PKG00264371-instructions.pdf

United States Department of State

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Announcement Type: Request for Federal Assistance Award Applications

Public Opportunity Title: Advancing Gender Equality in Costa Rica’s Police Forces

NOFO Opportunity Number: INL21CA0010-CostaRica-GenderEquality

NOFO Issuance Date: December 4, 2020

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: December 30, 2020, 11:59 PM EST

Deadline for Submission of Applications: January 29, 2020, 11:59 PM EST

Funding Amount: $200,000 U.S. Dollars

Award Ceiling: $200,000 U.S. Dollars

Award Floor: $100,000 U.S. Dollars

Cost Sharing Requirement: Not required but recommended

Program Type: U.S. Embassy San José initiative “Advancing Gender

Equality in Costa Rica Police Forces”

Grant Program: Central America Regional Security Initiative

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.704 – Counter-narcotics

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement

Eligibility Category: Eligible organization categories are:

U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations

(NGOs)

U.S.-based educational institutions having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS

Overseas-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Overseas-based private/state educational institutions.

Refer to the Eligibility Criteria section below.

Applicant Type: Organizations

Any questions concerning this NOFO should be submitted via email to Katelyn Smith

(SmithKB@state.gov) and Mitssy Rovira (RoviraM@state.gov) by the question deadline listed on page 1 of this document. Responses to questions will be made available to all potential applicants as an attachment to this opportunity on grants.gov.

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs INL is seeking applications from qualified applicants to implement a project titled

“Advancing Gender Equality in Costa Rica Police Forces.” Subject to the availability of funds and pending Department of State management approvals, INL intends to issue an award in the amount of $200,000 for an initial project period of 2 years.

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov and may be amended. Refer to Section V below for further details

Issuance of this NOFO 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 in the preparation and submission of an application. In addition, final award of any resultant grant agreement cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, allocated, and committed through internal INL procedures. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense.

mailto:SmithKB@state.gov mailto:RoviraM@state.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV – REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

SECTION V – APPLICANT REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION VI – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VII – FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

TAB A: PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

TAB B: PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN AND

PROJECT RISK ANALYSIS

TAB C: BUDGET GUIDELINES

TAB D: GUIDELINES FOR STANDARD FORMS

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) leads the Department of State’s anticrime and counter-narcotics efforts. INL assistance programs help partner nations to build their capacities to extend the reach of justice under the rule of law, including respect for human rights and gender equality, and to deny safe haven to criminals who would otherwise operate with near impunity. The resources entrusted to us, enables INL to deliver technical assistance and capacity to: enhance international drug control through interdiction and supply reduction; develop civilian law enforcement capacity, regional partnerships, and information sharing; and further the administration of justice and corrections under the rule of law with respect for human rights. This mission supports peace and security by stabilizing and strengthening security institutions and by combating narco-trafficking and other transnational crimes such as money laundering, criminal gangs, and wildlife trafficking. It promotes governing justly and democratically by strengthening justice sector institutions, good governance and respect for human rights.

INL combines forces with other USG and international agencies and takes a regional approach to widespread problems. INL also encourages more developed governments to take responsibility as equal partners in global efforts to support critical country and global programs that combat transnational crime, disrupt illicit trafficking, and build their capacities to extend their reach of justice under the rule of law. The Bureau’s priority programs support three inter-related objectives:

BUILDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS: Institutionalize rule of law by supporting and assisting in capacity building of host nation justice, law enforcement, and corrections institutions, promote human rights and diversity, protect vulnerable groups, and collaborate with multilateral and international partners to establish global standards and accountability mechanisms;

COUNTER-NARCOTICS: Disrupt the overseas production and trafficking of illicit drugs through targeted counter-narcotics and institution-building assistance and coordination with foreign nations and international organizations, and;

TRANSNATIONAL CRIME: Minimize the impact of transnational crime and criminal networks in the U.S. and its allies to oppose and counter corruption; wildlife crimes;

cybercrime; intellectual property rights (IPR) fraud; transnational organized crime;

environmental crime; crimes that threaten civilian security; and activities using the proceeds of crime.

