USAID RFA 72DFFP18RFA00003 for Development Food Security Activities in Niger and Burkina Faso.pdf

Issuance Date: May 7, 2018

Closing Date: June 26, 2018

Closing Time: 11:59 a.m. (EDT)

CFDA Number: 98.007

Funding Opportunity Number: 72DFFP18RFA00003

Subject: Request for Applications for Development Food Security

Activities in Niger and Burkina Faso

Title: Fiscal Year 2018 Development Food Security Activities in Niger and Burkina Faso

The U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Food for Peace (FFP) is seeking applications for funding for development food security activities.

Private voluntary organizations, or cooperatives, including U.S. and non-U.S. nongovernmental organizations may apply. Public international organizations are also eligible to apply.

Subject to the availability of funds, under this Request for Applications (RFA), FFP plans to enter into up to the number of awards as described in detail in the Country Specific Information

(CSI). Please refer to the CSI for a complete description of possible locations and activities.

USAID reserves the right to use any assistance mechanism available to this agency (e.g., grant, cooperative agreement, leader with associates) and to adjust the number of awards, funding levels, sources of funding, and/or procedures. If Community Development Funds are not stipulated in the CSI, applicants may consider requesting Title II Section 202(e) funds. The applicant’s activity designs drive funding levels, but they are set by FFP for successful applicants.

Successful applicants will be notified of any changes or updates, accordingly.

Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant, and all preparation and submission costs are at the applicant's expense. This includes the completion of all required documents for USAID awards.

Issuance of this RFA does not constitute an award commitment on the part of USAID. Final awards cannot be made until funds have been fully appropriated, apportioned, allocated, and committed. While it is anticipated that these procedures will be successfully completed, potential applicants are hereby notified of these requirements and conditions for award.

For the purposes of this award, this RFA being issued consists of this cover letter and the following:

SECTION I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

FY 2018 Development Food Security Activities for Niger and Burkina Faso RFA

SECTION II – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

SECTION III – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

SECTION IV – APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

SECTION V – APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

SECTION VI – FEDERAL AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

SECTION VII – FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

SECTION VIII – OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX I: Definitions and Program Areas and Elements

APPENDIX II: FY 2018 Refine and Implement

APPENDIX II: Past Performance Reference Questionnaire

To be eligible for the award, the applicant must provide all required information in the application, including the requirements found in any attachments to this opportunity on www.grants.gov. Any future amendments to this RFA can be downloaded from www.grants.gov. This information may also be posted on the FFP website. It is the responsibility of the applicant to use the most up-to-date versions of all of the documents related to this

RFA.

The RFA does not contain significant technical information because FFP developed Technical

References and the Monitoring and Evaluation Policy and Guidance for potential applicants’ review and reference; these can be found on the FFP website.

Per 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 700, USAID regulations do not award profit under assistance instruments. However, all reasonable, allocable, and allowable expenses, both direct and indirect, which are related to the agreement activity and which are in accordance with applicable cost standards, may be paid under the agreement.

USAID may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept applications for reasons other than cost, or (c) accept more than one application (see Section V - Application Review

Information). USAID intends to award predominantly cooperative agreements, but reserves the right to award any other form of assistance agreement. USAID may waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

In the event of any inconsistency between this RFA and the referenced documents in the RFA, the RFA shall take precedence over any referenced documents (including the Technical

References), except statute, regulations, and the CSI. In the event of an inconsistency in the

RFA documents or in the text of the RFA, it will be resolved at the discretion of the

Agreement Officer.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, /S/

Matthew Nims

Acting Director, Office of Food for Peace http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/what-we-do/development-activities

Section I – Program Description

1. General Description

The Office of Food for Peace (FFP), in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s

(USAID’s) Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA), is the U.S.

Government leader in international food assistance. Through FFP, USAID supports multi-year development (i.e., non-emergency) food security activities to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations. These activities work at the individual, household, and systems level to address the underlying causes of chronic food insecurity and strengthen transformative opportunities. USAID also provides emergency food assistance to address needs arising from natural disasters and complex emergencies often characterized by insecurity and population displacement. More information on USAID food security activities can be found on the USAID website.

This Request for Applications (RFA) provides information on funding opportunities for multi-year development food security activities. Development activities are mandated in the Food for

Peace Act and are aligned with the FFP 2016-2025 Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy.

