FY 2022 NOFO RSC AF Asia EUR LA_Final.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION (PRM)

FY 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Resettlement Support Center (RSC)

Africa; RSC Asia; RSC Eurasia; and RSC Latin America

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0008110

Assistance Listings (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, CFDA) number: 19.018 - Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs) for U.S. Refugee

Resettlement

Announcement issuance date: Thursday, May 6, 2021

Announcement type: Cooperative Agreement

Proposal submission deadline: Friday, July 9, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m. (23:59:59)

EDT

We are unable to consider proposals submitted after this deadline.

Anticipated timeframe to award for selected proposals: Pending the availability of funds, PRM anticipates, but makes no guarantee, that awards will be made less than six months from the proposal submission deadline.

ADVISORY: All applicants must submit application packages through the website Grants.gov. PRM strongly recommends submitting your application package early to allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise on the Grants.gov website.

If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO Guidelines

“Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher.

Please note, some of the guidance and templates for refugee admissions programs differ from what is included on PRM’s General NGO Guidelines website. Award https://www.state.gov/funding-opportunities/general-ngo-guidelines/ https://www.state.gov/funding-opportunities/general-ngo-guidelines/ applicants should follow the directions and templates provided in this funding opportunity.

PRM strongly recommends proposals be submitted in Adobe PDF, as Microsoft

Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations when transmitted. Do not include a cover page.

Exceeding page length limits, including through the inclusion of cover pages, will result in disqualification. All documents must be in English.

Full Text of Notice of Funding Opportunity

1. Program Description

A. Purpose of Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs)

The admissions process for refugee applicants seeking resettlement in the

United States is overseen by the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (the Bureau).

The purpose of RSCs is to assist the Bureau in preparing the necessary casework for persons in selected locations eligible for interview by the

Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

Services (USCIS) in support of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program

(USRAP). For those persons approved, the RSC provides assistance in completing the additional requirements for refugee admission under Section

207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). These requirements include, but are not limited to, ensuring the required security checks are requested, completing a medical exam, and attending cultural orientation. In addition, the RSC collects and maintains data to facilitate the services provided to refugees by U.S.-based resettlement agencies.

The Bureau will make one award each for RSC Africa (based in Nairobi, Kenya), RSC Asia (based in Bangkok, Thailand), RSC Eurasia (based in Kyiv, Ukraine), and RSC Latin America (based in San Salvador, El Salvador), for an initial period beginning October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2022, subject to availability of funds. With this award, the Bureau will provide full financial support to the selected organization, based on the proposal submitted in response to this funding opportunity. Each of the four awards will have the possibility of being extended for two additional fiscal years through

September 30, 2024.

B. Refugee Processing Caseload

In order to serve the Administration’s goal to admit up to 125,000 refugees in

FY 2022, while taking into account the current state of USRAP capacity and ongoing operational constraints related to COVID-19, the Bureau intends to award initial funding and allocations at an operational level of 65,000 refugee arrivals. If the Presidential Determination sets a target beyond this initial operational level, the Bureau will work with successful applicants to adjust allocation numbers and proposal documents. Arrival trends will be reviewed mid-year to adjust budgets upwards, as needed.

Each RSC applicant should prepare proposal documents based on the allocations below. For proposal documents that reference years two and three of the program in FY 2023 and FY 2024, organizations should plan based on maximum actual departures for those fiscal years and the resources needed to achieve this level of departures.

• RSC Africa: 22,000 refugee departures from sub-Saharan Africa.

• RSC Asia: 6,000 departures from Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other countries in Asia.

• RSC Eurasia: 4,000 refugee departures from the former Soviet Union

(FSU), including Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine.

• RSC Latin America: Approximately 5,000 departures from Ecuador, El

Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and other countries in the region, as necessary.

C. Standardized Program Objectives and Indicators

In an effort to strengthen the quality and integrity of the USRAP, the Bureau has established the following standardized objectives and indicators, which will be monitored throughout the fiscal year, for each organization selected for funding. In addition to the standardized indicators below, applicants are required to propose at least one additional outcome-based indicator for each of these four objectives. Of the additional indicators proposed, one indicator per year must be related to a) cultural orientation, b) scheduling and coordinating medicals, and c) coordinating departures with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Applicants may include additional objectives and indicators if they choose. In addition, PRM reserves the right to add or change indicators in consultation with applicants during final negotiations prior to award of the cooperative agreement. See Attachment B included in this funding opportunity on Grants.gov for the objectives and indicators table that should be included as part of the application submission.

