Ukraine CSO NOFO Veterans Reintegration UPDATED 6.13.19.docx

FOR USE IN DIRECT ANNOUNCEMENTS

United States Department of State Notice Funding Opportunity – Opportunity Number SFOP0005901 Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW

Announcement Type: New Announcement

Funding Opportunity Title: Veterans Reintegration Program

Awarding Agency/Bureau: Department of State/Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.121

Number of Awards: One or Multiple

Funding Authority: FY 2018

Source of Funding: Assistance for Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia

Funding Activity Category: N/A

Funding Type: Discretionary

Assistance Type: Cooperative Agreement Grant

Eligibility Category: U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or education institutions having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; Private institutions of higher education; Small Businesses, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Type of Applicant: Organizations only.

Note: Organizations may form consortia and submit a combined proposal. However, only one organization may be designated as the lead applicant. The lead applicant must meet the eligibility criteria listed in this NOFO.

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

Submission of Applications: For more information, see Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI)

NOFO Issuance Date: May 21, 2019

Deadline for Receipt of Questions: June 11, 2019 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Please submit questions to Jon Brandt at BrandtJG@state.gov. Responses will be posted online. CSO will also host a call on Tuesday, June 18 at 10:30am EST to answer applicant questions. Call in number: 1-877-336-1839, code: 9418079#.

Submission Due Date: Complete proposal packages must be submitted through www.grants.gov, or SAMS by MONDAY July 15 2019; 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time

Anticipated Award Date: Within approximately seven to nine weeks of the closing of this announcement. The successful applicant(s) will receive notification. The U.S. Department of State is under no obligation to fund any of the proposals submitted under this funding opportunity.

Est. Program Start Date: September 1, 2019

Est. Program End Date: August 31, 2021

Cost-Sharing: Not required

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. 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.

Applicants must provide a Unique Entity Identifier, or Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), when submitting application in response to this NOFO.

SAM.gov registration (www.sam.gov) is required. Applicants that do not have a valid DUNS number and completed www.sam.gov registration will NOT be eligible for consideration.

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

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CSO’s mission is to anticipate, prevent, and respond to conflict that undermines U.S. national interests. The bureau implements this mission in two complementary ways: through data-driven analysis and forward deploying stabilization advisors to conflict zones. The objective is to inform U.S. strategy, policy, and programs on conflict prevention and stabilization.

CSO announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for Part 1 (focus groups and survey) and Part 2 (programs), both addressing veterans’ reintegration in Ukraine. This funding opportunity aims to support activities that improve economic opportunities and mental health services for veterans from the conflict in eastern Ukraine and mitigate recruitment by destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations.

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 or multiple awards as a result of this NOFO.

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 project and the availability of funds.

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

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 11

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 12

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS 24

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The nearly five-year conflict in Ukraine has created more than a quarter-million combat veterans. This surge of veterans has put additional pressure on a social and economic system with scarce resources. A lapse in delivery of promised service and support can have a destabilizing effect as some individuals lose confidence in formal state institutions and turn to illicit organizations.

In February 2018, the Government of Ukraine tasked several ministries and offices with providing the growing veteran population with benefits and services through the establishment of the State Service of Ukraine for Veterans’ Affairs, but this effort lacks resources and coordination. Non-governmental partners provide supplemental services to fill gaps left by the Ukrainian government, but this is ad-hoc and insufficient.

A CSO assessment in October 2018 found these veterans could be at risk for recruitment by destabilizing criminal and socio-political organizations. The lack of veteran support, rise of destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations, and efforts of some of these groups to recruit from among Ukrainian military veterans requires additional attention and resources to prevent potentially destabilizing conditions.

Supporting the reintegration of veterans in Ukraine advances the December 2017 National Security Strategy’s Pillar IV which states, “[w]e will place a priority on economic support that achieves local and macroeconomic stability, helps build capable security forces, and strengthens the rule of law.” Further, “Russia aims to weaken U.S. influence and divide us from our allies and partner. […] Through modernized forms of subversive tactics, Russia interferes in the domestic political and economic affairs of countries around the world.” The Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) states the United States will “[i]ncrease capacity and strengthen resilience of our partners and allies to deter aggression, coercion, and malign influence by state and non-state actors (JSP 1.4),” and that we will “[s]trengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of our diplomacy and development investments (JSP 4.1).” This veterans’ reintegration program aims to prioritize data collection and analysis, build the capacity of a Ministry for Veterans’ Affairs (MoVA), and support vocational training, job placement, and psychosocial assistance.