Together, the FFP Strategic Results Framework’s Strategic Objectives (SOs) and accompanying

Intermediate Results (IRs) address key drivers of food insecurity, creating a map of the broad platform of capabilities that FFP and its partners bring to bear in supporting improved food security for vulnerable populations. The framework includes three crosscutting IRs integrated across both SOs: gender equity and youth opportunities; social cohesion; and social accountability of institutions. The entire framework is informed by, and supports, efforts to build resilience at the individual, household, community, and systems levels — not as an objective in and of itself — but as a cross-cutting set of capacities that contribute to the goal of improved food and nutrition security. The Results Framework is not intended to imply that every activity needs to address the same key drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition.

Context varies dramatically between and within countries, and between acute hunger crises and chronic vulnerability. Each activity should be framed in relation to these specific country and/or regional contexts, with FFP development activities maintaining their use of context-specific theories of change (ToC).

http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/food-assistance https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1867/FFP-Strategy-FINAL%2010.5.16.pdf

FFP development activities align and increasingly integrate with other USAID efforts to promote resilience and reduce extreme poverty. FFP coordinates with the USAID Mission on the

Country Specific Information (CSI) that accompanies the RFA before an activity can take place in country, ensuring objectives reflect broader country level frameworks. Activities support the

U.S. Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS, and its predecessor Feed the Future) and in GFSS/Feed the Future target countries, whenever possible, every effort is made to jointly fund these activities with Community Development Funds (CDF) from USAID’s Bureau for Food

Security — increasing intra-agency collaboration and flexibility.

More specific information on the objectives, interventions, geographic locations targeted within the countries, and/or funding levels and types covered by this RFA may be found in the CSI posted on the Country Fact Sheets page of the FFP website. In addition, market analyses and other related resources are also posted to the Country Fact Sheets page, as applicable. It is essential that applicants review the CSI carefully as details contained in the CSI take precedence over the generalities contained in this RFA. Please refer to the Agreement Officer’s (AO) introductory letter for order of precedence.

If conditions permit (determined by FFP), the application process will include two phases. The first phase is the submission and review of an initial application (technical application and cost application). Successful first-phase applicants may also receive letters of invitation to present https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/where-we-work their applications orally, and to address topline issues identified during the initial review of their applications. If they occur, oral presentations will constitute the second phase of the technical review process and will be a condition of the award. After discussions have concluded, the successful applicant(s) will receive a final issues letter, if necessary, and will be required to submit final technical and cost applications.

2. Authorizing Legislation

The Food for Peace Act, Section 201 (7 U.S.C. 1721) General Authority, authorizes the USAID

Administrator to establish programs to:

● Provide agricultural commodities to foreign countries on behalf of the people of the

United States to address famine and food crises; combat malnutrition, especially in children and mothers;

● Carry out actions that attempt to alleviate the causes of hunger, mortality and morbidity; promote economic and community development;

● Promote food security and support sound environmental practices; carry out feeding interventions; and

● Build resilience to mitigate and prevent food crises and reduce the future need for emergency assistance.

The Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) authorizes USAID to provide development assistance. FFP receives certain funds appropriated for this purpose. These funds are referred to as

Community Development Funds (CDF) and may be used to support FFP development activities, when signaled in the CSI.

For more information, particularly concerning eligible uses of Section 202(e), CDF, and Internal Transport, Storage and Handling (ITSH) funding, please refer to the following draft documents Food for Peace Information Bulletin (FFPIB) 18-01:

Eligible Uses of Section 202(e) and Community Development Funds for FFP

Awards and FFPIB 18-02: Eligible Uses of Internal Transportation, Storage and

Handling (ITSH), Inland Freight and Monetization Proceeds for FFP Awards.

3. Activity Eligibility Requirements

Applications that do not include the direct distribution of food commodities will be considered provided that applicants propose a sound, contextually appropriate, approach to address high levels of acute and chronic malnutrition and food insecurity. Any proposed direct distribution of Title II and/or locally and/or regionally procured (LRP) commodities and/or cash transfer/food voucher must clearly support interventions that sustainably1 reduce vulnerability to food insecurity. This includes increasing the availability of and access to nutritious food, building incomes/assets to increase year-long access to a diverse and adequate diet, and/or improving knowledge and behaviors to ensure that food consumption supports health and healthy growth.

1 Sustainability: The degree to which services or processes continue once inputs (funding, materials, training, etc.) provided by the original source(s) decreases or discontinues.

https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/resources/food-peace-information-bulletins https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/resources/food-peace-information-bulletins https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/resources/food-peace-information-bulletins http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00N6RG.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00N6RG.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00N6RG.pdf

4. Award Administration

Awards will be made and administered in accordance with the Food for Peace Act, FAA, as applicable, and U.S. Government regulations. As applicable, the award will be administered under 22 CFR 211, 22 CFR 216, 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 700, USAID Standard Provisions, and FFP

Information Bulletins, which are available on the USAID website.