ISSUE STATEMENTS

Introduction

The key to a successful future for any organization lies in its ability to attract, develop and retain the best talent. With half of the world’s population being women, educating, empowering and recognizing their talent is fundamental to succeeding in a rapidly-changing world. Costa Rica adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all Costa Ricans, however there is still a long way to go. If it is desired to achieve gender equality by 2030, actions must be improved and the pace accelerated, as stated by

Costa Rica’s Ombudsman's Office.

Issues

Violence against women is one of the most recurrent situations, and has been highlighted as a pending issue. "In terms of harassment, the Ombudsman considers that it is necessary to provide timely assistance to victims, generate prevention mechanisms, update regulations, carry out disciplinary procedures in a regular manner and take complementary measures to the sanction".

2019 closed with a report of 14 femicides; and as of September 2020, nine femicides had been registered, six were registered as homicides, and 38 had not yet been classified by the Deputy

Prosecutor for Gender, according to the Inter-Institutional Subcommittee for the Prevention of

Femicide.

With regard to unemployment, women are the ones who suffer the most, with annual average rates of 11.6% for 2017, 13.2% in 2018, and 15.3% during 2019, according to the National Institute of

Statistics and Censuses (INEC). In terms of salary gaps, it is reported that women earn on average

13% less than men, calculated on the monthly salary, according to INEC, this despite the fact that the country constitutionally and legally protects the right to equal salary for equal work.

Current Interventions

The Ministry of Public Security established the Office of Gender Equality and Equity in 2011, with the following purpose according to article 25 of the Organization Regulations of the Ministry of Security:

Article 25.The Office for Gender Equality and Equity will be an advisory and supervisory body on gender matters, subordinate to the Office of the Minister, empowered to influence decision-making in matters of gender, especially regarding institutional planning and the definition of internal mechanisms of equal opportunities for both administrative and police officials.

The Office for Gender Equality and Equity will have the following functions:

1) Encourage and assist in the formulation, application, monitoring and evaluation of institutional policy for gender equality and equity.

2) Update the comprehensive policy that homogenizes the principles and perspective of equality and equity of opportunities between men and women in the Ministry of Public

Security, promoting and developing the necessary administrative, regulatory, procedural and operational measures, in order to guarantee the integration and application of this policy in the different areas of the same. For this purpose, you may request reports, make inquiries and inquiries as deemed appropriate, in each and every one of the departments of this Ministry, with the required collaboration of all staff.

3) Promote and support the process of change in the institutional culture to achieve a provision of services with criteria of equality and gender equity and labor relations in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.

4) Provide technical assistance in strategies, ways of working and relationships between officials and officials to ensure equitable treatment of rights and opportunities for both sexes.

5) Ensure that a vision of equality and equity is incorporated into the policies and procedures established by the institution for the granting of promotions to officials both in the administrative and operational areas, including the granting of police degrees.

6) Support the institutionalization of the gender approach in the statistics and indicators that make up the information systems of government entities.

7) Ensure compliance with the commitments acquired by the Institution through the ratification of International Agreements and regarding national policies for gender equality and equity, in coordination with the INAMU and the Ombudsman's Office. For this purpose, it may request the information it deems necessary from the various instances of the Ministry.

8) Promote and support the channeling of institutional initiatives towards international cooperation agencies on gender equality and equity.

The Gender office receives cases, requests, consultations related to different topics and violations of rights such as:

Sexual harassment

Workplace harassment

Sexual and labor harassment

Transfer requests for violation of human, labor and gender rights.

Labor issues

General consultations

Discrimination

Gender violence: physical, psychological, sexual, and patrimonial

During this time, the Ministry of Public Security has made great progress with the support of the

Gender Equity and Equality Office, such as prompt and timely attention to cases of different manifestations and types of gender violence. It has also created and established the Institutional

Policy on Gender Equality and Equity, the institutional policy on sexual harassment and the protocol of action of best practices. The service regulations of the police forces attached to the

Ministry of Public Security was also reformed, among other actions carried out with the purpose of fighting for gender equality.

However, this office has not been able to increase the personnel required for the care of more than

15,000 police and administrative officials, largely due to budgetary restrictions. From the standpoint of the Gender Office in the Ministry, more actions are required. The Police Academy, in an effort to address gender matters, has turned to a cross-cutting axis in its trainings, and now is a pillar in the preparation of new police personnel and updating senior civil servants.

