RFI 72049720RFI00003 -Papua Collaborative Govt Initiative Final.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Date of Issuance: September 18, 2020 Reference No. : 72049720RFI00003 Preliminary Activity Title: Papua Collaborative Governance Initiative (PGCI)

Deadline to Submit Responses: October 15, 2020; 8:00 am, Jakarta local time Submit Responses to: applications-indo@usaid.gov

Dear Interested Parties:

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to collect written information about an activity with the preliminary title of “Papua Collaborative Governance Initiative (PGCI)” in which USAID seeks to support the Government of Indonesia to increase active and inclusive citizen participation in responsive and accountable local government in Papua and West Papua, as further described in Attachment 1.

Attachment 2 provides a list of inquiries for which any US or non-US organization may provide comments. This is an RFI, not a Request for Application (RFA) or Request for Proposal (RFP). Do not submit any applications at this time; only the information requested in this RFI will be reviewed. Responses will be treated as confidential. USAID may revise the structure and concept of the activity based on comments received but is not obligated to do so. A solicitation is expected to be released in early 2021.

At this time, a decision has not been finalized as to whether the instrument type will be acquisition or assistance. Therefore, this RFI is being posted on both grants.gov and beta.sam.gov.

In addition, USAID is currently exploring whether it may be appropriate to restrict eligibility/competition to entities that satisfy any of the following criteria:

1. Local Entities, which means a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:

a. is legally organized under the laws of;

b. has as its principal place of business or operations in;

c. is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of;

and

d. managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of a country receiving assistance from funds appropriated under title III of this Act;

OR

72049720RFI00003 USAID/Indonesia

Attachment 1 - Page 2

2. Organizations that have received less than $25 million in USAID funding, at any tier, over the past five years.

USAID requests US and non-US organizations that meet the above criteria to submit a capabilities statement in response to the request set forth in Attachment 3. The information provided will be used to help identify whether there are adequate local, new, or underutilized entities that possess the capability to provide the technical assistance described in Attachment

1. No final decision regarding limiting eligibility/competition has been made.

All responses should be sent using the cover page that is Attachment 2 to this RFI. All comments must be submitted electronically via email to applications-indo@usaid.gov with the subject of “RFI: Papua Collaborative Governance Initiative” no later than the date/time stated above.

Respondents are advised that USAID is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information, answer questions or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information provided. Any information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary. Not responding to this request does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if any is issued.

Please note that release of this RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S.

Government to issue any notice of funding opportunity or solicitation or ultimately award on the basis of this RFI. USAID is not responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this RFI nor will funding be made available prior to any award. Respondents are responsible for all costs incurred prior to award.

Thank you for your interest in USAID/Indonesia’s programs and we look forward to your comments.

Sincerely, /s/ Alexis McGinness Contracting/Agreement Officer USAID/Indonesia

Attachments:

1. Activity Description

2. Response Form (with questions)

3. Capabilities Statement

Attachment 1 - Page 3

Attachment 1 - Activity Description

Preliminary Activity Title: Papua Collaborative Governance Initiative (PCGI) Activity Purpose: To increase active and inclusive citizen participation in responsive and accountable local government in Papua and West Papua

Geographic Locations: Indonesia – National and USAID/Indonesia CDCS Priority Provinces1

Period of Performance: Five years Anticipated Funding: USD 8-10 million Instrument Type: TBD

I. BACKGROUND

Compared to other provinces in Indonesia, development challenges in Papua2 are unique due to its extreme geography and long history of social-political conflict, including a legacy of colonialism, the presence of separatist movements, ongoing human rights concerns, and continued security incidents. Since 2001, Papua has been entitled to a Special Autonomy Fund (known as Otonomi Khusus or Otsus) that is equal to 2% of the national General Allocation Budget. For example, in 2018, the Central Government transferred to Papua roughly Rp. 8 trillion in Otsus Funds, as well as an additional Rp. 4 trillion for infrastructure. Similar funds have been transferred to West Papua province. Despite these large sums, Papua continues to score second lowest or lowest among all Indonesian provinces in all development indicators, including government effectiveness and accountability.

