PKG00253061-instructions.docx

U.S. Department of State Embassy of the United States of America in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Funding Opportunity Number: ECON-ADDISABABA-FY19-001 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.322 Program: Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund Announcement Type: Grant Announcement Date:

Deadline for submission of Applications: September 3, 2019 Amount: $740,625 Expected number of Awards: One

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S)

H. OTHER INFORMATION—OPTIONAL

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1 Overview

Since his election as Prime Minister in April of 2018, Abiy Ahmed has put Ethiopia on an all-encompassing reform project that seeks to overhaul nearly every aspect of the government and economy. He has made several speeches indicating his commitment to transparency and accountability at all levels of government. Since PM Abiy’s accession, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has also issued a new directive increasing the transparency and accountability in the budgetary publication process, and Parliament has passed a resolution strengthening accounting and budget accountability. These commitments are aligned with USG priorities as laid out in the Integrated Country Strategy, Objective 2.2: Ethiopia Improves Governance Environment for Sustainable Development.

The goal of the project is to help Governement of Ethiopia (GOE) progress in its effort to promote and improve budget transparency with the ultimate objective of meeting the minimum requirements as stated by the U.S. Department of State’s 2018 Fiscal Transparency Report, to include ensuring publically available budget information, substantially exhaustive budget documents, and reliable information. (https://www.state.gov/2018-fiscal-transparency-report/)

This Project is for an 18 month fiscal transparency improvement activity, herein after “the Activity,” to support the Government of Ethiopia’s efforts to improve fiscal transparency and strengthen public accountability. The project is part of the overall USG effort to support the current reforms.

One grant totaling up to $740,625 U.S. Dollars (USD) in FY 2018 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded for work that will support Fiscal Transpanrency. The period of performance will be for 24 months. Funding authority rests in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended

A.2 Background

The IMF defines fiscal transparency as “the information available to the public about the government’s fiscal policy-making process. It refers to the clarity, reliability, frequency, timeliness, and relevance of public fiscal reporting and the openness of such information.” The International Budget Partnership (IBP) defines budget transparency as “the public availability of comprehensive and timely information about public finances and it is a key precondition for promoting an informed public dialogue around policy priorities, and for ensuring government accountability.”

While Ethiopia’s Fiscal/Budget transparency was assessed neither by the IMF nor by the IBP, the US Department of State publishes its annual Fiscal Transparency Report on countries, including Ethiopia, that do not meet the minimum budget transparency requirements. The 2018 Fiscal Transparency Report assessed that Ethiopia “does not meet requirements; and no significant progress made in 2018.” In its summary for the review period the report points to the following improvement opportunities: “Ethiopia’s fiscal transparency would be improved by: publishing its executive budget proposal and end-of-year reports within a reasonable period of time; providing more detail on allocations to and earnings from state-owned enterprises in the budget; increasing the public availability of audit reports for significant, large state-owned enterprises; and making basic information about natural resource extraction awards publicly available.”

The 2015 Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) report, undertaken by the World Bank, USAID, DFID, and other donors, also refers to some of the challenges in Ethiopia. Under PI-7: Coverage of Government Operations, the report shows “there are several funds that are established under their own laws and managed by their respective boards. They report to the Council of Ministers and to Parliament without any scrutiny from the Federal Government. Their budgets are not included in the Federal budget, their bank balances are not brought within the Treasury Single Account, and their accounts are not included in the budget execution reports or the annual financial statements though this is required by Financial Administration Proclamation, Article 16. There is no reason why their budgets and accounts should not be included for information purposes, without any infringement of their autonomy. Unfortunately, the conditions outlined above from this report, which represents the last comprehensive overview of the public financial management landscape in Ethiopia, despite recent progress, have not changed.

A.3 Supporting Accountability in a Reforming Ethiopia

The Ethiopian economy averaged an annual growth rate of 10.3% between 2007 and 2017. While this strong growth has led to poverty reduction, Ethiopia remains the second largest recipient of foreign assistance in the world. A key contributing factor is the poor capacity of the GOE to manage its revenues and expenditures. Ethiopia has a 15 billion USD per year trade deficit, one of the lowest tax to GDP ratios in Africa (10.7%), and several “off-budget” entities (such as the Metals and Engineering Corporation, or METEC) notorious for corruption and padded procurement policies. The 2018 Fiscal Transparency Report concluded that Ethiopia does not meet the minimum requirements of fiscal transparency and has not made significant progress in this area. The report noted that more regular publication of the executive budget proposal, more detailed and frequent audits of large state-owned enterprises (SOE’s), and the publication of basic information about natural resource extraction awards would all contribute to fiscal transparency in Ethiopia.

