NOFO#72038623RFA00003 - CWD.pdf

Issue Date: March 16, 2023

Pre-Application Conference: March 23, 2023 8:00 a.m. Indian Standard Time (IST)

Deadline for Questions: March 28, 2023, 11:55 p.m., Indian Standard Time (IST)

Closing Date and Time: April 25, 2023, 11:55 p.m., Indian Standard Time (IST)

Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity #72038623RFA00003

Program Title: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 98.001

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Foundational Literacy and

Numeracy for Children with Disabilities Activity. Eligibility for this award is not restricted, open to all eligible and qualified non-government entities. Therefore, USAID encourages the participation, to the maximum extent possible, of all U.S., local and international non-governmental organizations.

USAID intends to make an award to the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO subject to a risk assessment.

Eligible parties interested in applying are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process.

Subject to the availability of funds, USAID anticipates making a single award as a result of this

NOFO to the applicant who best satisfies the NOFO requirements. To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in

Section C of this NOFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity and to ensure that the NOFO has been received from the internet in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

USAID/India will be hosting a virtual pre-application conference to provide potential applicants with a better understanding of the NOFO requirements. The conference will be held online on

March 23, 2023 from 8a.m. to 10a.m. IST. Participation is limited to only two persons per organization. USAID encourages all interested participants to attend. RSVP by March 21, 2023 to

Ms. Charushila Lal at clal@usaid.gov with a copy to indiarco@usaid.gov to obtain a link to attend the conference. The USAID attendance list is restricted and will not be shared.

USAID may not award an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifiers and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements detailed in SECTION D.

The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, Applicants are encouraged to obtain them early to be eligible to apply for this NOFO.

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in Section D by the deadline shown above. Responses to questions received by the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Cheryl Hodge-Snead

Agreement Officer mailto:clal@usaid.gov mailto:indiarco@usaid.gov http://www.grants.gov/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section A – Program Description

Section B – Federal Award Information

Section C – Eligibility Information

Section D – Application and Submission Information

Section E – Application Review Information

Section F – Federal Award Administration Information

Section G – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

Section H – Other Information

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This funding opportunity is authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. The resulting award will be subject to 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and USAID’s supplement, 2 CFR 700, as well as the additional requirements found in Section F.

FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

A.2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this activity is to enrich and strengthen the mainstream public education ecosystem to support foundational learning outcomes for children with disabilities (henceforth referred to as

CwD). While the corresponding age group for the learners in the foundational learning stage is 3-9 years, some learners with disabilities might be older and will be considered as a part of the main beneficiary group. Given the pervasive lack of data on persons with disabilities, even more so for women and girls with disabilities, including on Learners with Disabilities (LwD), the activity will work with and support the State Education Department and other key government agencies in the collection, and usage of relevant data to inform equitable delivery of program benefits1.

A.2.2 Background and Context

The New Education Policy 20202 of the Government of India (henceforth referred to as NEP) emphasizes on the importance of foundational literacy and numeracy skills. To provide particular focus and concerted effort, the Government of India’s (GoI) Ministry of Education has launched the

National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat

Mission. NIPUN Bharat guidelines outline learning outcomes designed sequentially and progressively from preschool to grade III, aiming at holistic development and learning in the foundational age. USAID’s Education policy also emphasizes the criticality of foundational learning as an essential precursor to school completion with appropriate levels of knowledge, skills and positive attitude. USAID defines foundational skills as reading, math, and social and emotional learning3. In addition to foundational literacy and numeracy skills, gaining social and emotional skills4 is a strong predictor of success in school and in life5. Moreover, the 2018 USAID Education

1 USAID defines inclusive education as an umbrella term that requires a profound cultural shift and positive gender norms shift at the early childhood, primary, secondary and post-secondary education levels in order to create an education system in support for all learners, especially for marginalized populations including girls with disabilities, indigenous populations, LGBTQI+, and other groups.

For the purpose of this NOFO, the focus will be on disability inclusive education and should take an intersectional approach as disability intersects with other facets of identity.