PROJECT GOAL

The goal of the program is to create capable and responsive veteran support structures in Ukraine that can increase veteran resilience in targeted areas where the risk of destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations is high. To achieve this goal, the program seeks to increase the understanding of veteran needs, increase the capabilities of Ukraine and non-government veteran support systems, build capacity in psychosocial and mental health services, and expand veteran employment opportunities.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

This NOFO includes multiple unique objectives and activities. As such, multiple awards may be issued to multiple organizations to address one or more program objectives. Applicants may apply only to Part 1 (focus groups and survey), or Part 2 (one or more program objectives), or any combination of the above. Applicants should submit only one application, though note that there are separate scoring criteria for Parts 1 and 2. Applicants must clearly state in their proposal a recognition of CSO award termination policy (see page 11, Federal Award Information).

Part 1: Mission Refinement Objective 1: To improve overall program impact, assess veterans’ needs, available resources, vulnerabilities to destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations, and their communities’ capability to provide services using focus groups and a nationwide survey with an oversample of veterans.

Activities under Objective 1 could include, but are not limited to:

· Perform focus groups and provide a written report of key findings after completion. Female veterans should be included.

· Conduct a nationwide face-to-face survey with an oversample of veterans.

The information collected and analyzed under this objective will inform veteran reintegration initiatives outlined in the following objectives to maximize program impact. These initiatives will aim to meet veteran’s social, psychological, and economic needs, and mitigate recruitment by destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations.

CSO anticipates these activities to require approximately 30 days. CSO intends for the vast majority of activity to take place in Part 2. Applicants may provide a full justification should they believe activities will require additional time.

Part 2: Program Intervention Objective 2a: Build institutional capacity of Ukraine’s Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs (MoVA) and veteran services system and increase the connectivity to non-governmental partners.

Activities under Objective 2a could include, but are not limited to:

· Develop MoVA e-veterans’ registry.

· Coordinate a service delivery system to administer veterans’ benefits and services.

· Build the capacity of MoVA to address the needs of veterans, and increase their access to veteran registration, benefits, and rehabilitation services.

· Help establish relationships for information sharing between MoVA and non-governmental partners.

· Develop an online portal to connect local service providers, identify gaps, and share successes.

· Assist in streamlining definitions and processes across various veterans’ services organizations.

· Provide guidance and technical assistance to develop standard operating procedures.

Objective 2b: Increase capacity of mental health services and expand veterans’ access to Ukraine’s psychosocial and mental health services, with a focus on the most at-risk veteran populations.

Activities under Objective 2b could include, but are not limited to:

· Establish a baseline of existing psychosocial and mental health services available to veterans through consultations and surveys.

· Increase outreach to at-risk veteran populations, such as female veterans and those residing in rural communities to understand the unique reintegration challenges they face.

· Offer a comprehensive approach to psychosocial support services by providing accessible counseling services in rural regions, destigmatizing mental health care and support systems, increasing peer support programs, and offering evidence-based health care provider training, etc.

· Develop an outreach campaign to raise awareness of services and reduce stigma of counseling.

Objective 2c: Expand veteran employment and vocational training opportunities, with a focus on the most vulnerable veteran populations.

Activities under Objective 2c could include, but are not limited to:

· Conduct business management, trade/vocational, and entrepreneurship trainings. Ensure female veterans’ access to such trainings by identifying childcare support where possible.

· Train MoVA or other partners to offer employment counseling and develop vocational training programs.

· Identify businesses/companies that are willing to hire veterans, and help create streamlined hiring processes.

· Facilitate public-private partnerships and advise MoVA to cultivate employment-counseling resources for the veteran community.

· Develop an outreach campaign to advertise services and opportunities.

PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONS

Target Populations There is no common definition of veterans in Ukraine and not all qualify for various benefits – for example, those deployed with a non-combat designation (e.g., cook) do not qualify for some benefits even if they did engage in combat. The target population for Objectives 2b and 2c should focus on the veteran population most susceptible to recruitment by destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations regardless of their veteran class. As such, special considerations may be necessary for female veterans (See Women, Peace, and Security, below).

Geographic Focus Applicants should select cities and/or municipalities where concerns about criminal or socio-political organizations are highest and/or where vulnerable populations reside –information collected in Objective 1 will be applicable once award selections are completed. If applicants choose to focus on geographic areas where significant/successful veteran training and support services already exist then they should describe in detail how their work would enhance, rather than detract, from those efforts. The program geographic focus should be based on conclusions determined from Objective 1, with priority areas to include, but not be limited to, rural administrative regions.

Partnerships Burden sharing with non-USG funding sources – and building and maintaining partnerships with all appropriate stakeholders – are critical components of successful implementation of these programs. In addition to presenting clear program implementation plans, applicants are encouraged to clearly articulate realistic plans to identify and leverage non-USG resources. The implementer(s) will be responsible for identifying key players, collaborating with related individuals and organizations, and facilitating cooperation among stakeholders.

In the event that multiple implementers are selected for different aspects of the above objectives, Part 2 implementers will design their activities based on findings from Part 1. Part 2 implementers must also coordinate their efforts with other veteran initiatives supported by the U.S. Embassy, USAID, U.S. Department of Defense, Ukraine (e.g. Ministry of Veteran Affairs, Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Healthcare), and other likeminded donor organizations, and non-governmental partners. Furthermore, all implementers must leverage the information obtained through Objective 1.

Women, Peace, and Security Pursuant to 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. If identified to be susceptible to recruitment by destabilizing criminal or socio-political organizations, female veterans in Ukraine may be included in this program target population.

Part 1 Requirements Focus groups:

The Recipient should perform roughly 12 focus groups in three locations. These could incorporate some veteran-only groups and at least one non-veteran group.

· CSO will provide a discussion guide. The Recipient and local partners (if applicable) could provide feedback and translation.

· The Recipient is responsible for recruiting and compensating participants for each group, with specific demographic breakdowns (such as age, education, and sex) to be decided after the award. Participants should not be friends or relatives of the local implementer. Participants should be selected in manner designed to maximize representativeness and minimize bias. The Recipient should propose a general recruitment plan.

· The Recipient should provide adequate facilities for anonymous observation, as well as simultaneous translation services and equipment. Representatives of the State Department are likely to be present for observation and feedback purposes.

· CSO prefers verbatim transcripts from audio and/or video recordings, as well as English-language translations of these transcripts.

Focus group deliverables could include, but are not limited to:

· A final discussion guide in English and local translations

· Participant lists prior to the start of the groups, including relevant demographic characteristics, such as level of education, occupation, sex, role in the conflict, and ethnicity.

· Verbatim transcripts from audio and/or video recordings, as well as English-language translations of these transcripts.

· A written report of the key findings.

Survey:

The Recipient should conduct a nationwide face-to-face survey with an oversample of veterans, broadly defined as those who have participated in a combat role (formally or informally) in the ongoing conflict. The nationally representative sample should include 1,800 respondents; the veterans over-sample should also include 1,800 respondents. There should be approximately 8 respondents per cluster for the nationally representative sample. The questionnaire should take roughly 30 minutes, with no more than 3 open-ended questions.

Sampling The Recipient should propose methods for selecting the national sample and veteran oversample. CSO prefers a probabilistic geo-sampling method for the national sample in which the respondent’s probability of selection can be calculated. We are open to suggestions about the best method for recruiting the veteran oversample. The Recipient should coordinate with CSO for approval of the final, detailed sampling plan before fieldwork can begin. CSO must approve of the sampling plan before fieldwork can begin.

Questionnaire The Recipient must coordinate with CSO to produce an English-language questionnaire that should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. There should be no more than 3 open-ended questions. The Recipient should provide feedback and colloquial translation in Russian and Ukrainian. CSO must approve the questionnaire before fieldwork can begin.

