Pacific Islands Good Governance NOFO Q&A Final.pdf

U.S. Department of State

Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Questions and Answers

Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0005969

1) We are aware that the United States has an important historical relationship with certain subregions of the Pacific Islands under its formal Compacts of Free Association with the

Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and

Palau. At the same time, the NOFO indicates that a successful implementing organization will be required to engage with the Pacific Community Regional Resource Rights Team and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, whose memberships and work span the Pacific

Islands. Does EAP have particular geographic preferences or are bidders encouraged to work in all subregions of the Pacific Islands?

a. Applicants are encouraged to work in all subregions of the Pacific Islands.

However, projects working only in some Pacific Island countries will also be considered.

2) Are there specific templates for the Logic Model and M&E Performance Indicator attachments that should be used, or can bidders use their own format?

a. There are no specific templates for M&E and logic models, applicants may use their own formats.

3) Would for-profit firms be eligible to apply for the Pacific Islands Good Governance

Initiative, either as a prime or a sub, if they forego any profit for this opportunity?

a. For-profits entities are not eligible to apply as the prime recipient. However, it is permissible for an eligible recipient to sub-award to a for-profit entity if it is in the interests of the program and approved by Department of State.

4) Wouldn't it be safer to allow multiple awardees for smaller amounts? Single recipient for full funding seems like it carries much more risk than to allow multiple smaller awards. Wondering if you could clarify or share any information.

a. EAP is interested in making one award not to exceed $12,000,000, pending the availability of funds.

5) Page 2 of the NOFO highlights priorities for proposals to address. These priorities are grouped into three areas of governance – Sound Governance, Just Governance and

Responsive Governance. The instructions indicate that offerors can address one or more of these priority areas. Within each priority area a number of specific sub-priorities are listed. Within a given priority area, must offerors address each specific sub-priority, or are offerors at liberty to choose from among these sub-priorities?

a. Offerers are at liberty to choose to work in a subset of the list of sub-priorities.

6) Page 2 of the NOFO indicates that offerors are “required to work with both leading

Pacific regional organizations on governance, including the Pacific Community (SPC)

Regional Resource Rights Team (RRRT) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

(PIFS).” The use of the word “including” could indicate there are other regional organizations that offerors might work with. Please confirm that offerors must include work with both of the listed organizations.

a. Yes, there may be other Pacific regional organizations that offerers might partner with on this project; for example, on environmental governance offerers might wish to partner with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional

Environment Program (SPREP), or on law enforcement issues with the

Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP). The Pacific Islands Forum

Secretariat plays a leading role in the Pacific region through convening

Pacific Islands leaders to set the regional policy agenda and leading implementation through the Council of Regional Organizations of the

Pacific. The Pacific Community (SPC) Regional Resource Rights Team

(RRRT) is the region’s leading institution focused on human rights and assists Pacific Islands governments to meet human rights and good governance commitments. Projects that work with both PIFS and SPC/RRRT are strongly preferred, however, projects that propose working with either PIFS or

SPC/RRRT will be considered.

7) Do proposed sub-awardees need to obtain DUNS and NCAGE numbers, and register on www.sam.gov prior to the submission of a proposal?

a. No, proposed sub-awardees are not required to have DUNS, NCAGE, or www.sam.gov registration prior to the prime-awardees submission of a proposal. However, funds to the proposed sub-awardee may restricted until those requirements are completed.

8) P.6 “Attachments” c) - Could you please clarify if the page limit for the Monitoring and

Evaluation Performance Indicator Table” is “up to four pages” or 5 pages (p.5-9)?

a. The M&E page limit is four (4) full pages

9) P.6 “Attachments” e) - Could you please clarify if letters of support/MoUs are part of the

13-page attachment limit?

a. No, letters of support or MOUs are not part of the 13-page limit.

10) P.9 “D.5 Funding Restrictions” – Could you please clarify what is meant by

“participation from PIF countries”? How would this participation differ from that of ESF-eligible countries?

a. PIF countries that are not ESF-eligible may attend regional trainings or workshops funded under the grant, but grant funding may not be used to fund any direct costs associated with their participation (e.g., travel, lodging, per diem). Grant funding may also not be used to fund any country-specific activities for PIF countries that are not ESF-eligible.

11) P.11 “Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives” – Could you please clarify if applicants need to submit a comprehensive monthly work plan in their proposal?

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

a. A fully comprehensive monthly workplan is not required at this stage.

However, applicants should very clearly outline how they intend to achieve objectives, including detailing how activities will be conducted.

12) Could you please clarify whether regional activities that invite participants from multiple eligible countries is allowed, as opposed to country-specific activities?

a. Yes, regional activities that invite participants from multiple eligible countries is allowed. PIF countries that are not ESF-eligible may also be invited to such events, but grant funds may not be used to fund any direct costs associated with their participation (e.g., travel, lodging, per diem).

13) P.3. “B. Federal Award Information: Approval of sub-award Recipients” – Must sub-award recipients be identified in the proposal process, or is there a possibility to add sub-award recipients at a later date?

a. If an applicant has identified sub-award recipients, those organizations should be included in their proposal. However, it is also possible to add/identify sub-award recipients at a later date.

14) P.3. ““B. Federal Award Information: Country specific approvals (if applicable)” – Will the management of the program be conducted through the U.S. Embassy DOS program management team in Fiji, or in Manila? Are other Embassies (i.e., Samoa, RMI) intended to serve as points of contact for the program?

a. The program will be managed from Washington, D.C., in coordination with

U.S. Embassies in the region.