Public international organizations (PIO) are subject to different requirements so USAID reserves the right to make awards to such organizations on different terms and conditions than those made to private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and cooperatives.

Section II – Federal Award Information

1. Estimate of Funds Available

Subject to the availability of funds under this RFA, FFP plans to enter into a number of awards as specified in the CSI posted on the FFP website. A separate or amended RFA will be issued for any additional countries.

USAID reserves the right to adjust the number of awards, funding levels, and/or sources of funding. Note that not all funding is interchangeable and some budget adjustments may need to take place. Successful applicants will be notified of any changes or updates accordingly.

2. Anticipated Start Date and Performance Period

The anticipated start date of the new award(s) will be October 1, 2018. Typically, the award(s) will be issued for a performance period of five years, unless otherwise noted in the CSI.

3. Assistance Awards

USAID may (a) reject any or all applications, (b) accept applications for reasons other than cost, or (c) accept more than one application. USAID intends to award predominantly cooperative agreements, but reserves the right to award any other form of assistance agreement. USAID may waive informalities and minor irregularities in applications received.

USAID may award the resulting assistance award(s) on the basis of initial applications received, without discussions, negotiations and/or oral presentations. Therefore, each initial application must contain the applicant's best terms from a technical and cost standpoint. However, as part of its evaluation process, USAID may elect to discuss technical, cost, or other pre-award issues with one or more applicants. Alternatively, USAID may proceed with award selection based on its evaluation of initial applications received, use an alternative process (e.g., keep or drop oral presentations), and/or commence negotiations solely with one applicant.

https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/resources/food-peace-information-bulletins https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/resources/food-peace-information-bulletins https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/what-we-do/development-activities

4. Authorized Geographic Code

The anticipated authorized geographic code for procurement of goods and services under the prospective award(s) is 935; USAID reserves the right to modify this.

5. Substantial Involvement

In accordance with the USAID Automated Directives System (ADS) 303.3.11, a cooperative agreement will require the following elements of substantial involvement by FFP, if applicable to the program description:

● Approval of the Awardee's Implementation Plans

● Approval of Specified Key Personnel

● Agency and Awardee Collaboration or Joint Participation covering:

o selection of advisory committee members o assessments, analyses, and reviews of the ToC, activity design, and implementation o concurrence on the substantive provisions of sub-awards o approval of the awardee's performance management and/or monitoring and evaluation plans and evaluation team members o monitoring to authorize specified kinds of direction or redirection because of interrelationships with other activities

● Agency Authority to Immediately Halt a Construction Activity

For specifics and additional detail, please refer to ADS 303.3.11 - Substantial Involvement and

Cooperative Agreements.

Section III – Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

To be considered for a Title II funded award, the applicant must be a Private Voluntary

Organization (PVO) or consortium, or an organization designated by USAID as a Public

International Organization (PIO). PVOs may include U.S. and non-U.S. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as defined in the Food for Peace Act. Per the Food for Peace Act, universities are not eligible to apply as primes for any Title II funded activity. Universities can be sub-awardees or members of a consortium at the discretion of the prime applicant.

To be considered for a CDF funded award, the applicant must be a U.S. or non-U.S. NGO, or an organization designated by USAID as a PIO.

In the case of a consortium, the applicant must be the consortium lead and must identify any other members of the consortium or individuals tied to the implementation of the activity as described in the application, along with all sub-awardees. The respective roles of any other members of the consortium or individuals, including all sub-awardees, must be described and separate detailed budgets must be attached for each. For more information, see Section IV.

Application and Submission Information, I. Application Format, d. Management and Staffing.

2. New Partners and Local Organizations

USAID encourages applications from potential new partners (i.e., those who have not received any USAID funding previously) and local organizations.

USAID supports applicants signing non-exclusive letters of commitment with local partners, if applicable.

3. Cost Share

Cost share is not required.

4. Limit on Number of Applications

An applicant, defined as a submitting organization, may only submit one application per individual CSI under this RFA. However, an applicant may also be a sub-awardee on applications submitted by other organizations.

