June 6, 2017
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity, DRLA-DRLAQM-17-
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 19.345
Application Deadline: August 4, 2017
A. Project Description
The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested
in submitting applications for projects that help prevent and address
gender-based violence in Tunisia. DRL seeks to enhance the ability of
Tunisian government and civil society stakeholders to combat
gender-based violence (GBV) by supporting advocacy efforts for improved
legal protection, ensuring victim-sensitive implementation of GBV
legislation, increasing rights and GBV awareness, and developing
effective reporting and service-provision mechanisms. Program approaches
could include, but are not limited to:
- Support advocacy efforts to promote the adoption and effective implementation of comprehensive GBV legislation;
- Develop policies, procedures and referral systems to ensure
comprehensive, victim-centered services for survivors of GBV, including
legal, medical, economic and psychosocial support;
- Develop and improve GBV reporting mechanisms and increase awareness of mechanisms;
- Support rights awareness campaigns, including efforts to change
societal attitudes that stigmatize survivors of GBV and prevent
survivors from accessing assistance and formally reporting crimes;
- Support the establishment of shelters for victims of GBV and provide training for shelter staff;
- Connect Tunisian stakeholders with regional and international
networks to exchange best practices and lessons learned in combatting
GBV;
- Support the establishment of the National Observatory to Combat
Violence against Women, including training staff on data collection and
statistical analysis in coordination with other government and civil
society stakeholders;
- Conduct targeted training for Ministry of Women and Family Affairs
staff, civil society, law enforcement and judicial actors on best
practices in the implementation of GBV-related legislation,
appropriately investigating gender-based violence cases, and supporting
victims.
The proposed program should include consultative discussions with
relevant stakeholders to ensure a participatory and needs-based
approach. The proposed program also must address how it will leverage
existing anti-GBV initiatives in Tunisia. Applicants should clearly
describe how they will engage Tunisian experts and institutional
partners, including government and civil society actors. DRL strongly
encourages applicants to submit letters of commitment if partners are
identified in the proposal.
DRL is conscious of the ever-changing security situation in Tunisia
and the broader NEA region. With this in mind, applicants are required
to submit a contingency plan and risk assessment in order to demonstrate
situational awareness and preparedness. Security plans must address
safety for in-person events and recruitment for said events, as well as
means to secure data collection and online programs or communications.
A proven ability to implement programs in Tunisia and an
understanding of the current state of GBV and gender issues in Tunisia
must be demonstrated. As part of the proposal narrative, or as an annex
to the proposal submission, applicants are encouraged to submit lessons
learned from past programming in combatting GBV and regional and/or
Tunisia-specific experience that demonstrate how the implementer has
safely operated and responded to challenges, learning from both
successes and failures, in the operating environment. Successful
proposals will demonstrate the projects’ potential to have an immediate
impact as well as contribute to long-term, sustainable reforms.
Proposals will not be deemed competitive if they cannot demonstrate
sustainability independent of continued DRL funding.
Activities that typically are
not considered competitive include:
- The provision of large amounts of humanitarian assistance;
- English language instruction;
- Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware;
- Purely academic exchanges or fellowships;
- External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months;
- Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country
initiatives and impact or that do not relate to security concerns;
- Theoretical explorations of human rights or democracy issues,
including projects aimed primarily at research and evaluation that do
not incorporate training or capacity-building for local civil society;
- Micro-loans or similar small business development initiatives;
- Activities that go beyond an organization’s demonstrated competence,
or fail to provide clear evidence of the ability of the applicant to
achieve the stated impact;
- Initiatives directed towards a diaspora community rather than current residents of targeted countries.
The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).
B. Federal Award Information
DRL anticipates having approximately $750,000 available to support
approximately one to two successful applications submitted in response
to this NOFO, subject to the availability of funding. Applications
should not request less than $450,000 and no more than $750,000.
Applicants should include an anticipated start date of September 2017
and the period of performance should be between 18 months to 3 years.
The U.S. government may (a) reject any or all applications, (b)
accept other than the lowest cost application, (c) accept more than one
application, and (d) waive informalities and minor irregularities in
applications received.
The U.S. government may make award(s) on the basis of initial
applications received, without discussions or negotiations. Therefore,
each initial application should contain the applicant’s best terms from a
cost and technical standpoint. The U.S. government reserves the right
(though it is not under obligation to do so), however, to enter into
discussions with one or more applicants in order to obtain
clarifications, additional detail, or to suggest refinements in the
project description, budget, or other aspects of an application.
DRL anticipates awarding either a grant or cooperative agreement
depending on the needs and risk factors of the program. The final
determination on mechanism will be made by the Grants Officer. If a
cooperative agreement is awarded, DRL expects to be substantially
involved during its implementation. Examples of substantial involvement
can include:
- Approval of the Recipient’s annual work plans, including: planned
activities for the following year, travel plans, planned expenditures,
event planning, and changes to any activity to be carried out under the
cooperative agreement;
- Approval of sub-award recipients, concurrence on the substantive
provisions of the sub-awards, and coordination with other cooperating
agencies;
- Other approvals that will be included in the award agreement.
The authority for this funding opportunity is found in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA).
C. Eligibility Information
For application information, please see the proposal submission instructions on our website.
C.1 Eligible Applicants
DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based
non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO) and public
international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of
higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s
preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be
some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
For-profit entities should be aware that its applications may be
subject to additional review following the panel selection process.
Additionally, the Department of State generally prohibits profit under
its assistance awards to for-profit or commercial organizations. Profit
is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect
costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is
determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards
Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.
Project income earned by the recipient must be deducted from the total
project allowable cost in determining the net allowable costs on which
the federal share of costs is based.
C.2 Cost Sharing or Matching
Providing cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not an eligibility requirement for this NOFO.
C.3 Other
Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active
partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities and relevant
stakeholders, including private sector partners and NGOs, and have
demonstrable experience in administering successful and preferably
similar projects. DRL encourages applications from foreign-based NGOs
headquartered in the geographic regions/countries relevant to this NOFO.
Applicants may form consortia and submit a combined application.
However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant
with the other members as sub-award partners. DRL reserves the right to
request additional background information on applicants that do not have
previous experience administering federal grant awards, and these
applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.
DRL is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its
projects and activities. DRL welcomes applications irrespective of an
applicant’s race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender,
sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other status. DRL
encourages applications from organizations working with the most at risk
and vulnerable communities, including women, youth, persons with
disabilities, members of ethnic or religious minority groups, and LGBTI
persons.
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System in the
System for Award Management (SAM)(www.sam.gov) is not eligible to apply
for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR
180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR,1986 Comp., p. 189) and
12689 (3 CFR,1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.”
Additionally no entity listed on the Excluded Parties List System in SAM
can participate in any activities under an award. All applicants are
strongly encouraged to review the Excluded Parties List System in SAM to
ensure that no ineligible entity is included.
The Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, available at
https://www.statebuy.state.gov/fa/Pages/TermsandConditions.aspx will apply to any award(s) made under this solicitation.
D. Application and Submission Information
D.1 Address to Request Application Package
Applicants can find application forms, kits, or other materials needed to apply on
www.grants.gov and
www.grantsolutions.gov under the announcement title “
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) Notice of Funding Opportunity: Combatting Gender Based Violence in Tunisia”
funding opportunity number “DRLA-DRLAQM-17-076.” Please contact the DRL
point of contact listed in section G if requesting reasonable
accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons.
Please note: reasonable accommodations do not include deadline
extensions.
It is DRL’s preference that applications be submitted through GrantSolutions.gov
D.2 Content and Form of Application Submission
For all application documents, please ensure:
- All documents are in English and all costs are in U.S. dollars. If
an original document within the application is in another language, an
English translation must be provided (please note: the Department of
State, as indicated in 2 CFR 200.111, requires that English is the
official language of all award documents. If any documents are provided
in both English and a foreign language, the English language version is
the controlling version);
- All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments;
- All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper; and,
- All documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with
1-inch margins. Captions and footnotes may be 10 point Times New Roman
font. Font sizes in charts and tables, including the budget, can be
reformatted to fit within 1 page width.
D.2.1 Application Requirements
Complete applications
must include the following:
- Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B forms.
- If your organization engages in lobbying the U.S. government or
Congress, or pays for another entity to lobby on your behalf, the SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form is also required.
- Cover Page (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably
in Microsoft Word) that includes a table with the project title, target
country/countries, thematic area, project synopsis, and name and contact
information for the application’s main point of contact.
- Executive Summary (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably in Microsoft Word) that outlines project goals, objectives, and activities.
- Table of Contents (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably in Microsoft Word) listing all documents and attachments, with page numbers.
- Proposal Narrative (not to exceed ten [10] pages,
preferably in Microsoft Word). Please note the ten page limit does not
include the Table of Contents, Cover Page, Attachments, Detailed Budget,
Budget Narrative, or Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
Applicants are encouraged to combine multiple documents in a single Word
Document or PDF (i.e., Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive
Summary, and Proposal Narrative in one file).
- Budget (preferably as an Excel workbook) that
includes three [3] columns containing the request to DRL, any cost
sharing contribution, and the total budget. A summary budget should also
be included using the OMB-approved budget categories (see SF-424A as a
sample) in a separate tab. Costs must be in U.S. dollars. Detailed
line-item budgets for subgrantees should be included in additional tabs
within the Excel workbook (if available at the time of submission).
- Budget Narrative (preferably as a Word Document)
that includes substantive explanations and justifications for each
line-item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and a
description of all cost-share offered.
- Your organization’s most recent A-133 audit (if applicable), F Audit, or standard audit.
- Logic Model (not to exceed two [2] pages, preferably in Microsoft Word).
- Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative (not to exceed two [2] pages).
- Monitoring and Evaluation Performance Indicator Table (not to exceed four [4] pages in Microsoft Word).
- Risk Analysis (not to exceed one [1] page, preferably in Microsoft Word).
- Key Personnel (not to exceed one [1] page,
preferably as a Word Document): Please include short bios that
demonstrate relevant professional experience. Given the limited space,
CVs are not recommended for submission.
- Timeline (not to exceed one [1] page): The timeline
of the overall proposal should include activities, evaluation efforts,
and program closeout.
D.2.2 Additional Application Documents
Strong applications will also contain the following:
- Individual Letters of Support and/or Memorandum of Understanding
Letters of support and MOUs must be specific to the project
implementation (e.g. from proposed partners or sub-award recipients) and
will not count towards the page limit.
Please refer to the Proposal Submission Instructions on DRL’s website for detailed guidance on the documents above: http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/260979.htm. For an application checklist and sample template please see the Resources page on DRL’s website:http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c72333.htm. The sample templates provided on the DRL website are suggested, but not mandatory.
DRL reserves the right to request additional documents not included
in this NOFO. Additionally, to ensure that all applications receive a
balanced evaluation, the DRL Panel will review from the first page of
each section up to the page limit and no further.
Note: If ultimately provided with a notification of intent to make a
Federal award, applicants typically have two to three weeks to provide
additional information and documents requested in the notification of
intent. The deadlines may vary in each notification of intent and
applicants must adhere to the stated deadline in the notification of
intent.
D.2.3 Additional Information Requested
Successful applicants must submit after notification of intent to
make a Federal award, but prior to issuance of a Federal award, will
include:
- If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.
- Written responses and revised application documents addressing conditions and recommendations from the DRL Review Panel;
- Completion of the Department’s Financial Management Survey, if receiving DRL funding for the first time;
- Submission of required documents to register in the Payment
Management System managed by the Department of Health and Human
Services, if receiving DRL funding for the first time (unless an
exemption is provided);
- Other requested information or documents included in the
notification of intent to make a Federal award or subsequent
communications prior to issuance of a Federal award.
D.3 Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in
the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an
assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that
implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689
(3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally,
no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an
award. All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM
to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.
All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another
country, must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), formerly referred
to as DUNS, and an active registration with the SAM before submitting an
application. DRL may
not review applications from or make awards
to applicants that have not completed all applicable UEI and SAM
requirements. A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law
109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
(FFATA), for all Federal awards.
Note: The process of obtaining a SAM.gov registration may take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.
- If you are based in the United States or pay
employees within the United States, prior to registering in SAM you will
need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) and a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code.
- If you are based outside of the United States and
do not pay employees within the United States, you do not need an EIN
from the IRS. However, you will need a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code before you
can have an active registration in SAM.
All organizations must also continue to maintain active SAM
registration with current information at all times during which they
have an active Federal award or application under consideration by a
Federal award agency. SAM requires all entities to renew their
registration once a year in order to maintain an active registration
status in SAM. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure it
has an active registration in SAM and to maintain that active
registration. If an applicant has not fully complied with the
requirements by the time DRL is ready to make an award, the applicant
may be deemed unqualified to receive an award and use that determination
as a basis for making an award to another applicant.
For further guidance on the registration process, please see the
SAM.gov Registration Guide on DRL’s website:
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c72333.htm. Please refer to 2 CFR 25.200
for additional information.
D.3.1 Exemptions
An exemption from these requirements may be permitted on a case-by-case basis if:
- An applicant is a foreign organization located outside of the United
States without a UEI and the Department determines that acquiring one
is impractical given the geographic location; or
- If an applicant’s identity must be protected due to potential
endangerment of their mission, their organization’s status, their
employees, or individuals being served by the applicant.
* Organizations requesting exemption from SAM.gov, NCAGE, and UEI should email the point of contact in the solicitation. If establishing your SAM.gov account as private rather than public view, please notify DRL at the time of submission.
Note: Foreign organizations will be required to register with the
NATO Support Agency (NSPA) to receive a NCAGE code in order to register
in SAM. NSPA will forward your registration request to the applicable
National Codification Bureau (NCB) if your organization is located in a
NATO or Tier 2 Sponsored Non-NATO Nation. As of March 2016, NATO nations
included Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the
United States of America; and Tier 2 nations included Australia,
Austria, Brazil, Finland, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco,
New Zealand, Serbia, and Singapore.
NSPA and/or the appropriate NCB forwards all NCAGE code
information to all Allied Committee 135 (AC/135) nations, which as of
March 2016 also included Afghanistan, Argentina, Belarus, Bosnia &
Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Montenegro, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Republic of Macedonia,
Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. All organizations are
strongly advised to take this into consideration when assessing whether
registration may result in possible endangerment.
D.4 Submission Dates and Times
Applications are due no later than 11:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), on August 4, 2017 on www.grants.gov or www.grantsolutions.gov under the announcement title “
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) Notice of Funding Opportunity: Tunisia Gender Based Violence Program”
funding opportunity number “DRLA-DRLAQM-17-076”.
Grants.gov and Grantsolutions.gov automatically log the date and time
an application submission is made, and the Department of State will use
this information to determine whether an application has been submitted
on time. Late applications are neither reviewed nor considered unless
the DRL point of contact listed in section G is contacted prior to the
deadline and is provided with evidence of system errors caused by
www.grants.gov or
www.grantsolutions.gov
that is outside of the applicants’ control and is the sole reason for a
late submission. Applicants should not expect a notification upon DRL
receiving their application.
D.5 Funding Restrictions
DRL will not consider applications that reflect any type of support
for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist
organization.
Project activities whose direct beneficiaries are foreign militaries
or paramilitary groups or individuals will not be considered for DRL
funding given purpose limitations on funding.
Restrictions may apply to any proposed assistance to police or other
law enforcement. Among these, pursuant to section 620M of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), no assistance provided through
this funding opportunity may be furnished to any unit of the security
forces of a foreign country when there is credible information that such
unit has committed a gross violation of human rights. In accordance
with the requirements of section 620M of the FAA, also known as the
Leahy law, project beneficiaries or participants from a foreign
government’s security forces may need to be vetted by the Department
before the provision of any assistance.
Federal awards generally will not allow reimbursement of pre-award
costs; however, the grants officer may approve pre-award costs on a case
by case basis. Generally, construction costs are not allowed under DRL
awards. For additional information, please see DRL’s PSI for
Applications, as updated in August 2016:
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/260979.htm.
D.6 Application Submission
All application submissions must be made electronically via
www.grants.gov or
www.grantsolutions.gov.
Both systems require registration by the applying organization. Please
note: the Grants.gov registration process can take 10 business days or
longer, even if all registration steps are completed in a timely manner.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that it has an
active registration in GrantSolutions.gov or Grants.gov. Applicants are
required to document that the application has been received by
GrantSolutions.gov or Grants.gov in its entirety. DRL bears no
responsibility for disqualification that result from applicants not
being registered before the due date, for system errors in either
GrantSolutions or Grants.gov, or other errors in the application
process. Additionally you
must save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in case any document fails to upload successfully.
GrantSolutions.gov is highly recommended for submission of
all applications and is DRL’s preferred choice for receiving
applications.
Faxed, couriered, or emailed documents will
not
be accepted. Reasonable accommodations may, in appropriate
circumstances, be provided to applicants with disabilities or for
security reasons. Applicants must follow all formatting instructions in
the applicable solicitation and these instructions.
DRL encourages organizations to
submit applications during normal business hours
(Monday – Friday, 9:00AM- 5:00PM Eastern Time). If an applicant
experiences technical difficulties and has contacted the appropriate
helpdesk but is not receiving timely assistance (e.g. if you have not
received a response within 48 hours of contacting the helpdesk), you may
contact the DRL point of contact listed in the NOFO in section G. The
point of contact may assist in contacting the appropriate helpdesk, but
an applicant should also document their efforts in contacting the help
desk. Applicants may also contact the DRL point of contact listed in the
NOFO if experiencing technical issues with grants.gov or
grantsolutions.gov that may result in a late submission.
Applicants experiencing technical difficulties should follow these three steps:
- Contact the helpdesk for either Grants.gov or GrantSolutions immediately.
- Document (including screenshots) technical issues AND efforts to contact the helpdesk.
- Submit all of the required documents to the DRL point of contact listed in the solicitation before the deadline.
Note: The Procurement Office will determine technical eligibility of all applications
GrantSolutions.gov Applications
All applicants are strongly encouraged to submit applications via
www.grantsolutions.gov.
Applicants using GrantSolutions.gov for the first time should
complete their “New Organization Registration” as soon as possible. This
process must be completed before an application can be submitted.
Registration with GrantSolutions.gov usually occurs directly after an
applicant submits their registration. To register with
GrantSolutions.gov, click “Login to GrantSolutions” and follow the
“First Time Users” link to the “New Organization Registration Page.”
There are different ways to register your organization, click on the
link that fits best.
Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission,
the GrantSolutions system will provide the applicant with a confirmation
page indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic
application submission as well as an official Application Number. This
confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that
constitute the final application submission. Please save this page for
your records. Additionally you
must remember to
save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted in
case any document fails to upload successfully.
GrantSolutions.gov Help Desk:
For assistance with GrantSolutions.gov accounts and technical issues related to the system, please contact Customer Support at
help@grantsolutions.gov
or call 1-866-577-0771 (toll charges for international callers) or
1-202-401-5282. Customer Support is available 8AM – 5PM EST, Monday –
Friday, except federal holidays.
Grants.gov Applications
Applicants who do not submit applications via GrantSolutions.gov may submit via
www.grants.gov. It is DRL’s preference that applications be submitted through GrantSolutions.gov.
Please be advised that completing all the necessary registration steps for obtaining a username and password from Grants.gov
can take more than two weeks.
Please refer to the Grants.gov website for definitions of various
“application statuses” and the difference between a submission receipt
and a submission validation. Applicants will receive a validation e-mail
from Grants.gov upon the successful submission of an application.
Validation of an electronic submission via Grants.gov can take up to two
business days. Additionally you
must remember
to save a screen shot of the checklist showing all documents submitted
in case any document fails to upload successfully.
Grants.gov Helpdesk:
For assistance with Grants.gov, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or email
support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except federal holidays.
E. Application Review Information
E.1 Proposal Review Criteria
The Panel will evaluate each application individually against the
following criteria, listed below in order of importance, and not against
competing applications. Please use the below criteria as a reference
but
do not structure your application according to the sub-sections.
Quality of Project Idea
Applications should be responsive to the program framework and policy
objectives identified in the solicitation, appropriate in the
country/regional context, and should exhibit originality, substance,
precision, and relevance to DRL’s mission of promoting human rights and
democracy. Projects should have the potential to have an immediate
impact leading to long-term sustainable reforms, DRL prefers new
approaches that do not duplicate efforts by other entities. This does
not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand
existing successful projects in a new and complementary way. In
countries where similar activities are already taking place, an
explanation should be provided as to how new activities will not
duplicate or merely add to existing activities and how these efforts
will be coordinated. Proposals that promote creative approaches to
recognized ongoing challenges are highly encouraged. DRL strives to
ensure the rights and uphold the dignity of the most vulnerable or
at-risk populations. DRL prioritizes project proposals with inclusive
approaches for advancing these rights.
Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives
A strong application will include a clear articulation of how the
proposed project activities contribute to the overall project
objectives, and each activity will be clearly developed and detailed. A
comprehensive monthly work plan should demonstrate substantive
undertakings and the logistical capacity of the organization. Objectives
should be ambitious, yet measurable, results-focused and achievable in a
reasonable time frame. A complete application must include a logic
model to demonstrate how the project activities will have an impact on
its proposed objectives. The logic model should match the objectives,
outcomes, key activities and outputs described in the narrative.
Applications should address how the project will engage relevant
stakeholders and should identify local partners as appropriate.
If local partners have been identified, DRL strongly encourages
applicants to submit letters of support from proposed in-country
partners. Additionally, applicants should describe the division of labor
among the direct applicant and any local partners. If applicable,
applications should identify target areas for activities, target
participant groups or selection criteria for participants, and the
specific roles of sub-awardees, among other pertinent details.
DRL recognizes that all programs have some level of risk due to
internal/external variables that have the potential to adversely affect a
program. Risk management should address how the program design
incorporates the identification, assessment, and management of key risk
factors. DRL will review the risk analysis based on the organization’s
ability to identify risks that could have an impact on the overall
program as well as how the organization will manage these risks.
Institution’s Record and Capacity
DRL will consider the past performance of prior recipients and the
demonstrated potential of new applicants. Applications should
demonstrate an institutional record of successful democracy and human
rights programs, including responsible fiscal management and full
compliance with all reporting requirements for past grants. Proposed
personnel and institutional resources should be adequate and appropriate
to achieve the project’s objectives. Projects should have potential for
continued funding beyond DRL resources.
Inclusive Programming
DRL strives to ensure its projects advance the rights and uphold the
dignity of the most at risk and vulnerable populations, including women,
youth, people with disabilities, members of racial and ethnic or
religious minority groups, and LGBTI persons. To the extent possible,
applicants should identify and address considerations to support these
populations in all proposed project activities and objectives, and
should provide specific means, measures, and corresponding targets to
include them as appropriate. Applicants must provide strong
justifications if unable to incorporate the most at risk and vulnerable
populations within proposed project activities and objectives.
Applications that do not include this will not be considered highly
competitive in this category.
Cost Effectiveness
DRL strongly encourages applicants to clearly demonstrate project
cost-effectiveness in their application, including examples of
leveraging institutional and other resources. However, cost-sharing or
other examples of leveraging other resources are not required. Inclusion
of cost-sharing in the budget does not result in additional points
awarded during the review process. Budgets should have low and/or
reasonable overhead and administration costs, and applicants should
provide clear explanations and justifications for these costs in
relation to the work involved. All budget items should be clearly
explained and justified to demonstrate necessity, appropriateness, and
connection to the project objectives.
Please note: If cost-share is included in the budget, the
recipient must maintain written records to support all allowable costs
that are claimed as its contribution to cost-share, as well as costs to
be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit. In
the event the recipient does not meet the minimum amount of
cost-sharing as stipulated in the recipient’s budget, DRL’s contribution
may be reduced in proportion to the recipient’s contribution.
Multiplier Effect/Sustainability
Applications should clearly delineate how elements of the project
will have a multiplier effect and be sustainable beyond the life of the
grant. A good multiplier effect will have an impact beyond the direct
beneficiaries of the grant (e.g. participants trained under a grant go
on to train other people; workshop participants use skills from a
workshop to enhance a national level election that affects the entire
populace). A strong sustainability plan may include demonstrating
continuing impact beyond the life of a project or garnering other donor
support after DRL funding ceases.
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Complete applications will include a detailed M&E Narrative and
M&E Plan, which detail how the project’s progress will be monitored
and evaluated. Incorporating well-designed monitoring and evaluation
processes into a project is an efficient method for documenting the
change (intended and unintended) that a project seeks. Applications
should demonstrate the capacity to provide objectives with measurable
outputs and outcomes.
The quality of the M&E sections will be judged on the narrative
explaining how both monitoring and evaluation will be carried out, and
who will be responsible for those related activities. Explain how an
external evaluation will be incorporated into the project implementation
plan or how the project will be systematically assessed in the absence
of one. Please see the section on
Monitoring and Evaluation Narrative above for more information on what is required in the narrative.
The output and outcome-based performance indicators should not only
be separated by project objectives but also should match the objectives,
outcomes, and outputs detailed in the logic model and proposal
narrative. Performance indicators should be clearly defined (i.e.,
explained how the indicators will be measured and reported) either
within the table or with a separate Performance Indicator Reference
Sheet (PIRS). For each performance indicator, the table should also
include baselines and quarterly and cumulative targets, data collection
tools, data sources, types of data disaggregation, and frequency of
monitoring and evaluation. There should also be metrics to capture how
project activities target the most at-risk and vulnerable populations or
addresses their concerns, where applicable. Please see the section on
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan above for more information on what is required in the plan.
E.2 Review and Selection Process
DRL strives to ensure that each application receives a balanced
evaluation by a DRL Review Panel. The Department’s Office of
Acquisitions Management (AQM) will determine technical eligibility for
all applications. All technically eligible applications for a given
solicitation are reviewed against the same seven criteria, which include
quality of project idea, project planning/ability to achieve
objectives, institutional record and capacity, inclusive programming,
cost effectiveness, multiplier effect/sustainability, and project
monitoring and evaluation.
Additionally, the Panel will evaluate how the application addresses
the solicitation request, U.S. foreign policy goals, and the priority
needs of DRL overall. DRL may also take into consideration the balance
of the current portfolio of active projects, including geographic or
thematic diversity, if needed.
In most cases, the DRL Review Panel includes representatives from
DRL, the appropriate Department of State regional bureau (to include
feedback from U.S. embassies), and U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) (to include feedback from USAID missions). In some
cases, additional panelists may participate, including from other
Department of State bureaus or offices, U.S. government departments,
agencies, or boards, representatives from partner governments, or
representatives from entities that are in a public-private partnership
with DRL. At the end of the panel’s discussion about an application, the
Panel votes on recommending the application for approval by the DRL
Assistant Secretary. If more applications are ultimately recommended for
approval than DRL can fund, the Panel will rank the recommended
applications in priority order for consideration by the DRL Assistant
Secretary. The Grants Officer Representative (GOR) for the eventual
award does not vote on the panel. All Panelists must sign non-disclosure
agreements and conflicts of interest agreements.
DRL Review Panels may provide conditions and recommendations on
applications to enhance the proposed project, which must be addressed by
the applicant before further consideration of the award. To ensure
effective use of DRL funds, conditions or recommendations may include
requests to increase, decrease, clarify, and/or justify costs and
project activities.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
F.1 Federal Award Notices
DRL will provide a separate notification to applicants on the result
of their applications. Successful applicants will receive a letter
electronically via email requesting that the applicant respond to panel
conditions and recommendations. This notification is not an
authorization to begin activities and does not constitute formal
approval or a funding commitment.
Final approval is contingent on the applicant successfully responding
to the panel’s conditions and recommendations, being registered in
required systems, including the U.S. government’s Payment Management
System (PMS), unless an exemption is provided, and completing and
providing any additional documentation requested by DRL or AQM. Final
approval is also contingent on Congressional notification requirements
being met and final review and approval by the Department’s warranted
grants officer.
The notice of Federal award signed by the Department’s warranted
grants officers is the sole authorizing document. If awarded, the notice
of Federal award will be provided to the applicant’s designated
Authorizing Official via GrantSolutions to be electronically
counter-signed in the system.
F.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit
Requirements for Federal Awards set forth in 2 CFR Chapter 200
(Sub-Chapters A through F) shall apply to all non-Federal entities,
except for assistance awards to Individuals and Foreign Public Entities.
Sub-Chapters A through E shall apply to all foreign organizations, and
Sub-Chapters A through D shall apply to all U.S. and foreign for-profit
entities.
The applicant/recipient of the award and any sub-recipient under the
award must comply with all applicable terms and conditions, in addition
to the assurance and certifications made part of the Notice of Award.
The Department’s Standard Terms and Conditions can be viewed at
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c72333.htm.
F.3 Reporting
Applicants should be aware that DRL awards will require that all
reports (financial and progress) are uploaded to the grant file in
GrantSolutions on a quarterly basis. The Federal Financial Report (FFR
or SF-425) is the required form for the financial reports and must be
submitted in PMS as well as downloaded and then uploaded to the grant
file in GrantSolutions. The progress reports uploaded to the grant file
in GrantSolutions must include page one (signed and completed) of the
SF-PPR (Performance and Progress Report); a narrative attachment to the
SF-PPR as described below; and the SF-PPR-B: Project Indicators (or
other mutually agreed upon format approved by the grants officer) for
the F Framework indicators.
Narrative progress reports should reflect the focus on measuring the
project’s impact on the overarching objectives and should be compiled
according to the objectives, outcomes, and outputs as outlined in the
award’s Scope of Work (SOW) and in the Monitoring and Evaluation
(M&E) Statement. An assessment of the overall project’s impact,
should be included in each progress report. Where relevant, progress
reports should include the following sections:
- Relevant contextual information (limited);
- Explanation and evaluation of significant activities of the
reporting period and how the activities reflect progress toward
achieving objectives, including meeting benchmarks/targets as set in the
M&E plan. In addition, attach the M&E plan, comparing the
target and actual numbers for the indicators;
- Any tangible impact or success stories from the project, when possible;
- Copy of mid-term and/or final evaluation report(s) conducted by an external evaluator; if applicable;
- Relevant supporting documentation or products related to the project
activities (such as articles, meeting lists and agendas, participant
surveys, photos, manuals, etc.) as separate attachments;
- Description of how the Recipient is pursuing sustainability, including looking for sources of follow-on funding;
- Any problems/challenges in implementing the project and a corrective action plan with an updated timeline of activities;
- Reasons why established goals were not met;
- Data for the required F Framework indicator(s) for the quarter as
well as aggregate data by fiscal year using the SF-PPR-B: Project
Indicators or other mutually agreed upon format approved by the Grants
Officer. Evaluation indicators from the Foreign Assistance Framework can
be found at http://www.state.gov/f/indicators/ ;
- Proposed activities for the next quarter;
- Additional pertinent information, including analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs, if applicable.
A final narrative and financial report must also be submitted within 90 days after the expiration of the award.
Please note: delays in reporting may result in delays of payment
approvals and failure to provide required reports may jeopardize the
recipient’s’ ability to receive future U.S. government funds.
DRL reserves the right to request any additional programmatic and/or financial project information during the award period.
G. Contact Information
For technical submission questions related to this solicitation, please contact Allison Colburn at
ColburnA@state.gov.
For assistance with GrantSolutions.gov accounts and technical issues
related to using the system, please contact Customer Support at
help@grantsolutions.gov
or call 1-866-577-0771 (toll charges for international callers) or
1-202-401-5282. Customer Support is available 8 AM – 6 PM EST, Monday –
Friday, except federal holidays.
For assistance with Grants.gov accounts and technical issues related
to using the system, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or
email support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, except federal holidays.
For a list of federal holidays visit:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/
With the exception of technical submission questions, during the
solicitation period U.S. Department of State staff in Washington and
overseas shall not discuss this competition with applicants until the
entire proposal review process has been completed and rejection and
approval letters have been transmitted.
H. Other Information
Applicants should be aware that DRL understands that some information
contained in applications may be considered sensitive or proprietary
and will make appropriate efforts to protect such information. However,
applicants are advised that DRL cannot guarantee that such information
will not be disclosed, including pursuant to the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) or other similar statutes.
The information in this NOFO and DRL’s PSI for Applications, as
updated in August 2016, is binding and may not be modified by any DRL
representative. Explanatory information provided by DRL that contradicts
this language will not be binding. Issuance of the NOFO and negotiation
of applications does not constitute an award commitment on the part of
the U.S. government. DRL reserves the right to reduce, revise, or
increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the project
evaluation requirements.
This NOFO will appear on
www.grants.gov,
www.grantsolutions.gov, Embassy Tunis
website, and DRL’s website http://www.state.gov/j/drl/p/c12302.htm.
Background Information on DRL and general DRL funding
DRL is the foreign policy lead within the U.S. government on
promoting democracy and protecting human rights globally. DRL supports
projects that uphold democratic principles, support and strengthen
democratic institutions, promote human rights, prevent atrocities,
combat and prevent violent extremism, and build civil society around the
world. DRL typically focuses its work in countries with egregious human
rights violations, where democracy and human rights advocates are under
pressure, and where governments are undemocratic or in transition.