Within the Human Resources reports it can be found that there are more men hired than women at the Institutional level, in both administrative and police areas. The Administration is aware of the need to fight for gender equity and is currently carrying out different actions to eradicate gender violence and promote gender equity.

Conclusion

There is still a long way to go to achieve a healthy work environment free of discrimination and gender violence and to contribute to the prevention and correction of gender violence within the

Ministry of Public Security, whose mission is to "Serve and protect people in the enjoyment of their individual rights and guarantees, preserve Costa Rican democracy and sovereignty." This includes, in addition to external service users, the police personnel in all its dependencies and the administrative personnel.

As part of this gender-balance project, Costa Rica would be able to resolve one fundamental question: why are there so few women at a senior level in law enforcement compared to other professions? Repeatedly, studies show a significantly better quality of decision-making within more gender-balanced leadership teams, with gender-balanced workplaces also performing better.

The work of the police and administrative staff are jobs that are tailored for both men and women.

In short, it is smart to have gender-balanced groups.

Diversity matters and for the right reasons. The police must be a mirror of society and gender equality. The participation of female police officers is critical to the full spectrum of police activities, such as: advocacy for the rule of law, intelligence gathering, planning, leadership, investigations, capacity building, community-oriented policing, and community engagement. It is very important to contribute to the eradication of gender violence, and to fight for gender equality, non-discrimination against women in the workplace, and parity for men in the execution of new masculinities.

This project is the result of inter- and intra-institutional articulation work between the MS Police

Academy, the MS Office for Gender Equality and Equity, and the Embassy of the United States of America in Costa Rica.

PROJECT PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this project is to provide a coherent and standardized approach to gender equality by integration of best practices and standards into the police-specific policies, guidelines and standard operating procedures. The grantee will work in close collaboration with INL, the National

Police Academy and the Gender Office of the Ministry of Public Security to promote the development of the capacity of all police forces in Costa Rica on gender issues (adapted to the specific national and local context and security needs), ultimately ensuring that the issue of gender equity is viewed as a mainstream issue and not a transversal one.

The grantee should gather a multidisciplinary team of experts that possess extensive experience in gender matters, community-based work with diverse groups, managing groups, and understanding of group dynamics. These experts should employ analytical skills and essential personal tools for teamwork and have previous experience similar types of projects.

The project team must be proactive, effective and tolerant to situations that may be encountered throughout project implementation. The team must maintain strict confidentiality. While they work as consultants in the Ministry of Public Security, they must adhere to institutional regulations aimed at civil servants, in terms of protocols and good conduct, among others.

PROJECT GOALS

To integrate the gender equity approach in the daily work of the Ministry of Public Security, through the integration of best practices and standards in the policies, guidelines and specific operating procedures of the police forces of the Ministry of Public Security.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Develop an empowerment strategy on gender equality for the Costa Rican National Police, which includes: a system of theoretical and practical modules that facilitate strategies to train police officers in current gender issues; manuals of good practices for their constant application in police and administrative activities; and respective guides for verifying the application of gender equality in daily police and administrative work.

Objective 1: Conduct a needs assessment of all police forces (National Police, Borders, Migration, Air Surveillance, Coast Guard, Prosecutor, Penitentiary, Municipal, etc.) in

Costa Rica with a focus on gender equity and gender violence in all its shapes.

Activity 1: Develop a comprehensive needs assessment survey focused on gender equity and gender-based violence in all its forms.

Activity 2: Implement the needs assessment survey with the participation of a representative sample of police officers from all police forces in Costa Rica.

Activity 3: Systematize the findings to establish a baseline. Facilitate a round table with key actors and leadership from all police forces in Costa Rica to agree on a work plan and monitoring strategy.

Activity 4: Hold the first institutional meeting of women leaders in gender matters in order to analyze the findings of the systematizations and to create a national agenda for the empowerment of the police forces in the promotion of gender equity and prevention of gender violence in all its forms.

Based on the results obtained, national and international legal instruments, plus the existing theory, a guide will be developed that contains:

History of gender equality in the Ministry of Security, what has been done? What are we doing and new challenges?

History of gender equity in the National Police Academy.

Incorporate the following resources to the work with the Ministry of Public Security and National

Police Academy of Costa Rica:

Theory of Change methodology.

Adults learning methodology.

Sustainable livelihoods and adaptation to organizational change.

