INL.NOFO - FINAL FY21 - INL Review 01212022.pdf

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.U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Award Applications

Funding Opportunity Title:

Technical Assistance for Interinstitutional Response to Gender

Based Violence in Costa Rica

Funding Opportunity Number: INL22CA0016-WHPCOSRIC-TECHASSTGBV-122021

Program: Central America Regional Security Initiative

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Number:

19.704 - Counternarcotics

Total Funding Available: $600,000 U.S. Dollars

Application Ceiling: Up to $600,000 U.S. Dollars

Application Floor: At least $450,000 U.S. Dollars

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1 award

Initial Project Implementation Length: 36 months

Estimated Project Start: April 1, 2022

NOFO Issuance Date: December 20, 2021

Deadline for Submission of Questions: January 20, 2022 by 11:59 PM EST via email

Deadline for Submission of Applications:

February 22, 2022 by 11:59 PM EST via www.grants.gov

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Applicant Types and

Eligibility Categories:

Organizations only.

PLEASE NOTE: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and

Private For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement. – If you are unsure about your eligibility status, please consult the INL POCs during the Q&A period.

Refer to Section C: Eligibility Information for more information.

INL Points of Contact:

PriceCH@state.gov RaifordDM@state.gov StallworthSL@state.gov

RoviraM@state.gov http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:PriceCH@state.gov mailto:RaifordDM@state.gov mailto:RoviraM@state.gov

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs (INL) is to keep Americans safe by countering crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad.

The U.S. Government clearly identified transnational crime as a threat to public safety and national security, and committed through the National Security Strategy to pursue transnational threats to their source. The Administration’s strategic approach recognizes that international security depends on the cooperation of strong, sovereign nations that respect the rights of their citizens while advancing safety and security. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is at the forefront of responding to these challenges, uniting these overarching themes through our foreign assistance programs and diplomatic engagement.

Drug trafficking and associated violence—including violence that drives irregular migration to the

United States—are not the only threats to our homeland against which we must remain vigilant.

Financial crime, cybercrime, and intellectual property theft cost the U.S. economy – including U.S.

businesses and individual citizens – billions of dollars each year. Human smugglers and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that traffic in people, weapons, wildlife, and other contraband imperil the safety of the American people. We also see TCOs operating with hostile foreign powers. Our strategic competitors and rogue states skillfully operate below the threshold of military conflict, challenging U.S. interests and leadership through new methods of influence and coercion.

INL strengthens the criminal justice sector capacities of our partners and allies to manage transnational threats more effectively before they reach U.S. borders or impact U.S. interests. Our work promotes U.S. leadership by advancing a rules- and norms-based international order grounded in the rule of law. We lead U.S. government efforts to develop new, and implement existing, international standards on drug supply and drug demand reduction and against corruption and organized crime. We draw from the widest range of U.S. expertise in our implementation of criminal justice capacity-building programs, and through our promotion of international cooperation, common standards, and interoperability, our work contributes to effective investigations of crimes. We work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies to develop and deliver both foundational skills and advanced skills ranging from basic police training to complex cybercrime and money laundering investigative techniques. This work enhances critical relationships between U.S. law enforcement entities and their foreign counterparts. We deliver security through justice.

INL’s foreign assistance programs and diplomatic engagement are critical tools in advancing U.S.

policy objectives. One of our greatest strengths is our flexibility to confront emerging challenges, but we can be most effective if we are strategic in how and where we engage to build partner nation capacity. Accordingly, this strategy sets up a framework for understanding how INL prioritizes foreign assistance and diplomatic engagement, which identifies three strategic goals to guide INL’s efforts:

1. Disrupt or deter significant illicit drug trafficking and other transnational criminal activity that threatens U.S. national security, public safety, or drives irregular migration to the

United States.

2. Reduce instability in strategically vital regions and strengthen the resilience of partners facing malign influence.

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3. Drive global action through international engagement that promotes interoperable criminal justice systems and common standards to combat shared criminal threats.