Section IV – Application and Submission Information

1. Application Format

The application must be specific, complete, and concise. Applications that do not meet the requirements of this RFA will not be considered. The application is divided into the following sections, with the maximum number of pages given per section, excluding the table of contents, but including any endnotes and/or footnotes, as follows:

● Cover Page (1 page)

● Executive Summary (2 pages maximum)

● Program Description (45 pages maximum)

● Management and Staffing (12 pages maximum)

● Budget (no page limit, see requirements in paragraph e)

● Environmental Compliance (see requirements in paragraph f)

● Annexes (see paragraph f)

If submissions exceed the page number maximum, only the pages up to the limit will be reviewed, and pages exceeding the maximum will not be considered.

a) Cover Page (1 page)

The cover page must include:

● Name of the applicant’s organization and applicable CSI;

● Name and title of the organization’s representative who has signatory authority and authority to submit the application;

● Name, title, and contact information of the organization’s point of contact with whom

USAID will coordinate on matters related to the application (if different from the organization’s representative with signatory authority and authority to submit the application). Contact information should include mailing address, e-mail, and telephone number;

● Title II food commodity(ies) request, if any, in metric tons (MT) (rounded to the nearest

10 MT), if applicable;

● Total funds requested (in U.S. dollars), including CDF, Section 202(e), and, if relevant, ITSH (please note ITSH is only associated with U.S. in-kind commodities) and cost share;

● Valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number;

● Activation date in System for Award Management (SAM) – note that successful applicants must maintain SAM registration; and

● Participant information as requested in the table below:

Number of Activity Participants

Total Direct Activity Participants

Total Direct Activity Participating Households

a. Total Direct Activity Participants: The number of unique individuals who will directly participate in activity interventions during the period of performance (if someone participates in three interventions, only count them once).

b. Total Direct Activity Participating Households2: The number of unique households targeted by the project.

Direct Activity Participants by Program Element

Program Area or

Element

(These are illustrative examples; a full list of program areas and elements is in Appendix I.)

a. Participant

Numbers

b. Number of

Households

c. Proportion of total households in the target area

Maternal and Child Health

Nutrition

Agriculture

Disaster Readiness

a. Participant Numbers: Unlike the total direct activity participants, participant numbers are not unique. The total number of participants for each program area or element should be counted, even if they participate in more than one. However, if a participant

2 A household is categorized as people who live in the same homestead (dwelling structures and adjoining land occupied by family members) and also share the same eating arrangements. If people live independently in separate homesteads and do not share the same eating arrangements they will be treated as separate households.

participates in multiple interventions under the same program area or element, they should still only be counted once on this table, under that program area or element.

b. Number of Households: The number of households within each program area or element is unique but can be double counted across program areas or elements. If two or more participants come from the same household, it will be counted as one. For example, if members from the same household participate in interventions related to maternal and child health, and agriculture, the household can be counted once under maternal and child health, and also once under agriculture.

c. Proportion of total households in the target area: Please divide the number of households targeted under each program area or element by the total number of households in the target area.

Program Area or Element: These definitions come from the U.S. Foreign Assistance

Standardized Program Structure. The examples in this table are illustrative. The full, updated list can be found in Appendix I.

b) Executive Summary (2 pages maximum)

The executive summary must include:

● Problem Statement, including the underlying causes and major determinants of food insecurity and malnutrition to be addressed;

● Overarching ToC that describes the hypothesized series of changes to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition; and

● The proposed set of interventions to achieve the activity’s food and nutrition security objectives.

c) Program Description (45 pages maximum)

The program description presents the vision for reaching the activity’s goals and targets and the strategy that will be taken to achieve the objectives for the target participants. In this section, applicants must demonstrate a tailored, focused, and integrated approach to reach the activity’s goals.

Applicants should present an integrated narrative that details:

(1) the context of the participants and intervention area;

(2) the conceptual framework that describes the theory of how the application will lead to the desired change;

(3) the methodology and strategy used for targeting; and

(4) the technical approach that lays out the detail of why select interventions are being selected and how the interventions will be implemented and executed.

A descriptive overview of the criteria applicants will be evaluated against is below. The official

Evaluation Criteria are included in Section V, 1. Evaluation Criteria.

1. Context Analysis https://www.state.gov/f/releases/other/255986.htm https://www.state.gov/f/releases/other/255986.htm

A context-appropriate and effective activity requires a deep understanding of targeted participants’ needs and their communities, and the constraints they face. A description of the context should include:

● A description of the geographic area of intervention and the profiles of the target participants.

● A map that illustrates proposed intervention areas and activity layering at the

Administrative Level 2 (i.e. provincial level or local equivalent).

● A thorough and clear analysis of the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition, highlighting trends in shocks and stressors and the capacity to respond in the target area. This should identify the major determinants of food insecurity and malnutrition including but not limited to: poor governance and institutional barriers, sources of vulnerability and shocks such as climate risk, poor environmental governance, socio-economic considerations, and social cohesion, as well as behavioral determinants including the interplay of gender and age dynamics.

