SFOP0010339 Notice of Funding Opportunity UPDATED.pdf

United States Department of State Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW

Funding Opportunity Number: SFOP0010339

Assistance Listing Number 19.121

Solicitation Type: Open Competition

Public Opportunity Title: Peacebuilding through Economic Resilience in Host

Communities in Northern Cote d’Ivoire and Northern Ghana

Funding Amount: $1,973,000 USD

NOFO Issuance Date: April 12, 2024

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: April 26, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Closing Date and Time for Submission of Applications: June 11, 2024, 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Anticipated Number of Awards: 1

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement

Anticipated Period of Performance: 12 months

Est. Program Start Date: October 1, 2024

Est. Program End Date: September 30, 2025

Eligibility Category: U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or education institutions having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; commercial entities; for profit organizations; overseas non-governmental organizations; Foreign Public Entities and Public International Organizations (PIOs).

Number of Applications: One (1) per applicant organization [NOTE: Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined proposal. However, only one organization must be designated as the lead applicant. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed above.]

Electronic Requirement: Yes. All applications must be submitted through MyGrants/SAMS or grants.gov. E-mailed or faxed proposal packages will not be considered.

Submission of Applications: For more information, see the instructions listed below.

Award Ceiling: $1,973,000 USD

Award Floor: $1,973,000 USD

Cost-Sharing: Recommended but not required.

CSO Point of Contact: VellturoM@state.gov

This funding opportunity is posted on SAMS Domestic and may be amended. Answers to questions from potential applicants will be posted as an attachment to this NOFO.

Applicants should regularly check the websites for the most recent information pertaining to this NOFO. The U.S. Department of State bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes associated with electronic submissions. Incomplete application packages will not be considered. E-mailed, faxed or mailed documents will NOT be considered.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application package has been received in MyGrants/SAMS in its entirety. Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible. Individual e-mailed or faxed documents will not be considered.

Other Submission Requirements

All application submissions must be made electronically via MyGrants/SAMS or www.grants.gov (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com). Both systems require registration by the applying organization. Please note that the Grants.gov registration process can take ten (10) business days or longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.

file:///C:/Users/OKellyCA/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/ZN6WSCL2/www.grants.gov https://mygrants.service-now.com/grants/portal_login.do

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an active registration in MyGrants/SAMS or Grants.gov. Applicants are required to document that the application has been received by MyGrants/SAMS or Grants.gov in its entirety. CSO bears no responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not being registered before the due date, for system errors in either MyGrants/SAMS or Grants.gov, or other errors in the application process. Additionally, applicants must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.

Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will not be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for security reasons.

Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in the applicable NOFO and these instructions.

CSO encourages organizations to submit applications during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00AM - 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)). If an applicant experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate helpdesk but is not receiving timely assistance (e.g. if you have not received a response within 48 hours of contacting the helpdesk), you may contact the CSO’s point of contact listed in the NOFO in Section G. The point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate helpdesk.

Note: The Grants Officer will determine technical eligibility of all applications.

The decision for the final eligibility and award determination rests with the Grants Officer.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) is charged with leading the formulation and implementation of U.S. conflict prevention and stabilization strategies, policies, and programs. It provides the secretariat for the U.S. government’s multi-agency Atrocity Prevention Task Force and is the State Department’s lead implementer of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. CSO houses the Department’s Negotiations Support Unit, which advises U.S. diplomats and other officials on resolving some of the thorniest and most intractable international disputes.

CSO’s efforts to reduce fragility, strengthen democratic institutions, and increase social cohesion with and within priority partner countries directly advance U.S. foreign policy objectives.

CSO announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for programs addressing the following economic resilience and social cohesion related objectives in northern Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana.

Pending availability of funds and satisfactory performance, including compliance with the award’s terms and conditions CSO may consider adding funds to the award. CSO intends to support one (1) award as a result of this NOFO.

The Department of State reserves the right to fund any or none of the proposals submitted and reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase the budget in accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds. This notice is subject to the availability of funding.