Pre-Test The Implementing Partner(s) is responsible for pre-testing the questionnaire in all languages of translation, though this pre-test may be conducted in one location. CSO requires a total of 20 pre-tests. Pre-test participants should be representative of the general respondent population (i.e., they should have an average level of education and no special interest in politics). Pre-testing should NOT be a part of interviewer training. CSO expects detailed comments and suggestions on the questionnaire following the pre-test. CSO must approve changes to the questionnaire before fieldwork can begin.

Interviewers The Recipient is responsible for recruiting and training a capable team of interviewers. It is expected that some interviewers will be cut during training. The final interview team should be large enough that no interviewer completes more than 5% of total interviews. The team should have members from all regions of the country and with native language skills in all survey languages. The Recipient is responsible for providing demographic and professional information—i.e., home region, ethnicity, first language, second language (if any), level of education, and survey experience—about each interviewer prior to the beginning of fieldwork. CSO reserves the right to observe interviewer training.

Data collection CSO prefers a computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) method of data collection. The Recipient is responsible for providing all software and hardware needed for data collection. The Recipient is responsible for programming the questionnaire and training the interviewers to use the software. CSO anticipates that no interviewers will not be able to conduct more than 6 interviews per day if all sampling procedures are followed. The local implementers’ compensation should incentivize them to encourage their interviewers to follow the sampling plan and conduct high-quality interviews.

Quality control CSO places high importance on quality control. The Recipient will work with CSO to design quality control measures, including but not limited to: automatic timestamps throughout the questionnaire, automatic location stamps, and variables that speak to the sampling plan such as household size, list of adults living in the household, number of the randomly selected adult, contact attempts, outcomes of contact attempts, and reasons for incomplete interviews (including language mismatch). CSO expects that data quality will be tracked daily, as well as by interviewer over time. CSO prefers to be able to monitor the raw data as it comes in.

Survey deliverables

1. Pre-test report and datafile with substantive responses, demographics, sampling and design variables, and quality control indicators (to make sure that everything works).

2. A final version of the questionnaire in English and each of the survey languages

3. Interviewer information and interviewer training report

4. Interview data. The Recipient is responsible for delivering a clean, English-language datafile with all completed interviews. The datafile should be in .csv and .RData formats. The datafile should include substantive responses, demographics, sampling and design variables, quality control indicators, and population weights.

5. Methods report: The methods report should include (not necessarily in this order):

a. A detailed description of the sampling plan

b. The response rate and information used to calculate it

c. A breakdown of reasons for non-response and incomplete interviews

d. A detailed description of how the weights were calculated

e. Information about the interview team

f. Description of key quality control indicators and findings, including the number of interviews dropped for quality-control reasons

g. Description or list of incidents that may have affected data collection or responses In selecting the Recipient, CSO will prioritize the quality of the methods proposed to ensure representative samples and high-fidelity response data.

Part 2 Requirements Program Implementation and Data Management: CSO will collaborate with the Recipient and relevant sub-implementers on selecting methodological tools for program implementation and on the collection and management of relevant data. CSO seeks to ensure that qualitative and quantitative information from all programs is shared in ways that can feed into analysis of conflict dynamics at subnational, national, and regional levels. As a result, CSO will work with the Recipient to develop a documentation and reporting plan that meets those needs, including sharing raw data generated by the program with CSO in a clear, structured format and to the extent that is safely possible.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

CSO expects to award one or multiple grants or cooperative agreements based on this NOFO and in an amount not to exceed the total ceiling amount of $5,000,000. The period of performance will be between 24 to 36 months, with the first few months dedicated to completing Objective 1, and an anticipated start date of September 1, 2019.

The U.S. government may make award 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.

Cooperative Agreement: This cooperative agreement will include substantial involvement by CSO. For example, CSO will work closely with successful applicants to advise on the following to ensure an approach that benefits the wider conflict community:

· Revisions to the theory-of-change (TOC),

· Activity design,

· indicators,

· sampling plan,

· questionnaire(s),

· pre-test questionnaire,

· interviewer recruitment,

· data collection instruments,

· survey deliverables, and

· quality control measures.

