USAID Liberia Civil Society

Activity (CSA)

2024 Annual Program Statement

The purpose of this Annual Program Statement (APS) is to solicit applications for grant funding from prospective partners who will collaborate with other citizen, community, civil society, private sector, and government stakeholders to achieve measurable outcomes advancing human rights, especially for marginalized communities, including women, youth, key populations, and individuals with disabilities. Under this APS, USAID’s Civil Society Activity (CSA) is seeking concept papers that contribute to:

1. Promotion of Civil and Political Rights: Design programming to strengthen democratic institutions, promote freedom of expression and assembly, and advocate for fair and transparent processes.
2. Education on Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI): Reduce gender-based discrimination and violence by partnering with local or regional organizations and communities to develop and implement gender-sensitive programs, advocate for gender equity policies at the local and national levels or provide GESI training within educational institutions.
3. Protection of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights: Develop initiatives that address inequality with a focus on access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Additionally, projects should raise awareness about human rights violations among targeted communities,

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stakeholders, and the public.

1. Empowerment of Marginalized Communities: Empower women, youth, key population communities and persons with disabilities to advocate for their rights, build their capacity to address human rights issues, and enhance their participation in decision-making processes.
2. Justice and Accountability: Empower Liberian citizens and organizations to advocate forjustice for human rights violations. Support the advancement of Liberia’s War and Economic Crimes Court through advocacy, awareness raising, truth-telling, peace and reconciliation, aiding survivors and victims, and other related themes that align with CSA’s program objectives.
3. Partnerships and Collaboration: Foster partnerships and collaboration among civil society organizations, governments, and the private sector to address human rights challenges collectively.
4. Monitoring and Reporting: Establish mechanisms for monitoring citizens’ rights, documenting abuses, and reporting findings to relevant authorities and internationalstakeholders.

Adjustments may be made based on the specific context, goals, and target populations of the grant. Applicants may choose from a range of initiatives orscale up activitiesthat have demonstrated success. Applications outside the geographic focus areas will only be considered if they propose activities/issues of broader national concern.

CSA, on behalf of USAID, anticipates awarding up to 20 grants to fund successful applicationssubmitted in response to this APS. Competition for this APS will be open for a period of one year with applications reviewed and evaluated when received. The length of the programs may range from 6 to 24 months. The total amount of funding available for this APS is approximately USD $1,600,000 which is anticipated to be awarded to up to 20 successful organizations to implement various programs relating to Human

Rights Programs for Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion for a period of up to two years. Applicants may request awards of up to a total of USD$200,000 per award for a project life of up to two years, and no more than USD $100,000 per year. This amount is subject to revision depending on the availability of funds. CSA may choose to fully fund or incrementally fund selected applications. The number of awards and amount of available funding is subject to change and CSA reserves the right to make no awards because of this APS.

This APS is seeking applicants to propose innovative and effective approaches in advancing Human Rights as outlined previously. Applicants may choose among a range of initiatives or scale up small projects that have demonstrated success. Awardees will be expected to share evaluation results and key lessons and disseminate periodic activities and outcomes with the broader community.

Grants will support the implementation of activities that are consistent with CSA strategies and priorities. The activity will ensure adequate coordination with implementing partners and other donor funded interventions to avoid duplication of effort and maximize potential effectiveness. Grants shall

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contribute financially to promote and facilitate the achievement of expected activity results and do so in a manner complementary to other, non-financial activity contributions, e.g., volunteer labor or space. The grant program is designed to provide this financial support while leveraging local resources and those of other donors.

SECTION I – FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

The goal of the Civil Society Activity (CSA) is to strengthen Liberians’ ability to advocate for policy reforms, policy implementation, and service delivery improvements through multi-stakeholder coalitions that build feedback loops among the Government of Liberia, Civil Society Organizations, and citizens. Under Objective 1, the grants issued under this APS will form issue-based coalitions composed of diverse members. The coalitions will analyze the most critical issues that can lead to feasible reforms, co-create advocacy strategies, and translate them into improved policy formation and implementation. Under Objective 2, coalitions will apply citizen engagement strategies and policy dialogue platforms to integrate citizen voices in advocacy agendas. Coalitions will close feedback loops by disseminating the results of their advocacy efforts to the broader community to encourage continued dialogue. Activities under Objectives 3 and 4 will ensure that coalition members’ achievements are sustainable by building their financial resilience and adaptive capacities and linking them to a pool of Liberian private sector service providers.

Listed below is a detailed description of the objectives of CSA in promoting sustainable, citizen-responsive reforms to address ongoing development challenges.