• Objective 1: RSC completes processing for refugee applicants in accordance with USRAP guidelines and the cooperative agreement.

o Percent of target number of refugee applicants pre-screened.

o Percent of circuit rides with an average score of 4 or 5 on the DHS

Mission Support Feedback Form.

o For RSCs using the START application: RSC passes random quality control checks performed by PRM/Refugee Processing Center (RPC) staff on RSC cases to verify the RSC is following USRAP START

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guidance and has not deviated from this guidance without formally documented approval from PRM.

• Objective 2: RSC maintains program integrity and protects against fraud and malfeasance, in accordance with the PRM Integrity and Compliance module.

o Percentage extent to which RSCs are deemed compliant with PRM’s

Integrity & Compliance module based on PRM’s review of RSC annual compliance reports.

o Percent of staff and refugee applicants aware of fraud reporting channels.

• Objective 3: RSC management provides oversight and support to maintain a trained and knowledgeable workforce.

o Percent of RSC staff receiving on-boarding training and specialized training, as needed, to achieve USRAP objectives.

o Percent of staff able to demonstrate knowledge required to fulfill their job.

• Objective 4: RSC maintains professional and respectful services, environment, and communications with refugee applicants.

o Percent of refugee applicant inquiries responded to within two weeks.

o Percent of refugee applicants reporting satisfaction with quality of interactions with RSC.

D. Program Requirements

The Bureau has established the following requirements for each organization managing RSC Africa, RSC Asia, RSC Eurasia, and RSC Latin America:

• Beginning on October 1, 2021, provide regional refugee processing services for all USRAP applicants regardless of nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political opinion, race or ethnicity in:

o Sub-Saharan Africa, with the primary RSC office to be located in

Nairobi, Kenya, with sub-offices in Kasulu, Tanzania, and Pretoria, South Africa. The Pretoria office will support all southern Africa operations from referral to departure, while the Kasulu office will aid the Nairobi office with all operations in Kigoma, Tanzania.

o Asia, with the primary RSC office to be located in Bangkok, Thailand, with a sub-office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

o Europe and Central Asia, except Austria, with the RSC office to be located in Kyiv, Ukraine.

o Latin America, with the primary RSC office to be located in San

Salvador, El Salvador with sub-offices in Quito, Ecuador and

Guatemala City, Guatemala.

• Collaborate equitably with all domestic resettlement agencies, including sharing relevant biographic and other background information with domestic resettlement agencies working in the Reception and Placement

Program, as appropriate and in accordance with PRM confidentiality guidelines and procedures, to facilitate their provision of required sponsorship assurances.

• Provide refugee processing services in support of the USRAP using the

Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) and successor system, START, and in accordance with procedures established by the Bureau, as needs arise.

• Ensure that each potential refugee applicant is screened to determine eligibility for interview by USCIS under the processing priorities established for the refugee applicant’s nationality.

• Conduct pre-screening interviews and casework in the countries listed above to capture all relevant information pertaining to the case, e.g., biographical data, special medical needs, information about victims of torture, etc. Ensure that all necessary security checks are requested and remain in a valid status for travel in accordance with the USRAP Manual and RPC SOPs. Prepare the case file, including completion of all forms necessary for presentation of the case to USCIS for adjudication.

• Enter all required information into WRAPS/START in a timely manner in adherence with the USRAP Manual and RPC SOPs.

• Remain in close contact with the RPC, cooperating fully and at all times, to ensure that collected refugee information, WRAPS/START interface, and related equipment remains secure, functional, up to date, and in compliance with Department and Bureau guidance where appropriate.

• For applicants approved by USCIS, assist the refugees in completing all post-adjudication steps required for admission to the United States. This includes coordinating with the RPC to obtain sponsorship assurances from resettlement agencies working under cooperative agreements with the

Bureau, preparing travel packets, coordinating medical screening, conducting cultural orientation training, and working with IOM in regards to travel arrangements.

• Correspond with applicants and partners on relevant case statuses and to obtain, as necessary, information relevant to the applicant’s qualifications for admission, in accordance with PRM confidentiality guidelines and procedures, including PRM’s Integrity and Compliance module.