The Federal award signed by the State Department Grants Officer is the only authorizing document.

This NOFO consists of the Overview and Executive Summary, plus the following sections:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

Section Title Page #

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SYNOPSIS 4

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 9

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 10

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 11

V. ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS AND BUDGET COMPONENTS 16

VI. APPLICATION EVALUATION AND SCORING 20

VII. AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION 26

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SYNOPSIS

The Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) aims to support a program to build social cohesion and promote peacebuilding between at-risk groups in northern Ghana and northern Cote d’Ivoire by improving equitable access to livelihoods in communities hosting refugees and asylum seekers in these regions.

In 2023, Cote d’Ivoire’s and Ghana’s northern borders experienced an influx of more than 40,000 refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence and instability in Burkina Faso.

The rate of Burkinabe arrivals to Cote d’Ivoire has increased in 2024 with an additional

6,000 asylum seekers arriving during the first two months. Most are pastoralists and many arrived with their livestock. Analysts expect irregular migration patterns from Burkina Faso into northern Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana to continue as the Burkinabe government conducts kinetic operations to neutralize violent extremist threats present in its territory. While some of these refugees and asylum seekers have settled in government-managed transit centers, over 75 percent have settled outside of designated areas and live among host communities. These host communities most commonly rely on agriculture as their source of livelihood.

Conflict assessments conducted in these regions have noted an increase in land and water conflicts resulting from increased natural resource use as displaced pastoralists increasingly share territory with local herders and farmers expanding their agricultural activities. Water sources have become depleted. Livestock destroy crops with increased frequency. Farmers often complain about the ramifications of pastoralists’ overgrazing, while herders opine the threat that excessive agricultural expansion poses to their livelihoods. This dynamic threatens social cohesion among communities living in these border regions. Although communities have shown strong resilience in their capacity to manage these conflicts peacefully, analysts assess that mechanisms for peaceful conflict management have become strained and social cohesion is at risk of diminishing further if communities do not receive additional support.

Donors have mobilized to address the drivers of instability and conflict in this fragile region. However, support to host communities represents an apparent gap in this donor landscape. While host communities have taken in tens of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers, they also express frustration for the burden it places on their community structures and resources. They express resentment and hostility toward growing refugee and asylum seeker populations, perceiving them as a strain on local economies and resources because they receive benefits from UN and refugee-relief agencies that host communities are not eligible to receive. This also increases social tensions between communities that accrue formal and informal support for hosting refugees and those that do not. This tension often translates into discriminatory social norms that exacerbate tensions between at-risk communities, as well as widening gaps in access to land, cattle, inputs, markets, information, and local governance processes.

For example, some villages have prohibited pastoralists from approaching waterways, increasing their sense of desperation and alienation from the communities in which they now live.

Analysis suggests that lack of relative access to livelihoods and economic opportunity is a main driver of social division, conflict, and violent extremist recruitment in this region.

Violent extremist organizations (VEOs) in the region have fine-tuned their ability to drive wedges between community members. These schisms facilitate VEO recruitment, sow distrust and disunity, increase acts of intercommunal violence, and create context where VEOs can export parallel government structures.

ILLUSTRATIVE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

This program will be implemented over a 12-month period. Below are illustrative objectives and corresponding activities. Note: CSO would like to benefit from the applicant’s knowledge, experience, and creativity in determining how to meet the goal.

▪ Activities under the Initial Phase could include, but are not limited to:

• An updated assessment of the operating environment based on a combination of new fieldwork such as surveys, focus groups, etc. and partnerships with organizations which already produce such analysis. The updated assessment should address:

o Needs, available resources, barriers, resiliencies, and opportunities related to the program.

o Challenges and opportunities faced by their organizations and actors relevant to the program, and how these are evolving in the current moment of crisis.

▪ Activities under the Implementation Phase could include, but are not limited to:

Objective 1: Strengthen inclusive, equitable, and sustainable communal management of land and water resources in communities hosting refugees and asylum seekers in northern Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana.

