NOFO - CORRECTED Ukraine Veterans Rehabilitation and Reintegration [Posted v20230803].pdf

United States Department of State Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)

Notice Funding Opportunity Number [SFOP0009858]:

Ukraine Veterans Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program

This notice updates the opportunity deadline from August 1 to August 21, 2023 and other elements accordingly.

Changes are noted in red.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Awards Applications

Public Opportunity Title: Ukraine Veterans Rehabilitation and Reintegration

Program

NOFO Opportunity Number: SFOP0009858

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.121

Funding Amount: Not to exceed the total amount of $1,975,308 U.S.

Dollars

NOFO Issuance Date: June 21, 2023

Updated: August 3, 2023

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: July 17, 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Closing Date and Time for Submission of Applications: August 21, 2023, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time via www.grants.gov *Extended from August 1, 2023*

Program Type: CSO/EUR

Anticipated Number of Awards: One

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Anticipated Period of Performance: 12 months http://www.grants.gov/

Est. Program Start Date: Friday, October 27, 2023

Est. Program End Date: Thursday, October 31, 2024

Eligibility: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education;

Education institutions having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; Overseas non-governmental organizations (NGOs); Foreign Public Entities and Public International Organizations (PIOs).

Type of Applicant: Organizations only.

Number of Applications: One (1) per applicant organization

[NOTE: Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined proposal. However, only one organization must be designated as the lead applicant. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed above.]

Electronic Requirement: Yes. All applications must be submitted through

SAMS Domestic or grants.gov. E-mailed or faxed proposal packages will not be considered.

Submission of Applications: For more information, see the instructions listed

Anticipated Award Date: Within approximately nine to twelve weeks of the closing of this announcement. The successful applicant will receive notification. The U.S.

Department of State is under no obligation to fund any of the proposals submitted under this funding opportunity.

Award Ceiling: $1,975,308

Award Floor: $1,900,000

Cost-Sharing: Recommended but not required.

CSO Point of Contact: George Mesthos, MesthosG@state.gov mailto:MesthosG@state.gov

This funding opportunity is posted on SAMS Domestic and may be amended. Answers to questions from potential applicants will be posted as an attachment to this NOFO.

Applicants should regularly check the websites for the most recent information pertaining to this NOFO. The Department of State bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions. Incomplete application packages will not be considered. E-mailed, faxed or mailed documents will NOT be considered.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application package has been received in SAMS Domestic or grants.gov in its entirety. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible. Individual e-mailed or faxed documents will not be considered.

Other Submission Requirements

All application submissions must be made electronically via www.grants.gov or SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com). Both systems require registration by the applying organization. Please note that the Grants.gov registration process can take ten (10) business days or longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov. Applicants are required to document that the application has been received by SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov in its entirety. CSO bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in either SAMS Domestic or Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process. Additionally, applicants must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will not be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for security reasons.

Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in the applicable NOFO and these instructions.

CSO encourages organizations to submit applications during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00AM - 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate helpdesk but is not receiving timely assistance (e.g., if you have not received a response within 48 hours of contacting the helpdesk), you may contact the CSO’s point of contact listed in the NOFO in Section G. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate helpdesk.

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Note: The Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility of all applications.

The decision for the final eligibility and award determination rests with the Grants Officer.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) is charged with leading the formulation and implementation of U.S. conflict prevention and stabilization strategies, policies, and programs. It provides the secretariat for the U.S. government’s multi-agency Atrocity Prevention Task Force and is the State Department’s lead implementer of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. At the end of 2021, CSO also stood up the Negotiations Support Unit to assist U.S. diplomats and other officials to resolve some of the thorniest and most intractable disputes. CSO’s efforts to reduce fragility, strengthen democratic institutions, and increase social cohesion with and within priority partner countries directly advance U.S. foreign policy objectives.

CSO announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for programs addressing the following objectives in Ukraine.

Pending availability of funds and satisfactory performance, including compliance with the award’s terms and conditions CSO may consider adding funds to the award. CSO intends to support one award as a result of this NOFO.

The Department of State reserves the right to fund any or none of the proposals submitted and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the budget in accordance with the needs of the project and the availability of funds. This notice is subject to the availability of funding.

The Federal award signed by the State Department Grants Officer is the only authorizing document.