● In addition, a review of the larger systems and institutions (at local, regional, and national levels) that impact the target participants and affect the medium- and long-term sustainability of food and nutrition security.

2. Conceptual Framework

A sound conceptual design must demonstrate the linkages between the underlying causes and influencing factors of food insecurity and malnutrition specific to the target area. It includes a brief summary of the ToC that provides clear, logical steps showing how the proposed set of interventions and interactions by other actors will produce all the necessary and sufficient outcomes and conditions to achieve the stated goal based on evidence and plausible reasoning.

When identifying underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in the ToC, applicants should also identify trends in shocks and stresses experienced by communities, explain current response capacities, and discuss how to mitigate the impact of shocks on livelihood outcomes.

● Theory of Change: A ToC is the foundation of an activity’s design. Before designing interventions, the applicant should develop a ToC that maps out the hypothesized series of changes expected to occur in a given context as the result of specific interventions.

FFP requires a ToC diagram and an accompanied narrative. The ToC should be developed based on evidence. A few common research repositories include 3ie Impact

Evaluation Repository and J-PAL’s library of randomized evaluations. Papers published in peer-reviewed journals could also be used as sources. For more information, please see the FFP Policy and Guidance on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting and TOPS’ ToC

Curriculum.

● Logical Framework (LogFrame): All applicants must submit a brief LogFrame in their application and a detailed LogFrame matrix as an annex. For more information, please see the FFP Policy and Guidance on Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting.

An applicant’s LogFrame will include indicators to monitor and evaluate the performance of the activity. Applicants should keep in mind that FFP has a list of required and required if applicable performance indicators. These should be reviewed carefully during the development of an applicant’s LogFrame. In general, only outcome http://www.3ieimpact.org/en/evidence/impact-evaluations/impact-evaluation-repository/ http://www.3ieimpact.org/en/evidence/impact-evaluations/impact-evaluation-repository/ http://www.3ieimpact.org/en/evidence/impact-evaluations/impact-evaluation-repository/ https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluations https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluations http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAF103.pdf http://www.fsnnetwork.org/theory-change-training-curriculum http://www.fsnnetwork.org/theory-change-training-curriculum http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAF103.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/partner-with-us/implementation-and-reporting indicators are required for the LogFrame with the application; however, if an applicant chooses to include output indicators, the use of FFP output indicators is preferred. FFP requires the successful applicant to submit a comprehensive LogFrame with all relevant indicators as outlined in the FFP M&E and Reporting Policy and Guidance with the M&E plan.

For target setting, applicants are only required to establish targets for higher level impacts - usually key baseline indicators. These targets must be linked to the context, food security, nutritional analyses, and the applicant’s ToC. All life of award targets should be ambitious yet achievable. Nutrition and poverty reduction targets should be linked to FFP’s targets: an average minimum of 2 percentage point annual reduction of prevalence of stunting3, an average minimum of 3 percentage point annual reduction of prevalence of underweight, and an average minimum of 4 percentage annual reduction of depth-of-poverty depending on the baseline. These conservative targets reflect the challenging environment in which FFP awards are implemented, but should be possible to achieve, and possibly exceed, with sustainability. Note: FFP does not require applicants to submit an Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT) as part of their application; successful applicants develop this tool during and after the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) workshop. The M&E workshop typically takes place within three months of the start date of an award.

3. Targeting Direct Participants: To improve and sustain food and nutrition security of poor and vulnerable populations, it is important that FFP activities target populations who live in a state of food insecurity and malnutrition. FFP requests applicants to present a targeting strategy that ensures targeting the following types of households with a comprehensive set of interventions:

● Extremely poor households (i.e., those who live below the $1.90 per person per day poverty line) that are chronically unable to meet their basic needs and have little chance of improving their circumstances without some form of assistance.

● Chronically vulnerable households (on or above the poverty line) that are not extremely poor, but could slide down to abject poverty with either predictable or unpredictable shocks.

● Households with adolescents, children, and women at risk of chronic and acute malnutrition. In particular, support to pregnant and lactating mothers who need nutritious pregnancies to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.

Applicants must propose an appropriate wealth-ranking and targeting methodology that will ensure inclusion of extremely poor households. It is not FFP’s intention to categorically exclude moderately poor households from interventions, but rather to ensure that extremely poor households are included and their specific needs are addressed.

In developing the targeting strategy, applicants should examine how gender dynamics infuse each element of food security (food availability, access, and utilization). For example, applicants

3 Based on an average of cumulative impact over the five years of the activity.

should consider gender equity in decision-making, access to and control of resources, livelihood options, and time burdens. Building equitable food secure futures requires attending to the different experiences and needs of women, men, boys and girls, and deliberately engaging these gender and age groups across all development interventions.