Activities could include but are not limited to:

• Support inclusive and sustainable agropastoral activities and land-management arrangements around transit sites and refugee centers (e.g. hybrid farm/cattle parks, hydroponic farms, etc.).

• Establish inclusive local community platforms for facilitating natural resource management, decision-making, peacebuilding, and problem solving.

• Establish inclusive local community platforms and mechanisms for target communities to identify and advocate for shared interests regarding land and water policies to local government authorities.

Objective 2: Increase equitable economic exchange between host communities and refugees/asylum seekers in northern Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana.

Activities could include but are not limited to:

• Increase target communities’ capacities to produce and/or process local products or services that increase local industries’ outputs, productivity, and/or resilience (e.g. processing cashew apples for cattle feed, fertilization and clearing services from livestock, etc.).

• Establish inclusive local community platforms and programs to create and support opportunities for members of local communities to invest gains from economic activities into local employment and local business growth.

Objective 3: Improve conflict management skills between host communities and refugees/asylum seekers in northern Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana to peacefully address community-level conflicts that may cause or be exacerbated by economic fragility, natural resource management, and inequity.

Activities could include but are not limited to:

• Provide conflict resolution and peacebuilding training to target beneficiaries and other relevant at-risk stakeholders

• Facilitate inclusive intergroup dialogues to address community-level conflicts that may cause or be exacerbated by economic fragility, natural resource management, and inequity.

GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS/POPULATIONS

▪ Geographic focus – Program proposals should focus on achieving the above objectives in North Central Region and Northeast Region in Cote d’Ivoire and in Upper East and Upper West Regions in Ghana.

▪ Target groups – Direct beneficiaries for this program are communities hosting refugees and asylum seekers in the geographic areas of focus, with a focus on individuals and groups who are ineligible or otherwise restricted from receiving support from other donor efforts in the region. Refugees and asylum seekers in these regions may be indirect beneficiaries for this program.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

This program contributes to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS) in Coastal West Africa. In addition to meeting program objectives stated above, the implementer should also demonstrate a strong understanding of the SPCPS and a strong commitment to ensuring program efforts align with and reinforce the broader strategic objectives of the SPCPS in Coastal West Africa. This should include:

• Prioritizing a conflict sensitive lens: Evidence suggests that it is not merely poverty, unemployment, or other economic factors that drive violence risk, but it is instead the intersection of these factors with perceptions of exclusion or marginalization that is associated with increased support for violence. Therefore, any efforts to improve access to livelihoods in the context of the SPCPS must necessarily and proactively mitigate risks of exacerbating inequality, tensions, and exclusion among target and other relevant communities. All activities should apply a conflict-sensitive lens, ensure a do-no-harm approach, and be driven by consultations with a diverse array of stakeholders from target and other relevant communities, including women and youth. Conflict sensitivity acknowledges and takes into account the interplay between the context and any interventions carried out in that context, while minimizing any potentially harmful impacts and maximizing positive impacts.

• Focusing on strengthening social cohesion: According to the 10-Year Plan for Implementing the SPCPS in Coastal West Africa, building equitable access to livelihoods and economic opportunities is a sub-objective designed to contribute to strengthening social cohesion between and among at-risk communities.

Therefore, while the specific objective of this program is to improve equitable access to livelihoods and economic opportunities for target communities, implementer should ensure that program efforts do so in a way that reinforces and strengthens social cohesion between and among these two groups. This should include an approach that brings groups together in such a way that fosters positive relationship-building and increases trust, rather than exacerbating tensions. The 10-Year Plan defines social cohesion as the level and extent of connectedness between and among groups.

Additional Considerations:

• Women, Peace, and Security: Per the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, the United States is committed to the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, management, and resolution which is critical to the long-term stability of countries and regions. This includes promoting the physical safety of women and girls, collecting and analyzing sex-disaggregated data for the purpose of developing and enhancing early warning systems for conflict and violence, and integrating the perspectives and interests of affected women into conflict-prevention activities and strategies. In addition, U.S. government programs should improve outcomes in gender equality and the empowerment of women.

