FY 2010 Funding Opportunity Announcement to Strengthen Evidence-based Decision Making, Conduct Assessments, and Conduct Research Relevant to PRM-Funded Humanitarian Programs Worldwide.

Funding Opportunity Number: PRM-SGP-10-CA-04192010

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number: 19.522 - Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Strategic Global Priorities

Announcement issuance date: Monday, April 19, 2010.

Proposal submission deadline: Friday, May 28, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST. Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

ADVISORY: Grants.gov is expected to experience continued high volume of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to allow time to address difficulties that may arise due to system delays.

Proposed Program Start Dates: July 15, 2010

Duration of Activity: No more than 12 months.

Current Funding Priorities: PRM will prioritize funding for proposed activities that best meet the Bureau’s priorities as identified below:

• Projects to strengthen evidence-based decision making tools for use in humanitarian programs, including those funded by PRM.
• Projects involving research, assessment, or formative evaluation that could inform and strengthen PRM policy and programming for:
  • urban refugees/urban displacement;
  • refugees in protracted situations of displacement for five or more years;
  • stateless persons.

(a) Proposals to strengthen evidence-based decision making tools for humanitarian operations must focus on measuring performance, improving data collection, quality, and/or coordination, and/or attaining minimum international standards. Of particular interest are projects that identify data collection mechanisms or good practices in urban settings. Proposals should aim to strengthen tools that serve a public good by addressing gaps in knowledge, rather than meeting the accountability requirements of a specific organization. Selected proposals will likely focus on one or two of the following areas: Food security, Nutrition, Health, Protection, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Livelihoods, and/or Primary Education.

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to, the following illustrative list:

• Development of standards and indicators for humanitarian assistance with refugees in urban settings. All standards and indicators developed would build on ongoing work in this field, including the work of the Sphere Project.
• Development of tools that enable identification, profiling and/or needs assessments of urban refugee populations. All tools would build on ongoing work in this field, including the work of the Sphere Project and of UNHCR’s Health Information System.
• Development and testing of a methodology to document the burden of disease among urban refugee populations, including methodologies to address reproductive health issues.
• Development of standardized indicators of safe motherhood in protracted refugee situations, with a focus on the continuum of care and prevention of maternal mortality.

(b) Proposals involving research, assessments, or formative evaluation should include policy and program implementation recommendations to relevant parties.

Examples of projects include, but are not limited to, the following illustrative list:

• Research on the legal and economic opportunities and obstacles faced by refugees or stateless persons. Final reports would include best practices for identifying the population of concern and targeting the most vulnerable, for working with local authorities and communities, for ensuring access to services, and/or for combating xenophobia.
• Research that would identify best practices for assistance to refugees in urban settings, taking into account the local economic conditions of the host population.
• Assessment of the conceptual framework and implementation of current or past (2008-present) livelihoods programs in protracted refugee situations. Final reports would highlight successes and challenges in program design and implementation, and recommend standard indicators for measuring livelihoods programs.
• Research on the economic aspects of local integration for refugees/stateless persons in: a.) host nations where refugees/stateless have the right to pursue legal employment; and/or b.) in situations where the host nation does not allow refugees/stateless freedom of movement and/or the right to legal employment. Final reports would include data and findings on the welfare parity between refugees/stateless and the local population and should include recommendations for relevant organizations/actors.
• Assessment/evaluation of primary and, if applicable, secondary education programs for refugees in protracted situations in host nations with an encampment policy. Final reports would include program-specific recommendations (for implementers and donors) to inform future policy and program design.

(c) PRM will accept proposals that are country- or population-specific. PRM will also accept proposals that include multiple countries/populations/regions and include analysis across different cases.

(d) All final reports should include data, findings, and actionable recommendations for policy and program implementation.

(e) PRM will accept proposals from any organization, including universities and research institutes, proposing to work in the above mentioned areas. Given budgetary constraints, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that can demonstrate:

• Knowledge of UNHCR operations and findings from previous UNHCR research and evaluations.
• A proven track record in conducting such research in the past, with a focus on the evaluation of humanitarian assistance programs and policies for refugees, stateless persons, vulnerable migrants, and/or conflict victims.
• Evidence of subject-matter expertise, and familiarity with current and past research and activities in the proposed area
• Evidence of coordination with donor governments, other policy and research institutes, international organizations (IOs), and other organizations working on research and/or activities in the proposed area
• A concrete data collection and implementation plan, project objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, and well-conceived linkages between research findings and recommendations for PRM metrics, policy, and/or programs
• A budget that is appropriate for meeting the proposal’s objectives.

International Organizations (IOs) that are engaged in programs relevant to the areas addressed by this PRM funding announcement should ensure that these programs are made known to PRM on or before the closing date of this funding announcement so that PRM can evaluate all IO and NGO programs for funding consideration.

Funding Limits: PRM will consider projects submitted with budgets up to $300,000.

As stated in the FY 2010 General PRM 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:

See “How to Apply” (http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_faqs.jsp#applying) on Grants.gov for complete details on requirements, and note the following highlights:

• Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov. Organizations not registered with Grants.gov should register well in advance of the May 28 deadline, as it can take up to two weeks to finalize registration (sometimes longer for non-U.S. based organizations to get the required registration numbers). To register with Grants.gov, organizations must first receive a DUNS number and register with the Central Contract Registry (CCR) which can take weeks and sometimes months. See “Applicant FAQs” section on Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/help/applicant_faqs.jsp#applying) for complete details on registering.
• Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on Grants.gov. Applicants who have done so in the past and experienced technical difficulties were not able to meet the deadline. Please note: Grants.gov is expected to experience continued high volumes of activity in the near future. PRM strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays. 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.
• 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(s) to the Grants.gov help desk and received a case number and had a service request opened to research the problem(s), should contact PRM Program Officer Fruzsina Csaszar at 202-663-1039 or CsaszarFA@state.gov to determine whether an alternative method of submission is appropriate.
• 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.
• Organizations that have not received PRM funding prior to 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) non-profit tax status under IRS 501 (c)(3), 3) a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and 4) an Employer ID (EIN)/Federal Tax Identification number.

Proposal Content, Formatting and Template:

Because this call for proposals is open to a variety of projects to strengthen evidence-based decision making, conduct assessments, and conduct research relevant to PRM-funded humanitarian programs worldwide, proposals may differ in scope and content. Thus, there is no recommended proposal template for this funding opportunity announcement.

PLEASE TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THE PRM’s FY 2010 NGO GUIDELINES:

This announcement is designed to accompany the FY 2010 General PRM NGO Guidelines, which contain additional administrative information and explain in detail PRM’s NGO funding strategy and priorities. Please use both the FY 2010 General PRM NGO Guidelines and this announcement to ensure that the proposed activities are in line with PRM’s priorities and that your proposal submission is in full compliance with PRM requirements.

• Proposals should outline how the organization 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.
• Budget must include a specific breakdown of funds being provided by UNHCR, other USG agencies, other donors, and your own organization (where applicable).

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.

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 FY 2010 General PRM 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 criteria referenced above and on PRM priorities in the context of available funding.

In order to provide organizations with timely feedback, PRM will inform applicants of the panel’s decision to recommend or not recommend funding proposed activities, and may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the panel. PRM will follow up with formal notifications to organizations of final decisions taken by Bureau management.

PRM Point of Contact:

Should applicants 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.):

Fruzsina Csaszar at CsaszarFA@state.gov or 202-663-1039.