support the development of policies and protocols to prevent GBVH in the world of work and within unions and establish or strengthen grievance mechanisms so that women workers are empowered to report GBVH violations, including sexual harassment. Worker organizations will be supported in their efforts to organize workers in Malaysia's electronics sector, particularly women workers, most of whom are migrant workers and may face additional obstacles when attempting to organize.

The project must be designed to achieve the outcomes below, which are considered both necessary and sufficient to achieve the project objective, and substantially contribute to the desired long-term impact.

Outcome 1: Increased union participation and integration of new union members, particularly women members, resulting from worker organizing campaigns.

Outcome 2: Improved skills of worker organizations to advocate for improvements in OSH standards, including gender-responsive standards, and eradication of GBVH in target workplaces and communities.

Outcome 3: Increased engagement by workers and worker organizations with government officials and employers to negotiate, address, resolve and prevent OSH and GBVH abuses in the workplace through collective bargaining.

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 Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2024, PL 118-47, Division D, Title I to implement a project with the overarching objective to support workers and worker organizations in Malaysia as they advocate for improved OSH standards, including gender-responsive standards, and integration of effective programs to prevent and address GBVH in the electronics sector through worker organizing and collective bargaining .

C. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The global consumer electronic market continues to grow rapidly, causing an increase in the global electronic chemical and materials market from $22 billion US dollars in 2014 to $30.5 billion US dollars in 2020.1 Electronic and electrical products contain a number of hazardous substances, including lead, mercury and other metals, flame retardants and certain phthalates (acids). These hazardous substances can impact human health and the environment through all stages of the lifecycle. During material extraction and manufacturing, workers and their surrounding communities may come into direct contact with hazardous chemicals, which can result in significant adverse health effects, including high cancer rates and birth defects. In addition, hazardous chemicals can be released from e-waste during disposal and recycling, directly affecting workers and entering ecosystems by contaminating the air, water and soil and entering food chains. While informal e-waste operations are among the world’s most hazardous occupations, exposure to toxic substances is common even in formalized e-waste recycling.

According to a 2022 IndustriALL report,2 women workers represent a large share of the labor force in global electronics supply chains, particularly in the assembly of small components (2). Many of the sector’s women workers are young migrants, and an estimated two-thirds are temporary, contractual, or indirect wage employees. According to IndustriALL’s 2021 gender equality survey in the sector, multiple workplace conditions put women at risk of gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), including production pressures, involuntary overtime, and a culture of silence and victim-blaming when women look to report abuses. These risks, alongside exposure to toxic chemicals that lead to birth defects and miscarriage, a form of GBVH, put women across the electronics industry in a precarious state.3 According to a 2023 report from the World Economic Forum, Malaysian women have 66 percent the economic participation and opportunity that Malaysian men have.4 Malaysian academics have cited occupational segregation and social stereotypes about women as the root cause of disparities.5 Women workers in all sectors face discrimination and GBVH in Malaysia. A 2020 survey found that 62 percent of women from various sectors said they had been sexually harassed at work in Malaysia.6 Victims of GBVH, particularly migrant workers, who make up the majority of workers in Malaysia's electronics sector, are reluctant to report these violations and come forward alone.

After more than 20 years of civil society pressure, Malaysia passed the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act in August 2022, but critics have said that the new law does not contain adequate provisions “on the definition of sexual harassment, protection against victimization, protection against a hostile environment, and employers' obligations to prevent and address such conduct.”7 Malaysia has not ratified ILO Convention 190, the first global treaty to end violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment.

Supporting women’s increased participation in advocacy in the workplace through unionization and collective bargaining can allow them to engage in the creation of gender-responsive measures to protect them from OSH risks from chemical exposures and GBVH institutionally. This has been the case in other countries. In India, for example, unions have been able to mitigate the impact of production pressures by ensuring that overtime is voluntary (IndustriALL 5). And in Brazil and Indonesia, women’s leadership in unions has created networks and an environment of trust where women feel more comfortable reporting GBVH (IndustriALL 7).

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

II. AWARD INFORMATION

Funding will be provided in the form of a cooperative agreement. Approximately $3,000,000 total costs is expected to be available to fund approximately 1 (technical assistance) award(s). Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $3,000,000 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 48 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:

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

· Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education

· Private Institutions of Higher Education

· Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

· Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities

· Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

· Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

· Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs)

· Minority Serving Institutions

· Native American tribal organizations (Federally recognized)

· For-Profit organizations

· Non-U.S. organizations:

· 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.