Objective 1: Linkages Between CSOs with Shared Priorities Strengthened to Increase Their Impact: Depending on the problem analysis, coalitions will implement advocacy strategies for engaging policymakers and implementers in the executive and legislative branches and/or subnational governmental entities around new policies, revisions to current legislation, or the implementation of an existing law (such as the Local Government Act) to improve service delivery outcomes. To support the implementation of advocacy strategies, coalitions will use their grants to acquire organizational capacity- building services from service providers (Objective 4).

The major Indicators for Objective 1 are listed below, and the potential activities submitted under this objective should aim at contributing to one or more of these indicators.

• 75 new or amended policies, regulations, or legislation related to thematic focus of supported CSO coalitions introduced/adopted/implemented.
• 15 CSO coalition advocacy issues prioritized by public officials.
• 50 CSOs receiving assistance engaged in advocacy.
• 40 USG-funded organizations representing marginalized constituencies trying to affect government policy or conducting government oversight.
• 40% increase in the capacity of coalitions to advocate for citizens.
• 40% of coalitions advocacy activities focused on service delivery insight.
• 15% increase in citizen satisfaction with health/education or other service delivery outcomes outside of Monrovia*
• 15% increase in dollar value of CSDF funds allocated and spent on service delivery priorities, as defined by citizens*
• 25 private sector companies engaged in coalition activities.

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Objective 2. Civil Society’s Ability to Serve as a Conduit for Information Between Constituents and Officials Enhanced: Information flows down to the community level are critical to sustainability, as citizens are more likely to engage in advocacy effortsif a coalition is credited with value-additive services. Core partners and CSA staff will support grantees and coalition members to forge strategic partnerships with their peers at the subnational level and develop communication strategiesto reach the most remote constituencies in Liberia. CSA’s feedback loop analysis will help identify gaps in information flows and entry points for closing feedback loops. With enhanced technical and organizational capacity building provided by CSA’s core partners (Objective 3) and service providers (Objective 4), grantees use citizen input to inform their advocacy agendas and communicate to citizens the successes and challenges of their advocacy under Objective 1.

The major indicators for Objective 2 are listed below and the potential activities under this objective should aim at contributing to one or more of these indicators.

• 600 CSO-led community engagement activities held.
• 10,000 citizens engaging in initiatives for government reforms.
• 25 innovative approaches piloted to connect political leaders to citizens through CSO coalitions. • 15 reform-related media campaigns developed and broadcast.
• 200 subnational organizations engaged by coalition members.
• 20 service delivery feedback and social accountability mechanisms to track service delivery improvements established, piloted, or scale.

Objective 3: Supported CSOs’ Financial and Organizational Sustainability Enhanced To sustain interventions under the previous objectives, Objective 3 activities willstrengthen the technical and organizational capacity of coalition membersthrough peer- to-peer learning and targeted assistance. CSA staff and private sector providers will also help coalition members design funding diversification strategies and support fundraising through outreach to Liberian constituents, the diaspora community, and the private sector. Objective 3 interventions will gradually shift from measuring capacity to measuring the performance of coalition members.

The major indicators for Objective 3 are listed below and the potential activities should aim at contributing to one or more of these indicators.

• 70% of coalition members with increased donations and contributions
• 40% increase in organizational, advocacy, and financial capacity of coalition members • 100% of coalition members with financial sustainability plans in place
• 100% of coalition members implementing organizational development plans
• 20 information and communication technology (ICT)based solutions designed and implemented Objective 4: Ongoing Capacity Development Services Available on the Local Market

A majority of the capacity development services for Liberian CSOs are provided by donor-funded international organizations and consultants, thereby preventing the growth of domestic suppliers to meet demand. Under Objective 4, the Contractor will expand the current pool of service providers by adding new firms specializing in ICT solutions and firms with networks outside of Monrovia.

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The major indicators for Objective 4 are listed below and the potential activities should aim at contributing to one or more of these indicators.

• 40% increase in the quality of service provided to coalition members
• 20 private sector entities providing services to subnational CSOs

SECTION II- AWARD INFORMATION

Estimated Funding Level Up to USD$150,000 per award

Grant Anticipated Performance Period: Six months to two years.

Award Type: Fixed Amount Award (FAA)

SECTION III- ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

This APS is issued as a public notice to ensure that all interested and qualified organizations have a fair opportunity to submit applications for funding.

Applicants must be legally recognized and registered in Liberia. Registration documents and statutes must be submitted with the Concept Paper. Unregistered/traditional groups should consider collaborating with a registered group to submit a Concept Paper. However, grants will only be awarded to registered organizations.