This NOFO consists of the Overview and Executive Summary, plus the following sections:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

Section Title Page #

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SYNOPSIS 6

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 10

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 12

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 14

V. ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS AND BUDGET COMPONENTS 19

VI. APPLICATION EVALUATION AND SCORING 23

VII. AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION 29

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SYNOPSIS

The Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) aims to support a program to rehabilitate and reintegrate Ukraine’s veterans so they may contribute to Ukraine’s national recovery and realize their full potential with the assistance of the public and private sectors.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, more than one million men and women have taken up arms as part of Ukraine’s military and territorial defense forces (TDF). This military service affects millions more family members. Foreign assistance programming dedicated to assisting Ukraine’s veterans identified the following key elements for veteran rehabilitation and reintegration: (1) The capacity of Ukraine to provide services and benefits to veterans; (2) provision of physical, psycho-social, and mental health support to veterans and their families; and (3) provision of legal and vocational assistance. Furthermore, the Government of Ukraine has identified the reintegration of veterans as both a need and as a driver of Ukraine’s recovery as veterans with key professional skillsets return to the workforce.

This initiative will guide Government of Ukraine and civil society efforts to bring current veteran support structures to the scale needed for national recovery, and provide targeted, evidence-based, direct support to veterans who have left active duty and the practitioners who assist them. In addition, this initiative must include innovative interventions such as (but not restricted to) public-private partnerships to facilitate the re-entry of veterans into key industries. It must also directly address the changing nature of Ukraine’s veteran population, such as the growth in the number of women, as well as sexual and gender minorities, who are, or will become, veterans.

ILLUSTRATIVE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

CSO envisions the approved program to be implemented over a 12-month period. The implementer will develop and provide evidence-based activities that support the rehabilitation and reintegration of Ukraine’s veterans. Below are illustrative objectives and corresponding activities.

Note: CSO would like to benefit from the applicant’s knowledge, experience, and creativity in determining how to meet the goal.

Initial Phase: Establish a base of evidence on veteran rehabilitation and reintegration in Ukraine to assess needs, available government and private resources, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for CSO assistance; and ensure planned activities align with Ukraine’s national recovery efforts and international support initiatives. The implementer(s) will likely use the first quarter of the program(s) to conduct the initial phase, but should have a strong enough record of performance, and understanding of the problem set, to begin some activities at or near program launch. Proposals may include justifications for proposing any ongoing research throughout the program period if deemed necessary.

Activities during the initial phase could include, but are not limited to:

• An updated assessment of the operating environment since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 based on a combination of new fieldwork such as surveys, focus groups, etc. and partnerships with organizations which already produce such analysis. The implementer will have access to the previous CSO-funded assessment as a resource. The updated assessment should address:

o Veterans’ needs, available resources, vulnerabilities, and opportunities;

o Assessment of these factors specific to women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and sexual and gender minorities within the veteran population;

o A specific set of study activities for those veterans now deemed disabled.

• The creation of a network of institutions and organizations capable of researching and tracking veteran issues in Ukraine to support the sustainability and ongoing enhancement of veteran services.

• Recommendations for the Government of Ukraine, civil society in Ukraine, and the international community including international organizations and partner governments, based on engagement with these groups.

Objective 1: Build institutional capacity of Ukraine’s veteran services system and increase the connectivity to non-governmental partners.

Activities under Objective 1 could include, but are not limited to:

• Develop enhancements to service delivery systems to administer veteran benefits and services.

• Establish mechanisms to sustain and improve relationships for information sharing between government and non-governmental partners.

• Assist in streamlining definitions and processes across various veteran services organizations.

• Provide guidance and technical assistance to develop standard operating procedures.

• Provide support to grassroots veteran support organizations and service providers at the local level, develop their organizational capacity, and develop their networks across the country to facilitate joint learning and experience sharing.

Objective 2: Increase capacity of mental health service providers and expand veteran access to Ukraine’s psychosocial and mental health services, with a focus on the most at-risk veteran populations.

Activities under Objective 2 could include, but are not limited to:

• Advise the government on a comprehensive approach to psychosocial support services by providing accessible counseling services, destigmatizing mental health care and support systems, increasing peer support programs, and offering evidence-based health care provider training.