Technology of participation by Institute of Cultural Affairs.

Train the Trainer model.

Objective 2: Combine or create reference material for the National Police Academy on a variety of gender-related subjects.

Activity 1: Develop a complete compendium of definitions of terms related to gender equity.

For example: human rights; equity; equality; violence; gender violence; sexual harassment; sexual abuse; rape; domestic violence; patriarchy; control and power from the patriarchy; abuse of power;

inequality in the enforcement of rights; parity (includes actions and/or strategies that promote greater participation of women in managerial and decision-making positions within agencies);

reconciliation of work; family and personal life (recognizes actions and/or strategies that promote conciliation between work; family and personal life of public servants; promote a greater participation of men in domestic and care work; and encourage the exercise of active maternity and paternity); among others.

Activity 2: Create a database on international human rights legal instruments and standards on women's rights, including resolutions, both national and international.

Activity 3: Consolidate a summary of the International Security Resolutions on Women, Gender

Equity and International Treaties on the rights of Women signed by Costa Rica and the internal

Guidelines of the Ministry of Public Security.

Activity 4. Create action protocols (sexual violence, gender violence, gender discrimination, parity, etc.) that prevent, identify, and detect possible cases of gender violence, and facilitate the steps to make a complaint. Create administrative procedures to follow in the event of an event that violates the rights of people and sanctions related to actions on gender equality, sexual violence and gender-based violence.

Objective 3: Create a toolkit that includes a manual, training modules, and guides for the application of the institutional gender policy for the National Police Academy of the Ministry of Public Security of the Government of Costa Rica.

The toolkit should include best practices, training of trainers methodology, and a coherent approach for the implementation of gender equality in police activities.

Activity 1: Create an educational toolkit that includes lessons on:

How to apply the concepts of gender equity in the daily work of the police;

How to apply the gender equality policy to increase recruitment of female police officers;

and ensure female officer are included among decision makers.

How to establish special gender police commissions to address sexual violence and gender-based violence (SGBV) within the Ministry and work hand-in-hand with the Gender

Office.

Materials for a bimodal e-learning course and a face-to-face course with a training curriculum, a manual and a compendium of project tools, that includes concepts based on the theory of change and methodology based on adult learning practices.

Standardized processes, model policies, procedures and strategies, templates, checklists, and sample questionnaires to guide implementation.

Sexual harassment training course that includes topics on the following:

o Dynamics of gender inequality, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse;

o Effect on victims and how to handle situations in the workplace.

o Penalties and liability issues in the event of failure to address sexual harassment.

Different forms of discrimination can be highlighted, such as that based on sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity that provides greater vulnerability to women.

Activity 2: Develop a communication strategy to socialize the resources available to female police victims. The products generated for the strategy must have the necessary pedagogical mediation

(printed materials, emails, social networks, designs for monitors and screen banners).

Activity 3: Create a guide to verify the application of gender equity in an effective manner, policies in operating procedures, and daily police work.

Activity 4: Organize a two-day national meeting of women police officers with educational workshops, trainings, forums and relevant and relevant practical exercises for at least 200 participants.

PROGRAM EXPANSION

In the event of a successful project, INL will consider the option of expanding the project, subject to availability of future funding. Applicants may include in their proposal a brief section outlining how additional funds could potentially be used to expand work into further activities in future years. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their project might leverage funding through other organizations.

TARGET POPULATION

Applicants should identify target audiences, specific demographics, and the region(s) in which the project will be implemented. It is particularly important to specify the approximate number of beneficiaries to be directly and indirectly impacted by project activities.

DESIRED RESULTS AND ILLUSTRATIVE INDICATORS

By the end of the two years of the project, the selected applicant is expected to: expand knowledge with access to educational workshops, trainings, tool kits and resources on gender equality in the policing profession; enhance community safety by shaping the future of women police in Costa

Rica; and prepare current and emerging police leaders—and the agencies and communities they serve—to succeed in addressing the most pressing issues, threats, and challenges.

The recipient will develop a project-level Performance Monitoring plan (PMP) with annual and end-of- project targets and results anticipated for key performance indicators. The following table shows indicators that will be measured, as well as illustrative targets, upon which the recipient will be responsible for monitoring and reporting during and after the project. In addition, INL will regularly monitor the project’s performance to assess whether project activities are on track and targets are being achieved.