2 https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf USAID (2019). Foundational Skills Development: Learning Agenda. Retrieved November 28, 2022 from:

https://www.globalreadingnetwork.net/sites/default/files/media/file/USAID%20FSD%20Learning%20Agenda.pdf USAID defines social and emotional skills as a “set of cognitive, social, and emotional competencies that children, youth, and adults can learn that allows them to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” (in Shivshanker; Resler; Kaler-Jones; Briceno; and Weisenhorn, How to Integrate Social and Emotional Learning in USAID Basic Education Programs. United States Agency for International Development, 2021, page 2. Retrieved November 2022 from: https://www.edu-links.org/sites/default/files/media/file/USAID_HowtoIntegrateSocialandEmotionalLearning_Final.pdf).

5 USAID (2019). USAID Education: Early Learning and Foundational Skills. Retrieved November 28, 2022 from:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/USAID_Education_EarlyLearning_FactSheet_Apr19.pdf

Policy identifies social and emotional skills as a measurable learning outcome and contributor to the overall wellbeing of children.

India has made substantial gains in universalization of primary education. While the existing programs have brought many erstwhile excluded children to mainstream schools, serious gaps remain for girls, indigenous populations, and LGBTQI+ groups and most of all for children with disabilities . India has an estimated 7.8 million children and youth with disabilities6 under the age of

19. Three-fourths of the CwD are under five years of age, and one-fourth of those with disabilities between ages 5 and 19 years do not attend school. The proportion of CwD who are out of school is much higher than the overall proportion of out-of-school children at the national level.

A.2.3 Challenges

An analysis7 of recent evidence and literature suggests that India faces several challenges in providing age and developmentally appropriate education for foundational literacy and numeracy

(FLN) skills to CwD8. Some of the challenges are discussed below.

a. Early Identification and Intervention: Early intervention is a strong contributor to meeting developmental (and learning) milestones for CwD. Under NEP the Anganwadi Centers are designated as preschool centers and are mandated to ensure early identification and intervention for delays and disabilities. Unfortunately, preschools and community health centers, which should support this task, are generally poorly equipped and lack trained personnel to support early identification of disabilities and delays.

b. Delay in school enrolment: Parental lack of knowledge around, and non-acceptance of disabilities are also responsible for the delay in early interventions and school enrolment.

These beliefs and attitudes often prevent parents from realizing their child's potential, resulting in little or no attempts to enroll their child in school. In 2018-19, only 29.47% of the schools across the country had LwD enrolled, with wide inter-state variation.9

c. Pedagogy: One of the key reasons for the low participation of LwD in education is linked to the lack of appropriately trained preschool and schoolteachers and learning materials, as well as the misunderstanding that pedagogy must match types and levels of disabilities instead of individual ways of learning (which can vary among learners with the same type/level of disability). This is exacerbated by a lack of efforts towards building robust systems that cater to the diversity of learners’ needs and a supportive legislation.

d. Inadequate staffing: A cadre of Special Educators who travel around mainstream schools and communities are the cornerstone of inclusion in the present education system. Every state has reported a severe shortage of Special Educators. Recent data show that each special educator might support as many as 30 schools and manage substantial administrative work resulting in each LwD receiving a meager share of the teachers’ time. Furthermore, their

UNESCO. (2019). The State of Education in India 2019 (p.13). https://en.unesco.org/news/n-nose-state-education-report-india-2019-children-disabilities 7 Rapid Assessment of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities, July 2022, USAID/India CLAIM

Rapid Assessment of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities, July 2022, USAID/India CLAIM NCPEDP. (2021). NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY: Opportunities & Challenges. New Delhi: National Centre for Promotion of

Employment for Disabled People (NCPDP). Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://ncpedp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/WHITE- PAPER_FINAL-1.pdf status is usually low as they are not affiliated with any school and are perceived as visiting teachers, functioning as temporary contracts with low pay grades.

e. Capacity Building: The institutional support for human resource development in the disability sector is primarily based out of the country's eight national institutes and a few universities. Beside a few exceptions, there is a vast difference in the quality of knowledge, skills, and gender sensitivity among special educators trained by the National Institutes and

Universities and those trained by civil society organizations.

f. Inaccessible School Infrastructure: There is a severe lack of basic school infrastructure conducive to LwD at all levels of education in India. While the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment identifies accessibility parameters for schools, these are often neither appropriately understood nor followed. Additionally, the UDISE+ data captures only ramps, railings, and accessible toilets at schools, and while ramps and railings are usually found in many schools, the percentage of accessible toilets is deficient.

g. Governance: Multiple agencies within central and state governments govern the education of LwD: the Ministry of Education leads inclusive education, while the Ministry of Social