This program must be implemented24 in a manner consistent with and complementary to existing U.S. government strategies including but not limited to the upcoming Women, Peace, and Security Strategy 2023-2027.

• Prioritizing youth and women’s inclusion: Evidence suggests that youth exclusion and gender inequality are associated with an increased risk of violence in west Africa. Applicants should stipulate how they intend to include youth and women’s perspectives in the planning and implementation of their activities, as well as how they intend to prioritize youth and women as beneficiaries for their activities.

• Routinely communicating with other SPCPS implementers: This program is designed to complement and reinforce existing conflict prevention and stabilization efforts in the target geographies. The implementer commits to engaging proactively and constructively with other stakeholders working to advance SPCPS objectives to avoid duplication of efforts and mitigate the risk of inequitable or other unfair impact of joint efforts on target communities, while synergizing efforts, where possible, to amplify impacts. Program budgets should include funds to travel to a week-long Annual SPCPS Learning Summit in the region to share information with other implementers and coordinate efforts towards common SPCPS objectives in the target geographies. Competitive programs may also include activities that facilitate strong donor and implementer coordination across program actors working to improve social cohesion and prevent conflict in these target geographies.

• Adhering to local and international laws and norms: Refugees and asylum seekers may represent indirect beneficiaries or otherwise be impacted by the activities of this program. Refugees and asylum seekers are a protected group under domestic and international law. Implementers should proactively increase their awareness of and adhere to existing international norms and local laws in their engagement with all relevant stakeholders, including refugees and asylum seekers.

• Evaluation of the Program: The implementer must budget an external evaluation of the program. The implementer can propose the evaluation type (performance, impact, developmental, etc.) and will coordinate closely with CSO throughout the evaluation process.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

CSO expects to award one (1) cooperative agreement based on this NOFO and in an amount not to exceed the total ceiling amount of $1,973,000. The initial period of performance is 12 months with an anticipated start date of October 2024. CSO may extend the award with additional funds up to 24 additional month(s) contingent on funding availability, CSO priorities, good performance of the recipient, and Department of State management approval.

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, and (d) waive irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may make an award determination on the basis of initial applications 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 (though it is under no obligation to do so), however, to enter into discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the program description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

CSO anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement which requires greater Federal government participation in the program. CSO will undertake reasonable and programmatically necessary substantial involvement. For example, CSO will work closely with successful applicants to advise on revisions to the theory-of-change (TOC), design, indicators, and data collection instruments, working to ensure an approach that benefits the wider conflict community. Additionally, CSO seeks to ensure that qualitative and quantitative information from the program is shared with CSO in ways that can feed into the broader analysis of conflict dynamics at subnational, national, and regional levels. As a result, CSO may work with the Recipient to develop a documentation and reporting plan that meets those needs.

Other examples of substantial involvement can include, but are not limited to:

• Active participation or collaboration with the recipient in the implementation of the award;

• Review and approval of one stage of work before another can begin;

• Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed sub-awards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy; and

• Approval of the recipient’s budget or plan of work prior to the award.

Due to political and security sensitivities in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, including an ongoing refugee crisis, violent extremist presence in neighboring countries, and upcoming elections, any decisions to change the scope or purpose of activities in the statement of work, to bring in other organizations to assist with activities and to engage with media will be made in consultation with CSO, the U.S. Embassies in Cote d’Ivoire and in Ghana, and with Host Nation authorities as appropriate. CSO also expects to assist with the development of in-country partners who would be interested and capable of continuing this effort beyond the duration of the cooperative agreement.

The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).

Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government. CSO reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase application budgets in accordance with program evaluation requirements. In the event of an award, CSO reserves the right to terminate the agreement in accordance with 2 CFR 200 and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions. Specifically, an award may be terminated if the Recipient is not meeting the objectives of the program or if the program no longer is consistent with the national security or foreign policy interest of the United States.