The following entities are not eligible for consideration:

• Any U.S. entity which is a “private voluntary organization” (PVO) but has not registered as such with USAID;
• Any entity whose name appears on the “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-Procurement Programs”;
• Any “public international organization” (PIO);
• Any third country foreign government;
• Any entity affiliated with DAI or any of its directors, officers, or employees;
• Any political party organization.

Recipient Contribution – Applicants are encouraged to contribute resources from their own private or local sources for the implementation of this program where feasible. Projectsthat leverage funds from the private and public sector or other donors are highly desirable.

SECTION IV- APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Develop a Concept Paper

In the first stage, all applicants are required to submit a short technical concept paper no longer than 5 pages that is specific, complete, and concise. The concept paper should clearly explain the proposed project idea and technical approach, while also demonstrating the applicant’s capabilities and expertise with respect to achieving the goals of the CSA program. The instructions for developing the concept paper should taken into account. The instructions are listed in the next section.

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Concept papers will be reviewed in terms of responsiveness to the APS and the development of innovative and practical solutions to advancing human rights. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate how their proposed work will contribute towards strengthening Liberians’ ability to advocate for policy reforms, policy implementation, and service delivery improvements through multi-stakeholder coalitions that build feedback loops among the GOL, CSOs, and citizens), across Liberia. Joint applications from coalitions or multiple organizations collaborating on a concept are also encouraged. More information on the criterial CSA will use to evaluate concept papers can be found in Section VI.

The concept paper must be submitted in Calibri, font size 11 and must include page numbers. Each page must be marked with the APS title and number.

Prepare the application for the concept paper according to the structural format set forth below:

1. Cover Page (no more than one (1) page). The cover page must include:
2. Name and physical address of the organization
3. Type of organization.
4. Point of Contact.
5. Statement that all information in application is true and correct.
6. Signature(s) of authorized representative(s) of the applicant or in the case of a joint concept note, each applicant.
7. Technical approach (no more than three (3) pages): This section should address the program summary and the following two objectives:
8. Objective 1: Linkages between CSOs with shared priorities strengthened to increase their impact.
9. Applicant may propose concepts that would integrate citizens’ voices into

advocacy agendas, through piloted platforms that promote engagement

among citizens, civil society organizations and the Government of Liberia to

enhance policy reform and implementation.

1. Objective 2: Civil society’s ability to serve as a conduit for information between constituents and officials enhanced.
2. Applicant concept notes should include strategies that would enable the

grantee to close feedback loops by disseminating results of their advocacy

efforts to their constituencies to encourage continued policy dialogue and

ensure that coalition-led achievements are sustainable by facilitating peer

to-peer linkages between the DAI partners and service providers to build

financial resilience and adaptive capacities of coalition members.

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3. Supporting information (no more than (1) page) this should include:
4. Proposed total estimated cost; Brief cost breakdown (e.g., salaries, travel, etc.); Proposed optional amount of the applicant’s financial as well as in-kind

participation if applicable; Proposed amount of prospective or existing partner(s)

financial as well as in-kind participation if applicable; Proposed duration of the

activity; and Brief description of applicants, as well as prospective or existing

partner(s’) previous work or experience.

DAI will contact selected applicants and request a full proposal based on the information provided in the concept paper. A request for application will be issued directly to successful applicants whose concept papers are considered.

Please complete the application form below and submit to CSA via email using the address indicated on the cover page prior to the deadline for submission.

SECTION V – SUBMISSION AND DEADLINE

The Concept Paper must be submitted by email on a rolling basisto: csa_grantapplications@dai.com no later than the deadline on the cover page of this APS or subsequently announced deadlines if additional reviews are announced. All correspondence mustmention ‘Concept Paper – Human Rights Grants for Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion’ in the subjectline oftheir submission email.

SECTION VI – EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Concept Paper– Applications will be reviewed in terms ofresponsivenessto the following broad criteria:

• Problem statement and justification asidentified and prioritized by relevantstakeholdersin one or more ofUSAID CSA priority areas,
• Alignment with theUSAID CSAobjectives and contribution to key indicators
• Support outcomes and results consistentwith and linked to CSA’s outputs and objectives ● Support activitieswithin the CSA target counties.
• Be submitted by registered organizations, both for-profit and non-profitU.S. and Liberianorganizations, orlocal government entities. Individuals are not eligible for grantfunding.
• Include realistic and reasonable partner contributions(if applicable)

SECTION VII – AWARD AND ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

(1) Post-Selection Information

USAID approval is required for all grants. Following the selection of an awardee, DAI will inform the successful applicant concerning the award via email. DAI will also notify unsuccessful applicants concerning theirstatus afterthe selection has beenmade in writing.

(2) General Information on Reporting Requirements

Program implementation reporting will be determined based on the outcome of the collaborative finalization of the planned program and the delineation of roles and responsibilities. A performance monitoring and evaluation plan, using established baseline data and specific, measurable targets and indicators will also be agreed upon. Financial reporting will be in accordance with the requirements of the grant agreement.

(3) General Information on Standard Provisions

Awardsto U.S. organizations will be administered in accordance with 2 CFR 200

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-12-26/pdf/2013-30465.pdf Automated Directives System (ADS) 303 andUSAID Standard Provisionsfor U.S. nongovernmental organizations. For non-U.S. organizations, USAID Standard Provisionsfor non-U.S. non-governmentalorganizations would apply. Applicantsmay obtain copies of the referenced material at the following websites:

• 2 CFR 200

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-12-26/pdf/2013-30465.pdf

• Standard Provisionsfor U.S. Nongovernmental Recipients:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303maa.pdf

• Standard Provisionsfor Non-U.S., Nongovernmental Recipients:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303mab.pdf

(4) Branding

All USAID-sponsored assistance awards are required to adhere to branding policies and revised marking requirements for grants and cooperative agreements in accordance with ADS 320. This includes visibly displaying the USAID Standard Graphic Identity that clearly communicates assistance is, “From the American people” on all programs, projects, activities, publications, public communications, and commodities provided or supported through USAID assistance awards. ADS

320 requires that, after the evaluation of the applications, DAI Staff will request the Apparently Successful Applicant to submit a Branding Strategy that describes how the program, project, or activity is named and positioned, how it is promoted and communicated to beneficiaries and cooperating country citizens, and identifies all donors and explains how they will be acknowledged. DAI will not competitively evaluate the proposed Branding Strategy. ADS 320 may be found at the following website: www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/320.pdf.

(6) Unique Entity ID (SAM)

There is a mandatory requirement for the applicant to provide a Unique Entity ID (System for Award Management – SAM) to DAI. Without a Unique Entity ID (SAM), DAI cannot deem an applicant to be

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“responsible” to conduct business with and therefore, DAI will not enter into an agreement with any such organization. The award of a grant resulting from this APS is contingent upon the winner providing a Unique Entity ID (SAM) to DAI. Organizations who fail to provide a Unique Entity ID (SAM) will not receive an agreement and DAI will select an alternate awardee. All U.S. and foreign organizations which receive a grant with a value of $25,000 and above are required to obtain a Unique Entity ID (SAM) prior to signing of the agreement. Organizations are exempt from this requirement if the gross income received from all sources in the previous tax year was under

$300,000. DAI requires that grant applicants sign the self-certification statement if the applicant claims exemption for this reason. Documentation with Instructions for Obtaining a Unique Entity ID (SAM) or Self- Certification for Exemption from the Unique Entity ID (SAM) can be obtained from the project issuing this APS.

(7) Certifications, Assurances, Other Statements of the Recipient and Solicitation Standard Provisions

In accordance with ADS 303.3.8, DAI will require successful grant applicants to submit a signed copy of the following certifications and assurances, as applicable:

1. Assurance of Compliance with Laws and Regulations Governing Non-Discrimination in Federally Assisted Programs (Note: This certification applies to Non-U.S. organizations if any part of the program will be undertaken in the United States.)
2. Certification Regarding Lobbying (This certification applies to grants greater than $100,000.)
3. Prohibition on Assistance to Drug Traffickers for Covered Countries and Individuals (ADS 206)
4. Certification Regarding Terrorist Financing, Implementing Executive Order 13224 5. Certification of Recipient

In addition, the following two certifications will be included only as required per ADS 206 for Key Individuals or Covered Participants in covered countries: Part II – Key

Individual Certification Narcotics Offenses and Drug Trafficking Part III –

Participant Certification Narcotics Offenses and Drug Trafficking

SECTION VIII – DAI PROJECT CONTACTS

The point of contact for this APS and any questions during the APS process is:

• Technical Director, Email: mahamed_boakai@dai.com
• CSA APS Application, Email: CSA_APSapplication@dai.com

Any prospective applicant desiring an explanation or interpretation of this APS must request it

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in writing by the deadline indicated on the first page of this document. When submitting questions, prospective applicants should write “Questions: [Name of Applicant Organization]” in the subject line of the email. Any information given to a prospective applicant concerning this APS will be furnished promptly to all other prospective applicants, if that information is necessary in submitting applications or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to any other prospective applicants.

SECTION IX – OTHER INFORMATION

Issuance of this APS does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of DAI, nor does it commit DAI to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an application. DAI reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. Further, DAI reserves the right to make no awards because of this APS.

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