Justice/Welfare manages special schools. The National Human Rights Commission, the

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the Chief Commissioner for

Disability, as well as their state counterparts, are the three primary monitoring agencies for children and adults with disabilities. However, there are currently no clearly defined domains, goals or success indicators of the agencies mentioned above, and they have overlapping portfolios along with a lack of coordinating mechanism.

h. Lack of data: A recent assessment commissioned by USAID/India10 could not find data for

FLN instruction for LwD. There is also no single national comprehensive portal related to data on persons with disabilities, including children, as multiple agencies capture the data for their specific domains without coordination. This is especially true for girls and women with disabilities who might experience layered discriminations. A few states, such as Andhra

Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, have developed data portals for capturing data across sectors related to persons with disabilities. However, these data portals only capture data for persons with disabilities who have received disability certificates. As the vast majority of persons with disabilities, including children have not received disability certificates, they do not appear in these databases and remain left out of any entitlements. There is also multiplicity and overlapping of data.

A.2.4 Theory of Change

USAID’s illustrative theory of change for the activity holds that:

If the Government preschools and primary schools have the capacity to plan, implement and monitor equitable access and meaningful learning instruction aligned to a universal design of learning; and if families and communities have improved awareness and positive attitude on disability inclusive education and the skills to support their CwD’s access to foundational learning; and if the relevant stakeholders including Government departments, civil society organizations (counting

DPOs), private sector and communities can develop effective partnerships to support CwD.

then

Rapid Assessment of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities, July 2022, USAID/India CLAIM

Foundational learning outcomes for all children, including children with disabilities will improve.

A.2.5 Objectives and illustrative outcomes

Goal: To enrich and strengthen the mainstream public education ecosystem to support foundational learning outcomes for children with disabilities.

Objective 1: Strengthen the Government’s mainstream service delivery mechanism to ensure foundational learning outcomes for learners with disabilities.

It is critical to work closely with mainstream educational systems to make them inclusive and accessible to learners with disabilities as defined by the International Disability Alliance11 to achieve the goal of equal societies. An inclusive, learner friendly school and classroom environment needs rethinking around curriculum, classroom practices, teacher preparation and systemic data collection and monitoring systems, along with analysis and localized research. There is also a need to massively expand and innovate around enabling technologies for learners with disabilities. Illustrative outcomes might include, but not limited to,

● Timely detection of delays and disabilities.

● Improved curriculum and teacher (including special teachers) practices to address and include diverse learning needs and abilities.

● Robust data systems to feed into planning, resource allocation and implementation for inclusive preschools and schools.

● Access to scalable and effective enabling technological aids and tools for children with disabilities.

Objective 2: Identify, address and overcome attitudinal barriers and stereotypes towards children with disabilities in families and communities.

It is important to closely engage with families and communities towards a positive mindset and outlook for children with disabilities to facilitate inclusion in families, schools and communities.

Families play a critical role in ensuring timely preschool and school enrolment as well as regular attendance for positive early learning gains. Illustrative outcomes might include, but not limited to:

● Improved family and community awareness and knowledge around school participation for their CwD

● Strengthened family and community understanding on existing provisions and entitlements around The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) and Right to Education (RtE) Acts as well as Government schemes around education, income and livelihoods programs especially for people and youth with disabilities.

Objective 3: Facilitate effective partnerships between relevant Government departments, civil society, the private sector and communities in support of children with disabilities.

11 IDA Inclusive Education Report | International Disability Alliance https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/577801468259486686/pdf/502090WP0Peopl1Box0342042B01PUBLIC1.pdf https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ida-inclusive-education-2020

Nurturing long term systemic partnerships that involve all stakeholders is critical to achieve the objective of inclusive schooling systems and sustain the progress made. There is a need for convergence between various schemes and implementation mechanisms adopted by various government and departments to provide sustained and seamless support to CwD and their families.

Illustrative outcomes might include, but not limited to,

● Collaborative decision making, resource allocation and implementation mechanisms among representatives from state and district agencies for Health, Integrated Child Development

Services, Education and Social Justice through inter and multisectoral coordination.

● Effective private sector engagement in terms of innovative ideas and tools especially enabling technology and financial contribution towards enabling access to foundational learning for LwD.