• Provide cultural orientation to approved refugees in accordance with guidelines developed by the Bureau and by using materials and resources developed by the current cultural orientation technical assistance provider

(see https://coresourceexchange.org/).

• Develop a formal curriculum, in consultation with the Bureau, for cultural orientation training for refugees that will prepare them for travel and initial adjustment to life in the United States. Develop a training and management plan for RSC staff who will conduct cultural orientation training. Conduct cultural orientation in such a way as to achieve performance outcomes as delineated by the Bureau.

• The cultural orientation training will cover, at a minimum, the following subjects:

o Travel https://coresourceexchange.org/ o Role of the Resettlement Agency o Housing o Health o Cultural Adjustment o Rights and Responsibilities o Employment o Education

2. Federal Award Information

A. Proposed program start dates: October 1, 2021

B. Duration of Activity: An initial period beginning October 1, 2021 through

September 30, 2022, subject to the availability of funds. Continued funding after the initial 12-month period of performance requires the submission of a noncompeting updated single year proposal and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. This agreement may be renewable for up to two additional fiscal years. At the end of three years, if the need to operate the RSC continues, the Bureau will re-compete the project, and the recipient of this award may participate in that process. In funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years.

C. Period of Performance: An initial 12-month period of performance with the possibility of two, one-year extensions for a total program duration of 36 months.

D. Funding Limits: The Bureau anticipates up to four awards with award amounts that will vary depending on the RSC location and anticipated number of refugee departures. Funding amounts for individual awards in previous years have varied, depending on the location. There is no funding floor or ceiling for this award. However, total award amounts will be contingent on funding availabilities.

E. Anticipated Number of Awards: As specified above, there will be a total of four awards with one award each for RSC Africa, RSC Asia, RSC Eurasia, and RSC Latin America.

F. Anticipated Amount to be Awarded Total: Total amounts awarded will be based on a thorough review of each RSC proposal received, anticipated refugee departures for each region, and amount of funding available in FY

2022.

3. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the

IRS, other than institutions of higher education (U.S.-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status); (2) Nonprofits without

501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

(overseas-based NGOs must be able to demonstrate proof of registration in country of domicile); and (3) International organizations. International multilateral organizations, such as United Nations agencies, should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this funding opportunity.

Multilateral organizations that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the PRM Program Officer (as listed in

Section 8) on or before the closing date of the funding opportunity.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding opportunity.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements: Organizations must also be authorized to operate, or eligible for authorization, by the host governments to be considered for an award. This should be understood, when required by each government’s law, to include registration with or receipt of project approval from any relevant country ministry, agency, or other official organization with jurisdiction over any activity to be conducted by the RSC. The RSC must also have authorization to operate in all countries where refugee processing activities will occur.

• Africa: Be authorized, or eligible for authorization, by the Governments of

Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa to operate the primary RSC office and sub-offices.

• Asia: Be authorized, or eligible for authorization, by the Governments of

Thailand and Malaysia to operate the primary RSC office and sub-offices.

• Eurasia: Be authorized, or eligible for authorization, by the Government of Ukraine to operate the RSC office.

• Latin America: Be authorized, or eligible for authorization, by the

Governments of El Salvador, Ecuador, and Guatemala to operate the primary RSC office and sub-offices.

4. Other Requirements

A. Proposals must have a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound, and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome indicator per objective. Objectives and indicators should originate from Section 1.C above and be detailed in the attached objectives and indicators table (Attachment B). Applicants may include additional objectives and indicators if they choose.

B. RSC applicants must have evidence of effective coordination with U.S.

government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations involved with the USRAP and possess management capacity at the agency’s headquarters sufficient to oversee the operation of the RSC.

C. In addition, WRAPS/START is deployed in all refugee processing sites.

The use of WRAPS/START is mandatory, and the RSC must therefore establish itself as WRAPS/START-ready. Equipment that will be procured by the RSC and related costs must be included in the proposal. See Appendix 3 for a list of hardware and software items that are currently needed to access and/or operate WRAPS/START, including the equipment to operate the circuit ride functionality.

D. PRM strongly encourages programs that target the needs of vulnerable and underserved groups among the beneficiary population (such groups may include: women; children; adolescents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals; older persons; persons with certain medical needs; persons with disabilities; and other members of underserved and/or underrepresented communities) and can demonstrate what steps have been taken to meet the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of these groups effectively.