The Bureau’s priority programs support three inter-related objectives:

1. BUILDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS: Institutionalize rule of law by developing and expanding criminal justice systems to strengthen partner country law enforcement and judicial effectiveness, foster cooperation in legal affairs, and advance respect for human rights;

2. COUNTER-NARCOTICS: Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit drugs through targeted counter-narcotics and institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign nations and international organizations, and;

3. TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal networks on the United States and its allies through enhanced international cooperation and foreign assistance.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

F. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APPENDIX A: PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

APPENDIX B: PROJECT MONITORING PLAN AND PROJECT RISK ANALYSIS

APPENDIX C: BUDGET AND BUDGET NARRATIVE

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A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of

State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to: assist MIDEPLAN (Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy), the GOCR agency coordinating the implementation of GBV prevention tools. The key objective is to ensure effective implementation and adaptation of Hacete Escuchar into various GOCR agency GBV program delivery mechanisms.

BACKGROUND

According to UN Women, women and girls face numerous barriers to receiving justice in many countries. Victims of violence are aware that they won’t be believed and that they could be ostracized or treated with disdain. They are concerned for their safety and the safety of their families, cognizant that dangerous consequences may ensue if they approach the justice system.

They may not have the capacity, opportunity, or the funds to travel to a court or relevant government office, be able to read information about the justice system, may not understand the language used by the justice system, or not have money for childcare or for court costs and filing fees. Many victims lack faith in the justice system, and with good reason: most cases of violence are not effectively prosecuted and sanctioned by the state and victims are often re-victimized by the justice system. Re-victimization occurs when women and girls are afraid or unable to access the justice system, when they are not treated with respect and concern by the justice system, when the justice system does not give them the assistance and support needed to rebuild their lives, and when the perpetrator goes unpunished. Many of these barriers are embedded in the infrastructure, policies, and practices of the formal justice system.

This project seeks to provide Technical Assistance to INL Costa Rica’s partners in their efforts to develop and advance policies and mechanisms aimed to protect and enhance services for vulnerable populations to counter gender-based violence developed under the “Hacete Escuchar” (Be

Heard) Program, which was inaugurated in 2017. GOCR has adopted the INL funded “Hacete Escuchar: por una juventud libre de violencia” (for a youth free of violence) as its signature program to prevent, protect and advance access to justice efforts for Gender

Based Violence victims. The program reports directly to the Executive Branch’s Puente a la Prevención initiative (bridge to prevention) led by the Vice Ministry of Justice and Peace, Children’s Welfare Agency (Patronato Nacional de la Infancia) and Social

Welfare Institute (Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social).

For the past five years, INL Costa Rica has established a strong area of work with strategic partners to develop and implement programs that create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement and service. After four years of INL Gender and Security work, the

GOCR has expressed interest in continuing to strengthen the capacity of the different GOCR agencies working in GBV prevention, protection and access to justice. The support under this

NOFO should include technical assistance that will help GOCR agencies integrate the Hacete Escuchar tools into existing agency programs related to GBV prevention, protection and access to justice in their communities.

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1. Priority Region/Countries

Costa Rica

2. Project Goals

INL Costa Rica seeks to:

a) build the capacity of specific GOCR agencies in charge of providing services to gender-based violence victims to implement the tools and methodologies developed through the successful Hacete Escuchar (Be Heard) program, and;

b) increase the specific GOCR agencies' collaboration with community-based GBV programs to enhance services for vulnerable populations

3. Program Objectives

The following objectives are expected to be achieved through the activities listed under each objective.

Objective 1: GOCR agencies serving adults and youth GBV survivors increase institutional capacity for providing services.

In order to successfully increase their capacity for providing services to adult and youth GBV survivors, vulnerable youth, and marginalized communities, GOCR agencies must improve their internal mechanisms for delivering services. The first step to understanding how to increase their capacity must begin with an understanding of existing services delivery mechanisms, and where they can be strengthened, and then building mechanisms to address those gaps and opportunities.

Activity 1: Conduct a needs assessment of the GOCR agencies listed in Project Goals.

The needs assessment should focus on types of existing GBV services that each agency currently provides, service delivery outcomes, staff training and staffing levels, and partnerships or collaborations with civil society organizations and municipal government agencies. The assessment should identify needs, gaps, successes, and inefficiencies, and provide a report with best practices and recommendations for building strategic plans that will include mechanisms to improve each agency's GBV services delivery.

Activity 2: Develop institutional strategic plans for each GOCR agency based upon recommendations outlined in the needs assessment report.

Provide technical assistance for the creation of a GBV services delivery strategic plan to each of the agencies listed in Project Goals. At a minimum, each agency's services delivery strategic plan should contain the following components: 1) mechanisms for services delivery 2) selection of specific Hacete Escuchar tools 3) program assessment metrics and 4) Module Facilitator certificate training programs.