The recipient will be required to collect baseline data for all the PMP indicators during the first year of the project. In addition, certain terms included in the outcomes and indicators will need to be defined at the very beginning of the project so that it is possible to measure the change during and at the end of the project. Examples of such are “capacity”, “spread effect”, etc. Baseline information will be critical for both monitoring and evaluation of project progress and results.

Sample indicators for the project are provided below. The recipient is expected to identify targets for these indicators based on what it can reasonably achieve within the performance period of the project, and based on the expected overall project results described above. The recipient may propose additional outputs, indicators, and/or targets as appropriate.

Example Outcome Indicators Illustrative Targets

Percentage of reliability of the assessment survey 90%

Number of participants attending the two-day national women police conference

Number of tools created for the police gender-equality education resource center

Output indicators and illustrative targets for the project are provided below. The recipient should review these and either confirm the illustrative targets or propose alternative targets, as appropriate.

Example Outcome Indicators Illustrative Targets

Number of workshops on gender equality in police forces implemented

Training course on sexual harassment created and launched 100%

Gender equality and sexual harassment policies reviewed and adopted by police forces

90%

[END OF SECTION 1]

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

INL expects to award one cooperative agreement based on this NOFO. The anticipated total federal funding amount is not to exceed $200,000. The period of performance is two years with an anticipated start date of February 2021. INL may extend the award up to two additional years contingent on INL priorities, good performance of the recipient, and funding availability.

NOTICES

The authority for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is found in the Foreign Assistance

Act of 1961, as amended.

The U.S. government will issue award(s) to the responsible applicant(s) whose application(s), conforms to this NOFO, and is the most responsive to the objectives and criteria set forth in this

NOFO. The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one application, (d) accept alternate applications, and/or (e) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received. INL reserves the right to fund any number of applications or none of the applications submitted and will determine the resulting level of funding for each award(s).

The U.S. government may make an award on the basis of the initial application received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore, each initial application should contain the applicant's best terms from a cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right (but is not under obligation to do so) to enter into discussions with one or more applicant(s) to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the program description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400g, it is U.S. Department of State policy not to award profit under assistance instruments. All direct and indirect reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, however, that are related to the agreement program and are in accordance with applicable cost standards (2 CFR 200 for U.S. and overseas-based non-profit organizations, and education institutions) may be paid under the grant/cooperative agreement. NOTE: overseas-based nonprofit organizations are legally required to comply with 2 CFR 200.

State Department Leahy Amendment Vetting Requirements:

Funds provided under this award are subject to Section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of

1961, as amended, a provision titled “Limitation on Assistance to Security Forces” (the “Leahy

Amendment”). Subsection (a) of that provision states: “(a) In General.—No assistance shall be furnished under this Act [the Foreign Assistance Act] or the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed a gross violations of human rights.” Accordingly, none of the funds under this award may be used to provide training or other assistance to any unit or member of the security forces of a foreign country if the Department of State has credible information that such unit or individual has committed a gross violation of human rights.

In signing this agreement, the Recipient agrees to exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with the Leahy provision and State Department policy, and to cooperate with the State Department in implementation of the Leahy requirement for funds under this award. The Department implements the Leahy requirement by vetting units or individuals proposed for training or other assistance to check for credible information of a gross violation of human rights by such units or individuals.

To facilitate State Department vetting, the Recipient must provide the following information for proposed participants at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to commencing award activities. This information should be submitted to the U.S. Embassy in the country where the award will be implemented in order to initiate Leahy vetting procedures:

Information needed: Full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, gender, rank, title, and organizational affiliation. Please also include the activity and date that the activity will take place—if the person will participate throughout an extended program, please note the timeframe. Participant information should be submitted in the format attached.

Information required for “security forces” personnel: The above information is needed for each member of a foreign police or military unit (security forces, broadly defined) who will participate in any activity under this award. This includes both civilian and military employees of security forces participating in any activities funded under this award, including training, workshops or meetings, conferences, or other activities.

The Recipient must collaborate with the relevant U.S. Embassy on a case-by-case basis to determine if the Leahy requirement applies to specific activities or proposed participants.

Individuals who are not members of the security forces but who participate in activities under the award (e.g., politicians, academics, etc.) generally do not need to be vetted.