FFP also seeks to spotlight the contributions youth and young adults can make toward building a food secure future, and calls on applicants to consider youth in developing its targeting strategy. With more than 60 percent of the population in developing countries under the age of

254, young people now comprise a critical mass of the population in areas where FFP works to end hunger.

4. Technical Approach

Technical Interventions: The technical interventions should come directly from the conceptual framework. This section should include an explanatory narrative about what the interventions will be, the evidence about why those interventions are being prioritized, and how they will be integrated by sector, sequenced, and layered within the FFP activity and with other stakeholders’ (U.S. Government, other donors and stakeholders) investments to achieve the goal. Applicants must explain how the proposed technical interventions contribute directly to the ToC.

Note: FFP does not expect applicants to invest in each sector equally. Applicants must explain, in their review of the context and development of their ToC, how they have selectively prioritized which interventions are best suited to the applicant's strengths, and which will most effectively reach the activity’s intended outcomes as described in their ToC.

Note: FFP requires that applicants submit proposed implementation plans for specific construction activities, including:

a. Explicit description of proposed construction activities within the technical narrative, including scope and type of infrastructure, and/or explicit plan for pre-feasibility analysis to determine type and scope of construction activities that will support project objectives;

b. Explicit construction section within the budget/budget narrative, detailing: the estimated cost of construction activities at each site; and the total estimated cost of construction activities under the award;

c. Geographic location of proposed construction site;

d. Explicit strategy for developing a plan to review each proposed structure’s operations and maintenance components, focusing on linkages to local systems for sustainability;

e. Inclusion of construction related staff in the organizational chart or staffing plan.

Proposed interventions should align with FFP’s Strategic Results Framework and describe in sufficient detail to assess their operational and technical appropriateness and feasibility. While developing the sector-based technical approach, applicants should review FFP’s Technical

4 To consistently track and monitor youth programming under the USG Foreign Assistance “F” Framework, USAID defines youth as aged 10-29 years, which includes adolescents and young adults. USAID recognizes however that youth is a life stage, one that is not finite or linear and that views regarding the transition to adulthood vary by country and cultural context.

https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/resources/implementation-tools

References. Technical approaches proposed must be evidence-based and adhere to the CSI.

The technical approach must include, at a minimum, the following:

● Details of why each intervention was prioritized and selected;

● Details of how each intervention will be implemented and by whom;

● Details of how the interventions will work together;

● Description of the target population for each intervention. This includes direct participants within the target population, including the selection criteria of the participants, and a strategy to promote secondary adoption. A description of how the applicant will work to ensure proper integration of multi-sectoral interventions at the household level should also be included.

The applicants are requested to propose direct participant data by purpose/sector in the following table to help FFP understand how the applicant plans to integrate multi-sectoral interventions at the household level. Please use the following table to present the number of unique direct participants targeted under each purpose. Please add columns for more purposes.

Table: Number of Direct Participating Households Targeted Multiple Interventions by Purpose

Total Unique

Direct Participant

Households (A)

Purpose

1 only

(B)

Purpose

1 & 2

(C)

Purpose

2 only

(C)

Purpose

2 & 3

(D)

Purpose

3 only

(E)

Purpose

1, 2 & 3

(F)

Total number of Unique

Direct

Participant

Households

(B+C+D+E+F)

● Description of the approach and proposed interventions for the promotion of desired social and behavior change, and practices; and for strengthening of local systems, and, as appropriate, regional and national systems as well. Interventions should be sensitive to nested dependencies between households, communities, and broader systems and should seek to strengthen resilience capacities;

● Details of and justification for activities that address both immediate and systemic causes of malnutrition for the most vulnerable; particularly women and children in the 1,000-day period from chronically food insecure households. Applicants who propose a resource transfer to improve nutritional outcomes are encouraged to consider an evidence-based resource package of interventions including but not limited to in-kind food, cash or food voucher, or any combination of those transfers types. Alternatively, applicants can propose no transfer, but intensive nutrition-specific and -sensitive interventions.

● Details of how to address consumption gaps and/or asset depletion; specifically details on and justification for the proposed modality (in-kind, cash, and/or voucher). This includes the structure and logic of the resource transfer and how it will contribute to the award’s objectives. Applicants must demonstrate that the chosen modality will be appropriate to market conditions across the areas of intervention. Applicants are encouraged to review available market data including FEWS NET assessments. When either conditional or unconditional cash transfers are proposed to address asset depletion, applicants should provide details outlining how work norms and transfer value will be structured to ensure compensation is sufficient to address the consumption gap based on local market prices. Partners are encouraged to justify modality and resource transfers in alignment with the Food for Peace Modality Decision Tool.