Objective 2: GOCR Agencies increase availability of GBV services to youth

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Each of these agencies seeks to build the capacity of their staff to better provide focused services to youth GBV victims.. Since both of these populations require different skills, expertise and methodologies, under this objective, capacity-building efforts will focus on strengthening institutional training and knowledge mechanisms that will increase staff capacity to provide sustainable, long term GBV services delivery for this distinct populations. The activities under this objective will focus on increasing GOCR staff knowledge and skills of effective service delivery, and provide technical assistance to create "Module Facilitator Certificate Training" programs within each agency identified in the Project Goals. Each agency will be expected to develop a Module

Facilitator Certificate Training Program. Some agencies that work exclusively with children may choose to develop a Module Facilitator Certificate Training Program that includes only a component for serving youth (such as PANI), others may select to develop a Module Facilitator

Certificate Training Program that includes a component focused exclusively on serving adults, and other agencies may select to develop a Certificate Training Program that allows staff to earn two certificates, one specializing in services to youth and the other to serving adults. At least two of the

GOCR agencies participating in this certificate program activity must have an active presence in, and be providing services to, one of the two communities identified as a pilot community under Objective 4.)

Sub- Objective 2.1: GOCR agencies serving youth GBV victims improve staff capacity to deliver services

Activity 2.1.: Trainings of GOCR staff in Youth Victim Services

Provide technical assistance to create a Module Facilitator Certificate program within each agency identified in Project Goals. Depending upon the needs and focus of each agency, the Certificate

Program should have specific components devoted exclusively to developing capacity for serving children, and/or other components focused exclusively on adult services. This program should be designed to train GOCR agency staff on the Hacete Escuchar materials and methodologies each agency has selected to implement in its services delivery focusing on youth

(12-18) and adult GBV victims. This program should also include development of a curriculum and materials, development of a TOT program component, and a monitoring and evaluation component. It is expected that each of the Module Facilitator certificate programs will identify specific benchmarks for the number of TOTs to be conducted, TOT staff trained per year, and specific number of trainings the trainers will conduct per year.

Sub Activity 2.1.1: Conduct Trainings of Trainers

Provide technical assistance to each agency to develop a TOT program, and to carry out the designated number of TOTs (and assessments) during the duration of the program.

Sub Activity 2.1.2: Conduct Staff Trainings

Provide technical assistance to each agency to carry out the designated number of trainings conducted by trainers trained through the TOTs (and assessments) during the duration of the program.

Sub Activity 2.1.3: Conduct Assessment of Module Certificate Programs

Provide technical assistance to conduct an overall assessment of each agency's certificate program, and provide a report that includes specific recommendations based on data collected and lessons learned.

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Sub-Activity 2.1.4: Implementation of Recommendations and Lessons Learned

Provide technical assistance to each agency to incorporate into their Module Certificate Programs the recommendations and lessons learned in the Module Certificate Program assessment.

Activity 2.2: Hacete Eschuchar tools & methodologies developed and adapted to agency GBV youth services needs

This activity should focus on the adaptation of Hacete Escuchar materials and methodologies to each agency's needs, (including materials and methodologies to be incorporated into the trainings), so that trainers understand, and are able to use, these tools in their trainings and in the GBV service delivery.

OBJECTIVE 3: GOCR Agencies increase delivery of GBV services to adults and vulnerable adult populations

Each of these agencies seeks to build the capacity of their staff to better provide focused services to adult GBV victims. Since both of these populations require different skills, expertise and methodologies, under this objective, capacity-building efforts will focus on strengthening institutional training and knowledge mechanisms that will increase staff capacity to provide sustainable, long term GBV services delivery for this distinct populations. The activities under this objective will focus on increasing GOCR staff knowledge and skills of effective service delivery, and provide technical assistance to create "Module Facilitator Certificate Training" programs within each agency identified in the Project Goals. Each agency will be expected to develop a Module

Facilitator Certificate Training Program. Some agencies that work exclusively with children may choose to develop a Module Facilitator Certificate Training Program that includes only a component for serving youth (such as PANI), others may select to develop a Module Facilitator Certificate

Training Program that includes a component focused exclusively on serving adults, and other agencies may select to develop a Certificate Training Program that allows staff to earn two certificates, one specializing in services to youth and the other to serving adults. At least two of the

GOCR agencies participating in this certificate program activity must have an active presence in, and be providing services to, one of the two communities identified as a pilot community under Objective

4.)

