Water, Sanitation Funding Opportunity for Refugees in Thailand and Malaysia

FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Burmese Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Thailand and Malaysia. Funding Opportunity Announcement Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration April 19, 2013 FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Burmese Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Thailand and Malaysia. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.511- Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for East Asia Announcement issuance date: Friday, April 19, 2013 Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. noon (EDT). Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered. ADVISORY: PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise. Proposed Program Start Dates: June 1 – September 27, 2013 Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as listed below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement. Duration of Activity: Program plans from 12 to 24 months will be considered. Applicants may submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed 24 months from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration. Continued funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Please see the Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information. PRM will prioritize project proposals that demonstrate strong coordination and integration of services with other NGOs. Current Funding Priorities for Assistance to Burmese Refugees in Thailand: PRM will prioritize funding for proposed NGO activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities in Thailand for Burmese refugees in camps along the Thailand-Burma border as identified below. Health (including curative, preventative, reproductive health, mental health and psychosocial care), Water and Sanitation, and Gender-Based Violence: PRM will accept proposals from NGOs for activities that focus on the following priorities in Mae La, Umpiem, Nu Po, and Ban Don Yang camps: a. Improved access to quality health care services, including reproductive healthcare, with a particular emphasis on the health and nutritional needs of children under five and pregnant and lactating women and improved access to services for persons with disabilities (PwDs) and their families; b. Improved camp water and sanitation and other environmental infrastructure, including protection and development of the water resource in Mae La and in the host villages in Tak Province; c. Improved quality of life of refugee populations by addressing their psychosocial needs and developing income-generating activities, with an emphasis on the development of skills and vocational training to achieve a measure of self-sufficiency and a reasonable livelihood; and d. Strengthened community capacity to prevent Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and better respond to the health, psychosocial, safety, and justice needs of GBV survivors. Current Funding Priorities for Assistance to Burmese Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Internally Displaced Persons on the Thailand-Burma Border: PRM will accept proposals from NGOs that focus on the following priorities: a. Improved network of services for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and their families through provision of specialized and support services; b. Strengthened physical and functional rehabilitation services and responsive networking with preventive camp health care services that are broadened and made disability-inclusive. c. Inclusion of PwDs in selected key mainstream stakeholders’ services related to livelihoods, water and sanitation, and schools by reducing social and physical barriers. d. Conduct mine-risk education, where possible, inside Burma and with refugees on the Thailand-Burma border. Activities should include conducting mass information campaigns among target populations, developing tools, such as training packages for use by local staff. Trainings may include small scale training for key community leaders and influential persons who may act as message multipliers within their spheres of influence, larger-scale trainings including lectures, demonstrations, simulations, and small group discussions for the most at-risk groups. Trainings should be led by and include women leaders as appropriate. Proposed activities should demonstrate direct or indirect link to and/or coordination with other Mine Risk Education activities underway in Burma. Such interaction should support an increase of Burmese refugees’ awareness of and ability to influence national and local mine action services and institutional initiatives in Burma. Current Funding Priorities for Assistance to Burmese Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Malaysia: PRM will accept proposals from NGOs that focus on the following priorities: (1) Healthcare: a. Improved primary healthcare, medical services, mental health and psychosocial support to the urban Burmese refugee population in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley, including the implementation of mobile health clinics; b. Provision of nursing facilities and caretakers for refugee patients requiring recuperation and post-hospitalization nursing care; and c. Health-based training and education focusing on general health care, communicable disease prevention, treatment adherence, reproductive health, and nutrition. (2) Gender-Based Violence (GBV): a. Improved knowledge of GBV within refugee and host communities; b. Improved capacity of target communities to identify and effectively respond to GBV through healthcare (including reproductive health), psychosocial, safety, justice and other services that involve refugee and host community members in their design and implementation; and c. Improved capacity of service providers to incorporate GBV prevention and response activities, including multi-sectoral referral services. Current Funding Priorities for Assistance to Burmese Rohingya in the Region: PRM will accept proposals from NGOs for activities that focus on the following priorities for the stateless Rohingya in the East Asia region: a. Strengthened dialogue between relevant actors in Burma, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere in the region on the humanitarian situation facing Rohingya populations; b. Engagement of affected governments in the region, either directly or indirectly, and solicitation of support from Rohingya leadership to facilitate the development of a comprehensive regional solution to address the Rohingya plight; c. Provision of education, including technical support, comparative knowledge and expertise, to concerned parties. Proposals must have a concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and include at least one outcome or impact indicator per objective; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors. Proposals must adhere to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards. PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned sectors although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate: • a working relationship with UNHCR, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address); • a proven track record in providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location; • evidence of coordination with international organizations (IOs) and other NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as – where possible – local authorities; • a strong transition plan, where feasible, involving local capacity-building; • a budget that demonstrates co-funding by non-US government sources. Funding Limits: In FY 2013, project proposals must not be less than $100,000 and not more than $1,000,000 or they will be disqualified. As stated in PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization. Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. See “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp). Please also note the following highlights: • Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) which can take weeks and sometimes months. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency. • Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems. • If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate. • International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement. • Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68 ) Proposal Content, Formatting and Template: This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information on proposal content and formatting, and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered. PRM strongly recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Single-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 20 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total. To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including: • Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for each year of the program period. • Budget and budget narrative for each year of the program period. • Signed completed SF-424. In addition, proposal submissions to PRM should include the following information: • Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project. • To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding, include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible). • Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement. • The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for humanitarian programs. • Proposals and budgets should include details of any sub-agreements associated with the program. • Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required before an award can be made). • Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required before an award can be made). • Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable. • NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S. Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501 (c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number. • Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2012 for activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report. Multi-Year Funding: Applicants proposing multi-year programs should adhere to the following guidance: Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented in 12-month cycles for a period not to exceed 24 months from the proposed start date. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators are required for each year of activities. These can be updated yearly upon submission of continuation applications. Applicants should note that they may use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template for this application, which is different from the single year template. Multi-year funding applicants may also use PRM’s standard budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project year. Multi-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 30 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 25 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total. Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in 12- month increments based on the proposal submitted in the initial application as approved by PRM. Continued funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Continuation applications must be submitted by the organization no later than 90 days before the proposed start date of the new award (e.g., if the next project period is to begin on September 1, submit your application by June 1). Continuation applications are submitted in lieu of responding to PRM’s published call for proposals for those activities. Late continuation applications will jeopardize continued funding. Organizations can request multi-year funding and continuation application templates by emailing PRM's NGO Coordinator with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line. Reports and Reporting Requirements: Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement. For more details regarding PRM’s reporting requirements, please see General NGO Guidelines. Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding. PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management. Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded: As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. In the event the recipient does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action. PRM Points of Contact: Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. (Note: Responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.): For Thailand-Burma and Regional Proposals, Contact PRM Program Officer Hoa Tran, TranHT3@state.gov, 202-453-9289, Washington, D.C. For Malaysia Proposals, Contact PRM Program Officer Jennifer Handog, HandogJG@state.gov, 202-453-9286, Washington, DC. Regional Refugee Coordinator Andrea Doyle, DoyleAL@state.gov, U.S. Embassy Bangkok, Refugee and Migration Affairs, Bangkok, Thailand.