5. Application and Submission Instructions

A. Address to Request Application Package: Application packages may be downloaded from the website www.Grants.gov.

B. Content and Form of Application: Each organization requesting consideration for an award from the Bureau must submit all information as requested below. Applicants should report all data in terms of the federal fiscal year (i.e., October 1 through September 30). All required proposal templates and instructions are attached to this funding announcement, unless otherwise specified.

http://www.grants.gov/

C. Multi-year program proposal page limits: Proposals must not exceed 25 pages in length (Times New Roman, 12-point font, one-inch margins on all sides). Please note, the PRM NGO Guidelines specify that multi-year proposals must not exceed 20 pages in length. However, in order to include the new capacity development plan section in the proposal narrative, applicants may have proposals up to 25 pages. The requested attachments do not count toward the page limit total; however, annexes cannot be relied upon as a key source of project information. The proposal narrative must be able to stand on its own in the application process. Proposals exceeding the page limit will not be considered.

• PRM recommends proposals be submitted in Adobe PDF, as Microsoft

Word documents may sometimes produce different page lengths based on software versions and configurations.

• Exceeding page length limits, including through the inclusion of cover pages, will result in disqualification.

• All proposals, and required documents, must be in English.

D. Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in 12 month increments based on the proposal submitted in the initial application as approved by PRM. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting single-year proposal and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Follow-on applications are submitted annually for years two through three via non-competed directed announcements for the continuation of funding. It is strongly recommended that applicants submit as early as possible after the directed announcement has been issued for continuation of funding. Late submissions will jeopardize continued funding.

E. To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package encompassing the documents below. Please note, information provided for FY 2023 and FY 2024 in the proposal narrative and budget documents will be used for planning purposes, but organizations will still be required to submit updated proposal documents before each fiscal year begins.

• A proposal narrative with the information included in Appendix 1 that details the first year of the program (October 1, 2021-September 30, 2022).

This narrative includes an additional section from previous RSC funding opportunities where applicants will have to detail capacity development plans to reach higher anticipated refugee arrivals throughout the three years that the organization operates the RSC.

• Budget summary, budget detail, and budget narrative. Appendix 2 provides more guidance and information on the template for the budget proposal documents. Attachment A, included in this funding opportunity on

Grants.gov, provides the template for the budget summary and detail and should be prepared in Excel format. The budget summary and budget detail also include columns for planned budgets in FY 2023 and FY 2024. In the budget narrative, organizations should also provide a brief summary of the anticipated additional resources needed to reach maximum departures in FY

2023 and FY 2024.

• Completed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms. PRM requires that Box

21 of the SF-424 be checked. Form SF-424B is now required only for those applicants who have not registered in SAM.gov or recertified their registration in SAM.gov since February 2, 2019 and completed the online representations and certifications. The SF-424 family forms are available for download on Grants.gov.

• Risk analysis (separate from proposal narrative and from the security plan).

The template for this document is attached to this funding opportunity on

Grants.gov as Attachment C.

• Organizational chart for award applicant.

• Key personnel for award applicant.

o Applicants must furnish names, titles, and brief biographical information on the education and experience of key personnel in implementing the program and key supervisory personnel; (i.e., the members of the professional staff in a program supervisory position engaged for or assigned to duties under the award). Resumes of key personnel must be provided in an annex (or provided for approval prior to hiring).

• Copy of the organization’s Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

(PSEA) Code of Conduct, and that there is a country or regional implementation plan specific to the country or region of the application.

• Copy of the organization’s security plan.

• Copy of the organization’s Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) framework.

• Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable, or a de minimis rate calculation of Modified Total Direct Costs

(MTDC) if the applicant is eligible and elects to use the de minimis rate.

• Most recent external audit report is required prior to issuance of an award, if proposal is chosen for implementation.

• Applicants should submit a table (see Attachment B included as part of this funding opportunity on Grants.gov) detailing objectives and indicators for the project in FY 2022. At a minimum, tables should include the program objectives and indicators in Section 1.C above.

• Proof of Eligibility per Sections 3.A and 3.C.

E. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)

Number and System for Award Management (SAM)

• Each applicant is required to:

o be registered in SAM at (www.sam.gov) before submitting its application;

o provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and o continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active PRM award or an application or plan under consideration by PRM.