Sub- Objective 3.1: GOCR agencies serving adult GBV victims improve staff capacity to deliver services

Activity 3.1.: Trainings of GOCR staff in Youth Victim Services

Provide technical assistance to create a Module Facilitator Certificate program within each agency identified in Project Goals. Depending upon the needs and focus of each agency, the Certificate

Program should have specific components devoted exclusively to developing capacity for serving children, and/or other components focused exclusively on adult services. This program should be designed to train GOCR agency staff on the Hacete Escuchar materials and methodologies each agency has selected to implement in its services delivery focusing on youth (12-18) and adult

GBV victims. This program should also include development of a curriculum and materials, development of a TOT program component, and a monitoring and evaluation component. It is expected that each of the Module Facilitator certificate programs will identify specific benchmarks for the number of TOTs to be conducted, TOT staff trained per year, and specific number of trainings the trainers will conduct per year.

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Sub Activity 3.1.1: Conduct Trainings of Trainers

Provide technical assistance to each agency to develop a TOT program, and to carry out the designated number of TOTs (and assessments) during the duration of the program.

Sub Activity 3.1.2: Conduct Staff Trainings

Provide technical assistance to each agency to carry out the designated number of trainings conducted by trainers trained through the TOTs (and assessments) during the duration of the program.

Sub Activity 3.1.3: Conduct Assessment of Module Certificate Programs

Provide technical assistance to conduct an overall assessment of each agency's certificate program, and provide a report that includes specific recommendations based on data collected and lessons learned.

Sub-Activity 3.1.4: Implementation of Recommendations and Lessons Learned

Provide technical assistance to each agency to incorporate into their Module Certificate Programs the recommendations and lessons learned in the Module Certificate Program assessment.

Activity 3.2: Hacete Eschuchar tools & methodologies developed and adapted to agency

GBV adult services needs

This activity should focus on the adaptation of Hacete Escuchar materials and methodologies to each agency's needs, (including materials and methodologies to be incorporated into the trainings), so that trainers understand, and are able to use, these tools in their trainings and in the GBV service delivery.

Objective 4: GOCR agencies provide GBV service users with comprehensive services through partnerships with community GBV stakeholders

Subobjective 4.1 GOCR partnerships with local community stakeholders improve service delivery

Activity 4.1: Provide technical assistance to build a framework for two pilot programs

This activity will include meetings with INL and representatives of GOCR agencies, nonprofits and local government officials in the two communities selected by INL Costa Rica that are already implementing the existing Hacete Escuchar Pathways to Safety program, to design plans for pilot activities.

Activity 4.2: Provide technical assistance to undertake an assessment of two communities selected by INL Costa Rica that are already implementing the existing Hacete Escuchar Pathways to Safety program.

This assessment will identify and assess existing GOCR services delivery in these communities (including through the Pathways to Safety Programs), partnerships developed between the GOCR agencies and community GBV services providers, and gaps, strengths, weaknesses in these services’ delivery mechanisms, and opportunities for improvement and partnership development to facilitate increased and improved GBV services delivery between GOCR agencies and community GBV service delivery providers.

Activity 4.3 Provide Technical Assistance to Produce an Assessment Report.

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This assessment should include a comprehensive report that recommends specific methods for

GOCR services delivery and effective partnerships designed to streamline, enhance, and improve

GBV services delivery.

Activity 4.4: Provide technical assistance to design improved services delivery mechanisms

This will consist of forming inter-agency working groups to come up with plans for improving services delivery both within the GOCR agencies themselves (such as improvements in each agency's Hacete Escuchar Pathways to Safety Programs) and developing strategic plans for GOCR/civil society/community organization partnerships (these strategic plans must include mechanisms for data collection and monitoring and evaluation for each of the various strategies designed.)

Activity 4.5: Validation of GOCR/community organization partnerships

Hold a roundtable to validate the working group strategic plans with stakeholders and finalize the plans.

Activity 4.6: Provide technical assistance to implement the strategic plans for partnerships and enhanced services delivery

Provide technical assistance to community-based organization and GOCR GBV service delivery partnerships, including strategies recommended in the assessment report for improved services delivery.