Due to political and security sensitivities in Ukraine, 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. Embassy in Kyiv, and with Host Nation authorities as appropriate. CSO 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.

Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government.

Award Termination Policy 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

Applicant must have acute awareness of conflict-related sensitivities in Ukraine, through prior work in Ukraine or through thematic expertise. Applicants are encouraged to partner with relevant organizations with the ability to execute such programming throughout Ukraine.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for more information and complete instructions on how to apply to this NOFO, including information on content and formatting of the proposal. 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.

FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

Funds must be used for assistance to Ukraine.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVES

Part 1 Proposal Narrative The Proposal should be organized into the following components:

Institutional Capabilities and Past Performance

· 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 program’s stated objectives.

· 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.

· 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.

Approach and Methodology:

· For the focus groups:

· Please identify a potential local partner. Describe any previous experience working with them and their general qualifications

· Describe how respondents will be selected and compensated, with plans for both veterans and non-veterans

· List languages in which focus groups will be conducted

· Describe range of focus group facilities and feasibility of audio and/or video recording

· Confirm deliverables

· For the survey:

· Please identify a potential local partner. Describe any previous experience working with them and their general qualifications

· Provide a detailed description of the sampling methodology, or explain various options. Describe any past experience sampling special populations that are not clustered by location.

· List languages in which survey will be conducted.

· Confirm that pre-test requirements can be met, or explain other options

· Discuss methods of interviewer recruitment and confirm that requirements can be met

· Describe CAPI hardware and software to be used. Describe how the local implementer will be incentivized to follow the sampling plan and conduct high-quality interviews.

· Describe quality control measures, emphasizing which ones the applicant thinks are most effective.

· Confirm deliverables.

Timeline

· CSO anticipates conducting focus groups in July 2019 and collecting survey data in August or September 2019. Please indicate feasibility of this schedule, and proposed timeline for various components of the work.

Budget

· Provide a detailed budget or budget options.

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

Part 2 Proposal Narrative The Proposal Narrative is a key part of the application. The Proposal Narrative (not to exceed ten pages, single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font in Microsoft Word, at least one-inch margins) should be organized into the following five components:

Executive Summary:

· 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:

· 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.

· Gender Analysis of Conflict: Proposals should also include a gender analysis of conflict to address how veterans’ reintegration will identify the relevance of gender norms and power relations in Ukraine. This includes institutional practices, cultural norms, gender roles, access to and control over assets and resources, and patterns of decision-making. The gender analysis should present 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.

· 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 will accomplish. It is important that the program goal align with (CSO/Department/U.S. government) policy. The objectives of the program should describe where you expect to be by the end of your program. The objectives should be measureable, results-focused, and achievable within the timeframe of the program.

· Activities: All activities should be clearly developed and sufficiently detailed to include the resource and time requirements and how they contribute to the objectives and goal. Please identify target areas for activities; target participant groups or selection criteria for participants; how the program will engage relevant stakeholders, including female veterans; 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.

· 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).

· 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 female veterans, ethnic and/or religious minorities, persons with disabilities, or youth.

Implementation Plan

· 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.

· 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.

· Local Engagement and Sustainability: This section must 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. Strong proposals will also describe strategies to sustain the activities beyond CSO funding and contribute to building the capacity of communities to address their own concerns within 18-24 months of program start date. One way this can be done is through sub grants to local organizations, although that is not a requirement; capacity-building and sustainment can be achieved indirectly as well. The proposal should describe how the applicant will work with local entities to build their organizational and technical capacities. 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

· 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.

· 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.

· 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.

· 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:

· CSO considers monitoring to be essential for responsible program management. Successful applicants will submit a draft monitoring plan within 15 days of award notification. After CSO review, a final monitoring plan must be submitted within 30 days of the award notification.

· 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. Also, 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). Also, describe the timing of data collection and analysis and how this information will inform midstream program management decision-making.