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

Attachments to Technical Proposal

· Abstract

· Work Plan

· Sustainability Strategy Template

· Relevant Grant and/or Contract Experience

· Evidence of Country Presence

· Project Management Organizational Chart

Section IV.B.1

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 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 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 5 points) a.) Scope of the Problem (up to 2 points) Applicants will be evaluated based on the extent to which their analysis demonstrates a systemic understanding of challenges faced by workers, particularly women workers, in the electronics sector in Malaysia, specifically related to OSH and GBVH. Applicants must describe in both quantitative and qualitative terms the need for assistance, including the nature, scope and root causes of the problem, and the consequences of not addressing the need. The analysis must reflect all the relevant conditions that are holding the problem in place, complicating or reinforcing it, including relevant cultural, economic, social, demographic, technological, historical, political, or environmental factors contributing to the problem. The problem analysis must demonstrate a cogent assessment of the boundaries of the “system” the project is seeking to transform, identify specific leverage points (transforming structures or processes) within the system that could drive change with respect to the problem, how they interact with one another and any related factors or barriers to change.

Applicants must identify significant gaps in laws, policies, programs, and coordination efforts that contribute to the identified problem and that need to be addressed.

b.) Population / Institutions Served (up to 2 points) The analysis must include discussion of specific actors within the system (individuals, groups, institutions, coalitions, or networks) that have influence and/or interest in addressing the problem, giving particular attention to underserved, underrepresented, and historically marginalized communities or groups. This discussion should clearly describe how targeting women workers will meet the requirements of this FOA by increasing their access to and/or demand for services, benefits, protections or programs associated with improved workers’ rights. The analysis must address considerations of harm and equity sufficient to demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of how the problem affects different groups, particularly migrant women workers who are predominant in the electronics sector, with particular attention to gender and racial equity. For projects involving institutional strengthening, the problem analysis should clearly describe institutional barriers (or “pain points”) encountered by the target population(s) in accessing services, benefits, protections or programs associated with improved workers’ rights. The problem analysis must be supported by relevant empirical data, including citations.

c.) Proposed Geographic Scope (up to 1 points):

The applicant must identify the electronics sector in Malaysia as the proposed target service area and should provide justification for the number of individuals and institutions/groups that the applicant expects to serve. Applicants may choose one or more of the following scopes: local (municipal or provincial), regional (contiguous area within country), sectoral or supply chain (within country), or national. Within the chosen geographic scope, applicants must identify the specific site(s) where awarded applicants will implement project interventions.

2) Project Design (up to 40 points)

a) Project Strategy and Sustainability Strategy (up to 32 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 support workers and worker organizations as they advocate for improved OSH standards, including gender-responsive standards, and integration of effective programs to prevent and address GBVH in the electronics sector through worker organizing and collective bargaining.

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

Outcome 1: Increased union participation/integration of new union members, particularly women members, as a result of new worker organizing campaigns.

Outcome 2: Improved skills of worker organizations to advocate for improvements in OSH standards, including gender-responsive standards, and eradication of GBVH in target workplaces and communities.

Outcome 3: Increased engagement by workers and worker organizations with government officials and employers to negotiate, address, resolve and prevent OSH and GBVH abuses in the workplace through collective bargaining.

Requirements Across Technical Proposal 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, if appropriate.

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.

As part of their 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.

After award, projects will be required to develop a logic model to illustrate how planned outputs and outcomes are expected to contribute to achievement of the project objective and sustained impact. For a more complete discussion of logic models and other Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning elements required by OTLA, please see the MEL Guide for ILAB Worker Rights Programs on ILAB’s website.

Efforts must be made to avoid duplication and to build upon relevant previous or ongoing activities in Malaysia. Applicants must include a mapping of the landscape of current relevant programming in Malaysia. Applicants must also demonstrate how they intend to coordinate with other relevant projects and initiatives, including those funded by the host government (where applicable), USDOL, other USG agencies, and 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 8 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.

USDOL has established a set of standard outcome indicators that OTLA-funded worker rights projects are expected to achieve or substantially contribute to, which should be sustained after the project ends. Together these indicators measure outcomes that are expected to have a lasting impact on the systemic worker rights problem identified in the project objective.

To receive full points for this section, applicants must include numerical outcome projections for each of the OTLA standard outcome indicators identified in Appendix F and defined in Appendix B. Applicants should complete Appendix F by providing raw numerical targets for each year of the project as well as the cumulative number; otherwise, they will not receive full points. If an applicant considers one or more outcome indicators inapplicable to their project, enter zeroes for the yearly and cumulative targets and provide a justification for excluding it. Percentages, percent increases or other types of data projections are not acceptable. In the narrative, applicants should explain their rationale for the targets.

Applicants must describe the target populations, institutions, systems or processes that will be impacted by the project as well as the underlying criteria informing the applicant’s choice of targets. Applicants must describe how target populations, institutions, sectors and/or geographic areas, etc. relate to 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 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.

· Applicants must identify and propose strategies for collaborating with relevant government institutions at the national, provincial, and/or local level and other key stakeholders, such as the private sector, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and other civil society organizations, as appropriate, to promote compliance with international standards related to OSH and countering GBVH in the world of work.