• No federal award may be made to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the PRM award is ready to be made, PRM may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a PRM award and use that determination as a basis for making a PRM award to another applicant.

F. Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov.

Grants.gov registration requires a DUNS number and active SAM.gov registration. If you are new to PRM funding, the Grants.gov registration process can be complicated. We urge you to refer to PRM’s General NGO

Guidelines “Application Process” section for information and resources to help ensure that the application process runs smoothly. PRM also strongly encourages organizations that have received funding from PRM in the past to read this section as a refresher. Applicants may also refer to the “For

Applicants” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements.

http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.state.gov/j/prm/funding/c78352.htm https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html

• Do not wait until the deadline to attempt to submit your application on

Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take several weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to receive required registration numbers). We also recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM has extremely limited ability to correct or facilitate rapid resolution to technical difficulties associated with Grants.gov, SAM.gov or DUNS number issues. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current and correct information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency.

• When registering with Grants.gov, organizations must designate points of contact and Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs).

Organizations based outside the United States must also request and receive an NCAGE code prior to registering with SAM.gov. Applicants experiencing technical difficulties with the SAM.gov registration process should contact the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online or at 1-

866-606-8220 (U.S.) and 1-334-206-7828 (International).

• Applications must be submitted under the authority of the AOR at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

• If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the

Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-

4726.

• Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to

Grants.gov technical difficulties and;

o who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk;

o received a case number;

o have completed DUNS and SAM.gov registrations o and had a documented service request opened to research the problem;

http://www.grants.gov/ https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp/?id=gsa_landing mailto:support@grants.gov may contact the relevant PRM Program Officer before the submission deadline to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.

G. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure the appropriate registrations are in place and active. Failure to have the appropriate organizational registrations in place or are experiencing issues resulting from discrepancies across registration platforms is not considered a technical difficulty and is not justification for an alternate means of submission.

H. In accordance with 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §200.113, Mandatory disclosures, the non-Federal entity or applicant for a Federal award must disclose, in a timely manner, in writing to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award. Non-

Federal entities that have received a Federal award including the term and condition outlined in Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient

Integrity and Performance Matters are required to report certain civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings to SAM. Failure to make required disclosures can result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR §200.338 Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment. (See also 2 CFR part 180, 31 U.S.C. 3321, and 41 U.S.C. 2313.)

I. Submission Dates and Times

• Announcement issuance date: Thursday, May 6, 2021

• Proposal submission deadline: Friday, July 9, 2021 at 11:59:59 p.m.

(23:59:59) EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

J. Intergovernmental Review: Not Applicable.

K. Funding Restrictions: Federal awards will not allow reimbursement of

Federal award costs without prior authorization by PRM.

L. Branding and Marking Strategy

• The following provisions will be included whenever assistance is awarded:

• The Recipient shall recognize the United States Government’s funding for activities specified under this award at the project site with a graphic of the

U.S. flag accompanied by one of the following two phrases based on the level of funding for the award:

o Fully funded by the award: “Gift of the United States Government” o Partially funded by the award: “Funding provided by the United States

Government”

• PRM highly encourages recognition of U.S. Government funding on social media and website platforms to be included in proposals branding and marking strategy. Recipients should tag PRM’s Twitter account

@StatePRM and/or Facebook account @State.PRM (rather than using hashtags). Additionally, the applicable U.S. Embassy should be tagged as well.

• Updates of actions taken to fulfill this requirement must be included in quarterly program reports to PRM.

• All programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications to foreign audiences, partially or fully funded by the Department, must be marked appropriately overseas with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. The requirement does not apply to the Recipient’s own corporate communications or in the United States.

• The Recipient must appropriately ensure that all publicity and promotional materials underscore the sponsorship by or partnership with the U.S.

Government or the U.S. Embassy. The Recipient may continue to use existing logos or project materials; however, a standard rectangular U.S. flag must be used in conjunction with such logos.

• Do not use the Department of State seal without the express written approval from PRM.

• Sub non-Federal entities (sub-awardees) and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the non-Federal entity shall include a provision in the sub non-Federal entity agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement.

• Exemptions from this requirement may be allowable but must be agreed to in writing by the Grants Officer. (Note: An exemption refers to the complete or partial cessation of branding, not use of alternative branding).