Activity 4.7: Conduct a final evaluation of the partnerships and enhanced services delivery mechanisms

The implementer will undertake a final evaluation of each of the pilots and produce a report identifying gaps, strengths, weaknesses in these strategic partnerships, recommendations for improvement in GBV services delivery to these two communities, and specific recommendations for developing a model for additional GOCR/civil society GBV services delivery partnerships in other

Costa Rican communities.

Activity 4.8: Produce a report based on the evaluation that sets forth findings and provides recommendations

Activity 4.9: Provide technical assistance to GOCR agencies to implement any recommendations set forth in the final evaluation and report

4. Participants and Audiences

INL Costa Rica seeks to build the capacity of the following specific GOCR agencies to implement the tools and methodologies developed through the successful Hacete Escuchar (Be Heard) program, and to increase GOCR agencies' collaboration with community-based GBV programs. Those ministries include:

1. Vice Ministry of Peace – Civic Centers

2. Children Welfare Agency - Patronato Nacional de la Infancia – MAINA Model

3. Ministry of Public Security

4. INAMU – PLANOVI eje 1 – GBV Hacete Escuchar prevention online Toolkit

5. Ministry of Public Education – GBV Hacete Escuchar prevention online Toolkit

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6. Institute of Sports and Recreation – ICODER/PRONADAF – GBV prevention

Life Coaching for Youth in sports

7. Ministry of Culture and Youth

8. MIDEPLAN – Consejo de seguridad humana Unified System for the Measurement of

Gender Based Violence (SUMEVIG) reporting and Ministry of Justice and Peace’s Violence

Observatory

9. Gender Based Violence (SUMEVIG) reporting and Ministry of Justice and

Peace’s Violence Observatory

Additional audiences will include community-based GBV service organizations and GBV victims.

The Implementer should apply the following in their proposal:

1. Theory of change approach.

2. Sustainable livelihoods framework.

3. Adult learning methodology.

5. Program Expansion

In the event of a successful project, INL will consider the option of expanding the project subject to availability of future funding. Applicants may include in their proposal a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into further activities or additional countries in future years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate how their project might leverage funding through other organizations.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Applicants are encouraged to reference the table on the first page(s) of this NOFO to determine the basic federal award information (e.g., project length, amount of funding available, anticipated number of awards, assistance type, etc.). Additional award information is included in this section, although specific aspects of the award(s) issued from this NOFO may differ from program to program.

1. Project Implementation Period

The initial project implementation length is the amount of time (e.g., months) applicants should plan to implement the project. If a range of months is listed, applicants should propose a realistic project length within that range.

INL may extend the project implementation period, contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, Department of State management approvals, and funding availability. INL projects shall not exceed five (5) total years of project implementation.

2. Assistance Type

The type of assistance is determined by scope of INL’s involvement in the implementation of the project. Refer to the table on the first page(s) of the NOFO to determine whether this particular project will be a grant or cooperative agreement.

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For cooperative agreements, INL may be substantially involved in the following ways:

• Approval of the recipient’s annual work plans, including: planned activities for the following year, travel plans, planned expenditures, event planning, and changes to any activity to be carried out under the Cooperative Agreement;

• Approval of specified key personnel;

• Approval of sub-award recipients (if any), and concurrence on the substantive provisions of the sub-awards; and coordination with other cooperating agencies; and

• Approval of Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

• Other country- or project-specific approvals will be included in the award documents.

3. Funding Notices

This award will be supported with International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement

(INCLE) funds under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Length of performance period: 36 months

Anticipated program start date: April 1, 2022

Number of awards anticipated: 1 award

Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $450,000 to a maximum of $600,000

Total available funding: $600,000

Type of Funding: INCLE

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicant Types

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

• U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code;

• Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

• Foreign-based educational institutions

Applicants must also meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply to this NOFO:

• Applicants should have extensive experience implementing similar projects in Costa Rica or in Central and South America

PLEASE NOTE: Public International Organizations (PIOs) and Private For-Profit

Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement. – If you are unsure about your eligibility status, please consult the INL POCs during the Q&A period.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost share is the portion of project costs not borne by the U.S. government. Cost share is recommended but not required for this project. Applicants must be able to ensure cost share is accounted for/tracked through accounting systems and/or supporting documentation (such

13 | P a g e as Personnel Activity Records, proof of voluntary hours, proof of any purchases for materials being included as cost share, etc.)

