Global Labour Program
Agency for International Development

English Only

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=278099

Deadline: September 24, 2015

COUNTRIES:
Core countries/Region: The following countries and regions will be required as core countries for the GLP. Core countries will be required to be addressed in any solicitations for this program: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, South Africa, Ukraine. Regional activities will be required for southern Africa and for Central America. Central America regional program activities may be based in Mexico and/or in El Salvador.

Suggested countries: Applicants are encouraged to propose work that covers the full five-year timeline supported by the GLP. However, recognizing changing political contexts in many of these countries, applicants may propose a lengthy initial period to scale up new country programs, with activities in the initial period supported through a regional hub while the applicant establishes the necessary relationships on the ground to develop a full country program. Applicants are also encouraged to propose regional work that covers one or more of the countries on the list below and may cover additional countries, and may allow for a strategic ‘pivot’ of programming into that country as political conditions change to create new openings for labor activities: Burma, El Salvador, Haiti, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Morocco, Thailand, Vietnam

Please note that current lead award programs (2011-16) are active in nine countries: Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Liberia, South Africa, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Georgia, as well as regional and sub-regional programs in Central America/Latin America, Southern Africa, South Asia/Asia, and Eastern Europe. The Leader supports four thematic research and advocacy programs on gender, migration and trafficking, informality and rule of law.

GRANT SIZE
The ceiling for this program is $37.5 million. Actual funding amounts are subject to availability of funds. One award is anticipated as a result of this notice of funding opportunity (NFO). The period of performance anticipated herein is 5 years. The estimated start date will be upon the signature of the award, on or about. Funding provided for the award shall support no less than six and no more than nine country programs.

DESCRIPTION
The GLP is a component of USAID’s Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) Strategy, and accordingly, is intended to contribute to strategy objectives. The DRG Strategy provides a framework “to support the establishment and consolidation of inclusive and accountable democracies to advance freedom, dignity and development,” aiming to “promote peace, security, stability and prosperity.” As noted in the DRG strategy, poverty is underpinned in part by “entrenched power dynamics that lead to political and economic exclusion.” Civil society organizations provide channels for citizen voice. The strategy envisions two critical outcomes: greater citizen participation and inclusion; and more accountable leaders and institutions. It explicitly elevates human rights as a key USAID development objective and encourages the integration of DRG principles and practices into other development sectors.
Four development objectives

1. To promote participatory, representative and inclusive political processes and government institutions.
2. To foster greater accountability of institutions and leaders to citizens and to the law.
3. To protect and promote universally recognized human rights.
4. To improve development outcomes through the integration of DRG principles and practices across USAID’s development portfolio.

Relationship to Other USAID Programs

• Supporting Trade Capacity Building.
• Social Protection for Vulnerable Populations.
• Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equity.

USAID proposes a new five-year Global Labor Program (2016 – 2021) that can demonstrate clear, measurable and meaningful medium-term results and progress toward long-term impact in promoting the stated program objectives. Proposed new programming should serve USAID gender and social inclusion policies and strategies, and US trade and labor priorities, as described above. The program will represent a mix of country-based, and thematic or regional programming, as described below.

Project Goal: Improved dignity, prosperity and quality of life for working people worldwide
Project Results:

• Fundamental rights of workers are better protected
• Fundamental interests of workers are better represented
• Enabling environment for labor standards protection improved

The Global Labor Program will support regional and transnational approaches that address the overall results framework and support demonstrable progress toward the overall program objectives. Applicants may propose specific activities that promote the objectives stated above with respect to a particular region of the world, and/or with respect to a particular economic or occupational sector.

Given the complex nature of work globally, the GLP will seek to support sectoral approaches to promoting workers’ rights and interests through strategic approaches or advocacy campaigns linking unions and/or CSOs with transnational stakeholders, including inter-governmental bodies, multinational companies and industry associations. The GLP will solicit activities that foster strategic targeting in multiple countries of sectors where there are common employers, or common issues that may be addressed by promoting international norms or frameworks.

ELIGIBILITY

• U.S. and non-US organizations may participate under this NFO.
• USAID welcomes applications from organizations which have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
• Applications for renewal of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards.
• Applicants must have established financial management, monitoring and evaluation processes, internal control systems, and policies and procedures that comply with established U.S. Government standards, laws, and regulations. - The successful applicant(s) will be subject to a responsibility determination assessment (Pre-award Survey) by the Agreement Officer (AO).
• Applicant must have a DUNS number; if the applicant doesn’t have a DUNS number, it is required to obtain one before award (if successful). For information, see ADS 302sao, Guidance for Obtaining a DUNS Number.
• The Recipient must be a responsible entity. The AO may determine if a pre-award survey is required to conduct an assessment that will determine whether the prospective recipient has the necessary organizational experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with the terms and conditions of the award.

APPLICATIONS
USAID requests that applications be kept as concise as possible. The written Technical Application is limited to 60 pages total, not including annexes, exhibits, etc., and shall be written in English.

The Technical Application shall include the following sections:

a. Cover Page (1 page maximum)
b. Executive Summary (3 pages maximum)
c. Technical Ability (50 pages maximum)
    - Technical Understanding (46 pages maximum)
    - Monitoring and Evaluation (2 pages maximum)
d. Institutional Capacity (4 pages maximum)
e. Staffing and Management Plan
    - Personnel/ Partner Organizations (1 – 2 pp each)
f. Past Performance (4 pages maximum)

• Budget
• Additional documentation as required

For more information:
Agency point of contact:
Miss Chelsea Poling, Agreement Specialist U.S. Agency for International Development/Washington SA-44, Room 524-G 301 4th Street, SW Washington, DC 20024 Email: cpoling@usaid.gov

All questions regarding this NFO should be submitted in writing to Chelsea Poling at cpoling@usaid.gov by (5:00pm EST on August 21, 2015) to provide sufficient time to address the questions and incorporate the questions and answers as an amendment to this solicitation.