Skoll World Forum 2013: Where Have I Been the Last Decade?

 

Having spent the better part of last week in Oxford at the tenth running of the Skoll World Forum, my first thought was “Where have I been the last ten years – under a rock? It took me a decade to figure out that this is my tribe?”

A few quick reactions on the flight home:

Thinking: There is more genuine, on-the-fly thinking at this event than at any other I have attended recently, perhaps ever. I don’t often do well when there are over six people involved in a conversation. But even with over 900 attending the Forum, there was ample opportunity for quiet sidebar conversations, legitimate interactions with the panelists, time to then digest and respond, and a clear path to remain in contact online and off. It strikes me that Skoll is the one talkshop who takes seriously the perpetual recommendations about big conferences: more time for networking (there was plenty), thinking (nonstop), unscripted conversations (from well before the start to after the Forum ended), and opportunities for participants to get their messages heard (informal, delegate-led lunch sessions – well done, Anna Demant  - and topic-specific breakfast gatherings). One example I’d offer is The Evolving Role of Media in Social Progress, powerfully and unobtrusively chaired by Alberto Ibarguen of the Knight Foundation, who had his hands full with David Bornstein (Dowser Media), Peter Koechley (Upworthy), Pat Mitchell (Paley Center for Media) and Joaquin Alvarado (Center for Investigative Reporting). A close second was Not So Strange Bedfellows: Influencers and Enablers though I remain unconvinced of the forced dichotomy between the two.