Any cost share proposed must be appropriately captured within the SF-424A, budget, and budget narrative.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

• In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (also known as UEI or DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov. Refer to Section D for additional guidance.

• Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal, however one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other organization(s) listed as sub-recipient partner(s).

• To be eligible to receive a federal assistance award, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

• Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this grant award.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Applicants should carefully follow all instructions in this section to ensure their application is formatted properly and includes all required documents. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be deemed ineligible for review.

1. How to Apply and Submit Questions

This opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, along with all required application forms and, where applicable, templates for application documents. Applications and all supporting documents must be submitted via www.grants.gov. INL reserves the right to reject any applications submitted through improper channels.

Applicants are encouraged to closely review the NOFO and email questions to the INL points of contact by the deadline listed on the first page(s) of this document. After the question deadline has passed, INL will respond to all questions publicly through a Questions & Answers document uploaded to the Related Documents tab of this opportunity.

2. Required Application Documents http://www.grants.gov/

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All documents in the following list must be included in your application, unless explicitly listed as optional. If a document includes a page limit, please adhere to that limit in your application.

Applicants that do not submit all required documents will be notified via email of their ineligibility after the application deadline.

Standard Application Forms

SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations)

Must be signed by an authorized signatory of the applicant’s organization.

SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs)

SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs) – Optional

The SF-424B is only required for applicants who are not registered in SAM.gov.

Project Proposal

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant is proposing to do. The following documents may be submitted separately or combined into one document. If combined, please be sure to adhere to the page limits for each section.

Proposal Narrative – Maximum 20 pages

Applicants may use their own proposal template, but it must include all the sections below.

Refer to Appendix A for additional guidance on drafting a proposal narrative.

Cover Page: include organization name, project title, requested number of months, target country(ies), point(s) of contact, and requested funding amount.

Table of Contents: list all documents and attachments with page numbers.

Executive Summary: include a synopsis of the project, including a breakdown of the goals, objectives, and activities. Include a brief statement on why the project is likely to achieve the goal and how it will be sustainable.

Timeline: outline key milestones in the project, project start-up, and closeout, programmatic activities, and monitoring and evaluation activities (e.g., monitoring trips or semi-annual reviews).

Activity Map: The Activity Map for this program is included as Attachment

#1. Proposal narratives must include this Map, but implementers are encouraged to amplify/enhance/add additional activities that would contribute to reaching stated program objectives.

Future Funding Plan/Sustainability: briefly discuss the plan for ensuring the sustainability of the project (i.e., that the project continues to have impact beyond the grant period). Applicants may also include a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into additional activities or countries beyond the initial project period.

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

This document outlines how activities will be monitored to ensure they are executed in a timely manner, and how the project will be evaluated to ensure the goals are met. A

15 | P a g e template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix B for additional guidance on drafting a

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.

Project Risk Analysis

A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix B for additional guidance on drafting a Project

Risk Analysis.

Organization, Staff, and Partners

The following documents may be submitted separately or combined into one document. If combined, please be sure to adhere to the page limits for each section.

Biographical Information of Applicant Organization – Maximum 4 pages

Introduce the applicant organization, including biographical information such as mission statement, organization size, relevant office location(s), etc.

Provide a summary description of past and present operations, demonstrating the applicant’s ability to carry out the project

Describe any experience the organization has in the target country or region

Confirm whether the organization is a registered business entity within the target country or region

List of Key Personnel – Maximum 3 pages

Names, titles, responsibilities, and relevant experience or qualifications of key personnel involved in the management of the project

Partner Information – Maximum 3 pages

Introduce and provide relevant information about key partner organizations and sub-awardees

Briefly describe the division of labor and/or distinct roles and responsibilities among the applicant organization and its partners

If proposing a sub-grantee, please briefly describe the applicant organization’s experience related to managing sub-recipients

Letters of Support – Optional

If desired, applicants may submit letters of support from project partners, host government entities, or other relevant stakeholders

Project Budget and Cost Documents

Summary and Detailed Budgets

A proposal budget must be submitted in spreadsheet format (e.g., Microsoft Excel). A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix C for additional guidance on drafting a proposal budget.