Requests should be initiated with the Grants Officer and Grants Officer

Representative. Waivers issued are applied only to the exemptions requested through the Recipient’s proposal for funding and any subsequent negotiated revisions.

• In the event the non-Federal entity does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants

Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action with the non-Federal entity.

6. Application Review Information

A. Criteria: Eligible submissions will be those that comply with the criteria and requirements included in this funding opportunity. In addition, the review panel will evaluate the applications on the below criteria. An example of this scorecard is included in Appendix 4.

• Organizational Structure and Management Capacity (20 points)

• Processing Expertise and Plan to Achieve Objectives (20 points)

• Cultural Orientation (5 points)

• Coordination with Stakeholders (5 points)

• Training, Monitoring, and Oversight (20 points)

• Risk Management (5 points)

• Accountability to Affected Populations (5 points)

• Gender Analysis (5 points)

• Budget (15 points)

PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel of at least three people will evaluate submissions and determine whether and to what extent the applicant's plan for refugee processing meets the RSC objectives outlined in this funding opportunity, the overall refugee processing experience of the proposing organization, and the proposal’s cost effectiveness for providing comprehensive service provision to applicants of all groups and in the context of available funding.

U.S. Department of State review panels may provide conditions and recommendations on applications to enhance the proposed program, which must be addressed by the applicant before further consideration of the award.

To ensure effective use of limited PRM funds, conditions or recommendations may include requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and program activities.

7. Federal Award Administration Information

A. Federal Award Administration. A successful applicant can expect to receive a separate notice from PRM stating that an application has been selected before PRM actually makes the federal award. That notice is not an authorization to begin performance. Only the notice of award signed by the

Grants Officer is the authorizing document. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified following completion of the selection and award process.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. PRM awards are made consistent with the following provisions in the following order of precedence: (a) applicable laws and statutes of the United States, including any specific legislative provisions mandated in the statutory authority for the award;

(b) the CFR; (c) U.S. Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions of the award; (d) the award’s specific requirements; and (e) other documents and attachments to the award.

C. Reporting: All reporting requirements will be further detailed in the cooperative agreement between the Bureau and awardee. Successful applicants will be required to submit:

• Program Reports: PRM requires program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. A program report is required within thirty (30) days following the end of each three-month period of performance during the validity period of the agreement. The final program report is due ninety (90) days following the end of the agreement. The submission dates for program reports will be written into the cooperative agreement. Partners receiving multi-year awards should follow this same reporting schedule and should still submit a final program report at the end of each year that summarizes the organization’s performance during the previous year. New to program reporting requirements for FY 2022 – RSCs should also include an attachment to quarterly program reports with the following information on

RSC staffing. This attachment must provide statistics (in an Excel spreadsheet format) on average output of staff with duties in the

WRAPS/START application conducting core processing activities including prescreening, preparation of USCIS interview, creation of travel packets, etc.

(e.g., number of prescreening interviews conducted by X number of staff, resulting in an average of Y interviews conducted by each staff assigned to this duty on a daily basis; number of travel packets prepared by X number of staff, resulting in an average of Y travel packets prepared by each staff assigned to this duty on a daily basis; etc.). RSCs should add metrics on additional processing activities as relevant and available. Each submission of the statistics Excel spreadsheet should build on the previous submission to provide cumulative statistics. RSC System Solution Champions (SSCs) should work together on a shared format following receipt and acceptance of the cooperative agreement. The RPC Change Management and

Communication Team will approve the proposed format. The first such submission of this RPC staffing attachment will be in the quarter two program report and subsequent quarterly program reports.

• Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October 30th). The final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement. For agreements containing indirect costs, final financial reports are due within sixty (60) days of the finalization of the applicable NICRA.

• Reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and U.S. offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal Financial Report (FFR

SF-425) and submitted electronically in the Department of Health and

Human Services’ Payment Management System (HHS/PMS) and in accordance with other award specific requirements. Detailed information pertaining to the FFR including due dates, instruction manuals and access forms, is provided on the HHS/PMS website.

• Audit Reports: When a recipient-contracted audit is not required because the Federal award amount is less than the $750,000 threshold, the

Department may determine that an audit must be performed and the audit report must be submitted to the responsible Grants Office(r) for review, dissemination, and resolution as appropriate. The cost of audits required under this policy may be charged either as an allowable direct cost to the award, or included in the organizations established indirect costs in the award’s detailed budget.