The Papua Collaborative Governance Initiative builds on lessons learned from previous USAID activities in the provinces, which indicate that weaknesses in the key principles of good governance - such as transparency, participation, and inclusion - run as a fundamental issue across its challenges. USAID’s previous local governance program, KINERJA (2013-2017), for example, learned that a combination of a lack of local government capacity and low citizen engagement led to poor access to services, while citizen participation, e.g. via multi-stakeholder forums, was effective in improving accountability. The activity’s design acknowledges the ongoing challenges of operating in Papua, including its political and security sensitivity, the resource-intense nature of implementation, and the at-times limited return on investment. It is based on the continued belief in the importance of engaging in Papua while recognizing the need to take a tailored, targeted, and innovative approach, one which embodies a renewed focus on empowering Papuans to fairly and justly realize their rights as equal citizens of Indonesia.

1 As stated in USAID/Indonesia's Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2021-2025, which is part of a recent bilateral agreement with the Government of Indonesia/the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), USAID will concentrate and integrate at least two-thirds of CDCS funding for national level policy work in eight priority provinces, including Banten, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Jakarta Special District, North Sumatra, Papua, South Sulawesi, and West Kalimantan.

2 Papua here refers to both Papua and West Papua provinces.

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The proposed activity has been developed via consultations with various stakeholders, including national and local government representatives, civil society organizations, women’s and youth groups, religious organizations, academics, and other international donors. Across these consultations, stakeholders underscore that the key barrier to addressing Papua’s complex challenges is the overarching disconnect between local governments and the citizens that they should serve. The proposed activity thus aims to strengthen the relationship, communication, and trust between local governments in Papua and their diverse communities, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, and religious groups. Its approach will work on both the supply side - to strengthen government consultation and oversight mechanisms - as well as the demand side, to build the capacity of Papuas to exercise their right to be heard.

To further refine proposed activities, USAID will continue consultations with key stakeholders relevant to Papua, including the need to further examine the challenge of how to address the importance of reaching areas within Papua that have had less opportunity to benefit from development assistance.

II. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Weak local governance underlies the complexity of development in Papua, including high political clientelism, pervasive ineffectiveness, limited responsiveness, and poor transparency.

These challenges lead to poor public services, unqualified civil servants, strong political pressure, limited policy formulation and implementation, and low credibility of the government's commitment to its stated policies. Furthermore, civic participation in the provinces remains weak, due to a lack of political will by the government to engage citizens, a lack of citizen access to information on government priorities, a lack of public forums for citizens to voice their aspirations, and low skills among citizens to engage, exacerbated by high poverty/low literacy rates. This holds particularly true for indigenous Papuans, despite various affirmative policies.

Based on stakeholder consultations, specific weaknesses include:

● The failure to consult or include communities in the decisions that affect them, leading to low support or even rejection of government development initiatives.

● The mere formality of the ‘Musrengbang’ development forums, and questions as to its responsiveness to the Papuan context.

● Poor government planning processes, including lack of alignment with development priorities, difficulties in spending budgets, and failure to provide sufficient public access to information.

● Underutilization of constructive actors, including religious and ‘adat’ networks, customary councils, a growing community of entrepreneurs, and the potential of youth.

● Limited women’s empowerment and barriers to gender equality, including low representation of women leaders at all levels.

● The need for civil society organizations to strengthen their capacity and skills in community engagement and government oversight.

Though different stakeholders may focus on specific issues depending on their own particular areas of interest or expertise - such as health, education, natural resources management, infrastructure, or local economic development - all agree that the basic, fundamental

Attachment 1 - Page 5 understanding of governance must change before services improve, funds are spent judiciously, and citizens benefit from their outcomes. This requires a shift from political-driven decision-making to community-driven, participatory approach. Given its modest level of funding, and the subsequent need for a highly targeted focus, the proposed activity will work with stakeholders to create incentives, facilitate dialogue, develop models, and encourage best practices around citizen engagement and mobilization, to foster the ability of citizens to make their voices heard and the ability of governments to listen to them.

III. THEORY OF CHANGE

IF local governments in Papua create effective, accessible, and equitable avenues for citizen participation in the planning, budgeting, and implementation of development priorities;

And IF the people of Papua feel empowered to participate in local government processes, through quality access to information, channels for input, and relevant skills development;

And IF local governments and civil society in Papua work together to ensure that the concerns and aspirations of women, youth, tribal leaders, religious communities, entrepreneurs, and other diverse groups are substantively heard, considered, and reflected in decision-making;

THEN local governments in Papua will more effectively and efficiently meet the development needs of their constituents with quality, transparency, and accountability.