To address these deficiencies, the new leadership of the GOE has launched extensive reforms, including in the area of public financial management. A reform plan published by the Prime Minister’s Office in early-November 2018 promises to, among other things, “[implement] stronger control on SOE borrowing policy,” “increase the share of tax revenue to 15% of GDP,” and “maintain a fiscal deficit of 2.5% of GDP or lower.” These ambitious goals will only be possible with improved fiscal transparency and better oversight mechanisms. Based on consultations with the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG), and several members of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), this Activity proposes 13 activities to improve budgetary transparency and accountability.

A.4 Scope of Work

This project enhances the USG’s efforts to support Ethiopia’s economic and political reforms that are spearheaded by the Prime Minister. The activities are developed in consultation with relevant GOE agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the House of People’s Representatives, and the Office of the Auditor General. There was also a close consultation and coordination with other development partners including the European Union, IMF, and DFID.

The Development Hypothesis is that if public accountability institutions and the government’s reporting systems are strengthened, then budget transparency and public accountability will improve.

The project seeks to build capacity at the following institutions:

· Ministry of Finance (MoF)

· House of Peoples’ Representatives (HOPR)

· Office of the Auditor General (OFAG)

The project will have the following three objectives to improve fiscal/budget transparency

Objective 1: Strengthen Accounting and Reporting Capabilities of the MOF

Under the Expenditure Management Reform Program (EMRP), the GOE aims to modernize its expenditure programs, including the transparency and accountability of public resources allocation. The government has also decided that it will implement International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) throughout both the national and regional governments. Implementing IPSAS would be a key part in the overall fiscal modernization process. This is especially pertinent as the MOF will play a key role in the process of evaluating the assets and liabilities of the large state-owned enterprises (SOE’s) in preparation to partially privatize them. While the transitioning to IPSAS is a costly and lengthy process, the government wants to assess if the existing systems as well as staff competency are at a level enough to start planning, developing, and implementing IPSAS. To that end, the implementer will be expected to perform the following tasks.

Activity 1: Perform a detailed readiness assessment of:

1. The legal framework to implement IPSAS;

1. Existing systems including Chart of Accounts, IFMIS, and other relevant systems

1. Staff competency at all levels of implementation and operation of IPSAS

Activity 2: Develop a clear roadmap for implementation of IPSAS:

1. Timeline for implementation

1. Approaches and sequences to implementation including which basis of IPSAS (cash or accrual) is appropriate to implement

1. Provide a cost estimate for full implementation of IPSAS

Activity 3: Organize at least three workshops to socialize IPSAS with key government agencies:

1. Develop a training plan for the IPSAS workshop

1. Deliver three workshops to the MOF, the Office of the Auditor General, the House of Peoples’ Representatives, and other agencies as recommended by the MOF

Expected Results:

1. A readiness assessment report that covers areas mentioned in the activities

1. A report on suggested implementation plan with a clear timeline for all activities and sub-activities, clearly defined sequencing with justification, and cost estimates

1. Three workshops on IPSAS fundamentals and implementation, and at least 100 GOE officials trained

Objective 2: Build Capacity of Legislature to Oversee Budget

Consultations with the HOPR indicated that there is a significant capacity gap regarding public financial management within that institution. These gaps are both material and technical, ranging from financial literacy of parliamentarians on their constitutional role to oversee the executive including public financial management to equipment necessary to provide live TV coverage of the parliamentary debates. The implementer is expected to provide an assessment of the capacity gaps in all aspects of the functioning of the parliament, but more specifically on their role to perform financial oversight. The implementer shall also provide training on topics such as PFM and the budget cycle, coordination with other accountability institutions, and transparency and accountability.

Activity 1: Perform a capacity assessment of HOPR, identify critical gaps, and provide recommendations in the following areas:

1. Institutional capacity assessment covering both administrative and operational areas

1. Training unit of the HOPR and other professional support staff

1. Competency assessment of professional support staff

Activity 2: Develop and provide training for Parliamentarians and professional support staff

· Training for MPs in Budget Literacy: Topics may include how to read budgets, an overview of the budget cycle, and how MPs can seek out CSO input on budgetary matters. As a practical exercise, MPs will review existing budgeted revenues and expenditures, applying key concepts learned.