Managing activity priorities

The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for LwD activity will approach all interventions using principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)12, based upon the premise that all children and youth learn differently and as a result, the activity needs to provide learners with pathways to

(1) be engaged, motivated and to learn through multiple means

(2) receive information in various ways

(3) express their learning in multiple ways.

The application of UDL in the FLN activity may apply to areas including, but not limited to; teacher training, development of teaching and learning materials, designing and administering learning assessments.

While all objectives are important for the success of the activity, not all objectives may be addressed to the same extent. The decision on which interventions should be prioritized should be based on several considerations:

1. The quantity, quality, relevance, and conclusiveness of available evidence: interventions with India-specific, high quality, conclusive evidence may not need to be re-piloted but may benefit from implementation research and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA).

2. Theory on causal linkages between (one or multiple) interventions and outputs and outcomes:

While theory might suggest that some interventions contribute significantly to a particular outcome on their own, other interventions might only show efficacy bundled with other interventions with which they have mutually reinforcing interactions and synergies.

The applicant is encouraged to make evidence informed programming choices regarding the design, prioritization, and sequencing of the interventions to be implemented in targeted locations.

12 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. UDL’s goal is to support learners to become “expert learners” who are purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal driven. Instead of changing the learner, UDL aims to change the design of learning environments to reduce barriers so that all learners can engage in rigorous, meaningful learning. The UDL Guidelines provide a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Activity structure

USAID estimates a total budget of up to $15 million over five years, inclusive of a three-year base period and an option period of two years. The total funding of the three-year Base period is $10 million. The objective during Base period would be to work closely with the relevant Government departments to implement and create evidence around a Foundational Learning Program for CwD.

Emphasis during Base period would be on adaptation of the program based on lessons learned during implementation and leveraging existing efforts of all the ecosystem actors including USAID, Government and civil society organizations towards developing an evidence-based model on inclusion. The total funding for the 2-year Renewal period is $5 million and may be initiated based on the program performance and Government’s commitment and approval for Universalization of the inclusive model. It will also depend on availability of funds, financial terms being met, the achievement of compliance, and contingent on positive results from a performance evaluation of activities implemented during the Base period. The is to be implemented in close coordination with the Government of India (GoI), State Education Department of the identified state, and other relevant organizations.

Focus on Localization

The activity design should facilitate programming that is able to place local communities in the lead to co-design a project, set priorities, drive implementation, and/or evaluate the impact of our programs. This includes ensuring local civil society organizations engagement processes during the life cycle of the activity. Also, local governments and community-based organizations such as PRIs remain the most important stakeholders for the activity and is to be involved to ensure sustainability and impact of the activity.

Geographic scope

In line with the Mission’s CDCS, the activity will test interventions in up to two states delivering technical, management, operational, and pedagogical support to assist the mainstream preschools and schools to establish and implement inclusive foundational learning programs. The objective is to determine best practices and implementation approach as well as cost effectiveness. The geographic state selection will be done based on the following criterion.

● Documented poor levels of inclusion especially for LwD in Government mainstream preschools and schools.

● States’ active commitment towards improving foundational learning outcomes for LwD, as measured by the percentage of the state revenue dedicated to Basic Education and specific inclusion-based interventions.

● Evidence of systemic reform or systemic appetite for inclusion-based programming in mainstream preschools and schools

● Potential for in-state partnerships including private sector, foundations, and/or other actors predisposed to contribute financial, material, or technical inputs to support the states’ development of efficient and effective systems for foundational learning instruction for LwD.

USAID’s own landscape assessment in 2019 prioritized the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Chhattisgarh for foundational learning activities. A rapid assessment study undertaken in 2022 indicated the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh have potential for preschool and school-based programming on foundational learning for LwD. It may also be noted that presently, USAID is implementing its educational activities in the states of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Telangana, Delhi (part), Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttar

Pradesh.

Note: These states are for informational purpose only. For the present activity the applicant can prioritize any state/s based on the above mentioned criterion.

A.2.7 Link to Agency priorities

USAID’s strategic goal in India from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2024 is India Accelerates its Own

Inclusive Development and Fosters Enhanced Regional Connectivity. The FLN for LwD in India activity will contribute to USAID’s Development Objective (DO) under its broader goal to improve the human development of marginalized populations in India. Specifically, the activity will contribute to the intermediate result (IR) of enhancing the Government of India’s effectiveness in education and health reforms.