• Develop an outreach campaign to raise awareness of services and reduce the stigma of mental health counseling. Outreach should be multi-layered. For example, activities should be broad to encompass whole of society and the whole of the veteran population. Activities should also be targeted to include at-risk veteran populations, such as female veterans, ethnic minorities, and sexual and gender minorities, disabled veterans, and those residing in rural communities, to understand and overcome their unique reintegration challenges.

Objective 3: Expand veteran employment and vocational training opportunities, with a focus on the most vulnerable veteran populations.

Activities under Objective 3 could include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct business management, trade/vocational, and entrepreneurship trainings in coordination with other similar activities implemented by other organizations.

• Ensure female veterans’ participation, experiences, and needs are addressed in trainings by including a gender-responsive approach and considering enabling environment issues, including providing transportation and identifying/facilitating childcare, and the availability of mental health/psychosocial support for participants and staff members.

• Train government and non-government partners to offer employment counseling and develop vocational training programs, including in response to a market-based need.

• Assist the Government of Ukraine and businesses in formulating incentive and apprentice programs to channel veterans into industries crucial for Ukraine’s recovery, including through public-private partnerships.

• Execute a coordinated outreach campaign alongside other partners and stakeholders to advertise services and opportunities.

GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS/POPULATIONS

Geographic Focus - The program must be implemented in Ukraine, specifically Government of Ukraine-held areas. Areas may be changed in consultation with the Grants Officer based on conditions in-country. Online elements may incorporate veterans outside of those areas consistent with Do No Harm principles.

Target Populations - The program’s primary direct beneficiaries are civil society organizations and Government of Ukraine institutions who support Ukraine’s veterans.

Some veterans and their family members may receive direct benefits. Indirect beneficiaries include veterans, their family members, and veterans who will be discharged in the future, who will benefit from improved planning and services. All activities must incorporate gender equity and social inclusion (GESI).

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

▪ Women, Peace, and Security – Per the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, the United States is committed to the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, management, and resolution which is critical to the long-term stability of countries and regions. This includes promoting the physical safety of women and girls, collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated data for the purpose of developing and enhancing early warning systems for conflict and violence, and integrating the perspectives and interests of affected women into conflict-prevention activities and strategies. In addition, U.S. government programs should improve outcomes in gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Ukraine has a significant proportion of women in its military and territorial defense forces. Female veterans in Ukraine must be included in this program target population. Furthermore, family members of veterans registered with the Government of Ukraine are disproportionately female, underscoring the need for family member inclusion in veteran support. Proposals must include how activities will specifically affect Ukraine’s women veterans and family members.

Program partners must capture gender disaggregated data, including and especially for monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) consistent with recommended practices used by NGOs and the international community for humanitarian and non-humanitarian response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Gender Analysis of Conflict (GAOC) including the Disability Annex – Proposals must also include a gender analysis of conflict to assess how activities will affect and be affected by the gendered structures, gender norms, and power relations in Ukraine. This should go beyond simply disaggregating data or assessing the gendered impacts of conflict to provide a comprehensive understanding of institutional practices, cultural norms, gender roles, access to and control over assets and resources, and patterns of decision-making in peace and security. The gender analysis of conflict should present how gender norms interact with other factors to drive or mitigate conflict, the differential impact of conflict on women and men, and an understanding of the roles of women and men in conflict and peacebuilding. The findings of the gender analysis of conflict should be reflected in program design. It is encouraged to take an intersectional and/or gender-responsive approach, and applicants must specifically address how their proposals will support people with disabilities, including by submitting the GAOC Disability

Annex. Refer to the CSO Gender Analysis of Conflict and Disability Annex templates for sample questions.

▪ Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) – All applicants must provide a robust explanation of their gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) capacity, past performance, and intentions for this program. All applicants must also explain in their application and attach relevant organization policies regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (PSEAH). All applicants must include a Gender Analysis of Conflict and explain in their application how they will integrate a gender-responsive approach throughout activities.

▪ Other topics that applications should address (but are not limited to) include intersectional approaches that take into account the unique needs of disabled veterans, veterans belonging to ethnic minorities, sexual or gender minorities, or the role of militarized masculinities.

