Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA)
Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (NEA/PI)
Funding Opportunity Title: Saudi Arabia: Women’s Civic Participation; Judicial Engagement; and Governance and Public Management Fellowships
Announcement Type: New
Funding Opportunity Number: NEAPI-09-CA-016-MENA-100209
Funding Competition ID: Saudi Arabia Projects
CFDA Number: 19.500
Date Opened: October 2, 2009
Due Date for Applications: November 16, 2009
Federal Agency Contacts: Ms. Jessica Baker, Dr. Charles Kiamie, and Ms. Katharine Bartels
Email: nea-grants@state.gov
Telephone number: 202-776-8524
I. Funding Opportunity Description
The Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (NEA/PI) announces an open competition for proposals to strengthen women’s participation, governance, and judicial capacity in Saudi Arabia. This call is consistent with the President’s message of supporting women’s rights and improving good governance and rule of law at all levels. In Cairo this June, the President emphasized that “our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.” A month later in Accra, he stated that “America will… increase assistance for responsible individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance …; on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved ….” The President also remarked that “development depends on good governance” – an “ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long.” It is in this spirit that NEA/PI seeks applications for the following three priority areas:
A) Saudi Women’s Civic Participation: This priority area is aimed at developing the leadership abilities and organizational and management skills of current and up-and-coming women civic activists, including those who intend to participate as supporters, educators, and possibly as candidates, in future elections. Women in Saudi Arabia have made great strides toward equality over the past several years, including their increased participation in civic life at all levels. They have organized community groups to address local concerns with municipal governments, and they have been appointed to elite ministry posts, university deanships, and directorships in quasi-governmental civic organizations. Women have also run for election in the Jeddah and Riyadh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, organizations normally dominated by men. Although women were prohibited from voting or running as candidates during Saudi Arabia’s first municipal elections in 2005, the door appears open for women to participate in future elections.
Proposed projects should include activities related to empowering women leaders working to establish community groups and advocacy campaigns, including by developing and maintaining peer networks. They should also support women’s engagement with municipal leaders and local government offices, including through the establishment of local women’s councils or workshops. Activities may vary by region and may include topics ranging from local neighborhood issues to public education and lobbying campaigns working toward women’s suffrage, such as efforts to remove obstacles that prevent women from voting in future municipal elections. The project may also include training and preparation for women to run in group and professional association elections as a stepping stone toward municipal or other government appointments. Project activities are encouraged to include involvement with men, particularly community leaders supportive of women’s increased civic engagement in local policy debate.
B) Saudi Judicial Engagement: This priority area seeks to recognize the importance of a modernized judiciary in an increasingly global legal environment. King Abdullah has taken steps to modernize the Kingdom’s justice and education systems. As part of the King’s judicial reforms, Saudi Arabia has established specialized commercial courts and improved more autonomy to administrative court officials in sentencing. Judicial reform, which may include developing a new court system, building new courts, and training judges, will be a generational undertaking. With these domestic changes in mind, NEA/PI seeks proposals to give Saudi judges an inside look at the U.S. court system and federal government. Activities may include consultations with the U.S. Supreme Court, Department of Justice, federal and district courts, bar associations, and congressional hearings on judicial issues.
Proposed projects are expected to provide Saudi judges with exposure to the U.S. Supreme Court, various types of courts, legal experts, law schools, and models of judicial interaction with other actors in the judicial system. Attention should be given to procedural administration of justice and case management and various special topics, including bankruptcy adjudication, protection of intellectual property rights, judicial independence, and the jury system. NEA/PI seeks applications that will help to increase the capacity of judges and legal officials in Saudi Arabia to adjudicate complex transactions and equip judges with the tools to improve the legal climate in their country. NEA/PI will look favorably on proposals that suggest creativity, innovation, actionable programming, as well as the likelihood of positive impact on the pace of Saudi judicial reform.
C) Saudi Governance and Public Management Fellowship: This priority area envisions pairing Saudi city and local government officials with counterparts in major and mid-sized American cities whose prospects and challenges best resemble local (Saudi) conditions. The Fellowship is intended to provide Saudi participants with exposure to more streamlined and constituent-responsive systems of government, thereby helping Saudi local leaders, including both officials and staffers, govern more efficiently. The Fellowship should also provide opportunities to leverage recent developments in Saudi Arabia, including: the Saudi government’s outreach to local councils to seek their input on ways to improve their ability to function, and the potential that municipal bodies could assume additional responsibility over the coming years. The ideal participant for this Fellowship is the constituent-savvy local leader or staffer.
NEA/PI seeks proposals to provide Fellows an opportunity to gain theoretical and practical exposure from mentor-practitioners and on-the-job training, and to organize an alumni conference in Saudi Arabia allowing further networking and reciprocal American insight into Saudi practices. Good governance and constituent relations training should help participants develop innovative ways to take advantage of existing opportunities to engage their publics, with the implementer monitoring the ability of officials and staffers to engage effectively and creatively with Saudi citizens. Activities should also utilize effective means to leverage recent developments, including those noted above. Applicants are encouraged to plan for in-country assessments, providing the opportunity to bring together mentor-officials from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia and create dialogue on urban and public management and constituent relations.
Background Information about MEPI: The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), located within the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, supports efforts to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In support of these goals, MEPI works with non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and government officials. More information about MEPI can be found at: www.mepi.state.gov. Information on MEPI's regional offices in Abu Dhabi and Tunis can be found at: www.abudhabi.mepi.state.gov and www.medregion.mepi.state.gov.
Electronic Link to Full Announcement: Go to http://www.mepi.state.gov, click on Funding & Project Opportunities, click on “Saudi Arabia Projects” link.
II. Award Information
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreements
Anticipated Total Program Funding: Up to $1,400,000 in Economic Support Funds in Federal Fiscal Year 2009
$400,000 for the Saudi Judicial Engagement Program.
$600,000 for the Saudi Governance and Public
Management Fellowship.
Project and Budget Periods: Applicants may propose performance periods of up to three years. NEA/PI will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards, beyond the initial budget period, on a noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the applicants, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Government.
III. Eligibility Information
Eligible applicants include any registered U.S. or foreign non-governmental organization, and U.S. or foreign private institutions or commercial entities.
NEA/PI strongly encourages applications from partnerships or coalitions including local or regional organizations. For the purposes of this RFA, “partnership” is defined as a negotiated arrangement among organizations that provides for a substantive, collaborative role for each of the partners in the planning and implementation of a project. Applicants intending to represent a coalition of providers should be prepared to provide, if requested, a signed partnership agreement stating:
· An intent to commit or receive resources or services from the prospective partner(s) contingent upon receipt of funds;
· How the partnership arrangement advances the objectives of the project;
· Supporting documentation identifying the resources, experience, and expertise of the partner(s);
· Evidence that each of the partner(s) has been involved in the planning of the project;
· Clarification of the role of the partner(s) in the implementation of the project, evaluation, and sustainability.
NEA/PI encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost-sharing from additional sources in support of this project. Applications should explain clearly how the additional resources will be used. If these resources are not proposed, applicants should explain why not.
Additional Information on Eligibility: All Federal assistance recipients must have a Dun & Bradstreet Number prior to funds disbursement. A DUNS number may be acquired at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or requesting on-line at www.dnb.com.
IV. Application Submission and Deadline
Application materials should be submitted online via www.grants.gov.
Applicants must clearly identify on the SF-424 and the MEPI Cover sheet the program area to which they are applying. Applicants may apply for one or more of the priority areas detailed in this announcement. Applicants who wish to apply for multiple priority areas must submit a discrete applications for each respective priority area.