• Integrity and Compliance Reports: All applicants selected for funding to manage an RSC will be required to also submit an annual Integrity and

Compliance report.

https://pms.psc.gov/

8. PRM Contacts and Other Documentation

A. Applicants with technical questions related to this announcement should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. Please note that responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.

• RSC Africa PRM Program Officer: Sumi Siram, SiramS@state.gov

• RSC Asia Program Officer: Margaret Burkhardt, BurkhardtMA@state.gov

• RSC Eurasia Program Officer: Robert Stevens, StevensRM@state.gov

• RSC Latin America Program Officer: Nick Stokes, StokesFN@state.gov

B. This funding opportunity also includes appendices with more information on content that should be included in the proposal documents. The following appendices are included in the text of this funding opportunity, and all attachments are available on Grants.gov.

• Appendices:

o Appendix 1 – Proposal Narrative Guidance o Appendix 2 – Budget Documents Guidance o Appendix 3 – WRAPS/START Equipment & Software Requirements o Appendix 4 – RSC Scorecard Template

• Attachments:

o Attachment A – Budget Detail and Summary Template (Excel) o Attachment B – FY 2022 RSC Objectives and Indicators Table

Template (Word) o Attachment C – Risk Analysis Template (Word)

Disclaimer: External websites linked above may not be supported or accessible by all web browsers. If you are unable to link to a referenced website, please try using a different browser or update to a more recent one. If you continue to experience difficulties to reach external resources, please contact PRM's NGO

Coordinator.

mailto:SiramS@state.gov mailto:BurkhardtMA@state.gov mailto:StevensRM@state.gov mailto:StokesFN@state.gov https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov mailto:PRMNGOCoordinator@state.gov

Appendix 1: Proposal Narrative Guidance

The following format should be used when drafting the proposal narrative. The proposal narrative should be titled and numbered to correspond with the information below. If any individual section of information is not applicable, that fact should be stated. Page numbers should be sequential for the entirety of the proposal narrative and should not restart with each section of required information.

This proposal narrative should mostly focus on the first year of the program

(October 1, 2021-September 30, 2022) with organizations using Section 9

(capacity development plan) below to address how the RSC will reach a maximum proposed level of departures in FY 2023 and FY 2024.

1. Organizational Structure & Management

• How the applicant will meet the expectations outlined in Section 1.A

(Purpose of the RSC) above, including: (a) the ability to provide regional refugee processing services for all USRAP applicants regardless of nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political opinion, race or ethnicity; (b) the ability to collaborate equitably with all domestic resettlement agencies; (c) ensure that activities undertaken by the RSC effectively consider the specific and unique protection and assistance needs of potentially vulnerable and underserved groups; and (d) system security posture and ability to protect refugee data.

• Its organizational structure, including the number of headquarters staff (to be described in terms of “Full Time Equivalent” or FTE positions) that will be assigned to oversee RSC Africa, RSC Asia, RSC Eurasia, or RSC Latin

America. Describe how the organizational structure demonstrates both cost effectiveness and strong management and program delivery.

• The number of local and international staff to be assigned to the RSC and staffing patterns. If applicable, explain proposed changes per position from

FY 2021 to FY 2022. Justify the number and need for the proposed FTEs to process and depart the proposed number of refugees (include workflow calculations for how to staff each required RSC function based on projected caseloads, i.e., projected caseload for each caseworker, for each cultural orientation trainer, number of staff per supervisor, etc.).

• Local and headquarters management and oversight policies.

• Outline how the applicant will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of U.S.

Government funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement.

2. Processing

• How the organization will establish an operation to handle the processing of the caseload described in Section 1.B above as well as meet program objectives as outlined in Section 1.C and program requirements in Section

1.D. This includes adherence to USRAP SOPs and the demonstrated ability to adapt quickly to changing requirements at every stage of processing.

• The RSC’s communication strategy for disseminating information to refugees, while adhering to privacy and confidentiality guidelines. How the applicant will respond to PRM inquiries about specific cases.

• If applicable, a detailed plan outlining how the organization will assume responsibility for the RSC, including logistics, staffing, and timeframe for transition.