All applicants should be familiar with OMB Circular 2 CFR Part 200.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants CSO welcomes applications from U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or education institutions having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; commercial entities; for profit organizations; overseas non-governmental organizations; Foreign Public Entities and Public International Organizations (PIOs).

Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for regulations regarding program income.

Cost Sharing or Matching Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility factor or requirement for this NOFO and providing cost share will not result in a more favorable competitive ranking. Applicants may offer cost share, but cost share will not be considered or factored in when proposals are reviewed.

Other Eligibility Requirements Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably similar programs.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (www.sam.gov) or MyGrants, and/or has a current debt to the U.S. government 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 or person listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM.gov to ensure that no ineligible entity or person is included in their application.

In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier (UEI) as well as a valid registration on MyGrants/SAMS. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations. Individuals are not required to have a unique entity identifier or be registered in MyGrants/SAMS.

https://sam.gov/

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Please contact the CSO point of contact listed in Section VII if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information and complete instructions on how to apply to this NOFO, including information on proposal’s content and formatting. Please use both the PSI and the NOFO to ensure that the proposal submission is in full compliance with the requirements. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in the NOFO and PSI will NOT be considered.

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:

• The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity

• All documents are in English

• All budgets are in U.S. dollars

• All pages are numbered

• All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and

• All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

The following documents are required:

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance --individuals)

• SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

• SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) (note: the SF-424B is only required for individuals and for organizations not registered in SAM.gov)

FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

Directly funding security forces (military, police, gendarmerie, etc.) is not covered under this announcement.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

The Proposal Narrative must be single-spaced, 12-point Calibri font in Microsoft Word, at least one-inch margins, and should not exceed ten pages. Please note the ten-page limit does not include the Cover Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents, Attachments, Detailed Budget, Budget Narrative, Audit, or NICRA. Applicants are encouraged to combine multiple documents into a single Word Document or PDF (i.e. Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, and Proposal Narrative in one file). The applicant must organize the narrative into the following five components per the instructions:

▪ Executive Summary (not included in the ten-page limit):

o A succinct one-page summary containing information that the applicant believes best represents its proposed program and includes: the name and contact information for the program’s main point of contact; the program’s goal and objectives; program’s approach and methodology; and program’s expected outcomes.

▪ Approach and Methodology:

o Conflict/Context Analysis: Successful applications under this funding opportunity will describe an approach based on a context and conflict analysis that leads to a concrete program change hypothesis. In this section, please provide background on the conflict/context in which the proposed program will be operating.

o Program Goal and Objectives: In this section, please fully explain the program’s goal and objectives. The overarching goal statement should be visionary in nature, and outline what the overall activities and objectives should be building towards. It is important that the program goal aligns with (CSO/Department/U.S. government) policy, including the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability in Coastal West Africa. The objectives of the program should describe where you expect to be by the end of your program. The objectives should be measurable, results-focused, and achievable in within the timeframe of the program.

o Activities: All activities should be clearly developed and sufficiently detailed to understand the resource and time requirements, and how they contribute to the objectives and goal. Please identify the target areas for activities; target participant groups or selection criteria for participants; how the program will engage relevant stakeholders, including women; and local partners as appropriate, among other pertinent details. If partners are included, the narrative should clearly describe the division of labor between the direct applicant and partners.

o Theory of Change: Provide a theory of change for your program that elaborates explicit causal connections between the program’s activities, key intermediate outcomes, objectives, and the long-term goal. Generally, this should involve a chain of “if…then…because…” statements, or something similar. The program theory of change should apply and contextualize any relevant general theory about how this type of intervention works, and how to avoid negative outcomes. It should specify any key assumptions about the context (including relevant gender dynamics), the program design, or companion interventions that are required for success. It should cogently establish that the activities can reasonably be expected to be sufficient in kind, amount and timing with the resources applied, in this context. In addition, briefly explain how the program theory of change interacts with the broader system of conflict interventions by the U.S. government and others. A useful resource for guidance on developing theories of change is USAID’s Theories and Indicators of Change (THINC).

o Integration of Target Groups: It is likely that you will identify groups of individuals who will need special consideration as you develop your program.