· Please describe the resources needed to implement your M&E plan and address these in your budget. In most cases, CSO will fund program evaluations separately. If you want to propose including specific monitoring and evaluation activities in the program budget (outside of monitoring, which is required), please specify whether you are requesting funds for a baseline, mid-term and/or final evaluation. Additionally, please elaborate on the type of evaluation (e.g. quasi-experimental, developmental, outcome harvesting, process tracing).

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:

· 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.

· 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.

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

· 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.

· Data Collection and Reporting Plan: If applicable, describe how you will collect and share both qualitative and quantitative information from various sources, through your research, activities, and or monitoring efforts.

Budget Components:

· 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.

· 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.

V. APPLICATION EVALUATION AND SCORING

The U.S. government may issue an award resulting from this NOFO to the responsible applicant whose application is the most responsive to the goals and objectives set forth in this NOFO. The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, and/or (b) waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

The U.S. government may make an award on the basis of initial applications received without discussion or negotiations. Therefore, applications should contain the applicant’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint.

U.S. government also reserves the right, but is not obliged, to enter into discussions with an applicant in order to obtain clarification, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the program’s description, budget, or other aspects of an application.

Applicants should note that the following criteria will serve as a standard against which all applications will be evaluated. Department of State will issue an award to the applicant whose proposal represents the best value to the U.S. government on the basis of technical merit, efficient use of USG funds, and satisfactory organizational capacity. In addition, each application will be evaluated and scored on the Proposal Components using a 100-point scale by a peer review committee of Department of State.

CSO will conduct a merit review of all eligible applications as outlined in this NOFO. Applications will be reviewed by an independent review panel consisting of qualified representatives from other DoS bureaus, offices, and Posts. Final approval resides with the CSO relevant programming office.

The point value for each section outlined below indicates its relative importance in the application review process. Evaluation values are based on five narrative components and two budget components. Note than Parts 1 and 2 are scored separately. Based on eligible applications that are responsive to the requirements outlined above, the review panel will use the following criteria when rating proposals:

Part 1 Scoring Focus Groups Total possible = 30 points

· Experience of project team (4)

· Experience and qualifications of local partner (4)

· Participant recruitment and compensation plan maximizes representativeness of participants (4)

· Plan for addressing linguistic diversity maximizes ability to conduct focus groups across different ethnic groups in their first language (4)

· Project timeline is reasonable (3)

· Costs are reasonable for the work proposed (3)

· Deliverables and requirements are met or exceeded (8)

Survey Total possible = 70 points

· Experience of project team (6)

· Experience and qualifications of local partner (6)

· Sampling plan maximizes degree to which probability of selection is known and minimizes bias (7)

· Plan for addressing linguistic diversity maximizes ability to interview whomever is selected according to the sampling plan (7)

· Interviewer recruitment plan maximizes ability to interview whomever is selected according to the sampling plan (6)

· Plan to incentivize interviewer or local partner performance maximizes data quality (5)

· Data collection methods maximize data quality and minimize bias and error (6)

· Quality control measures maximize data quality and fidelity to the sampling plan (7)

· Project timeline is reasonable (4)

· Costs are reasonable for the work proposed (5)

· Deliverables and requirements are met or exceeded (11)

Part 2 Scoring Quality of Program Idea Total Possible = 25 points

· Responsive to the solicitation and appropriate in the country context (10 points)

· Clearly states theory of change (5)

· Establishes direct connection between proposed activities and the desired results (5)

· Exhibits originality, prioritizes innovation, but is feasible (5)

Program Planning / Ability to Achieve Objectives Total Possible = 30 points

· Includes a clear articulation of how the proposed program activities contribute to the overall program objectives (5)

· Activities are developed and detailed. Objectives are clear, specific, attainable, measurable results-focused and placed in a reasonable time frame (5)

· Addresses need for flexibility and ability to adapt (4)

· Provides a comprehensive quarterly work plan for program activities (3)

· Describes the division of labor among the direct applicant, any partners, and any potential sub-grantees; addresses how the program will engage or obtain support from relevant stakeholders; and identifies local partners where appropriate (3)

· Includes contingency plans for potential difficulties in executing the original work plan (3)

· Demonstrates an institutional record of successful programs in the target country or content area (4)

·…