3. Cultural Orientation

• How the applicant will develop and implement a formal curriculum for cultural orientation training for refugees that will prepare them for travel and initial adjustment to life in the United States and meet program requirements as outlined in Section 1.D.

• How the RSC is incorporating the Bureau’s cultural orientation guidelines and other materials developed by the current cultural orientation technical assistance provider.

4. Coordination with Stakeholders

• How the applicant will collaborate and coordinate on USRAP operational matters with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), IOM and other organizations involved in referring applicants to USRAP and resettling them in the United States.

5. Training, Monitoring & Oversight

• How the applicant will develop and implement an annual and new staff training and management plan for all RSC staff, including how the proposed plan will strengthen service delivery.

• How the applicant will ensure compliance with USRAP Integrity and

Compliance Module guidelines training requirements.

• How the applicant proposes internal monitoring of its processing and cultural orientation activities described in Section 1.D.

• How the applicant will establish and document procedures for fraud mitigation and response and how the applicant will ensure compliance with the USRAP Integrity and Compliance module.

• How the organization will provide timely and accurate reports on processing and orientation activities.

• The organization should identify the Bureau’s point of contact at the headquarters office and at the RSC for training, monitoring, and oversight activities.

6. Risk Management

• Summarize the risk analysis in the risk management section of the project narrative (provide more than a reference to the risk analysis attachment).

The risk analysis should be specific to operations at the RSC in question and should address any potential programmatic or administrative risks, including that of fraud or corruption. The analysis should also assess the level of risk that the proposed program may inadvertently benefit terrorists or their supporters specific to the proposed project.

• Applicants are urged to submit the risk analysis in the format of the template provided in Attachment C.

7. AAP Framework

• PRM requires applicants to include in their proposal an organizational AAP framework prior to an award being issued.

• The framework should be three to five pages in length, discuss collection and analysis techniques, and explain how beneficiary feedback will be used to change programming decisions where appropriate. We encourage partners to align their AAP frameworks with Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidance on AAP.

• This section of the proposal narrative should describe the organization’s procedures for collecting, analyzing, and responding to beneficiary feedback throughout the refugee processing process.

8. Gender Analysis

• PRM partners must complete a gender analysis in the proposal narrative that briefly explains (1) experiences of men, women, boys, and girls with a focus on the different familial roles, community privileges, and gender dynamics within the target population; (2) associated risks and threats experienced by women, girls, and other vulnerable populations based on their gender; (3) power imbalances and needs that arise based on gender inequalities that exist within the family or community; and (4) proposed responses that will address the above and mitigate any gender differences in access, participation, or decision-making that may be experienced by at-risk groups, particularly women and girls.

9. Capacity Development Plan

• Please provide a macro-level description of how you plan to reach higher departure numbers in FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024, if not already addressed in the proposal narrative. Some of the topics you should address include a broad overview of the increased resources (staffing, infrastructure, etc.) you will need to achieve your departure number, as specified in this funding opportunity. Organizations can also address number of referrals, USCIS interviews/circuit rides, medicals, etc. needed to reach the allocations provided in Section 1.B and the proposed number of departures for FY 2023 and FY 2024. As feasible, justify the likely/intended impact of increased resources on departure numbers based on data and past experience. Please also address any limitations that may prevent you from reaching these level of departures. Within this section, organizations should propose a number of departures for FY 2023 and FY 2024, based on capacity and expected RSC growth. The RSC will not be held to these numbers, but it will allow for better outyear planning.

Appendix 2: Budget Documents Guidance

The following provides guidance for the preparation of a proposal’s budget summary, detail, and narrative.

1. Please include the following items in the FY 2022 budget. These in-person workshops will be dependent on the current COVID-19 pandemic posture:

• One System Solution Champion in-person meeting for one participant for five days in the Middle East (location subject to change)

• One Reporting Working Group Meeting for two participants for five days in

Rosslyn, Virginia

• One RSC Director’s Workshop for two participants for four days in Rosslyn, Virginia

• Two Cultural Orientation Workshops o Leadership Meeting in Q4 for one participant for four days in Silver

Spring, Maryland o Provider’s Workshop in Q3 for one participant for five days in Silver

Spring, Maryland

• The security and compliance framework in use for the RSC must continue to be followed. The RSC must align to the National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST) security compliance framework by March FY 2022.

RSCs should be ready to receive a security assessment by PRM-funded…