PKG00252301-instructions.docx

DEPARTMENT OF STATE- Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)

Contents

Executive Summary

The Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) is pleased to issue this request for Statements of Interest and Capacity (SOIC) from organizations with the capacity to implement projects and programs that are innovative, agile and impactful to assist CSO with its various worldwide missions as they arise. All SOICs will be reviewed against the stated criteria outlined below in this announcement. Organizations which have submitted acceptable SOICs will be registered and placed on a list maintained by CSO. Pre-qualified organizations may be invited at any time in the next 3 years to submit a proposal to respond to a specific CSO engagement need or other activity that would benefit from partnering with a non-Federal government organization. Due to the rapid response nature of CSO’s engagements, pre-qualified organizations should be prepared to respond to subsequent invitations for proposals within a short time, such as within 10 working days. U.S. and non-U.S. registered organizations, including non-profit and for-profit are eligible to submit a SOIC for consideration.

Background Information

The Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) is part of the Under Secretariat for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J) within the Department of State (DOS). CSO's mission is to anticipate, prevent, and respond to conflicts that undermine U.S. national security or economic interests. Not every conflict warrants U.S. intervention. Yet there are instances when instability harms U.S. national security or interests. The gains of U.S. military and counter-terrorism operations can evaporate when not paired with effective stabilization. When conflict threatens us or our allies, narrows our access to reach foreign markets, or signals vulnerability to negative actors, CSO provides the expertise needed to respond.

Building more effective partnerships with capable implementing organizations with experience in conflict prevention and stabilization activities is integral to the CSO mission and as such, CSO seeks to identify qualified partners, facilitators and implementers from among private and nonprofit entities. Funding may be made available for flexible, rapid, targeted, and high-impact awards to organizations to prevent, mitigate and/or respond to conflict situations and stabilize countries around the world. They may be bilateral, regional, or global in scope. Some examples of past CSO engagements are:

Bangladesh:

CSO solicited a Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) local capacity-development program from the SOIC in 2016. The program includes sub-grants to public services organizations (PSOs) to design and test pilot programs to address VE drivers, improve sub-grantees’ M&E capacity, and convene a coalition of PSOs for proven VE solutions.

Liberia/Guinea:

CSO solicited an Early Warning, Early Response (EWER) project in 2015 to mitigate the risk of violence around elections in Liberia and Guinea through local-level observers and early responders, to complement regional-level EWER.

Global:

CSO solicited a worldwide election violence forecasting project in 2017. The program includes quantitative mixed-method analysis and a prediction market to forecast the likelihood and profile of violence surrounding key elections, and policy-relevant research.

The above examples are illustrative only. CSO does not seek SOICs that specifically address the engagements described above.

Objective and Priority Areas

CSO seeks SOICs from qualified organizations for targeted projects and programs that demonstrate a strategic approach to anticipating, preventing, and responding to conflict. Applicants should demonstrate experience administering successful projects and programs in various regions of the world. Specifically, organizations should demonstrate their experience or capacity to accomplish missions in transitional or post-conflict countries and regions as well as an ability and desire to work with sub-national groups. Organizations must provide examples of their experience working with local organizations in countries affected by conflict.

General CSO program activities may include the following sectors, as reflected in the accompanying Matrix:

Technical sectors:

1. Research and Analysis

· Opinion polling, network analysis, social media analysis, mixed methods research, policy briefs

2. Atrocities Prevention

· Atrocities prevention analysis, atrocities detection and documentation, remote imaging and analysis, survey design and implementation, social media analysis, dangerous speech monitoring, countering dangerous speech, journalist capacity building, anti-atrocity training for security forces, early warning/early response, mediation capacity building, prejudice and threat perception reduction, design of atrocity accountability mechanisms

3. Countering Violent Extremism

· Violent extremism and resiliency assessments, survey design and implementation, social media monitoring, counter-messaging, capacity-building of local leaders and organizations, community engagement, community-oriented policing, rehabilitation and reintegration, deradicalization, community-based interventions, monitoring and evaluation, drafting strategies and action plans

4. Defections and Disengaged Fighters

· Network analysis of armed groups, defections messaging, community messaging, legal reform, vetting/screening/intake processes, community engagement, prison reintegration, amnesty programs

5. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR)/Security Sector Reform (SSR)

· Demobilization, reinsertion programming, engaging with non-state armed groups, transitional security, hybrid state/non-state security models, interim security arrangements, integration, 3rd generation DDR, community policing/auxiliary police models

6. Electoral Violence

· Electoral violence risk assessments, survey design and implementation, early warning/early response networks, security sector/community partnerships

7. Peace Process

· Negotiations analysis, survey design and implementation, coalition building, mobilizing experts/advisory support, negotiation and mediation support to parties or processes, ceasefires and security arrangements, political reconciliation

8. Political Transitions

· Transitional justice, transition planning, scenario-based planning, mentorship and capacity-building, constitutional reform, strategic communications, coalition/dialogue-building, political reconciliation

9. Stabilization

· Network analysis, transition planning, scenario-based planning, civil-military planning, security sector reform, security institutions/militia management, mentorship and capacity-building, strategic communications, coalition/dialogue-building, constitutional reform, local level governance, political reconciliation

10. Women, Peace and Security

· Gender analysis, women’s leadership and participation, gender-based violence, gender indicators, gender aspects of security sector reform

11. Conflict Economics

· Conflict economy assessments, survey design and implementation, early warning/early response, building data collection capacity, econometric analysis

Applicant/Organization Criteria

U.S. and non-U.S. registered organizations (non-profits and for-profits) are eligible to submit a SOIC for consideration. For-profit organizations, including small and disadvantaged businesses, may apply, but such organizations may not generate a profit from CSO-funded activities.

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. Organizations applying as part of a consortium may also apply as an individual organization.

CSO also encourages non-U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to apply.

Please note: CSO does not intend to provide funding directly to any organization solely as a result of this announcement. Once specific engagements are determined, pre-qualified organizations with the required experience and skill sets may be invited to submit proposals in response. Those proposals will then be evaluated against stated, specific criteria and awards will be made to the successful pre-qualified organization as deemed in the best interest of the U.S. Government. Due to the urgent nature of CSO’s engagements, pre-qualified organizations may be asked to respond to subsequent Requests for Proposals (RFP) or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) within 10 working days. CSO will not reimburse SOIC applicants for proposal preparation costs.

Technical Requirements for SOIC Submissions

Applications MUST include the following three parts:

1. Statement of interest and capacity (Narrative)

2. Matrix of technical sectors and countries experience (Matrix)

3. Summaries of experience by technical sector (Summaries)

Do not submit additional documents not requested above. Submission of additional documents may disqualify the applicant.

Statement of Interest and Capacity (Narrative) – 5 pages:

A Statement of Interest and Capacity document not to exceed 5 pages, 12 font, Times New Roman, single-spaced on A4 size paper. No CVs are required. The Narrative should include the following criteria:

1. Organization’s structure and mission. The description should also include the organization’s principle areas of interest and a representative list of clients.

2. Representative engagements. Applicants are encouraged to highlight selected past or present projects and programs conducted no earlier than the past five years, that are innovative, cross-cutting and agile, and relevant to CSO.

3. Networks and partnerships. Provide examples of the organization’s network of internal and external experts, and existing partnerships and/or coalitions with other government institutions, multilateral and regional organizations, international NGOs, think-tanks and academic institutions. Host country small or local community-based NGOs and other civil society organizations are of particular interest.

4. Rapid project start-up. Due to the rapid response nature of CSO’s engagements, pre-qualified organizations should be prepared to respond to subsequent invitations for proposals within a very short period, typically 10 working days, and begin work as quickly as possible. Provide examples of your organization’s ability to rapidly start a project after the award date.

Matrix of Technical Sectors & Country Experience (Matrix):

In Tab 1 of the attached Matrix in Microsoft Excel, indicate the technical sectors in which your organization has worked within the last five (5) years by marking an X in the corresponding column.

In Tab 2 of the attached Matrix in Microsoft Excel, for each technical sector, indicate the countries in which you have performed work in that sector. Please enter each country in a separate column. There is no need to rank them in priority.

Summary of Activites by Sector (Summary):

For each technical sector in which the organization has performed work (as indicated in Tab 1 of the Matrix), provide up to a one page overview of the organization’s capabilities. The overview should reference the types of activities listed in Section III above (Objective and Priority Areas) and checked on the Matrix. Information should clearly demonstrate the organization’s record and capacity within the last five years, highlighting quantifiable results and relevance to CSO. If no items are checked in a particular sector, no summary should be provided. This summary may not be more than 11 pages total.

Competitive Review Process

All SOICs will be screened to determine whether they meet the technical requirements stated in this announcement. SOICs that do not meet the requirements listed above will not be eligible for consideration.

Successful SOICs will be reviewed by a panel comprised of individuals with knowledge and experience in conflict stabilization programming and regional expertise. The panel assessment will consider the organization’s previous performance, breadth of networks, technical expertise, and CSO’s geographic and programmatic needs.

CSO reserves the right not to pre-qualify organizations which have passed technical review but have substantially less capacity, geographical scope or technical expertise relative to other organizations at its discretion. CSO reserves the right to interview or request additional information from organizations which are candidates for pre-qualification.

All organizations which are pre-qualified as a result of their submission of an SOIC in response to this announcement will receive a letter confirming their status. CSO may invite pre-qualified organizations to submit proposals within the next five years in response to specific CSO programmatic needs at its discretion. Pre-qualified organizations may be asked to respond to the invitation within 10 working days. Instructions for proposal submissions will be provided with each invitation to submit a proposal.

Pre-Qualified organizations may choose to respond to subsequent invitations for proposals at their discretion.

PLEASE NOTE – All organizations which submit an SOIC and/or a subsequent proposal agree to abide by all of the conditions stated in this announcement.

Review Panels will use the following criteria when evaluating SOICs, using a 100-point scale.

· Organizational Capability, Networks and Partnerships (15 points): The Panel will evaluate how the the organization’s principle areas of interest align with CSO’s interests. It will also evaluate the organization’s networks and partnerships, from international to local, and its ability to partner with a variety of stakeholders.

· Country Experience (15 points): The Panel will evaluate the organization’s experience in countries where CSO is engaged and in countries where CSO is pursuing future engagement.

· Technical Experience (50 points): The Panel will evaluate the depth and scope of the applicant’s experience in the technical sectors outlined in Section III (Objectives and Priority Areas) and listed in the Matrix.

· Innovation (10 points): The Panel will evaluate the organization’s ability to develop innovative, cross-cutting programs.

· Rapid Project Start-up (10 points): The Panel will consider the organization’s ability to respond to calls for proposals with a quick turnaround time period and its ability to rapidly start a project immediately after it is awarded.

Deadline and Submission Instructions

All SOICs must be submitted via www.grants.gov or SAMS Domestic by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on August 26, 2019. CSO will not accept proposals submitted via email or fax. Applicants may submit only one application.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate electronic applications early in the application development process, and to submit before the due date or early on the due date. This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications on www.grants.gov.

Valid Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS) number and a valid System for Award Management registration (www.SAM.gov) are both required prior to submitting an application via Grants.gov. The System for Award Management is a U.S. Federal Government owned and operated free website that consolidates the capabilities of the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)/Federal Agency Registration (FedReg), Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS).

Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Organizations must also fill out and submit SF-424 and SF-424B forms as directed on www.grants.gov

Instructions for registering with SAM.gov can be found at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/samStatusTracker.jsf#step1content Applicants should be advised that it can take up to a week to complete the SAM registration before they are able to register for Grants.gov. This may delay the organization’s ability to submit the SOIC through www.grants.gov. In addition, CCR registration through www.sam.gov must be updated annually to remain valid.

A step-by-step registration process for all three websites (DUNS, SAM and Grants.gov) can be found here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.htmlElectronic applications submitted via the Grants.gov must contain the three parts listed as mandatory forms in the application package, including the SOIC document (Project Narrative). Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission on Grants.gov, the applicant will receive an email confirmation that the application has been successfully submitted and is in the process of verification. The applicant will then receive another email confirming that the application has been verified. Both emails are provided by grants.gov to verify that an application was received. Please print these emails for your records.

PLEASE NOTE: We strongly encourage applicants to immediately access www.grants.gov as indicated in the instructions above in order to obtain a username and password. It may take up to a week to register with www.grants.gov.

For assistance with Grants.gov, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except federal holidays.

Disclaimer

Issuance of this SOIC does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government, nor does it commit the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of statements of interest and capacity. Further, the Government reserves the right to reject any or all of the submissions received.

This request for SOICs is announced in order to develop a pre-qualified list of organizations that have experience in conflict mitigation and/or stabilization or similar projects and programs in the geographical locations listed on the provided matrix for consideration of future funding.

Contact Information

A) For questions relating to Grants.gov, please call the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726.

B) For assistance with SOIC submission submission requirements, contact Allison Miller, MillerA4@state.gov

C) For assistance with SOIC programmatic requirements, contact CSOProgramUnit@state.gov.