Risk: Most folks out to save the world say they welcome heightened levels of risk, and my role has been at times to call their bluff. This is only my first year at Skoll, but I sense more real risk-taking on the part of the conference organizers, the delegates, and Skoll Foundation itself. It’s less about “OK to fail once, just don’t do it again,” and more akin to Thomas Edison’s “I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.” Risk, failure, extreme openness – all are welcome at Skoll. I went to the Skoll World Forum looking for social innovations that will help minimize the risk that political leaders all over the world must take to prioritize what they already want to do (i.e. provide basic social goods like water and health to their people). In my work in strengthening political will for water and sanitation around the world, there are a lot more failures than successes, but the successes – when they happen – truly make a difference. Where politics meets global development challenges is a risky road even at Skoll, but I found the most receptive, interested, and helpful audience of any such convening.

Creativity: the secret to creativity is not necessarily to create anything new. Creativity may simply involve pushing and pulling together extant pieces of a puzzle in new configurations. To prepare for the Forum I read Raising the Hunley. The Hunley was the world’s first attack submarine, sunk off the coast of South Carolina in 1863. Although we don’t know yet exactly how the Hunley sunk, all the pieces of the puzzle are likely there. Nautical archaeologists need simply to put those pieces together in different, creative combinations to figure out the answer. Inspired by another Forum participant (thanks, Gannon of Tostan), I was struck by the parallels to the global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge. We do not for the most part need to invent anything new to accomplish 100% access to safe drinking water and sanitation for everyone on the planet. We have done it already in many parts of the world (so just try to tell me it’s not solvable). To get to the remaining 800m or so, we need to find new, creative ways to configure and amplify what we already have. I work at an advocacy organization because, to misquote Al Gore, "You can't just change lightbulbs. You have to change the laws." The real accelerators of longterm, systemic change are upstream. The design of the Skoll World Forum intrigued me well before I arrived, and the event indeed proved to be less about direct service provision (water, ARVs, schoolbooks, laptops), and more about creative ways to create the type of systemic, empowering change for which we all strive.

Disruption: On a related note, I’m not entirely convinced that “Disruption” is a suitable theme for the entire conference. One doesn’t need to throw everything out the window to be creative. A revolution is not necessarily required. The best thing to do may be the simplest: increase the RPM of the evolutionary process which will lead to success at scale in a compressed timeframe. In my work, creativity leads to more effective upstream activity at the political level; this leads to important, sustainable changes in service delivery, e.g. passing legislation in India to allow (or mandate!) rainwater harvesting in Indian cities to adapt to climate change and urbanization. At times this is highly disruptive but it does not have to be.

To be sure, the event did have its downs: A couple of the plenary speeches were subpar (do we actually need plenaries anymore?). One panel on foreign assistance – initially quite encouraging - deteriorated into a whining session about how wasteful (stronger words were used) all foreign assistance is, oblivious to the pointed questions of audience members looking for solutions (come on, guys - more light, less tunnel). An awardee or two caused a bit of cringing throughout the New Theatre on George Street (but one can never avoid that sort of thing, and it was actually pretty fun). And some of the sessions were a bit too techno-utopian for my taste. Technology is not always the answer, and social entrepreneurs will not succeed in the absence of a healthy enabling environment, the responsibility for which lies squarely in the hands of the elected leadership of any given country.

It’s really too early for suggestions for next year, but a couple:

• Skoll World Forum 2014: Inspired by Ken Brecher (I literally held my breath through his talk), next year’s theme could well be “Let’s Just See How Strong We Are.” Let’s make next year’s Skoll World Forum slightly less about tech- and entrepreneur-driven scalability and slightly more about scale. Ask me more about that.
• Get stronger with Cisco at continuing the conversations throughout the year. The value of these conversations can be amplified with a bit of support from Skoll throughout the calendar year.
• More Rwandan drummers, and invite me for 2014!

Skoll World Forum thoughts... / Policy Innovation and Political Risk

 

 Why am I at the Skoll World Forum?

 

In the 1930s: U.S. President Roosevelt was approached by groups of labor leaders who asked him to enact certain progressive, pro-labor policies. President Roosevelt already agreed with what those labor leaders were asking him to do, but told them that it wasn't politically possible for him to enact those changes yet. He said "Your job is to go out there, and MAKE me do it." So they did, and thousands of labor actions later, President Roosevelt was able to enact those policies which he already wanted to support.

 

Today: Every political leader in the world wants to prioritize basic education, health, water/sanitation, land rights, gender equity for his/her constituents. How can we make it possible for those political leaders to do what they already want to do?

 

I am at Skoll looking for social innovations that will help us minimize the risk that political leaders all over the world must take to prioritize what they would already like to do (i.e. provide basic social goods).

 

I run WASH Advocates, an advocacy and lobbying group in Washington DC entirely dedicated to the world safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene challenge. I have chosen to work there, because, to misquote Al Gore, "You can't just change lightbulbs. You have to change the laws." The real accelerators of longterm, systemic change are upstream. This convening at Oxford is particularly interesting to me, because this event is less about direct service provision (water, ARVs, schoolbooks, laptops), and more about the type of systemic, empowering change for which we all strive.

 

Upstream activity at the political level leads to important, sustainable changes in service delivery, e.g. changing building codes in Brazil to allow group sanitation facilities, or passing legislation in India to allow (or mandate!) rainwater harvesting in Indian cities to adapt to climate change and urbanization.

 

Over the coming days I hope to attend the most relevant sessions, and meet delegates interested in strengthening political will country by country. Basically, I'd like to meet with folks at SWF who think that politicians are actually part of the solution, not just part of the problem.

Water, Sanitation Funding Opportunity for Refugees in DRC Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda

FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda Funding Opportunity Announcement Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration April 5, 2013 Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-PRMOAPAF-13-008-017649 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.517 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Africa Announcement issuance date: Thursday, April 4, 2013 Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT. Proposals submitted after this deadline cannot be considered. Advisory: Grants.gov experiences a consistently high volume of activity. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal several days early to allow time to address any difficulties that may arise due to system delays. Proposed Program Start Dates: June 1, 2013—September 1, 2013 Duration of Activity: Program proposals that support protection, including prevention of and response to gender-based violence (GBV) among urban refugee communities in Uganda, and for assistance to refugee returnees in Equateur Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), should be for no more than 12 months. Applicants must re-compete for PRM funding each year. Furthermore, in funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Proposals that cover recurrent activities over 12 to 24 months will be considered—and multi-year proposals are encouraged—for activities addressing needs in refugee settlements in Uganda and refugee camps in Tanzania. Applicants are encouraged to submit multi-year proposals with activities and budgets that do not exceed 24 months from the proposed start date. Actual awards will not exceed 12 months in duration and activities and budgets submitted in year one can be revised/updated each successive year. Continued funding after the initial 12-month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. In funding a project one year, PRM makes no representations that it will continue to fund the project in successive years and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities. Please see Multi-Year Funding section below for additional information. Eligible Applicants: (1) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; (2) Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with IRS, other than institutions of higher education; and (3) International Organizations. International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement. Current Country Specific Funding Priorities and Instructions: PRM will prioritize available funding for Democratic Republic of the Congo (Equateur Province), Tanzania, and Uganda as identified below. All proposals should target beneficiaries as identified in collaboration with UNHCR and local authorities. (1) Tanzania • Proposals should focus on life-saving basic preventative and curative healthcare assistance, including reproductive health and prevention of and response to gender-based violence, in Nyaragusu refugee camp in western Tanzania. • Health Sector Standard Indicators Pilot: Proposals focusing on health in camp based/returnee settings should include a minimum of one of the four following indicators, and include as many of the other indicators as are relevant: § Number of consultations/clinician/day – Target: Fewer than 50 patients per clinician per day § Measles vaccination rate for children under five – Target: 95% coverage § Percentage of deliveries attended by a skilled birth attendant in a health care facility – Target: 100% § Percentage of reporting rape survivors given post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with 72 hours – Target: 100% • NGO proposals that seek to fund service provision may also include the following indicators if appropriate: § Primary Care: # and % of refugee patients, by sex and age, receiving primary health care assistance. § Emergency Care: # and % of refugee patients, by sex and age, receiving care for trauma or sudden illness. Proposals should also include their own custom indicators in addition to the standard indicators. • While PRM does not discourage activities that also include the local host population along with refugees where appropriate, especially to mitigate conflict between the populations, proposals should concentrate on activities for refugees. At least 80% of beneficiaries must be refugees. (2) Uganda • Proposals may focus on life-saving basic preventative and curative healthcare assistance, including prevention of and response to gender-based violence, in Uganda’s refugee settlements. • Health Sector Standard Indicators Pilot: Proposals focusing on health in camp based/returnee settings should include a minimum of one of the four following indicators, and include as many of the other indicators as are relevant: § Number of consultations/clinician/day – Target: Fewer than 50 patients per clinician per day § Measles vaccination rate for children under five – Target: 95% coverage § Percentage of deliveries attended by a skilled birth attendant in a health care facility – Target: 100% § Percentage of reporting rape survivors given post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with 72 hours – Target: 100% • NGO proposals that seek to fund service provision may include the following indicators if appropriate: § Primary Care: # and % of refugee patients, by sex and age, receiving primary health care assistance. § Emergency Care: # and % of refugee patients, by sex and age, receiving care for trauma or sudden illness. • Proposals focusing on health in urban settings must include a minimum of one of the six following indicators and should try to include as many of the other indicators as are relevant: § Capacity-building: # of health care professionals/administrators trained on providing health services to refugee populations. § Referrals: # of refugees referred to appropriate services, and % of those referred who were able to get needed services. § Community Outreach: # of refugees who received targeted messages on their rights and health-related services available to them. § Health Staffing: # of total consultations per health care provider, disaggregated by refugee/national, sex, and age. § Patient Satisfaction: % of refugee patients receiving primary and emergency care who express satisfaction with services received. § Post Exposure Prophylaxis: % of reporting refugee rape survivors given PEP within 72 hours (Target: 100%) • Proposals may also focus on gender-based violence prevention and response targeting vulnerable groups, including LGBTI individuals, in urban refugee communities and in the refugee settlements in western Uganda. • Proposals may choose to focus on assistance to either the refugee settlements OR to urban refugee communities. While PRM does not discourage activities that also include the local host population along with refugees where appropriate, especially to mitigate conflict between the populations, proposals should concentrate on activities for refugees. At least 80% of beneficiaries must be refugees with the remainder, if any, being vulnerable individuals in host communities. (3) Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—Equateur Province • Proposals should focus on Equateur Province, specifically on areas of high refugee return where new refugee returnees (those who have returned in 2011-2013) make up at least 50% of targeted beneficiaries. Proposals should specify refugee returnee population numbers and/or projections for 2013 in proposed locations. • Proposals should focus on water and sanitation, sustainable livelihood promotion, peace-building, or gender-based violence prevention and response that will lead to successful and durable reintegration. General Instructions PRM will accept proposals from any NGO working in the above mentioned programmatic areas although, given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate: • A working relationship with UNHCR, current UNHCR funding, and/or a letter of support from UNHCR for the proposed activities and/or overall country program (this letter should highlight the gap in services the proposed program is designed to address); • An established presence and a proven track record providing proposed assistance both in the sector and specified location; • Coordination with international organizations (IOs) and NGOs working in the same area or sector as well as local authorities; • A concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable (SMART), have established baselines, and at least one outcome indicator per objective; objectives should be clearly linked to the sectors; • Projects in Protracted Refugee Situations, return/local integration contexts, and multi-year funding applications, where applicable, must include strong transition plans in their proposals; • A budget that is appropriate for meeting the objectives and demonstrates co-funding and/or cost-sharing by non-US government sources, and any programs that include GBV prevention and response activities should, in the detailed budget, delineate all resources dedicated specifically to those activities; • Appropriate targeting of beneficiaries in coordination with UNHCR and other relevant organizations. Because of PRM's mandate to provide protection, assistance, and sustainable solutions for refugees and victims of conflict, PRM will only consider funding projects that include a target beneficiary base of at least 80% refugees, unless otherwise noted. • Adherence to relevant international standards for humanitarian assistance. See PRM’s General NGO Guidelines for a complete list of sector-specific standards. Funding Limits: PRM will consider projects submitted with budgets up to $500,000 (Tanzania); $1,000,000 (Uganda settlements); $200,000 (Uganda Urban); $1,000,000 (DRC—Equateur Province). As stated in the PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, PRM looks favorably on cost-sharing efforts and seeks to support projects with a diverse donor base and/or resources from the submitting organization. Approval of projects is subject to the availability of funding. Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. See “Applicant Resources” page on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp). Please also note the following highlights: • Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the deadline as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based NGOs to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the System for Award Management (SAM) which can take weeks and sometimes months. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications via Grants.gov no later than one week before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered. PRM partners must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active federal award or an application under consideration by PRM or any federal agency. • Applications must be submitted under the authority of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) at the applicant organization. Having proposals submitted by agency headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems. • If you encounter technical difficulties with Grants.gov please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at support@grants.gov or by calling 1-800-518-4726. Applicants who are unable to submit applications via Grants.gov due to Grants.gov technical difficulties and who have reported the problem to the Grants.gov help desk, received a case number, and had a service request opened to research the problem, should contact the relevant PRM Program Officer to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate. • International Organizations (IOs) should not submit proposals through Grants.gov in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Rather IOs such as UN agencies and other Public International Organizations (PIOs) that are seeking funding for programs relevant to this announcement should submit a proposal or a concept note to the relevant PRM Program Officer (as stated below) on or before the closing date of the funding announcement. • Pursuant to U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001, stated on OMB Standard Form 424 (SF-424), the Department of State is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its federal assistance programs. The list of certifications and assurances can be found at: http://fa.statebuy.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=161&menu_id=68 ) Proposal Content, Formatting and Template: This announcement is designed to accompany PRM’s General NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information on proposal content and formatting, and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the General NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements and that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities. Proposal submissions that do not meet all of the requirements outlined in these guidelines will not be considered. PRM strongly recommends using the proposal and budget templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator. Please send an email, with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line, to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Single-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 20 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 15 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total. To be considered for PRM funding, organizations must submit a complete application package including: • Proposal reflecting objectives and indicators for each year of the program period. • Budget and budget narrative for each year of the program period. • Signed completed SF-424. In addition, proposal submissions to PRM should include the following information: • Focus on outcome or impact indicators as much as possible. At a minimum, each objective should have one outcome or impact indicator. Wherever possible, baselines should be established before the start of the project. • To increase PRM’s ability to track the impact of PRM funding, include specific information on locations of projects and beneficiaries (GPS coordinates if possible). • Proposals should outline how the NGO will acknowledge PRM funding. If an organization believes