The theory of change assumes that USAID works together with the Government of Indonesia to play a facilitation role between local governments and community groups in Papua and that such facilitation can encourage stakeholders to see the mutual benefits of collaboration. Risks include a lack of incentives to participate in such processes, the role of political and economic elites in decision-making, and the modest level of funding available for this activity. USAID will mitigate these risks by fostering cooperative design and implementation throughout the activity, empowering stakeholders to determine their own priorities, rather than presupposing or pre-determining them; identifying and cultivating existing and potential champions in both government and civil society; leveraging civil society organizations, church groups, and other networks to reach wider groups of stakeholders, including those isolated locations; building on existing local governance consultation and oversight mechanisms; and emphasizing the dissemination and replication of models and best practices to extend impact.

IV. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

Goal: To strengthen responsive and accountable development in Papua and West Papua via strengthened trust and collaboration between the local governments in Papua and the people of Papua.

Purpose: To increase active and inclusive citizen participation in responsive and accountable local government in Papua and West Papua.

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Objectives/Intermediate Results (IRs):

1. To enhance the capacity of local governments in effectively soliciting and incorporating the input of diverse groups of citizens and civil society organizations.

2. To bolster the ability of diverse groups of citizens and civil society organizations to effectively participate in local government and development processes.

3. To foster the dissemination and adaptation of models, innovations, and best practices in citizen engagement, collaborative governance, and multi-stakeholder problem-solving.

V. RELATIONSHIP TO USAID AND GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA (GOI) PRIORITIES

Under USAID/Indonesia’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) for 2020-2024, the Papua Collaborative Governance Activity falls under Development Objective #1: Effective Democratic Governance Strengthened, and in particular, Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1 Governance Reforms Advanced and IR 1.2 More Informed and Active Public Participation. The activity also responds to other USAID priorities including public sector engagement; the empowerment of poor and vulnerable populations, with a focus on gender equality and social inclusion; and the mobilization of civil society and non-governmental organizations.

Importantly, the activity will adhere to the USAID Policy on Promoting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples via its strong focus on working with indigenous Papuans. This will include the importance of engaging indigenous peoples to safeguard against harm; supporting their development priorities and self-reliance; empowering indigenous peoples and their representative organizations to advocate for, and exercise, their rights.

In addition, the activity contributes to GOI national policies and programs, such as the Long- Term National Development Plan (RPJPN) (2005-2025) and the National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) (2020-2024). Under the RPJMN, the activity will contribute to the goal to Develop Regions for Reducing Inequality and Ensuring Equity as well as the goal to Strengthen Stability of Politics, Law, Defense and Security and Public Services Transformation.

The activity also aligns with priorities established by President Jokowi at the beginning of his second term in office, specifically bureaucracy reform, human capacity, and budget efficiency.

Finally, this activity aligns with Presidential Instruction No. 9/2017 on Accelerating Development in Papua and the proposed Presidential Regulation No. 18/2020 on the Policy of Papua Region in RPJMN 2020-2024. The activity follows the principle of supporting the integrity of Indonesian unity and the protection of human rights.

VI. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The activity recognizes that building trust and communication between local governments and their communities holds the key to ensuring that local governments meet the needs of their constituents with accountability and transparency. The activity will work with local governments, civil society organizations, community groups to strengthen channels for consultation, dialogue, and oversight and empower diverse stakeholders to work together to solve common challenges. This includes a particular focus on engaging and mobilizing

Attachment 1 - Page 7 marginalized, vulnerable, and underutilized groups, including women, youth, tribal leaders, religious communities, entrepreneurs, and others. Illustrative activities may include:

● Working with provincial officials to identify existing practices in local government consultation and oversight mechanisms, such as Musrenbang, para-para, public budget hearings, and multi-stakeholder forums.

● Cul va ng local government capacity-building initiatives in areas such as stakeholder mapping, data collection, information provision, public communications, and community outreach towards strengthening consultation and oversight mechanisms.

● Suppor ng civil society organiza ons and community groups in conducting needs assessments for public participation, civic engagement and government oversight.

● Facilita ng dialogue between government officials and CSOs/community groups (including religious networks) on issue identification and prioritization.

● Iden fying exis ng and poten al champions in local governments, civil society, and the business community and cultivating leadership, mentoring, and networking opportunities.

● Providing compe ve seed funding and technical assistance in the adaptation of models and best practices.

● Encouraging crea vity and innova on in civic educa on, community engagement, and mobilization, such as student internships, social entrepreneurship, hackathons, public artworks, and sport competitions.

Expected Results: By the end of the activity, expected results include increased quantity and quality of mechanisms for public consultation and oversight; increased capacity and commitment of local governments in utilizing citizen input in planning, budgeting, and implementation;

increased quantity and quality of public participation in local decision-making processes; and increased quantity and quality of public participation by women, youth, indigenous peoples, and other key groups in such mechanisms.