▪ Coordination and Partnerships - The implementing partner must demonstrate extensive contacts within Ukraine’s civil society and throughout Ukraine, to include communities in Russia-controlled areas. Applicants should partner with local organizations as sub-grantees. The implementing partner will be expected to coordinate with USAID, and other U.S. government relevant offices in the Government of Ukraine, and other donors. A successful applicant will detail its plan to coordinate with these stakeholders and how its project will build on the work of existing USG-funded programs, including humanitarian assistance.

▪ Security – Ukraine is at war. This program intends to engage with stakeholders throughout Ukraine. Special consideration must be given to the security environment and feasibility of access for the program to be successful.

Furthermore, applicants must demonstrate they can conduct the program in a manner that is conflict-sensitive, trauma-informed, and survivor-centric.

▪ Do No Harm – As described by OECD, IRC, and the United Nations, all design, implementation, and oversight activities should follow Do No Harm (DNH) principles.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

CSO expects to award one (1) or multiple cooperative agreement(s) based on this NOFO and in an amount not to exceed the total ceiling amount of $$1,975,308. The period of performance is 12 months with an anticipated start date of September 2023. CSO may extend the award up to 48 month(s) or 4 year(s) contingent on CSO priorities, good performance of the recipient, and Department of State management approval.

This notice is subject to the availability of funding.

The U.S. government may: (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, and (d) waive irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may make award on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (though it is under no obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

CSO anticipates awarding either a grant or cooperative agreement depending on the needs and risk factors of the program. The distinction between grants and cooperative agreements revolves around the existence of “substantial involvement.” Cooperative agreements require greater Federal government participation in the project. If a cooperative agreement is awarded, CSO will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. For example, CSO will work closely with successful applicants to advise on revisions to the theory-of-change (TOC), design, indicators, and data collection instruments, working to ensure an approach that benefits the wider conflict community. Additionally, CSO seeks to ensure that qualitative and quantitative information from the program is shared with CSO in ways that can feed into the broader analysis of conflict dynamics at subnational, national, and regional levels. As a result, CSO may work with the Recipient to develop a documentation and reporting plan that meets those needs.

Other examples of substantial involvement can include, but are not limited to:

• Active participation or collaboration with the recipient in the implementation of the award;

• Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin;

• Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy;

• Approval of the recipient’s budget or plan of work prior to the award.

Due to security sensitivities in Ukraine, including changes in government-controlled areas, any decisions to change the scope or purpose of activities in the statement of work, to bring in other organizations to assist with activities and to engage with media will be made in consultation with CSO, U.S. Embassy Kyiv, and with Host Nation authorities as appropriate. CSO also expects to assist with the development of in-country partners who would be interested and capable of continuing this effort beyond the duration of the cooperative agreement.

The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).

Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government. CSO reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase application budgets in accordance with program evaluation requirements. In the event of an award, CSO reserves the right to terminate the agreement in accordance with 2 CFR 200 and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions. Specifically, an award may be terminated if the Recipient is not meeting the objectives of the program or if the program no longer is consistent with the national security or foreign policy interest of the United States.

All applicants should be familiar with OMB Circular 2 CFR Part 200.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants CSO welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or education institutions having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; commercial entities; for profit organizations; overseas non-governmental organizations; Foreign Public Entities and Public International Organizations (PIOs).

Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.

Cost Sharing or Matching Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. Applicants may offer cost share, but cost share will not be considered or factored in when proposals are reviewed.

Other Eligibility Requirements Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar projects.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (www.sam.gov) and/or has a current debt to the U.S.

government is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR,1986 Comp., p.

189) and 12689 (3 CFR,1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity or person listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity or person is included in their application.

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in SAM.gov.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Please contact the CSO point of contact listed in Section VII if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information and complete instructions on how to apply to this NOFO, including information on proposal’s content and formatting. Please use both the PSI and the NOFO to ensure that the proposal submission is in full compliance with the requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in the NOFO and PSI will NOT be considered.