that publicly acknowledging the receipt of USG funding for a particular PRM-funded project could potentially endanger the lives of the beneficiaries and/or the organization staff, invite suspicion about the organization's motives, or alienate the organization from the population it is trying to help, it must provide a brief explanation in its proposal as to why it should be exempted from this requirement. • The budget should include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization. PRM strongly encourages multilateral support for humanitarian programs. • Proposals and budgets should include details of any sub-agreements associated with the program. • Copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct (required before an award can be made). • Copy of the organization’s Security Plan (required before an award can be made). • Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable. • NGOs that have not received PRM funding since the U.S. Government fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 must be prepared to demonstrate that they meet the financial and accounting requirements of the U.S. Government by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, 2) proof of non-profit tax status including under IRS 501 (c)(3), as applicable, 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number. • Organizations that received PRM funding in FY 2012 for activities that are being proposed for funding under this announcement must include the most recent quarterly progress report against indicators outlined in the cooperative agreement. If an organization’s last quarterly report was submitted more than six weeks prior to the submission of a proposal in response to this funding announcement, the organization must include, with its most recent quarterly report, updates that show any significant progress made on objectives since the last report. Multi-Year Funding: Applicants proposing multi-year programs should adhere to the following guidance: Applicants may submit proposals that include multi-year strategies presented in 12-month cycles for a period not to exceed 24 months from the proposed start date. Fully developed programs with detailed budgets, objectives and indicators are required for each year of activities. These can be updated yearly upon submission of continuation applications. Applicants should note that they may use PRM’s recommended multi-year proposal template for this application, which is different from the single year template. Multi-year funding applicants may also use PRM’s standard budget template and should submit a separate budget sheet for each project year. Multi-year proposals using PRM’s templates must be no more than 30 pages in length (Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins on all sides). If the applicant does not use PRM’s recommended templates, proposals must not exceed 25 pages in length. Organizations may choose to attach work plans, activity calendars, and/or logical frameworks as addendums/appendices to the proposal. These attachments do not count toward the page limit total. Multi-year applications selected for funding by PRM will be funded in 12- month increments based on the proposal submitted in the initial application as approved by PRM. Continued funding after the initial 12- month award requires the submission of a noncompeting continuation application and will be contingent upon available funding, strong performance, and continuing need. Continuation applications must be submitted by the organization no later than 90 days before the proposed start date of the new award (e.g., if the next project period is to begin on September 1, submit your application by June 1). Continuation applications are submitted in lieu of responding to PRM’s published call for proposals for those activities. Late continuation applications will jeopardize continued funding. Organizations can request multi-year funding and continuation application templates by emailing PRM's NGO Coordinator with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line. Reports and Reporting Requirements: Program reporting: PRM requires quarterly and final program reports describing and analyzing the results of activities undertaken during the validity period of the agreement. It is highly suggested that NGOs receiving PRM funding use the PRM recommended program report template. To request this template, send an email with the phrase “PRM NGO Templates” in the subject line to PRM's NGO Coordinator. Financial Reports: Financial reports are required within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar year quarter during the validity period of the agreement; a final financial report covering the entire period of the agreement is required within ninety (90) days after the expiration date of the agreement. For more details regarding PRM’s reporting requirements please see PRM’s General NGO Guidelines. Proposal Review Process: PRM will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this funding announcement. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on the above-referenced proposal evaluation criteria and PRM priorities in the context of available funding. PRM may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will provide formal notifications to NGOs of final decisions taken by Bureau management. Branding and Marking Strategy: Unless exceptions have been approved by the designated bureau Authorizing Official as described in the proposal templates that are available upon email request from PRM's NGO Coordinator, at a minimum, the following provision will be included whenever assistance is awarded: As a condition of receipt of this assistance award, all materials produced pursuant to the award, including training materials, materials for recipients or materials to communicate or promote with foreign audiences a program, event, project, or some other activity under this agreement, including but not limited to invitations to events, press materials, event backdrops, podium signs, etc. must be marked appropriately with the standard U.S. flag in a size and prominence equal to (or greater than) any other logo or identity. Subrecipients and subsequent tier sub-award agreements are subject to the marking requirements and the recipient shall include a provision in the subrecipient agreement indicating that the standard, rectangular U.S. flag is a requirement. In the event the recipient does not comply with the marking requirements as established in the approved assistance agreement, the Grants Officer Representative and the Grants Officer must initiate corrective action. PRM Points of Contact: Should NGOs have technical questions related to this announcement, they should contact the PRM staff listed below prior to proposal submission. (Note: Responses to technical questions from PRM do not indicate a commitment to fund the program discussed.): PRM Program Officer Bryan Lupton (LuptonBC@state.gov); 202-453-9307; Washington, D.C. Great Lakes Regional Refugee Coordinator Greg Shaw (ShawGJ@state.gov); U.S. Embassy Kampala, Uganda.