To meet the announcement deadline, submissions must be made before
The submission checklist is as follows:
____ (a) Federal Assistance Application (Standard Forms 424) available at: www.grants.gov or from Ms. Jessica Baker, telephone (202) 776-8524, fax: (202) 776-8445, e-mail: nea-grants@state.gov;
____ (b) MEPI Cover Sheet (Executive Summary) – Format can be found attached to this announcement, or by going to www.mepi.state.gov and clicking on Funding & Project Opportunities.
____ (c) Proposal Narrative - The application narrative should not exceed 20 pages with no more than 10 pages of appendices attached. Each page should be numbered sequentially. Narrative submission should be in Times New Roman font, size 12, single-line spacing.
____ (d) Budget and Budget Justification (Narrative) – The budget and justification should not exceed 10 pages, and each page should be number sequentially. NEA/PI prefers that budgets and justifications be submitted in MS-Excel or MS-Word. Guidance for responding to this can be found in Section V “Review and Selection Process.”
Please note: The limitation of 40 pages for each submission should be considered as a maximum and not necessarily a goal, and excludes the SF 424 forms and MEPI cover sheet.
Applicants need not include their most recent annual report and Negotiated Indirect Costs Rate Agreement (NICRA), but should be prepared to provide a copy of these documents upon request.
V. Review and Selection Process
Each application submitted under this announcement will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the following evaluation criteria. The criteria are designed to assess the quality of the proposed project, and to determine the likelihood of its success. The criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Applications will be reviewed on the basis of their fullness, coherence, clarity, and attention to detail. Points are awarded only to applications that are deemed responsive within the context of this program announcement.
Applicants must submit a full project description in accordance with the following instructions and the specified evaluation criteria. The instructions give a broad overview of what the project description should include while the evaluation criteria provide details of more program-specific information that is needed. MEPI Cover Sheet: Provide a summary of the project description (no more than two pages) with reference to the amount and duration of the funding request.
Narrative: Outline a plan of action which describes the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors which might accelerate or decelerate the work and state reasons for taking the proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities accomplished. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and their target dates. List those organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will work on the project, along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution. Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and cooperating partners such as organizational charts, financial statements, documentation of professional accreditation or of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. Include written agreements between grantees and sub-grantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship. Application Evaluation Criteria:
Innovation and Approach –The applicant clearly describes how its proposal will address the requested program and articulates an innovative strategy or plan in one of the priority areas under this announcement. A feasible approach to maintaining the relationships with the participants during the entire award period is proposed. Proposals outline a creative or innovative plan, and include a justification of feasibility.
An applicant is encouraged to provide information on the total range of projects it currently conducts related to the priority area. The approach will be evaluated in terms of expediency and feasibility in the regional and country context. (30 points)
Results or Benefits – Applicant clearly demonstrates how the project is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results including a results monitoring plan that identifies key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward program goals. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referenced in the endnotes/footnotes. The demographic data and participant/beneficiary information illustrate reasonably the impact to be achieved within a maximum two-year timeframe. (25 points)
Organizational Capacity – The organization has expertise in the relevant priority area and demonstrates the ability to engage and work together with local and regional networks. Where partners are described, the applicant details the rationale for the consortia, each partner’s respective role, and how the coalition will enhance the progress towards achieving goals in the stated priority area. The organization demonstrates a high level of regional and/or country expertise. (20 points)
Staff and Position Specifications – Each key person whether staff, consultant, or volunteer is described in a biographical sketch; a job description is provided for each open key position, including those to be advertised post-award. Individual organization staffs, including volunteers, are well qualified and described. (10 points)
Budget and Budget Justification (Additional guidance for responding to this criterion may be found attached to this announcement, or by going to www.mepi.state.gov and clicking on Funding & Project Opportunities.) The detailed budget includes a breakout of any funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424. Calculations are provided with line item detail for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form (SF 424). The budget narrative provides details of calculations including estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated.
The budget and narrative justification are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results and the plan for services is realistic. The budget documents the necessity, reasonableness, and allocation of all proposed costs. Adequate travel to and within the Middle East is proposed. The application documents any efforts to secure other funding sources. . (15 points)
VI. Award Administration
A. Award Notices: The successful applicants will be notified through the issuance of a Financial Assistance Award document, which sets forth the amount of funds granted, the terms and conditions of the grant, the effective date of the grant, the budget period for which initial support will be given, the non-Federal share to be provided (if applicable), and the total project period for which support is contemplated. The Financial Assistance Award will be signed by the Grants Officer and the award package will be transmitted electronically. Following the finalization of funding decisions, organizations whose applications will not be funded will be notified by electronic letter.
B. Administration and National Policy Requirements. Those applicants selected under this RFA will receive a cooperative agreement containing terms and conditions prescribed by the Department of State under U.S. law and regulation:
22 CFR –Parts 137 & 145
48 CFR – Part 31
Public Law 111-8
Reporting Requirements: Programmatic and Financial Reports will be due 30 days after each quarter. A final report covering finance and results achieved will be due 90 days after the end of the performance period.
The Office of Management and Budget has consolidated and replaced four existing financial reporting forms (SF–269, SF–269A, SF– 272, and SF–272A) with a single Federal Financial Report (FFR SF-425). Award recipients should anticipate using FFR SF-425 for submitting financial reports. The FFR SF-425 has 2 major components (1) Cash Management Report (former SF-272) and (2) Financial Status Reports (former SF-269).
Also, awardees may anticipate a requirement to submit reports and provide evaluation findings to NEA/PI through the NEA/PI Online Performance Reporting System (DS-4127 – OMB clearance expires July 31, 2011). All data collected, including survey responses and contact information, must be maintained for a minimum of three years, and provided to NEA/PI upon request.
NEA/PI provides interactive database access to all project implementers to facilitate work plan approvals and a Results Monitoring Plan (RMP) to track the project’s progress towards defined objectives, as the activities unfold and at the end of the project. Recipients should plan to track participants or partners and be able to respond to key evaluation questions, including satisfaction with the program, learning as a result of the program, changes in behavior as a result of the program, and effects of the program on institutions (institutions in which participants work or partner institutions). The evaluation plan should include indicators that measure gains in mutual understanding as well as substantive knowledge.
The RMP will include the Intended Outcome(s) and the approved Activities and Objectives with Performance Indicators for each. The Intended Outcome is the principal change to be achieved by completing the activities and realizing the objectives of a project. It reflects the anticipated impact of the project and defines how a situation will be different after the project is successfully completed. The Objectives are concrete accomplishments that can be explicitly and logically linked to achievement of an Intended Outcome. Objectives should be "smart" (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and achievable within the time frame of the project).
Performance Indicators will measure achievement of the Intended Outcomes and Objectives rather than quantify the outputs of activities. Outputs are products and services delivered, often stated as an amount. Output information is important to show the scope or size of project activities, but it cannot substitute for information about progress towards the results achieved. For example, number of service providers trained would NOT be a direct measure of the result service delivery improved. Findings on outputs and results may both be reported, but the focus should be on results.
Substantial Involvement: Representatives from the U.S. Department of State will review all agendas and materials for all program components and participate in selected parts of the program as deemed appropriate.
All awardees are expected to provide the Project Officer and Grants Office a complete list of participants in MEPI-funded project activities and to assist MEPI with the distribution and collection of materials related to MEPI alumni activities.
Acknowledgement: Recipient organizations must ensure that the Department of State, through the Middle East Partnership Initiative, is acknowledged as the program sponsor in all program-related communications. All communications, paper or electronic, must include the full program name and the MEPI logo. NEA/PI must approve all publicity and advertising materials before they are published.
All products and services developed or produced as a result of an approved award must clearly acknowledge the Middle East Partnership Initiative support. The U.S. Government will retain the right to royalty-free use of all materials developed through U.S.-funded programs. The recipient should plan for Internet connectivity with the
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