Please address how you will incorporate these target groups in your planned activities. These groups may include at-risk populations, such as women, ethnic and/or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, or youth.

o Coordination: Please explain how the program will coordinate with other relevant SPCPS programs implemented in the geographic target areas and sectors, specifically those targeting communities hosting refugee and asylum seekers (Please refer to the Target Groups section above).

▪ Implementation Plan o Resources, Key Steps and Timeline for Activities (including sequential logic):

Describe the proposed activities and how they will achieve the objectives and goal of this program. In doing so, this section should demonstrate how the proposed activities build upon one another and are logically sequenced to achieve the desired outcomes, based on the proposed approach and methodology. The application must identify and address gaps in current responses to the conflict (as identified in the context and conflict analysis), including any gender dynamics that currently, or have the potential to, exacerbate or mitigate conflict. The applicant must submit an illustrative first year activity plan, which sets out a realistic outline of tasks and deliverables, anticipated time frames, challenges, opportunities and due dates, and persons responsible for achieving each task. This narrative description will be complemented by a Gantt chart in the Additional Attachments.

http://www.dmeforpeace.org/peacexchange/theories-and-indicators-of-change-thinc/ http://www.dmeforpeace.org/peacexchange/theories-and-indicators-of-change-thinc/ o Do No Harm: List any significant risks of harm to implementers, participants, beneficiaries or their communities, or of exacerbating conflict or creating new conflicts, which may result from this program. Based on your gender analysis, include specific risks to women and girls. Consider how resources or skills provided might be misused, create grievances among non-recipients, or cause key actors to react in harmful ways. Explain how these risks will be minimized.

o Local Engagement and Sustainability: Strong proposals will describe strategies to sustain the outcomes beyond CSO funding and contribute to building the capacity of communities to address their own concerns in the future. This might be done through sub-grants to local organizations, although that is not a requirement; capacity-building and sustainment can be achieved indirectly as well. This section must also demonstrate a clear understanding of the role that local organizations and institutions are playing or can play in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding. The conflict analysis and the program design should reflect local perspectives and explain how the program will engage with local partners, including women-led organizations, throughout its lifecycle. The proposal should describe how the applicant will work with local entities to build their organizational and technical capacities, and/or relationships to mitigate conflict. Applicants may submit signed Letters of Intent from organizations that will participate in the program.

Letters of Intent should address the willingness of partner organizations to participate in the effort, and the understanding all parties have as to their unique roles and responsibilities in terms of the proposed program. In cases where an applicant (i.e., non-local) was not able to partner with a local organization or institution, does not consider it feasible to do so, or does not consider it in the program’s best interest, the applicant must clearly explain the rationale.

▪ Institutional Capabilities and Past Performance o Organization: Provide a description of the applicant organization – including its general purpose, goals, annual budget (including funding sources), and major past and current activities and programs undertaken.

o Relevant Programmatic and Thematic Experience: Applications should demonstrate the ability to develop and implement programs of the kind outlined in this proposal. Previous experience designing and implementing similar programs is highly desirable and should be detailed and documented in the application. Applicants should demonstrate how organizational resources, capabilities, and experience, and lessons learned from literature on this type of endeavor, will enable the applicant to achieve the grant’s stated objectives.

o Regional/Country Experience: Applicants should specify relevant experience in the country(ies) identified in the proposal, or in similar situations in other countries. Applicants should be able to legally operate in the country where they propose to work. Identify in-country partners; the successful applicant will already have in place at least one partnership with regional institutions and/or organizations. Specify the expertise that each partner brings.

o Key Program Staff: Applications should highlight key staff, their positions, percentage of time devoted to this program, and management structure for the program. The resumes of key staff should highlight relevant educational and field experience and be included as an appendix (see additional attachments below). The person(s) principally responsible for M&E design and technical oversight should be included. The resumes should be no more than two pages and should all follow a consistent format. The applicant should also clarify roles for local partners and staff.