Under the USAID/India Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), inclusive development is a key theme woven throughout its programming. It states: In a joint effort with the

GoI (for later scale-up and roll-out across the country) and the private sector (to determine private sector solutions, leverage resources, and bring innovation), USAID/India will implement innovative health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and education solutions for people who are typically denied full access to social and economic programs [...]. Improving outcomes in these areas will help the marginalized break free (in targeted Indian states) from the cycle of poverty that currently maintains their exclusion and marginalization from productive participation in society and improve

India’s human development.

The activity will play a critical role in achieving these strategic aims to support LwD in the acquisition of foundational skills.

A.2.8 Guiding principles

Gender and Social Inclusion

Promoting gender equality and advancing the status of all women and girls worldwide is vital to achieving U.S. foreign policy and development objectives. Available evidence indicates, compared to boys, girls with disabilities are at greater risk of neglect in family settings. Statistics show that school enrolment of girls with disabilities is persistently lower than that of boys with disabilities.

“The GPI (gender parity index) of LwD from 2014-15 to 2018-19 indicates [... that the ratio between the girls and boys with disabilities remains between 0.74-0.7 in school education.13” While the

ASER 2018 report states that the percentage of girls without disabilities out of school has decreased from 2008 to 201814, it does not capture exact data pointers for LwD. There is a deep lack of data on

NCPEDP. (2021). NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY: Opportunities & Challenges. New Delhi: National Centre for Promotion of

Employment for Disabled People (NCEPDP). Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://ncpedp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/WHITE- PAPER_FINAL-1.pdf

ASER. (2018). Annual Status of Education Report 2018. New Delhi: ASER Centre. Retrieved May 15, 2022, from http://img.asercentre.org/docs/ASER%202018/Release%20Material/aserreport2018.pdf persons with disabilities in all spheres of life, including in education, in India. This is especially true for girls and women with disabilities who might experience layered discriminations. Most available data about gendered educational outcomes in India do not reliably reflect the experiences of people with disabilities or LGBTQI+ people.

USAID understands that education programs are most effective when they account for gender-related challenges in order to meet the unique needs of learners and educators in each context and strives to improve the collection of quality data to inform equitable delivery of program benefits.

This proposed activity aims to benefit all learners with disabilities and benefit all genders in their diversity. This activity will be inclusive and contribute to the advancement of gender equality in

India, promote equitable gender norms, and increase the capability of women and girls, in all their diversity, at the classroom/school level, as well as, at the system level. Hence the activity will align its implementation with USAID's Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy, Policy

Paper on Disability, Promoting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2020 Policy (PRO-IP Policy), and

Youth Policy 2022

Please consult USAID ADS 205: Integrating Gender Equality and Female Empowerment in

USAID’s Program Cycle to learn more about relevant gender considerations and integrating gender equality and female empowerment throughout this activity. The efforts will be designed, in consultation with different communities, to and will benefit everyone equally and equitably.

Development efforts must, therefore, be aimed towards three interrelated goals: 1) create and promote safe and inclusive education learning environments and resources for learners and educators with disabilities and of all gender; 2) families of learners with disabilities, especially girls, can meaningfully participate in decision-making about education programs, and 3) educators and learning materials provide gender transformative pedagogy that combats harmful gender norms.

Sustainability

A key component of this activity is the sustainability of the interventions. USAID defines sustainability as how the project will be supported and can continue without donor funding. For the results achieved to continue and evolve after USAID assistance ends, the activity must work to unlock these changes within the targeted local system, in close coordination with the above-mentioned potential partners. For long term change there will be a need to work towards (i) detailed policy and implementation mechanism coordination mechanisms with these GoI agencies at the state, and district levels to provide policy direction and support; (ii) specific directives for the proposed changes in district/school organization and administration in the primary schools and

Anganwadis; (iii) the deployment of relevant pedagogy and materials, including teacher training;

and (iv) the requisite budget allocations for the participating districts, blocks, and schools.