· Workshop for two Parliamentary Budget Subcommittees (namely the Government Expenditure, Administration, and Audit Standing Committee as well as the Revenues, Budget, and Finance Standing Committee) on Budget Cycle: Topics will include the budget cycle and how to influence budget drafts; how Parliament can seek CSO input on budgetary matters; the amendment process; how to represent constituent interests through responsible government spending; and how to encourage transparency and accountability through including regular publication of the executive budget proposal and enforcing the publication of timely budget execution reports.

· Workshop for Parliament on Intra-Government Budget Coordination: Parliamentary staff and one to two representatives from other oversight institutions (e.g., OFAG, MOF) will learn each of their responsibilities in the budget cycle, and how to better coordinate their oversight efforts to address the accountability gap in the budget process.

Expected Results

1. A capacity assessment report that covers areas mentioned in the activities.

1. A report on suggested implementation plan with a clear timeline for all activities and sub-activities, clearly defined sequencing with justification

1. Three workshops on IPSAS fundamentals and implementation, and at least 100 GOE officials trained

Objective 3: Improve Audit Policies and Procedures of the Office of the Auditor General (OFAG)

The Office of the Auditor General is active in promoting greater transparency, and is in need of adopting best practices in auditing and publishing results, and retaining qualified auditors. The Auditor General has explicitly stated that his institution needs a review of all aspects of its operations to identify critical gaps. He also stressed that the OFAG would like to increase focus on performance auditing, and impact assessments of performance auditing and procurement auditing.

Activity 1: Perform an institutional capacity assessment of the OFAG, identify critical gaps, and provide recommendations in the following areas:

1. Institutional capacity assessment covering both administrative and operational, HR policies

1. Assess the training unit of the OFAG

1. Competency assessment of auditors

Activity 2: Develop and provide training to auditors in the following areas:

· Performance auditing and impact assessment of performance auditing

· Public procurement auditing

· Auditing State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Public Investment Projects, and Natural Resource Extractions

Expected Results:

1. A full capacity assessment report that covers areas mentioned in the activities

1. 75% of auditors at OFAG trained in topics stated in Activity 2

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Funding Amount: One award up to $740,625

Start Date: September 30, 2019

Period of Performance: 24 months from the time of award

Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants: Applicants that are eligible to apply are U.S. based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; overseas NGOs; and public international organizations..

Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not a requirement of an application in response to this funding announcement. Cost sharing or matching is encouraged but will not be a factor for consideration in the panel review criteria. Applicants should show any cost share in the budget proposal.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Technically eligible submissions are those which:

1. Arrive electronically to www.grants.gov by the designated deadline;

2. Have heeded all instructions contained in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), including length and completeness of submission; and

3. Do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the solicitation and this document.

Content and Form of Application Submission—Complete applications must include the following for proposal submissions:

1. Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424a, and SF424b http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf submitted to www.grants.gov, as well as, if applicable, your organization’s most recent audit.

2. Table of Contents (not to exceed one [1] page in Microsoft Word) that includes a page-numbered contents page, including any attachments.

3. Executive Summary (not to exceed two [2] pages in Microsoft Word) that includes:

a) The target country or countries,

b) Name and contact information for the project’s main point of contact,

c) A statement of work or synopsis of the project, including a concise breakdown of the project’s objectives, activities, and expected results,

d) The total amount of funding requested and project length, and

e) A brief statement on how the project is innovative, sustainable, and will have a demonstrated impact.

4. Proposal Narrative (not to exceed ten [10] pages in Microsoft Word). Please note the ten-page limit does not include the Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Attachments, Detailed Budget, Budget Narrative, or NICRA. Applicants are encouraged to submit multiple documents in a single Microsoft Word, (i.e., Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and Budget Narrative in one file).

5. Budget Narrative (preferably in Microsoft Word) that includes an explanation and justification for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a description of all cost-share offered. For ease of review, U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa recommends applicants order the budget narrative as presented in the detailed budget. Personnel costs should include a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of key staff and percentage of time devoted to the project. The budget narrative should communicate to U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa any information that might not be readily apparent in the budget, not simply repeat with words what is stated numerically in the budget.

6. Detailed Line-Item Budget (in Microsoft Excel) that includes three [3] columns including the request to U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, any cost sharing contribution, and total budget (see below for more information on budget format). A summary budget should also be included using the OMB approved budget categories (see SF-424 as a sample). Costs must be in U.S. dollars.