Illustrative indicators may include:

● Percentage increase among partner districts using citizen input in planning.

● Percentage increase among partner districts using citizen input in budgeting.

● Percentage increase in local government adaptation of innovation and best practices for citizen engagement.

● Percentage increase in the participation of community groups in local government processes.

● Percentage increase in the number of citizens reporting satisfaction with local government performance.

Program Beneficiaries: The activity’s direct beneficiaries will include local government officials, civil society organizations, and community groups in Papua, particularly those that focus on socially excluded communities and other marginalized and vulnerable populations, with an emphasis on indigenous Papuans. Indirect beneficiaries will be the people of Papua, who will benefit from more responsive and accountable local government.

[END OF ATTACHMENT 1]

Attachment 2 - Page 8

Attachment 2 - Response Form

RESPONSE FORM

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NO. 72049720RFI00003

General Information

Name of Organization: _______________________________________________

Contact Person:

Name: _______________________________________________

Position Title: _______________________________________________

Email Address: _______________________________________________

Type of Organization:

____ US Organization, Large Business

____ US Organization, Small Business

____ Indonesian Organization

____ Other - Please indicate: _________________________________

Questions (Please note that you are not obliged to answer all questions)

1. Despite years of assistance in Papua and West Papua, many stakeholders believe that people on the ground have felt limited results; they thus emphasize the need for new approaches. What creative, innovative, or “out-of-the-box” methodologies, best practices or other ideas do you believe should be considered in the activity design?

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2. The activity will likely have a modest budget of no more than $10 million. Given the complexity of the challenges in Papua and West Papua, including geographical challenges and high costs of implementation, how would you recommend the design maximize this funding?

3. At what level would you recommend the activity work? How should it strike a balance between needs at the national, provincial, and district levels?

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4. There has been a tendency for past efforts to focus on easier-to-reach locations, leaving many communities in Papua and West Papua without access to assistance. What measures would you recommend helping extend the benefits of assistance to these communities, particularly those that are remote and/or isolated?

5. Gender equality and social inclusion lie at the heart of this activity. What would you recommend that activity incorporate to help ensure genuine participation by diverse communities? If you had to focus on one to two particular demographic groups, who would it be and why?

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6. A do-no-harm approach is essential for this activity. What do-no-harm measures do you recommend be integrated into the activity design?

7. What models for piloting and replication should the activity consider?

8. How should the activity consider the role of the private sector in Papua and West Papua?

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9. What kind of incentives might motivate local governments and other key development actors in Papua and West Papua to work more closely with citizen groups towards more effective development and reform?

10. Considering a relatively weak capacity and poor local governance in Papua and West Papua, and limited funding for these activities, how do you recommend to balance interventions between “supply” (local government) and “demand” (citizen) sides for higher programming impact?

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11. Do you believe the goal, objectives, and expected outcomes of this activity would be more effectively served by assistance (a cooperative agreement) or acquisition (a contract)?

What are the pros and cons of either mechanism?

12. Would you advocate that further development of this activity be conducted via co-design?

What form would you recommend that co-design take?

13. Additional comments may be provided here.

[END OF ATTACHMENT 2]

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ATTACHMENT 3 - Capabilities Statement

CAPABILITIES STATEMENT FORM

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NO. 72049720RFI00003

Responses to this request must not exceed three (3) pages. As set forth above, this is not a request for application or request for proposal but rather this information will be utilized to conduct market research regarding potential sources available.

Responses to this notice must include the following:

1. General Information

Name of Organization: ___________________________________

Contact Person Name: ___________________________________

Position Title: ___________________________________

Email Address: ___________________________________

2. Type of Organization: (please check as appropriate)

____ Local Entity

____ Local Entity that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding

_____ Locally Established Entity that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding

____ US Organization that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding in the past five years

____ US Small or Disadvantaged Business that has received less than $25 million of USAID funding in the past five years

3. A capability statement demonstrating areas of focus and the ability to undertake governance activities or some of the illustrative activities to achieve the desired results described in Attachment 1, including experience:

a. Improving citizen engagement and civil society advocacy and oversight

b. Addressing key local governance challenges around local government accountability and transparency

c. Working closely with local champions to advance governance reform

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d. Nurturing governance best practices for greater sustainability

e. Leveraging local resources to address local development challenges

4. Please list your relevant past performance as a prime contractor or major subcontractor; nature of work/scope related to similar programs; and recent-ongoing work performed during the past five years related to the subject matter.

[END OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION]