RFI No. 72088723-PACIFIC-RFI-00001 Peace Project.pdf

U.S. Agency for International Development Annex 2 Building U.S. Embassy 1201 Roxas Boulevard 1000 Ermita, Manilla, Philippines

Tel: (632) 301-6000 Fax (632) 301-6213 http://philippines.usaid.gov

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Reference Number: 72088723-PACIFIC/RFI-00001 Release Date: April 20, 2023 Response Due Date: May 11, 2023, 5:00 pm, PST Response Email Address: manila-roaa-admin@usaid.gov

To: All Interested Parties

Subject: Request for Information (RFI) – USAID/Papua New Guinea (PNG) Peace Project

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is engaged in designing an activity to support the objectives of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (the Strategy). The Strategy is a new multi-year, U.S. Government effort aimed at countering alarming levels of violence by mitigating conflict, and building peace and community resilience in at-risk, environmentally vulnerable nations such as Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Strategy simultaneously seeks to leverage and coordinate local know-how and resources, as well as benefit from public and private investments to promote peace and advance sustainable and equitable local economic opportunities.

Pursuant to FAR 52.215-3, Request for Information (Oct. 1997), the United States Government, (USG) represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is publishing this Request for Information (RFI) to obtain information, recommendations, opinions and comments from all interested public and private parties on the proposed activity in PNG, including approaches to promote peace and improve livelihoods. The information obtained in this RFI may be used to inform the design of this activity and to make strategic program decisions that align with USAID’s and the Government of PNG’s priorities.

To that end, information obtained through this RFI will be held in confidence and will not be disclosed to the public. Organizations should identify any proprietary information in their responses. Proprietary materials will not be distributed or discussed with any other organization.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a request for application, or an award commitment on the part of the U.S.Government, nor does it commit the U.S.Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of comments. Responses are voluntary and responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Respondents to this RFI will not receive a confirmed receipt and will not be notified of the result of the responses received. It should be noted that responding to or providing comment on this RFI will not give any advantage and or disadvantage to any organization in any subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

mailto:manila-roaa-admin@usaid.gov

RFI# 72088723-PACIFIC/RFI-00001

USAID/Papua New Guinea Peace Project

Instructions for Submitting Responses and Comments:

Responses (comments, suggestions, and enhancements) to this RFI are due on the date and time specified on this cover letter. Submission via email is required, no other form of submission will be accepted. Respondents may include organization information, past experiences working in this subject field, experience working on the ground or host country government officials, or capacity information.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted via email to the following email: manila-roaa-admin@usaid.gov with the subject title, Request for Information (RFI) - USAID/Papua New Guinea (PNG) Peace Project, no later than the date and time indicated on this cover page.

Purpose of this Request for Information: This RFI is issued for the purpose of providing stakeholders an opportunity to suggest possible interventions and to inform potential outcomes aligned with the stated activity goal and objectives, and assist with assessing local capabilities to support proposed interventions. This RFI is also seeking information about organizations capabilities (particularly those operating in Hela and Morobe) that are engaged in strengthening the ability of communities in Papua New Guinea to prevent and respond to violence, and improve economic livelihoods, particularly for women and vulnerable groups. USAID is exploring options, approaches and successful models to support efforts that are locally-led, community-based and sustainable. All interested parties are invited to respond to questions, and provide feedback to the email address included in this notice.

The information contained in this RFI is intended solely as a thought-piece, and ideas may change significantly during the design, consultation, and approval process. Any information collected through this RFI may or may not be used to help guide thinking about this activity.

USAID seeks a diverse mix of approaches that will engage local actors who will contribute to the Activity’s outcomes.

Responses to this RFI must be limited to not more than ten (10) pages and must include responses to the following information:

I. Intervention Approaches:

1. Given the local context, the results and intermediate results provided in the Activity Development Hypothesis and Results Framework below, to what extent are the objectives achievable?

2. What specific locally-led interventions would you recommend to strengthen community capacity to increase gender equity, promote peace, reduce violence and increase economic opportunities in rural and urban areas?

3. What key challenges and/or barriers do you foresee in achieving the proposed objective and interventions?

4. What role could the government (at any level), community-based organizations (including civil society), religious organizations or other local groups play in addressing and preventing conflict? How do these and other actors currently work with or complement one another, and how could they improve collaboration?

5. How can cultural or local practices be taken into consideration to prevent conflict?

6. How do rural and urban settings in Hela and Morobe provinces differ with regard to gender equity, conflict and violence, and economic opportunity?

7. How might gender-based violence (GBV) and sorcery accusation related violence (SARV) be prevented and better addressed? What services currently exist for victims, and how can they be improved?

8. Please describe how behavior change could be achieved to improve community stability and livelihoods, especially for women, youth/children and other marginalized groups?

9. Given your organization’s specific expertise, do you have any comments, opinions, suggestions and/or recommendations to provide to USAID regarding promoting peace, gender equity and increasing income opportunities in Papua New Guinea?

10. Any other feedback as it relates to the implementation of this activity can be presented in one page or less single spaced.

II. Organizational Capacity Information:

1. Organizational point of contact, title, position, telephone number, email address, and website (if applicable);

2. Briefly describe your organization’s mission statement and the types of programs it implements and where it is operating in PNG ;

3. Please provide the following information about your organization:

a. Value of the funding received from donors or funding organizations;

b. Brief description of the activities and outcomes, dates of the effort, and locations

(one paragraph);

c. Please list your local partners, especially those in Morobe and Hela provinces.

d. What is your experience managing grants awarded to local organizations?

Thank you for your assistance and interest in USAID programming in Papua New Guinea.

Sincerely, Stéphane C. Bright Contracting/Agreement Officer Regional Office of Acquisition & Assistance

Background Information:

The ten-year U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (“the Strategy”) outlines a U.S.

whole-of-government effort designed to foster and achieve better long-term outcomes through integrated diplomacy, developmental, and defense-sector engagement. It seeks to address challenges associated with conflict and instability in more effective ways than past stabilization efforts. The Strategy’s development followed in-depth quantitative and qualitative analyses, and robust consultations involving local partners, peacekeeping and development organizations, and the U.S. Congress.

The Papua New Guinea country plan focuses on the prevention of violent conflict, including building community capacity to prevent, mitigate, and respond to conflict; sustainable and equitable economic growth; and professionalized security forces. It reflects the Administration’s key priorities of promoting gender equity, a strong civic space, and resilience to disruptive events such as the global climate crisis and pandemics. The United States will continue to collaborate with partners in the Papua New Guinean government, civil society, and local leaders to implement the country plan.

Since gaining independence from Australia in 1975, the government of PNG has been unable to provide adequate public services, maintain effective and inclusive governance structures and institutions, and forge a sense of national identity in one of the most societally fragmented and culturally and linguistically diverse countries in the world. While PNG’s Development Strategic Plan (PNGDSP) Vision 2050 reinforces the fundamental directives required to advance PNG into a middle-income country by 2030, the PNG Government has struggled to address key drivers of fragility, including high rates of poverty, an underdeveloped economy, limited job opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, lack of social and support services, extreme inequality between women and men, and a lack of social cohesion. These challenges are exacerbated by accepted levels of official corruption and a lack of professionalism within the civil service and security sector, leading to financial mismanagement and citizens’ abuse or the near abdication of governmental authority in some parts of the country. Alternative sources of order and governance such as gangs, private security firms, religious-based groups and traditional local leaders exist alongside the government, both filling gaps and, at times, competing for authority. PNG is known as “the land of the unexpected,” and this reputation is warranted.

While conflict has always been part of the complex relationships among PNG’s hundreds of microsocieties, the scale of violence has increased in recent decades due to a number of factors such as the influx of firearms; gender inequality; social media influences; and the erosion of traditional negotiation and mediation practices. Women and girls have been a target of much of this violence and, in recent years, have advocated, along with others, for their equality, security and increased political power.

Women, in particular, face greater challenges in starting a business. The primary factors hindering female formal economic participation include a lack of access to finance, lack of skills and entrepreneurial training, lack of behavior change and acceptance of inequality, lack of access to information and markets, lack of support from government agencies, and an unfair business environment. PNG’s economic base remains fragile despite efforts to improve the business http://reasury.gov.pg/html/publications/files/pub_files/2011/2011.png.vision.2050.pdf environment and promote private sector investment in the non-resource sectors. Most of the population are subsistence farmers and very few Papua New Guineans receive dividends or equity from agreements between private companies and the government despite the vast array of natural resources in the country. Violent conflict and protests surrounding extractive industries and official corruption are not uncommon. Environmental disasters, often related to resource extraction or energy production, and climate-related scarcity are also acutely important to PNG’s stability due to their intersecting human and economic impacts. The Pacific’s most violent and sustained conflict since the Second World War was in PNG’s Bougainville Province, and was rooted in environment, corruption, and governance issues.

Despite these challenges, there are significant opportunities for positive impact. PNG is the most populous, diverse, and resource-rich Pacific Island country, and it hosts one of the largest economies. The PNG Government’s Vision 2050 estimates that an additional 600,000 jobs could be generated by 2030 as a result of strategies to promote stability. Further, the PNG government, as evidenced by its national strategy and actions on the regional stage, aspires to be a stronger democratic leader in the Pacific and welcomes greater collaboration with the United States on promoting peace and inclusive development. There also are a number of elements within PNG’s communities that have demonstrated resilience and opportunities for engagement. The provision of public services by churches and clan solidarity through the wantok system have proven to be important factors limiting widespread conflict and restricting the intensity of violence at a local scale. PNG has maintained several strong democratic processes since gaining independence. Such strengths are partly due to societal diversity and norms supporting consensual decision-making within PNG. The Bougainville peace process was considered a model for the inclusion of women as peacebuilders, the prominence of culture and indigenous reconciliation practices, local ownership and control of the process, and the supporting, and the non-dominating role of the international community. Youth-led initiatives and organizations in PNG play an integral role in preventing conflict and promoting stability, and many youth in PNG are dedicated to and passionate about addressing the country’s complex challenges.

Activity Goal:

The 10-Year Strategic Plan for PNG orients U.S. Government efforts toward a defined long-term goal: Communities and marginalized populations in PNG, especially women and youth, are more empowered and inclusive; prevent and resolve conflicts through non-violent means; and are supported by more accountable, responsive, transparent private and public institutions and improved legal, justice, and security sectors. The strategy envisions a range of diplomatic, development, and security efforts to advance three core objectives: 1) strengthen community capacity to prevent, mitigate, and respond to violence and conflict; 2) support sustainable and equitable economic opportunities; and, 3) improve justice systems and professionalize security forces.

In close coordination with a host of U.S. Government agencies, and capitalizing on the Agency’s comparative advantage, USAID will focus its efforts on Objectives 1 and 2, while other USG agencies will work towards achievement of Objective 3. The Peace Activity will enhance the ability of communities, civil society organizations, and democratic institutions in Papua New Guinea to http://reasury.gov.pg/html/publications/files/pub_files/2011/2011.png.vision.2050.pdf prevent and respond to conflict and foster the safe, meaningful participation of vulnerable groups, particularly women, in political, societal, and economic spheres.

During consultations for the development of the 10-Year Strategic Plan for PNG, local stakeholders emphasized the need to focus on depth over breadth to maximize outcomes. The U.S.

Government, including the Peace Activity, will therefore focus its initial efforts on two provinces – Hela and Morobe. These provinces were selected based on an assessment of local government political will and assessed opportunities to pilot and scale up interventions to address identified conflict dynamics.

In order to effectively and sustainably address the underlying causes of instability within PNG, the U.S. government, including USAID, must focus on strengthening social cohesion and resilience from the bottom up and supporting existing mechanisms, institutions, and host nation strategies rather than creating new, parallel structures. This plan seeks to reinforce a local approach, communalism, and consensus-building, which are at the core of the Papua New Guinean way. For this reason, achieving activity objectives necessitates a focus on communities and how external entities like government institutions and private enterprises can be more responsible, accountable, and transparent to those communities.

Activity Development Hypothesis and Results Framework Draft Development Hypothesis:

If conflict prevention and resolution capacity are strengthened; and If citizen’s participation in good governance is improved; and If livelihoods opportunities are improved;

Then targeted communities in Papua New Guinea, including vulnerable groups, will experience increased stability and improved livelihoods.

RESULTS FRAMEWORK

ANNEX 1

Links to USG Strategic Frameworks and U.S. Administration Priorities:

● Pacific Islands Strategic Framework: The activity will be responsive to Development Objectives 2 and 3 of the USAID Strategic Framework for the Pacific Islands: “Resilient Economic Growth Advanced” and “Democratic Governance Strengthened.”

● Indo-Pacific Strategy: The United States is committed to an Indo-Pacific that is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. Working with partners, this activity promotes prosperity and regional security through building local capacity for peacebuilding and conflict mitigation, and enhancing economic opportunities.

● State-USAID Joint Strategic Plan (JSP): The activity aligns with the JSP, particularly regarding goals two and three in promoting global prosperity and shaping an international environment in which the United States can thrive and strengthen democratic institutions, uphold universal values, and promote human dignity.

● Consistent with the change in the statute to “empower local and national actors” and the draft USAID Local Capacity Development Policy, activity implementation in PNG will work to “embrace more inclusive development partnerships” and strengthen local actors’ capabilities. Through this activity, USAID will seek out appropriate and new local partners to support and sustain progress. The activity will endeavor to elevate the voices of in-country communities through seeking out local, community level partners and by ensuring responsiveness to community needs and local voices.

● The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS) aims to break the costly cycle of conflict and fragility and promote peaceful, self-reliant US partners. Through this strategy, the US is pursuing a new approach to address the drivers of fragility, while supporting locally- driven solutions through prevention, stabilization, partnerships and efficient management. The Strategy outlines a framework and initial approach to guide U.S.

efforts to help Papua New Guineans promote a more peaceful and resilient country.

● The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability and this activity buttresses the National Security Strategy, including its focus on Pacific Islands and the need for collective action “to build new ways to work with allies and partners on development and the expansion of human dignity,” which are integral to security and prosperity.

● The activity also aligns with and fulfills the mandated requirement of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Act of 2017 and the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, which is a whole-of-government policy to advance women’s protection from violence and meaningful participation in preventing and resolving conflict and building post-conflict peace and stability. By aligning with WPS principles, this activity will ensure women’s protection and access to meaningfully participate in peace and political processes, preventing, mediating, and resolving local conflicts and violence.

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