Submission Deadline: Each candidate must be cleared under Leahy vetting in advance of participation in activities funded under this award. The vetting process typically takes approximately one month, but may take longer if there are a large number of candidates or if issues arise. Thus, all information on proposed candidates must be received by the Embassy at least sixty

(60) days in advance of the training event or other activity.

The Recipient agrees that it will not include any security forces candidate in training or other activities funded under this award until the State Department advises that the candidate has cleared

Leahy vetting and is approved for participation.

[END OF SECTION II]

SECTION III – ELIGIBLITY INFORMATION

Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to organizations that meet one of the following eligible organization types:

U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code;

Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

Foreign-based educational institutions

AND

Applicants must have demonstrated experience implementing similar projects, preferably in the Costa Rica, or at least Central America. INL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering similar programs and/or federal grant awards.

Applicants must have the ability to produce documents (e.g. trainings materials, reports), deliver training, and conduct evaluations in Spanish and English. The applicant’s staff should be proficient in English in order to fulfill reporting requirements.

Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with stakeholders in order to successfully carry out the proposed program.

OTHER ELIGIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS

Organizations may form a consortium and submit a combined proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant and other members as sub-award partners.

Public International Organizations (PIOs) and For-Profit Organizations are excluded from applying to this grant announcement.

To be eligible for a grant award, in addition to other conditions of this NOFO, organizations must have a commitment to non‐discrimination with respect to beneficiaries and adherence to equal opportunity employment practices. INL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. INL welcomes applications irrespective of an applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status.

Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism.

It is the legal responsibility of the recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any sub‐awards issued under this grant award.

[END OF SECTION III]

SECTION IV – REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Complete applications must include the following documents:

1. Completed and signed SF-424 and SF-424A forms

Submitted via www.grants.gov

Refer to Tab D for instructions for completion of Standard Forms 424, 424A, and

424B.

2. Proposal Narrative

Not to exceed twenty (20) pages. Please note the page limit does not include any other required documents (Risk Assessment, Timeline, etc.) in the page limit.

This document should also include:

i. Cover Page – should include organization name, project title, requested number of months, target country(ies), point(s) of contact, and requested funding amount

ii. Table of Contents – should list all documents and attachments with page numbers

iii. Executive Summary – should include a synopsis of the project, including a breakdown of the goals, objectives, activities, and expected results. Should include a brief statement on how the project is innovative, sustainable, and will have a demonstrated impact.

Refer to Tab A below for more information on this section.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

Refer to TAB B below for more information on this requirement.

A template is included under the Related Documents section of this announcement on www.grants.gov.

4. Activity Map

This document connects goals and objectives to activities, outputs, and outcomes.

5. Program Risk Analysis

Refer to TAB B below for more information on this requirement.

6. Roles and responsibilities of key program personnel

Including short bios that highlight relevant professional experience that relates to the organization’s capacity. Given the limited space, CVs are not recommended for submission.

7. Timeline of the overall proposal

The timeline should provide a realistic time breakdown of start-up, activities, monitoring and evaluation efforts, and closeout.

8. Summary and Detailed Budget

In spreadsheet format (e.g. Microsoft Excel).

Includes at least the following three columns: amount requested from INL, cost sharing contributions (if any), and total budget.

Refer to Tab C below for more information on completing the Budget.

9. Budget Narrative

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.

Refer to Tab C below for more information on completing the Budget Narrative.

10. NICRA, if applicable

If your organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) and will include NICRA charges in the budget, you must include the approved NICRA within the application.

If your proposal includes subgrants to organizations basing their indirect costs on a

NICRA, you must submit the applicable NICRA(s) as part of the application.

The document will not be reviewed by the panelists, but rather used by program 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 organization does not have a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) please specify if your organization elects to charge the de minimis rate of 10% of the

Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC). If applicable, the de minimis rate must be included in the detailed budget and an explanation must be provided in the budget narrative.

11. A copy of your organization’s most recent audit, if applicable

Required for organizations that meet the requirements in 2 CFR 200.500 – Subpart F.

If an audit cannot be provided, an explanation must be submitted with the proposal submission.

12. A list of previous and/or current U.S. federal assistance awards received

Including the awarding agency, point of contact, name of the project, start and end dates, and amount of the award.

If a list of previous and/or current U.S. federal assistance awards received cannot be provided, an explanation must be submitted with the proposal submission.

13. INL Applicant Pre-Award Risk Survey

Complete the risk survey that reviews the applicant organization’s financial capacity, policies, and infrastructure.

14. Attachments (optional)

Optional. Does not include any document requested by INL previously in this list.

Not to exceed five (5) pages total, preferably in Microsoft Word, which may include:

further timeline information, letters of support, memoranda of understanding

(MOU)/agreement, etc.

INL retains the right to request additional documentation beyond those included in this list.

Applications that do not include all required components listed above will be deemed technically ineligible and will not be considered for funding.

APPLICATION TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Application documents should be formatted according to the following requirements:

Pages are numbered and presented in an organized manner. Documents may be combined or in separate documents, as desired by the applicant

Each document or component should include a label or title

Adhere to standard document formatting (e.g. 8.5” x 11”, standard margins (e.g. 1 in.), standard line spacing, 12 point font (where possible)

Technically eligible applications should adhere to the following requirements:

Arrive electronically via grants.gov by the designated due date and time noted on page 1.

If reasonable accommodations are granted for persons with disabilities or for security reasons, applications must still be received by INL by the designated due date and time noted in the NOFO

Written in English and with all costs listed in U.S. Dollars. If an original document within the application is in another language, an English translation must be provided.

Heed all instructions contained in the NOFO, including length and completeness of application, including all required documents; and

Do not violate any of the guidelines stated in the NOFO.

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all of the documents submitted in the grant application package are complete, accurate, and current.

[END OF SECTION IV]

SECTION V – APPLICANT REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

SAM.GOV

SAM.gov registration is required of all INL applicants prior to registering with www.grants.gov.

The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 1-5 weeks, so INL encourages applicants to begin this process as soon as possible. If an applicant has not fully complied with the SAM.gov registration requirements at the time of application, INL may determine that the applicant is unqualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in SAM.gov is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement

Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM.gov to ensure that ineligible entities are excluded from their applications.

Organizations physically located outside of the U.S. and territories must first request a NCAGE Code, followed by a DUNS number, and then the registration process in SAM.gov. The organization’s name, address, and email information used to request your organization’s Unique Entity Identifier

(DUNS number) and the NCAGE Code must match exactly what is used to request the SAM.gov validation (e.g. upper/lower case letters, numerical characters, symbols, and spacing).

Applicant organizations can obtain assistance for SAM.gov registration by using the following link: https://www.fsd.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220 (U.S. calls) or +1-324-206-7828

(international calls). For international applicants, navigate to www.SAM.gov, click “Help” in the top navigation bar, then click “International Registrants” in the left navigation panel to access “Quick

Start Guide for International Registrations” and “Helpful Hints”.

Organizations must also maintain active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times during which they have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a Federal award agency. SAM.gov requires all entities to renew their registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration status in SAM.gov.

CAGE/NCAGE REGISTRATION

NCAGE Codes are required for all foreign entities prior to starting a SAM registration.

Organizations can submit a request for an NCAGE Code using the NCAGE Request Tool at https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/CageTool/request-new-cage. For additional information, call 1-269-961-4623 or email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil.

For U.S.-based organizations, a CAGE code will automatically be assigned to your entity once you submit your entity’s registration in SAM.gov and the TIN validation has been returned.

Tip: The organization’s name, address, and email information must match exactly in the applications for CAGE/NCAGE registration, DUNS Number, and SAM.gov Registration. All letter capitalization, numerical characters, symbols, and spacing must be written exactly the same or you will receive error messages when applying for the NCAGE code.

UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (DUNS NUMBER)

All applicant organizations, both foreign and domestic, must obtain a DUNS number. U.S.-based organizations may request a DUNS number by calling 1-866-705-5711 or sending an email to

SAMHelp@dnb.com. The DUNS number is usually provided immediately. Foreign organizations may request a DUNS number on the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1. If further assistance is required, email

SAMHelp@dnb.com.

GRANTS.GOV REGISTRATION

To apply for a grant, applicants must complete the www.grants.gov registration process. The registration process can take 10 business days or longer, so INL encourages applicants to begin the process promptly.

This link provides information about completing the registration process:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

International applicants must complete supplementary requirements for doing business with the

United States government. Please ensure that your organization has obtained an NCAGE code, a

Unique Entity Identifier (also referred to as DUNS number), and an active status in SAM.gov prior to registering in Grants.gov.

INL bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process http://www.fsd.gov/ https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/CageTool/request-new-cage mailto:NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/CCRSearch.do?val=1

If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov, please contact the Help Desk at: 1-800-518-

4726 (U.S. callers), 1-606-545-5035 (international callers), or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except federal holidays). You may also obtain online assistance at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html.

[END OF SECTION V]

SECTION VI – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The technical applications and proposal submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the

Technical Evaluation Criteria set forth below. Technical evaluation of applications will be based on the extent and appropriateness of proposed approaches and feasibility of achieving the strategic objectives, in accordance with the following criteria.

If award is not made on the initial applications, INL may request clarification and supplemental materials from applicants whose applications have a reasonable chance of being selected for award.

The entry into discussion is to be viewed as part of the evaluation process and shall not be deemed by INL or the applicants as indicative of a decision or commitment upon the part of INL to make an award to the applicants with whom discussions are being held.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

A technical evaluation committee, using the criteria shown in this Section, will evaluate the technical applications. The various functional elements of the technical criteria are assigned weighted scores, so that the applicants will know which areas require emphasis in the preparation of applications.

Where technical applications are considered essentially equal, cost may be the determining factor.

Applicants should note that these criteria serve as the standard against which all applications will be evaluated and serve to identify the significant matters which applicants should address in their applications.

The relative importance of each criterion is indicated by the number of points assigned. A total of

100 points is possible.

Quality of Program Idea (Total Possible Points - 25):

Responsive to the solicitation (5)

Appropriate in the country/regional context (5)

Exhibits originality, substance, and precision (5)

Prioritizes innovation but is feasible (5)

In countries where similar activities are already taking place, provides an explanation as to how new activities will not duplicate or merely add to existing activities (5)

Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives (Total Possible Points – 25):

Includes a clear articulation of how the proposed program activities contribute to the overall program objectives (3) http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

Each activity is clearly developed and detailed (3)

Provides a comprehensive quarterly work plan for project activities that demonstrates substantive undertakings within the logistical capacity of the organization (3)

Objectives are clear, specific, attainable, measurable results-focused and placed in a reasonable time frame (3)

Addresses how the program will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders and identifies local partners where appropriate (3)

Describes the division of labor among the direct applicant, any partners and any potential subgrantees (2)

Proposal clearly articulates understanding of the security situation/operating environment and plans for ensuring safety of participants (2)

Includes contingency plans for potential difficulties in executing the original work plan (6)

Program Monitoring and Evaluation (Total Possible Points - 15):

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan includes:

Narrative explaining how monitoring and evaluation will be carried out and who will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation activities (5)

Table listing by program objectives the output- and outcome-based performance indicators with baselines and (yearly and cumulative) targets; data collection tools; data sources;

types of data disaggregation, if applicable; and frequency of monitoring and evaluation (7)

Includes an external midterm and/or final evaluation or justification for why one is not included (3)

Multiplier Effect/Sustainability of Impact Rating (Total Possible Points - 10):

Clearly delineates how elements of the program will have a multiplier effect (5)

Clearly delineates how impact will be sustainable beyond the life of the grant (5)

Institution’s Record and Capacity Rating (Total Possible Points - 10):

The proposal demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in the proposed country and the content area (4)

Personnel and institutional resources are adequate and appropriate to achieve the project's objectives (2)

Roles, responsibilities, and brief bios/resumes are included for primary staff, and demonstrate relevant professional experience (2)

Applicant is a current/past Department of State grantee where performance was/is on target showed/shows responsible fiscal management OR the proposal is from a new applicant and proposal demonstrates capacity for responsible fiscal management illustrates success in similar sized projects (2)

Cost Effectiveness/Cost Sharing (Total Possible Points - 15):

The overhead and administration of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, are explained and justified for the work involved (5)

All budget items are necessary, appropriate and linked to program objectives (5)

Personnel costs are reasonable for the work involved (5)

COST EVALUATION

Cost will be evaluated for realism, reasonableness, allowability, allocability, and cost effectiveness.