▪ Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan:

o CSO considers monitoring to be essential for responsible program management. Successful applicants will submit a draft monitoring plan within 30 days of award notification. After CSO review, a final monitoring plan must be submitted within 30 days of the award notification.

o For the purposes of the application, please submit a notional logic model/PMP (use template provided). This must include notional indicators at each of the following levels: objective, intermediate outcome, and output. Provide an explanation if data will not be disaggregated by sex. The applicant must also include at least two notional F Standard Indicators.

o In the narrative, please describe how any risks of harm listed above will be monitored. In addition, use this section to describe the applicant’s approach to monitoring and evaluation and why this approach is appropriate for this program and context. This may include the type of data you may collect (qualitative and/or quantitative). If possible, include applicable State Department standard gender indicators (see attachment). Describe the timing of data collection and analysis and how this information will inform midstream program management decision-making.

o Please describe the resources needed to implement your M&E plan and address these in your budget, including the required external evaluation (See the ‘Other Considerations’ for more information). Elaborate on the type of evaluation you propose. If you want to propose other specific monitoring and evaluation activities in the program budget (outside of monitoring, which is required), please specify (ex – a baseline). Note – since this program contributes to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability https://www.state.gov/foreign-assistance-resource-library/

(SPCPS) in Coastal West Africa, the implementer must coordinate with and contribute to other relevant SPCPS MEL activities, as required.

V. ADDITIONAL ATTACHMENTS AND BUDGET COMPONENTS

Additional attachments listed below, budget components, and the SF-424s are not part of the proposal narrative and do not count as part of the 10-page limit for the proposal narrative.

▪ Additional Attachments:

o Logic Model/PMP: The logic model/PMP should include theories of change;

goal and objectives; activities; output and outcome indicators; data collection tools; key definitions and risks and assumptions.

o Timeline: The timeline of the overall proposal should include activities, evaluation efforts, and program closeout (not to exceed one [1] page). Please use the GANTT chart template provided.

o Key Personnel: Please include CVs of key personnel that highlight relevant professional experience (not to exceed two [2] pages each).

o Past Performance References (minimum of 3): When past performance information is present, applicants shall furnish award numbers and other details with contact information for no more than three similar programs funded over the past three years by the State Department, or any other government entity or third-party source. The details shall include the following: name of the organization or agency which funded the program(s), award number, point of contact’s name, mailing address, email address and phone number, and the overall dollar value of the program. The applicant must include information on any problems encountered, and the applicant’s corrective action(s). Applicants must not provide general information on their performance. Applicants may describe any quality awards or certificates that indicate exceptional capacity to conduct the program described in this NOFO. Please use the PPR template provided.

o Gender Analysis of Conflict (GAOC): Proposals must also include a gender analysis of conflict to assess how activities will affect and be affected by the gendered structures, gender norms, and power relations in economic resilience in northern Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana. This should go beyond simply disaggregating data or assessing the gendered impacts of conflict to provide a comprehensive understanding of institutional practices, cultural norms, gender roles, access to and control over assets and resources, and patterns of decision-making in peace and security. The gender analysis of conflict should address how gender norms interact with other factors to drive or mitigate conflict, the differential impact of conflict on women and men, and an understanding of the roles of women and men in conflict and peacebuilding. Refer to the CSO Gender Analysis of Conflict template for sample questions. The findings of the gender analysis of conflict should be reflected in program design, implementation, and evaluation. It is encouraged to take an intersectional and/or gender-responsive approach.

o Additional consideration should be given to how the program will contribute towards gender equality, human rights, and women’s empowerment, or how it will affect root causes of gender exclusion, discrimination, and inequality. A gender-responsive approach entails a program design that is inclusive, participatory, and respectful of all stakeholders, especially in ensuring that women’s meaningful participation is prevalent throughout the program and evaluation, and addressing potential barriers to participation.