Coordination and Collaboration

USAID/India will utilize a co-creation approach with the successful applicant to finalize the program description and the consortium framework. The successful applicant will also be expected to engage with the Ministry and State department of Education and Social Justice and Empowerment amongst others, academic and training institutions, local disabled persons organizations (DPOs), other civil society organizations including those which are managed by and for persons with disabilities (also known as organizations of persons with disabilities or OPDs) and private sector specialized in https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USAID_GenderEquality_Policy_MT_WEB_single_508.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDABQ631.pdf https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDABQ631.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1866/USAID-IndigenousPeoples-Policy-mar-2020.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/USAID-Youth-in-Development-Policy-2022-Update-508.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/USAID-Youth-in-Development-Policy-2022-Update-508.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/USAID-Youth-in-Development-Policy-2022-Update-508.pdf working with CwD. Finally, this activity will also coordinate with other USAID-funded activities and leverage the work of other relevant actors and stakeholders to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication of efforts. The aim is to collaborate and coordinate efforts with and amongst relevant local actors to catalyze change within the local systems and build the evidence and model for this intervention to be picked up by GoI and its partners and continued well after USAID assistance ends.

Private Sector Engagement

Private sector engagement is a cornerstone of USAID’s strategic approach and overall operating model in India as it plays a vital role in addressing the root causes of development challenges through market-based solutions and investments across all areas of our work.

USAID encourages long term strategic engagement with the private sector to enhance the effectiveness and development impact of its programing for basic education for learners with disabilities. Illustrative areas15 of work could include:

● Support for private implementers: Supporting innovative private sector models for delivery of foundational learning that is accessible to learners with disabilities, community and parental engagement, capacity building and training of teachers / Anganwadi workers, and assessment. This support could be in the form of direct financing, capacity building, market linkages, government engagement, and

● Partnerships with private financiers: Catalyzing additional financing for inclusive programming from the private sector, including CSR donors, other philanthropic organizations, and impact investors.

Leverage

Leverage is defined as anything of value that is measured, financial contributions, third party contributions, donated services or property, or intellectual property. USAID/India requires the applicant to leverage resources from either private or public resources. The applicant will work towards leveraging resources- programmatic and financial, from both the private and public partners to enable the activity to engage in interventions that are of shared interest and that are sustainable and will enable the interventions to be continued after the Activity ends.

Note, these examples are illustrative only, not prescriptive, and are meant to demonstrate the breadth of technical offerings that Applicants should expect to provide during the implementation period.

LIST OF ANALYTICAL AND INFORMATION RESOURCES

● Rapid Assessment of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities, July 2022, USAID/India CLAIM.

● USAID/India Country Development Cooperation Strategy, January 1, 2020 to December

31, 2024

● USAID/India Performance Management Plan

● Integrating Local Knowledge in Development Programming, USAID/PPL/LER, July 2022

● USAID How-To Note Disability Inclusive Education, November, 2018;

https://inee.org/sites/default/files/resources/How-

ToNote_DisabilityInclusiveEducation_0.pdf

● MoE. (2021). NIPUN Bharat - Guidelines for Implementation. New Delhi: Govt. of India.

_fi

● NCPEDP. (2021). NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY: Opportunities & Challenges. New

Delhi: National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCEPDP).

● NIPUN BHARAT. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://diksha.gov.in/

:https://diksha.gov.in/fln.html

World Bank. (2009). People with Disabilities in India: From Commitments to Outcomes.

https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/577801468259486686/pdf/502090WP0Peopl

1Box0342042B01PUBLIC1.pdf

● International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, Creating

Disability Inclusive ID Systems, 2020

[END OF SECTION A]

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY.

https://inee.org/sites/default/files/resources/How-ToNote_DisabilityInclusiveEducation_0.pdf https://inee.org/sites/default/files/resources/How-ToNote_DisabilityInclusiveEducation_0.pdf https://diksha.gov.in/ https://diksha.gov.in/fln.html https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/577801468259486686/pdf/502090WP0Peopl1Box0342042B01PUBLIC1.pdf https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/577801468259486686/pdf/502090WP0Peopl1Box0342042B01PUBLIC1.pdf

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

B.1 Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated

USAID intends to award one Cooperative Agreement with option for renewal period pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide U.S. $10,000,000 in total USAID funding for the Base period of implementation up to a three-year period. If USAID decides to renew the award in accordance with the process detailed in this NOFO, USAID intends to provide $5,000,000 to renew the agreement for a Renewal period of an additional two (2) year period. This equates to a combined total of

$15,000,000 and up to a maximum period of performance for five-year. USAID reserves the right to change funding amounts and terms of the resulting Cooperative Agreement as a result of availability of funds and U.S. Government requirements.

B.2 Expected Performance Indicators, Targets, Baseline Data, and Data Collection

Goal: To enrich and strengthen the mainstream public education ecosystem to support foundational learning outcomes for children with disabilities.

Objective 1: Strengthen the Government’s mainstream service delivery mechanism to ensure foundational learning outcomes for learners with disabilities.

Objective 2: Identify, address and overcome attitudinal barriers and stereotypes towards children with disabilities in families and communities.

Objective 3: Facilitate effective partnerships between relevant Government departments, civil society, the private sector and communities in support of children with disabilities.

Anticipated results and indicators

1. Number of functional facilities(preschools, schools, health centers) for timely detection of delays and disabilities.

2. Number and percentage of mainstream government preschools and schools with improved physical access to LwD

3. Number and percentage of LwD enrolled and regularly attending Government preschools and schools

4. Improved learning outcomes for LwD in foundational learning.

5. Number of collaborative events/trainings/workshops/onsite mentoring visits for the special teachers and regular teachers for joint strategizing on inclusion of LwD

6. Number of collaboratives means such as events and agreements set up between Government departments to enable effective interdepartmental coordination

7. Amount of contribution and commitment demonstrated by the private sector to improve mainstream service delivery.

8. Number of ICT and assistive technologies available for LwD for improving their educational access.

B.3 Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Awards

The period of performance anticipated up to five years with an initial Base period of 36 months, subject to Renewal period for an additional 24 months. The estimated start date will be upon the signature of the award.

B.4 Award Renewal

The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities will be a Cooperative

Agreement that allows the phased implementation of the programmatic activities, within the five-year maximum period of performance. The activity under this NOFO envisages two periods of implementation. From the onset of the agreement, the Base period, the applicant implements the specific activities stated in the Section A of this NOFO for an initial period of three-years (36 months).

USAID will conduct the mid-term and final programmatic review of the Base period activities at 15 months and 30 months after the award respectively. Based on the successful achievement of the following renewal conditions USAID will invite the applicant to submit the detailed application for the Renewal period. Below are the Renewal period conditions:

● Subject to availability of funds, USAID will invite the applicant to submit a detailed application to continue implementation of the Renewal period activities.

● USAID will assess the applicant’s progress towards meeting the award objectives based on the results of the final programmatic review of the Base period of implementation.

● USAID will also assess and take into consideration the timely submission of the required program reports both technical and financial.

● USAID will also review the applicant’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the award including the renewal conditions including the required risk-assessment requirements.

● As part of the re-application process, if required, USAID may revise the award and define further activities within the general program description of the award.

Based on the successful achievement of the renewal conditions as stated above, the applicant must reapply for the Renewal period activities at least three months prior to the completion of the Base period of implementation.

If the Renewal period is executed, the start date of the renewal period will be concurrent with the expiration date of the Base period to prevent a break in the activities or funding. In the event the award is not renewed, USAID will inform the recipient in a timely manner and provide sufficient time to complete the program activities prior to the end date of the initial award period.

B.5 Substantial Involvement

In accordance with ADS 303.3.11, USAID will remain substantially involved over the life of the

Cooperative Agreement to assist the Recipient in achieving the expected outcomes and results of the program. Some examples of potential areas of substantial involvement during performance include the following:

● Approval of recipient's implementation plans during performance.

● Approval of key recipient personnel; and

● Joint participation will be necessary to ensure achievement of key objectives during the performance of the activity.

NOTE: This Substantial Involvement section is subject to change following the Co-Creation Workshop and submission of the Final Application Phase.

B,6 Authorized Geographic Code

The authorized geographic code for the procurement of services and commodities is 937. Code 937 is defined as the United States, the recipient country (India), and developing countries, but excluding any country that is a prohibited source. There are currently no prohibited source countries, but the list is updated regularly and can be found here:

http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1864/310mac.pdf.

B.7 Nature of the Relationship between USAID and the Recipient

The principal purpose of the relationship with the Recipient and under the subject program is to transfer funds to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Learners with Disabilities which is authorized by Federal statute. The successful

Recipient will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the program objectives and the efficient and effective administration of the award through the application of sound management practices. The Recipient will assume responsibility for administering Federal funds in a manner consistent with underlying agreements, program objectives, and the terms and conditions of the

Federal award.