● In compliance with USAID’s environmental regulations and guidance, environmental safeguards and climate risk management strategies must be logically integrated throughout the body of the application; and

● Clear inclusion of feedback loops5 to allow for regular monitoring of the local context, including conflict dynamics, to inform ongoing learning and adaption.

Gender Equity and Integration: Applicants must consider gender throughout each section of the application. Integration of a gender sensitive approach must be context-appropriate and reflected throughout the activity. Female empowerment —promoting women and girls’ self-determination— and transforming gender relations for the better are equally vital for attaining equitable food security that will be sustained over time.

Factors demonstrating gender integration include, but are not necessarily limited to:

● Examples of how gender and age dynamics and roles could affect interventions and outcomes at key steps in the proposed ToC;

● Recognition of the potential impact - positive or negative - of interventions on access to and control over resources and benefits for girls, boys, women, or men, and how any negative consequences will be avoided or mitigated;

● Consideration of how proposed interventions could affect women’s time use and how this will be taken into account in planning interventions (e.g. mothers’ participation resulting in less time for child care);

● Plans for how the activity will ensure equitable participation and input from women and men from different age and socio-economic groups, with examples for different technical interventions;

● Anticipation of how interventions could lead to, exacerbate, or affect gender-based violence at the household and community level and the steps the activity will take to prevent or mitigate its occurrence, should it occur; and

● How interventions will be tracked over time to ascertain any unintended consequences related to gender and gender-based violence.

The applicant must describe how the gender analysis results will be integrated into interventions and how gender changes, including unanticipated outcomes, will be tracked over time. For more information, see the Technical Reference on Gender.

5 Feedback Loop: A mechanism or process that allows for the capture and application of data and knowledge to inform adjustments to programmatic approaches, implementation strategies or management processes, and better alignment of actual versus desired/optimal outputs or outcomes.

http://www.fews.net/sectors/markets-trade http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pbaae883.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1866/technical-reference-chapters-development-food-assistance-programs https://www.usaid.gov/documents/1866/technical-reference-chapters-development-food-assistance-programs

Youth Empowerment: FFP promotes a focus on young people as positive change agents who bring creativity, energy, commitment, and novel perspectives to understanding and addressing food insecurity in their communities. Applicants are encouraged to consider local context and use the stages of development along the lifespan to determine the target group and type of intervention6. Applicants are encouraged to pursue Positive Youth Development strategies in their programming; rather than a problem-based response to youth crises, Positive Youth

Development strategies view young people as key partners in all development efforts, from nutritional programming to strengthening agricultural markets.7 In particular, applicants should consider approaches that aim to:

● Promote active engagement of young people in all phases of the initiative;

● Empower young women without disenfranchising young men;

● Strengthen relations and build ties among youth across identities and socio-economic distinctions;

● Recognize that youth are not all the same; life context and differences such as gender, marital status, societal place, ethnicity, economic class, and other identity factors should be taken into account in all programming;

● Promote intergenerational dialogue and encourage improved standing and better relations for youth and young adults within their families and their communities;

● Respect the agency and aspirations of youth and young adults; and

● Give thought to the increased risk of exploitation for the young, and advocate for their fair compensation and safe working conditions.

FFP encourages applicants to use Participatory Learning and Action tools to guide youth participation. Approaches that engage youth in community problem-solving, create leadership opportunities for youth, especially in initiating community dialogue, and strengthen social ties between youth, their families, and communities, are highly encouraged.

Layering, Sequencing, and Integration of Interventions: To transform the livelihoods of an individual, household, or community one must substantially increase income, improve nutritional knowledge and behaviors, effectively manage risks, and strengthen the systems that ensure household members’ equitable access to income and knowledge regardless of age, sex, caste, or ethnicity. Creating transformational and sustainable change requires overcoming multiple interrelated barriers through a package of interventions tailored to their needs.

Applicants must propose a targeted, participant-centered intervention strategy tailored to individual’s needs and strengths that facilitates delivery of multiple types of support to each household, and builds community assets based on the ToC for all participants who need multiple services. Applicants should design a package of prioritized and focused interventions that will work together to address the most critical needs through both direct service provision, and working to strengthen the capacities of systems that support the participants and the communities.

6 These stages are: Early Adolescence (10-14 years); Adolescence (15-19 years); Emerging Adulthood (20-24 years);

Transition into Adulthood (25-29 years). See Annex A: Factors for Selectivity and Focus of the USAID Youth in Development

Policy for a description of these life stages.

7 http://www.youthpower.org/positive-youth-development https://www.usaid.gov/policy/youth https://www.usaid.gov/policy/youth

Applicants must lay out their intervention strategy, including how they will tailor a package of interventions for the different targeted individuals. Additionally, applicants must include a description of how the package of interventions will be strategically layered with interventions implemented by another project or organization in the same area, integrated with other interventions to overcome multiple barriers to food security, and/or sequenced within the activity to ensure appropriate and sustainable uptake and utilization of the services provided.

The sequencing of interventions should focus on when it is the most appropriate time for the participant to receive that service. Developing the package of interventions should consider how they all work together to deliver amplified impact. The sequencing, layering, and integration of interventions under this award should consider, and where applicable explicitly identify, work being done by the host-country government, implementing partners, and other donors including USAID and other elements of the U.S. Government.

How various sector-based interventions are layered with other investments, integrated within a household and community, and sequenced will either help or hinder their uptake. Designing these processes appropriately will thus create longer term potential for success. The applicant must factor in, address, and explain household and participant absorptive capacity. The various participant types (e.g., extremely poor, chronically vulnerable, and vulnerable women and children) must be factored into how interventions will be designed, integrated, and sequenced to ensure full and sustainable uptake. Furthermore, the end goal should be a sustainable intervention - self-sustaining and reinforcing - such that the desired change creates a positive feedback loop. A strong component of this will be social and behavioral change strategies geared specifically to the various participant types.

While the activity may provide most of the services to the direct participants, the applicant will be responsible to demonstrate a change at the population level - meaning all households (both direct participants and nonparticipants) in the target area would benefit from the proposed activity. For this reason, the baseline study and final evaluation surveys will be conducted at the population level. Promoting secondary adoption would require: (a) targeting a critical mass so that others can easily see the benefits and adopt; and (b) implementing a set of dedicated strategies to promote secondary adoption.

Applicants are encouraged to identify existing platforms (such as national ID systems), where available, and single registry systems; or propose a cost effective and efficient participant registration and tracking system that will enable cross-sectoral coordination at the participant level and verification of service delivery throughout the life of the award. This system should also facilitate tracking the “number of direct participating households receiving multiple interventions by sector, including community assets built” as required by FFP.

Coordination and Linkages: Applicants cannot address every sectoral need of a targeted population. Thus, it is critical that the application describe how complementary activities will improve food and nutrition security for a population. Describe how the proposed activity will:

(1) leverage existing public, private, and donor investments to achieve the goal;

(2) complement the activities of the local government, and donor-facilitated health, nutrition, agriculture, natural resources management, and Climate Risk Management

(CRM) interventions; and

(3) support proposed strategies to leverage Feed the Future or other USAID investments in the region to reduce hunger and extreme poverty in vulnerable populations.

Sustainability and Exit Strategies: Applicants must develop and present thorough and realistic sustainability and exit strategies that will result in lasting change. Applicants are requested to integrate the sustainability strategy with the technical approach instead of a separate, stand-alone strategy. The sustainability strategy should identify the outcomes to be sustained, critical services and systems that are necessary to sustain them, and strategies to strengthen the service delivery systems to ensure that they continue into the future. These strategies should ensure that host country partners, the private sector, local government, and participants take ownership of their development processes to sustain the critical services and programmatic outcomes. Efforts to achieve these ends must be incorporated into the activity design at every level, and for any specific tangible resource transfer the activity plans to provide to participants.

FFP encourages applicants to review the Sustaining Development: A Synthesis of Results from a

Four-Country Study of Sustainability and Exit Strategies among Development Food Assistance

Projects paper and the four case studies to develop the sustainability strategy. The study identified four factors that are critical to sustain service delivery, access to services, and demand for services that contribute to sustained behavioral outcomes. The four factors include resources, capacities, motivation, and linkages. The study highlights the importance of the linkage between community-based organizations and existing public or private institutions to access capacity strengthening support.

The sustainability and exit strategy should include interventions to build capacity of host country entities, whether private or public, as well as leverage investments of key stakeholders to ensure basic services are sustained once the activity withdraws support. Applicants should present an understanding of the local, regional, and national systems and identify feasible areas where the activity will invest resources to produce the desired outcomes to promote sustainability. Applicants should use their ToC to map out the interventions and outcomes not only to show how the outcome level changes will be achieved, but also interventions to sustain them. The sustainability strategy should address all issues pertaining to phase down, handover, or termination of FFP-resourced interventions.