o Additional consideration should be given to how the program will consider the unique needs of women in all their diversity, including ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, veterans, youth, and sexual and gender minorities, as well the role of militarized masculinities.

o Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI): All applicants must provide a robust explanation of their gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) capacity, past performance, and intentions for this program. U.S. government partners are responsible for ensuring that comprehensive protection measures are in place for preventing and addressing sexual exploitation and abuse of persons of concern and that allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by Recipient staff are reported to CSO in a timely manner. Applicants should submit copies of any organization-wide policies and procedures on Do No Harm and PSEA, or explain how the applicant organization plans to develop such policies. If not already explained in its policies and procedures, the Applicant must outline in its proposal how it will work with any sub-implementers to develop and apply PSEA policies and procedures over the course of the program.

▪ Budget Components:

o Budget Appropriateness: Budgeted items are necessary and sufficient to the achievement of the goal, objectives, activities and program monitoring as presented in the proposal. This should consist of both an Excel budget breakdown and a budget narrative attached as an annex. The budget narrative must include clear, substantive explanations for each line-item and how the amounts were derived, as well as the source and description of all cost-share offered. Refer to the Excel Budget Template for guidance on compiling a budget and associated budget narrative.

o Cost-effectiveness: The Department of State must determine that the costs paid for this award are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the proposed program activities. This will consist of a review of the Budget to determine if the overall costs are realistic for the work to be performed, if the costs reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2 CFR 200 (OMB Circular A-122), and if the costs are consistent with the program narrative.

Programs should seek to produce innovative and cost-effective outcomes that reach more beneficiaries. As per Section C2 of 2 CFR 200, cost-share is not required, but funding contributed by the applicant and other partners shows a commitment to the success of the program. Applicants may incorporate cost-share through leveraging existing programs, partnering, and/or providing in-kind goods and services.

Include a PDF file copy of your organization’s most recent program (A-133 /2 CFR 200) audit, if applicable. If not, please include a copy of your most recent independent audit, if available.

Required Registrations:

All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration with the MyGrants/SAMS. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards.

Note: As of April 2022, a DUNS number is no longer required for federal assistance applications.

The 2 CFR 200 requires that sub-implementer obtain a UEI number. Please note the UEI for sub-implementer is not required at the time of application but will be required before an award is processed and/or directed to a sub-implementer(s).

Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.

• Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a UEI number prior to registering in MyGrants/SAMs.

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that do not pay employees within the United States do not need an EIN from the IRS but do need a UEI number prior to registering in MyGrants/SAMS.

• Please note that as of November 2022 and February 2022 respectively, organizations based outside of the United States that do not intend to apply for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards are no longer required to have a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code or CAGE code to apply for non-DoD foreign assistance funding opportunities. If an applicant organization is mid-registration and wishes to remove a CAGE or NCAGE code from their MyGrants/SAMS registration, the applicant should submit a help desk ticket (“incident”) with the Federal Service Desk (FSD) online at www.fsd.gov using the following language: “I do not intend to seek financial assistance from the Department of Defense. I do not wish to obtain a CAGE or NCAGE code. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated. I understand that I will need to submit my registration after this incident is resolved in order to have my registration activated.”

• Organizations based outside of the United States and that DO NOT plan to do business with the DoD should follow the below instructions:

Step 1: Proceed to MyGrants/SAMS to obtain a UEI and complete the registration process. MyGrants/SAMS registration must be renewed annually.

https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/sc/CageList.aspxExemptions

An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:

• An applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.

• For an applicant, if the Federal awarding agency makes a determination that there are exigent circumstances that prohibit the applicant from receiving a unique entity identifier and completing MyGrants/SAMS registration prior to receiving a Federal award. In these instances, Federal awarding agencies must require the recipient to obtain a unique entity identifier and complete MyGrants/SAMS registration within 30 days of the Federal award date.

Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or MyGrants/SAMS requirements must email the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a MyGrants/SAMS exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can be deemed eligible for review.

Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) 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 MyGrants/SAMS to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

VI. APPLICATION…