[END OF SECTION B]

http://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1864/310mac.pdf

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1 Eligible Applicants

Eligibility for this NOFO is not restricted, open to all eligible and qualified U.S., local and international non-governmental entities. An organization may submit only one (1) application under this notice of funding opportunity. However, organizations participating as a member of a consortium may elect to participate in another consortium for a different Concept Paper in response to this NOFO.

Pursuant to 2CFR 200.400(g), it is USAID policy not to award profit under assistance instruments such as Cooperative Agreements. While for-profit organizations may participate, pursuant to 2 CFR

700.13(a)(1), Prohibition against Profit, no profit will be paid to any for- profit entity receiving or administering Federal financial assistance as a recipient or subrecipient.

USAID welcomes organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.

Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

C.2 Leverage

Leverage is defined as anything of value that is measured, financial contributions, third party contributions, donated services or property, or intellectual property. USAID/India encourages the applicant to leverage resources from either private or public resources. The applicant will work towards leveraging resources- programmatic and financial, from both the private and public partners to enable the activity to engage in interventions that are of shared interest and that are sustainable and will enable the interventions to be continued after the Activity ends.

C.3 Other

C.3.1 SAM REGISTRATION

Applicants must have successfully registered in SAM (System for Award Management) prior to submitting a full application. Applicants must also provide a valid UEI number in the SF424 form to be submitted along with a full application. For those who have previously registered in SAM, they must renew and maintain an active SAM registration during the time they have concept notes or applications under consideration by a federal awarding agency or during active Federal award.

However, applicants are advised to start the process now.

C.3.2 PRE-AWARD RISK ASSESSMENT

The Apparently Successful Applicant (ASA) will be responsible for ensuring achievement of the objectives described in the NOFO. Thus, an ASA must be a responsible entity. Prior to making an award under this NOFO, USAID may perform a pre-award survey for organizations that are new to working with USAID or for organizations with outstanding audit findings. Accounting systems, audit issues and management capability questions may be reviewed as part of this process.

Depending on the result of the risk assessment, USAID may determine to execute the award, not execute the award, or award with “specific conditions” (2 CFR 200.207). If notified by USAID that a pre-award survey is necessary, applicants must prepare in advance to provide the required information and documents. A pre-award survey does not commit USAID to make an award to any organization.

The Agreement Officer (AO) will decide on whether to subject the ASA to a pre-award survey, and based on the results, will make a determination if the prospective recipient is a responsible entity, whether the prospective recipient has the necessary organization, experience, accounting, and operational controls, financial resources, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with the terms and conditions of the award. The

Agreement Officer reserves the right to perform a pre-award survey for any entity.

Additionally, at the time of the renewal of the award, the applicant along with the request for renewal application must submit a new set of SF-424 and a new set of certifications, assurances, representations, and other statements for risk assessment. Depending on the results of the risk assessment at the renewal of the award, the AO will make the final determination for the execution of the renewal award.

[END OF SECTION C]

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1 Agency Point of Contacts

Cheryl Hodge-Snead

Title: Agreement Officer

Email: indiarco@usaid.gov

Charushila Lal

Title: Acquisition and Assistance Specialist

Email: indiarco@usaid.gov

D.2 Questions and Answers

Questions regarding this NOFO should be submitted indiarco@usaid.gov, with a copy to clal@usaid.gov no later than the date and time indicated on the cover letter, as amended. Unless otherwise notified by an amendment to the NOFO, no questions will be accepted after the due date. Any information given to a prospective applicant concerning this NOFO will be furnished promptly to all other prospective applicants as an amendment to this NOFO, if that information is necessary in submitting applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective applicant.

Applicants must not submit questions to any other USAID staff. All the submission of questions application files submitted must be compatible with Microsoft (MS) Office in a MS Windows environment and/or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). The subject of each e-mail must read as follows: NOFO

# 72038623RFA00003 - Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for Children with Disabilities.

D.3 General Content and Form of Application

Applicants are to review, understand and comply with all aspects of this NOFO and ensure all necessary documents are complete and received at USAID on time. Failure to do so will result in the submission being considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. All submissions received by the stated deadlines in the NOFO and determined responsive will be reviewed in accordance with the review criteria contained in Section E of this NOFO.

Each applicant must furnish the information required by this NOFO for each phase and must be submitted in accordance with the instructions provided under Section D. Any erasures or other changes to the application must be initiated by the person signing the application.