· If in-country consultations are not possible during preparation of the proposal, applicants must note this, and detail measures taken to engage relevant stakeholders virtually.

· Applicants must partner with organizations in the target country to implement project activities to advance the objective of the project. Where they exist, applicants must describe any established partnerships and how they will be leveraged (either formally or informally) during project implementation, including with local organizations that have capacity and experience working on issues related to the objective of the project. Applicants without established in-country partnerships must describe how they will build local partnerships and/or describe any other partnerships that will be leveraged to achieve the project objective.

· Applicants that propose formal implementation partners (i.e., as sub-recipients) must include a brief description of such partners, including a description of the partners’ role in implementing the proposed project strategy and how this approach will strengthen the overall proposal. Applicants must consider sub-recipients that are led by, serving, and/or representing women workers or underserved populations. Applicants are responsible for ensuring sub-recipients have the administrative capabilities to carry out their proposed strategy and activities. This could include working with them to develop a fair and reasonable cost proposal, including indirect costs, as appropriate, and, if needed, the establishment of a reasonable indirect cost rate.

· Applicants must provide documentation demonstrating these partners’ support and commitment to the project. Examples of support could include, but are not limited to, full or part-time staff dedicated to implementing project activities, materials, meeting space, and/or equipment.

3) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Agreement and Capacity Statement (up to 4 points) The applicant's M&E Agreement and Capacity Statement will be evaluated based on how well it addresses OTLA 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 Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP).

M&E requirements include:

· development of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan components to include a logic model, project monitoring plan with indicators, data reporting form, and Learning Agenda;

· development and implementation of the PMP, which includes indicator definitions and collection, reporting, and analysis of data on project-specific and OTLA-standard performance indicators;

· integrating principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility into M&E planning and implementation, including through the use of indicators to measure results in regard to under-served populations;

· development of baseline values and establishing targets for performance indicators;

· implementation of M&E activities which includes the collection, quality assessment, analysis, and reporting of data on project-specific and USDOL- standard performance indicators throughout the period of performance as required by USDOL;

· ensuring adequate M&E staffing capacity with clear roles and responsibilities to support monitoring, evaluation and learning activities throughout the project’s period of performance;

· development and refinement of a Sustainability Strategy, including a Stakeholder Register and Risk Management Plan;

· collaboration with ILAB on required performance evaluations, audits, studies, or other learning activities to pursue specific evidence-building activities that will help advance ILAB’s institutional learning; and

· an end-of-project analysis of PMP indicator data and final outcomes, usually part of the Final Technical Performance Report (TPR).

· Development of a Risk Management Plan after award, per requirements in the MPGs, that is based on the risk register in the technical proposal.

After the award is made, USDOL will work with the recipient to develop the PMP and to identify project-specific indicator definitions, targets, units of measure and data disaggregation. All agreed upon indicators and disaggregation must be reported in the semi-annual progress reports in a spreadsheet format. USDOL will also work with the recipient on plans for data collection, analysis, learning, and usage.

For more information on M&E expectations, please see the most recent Management Procedures and Guidelines (MPG) https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/grants. Please also see OTLA Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan Guide. MEL for Worker Rights Programs: Where do we start? (dol.gov)

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 31 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-24-31, 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 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 14 points) 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 (up to 7 points) The applicant's Partners section will be evaluated based on how well it supports effective implementation of the applicant’s project strategy and the needs outlined in their problem analysis section. Applicants must describe their approach for working with organizations in the target country(ies) to implement project activities to advance the objective of the project. Where they exist, applicants must describe any established partnerships and how they will be leveraged (either formally or informally) during project implementation, including with local organizations that have capacity and experience working on issues related to the objective of the project. Applicants without established in-country partnerships must describe how they will build local partnerships and/or describe any other partnerships that will be leveraged to achieve the project objective.

Applicants that propose formal project implementation partners (i.e., as subrecipients) must include a brief description of such partners, including a description of the partners’ role in implementing the proposed project strategy and how this approach will strengthen the overall proposal. Applicants must provide documentation demonstrating these partners' support and commitment to the project.

4) Personnel (up to 0 points) a.) Key Personnel Key personnel positions are deemed essential to the successful operation of the project and completion of all proposed activities and deliverables. Should the applicant be accepted for award, they must request and be granted approval before hiring candidates for key personnel openings. ILAB, the Federal awarding agency, retains the authority to approve all key personnel changes throughout the life of the award as stated in 2 CFR 200.308(f). Approved key personnel must be available to staff the project no later than 45 calendar days after the date of award should the applicant be selected for award.

Upon selection of the award, the applicant must summarize the candidates’ past experience and qualifications to perform the duties of the position and execute the project strategies proposed by the applicant. ILAB encourages applicants to hire national/local staff for key personnel positions.

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

· Devote at least 90 percent level of effort to the project (0.9 full-time equivalent position).

· Minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience in project…