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Summary Budget, which lists the

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OMB-approved budget categories and total estimated cost per category

One tab of the spreadsheet shall contain the Detailed Budget, which breaks down the OMB-approved budget categories into individual line items and provides detailed cost estimates per line item

If applicable, federal costs and recipient cost share must be reported in separate columns

Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative is a companion document to the summary and detailed budgets, and must be submitted in word document format. A template is included under the Related

Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov. Refer to Appendix

C for additional guidance on drafting a Budget Narrative.

The Budget Narrative should communicate to INL any budgetary information that is not readily apparent in the detailed budget. Rather than simply repeating with words what is stated numerically in the budget, the Budget Narrative should explain the logic behind the amount budgeted for each line item

If applicable, proposed recipient cost share must be included in the Budget

Narrative, including reference to the source of the cost share

NICRA – Optional

If the applicant has an approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, a copy of the organization’s most-recent NICRA must be included in the application

If the applicant is proposing a sub-grantee that has an approved NICRA, and includes NICRA charges in the sub-award budget, a copy of the sub-grantee organization’s most-recent NICRA must be included in the application

Applicant Management Capabilities

INL must assess each potential applicant for organizational risks related to the financial and programmatic management of a federal assistance project.

History of U.S. Government Federal Assistance Awards

This document outlines the applicant organization’s experience with implementing U.S.

government-funded federal assistance awards, including current and completed projects.

The list should include the awarding agency, point of contact, name of the project, start and end dates, and amount of the award.

If the applicant has never received a U.S. federal assistance award, please list other projects the organization has implemented, including the information requested in the bullet above.

Organizational Audit

If the applicant organization is required to undergo an audit (per regulations outlined in 2 CFR 200.500 – Subpart F), a complete copy of the organization’s most-recent audit must be submitted

If the applicant organization is not required to undergo an audit (per the regulation cited above), a brief explanation must be submitted with the application. This explanation shall include confirmation that the organization is under the threshold

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Responses to the Pre-Award Risk Survey in reference to the Organizational Audit does not satisfy this requirement. Please provide the required explanation in addition to the Pre-Award Risk Survey.

INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey

This risk survey reviews the applicant organization’s financial capacity, policies, and infrastructure. A template is included under the Related Documents section of this NOFO announcement on www.grants.gov.

Please take note of the questions within the survey that request additional documentation. These documents must be included in the application.

Signature of the survey is required prior to submission.

3. Document Formatting

Applicants must ensure that their application documents conform to the following requirements:

The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity

All documents are in English

All budgets are in U.S. dollars

All pages are numbered

All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 inch paper, and

All Word documents are, at minimum, single-spaced with 12 point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins

4. Required Entity and Account Registrations for Applicants

All prospective applicant organizations must register and/or maintain active registration in the systems outlined below in order to submit an application to this NOFO.

Organizations that are first-time applicants may need to register and/or create accounts in these systems. INL encourages prospective applicants to initiate these registrations as soon as possible.

Applicants that have previously applied to other opportunities may already have registrations and/or accounts in the necessary systems, though applicants should ensure their registrations are active.

Registration in these systems is free of charge; Applicants will never be asked to pay a fee to register or submit an application in these systems.

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number)

Organizations must have a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet.

• If your organization does not have a DUNS Number already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or submitting a request at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Effective April 4, 2022, the DUNS Number will be replaced by the Unique Entity Number (UEI) as the primary means of entity identification for all federal awards U.S. government wide. For more information, please go to the following link: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp

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NCAGE Code

Organizations physically located outside the United States and its territories must also register for an NCAGE code. This request can be completed simultaneously with a DUNS Number request.

• NCAGE application: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx

• NCAGE application instructions:

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%

20NCAGE.pdf

Help with NCAGE Code registration issues:

• Call 1-888-227-2423 (callers within the U.S.)

• Call 1-269-961-7766 (callers outside the U.S.)

• Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil

System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

Prior to submitting an application in grants.gov, organizations must register in SAM.gov and/or ensure that their SAM.gov registration is active. Organizations are required to renew their

SAM.gov registration annually.

• Initiate the registration or renewal process at https://www.SAM.gov. Select “Entity

Registration” to begin the registration or renewal request.

• First-time applicants should initiate the SAM.gov registration after receiving their DUNS

Number and, if applicable, NCAGE Code.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in SAM.gov is not eligible to apply for an assistance award. Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity is included in their proposal.