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:

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

• All documents are in English https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

• All budgets are in U.S. dollars

• All pages are numbered

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

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals)

• SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov) FUNDING

RESTRICTIONS

The following activities and costs are not covered under this announcement:

Engagement with active armed/military forces and personnel: All activities are limited to civilian government and non-government organizations, and former members of Ukraine’s armed forces. For details on funding restrictions, please confirm with agency contact.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

The Proposal Narrative must be single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font in Microsoft Word, at least one-inch margins, and should not exceed ten pages. Please note the ten-page limit does not include the Cover Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents, Attachments, Detailed Budget, Budget Narrative, Audit, or NICRA. Applicants are encouraged to combine multiple documents into a single Word Document or PDF (i.e., Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, and Proposal Narrative in one file). Please see Proposal Narrative Guidelines in Section 2F below for more details. should be organized into the following five components:

▪ Executive Summary (not included in the ten-page limit):

o A succinct one-page summary containing information that the applicant believes best represents its proposed program and includes: the name and contact information for the program’s main point of contact; the program’s goal and objectives; program’s approach and methodology; and program’s expected outcomes.

▪ Approach and Methodology:

o Conflict/Context Analysis: Successful applications under this funding opportunity will describe an approach based on a context and conflict analysis that leads to a concrete program change hypothesis. In this section, please provide background on the conflict/context in which the proposed program will be operating.

o Program Goal and Objectives: In this section, please fully explain the program’s goal and objectives. The overarching goal statement should be visionary in nature, and outline what the overall activities and objectives should be building towards. It is important that the program goal aligns with (CSO/Department/U.S. government) policy. The objectives of the program should describe where you expect to be by the end of your program. The objectives should be measurable, results-focused, and achievable in within the timeframe of the program.

o Activities: All activities should be clearly developed and sufficiently detailed to understand the resource and time requirements, and how they contribute to the objectives and goal. Please identify: target areas for activities; target participant groups or selection criteria for participants; how the program will engage relevant stakeholders, including women; and local partners as appropriate, among other pertinent details. If partners are included, the narrative should clearly describe the division of labor between the direct applicant and partners.

o Research Methodology: The implementing partner(s) will need to outline a research plan as a part of the application, to be approved by the U.S.

Government. This plan would be essential for enabling the organization(s) to track progress and adapt practices. Throughout the research process, the implementing partner(s) will regularly report research progress to the USG.

The methodology may include surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interview questions and indicators, which need to be compatible and complementary to other CSO-supported research initiatives.

o Theory of Change: Provide a theory of change for your program that elaborates explicit causal connections between the program’s activities, key outcomes, objectives, and the long-term goal. Generally, this should involve a chain of “if…then…because…” statements, or something similar. The program theory of change should apply and contextualize any relevant general theory about how this type of intervention works, and how to avoid negative outcomes. It should specify any key assumptions about the context (including relevant gender dynamics), the program design, or companion interventions that are required for success. It should cogently establish that the activities can reasonably be expected to be sufficient in kind, amount and timing with the resources applied, in this context. In addition, briefly explain how the program theory of change interacts with the broader system of conflict interventions by the U.S. government and others. A useful resource for guidance on developing theories of change is USAID’s Theories and Indicators of Change (THINC).

o Integration of Target Groups: It is likely that you will identify groups of individuals who will need special consideration as you develop your program.

Please address how you will incorporate these target groups in your planned activities. These groups may include at-risk populations, such as women, ethnic and/or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, or youth.

▪ Implementation Plan o Resources, Key Steps and Timeline for Activities (including sequential logic):

Describe the proposed activities and how they will achieve the objectives and goal of this program. In doing so, this section should demonstrate how the proposed activities build upon one another and are logically sequenced to achieve the desired outcomes, based on the proposed approach and methodology. The application must identify and address gaps in current responses to the conflict (as identified in the context and conflict analysis), including any gender dynamics that currently, or have the potential to, exacerbate or mitigate conflict. The applicant must submit an illustrative first year activity plan, which sets out a realistic outline of tasks and deliverables, anticipated time frames, challenges, opportunities and due dates, and persons responsible for achieving each task. This narrative description will be complemented by a Gantt chart in the Additional Attachments.

o Do No Harm: List any significant risks of harm to implementers, participants, beneficiaries or their communities, or of exacerbating conflict or creating new conflicts, which may result from this program. Based on your gender analysis, include specific risks to women and girls. Consider how resources or skills provided might be misused, create grievances among non-recipients, or cause key actors to react in harmful ways. Explain how these risks will be minimized.

o Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA): U.S. government partners are responsible for ensuring that comprehensive protection measures are in place for preventing and addressing sexual exploitation and abuse of persons of concern and that allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by Recipient staff are reported to CSO in a timely manner. Applicants should submit copies of any organization-wide policies and procedures on Do No Harm and PSEA, or explain how the applicant organization plans to develop such policies. If not already explained in its polices and procedures, the Applicant must outline in its proposal how it will work with any sub-http://www.dmeforpeace.org/peacexchange/theories-and-indicators-of-change-thinc/ grantees to develop and apply PSEA policies and procedures over the course of the program.

o Local Engagement and Sustainability: Strong proposals will describe strategies to sustain the outcomes beyond CSO funding and contribute to building the capacity of communities to address their own concerns in the future. This might be done through sub-grants to local organizations, although that is not a requirement; capacity-building and sustainment can be achieved indirectly as well. This section must also demonstrate a clear understanding of the role that local organizations and institutions are playing or can play in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding. The conflict analysis and the program design should reflect local perspectives and explain how the program will engage with local partners, including women-led organizations, throughout its lifecycle. The proposal should describe how the applicant will work with local entities to build their organizational and technical capacities, and/or relationships to mitigate conflict. Applicants may submit signed Letters of Intent from organizations that will participate in the program.

Letters of Intent should address the willingness of partner organizations to participate in the effort, and the understanding all parties have as to their unique roles and responsibilities in terms of the proposed program. In cases where an applicant (i.e., non-local) was not able to partner with a local organization or institution, does not consider it feasible to do so, or does not consider it in the program’s best interest, the applicant must clearly explain the rationale.

▪ Institutional Capabilities and Past Performance o Organization: Provide a description of the applicant organization – including its general purpose, goals, annual budget (including funding sources), and major past and current activities and programs undertaken.

o Relevant Programmatic and Thematic Experience: Applications should demonstrate the ability to develop and implement programs of the kind outlined in this proposal. Previous experience designing and implementing similar programs is highly desirable and should be detailed and documented in the application. Applicants should demonstrate how organizational resources, capabilities, and experience, and lessons learned from literature on this type of endeavor, will enable the applicant to achieve the grant’s stated objectives.

o Regional/Country Experience: Applicants should specify relevant experience in the country(ies) identified in the proposal, or in similar situations in other countries. Applicants should be able to legally operate in the country where they propose to work. Identify in-country partners; the successful applicant will already have in place at least one partnership with regional institutions and/or organizations. Specify the expertise that each partner brings.

o Key Program Staff: Applications should highlight key staff, their positions, percentage of time devoted to this program, and management structure for the program. The resumes of key staff should highlight relevant educational and field experience and be included as an appendix (see additional attachments below). The person(s) principally responsible for M&E design and technical oversight should be included. The resumes should be no more than two pages and should all follow a consistent format. The applicant should also clarify roles for local partners and staff.

▪ Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:

o CSO considers monitoring to be essential for responsible program management. Successful applicants will submit a draft monitoring plan within 30 days of award notification. After CSO review, a final monitoring plan must be submitted within 30 days of the award notification.

o For the purposes of the application, please submit a notional logic model/PMP (use template provided). This must include notional indicators at each of the following levels: objective, outcome, and output. Provide an explanation if data will not be disaggregated by sex. Describe how any risks of harm listed above will be monitored. In addition, use this section to describe the applicant’s approach to monitoring and evaluation and why this approach is appropriate for this program and context. This may include the type of data you may collect (qualitative and/or quantitative). If possible, include applicable State Department standard gender indicators (see attachment). Describe the timing of data collection and analysis and how this information will inform midstream program management decision-making.

o Please describe the resources needed to implement your M&E plan and address these in your budget. In most cases, CSO will fund program evaluations separately. If you want to propose including specific monitoring and evaluation activities in the program budget (outside of monitoring, which is required), please specify whether you are requesting funds for a baseline, mid-term and/or final evaluation. Additionally, please elaborate on the type of evaluation (quasi-experimental, developmental, outcome harvesting, process tracing, etc.).

V. ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS AND BUDGET COMPONENTS

Additional attachments listed below, budget components, and the SF-424s are not part of the proposal narrative and do not count as part of the 10-page limit for the proposal narrative.