7. Attachments (not to exceed nine [9] pages total, preferably in Microsoft Word) that include the following in order:

a) Page 1-2: Project Monitoring and Evaluation (see below for more information on this section).

b) Page 3: Roles and responsibilities of key project personnel with short bios that highlight relevant professional experience. This relates to the organization’s capacity. c) Page 4: Timeline of the overall proposal. Components should include activities, evaluation efforts, and project closeout.

c) Page 5-7: Additional optional attachments. Attachments may include further timeline information, letters of support, memoranda of understanding (MOU)/agreement, etc. For applicants with a large number of letters/MOUs, it may be useful to provide a list of the organizations or government agencies that support the project rather than the actual documentation.

8. If your organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) and will include NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA must be included as a .pdf file. This document will not be reviewed by the panelists, but rather used by project and grant staff if the submission is recommended for funding and therefore does not count against the submission page limitations, as described above. If your proposal involves sub-awards to organizations charging indirect costs, please submit the applicable NICRA also as a .pdf file (see below for more information on indirect cost rates). Specify if your organization elects to charge the de minimis rate of 10% of the modified total direct costs.

9. Audit Requirement:

a. Complies with the requirements of 2 CFR 200 Subpart F “Audit Requirements;”

b. Complies with the requirements of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Statement of Position (SOP) No. 92-9, "Audits of Not-for-Profit Organizations Receiving Federal Awards;"

c. Complies with AICPA Codification of Statements on Auditing Standards AU Section 551, "Reporting on Information Accompanying the Basic Financial Statements in Auditor-Submitted Documents," where applicable. When the U.S. Department of State is the largest direct source of Federal financial assistance (i.e., the cognizant Federal Agency) and indirect costs are charged to Federal grants, a supplemental schedule of indirect cost computation is required;

d. A non-Federal entity that expends $750,000 or more during the non-Federal entity's fiscal year in Federal awards must have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200 subpart F. The audit costs shall be identified by 2 CFR 200.435.

Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM):

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR §25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR §25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by the Department of State. The Department of State may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Department of State is ready to make a Federal award, the Department of State may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

No entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM) is eligible for any assistance or can participate in any activities under an award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR Part 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR Part 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM (www.sam.gov) to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

Submission Dates and Times: All components of the application must be received on grants.gov no later than September 3, 2019 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time. Late applications will not be reviewed.

Funding Restrictions:

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

· Construction is not an allowable activity under this award.

· Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns.

· Direct support or the appearance of direct support for any religious organization, to include repair or building of structures used for religious purposes.

· Military assistance of any kind, including weapons buy-back or rewards programs.

· Purchase of firearms, ammunition, or removal of unexploded ordnances.

· Para-police (i.e., militias, neighborhood watch, security guards) and prison-related projects. This restriction includes no funding of any secondary need in a law-enforcement organization.

· Payments for any partner government, military, or civilian government employee salary or pension.

· Duplication of services immediately available through municipal, provincial, or national government.

· Funds for market research, advertising (unless public service related to grant program), or other promotional expenses.

· Expenses made prior to the approval of a proposal or unreasonable expenditures will not be reimbursed.

Other Submission Requirements: The proposals be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov). Applicants must submit a completed proposal package that includes all mandatory documents, per the solicitation instructions below. Please do not archive documents in RAR, ZIP, or other archive formats because the U.S. Department of State’s email servers will block the entire email. The documents should be attached as individual files and sent in one email before the deadline. It is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure that proposals have been submitted on time to Grants.gov.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Criteria: Successful proposals will contain well-developed implementation plans and clear explanations of how the project goals will be achieved. Selection is competitive. Proposals are expected to answer all questions relevant to the program, including but not limited to: Proposals are judged on the following criteria:

1. Quality of Program Idea (35%): Proposals should exhibit creativity, thoroughness, and direct relevance to this notice of funding opportunity. The work plan should demonstrate specifically what will be done under the program and the organization’s capacity to achieve it. The work plan should adhere to the objectives and guidelines described above. Objectives should be ambitious yet achievable and measurable. Proposals should indicate a monthly timeline of project activities with specific achievable milestones. Programs should also present specific plans for any sub-awards under this program, including, but not limited to: selection criteria, promotion, award-amounts, and requirements for sub-award requirements.

2. Sustainability (20%): Proposed programs should address the program’s long-term sustainability either through garnering other donor support or demonstrating market-supported results. Proposals should indicate how U.S. Government financing for this program will result in long-term capacity building in the creative content production industry, and how sub-projects funded by sub-awards will remain viable after the expiration of U.S. Government funding.

3. Institution’s Record and Capacity (15%): The Embassy will consider the past performance of prior grant recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants. Proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful program administration, including responsible fiscal management and full compliance with reporting requirements for previous programs. Proposed personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve the project’s goals. Roles and responsibilities of primary staff should be explained in detail and the application should detail how the proposed program leader has sufficient and relevant experience to manage the proposed program’s activities. Organizations must prove an extensive history of project management. Applicants must demonstrate experience/capacity in the region, preferably Ethiopia.

4. Cost Effectiveness (15%): The overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. All other budget items should be necessary and appropriate. Proposals that include significant cost-sharing, co-funding, and/or other methods of maximizing the return of U.S. government financing for this program will be given extra consideration.

5. Program Evaluation Plan (15%): Programs should explain how ongoing monitoring and evaluation will provide feedback that will be incorporated into the program. Programs should include detailed methodology of the evaluation methodology and criteria, as well as a clear process for adjustments based upon unsatisfactory performance and/or failure to me milestones.

Review and Selection Process: All grants proposals will be reviewed by an advisory committee comprised of representatives from the U.S. Department of State. The committee members will review and discuss the proposals and recommend proposals for funding.

Other Information:

1. The Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);

2. The applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;

3. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

4. Before grants are awarded, the Department of State reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the Department’s program needs and availability of funds.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).The source of this funding is the Fiscal Transparency and Innovation Fund (Economic Support Funds). The period of performance will be for up to 18 months.

Summary of Award Information

Federal Award Notices

1. Applicants will be notified electronically about the selection results. An email message will be sent to the email account included in the application form. The U.S. Embassy’s grants program staff might also contact applicants to request additional information or clarify certain aspects of the application documents. It is therefore important to provide accurate contact information.

2. Successful program applicants must sign a Notice of Federal Award (grant agreement) before receiving funding. No grant agreement exists until the Notice of Federal Award is signed, and therefore, no costs should be incurred by the applicant prior to signing a Notice of Award. The Notice of Federal Award signed by the grants officer is the authorizing document necessary to begin work on the program.

3. Unsuccessful program applicants will receive an email notification. The U.S. Embassy’s grants program staff might provide a signed rejection letter upon request; however, the grants program staff will not provide reasons for rejection. The U.S. Embassy’s various grants programs are highly competitive and are simply not large enough to fund all good applications.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Awards must comply with 2 CFR 200 (https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=ae12d7ee4281fde56374c5e572275e52&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML), State Department Terms and Conditions (http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/271865.pdf), assurances, and any other legal requirements in the United States and Ethiopia.

Reporting: Successful applicants will be required to submit:

1. Program Reports: U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa requires program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. A program report is required within thirty (30) days following the end of each three month period of performance during the validity period of the agreement. The final program report is due ninety (90) days following the end of the agreement. Quarterly progress briefs are also required. The submission dates for program reports will be written into the cooperative agreement. All reports must be written in English.

The Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) is a standard, government-wide performance reporting format. Recipients of Department of State funding must submit the signed SF-PPR cover page with each program report.

2. Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement (January 30th, April 30th, July 30th, October 30th). The final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement. For agreements containing indirect costs, final financial reports are due within sixty (60) days of the finalization of the applicable negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA).

Reports reflecting expenditures for the recipient’s overseas and United States offices should be completed in accordance with the Federal Financial Report (FFR SF-425) and in accordance with other award specific requirements. Form FFR (SF-425) can be found on the DOS website here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html#sortby=1

3. Final Report: The final report will be due no later than ninety days after completion or termination of all project activities. The Final Report shall include the following elements: executive summary, successes, outcomes, how the project has increased transparency and participation in Ecuador’s budgetary and natural resource awards processes, how it has addressed the other goals of the project, and a final financial report.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

Grants Officer Representative: Daniel Streitfeld, Economic Officer Email: StreitfeldDS@state.gov Telephone: +25111130

Note that once the NOFO deadline has passed, Department of State staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the review process has been completed.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

The issuance of this Notice of Funding Opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to pay for costs incurred during the preparation and submission of proposals. Furthermore, the U.S. Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the U.S. Department of State.