NOTE: As of April 2021, any new or renewed SAM.gov registrations were given a Unique Entity

Number (UEI). UEI does not expire, however you must renew your SAM.gov registration annually.

For more information regarding the transition from UEI(DUNS) to UEI(SAM), please click on the following link: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp

NOTICE: Any proposed sub-recipients included in the proposal are required to register to have an UEI only. After April 4, 2022, the request must be made directly through SAM.gov.

Grants.gov

To submit an application to this NOFO, applicants must register in grants.gov.

• Go to www.grants.gov and select “Register” from the banner at the top of the page.

• This should be the last step of the entity registration processes, completed after obtaining a DUNS Number, NCAGE Code (if applicable), and SAM.gov registration.

Help with grants.gov registrations and application submission:

• Go to the grant.gov support page at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

• Call +1 800-518-4726 https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html

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• Email support@grants.gov

It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that its application was submitted in www.grants.gov correctly. INL bears no responsibility for errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with application submissions. If applicants are unable to resolve technical issues in the system, they should email the INL points of contact listed on the first page(s) of this NOFO with an explanation of the issue and proof of attempts to resolve it (e.g., emails with grants.gov support). INL Grants Office will then determine whether the applicant is allowed to submit application materials via email.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Technical Evaluation Criteria

A technical evaluation committee, using the criteria shown in this Section, will evaluate the applications. The various functional elements of the technical criteria are assigned weighted scores, so that the applicants will know which areas require emphasis in the preparation of applications.

Where technical applications are considered essentially equal, cost may be the determining factor.

Applicants should note that these criteria serve as the standard against which all applications will be evaluated and serve to identify the significant matters which applicants should address in their applications.

The relative importance of each criterion is indicated by the number of points assigned. A total of 100 points is possible.

Project Analysis & Design – Total Possible Points: 30

• Analysis enables proposal reviewers to determine:

o if objectives are necessary and sufficient to reach the goal;

o if activities are engaging the right people to achieve the project’s goal and objectives; and o if activity dosage is sufficient (i.e., will the activities engage enough people for enough time for it to be reasonable to expect to achieve the objectives?) (10)

• The goal aligns to INL policy and is clear and feasible (3)

• Objectives are clear, necessary, and address systemic barriers to reaching the goal, including one concept, and specifying a target population (2)

• Activities are likely to bring about the change described in their related objectives/sub-objectives. The effectiveness of the activities at catalyzing the desired change is based in evidence, where possible (5)

• Activities engage enough people for enough time to be likely to achieve the desired change and engage people with the power to support or block achieving the desired change (5)

• Objectives and activities include approaches to mitigate the risk of the project failing to meet its goal and/or causing inadvertent harm (5)

Program Monitoring and Risk – Total Possible Points: 25 mailto:support@grants.gov

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• Proposes indicators that are useful for decision making, accurate in measuring the intended result, reliable, and timely (10)

• Monitoring plan demonstrates a focus on collecting useful monitoring data and understanding of how to link that to real project management decision making (10)

• Risk assessment is thorough and realistic, addresses challenges in the operating environment, and proposes adequate strategies to mitigate risks to the project (5)

Institution’s Record and Capacity Rating – Total Possible Points: 25

• The applicant demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in the proposed country/region and program area (15 )

• Professional experience of staff and institutional resources are adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives (3)

• The roles and responsibilities are clearly delineated among staff and partners (2)

• Applicant is a current/former INL grantee and they successfully manage/managed the project OR the applicant has not worked with INL previously and demonstrates experience in managing similar-sized projects (5 )

Cost Effectiveness – Total Possible Points: 20

• Activity-related costs are realistic, appropriate, and clearly linked to project objectives (6)

• Personnel costs (e.g., staff salaries, contractor rates, and honoraria) are reasonable given the amount of work and oversight needed to manage the project (7)

• Administrative costs (e.g., staff travel, supplies, office costs) are necessary, justified, and in good proportion to direct activity costs (7)

2. Review and Selection Process

INL first reviews all submitted applications for technical eligibility, based on the list of required documents in Section D: Application and Submission Information. All technically eligible applications are then passed to a review committee, which will evaluate the applications against the Technical Evaluation Criteria listed in the previous sub-section. The application(s) selected by the review committee are then presented to INL management and the Grants Officer for approval.

INL will notify successful applicant(s) via email and pass along any conditions, recommendations, or questions from the review committee.