▪ Additional Attachments:

o Logic Model/PMP: The logic model/PMP should include theories of change;

goal and objectives; activities; output and outcome indicators; data collection tools; key definitions and risks and assumptions.

o Timeline: The timeline of the overall proposal should include activities, evaluation efforts, and program closeout (not to exceed one [1] page). Please use the GANTT chart template provided.

o Key Personnel: Please include CVs of key personnel that highlight relevant professional experience (not to exceed two [2] pages each).

o Past Performance References (minimum of 3): When past performance information is present, applicants shall furnish award numbers and other details with contact information for no more than three similar programs funded over the past three years by the State Department, or any other government entity or third-party source. The details shall include the following: name of the organization or agency which funded the program(s), award number, point of contact’s name, mailing address, email address and phone number, and the overall dollar value of the program. The applicant must include information on any problems encountered, and the applicant’s corrective action(s). Applicants must not provide general information on their performance. Applicants may describe any quality awards or certificates that indicate exceptional capacity to conduct the program described in this NOFO. Please use the PPR template provided.

o Data Collection and Reporting Plan: Describe how you will collect and share both qualitative and quantitative information from various sources, through your research, activities, and or monitoring efforts. [This is particularly necessary for research and analysis programs but may be relevant for other programs as well. See the attached guidance on data collection and reporting.] o Gender Analysis of Conflict: Submissions must include a gender analysis of conflict. Gender is defined as the socially constructed set of roles, responsibilities, entitlements, and behaviors associated with ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ as contextually defined. These social definitions, and negative consequences for not adhering to them vary among cultures, change over time, and often intersect with other factors including age, class, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion, and gender identity or expression.

The Gender Analysis of Conflict should assess how veterans’ reintegration will affect and be affected by the gendered structures, gender norms, and power relations in Ukraine. This should go beyond simply disaggregating data or assessing the gendered impacts of conflict to provide a comprehensive understanding of institutional practices, cultural norms, gender roles, access to and control over assets and resources, and patterns of decision-making in peace and security. The Gender Analysis of Conflict should address how gender norms interact with other factors to drive or mitigate conflict, the differential impact of conflict on women and men, and the roles of women and men in conflict and peacebuilding. The findings of the gender analysis should be reflected in program design. It is encouraged to take an intersectional and/or gender-responsive approach. Refer to the CSO Gender Analysis of Conflict guidance for sample questions. Applicants must submit a Gender Analysis of Conflict (separate attachment), up to 3 pages. Proposals may also integrate gender findings into the program narrative, if applicable, which will count towards the page limit.

▪ Budget Components:

o Budget Appropriateness: Budgeted items are necessary and sufficient to the achievement of the goal, objectives, activities and program monitoring as presented in the proposal. This should consist of both an Excel budget breakdown and a budget narrative attached as an annex. The budget narrative must include clear, substantive explanations for each line-item and how the amounts were derived, as well as the source and description of all cost-share offered. Refer to the Excel Budget Template for guidance on compiling a budget and associated budget narrative.

o Cost-effectiveness: The Department of State must determine that the costs paid for this award are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed program activities. This will consist of a review of the Budget to determine if the overall costs are realistic for the work to be performed, if the costs reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2 CFR 200 (OMB Circular A-122), and if the costs are consistent with the program narrative.

Programs should seek to produce innovative and cost-effective outcomes that reach more beneficiaries. As per Section C2 of 2 CFR 200, cost-share is not required, but funding contributed by the applicant and other partners shows a commitment to the success of the program. Applicants may incorporate cost-share through leveraging existing programs, partnering, and/or providing in-kind goods and services.

Include a PDF file copy of your organization’s most recent program (A-133 /2 CFR 200) audit, if applicable. If not, please include a copy of your most recent independent audit, if available.

Required Registrations:

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the SAM.gov. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.

Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-grantees obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-grantees is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-grantee.

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

· Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

· Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in SAM.gov.

· Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2022 respectively, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code or CAGE code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or NCAGE code from their SAM.gov registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain a CAGE or NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Proceed to SAM.gov to obtain a UEI and complete the SAM.gov registration process. SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx http://www.fsd.gov/ http://www.fsd.gov/

Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO plan to do business with the DoD in addition to Department of State should follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Apply for an NCAGE code by following the instructions on the NSPA NATO website linked below:

NCAGE Homepage: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspx

NCAGE Code Request Tool (NCRT):

Exemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

· An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.

· For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant…